I've always loved autumn. It's my favorite season. There's something so beautiful about this annual shift in the world – winding down, letting go, gathering in, preserving, a beautiful sunset to the year.
I can't help wondering, sometimes, (because I tend to philosophize about the complex and bizarre) whether I grew up liking fall just because it meant my birthday or whether I was somehow marked by orbs and stars when my existence began outside water, and whether deep down I recognize that. Or perhaps, autumn is the one time of year when my conditioned eating habits (oops) are already meeting my body's seasonal needs. (Spring, cleansing bitter greens ... summer, raw/lightly cooked produce ... autumn, warm and cooked ... winter, sea and dark-colored foods.) Perhaps it's just a lifetime of memories; autumn marked the beginning of a holiday season that lasted for months. Of course – like almost everything in life – the answer is probably "A little bit of each."
Two years ago
on my birthday, I wished myself "a beautiful year to come, full of lots of good things." And it was. I
- traveled alone (first time) to be in a short film (first time since leaving my job five years ago that I've earned money)
- participated in National Novel Writing Month – wrote a 50,000 word novel (in 3 months)
- took a class at a culinary school
- got my first book into the iBooks store
- walked my first 5k
and
Last year, I made the same wish, and I count myself lucky that it worked twice. I
- went back to PA Dutch country
- went back to Gettysburg, PA
- went to Monterey, CA
- went to the Santa Cruz beach and boardwalk
- went to Mount Rushmore
- went to Boston
- went to New York City
- drove across the United States coast to coast
- participated in National Novel Writing Month – wrote a 50,000 word novel (in 1 month)
- applied to graduate school (just as in 2008, I wasn't accepted; but I've since realized it's not the direction I want to go in life, anyway)
- jogged a 5k
- met celebrity chef Anne Burrell
- met celebrity cook and entertainer Alton Brown
- made my first short film (here on YouTube)
- attended my kids' first ballet recital
- catered my first event – over 60 cupcakes to a baby shower
- started growing my first little garden from seeds & small plants
AND
- came out openly as a feminist and womanist.
It's definitely been a marvelous, fulfilling, empowering year. It was an incredibly rewarding effort. I feel like the last few years have brought a lot of soul-renovation. Here's hoping next year finds me building up.
In July, I decided to top off the year with some additional untried, unexperienced, unattempted to-dos – nearly 80 new little things before my birthday arrived. I didn't quite meet the goal to accomplish one thing
every day, but it was very fun to make the attempt.
- Read a Twilight graphic novel (some of my friends are laughing right now)
- Read "A Scandal in Bohemia"
- Read Remains of the Day
- Read Interpreter of Maladies
- Watched Jab Tak Hai Jaan
- Watched The Matrix
- Watched Four Weddings and a Funeral
- Watched Chicago
- Watched Notting Hill
- Watched Amelie
- Bought an Ella Fitzgerald album
- Cooked a whole goose
- Made nectarine salsa
- Made whipped chocolate ganache
- Made goat cheese ice cream
- Made vegan chocolate swiss buttercream
- Made fudge ripple sauce
- Made Nanaimo bar cupcakes
- Made apple pumpkin butter
- Made apple-pear-sweet potato butter
- Made fruitcake cookies
- Made pickled golden beets
- Bought dried chervil ("sher-ville")
- Went apple picking in an orchard
- Went to a Lego convention
- Went to a Mormon Sunstone conference and met some fringy Mormon celebrities
- Met online friends
- Met extended family
- Developed a new interest in silent films
- Signed up on Skillshare
- Learned how to make a survey on Google docs
- Painted on canvas
- Read an Australian magazine (Peppermint)
- Started a repository site for teachings of LDS women church leaders
- Opened my Etsy shop
- Made business cards
- Made a cross stitch for HippoDad
- Made a Dr Horrible cross stitch
- Made a Stargate cross stitch
AND
- Made a family portrait cross stitch
What a year! I'm almost afraid to with you more of the same because you seem to grow exponentially! I'm looking forward to more reports of cookiing/reading/watching/mothering/writing/creating/growing in the coming year.
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