Intentions

I've been thinking a lot about this new year, 2010, and all the possibility it holds. I've never been a resolution maker, but this year I have this overwhelming desire to resolve, to make lists, to make small changes and reclaim my life in some way. The desire stems from a couple places. One is my liking for beginnings and fresh starts...seeded perhaps in my years teaching school and as a student. There is no better feeling than facing down a new school year in the end of August.

The second place the desire to resolve comes from is a bit harder to explain and revealing it is difficult. 2009 was an unexpectedly change filled year for our family, as you read about here. While there has been much good at the end of the turmoil, I have been living in what feels like a cloudy place for the past few months. It isn't too surprising, really, as anyone who has moved to a new place can understand. Through in economic uncertainty, a new baby, a three year old desperate for friends, and well, it's left me feeling overwhelmed, and, at times, the dreaded word, depressed. A baby who is not a fan of sleeping for long periods of time, who still wakes up several times every night (last night it was probably around six times between 7:30pm and 6:30am), only adds to the messiness inside my head. It is easy to see the very obvious reasons that I've been in a fog. Now, I am working very hard to emerge, and do feel like I can see the light again. Hence, the ability and desire to seize this new year and make it great.

So I'm not making resolutions, per se, but instead creating a list of things I'd like to see happen in 2010. I'm sure some will happen and some will not, but that is the beauty of the experience. In sharing this all with you I hope to get to an even better place of acceptance for myself as well as make my intentions that much more real. Thanks for sharing it all with me!

• Join a CSA -- I'm starting to research and even found a meat CSA. Intriguing!
  
• Take more walks without destinations
• Run in a 5K race -- I'd also like to try for a 10K, but I'm not willing to make that commitment quite yet. Let's say it's half way on the list.
  
• Take a knitting class
• Get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep -- I know this isn't entirely within my control, but I'm hopeful
  
• Start commenting on the blogs I read -- I spend most every night reading a variety of blogs and I would like to start letting the writers know how they inspire me. I'd like to be more of a participant, less of an observer, in this realm and everywhere else too.
• Journal -- in a real pen and paper way, privately. I miss the reflection journaling provides.
• Get a job
• Knit while the kids play
  
• Plant a container garden -- container in case we move
• Get closer to being homeowners again
• Go on lots of family day trip adventures -- this will be helped by two books we bought yesterday: Ohio Off the Beaten Path and Day Trips from Columbus
• More reading, less TV -- This includes allowing the kids to see me reading. Cooper talks a lot about how Papa likes books, because Erik reads so much. He honestly thinks I don't like books. That has to change.
• Be frugal
• Make lots of wholesome, real, delicious food
• Try as many flavors of Jeni's Ice Cream as possible -- This will necessitate Ellery outgrowing her dairy sensitivity. Jeni's ice cream seems a good way to get back into eating dairy
• See live music
• Go on some dates with my wonderful husband
• Continue to create family traditions