Monthly Archives: May 2012

Today's topic is 10 Goals For This Summer.  This is something I've been thinking about anyway, so thanks to Carole for the push to write about it!

1) Keep up with the running.  I have a vague plan to run a 5k this summer (more on that later) but even beyond that, I just need to get into an actual regular habit of exercise...something I have never ever been able to do before.  I need to do it to keep myself healthy, and I would like to expose Ian to a more active lifestyle than the one I have been practicing for thirty-four years.  ;-)  And as a corollary, I need to start thinking about what I can do over the winter months, when it's too cold/icy to exercise outdoors.  

2) Finish knitting three things.  I often slack off on the knitting in the summer months, as many people do, but I'd like to get through some things, even if they're just tiny projects.  If nothing else...headstart on Christmas gifts!

3) Actually read some of the galleys I pick up next week at Book Expo!  I always have such grand plans to read so many things...and then it doesn't really happen the way I want it to.  

4) Keep the garden weeded properly.  We really fell off the wagon with weeding last year, and I think that some of the plants suffered for it.  (And maybe more importantly, I do love the look of a nicely-weeded garden.)

5) Go to the farmers' market and local farmstands more.  Fresh, local fruits and vegetables are SO yummy, and the growing season here is so short...we really need to take more advantage!

6) Preserve some of that summer bounty.  In theory, I am all about freezing and canning and making jam and the like.  In practice, I rarely, if ever, do any of that!  This year, I vow to prepare and stash at least ONE thing.

7) Take more photographs.  I've really been slacking off in the photography lately -- I can't really remember the last time I worked on hobby-photography, and I'm not even taking as many pictures of Ian these days, now that he is All About Playing With The Camera and it's hard to get any pictures of him before he's grabbing for the camera.  

8) Day trips!  Another thing I always want to do over the summer, but we never manage to do much of.  The beach, local museums, that kind of thing.  We do have a vacation planned (an actual, proper vacation! yay!) but sometimes these daytrips end up being even more fun.  It's hard sometimes for the two of us to manage to coordinate days off, but we're going to try our hardest this summer.

9) Write some letters.  I was thinking the other day about how no one writes letters anymore, and darn it, I want to take pen to paper and use a stamp and give my mailman something to handle other than bills and junk!  (Also, true confession: I am overdue in writing thank-you notes for Ian's birthday. Oops.)

10) Try not to complain too much about the weather.  My hatred of heat and humidity is legendary.  However, I know how much it irritates me when people complain incessantly about the cold, or about the rain, or whatever, and I have taken that to heart and I am going to keep the weather-complaining to a minimum.  (Which isn't to say I won't complain AT ALL.  In fact, just this morning I posted on Facebook about how hot it is in my house right now.  I'll just try to cap the complaints at a reasonable amount.)

What are YOUR goals for the summer?