A Different Focus

I’ve been a down in the dumps lately. I lost my mojo, my joie de vivre, and my reason d’etre. Yes, all of them. This happens occasionally, and I know that around the bend is something new and exciting, but right now I’m not sure what that is, or even what I want it to look like. I was reading this blog and she made a list of things she had done over the past year. Her list is a little more exciting because there are pictures. I thought instead of focusing on an unknown future delight, why don’t I look at the past year and see what it brought me.

*I celebrated the New Year in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina under a beautiful cloudless night and twinkly lights. I was kissed by many strangers.
*I was able to get around Buenos Aires speaking only Spanish.
*I managed to order my morning tea and milk in Arabic in Cairo.
*I raced across the desert on horseback in Giza by the pyramids.
*I met friends for an anti-valentines party and talked to a boy (and drank too much whiskey).
*I lead a book group discussing A Room of One’s Own and forgot how much I know and how much I love literature with a capital L.
*I started a quarterly meeting for administrators at work. I had to really come outside of my comfort zone for that one.
*Minnesota has a lot of used books stores and so I bought a lot of used books.
*I played many hours of Rock band and really rocked!
*I bought myself a wee laptop and mobile internet.
*In the spring I started running outside. Something I had never done.
*Mary Poppins came to town and I saw it with dear friends and it was bloody brilliant.
*My doppelganger and I became friends.
*I met the boy who broke my heart in 8th grade and I forgave him.
*I took an online course and survived.
*The Feltre School was discussing the Tempest and I went there with Pat. We drank wine and discussed literature.
*I went sailing one afternoon.
*For my birthday I got a Kindle.
*My belly dancing instructor was dancing at Reza’s and I did an impromptu belly dance with her and my friend who was celebrating her birthday.
*I lost another 25 pounds.
*I went to the pride parade and had so many people to meet up with who I could not find and I ended up meeting a friend not on that list.
*A fabulous new restaurant opened around the corner of my house that makes the best vegan sandwich. I think I’ve taken almost everyone there. Unfortunately the rest of the city seems to have found it.
*I drove from the East to the West coast of Ireland and back again while driving stick on the wrong side of the road.
*I rode horse back off the coast of Cleeghan in Ireland.
*In Clifden, Ireland I danced with a French man. He was perfectly scruffy.
*I got to see U2 in Ireland.
*Guinness and I went jogging in St. Albans, England.
*For girls night out I went to a cooking class and drank too much wine and came home with a huge cast iron griddle.
*I got an A- in my finance class.
*My birthday weekend was celebrated with friends and family in Coal City. The newest resort!
*I was diagnosed with asthma, which explained my very Victorian ailment.
*I took belly dancing classes.
*Wendy dragged me to my 16 year high school reunion and I survived.
*I saw Whip It in the theater and got a t-shirt. Now I want to be a roller derby girl.
*I started to learn Arabic and taught Abby how to write her name (it was three out of the five letters I had learned).
*It took two years, but I finally put film in the old camera I had bought. I even took pictures.
*I went to an amazing and inspirational conference about advancing justice and human rights through the arts.
*My friend asked me to join a fledgling corporation and it made me see how much knowledge I have gained over the years.
*I started some crazy endeavor in which I would buy only handmade, repurposed or thrifted items for 365 days. My wellie’s died and I did buy new ones, but other than that, I have managed to stick to it.
*I made a dress out of fabric with squids and loved it so much that I made the same dress out of a baroque fabric with skulls.
*I saw The Addams Family Musical with the same dear friends and it was delightful.
*I had an entirely handmade Christmas and I even managed to use some fabric in my stash.
*I finally realized that my artistic expression comes through sewing and handcrafted items.
*My new serger was under the Christmas tree and I named her Bernie.
*I made some new friends and lost touch with some old ones.

I think the next list needs to be 28 things to do before I turn 29. Ok, fine, 35 things to do before I turn 36. I guess it just means there will be more things to do!