One Item Completed
I am pleased to report that one task has been marked off the list.
#21--Get a massage.
I would be lying if I didn't admit that this is one of the goals I had been looking the most forward to when this list was created. I love a good massage, and this one most certainly did not disappoint.
The day after Thanksgiving, my Mom had planned a Mother/Daughter Day for the two of us. This was a much needed day spent relaxing and enjoying each other's company. It started with this perfect massage and was then followed by a little shopping, dinner with my brother, sister-in-law and two totally precious nieces followed by a "Sit and Sew" with Mom's quilting ladies. It was perfect.
A Lot in Progress
#3--Lose 10 pounds.
So I have in no way, shape or form lost 10 pounds. But, I am down 2. And progress is progress people.
#6--Sew something from a pattern.
My very first project making something from a pattern is underway. When we were on "Family Cabin Weekend," Mom wanted to venture out to a quilt shop and I was her shopping buddy for the excursion. While there, I found a pattern for a bag that I LOVED. At the "Sit and Sew" on Mother/Daughter Day, Mom helped me turn my dream of making something from a pattern into a reality. Now I just have to finish it...
#12--Take an actual vacation.
I don't go on vacation. Ever. But, this June I will be headed to Orlando for the Jazzercise Tropic Heat Conference. (Call it a business trip if you'd like. To me, this is a much needed getaway). And, factored in to the trip is extra time before and after the conference for sunshine, pool time, and relaxing. Hotel booked. Plane ticket purchased. Cannot wait.
#19--Post a picture of a new craft on my blog each month.
So, I obviously haven't posted any new craft projects lately, but I have been hard at work.
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| Mighty Ducks Jerseys made for Echo Church's Trunk-or-Treat |
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| Quiet Book for niece Brighton for Christmas |
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| A family Christmas gift depicting my brother, his wife, and two girls. |
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| Asymmetrical artwork for a Christmas gift. |
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| A new piece hanging in my hallway as a reminder of one of my favorite Bible verses. |
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| A reclaimed wooden palette turned piece of art and new jewelry storage. |
#20--Beat my Jazzercise evaluation from last evaluation.
So, I didn't exactly beat it. But, I made progress. And I feel challenged to keep improving before next year's evaluation.
#22--Complete a Beth Moore Bible study.
I haven't completed one yet. But, my Echo Bible study group decided to complete the Breaking Free Bible study beginning in January. (And this wasn't selected to help me knock something off my list). The best part about this? I started the Breaking Free study almost 10 years ago in college and quickly abandoned it. This round will not have the same outcome.
#27--Read at least one Bible verse a day.
So, I am not accomplishing this, but I am making progress. A good friend and I have committed to holding each other to Bible reading. So, we found a Bible reading plan that gives you a topic to study for two weeks, reading one chapter of Scripture a day. When I am behaving, I read before I get out of bed. But, I've learned that if I don't read it as soon as I get up, I don't read it at all. But, again, I'm making progress.
One Big Change
When I originally set up this list, I was feeling ambitious. And 6 months later, I still do. But, there has always been one entry on this list that has never sat well with me.
#23--Move.
I have lived in the same apartment for almost 7 years. I signed my lease in April 2005, just before I graduated from college. And now I sit here, in that same living room, 7 years later and this place feels more like home today than it ever has. There is nothing outstanding about my apartment. I has one bedroom. The rent is cheap and the heat and water are included. It is 5 minutes from my full-time job and exactly in the middle of my two "paid hobby" jobs. I cannot paint a single wall but have been able to get pets because I've proven I'm a good tenant. But when I walk in that door, I can let out a deep breath and know that I am home.
Now, chances are I will not live in this apartment for the rest of my life. But, I also don't want to move just because I put it on a "to-do" list.
So, I now have a new #23. And this one I think is even more important to my success in life.
Old #23--Move.
New #23--Embrace my relationship status.
I have a confession to make. My name is Beth, and I am a struggling single. If you had asked me when I signed that least 7 years ago if I thought I'd be living in this apartment for long, my answer would have been "no." I would have told you that I expected to live here for a bit, and then within the next couple of years I would probably be getting married and move into a place with my husband. Boy, was I wrong.
I have watched quite a few friends go down that path. Graduate. Meet someone of the opposite sex. Flirt and show interest. Start to date. Get engaged. Get married. Buy a house. Buy a dog. Start having cute little babies.
I, however, have done the exact opposite of that. I graduated. Met no one of the opposite sex in which to flirt with or show interest. Have not been on a date since the Fall of 2002 (let me help you with that math--it's 9 1/2 years). I have not gotten married. I have not even considered buying a house. I did not buy a dog. And the only two "cute babies" that I have are my cats (and I constantly fight against Cat Lady status).
This life is nothing that I would have predicted 7 years ago when I graduated college. But these 7 years have been a huge blessing.
While I am aware of all I've been able to accomplish as a successful single woman, that desire for a husband and a family have never gone away. I constantly have to remind myself that 28 is not the same as 97 (this sometimes works better than other times). But I am truly learning about patience. And I am learning that I can't allow what those around me tell me about my single life to impact how I feel about my life as a single lady. (For more on this, read this incredible post about what single people wish married people realized on The Sexy Celibate). And, if this had all been up to me, I would have rushed into a relationship with the first fella that came my way, no matter how "perfect" or "imperfect" he would have been for me.
So, by the time that I am 30, I pray that I not only accept my relationship status, whatever that may be at the time, but that I embrace it fully.
