I didn’t blog yesterday.

This feels incredibly bizarre AND liberating after a solid year of blogging every day. Yes, I missed 1 day but I also posted more than 365 times last year. I think that balances out things a little.

I ended our trip to Paris with a nasty stomach bug that had me knocked out yesterday and still feeling sick this morning. But I’m doing a lot better, so now that I’m sitting at Heathrow waiting to head home I thought I’d do a recap and a look forward.

Here are my resolutions for 2009, and the things I actually accomplished are crossed off:

  1. Use the treadmill regularly. This happened in spurts, but when it did I was very active on it. But I’ve also learned that working in a library with small children is also quite a good workout most days.
  2. Expand my cooking repertoire (beyond American and Italian). I definitely learned to cook a little fancier, if not across many types of cuisine.
  3. Open my own Etsy store.
  4. Read 10 books that are not for the 12 and under set. I read 14!
  5. Take a class in something I’ve never studied before.
  6. Throw at least 3 parties. My 30th, 2 cookouts, and Christmas.
  7. Take a Jackie and Adam Only vacation. Cancun for spring break.
  8. Blog every day. I think I can pretty safely call this one done.
  9. Finish a painting.
  10. Build up savings.
  11. Learn to make clothes.
  12. Learn to print fabric.
  13. Keep using my studio as regularly as in 2008.
  14. Paint the library. Finally!
  15. Pack better lunches for myself and Adam.
  16. Manage my time better.
  17. Take active steps to become a better teacher and librarian (professional development, reading, lesson planning). It’s been a great year professionally.
  18. Join a group: social, crafty, foodie, book, whatever. I got back in touch with my sorority alumnae association.
  19. See more movies. Definitely more than the past few years.
  20. Turn 30 fabulously. 30 has been great.

So I crossed off 11 out of 20 last year. I didn’t have the most creative year, but it often comes in spurts with me. 2008 was particularly full, but this year was a lot quieter. I was more focused on work than hobbies, and creatively that’s where most of my energy went. This also means that I was a lot more scatterbrained and disorganized in all other aspects of life besides work. It really was a professionally focused year, which makes sense since the economy has been such a nightmare and staying at the top of my game at work has been more important than ever. We did a tremendous amount of traveling this year after a long dry spell of saving our pennies. And we’re still saving our pennies, this year just had a lot of events and reasons for travel.

So, on to 2010. I’m making a shorter, less all-over-the-place list this year. I think having 20 resolutions last year is very indicative of my lack of focus and personal editing. New year, new decade, less *stuff*.

  1. Focus on quality time at home with Adam. Don’t be so stressed about things that will always need to get done (laundry, dishes, etc.)
  2. Spend more time with my mom and my brother.
  3. Travel when we want to, not when we feel that we have to.
  4. Learn more about my town/neighborhood. Shops, people, places.
  5. Make things.
  6. Relax.

That’s it. 🙂