Zazazu

Once again, I feel like there is much I want to write and yet, I can’t write it or I can’t remember it all to write it down. I fear that it is a jumbled mess up there, in my brain. Things go up there and rarely come down.

Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who talk to me and discuss things with me and generally give me wonderful insight. Some of that insight comes in the form of carefully chosen quotations like the one that Melissa gave me this week:

Do not let your fears choose your destiny. {Author Unknown}

Mmmmmm… savor that one for awhile. Yummy.

Another delightful thing to savor is the free bracelet being offered by my friend digitalteacup on Etsy. Okay folks… not many things in this world are free anymore but this really is! It is truly FREE! Just send her your address and she will send you this adorable crocheted bracelet. FREE! How much more uber-cool could you get than that?

Last weekend, I watched Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy (No. 60). I’ve been excited to see this movie since I heard the title of it, since it even hit theaters. I love Jane Austen, everything about her and the very concept of her life. I devour it, dream about it, and think everything to do with it – even the dank houses and unfortunate fashions – are just so magical and romantic.

But… the movie leaves something to be desired.

Anne Hathaway made a surprisingly decent Jane. I don’t think there is any actress out there who could really do Jane Austen any justice at all. Honestly, I don’t even think that Jane could play Jane. But, Anne holds her own. James McAvoy is cute and his accent is dreamy but he oozes cocky, even more than his character called for. The supporting roles did VERY little more than just that.

The storyline was forgettable, quite literally. I’m sitting here exactly one week later and can only remember the high points to write this review. I remember none of the nuances that should have captured my attention enough to recall. I remember the ending (which I shall not giveaway) and that is about all. I can’t say much for a movie when I’m disappointed in an ending that I’m glad to see come about.

See it once and judge for yourself. You might like it. Anything regarding Jane is worth a see.

The remarkable thing about Jane Austen is that her work, her life and her person continue to be ‘done’ over and over and over and over and over and many renditions are not very good at all. In fact, more are bad than are good. And yet, she stands her own. Her work, her life and her person speak for themselves, through the bad re-makes that are yielded hundreds of years after her death. Everyone wants a stab at her, everyone wants a piece of her, everyone wants to try their hand at doing their version of Miss Austen.

But, only Miss Austen is Miss Austen. And, so she lives by her pen. Her ultimate goal in life, her dream… to live by her pen. If only she knew how very well she is doing it.

We kicked off The Artist’s Way program on Sunday and it is already turning into a big success. We have such great participation on the first post and a lot of good discussion. I’m really geeked up about the cool group of people who have signed on to participate in this program with us. I can already tell that we are going to get such good from it, whether we love our daily morning pages or not. Ha!

After seeing Oprah the other day, I decided to revisit my vision board and see what I could change on it. Let it be known that I’m not a huge Oprah fan but I do like to tune in when she features anything about The Secret. I’ve read TS and watched the DVD and really think that the Law of Attraction is powerful. Not only that but I’ve seen it work in my life (only in small ways so far) and in the lives of close friends (in big ways for some) so I have proof that it can work.

At any rate, after seeing the show, I was pretty motivated to drag out my vision board and see what I might be able to do to make it work better for me. I saw right off the bat that my old VB wasn’t very specific at all. I had many generalized things on it, things that I wasn’t even sure what I meant by, things I knew weren’t clear enough at all. So, I set about to specify it, to really clean it up, hone it down and get specific with some things I wanted. I went from a great big one to a pretty petite one. I’m much happier and have more confidence in the new one.

This was the old one:

This is the new one:

I’ve also been looking over my 101/1001 list again after having neglected it for a long time (too long) and have realized that some of the items on it aren’t things that I’m dedicated to long-term. Unlike my first vision board, some of the things I put on my 101/1001 list were too specific. I need to tweak it a bit, I think. So, I’m going to work on that this week. I will post the new list up here when I get it done. It won’t be a complete overhaul but it will be a bit more doable, something I can dedicate to and actually complete. Any item suggestions? For a really cool list, check out my friend Pogo Yoga’s list. She has just posted hers and has some great items planned! Go Pogo Yoga!

That’s what’s going on in my world. What’s going on in yours?

Okay, okay, don’t get too excited everyone. I’ve not had a hot date except with me, myself, and I in the kitchen and parked in front of the TV seeing a movie. These, as I truly believe, are the best dates anyway.

Slowly, I’ve been marking things off of my 101/1,001 list. Most of this weekend was dedicated to Nos. 87 and 92, trying new recipes and watching movies, respectively. I’ve been having a really good time with these two items on my list and have had even more fun sharing the results of these – No. 87 especially – here.

(Sorry… no pics on any of these. I was a delinquent in that area of my reporting!)

The first recipe I tried was off the back of the (generic) Bran Flakes cereal box. On a scale of 1 – 10, I would give it a 6. They were good but not ones that I will be scrambling to make to impress company with. They were easy, however, and anything with bran is good by me.

Honey & Spice Banana Muffins

1 cup Bran Flakes Cereal
1/4 cup Skim Milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup melted margarine
2/3 cup mashed ripe banana
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. In a small bowl, soak cereal in milk for five minutes. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then add cereal mixture. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Spoon onto greased or paper-lined 12-cup muffin pan, filling cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Cool for 5 minutes; remove from pan.

Yields 12 muffins.

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The next recipe that I tried wasn’t really a recipe at all. My Aunt Mick had a stupendous harvest of zucchini squash this year. By stupendous I mean that anyone resembling a relative got the motherload of zucchini sent home with them. Without some quick and clever thinking, much of the zucchini would have ruined. So, I put on my quick and clever thinking hat and concocted a delicious and satisfying zucchini soup. This recipe is roughly what I did because, since I never write anything down, I don’t remember step-for-step. This comes close. And be warned: this soup is VERY green!

Zazazu’s Zuper Zucchini Zoup (HA!)

Two large zucchinis or four smaller ones – wash and cut into large slices.
Fill a pot with one can of chicken broth and two cans of water.
Put zucchinis into pot and turn up the heat, bringing to a boil.
Into same pot, put 1/2 TBS. onion powder, pepper to taste, 1/2 TBS. garlic powder – stir and cover.
In a separate pan, sautee one whole onion (diced up) and two cloves of garlic in a bit of olive oil. Saute until onions and garlic are golden and a bit translucent.

When zucchinis are soft, turn them off the heat and let sit for a few minutes. Liquid that the zucchinis were boiled in should be almost gone, just a teeny bit left. After the heat has completely died down, mash zucchinis with a hand masher. Make sure that ALL of the zucchini pieces are soft and “mashable”. Put onion and garlic mixture in with the zucchini and add 1 1/2 milk. Mash some more with hand masher (this is NOT the technical term for this utensil – hopefully you all know what I’m talking about). Transfer this whole concoction into the blender and puree until everything is completely pureed to smithereens and all you have is a blender full of green mush.

This would be the soup. We had ours cold and it was really good. I figured that since most summer soups are served cold and zucchini is a summer vegetable, it would stand to reason for this soup to be eaten cold. It was delicious and would be delicious served hot too, I’m sure.

Great way to get some of those summer zucchinis out of the way!

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The third recipe that I tried came from my favorite magazine – Body + Soul. This is the best of the three recipes presented here and is so easy and refreshing. If you try NONE of the other recipes I’ve mentioned, please try this one. It is so very good!

Ginger Lemonade

Dilute 1/2 cup agave nectar (or 1/3 cup honey) in 1 cup very hot water. In this mixture, steep 1/4 cup minced or grated fresh ginger. Let steep fully, for 15 minutes at least. In a pitcher or a large mason jar, combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice with 4 cups cold water, then stir in the agave or honey / ginger water to sweeten.

This lemonade is SO good – tons better than normal lemonade – and, being sweetened with agave is a lot healthier than plain, refined sugar. And, as most of you know, ginger is great for digestion and this is a super-tasty way to get a ginger kick. It is tart but oh-so refreshing!

For more lemonade twists, see the article here.

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So, as you all can see, I’ve been a kitchen maven these last few days. I’ve enjoyed it though and can’t wait to try some more new and exciting things. I don’t really like to cook but, if it is a bit experimental, I don’t mind it at all.

But, you all know me well enough to know that I’ve not slaved away without any sort of breaks at all. I took a time-out last night to watch the much-anticipated (by me) Marie Antoinette. I’ve heard other people call it eye-candy and it was just that. It had a wonderful juxtaposition of ye olde days mixed with elements from today, in a way that only Sophia Coppola could pull off. My favorite scene, when they were having gown fittings, was peppered with punk-rock music and, as far as we know, punk rock had not yet made its debut in Marie Antoinette’s day. There were, to be sure, MANY historical inaccuracies. But, this is the type movie that is not meant at all to be historically accurate. Producers of this type of movie err on the side of artistic creativity every time when faced with art or accuracy. But, it works. This movie, and others like it, are great eye-candy and fun to sit down and watch to unwind (after a hard, hot day in the kitchen, perhaps).

What’s next on my movie queue? The movie rendition of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Painted Veil. I love movies from this time-period and of this genre so I think it will be a favorite. Stay tuned…

In other news, I’ve been training and getting donations for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Research Walk-a-Thon in October. I pledged to raise $100 – the average for an individual walker – and was so wonderfully surprised when my Internet friends rallied and helped me to raise that much (and more!) in just one day. Wahoo! Thanks to ALL of you!

For any of you who might want to donate something and didn’t get to before I hit my goal, I would like to ask that you donate to my sister’s goal of $100. She is walking it with me and is behind on her fund-raising. I hope that she can meet the same goal as well. Click here to donate toward her fund-raising goal. THANK YOU!

Hopefully we can both do this Walk-a-Thon without keeling over dead. We are both out of shape but will hopefully be whooped back into shape during our training.

(Incidentally, I’d love suggestions for good songs to walk and work-out to… songs that will get my arms swinging and my heart pumping. Got any?)

In Etsy news, I’ve been listing items over there a lot more regularly and consistently and – wasn’t I told? – it really does help sales. I hope you will all jump over there and look at my vintage goodies.

Speaking of goodies… the wonderful and talented Allison at CircularAccessories was so kind and helpful to me recently in placing a birthday present order for me. (If you don’t buy yourself birthday presents, you should!) I can’t wait to get the parcel of lovelies from Allison as I’ve been pining over these particular items for some time now and just could not wait any longer. I’m tres excited.

Also, I recently discovered HomeShanti on Etsy. For those of you who might be familiar with Hugger Mugger, HomeShanti is Jodi Fuchs, creator and artist of the beautiful Bhakti Blocks that were recently featured in the HM catalogue. I’ve not purchased one (or more!) for myself yet but will have them on my Favorite’s List until I’m able to purchase. They are so wonderful and Jodi is a sweetheart herself. Be sure to check them out!

Before I end this epic post, I want to post a friendly reminder about the Happiness Swap sign-up deadline that is coming up on the 10th. See here for details and to leave a comment if you want to participate. I hope that ALL of you will participate! I think it will be fun. Also, if I don’t already have your mailing information, zip me over a message with that info. Thanks everyone!

And, because no Zazazu post would be complete without a bit of inspiration and an aesthetically pleasing photo, let me not disappoint.

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“It’s important to give it all you have while you have the chance.” ~Shania Twain

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I hope that each of you are having a super-lovely day!

P.S. Please forgive me for not knowing how to get the proper grave, aigu, cedille, circonflexe and tremas in my writing here when I use French words. I don’t have an International keyboard (that I know of) and therefore am quite unsure how to insert these language-specific symbols. If anyone knows, I would be very grateful to find out.

Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

{Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.}

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I won’t pretend that I speak French; I don’t. I do read a bit of French but I’m by no means fluent.

I am, however, as most of you know, a complete and total Francophile. I love all things French and aspire to someday be able to speak the language with more than a little fluency. At least part of this Francophilia comes from my love of the book Le Petit Prince / The Little Prince. I can’t say exactly when I first read it but I’ve read it at least once a year since. I just finished reading it for the umpteenth time again this morning (No. 13).

What a wonderful book. Have you read it too?

Perhaps technically The Little Prince is a children’s book. However, I, as an adult, get more and more from it with each reading. It is like a very deep cave with treasures buried as far back as the cave extends and you have to gather the treasures as you go, and they become more precious the deeper into the cave you explore. That is how this book is.

And even more than that, it is so wonderfully inspiring. To sit with it, reading, trying to absorb everything that might possibly be there to absorb is overwhelmingly intense. I’ve cried while reading it more than once. I cried for its beauty and for my simple-mindedness in the face of it. I cried at knowing that there was so much more to it that I simply was not grasping or, perhaps, was not able to grasp at that time. It is so simple, so innocent, so beautiful yet so incredibly powerful. And it is so reflective. No matter what is going on in my life at a certain time, it feels like this book is speaking right to that particular situation.

Not many books do that.

So, my invitation today is for any of you who might like to to get a copy of The Little Prince and join me in a virtual book club discussion of it. Even after all of my readings of it, I still have so many questions about it, so many things I’d like another take on, a different perspective on. I’d love to see it through other eyes, see how it might apply to you all, see what else I can gain from it with the help of other minds and vice versa. I’m also very curious to see if others love it as much as I do.

If you are interested in reading and discussing along with me, post a comment here or contact me via the contact form here on my blog. Perhaps we could start discussing it about June 15. That will give those interested a chance to get their copy and read through it once. Don’t worry… it is very short at 112 pages and reads quickly.

Il faut bien que je supporte deux ou trois chenilles si je veux connaître les papillons.

{It is necessary that I bear two or three caterpillars if I want to know the butterflies.}

If you would prefer to read it online, the entire text looks to be presented here, with the illustrations. This is a neat resource because it also has it available in the original French text.

I also wanted to share my excitement over my purchase yesterday: Le Petit Prince on CD, read by classic French actor Gerard Philipe. It will be quite a treat for me to hear one of my favorite books read in my favorite language in its original text. It will also hopefully increase my French proficiency. I’m quit happy with this purchase and can’t wait until it arrives in the mail.

That’s all today from le monde de Zazazu. Hope to see you in on the book discussion!

Quite by accident, I caught this morning’s sunrise. It was lovely.

I woke about 5:55 with a searing pain in my left side. I’m not sure what it was but when I sat up, it went away. Since I was sitting up and my feet were on the floor and I was a bit afraid that if I laid back down the pain would start again, I decided to get up, grab my camera and catch the sunrise (#27).

On my way down the short drive to the edge of the field where I could get a better view of the spectacle, one of our outside cats – Marbles – ran to greet me. I was glad to have the company until I spotted a fat, baby Bluejay on the ground, apparently out learning to fly. Marbles pounced immediately, thinking that she had hit the jackpot, I’m sure. The poor little bird, who couldn’t fly yet, tried to hop away from her. She stayed hot on his track. I, being a person who does not handle these situations very well, even though I AM a Southern girl, began to scream and shriek and say “STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!” as frantically and loudly as I could. Bear in mind that this all occurred at about 6:00 a.m. My poor Mother heard all of this commotion and almost killed herself trying to get off of the couch where she was sleeping to come see about me. According to her, she thought a coyote had me.

I ran back in and then we both went out and, by that time, the birdie parents, and what sounded like the rest of the birdie family, were squawking and swooping and doing all they possibly could to save the baby bird. It was truly an amazing display of how animal families stick together. However, Marbles didn’t move away from the birdie until my Mother got a long stick and “swooshed” it at her, screaming for her to get away from the birdie. Sadly though, the damage was done. The birdie didn’t make it as I think Marbles had bitten its neck.

I was very sad and cried and told the birdie that I was sorry for what the cat had done and I told the birdie parents that I was sorry for the baby and I truly was. How sad that the birdies were out of a beautiful early morning, learning to fly and one of them didn’t make it. My Mother, however, reminded me that this is just how nature works, how cats operate, how things sometimes happen. I know that. I know that Marbles acted out of instinct, that no matter how much good catfood we give her, she will still want birds. I know that but I am still sad for the bird, and for its parents, and for it never even learning to fly. My Mother also told me, however, that I probably saved the other three or four birdies who were learning to fly as I noticed what I was going on and I put Marbles in the storage room so that they could continue their flying lessons undisturbed. It doesn’t make me any less sad for the one little birdie that didn’t make it but I sure hope that the others made it and were able to fly as planned.

I must admit that this string of events put a bit of a damper on my sunrise watching but it was still stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. I’m continually amazed – even despite incidents with cats and birds – at the wonders of nature. Birds learning to fly, knowing to do it in the early morning, hopping from tree to tree, sibling and parent birds doing what they can to help the others, the sun always rising in the east and going down in the west. It all works together. It all knows what to do, in what order, and it all happens faithfully, without fail. Yes, it happens everyday but everyday it is a wonderful and wondrous miracle all the same. And, somehow, every day is a bit better than the one before. That is also a miracle.

So, enjoy my sunrise with me. Yes, it will hopefully happen again tomorrow but… isn’t today just the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen?

(Click thumbnails for larger images.)

Amazing… wouldn’t you agree?

I also worked on my 101/1,001 List #87… try new recipes. I didn’t stipulate in the list that I had to LIKE the new recipes that I tried but – as luck would have it – I DID like this one. I had some chard that was about to ruin so I Googled for a good chard recipe and came back with Chard Lasagna. Mmmmmm… so good! If I may say so myself, this is the best lasagna that I’ve ever had. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles and had to substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta and had to tweak the tomato sauce a bit to accommodate what I had on hand (the secret to good tomato / spaghetti sauce is a pinch of sugar and a dash of balsam vinegar… TRUST ME!)

Bottom line… this lasagna is AMAZING! And easy. Try it and you will see!

CHARD LASAGNA

1 package (8 oz.) dried lasagna
1 pound red or green chard
1 cup ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook, stirring occasionally to separate noodles, until barely tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, immerse in cold water until cool, and drain again. Cover loosely.2. Meanwhile, rinse and drain chard. Trim and discard discolored stem ends. Thinly slice stems crosswise and coarsely chop leaves. In a 4- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 cup water to a boil. Add chard, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender-crisp to bite, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, extracting as much water as possible with the back of a spoon. In a bowl, mix chard with ricotta; add salt and pepper to taste.

3. In the same pan over medium-high heat, stir onion and garlic in oil until limp, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and oregano; cover and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cover bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with a third of the noodles, then half the chard mixture, spreading it level to edges of dish. Spoon a third of the tomato sauce over chard mixture and sprinkle with a third of the parmesan. Repeat layers of noodles, chard mixture, sauce, and cheese. Cover with remaining noodles, then remaining tomato sauce and cheese.

5. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until hot in the center and bubbling at edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mmmmmm… DELICIOUS!

Before I skeedaddle, a couple of other pics that I snapped today.

If you remember, just the other day, I posted this picture (directly below) of a garlic that resides in the front flowerbed. Just that short time ago, it was still closed up, barely blooming…

Well, today, only two days later, it is all bloomed out! The sun and a bit of rain will do that! ‘Tis the season, after all…

I also shot a picture of myself this morning as I was watching the sunrise. I call this “Post-Traumatic Self-Portrait“…

And, what would a Zazazu post be without a kitty picture? This is one of our outside cats – Pearl – during one of her many inside stints today, playing with the catnip toy that she adores so. She is a sweet girl… Pretty blue-eyes…

Before I leave, I’d like to solicit your help for my 101/1,001 List #95. What music would you recommend that I hear (one song from any artist) that I might not have heard before? I normally listen to jazz. I’m all about suggestions! Thanks lovelies!

Have a great one, everyone! xo…

“All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin’ in the sun,
Talkin’ bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done…
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did.”
~ Shel Silverstein

Lately, in all of my voracious blog reading, I’ve come across the 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge several times. What a neat idea! The concept is to complete 101 pre-determined tasks in a period of 1,001 days (about 2.75 years). The time period for this is a bit longer than most challenges of this type that I come across but it seems a bit more doable. With 1,001 days, there is more time to plan, save, map things out. And who doesn’t need a bit of that?

Thinking of 101 things seems a bit daunting but I’m sure I can do it. I’m not out to save the world or visit every country in 1,001 days. I merely want to do some things that seem interesting, fascinating, educational and fun. Feel free to join in! What 101 things would you like to do?

Zazazu’s 101 Things in 1,001 Days
Start date: May 2007
End date: September 2009

Italics means the item is In Progress
Strikethrough means the item has been Completed
BOLD means that the original item was not possible for completion and has been changed to something else

I’ve organized these into several categories although they are not specified below. The categories are: YOGA / MEDITATION, READING, FINANCES, PAMPERING, DOING FOR OTHERS, HEALTH, ORGANIZATION, CRAFTING / ARTS, GENERAL SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

I will chronicle and update these as they are in progress and completed here on my blog in a new category that will be posted in the right column.

1. Work up to doing Crane Pose
2. Research and make outline / notes about obtaining yoga teaching certification
3. Get an MP3 player and download some yoga podcasts
4. Practice yoga outside ten times (0/10)
5. Get a NICE new yoga mat
6. Paint and set up upstairs closet as a meditation nook
7. Develop a meditation practice
8. Listen to ten of my inspirational audio books (0/10)
9. Read Meditations from the Mat cover to cover
10. Read Simple Abundance from start to finish
11. Make a list of ten books I’ve been meaning to read and actually read them (0/10)
12. Read The Prophet (July 28, 2007)
    
13. Re-read The Little Prince (May 31, 2007)
    
14. Read The Bhagavad Gita
15. Read two books on subjects that I know very little about (0/2)
16. Read back issues of O magazine
17. Read Smart Women Finish Rich
18. Break $1,000 in sales in one month on eBay
19. Add $2,000 to my savings account
20. Pay medical bills
21. Sell my car
22. Pay off car loan
23. Research, learn about and make an investment in the stock market – on a small scale
24. Have a yard sale
25. Create a business – however small – of sending packages
26. Get a nice and proper haircut / style (June 8, 2007)
    
27. Watch a sunrise (May 10, 2007)
    
28. Get a professional facial
29. Shave, exfoliate, do Satin Hands, do a hot oil treatment every week for a month (0/4)
30. Have three professional massages (1/3) (June 26, 2007)
31. Send 50 appreciation / thanks notes (3/50)
32. Speak to Carmen on the phone
33. Send 50 lift-me-up-notes (7/50)
34. Create and run a swap through my blog (July 3, 2007 – see here for details)
35. Write one snail mail letter per month for a year to friends – of substantial length, not just a card (0/12)
36. Write my Mom a “love” letter (May 13, 2007)
    
37. Send copies of Life Could Be Sweeter to a dozen friends (0/12)
38. Help Laura (sister) with Heirloom Cookbook
39. Make patchwork pants for Jason (brother)
40. Send package to Rita
41. Get updated shots, medications, etc. for Delali
42. Find a walk-a-thon to participate in and train for it (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk-A-Thon in September)
43. Be active in pursuing optimal health (getting seizures under control)
44. Get sound machine from Aunt Jane and try it nightly for a month
45. Get my Chi machine back and use it 3 times each week for a month (0/3)
46. Keep trying neurologists until I get one that will listen (June, 18 2007 – Dr. Robin Gilmore – Columbia, TN)
47. Have some sort of bodywork done that I’ve not had before (Craniosacral Therapy, Hot Stone massage, Rolfing, Lymphatic Draining, Reflexology, Reiki, etc.)
48. Detox / cleanse my system every four months
49. Keep a health journal for at least a month
50. Get new walking shoes (June 11, 2007 – ASICS® Women’s GT-2110)
51. Buy a pedometer (June 14, 2007)
52. Find (and see) a good therapist
53. Eat something within 1 hour of waking up for two weeks
54. Eat fish ONCE each week
55. Take vitamins daily as I’m supposed to
56. Drink three 24 ounce bottles of water each day for two weeks (0/14)
57. Do AbLounger every day for two weeks (0/14)
58. Compile (and use) organizational binder (June 29, 2007)
59. Go through clothes and get them organized
60. Go through magazines and organize them in downstairs desk (June 30, 2007)
61. Clean my hard-drive or get Jason to do it
62. Keep better track (database) of swaps and packages / cards to send
63. Hang corkboard in office
64. Keep a running list of things to add to my next 101/1,001 list
65. Finish “journal vest”
66. Make armwarmers
67. Create a painting that is appealing enough to display
68. Learn a new creative / artistic medium that can be profitable
69. Create an altered journal out of vintage Japan travel book
70. Make holiday gifts for everyone – start early!
71. Make vintage peasant top that I have the pattern for
72. Create ‘zine to sell on Etsy
73. Begin writing children’s book
74. Make vest like “Wool Tie Jacket”
75. Reconstruct / embellish three vintage clothing pieces – use new stencils (0/3)
76. Make scarves / arm warmers / etc. out of cashmere sweater pile
77. Take an Ed2Go class (started July 18, 2007 – Listen To Your Heart and Success Will Follow)
78. Completely fill a journal of self-exploration
79. Keep a gratitude journal
80. Write a will and a living will
81. Take a French course (online)
82. Practice non-attachment — give some of what I have to others
83. Take a two-week self-exploration hiatus from the computer
84. Go to an estate sale (June 2, 2007 – Columbia, TN with Laura)
    
85. Research and make outline / notes about obtaining life coaching certification
86. Plant – and keep alive – a few herbs
87. Try a new recipe once a month (3/30)
88. Speak to all of my YCDI Gals by phone (4/6)
89. Write a REAL entry in this blog once each week (not inspirations or gratitude lists)
90. Watch five movies that I’ve always thought I wouldn’t like (1/5 – Cold Mountain)
91. Go to Florida (June 21 through 24, 2007 in Seagrove Beach, FL)
92. Watch one film each month (June 2007 – Friends With Money; July 2007 Marie Antoinette)
93. Write a letter to myself to read in ten years
94. Learn to say “Hello” and “Thank you” and “I love you” in ten languages
95. Make a mix CD of songs that people suggest to me by musicians that I wouldn’t have been aware of otherwise
96. Choose an affirmation and say it 20 times each day for a month
97. Do something significant toward a genuine career field / path (certification, course, etc.)
98. Get a new computer chair
99. Get an espresso maker (cheap one) and learn to make a good soy latte at home
100. Meet ONE online / blogger friend in person (June 14, 2007 – Stacie of Nomadic Creations)
101. Finally institute Computer Free Friday

At the end of my 101 things, I will:

• Donate $5 to animal rescue charity for every uncompleted task at the end of 1,001 days … and …

• Make a new list for the next 1,001 days!

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Taken from the Triplux: 101 Things in 1,001 Days — Guidelines for participation:

Creating your own 1001 Day Project

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

There is also a database of other bloggers who are doing this exercise. You can see the list that are registered (including mine!) there and perhaps meet some fun new blog friends!