a year in the library

“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” C.S Lewis

Jenny Lawson mentioned in her blog (www.thebloggess.com) that she is referring to 2013 as the year in the library. A year to stop, stare out the window and prepare. I don’t predict big life changes for 2013. I predict stabilizing. I need to nail down a foundation in many areas of my life before I will be comfortable to jump forward. Spending the year in the library studying and dreaming sounds perfect.

2013~

MIND~

Become an expert in food as well as nutrition

Take a course and/or certification

Read a biography

BODY~

Make home lovely always

Be active

Love with my mind and body

Dress with confidence

SOUL~

Donate, fundraise or volunteer to at least one worthy cause

Travel (at least twice)

Read and create

Give more time to friends and family

looking back

I am a planner and an organizer. I make lists of to-buy and lists of to-do. I seem to have big plans and very little patience. When I looked back on my 2012 new year’s resolutions I was surprised but not surprised at the same time. Of course I accomplished some of my goals because I planned for them and that is what goals are for. Some keep us striving for bigger even when we fall short. And some are small encouragements along the way.

I regularly make plans, goals and lists of tasks but I rarely reflect on them or measure myself against them. So here we go.

WORK

Accept that I can’t change people but do at least one thing to improve the health and lives of the residents

I haven’t fully accepted this but I have worked on improving the menu. More whole wheat while keeping within the tight budget. A small victory but one I am proud of none the less.

Promote nutrition with confidence

While slowly becoming more confident within nutrition this is an ongoing process. Small accompishments include, cooking more, taking on clients and promoting nutrition month; set backs include; leaving a community based job.

LOVE

Focus on one

Mr. One

Give everything I have

It has been a tough year for love but I can honestly say that I have given it all I have.

Enjoy now and stop looking far ahead

Only taking next steps when I am ready. No need to rush and regret.

WORLD

Donate, fundraise or volunteer to at least one worthy cause

I donated to a women’s’ shelter as Christmas gifts. “Think global, act local”

Travel (at least twice)

New Orleans, Cancun Mexico

ME

Less tv; more everything else

According to goodreads I read 26 books this year                                                     

Never forget FAMILY and FRIENDS

"realistic" love

“There’s all kinds of love in this world, and not all of it looks like the stuff in greeting cards.”

We are made to believe that all love should be the stuff of greeting cards. All love should be roses and chocolates and moonlit walks on the beach. We are made to assume boyfriends are our soulmates and they complete us and make us whole. A more realistic greeting card might be “I am whole without you but love you. I appreciate the small things you do, like taking out the garbage so I won’t have to, but realistically I would probably survive if we broke up. I hope we don’t though.” It’s the little things we do for each other that make love so great. Holidays and special occasions are good reminders to tell our loved ones that we love them and to do something nice for them. But the everyday stuff is just as special. I like getting dressed up and going out to a fancy dinner but seeing a movie on cheap night is good too.

On the journey of life I am trying to appreciate the little things Mr. One does for me. I love coming home to clean dishes or a made bed. I have been trying to focus on doing more good things for him as well as, and maybe more importantly, less "bad" things. I am trying to go with the flow and not get frazzled when we get lost or are late. If the dishes or laundry don’t get done that day, it’s not the end of the world. Rather than worrying and making to-do lists I will spend more time watching a movie or cuddling in bed with him. I will kiss him every chance I get because you never know which kiss might be your last. Basically, I want to fall in love again. It might not look like the stuff in greeting cards, but to me it is perfect.

From Fuzzy to Focused

I would not call myself a reality tv junkie. Far from it. I don't pour over the drama and relationships of these wanna-be celebrities. That being said I must admit that I have learned a lot about how the world works by watching a "useful" reality tv show.

I am following a very strict budget to a debt-free life all thanks to Debt Do Us Part. I didn't realise how much I didn't know about managing money until Gail Vaz-Oxlade came onto my tv screen and into my life. I thought you earned it, you spent it, but in reality there is so much more. I knew enough to put as much as possible towards my student debt but I didn't have the knowledge to make a budget and stick to it (as simple as it is). So although I was paying down my debt, I was ending up in overdraft and paying way too many unnecessary fees (...and making some extravagant purchases).

Not having to stress about where money is coming and going, I have more brain power to focus on my hobbies and what I want in life. Having a plan and a goal for my money has made dreams in my life come into focus and actually seem achievable. So here they are.

1. I will be student debt-free in March 2013 (pending crisis).

2. I will travel more. Starting with Mexico in a few months and saving up for (hopefully) Europe sooner rather than later. (side note: Mr. One and I did NYC and New Orleans within the last year - both absolutely amazing)

3. Furthering my career with a change in scenery. I may go after a few new certifications and land a new job in the big city.
4. Lastly comes moving to said big city.

All of these dreams/goals are do-able and possibly all within 2013. I cannot wait to continue learning and growing. Thank you reality tv.

2012

2011 has been a wonderful year (highlights including a raise and Mr. One moving in) but what are we if we aren’t continuously striving for bigger and better things. Here are my hopes and dreams for 2012.

WORK

Accept that I can’t change people but do at least one thing to improve the health and lives of the residents

Promote nutrition with confidence

LOVE

Focus on one

Give everything I have

Enjoy now and stop looking far ahead

WORLD

Donate, fundraise or volunteer to at least one worthy cause

Travel (at least twice)

ME

Less tv; more everything else

Never forget FAMILY and FRIENDS

smart girl

From: Chris Hans

To: sale-bnvxz-2764537630@craigslist.org

Subject: car for sale - $4000 (whitby on)

Sent: Dec 22, 2011 1:58 PM

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY

** Avoid:  wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home

** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping

** More Info:  http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

--

Hello

I need this posted ad, please let me know if you still have it available for sale.

Chris

From: Chris Hans <chrishans01@gmail.com>

Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:58:43 -1200

To: xxxx

Subject: Re: car for sale - $4000 (whitby on)

Hello Dear,

Thank you for the swift response, I really appreciate it and I am so sorry for the delayed response...

I want you to know that I will not be able to come for the check up of the vehicle because I am presently in the sea (I am a marine engineer) but I am satisfied with the conditions because I read through the AD and I also want to have my fate in you that the vehicle is in good shape as you have posted.

I am buying the vehicle as a birthday gift for my dad,and his birthday is coming up very soon,and I really want the it to be a surprise gift for him,So he is not aware that I am buying Him anything until the vehicle is delivered to him.My plan is after I make your payment my shipping agent will come and pick up the vehicle at your location.

Most importantly, I want you to know that I can only make payment via paypal because my online bank account is not activated and like I told you , I am presently in the sea and can only make payment via my paypal account as I have my bank a/c attached to it.

Please respond to this mail to let me know if you are comfortable with with this payment method before we can proceed.

I will be highly grateful if you can withdraw the AD from craigslist and make me your favorite buyer.

I will await you prompt response.

Best Regards.

Chris

From: Chris Hans <chrishans01@gmail.com>

Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:33:13

To: xxxx

Subject: PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE(FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION)

Hello,

I received your paypal account and I will like to inform you that I have made the payment as promised.I believe you must have received the payment confirmation by now. Please do follow the instructions on the payment confirmation religously so that you can have access to the funds. Please note that the shipping agent is a freelance agent based in London but has agents across the globe, so as soon as he confirms his payment he will instruct his agent in Canada to pick up the car from you , and also I need you to understand that I had to send both the shipping agents fee and the cost of your car to your paypal account because the agent do not accept paypal as a means of payment,I hope you understand that.

I made the Payment to the PayPal account you provided to me including the sum of $1000 for the shipping cost and I think you should have the confirmation by now.You can check your paypal account email for confirmation.

I want you to know that I sent the total amount of $5,200 ($4,000 for the car PLUS $ 1000 for the shipping agent,then $200 for the paypal and western union charges that might arise in the course of the transaction)

Hence, the total amount I have sent to you is $5,200. Note that you will need to send the shipping agent's fee of $1000  via Western Union Money Transfer to the address below and send the details to paypal, I believe you must have been instructed by paypal on this.This is PayPal's current regulations with regards to Producer/consumer protection.

Below is the Name and Address of the Shipping Agent to which you will send the Money to so that they can come for the pick up of the car.

Do get the money sent to them via western union money transfer as soon as you receive confirmation of the funds from PayPal so they can come for pick up asap. Send the money to the shipping agent with the address below;

Name : Kerry Anderson

Address : 880, High Road, Leyton,

London E10 6AE United Kingdom

Please kindly email the necessary details to paypal :

SENDER'S NAME  :

ADDRESS :

AMOUNT SENT  :

MTCN NUMBER( 10 digit number on western union  transfer receipt) :

You can email it to paypal directly,that is fine with me in order for the money I sent to be credited into your account after they might have received and verified everything they will credit the whole money in your account.

NOTE: If you are asked by western union why you are sending the money, simply tell them that you are sending the money to your brother -in-law  who lives in London, this is because if you tell them you are sending it for a particular transaction, you will be charged more considering the nature of the transaction.

My pickup agent will contact you after they have received the payments in order to book a time for the pick up to be done.The shipping agent's head office is in London, so as soon as they confirm the payment, they will instruct their agent in Canada to come over to your place for pick up.

Thanks for the understanding.

I will be looking forward to hear from you.

Regards

Chris Hans

From: xxxx

Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:43:47 +0000

To: Chris Hans<chrishans01@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE(FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION)

Dear Chris,

mail2consultant.com is a free email address and is not used by paypal. Any "payments" would be reflected in my paypal account which they are not. Do not contact me again and I will be reporting this.

25

1. You won’t find success if you’re afraid to fail
2. Love the people who made you who you are
3. Drink less
4. Always make time for the things that make you happy
5. Give back
6. It could be worse
7. Keep secrets to yourself
8. Travel
9. Go with all your heart
10. Run
11. Whenever possible, make from scratch
12. Be inspired
13. Celebrate
14. Dress up and go out
15. Eat healthy
16. Dance
17. Plan for tomorrow, but live today
18. Set goals and don’t stop
19. Learn
20. Be patient
21. Role model
22. Stand up for yourself
23. Be kind to strangers
24. Take responsibility
25. Show passion and compassion