#64: Crochet 6 things

A baby blanker for my cousin.

I made Mom a blanket for Mother's Day.

She normally hates afghans because she

doesn't like the feel of the yarn so I got

Homespun Yarn to make it out of. I'm

going to make one for myself this winter.

So now I am up to 3/6 things crocheted.

#31: Taylor Swift Concert

Loved it! I'm ready for a good rock concert now but this was a lot of fun. It was a great first concert for Me and Audrey.

101 in 1001 Updates

A few more updates on my 101 in 1001:

#4:Donate Blood - Completed. This weekend for the 5th time I went to try to donate blood. Our church does this on a regular basis (usually every 4 months) and I have been trying for awhile to donate. Saturday I was finally able to give. I found my perfect match, the person that can actually manage my veins and retrieve blood from them. I will be asking for him from now on. Miracle of all miracles- I don't even have a bruise and if you saw the pictures from last time you know that is a big deal. I must say I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to give and our appointment was at the very end of the day because Audrey works the Blood Drives and it's easier to come at the end of the day and just take her home with us. When we got there the woman who organizes the drives was all excited, If she could get 115 units that would put the church at having donated 1000 units since 2004 and she was getting close to that number. My stomach sank, I just had this feeling that if they couldn't get mine she would end up with 114. I was so pleased when they were able to get mine and sure enough on Sunday morning they told us that we got exactly 115 units. If they hadn't been able to get mine, she would have had 114.

#64: Crochet 6 things: Progress made. I have completed 1 crochet project. A baby blanket for our niece who is due soon. I actually finished it awhile ago but haven't been very faithful about posting progress so.....

Many, MANY things

I'm trying, I promise. I have been doing my For Just One Weeks even though I haven't had time to post and I am, if I must say so myself, doing pretty good. One week I did 2 loads of laundry everyday, from start to finish and I had no trouble sticking to that. One week I drank 3 bottles of water everyday and I think I missed one day on that one. Last week I didn't even set one because we had 2 birthdays and I knew the weather would probably be bad and the kids would be home. This week I am sticking to a schedule for cleaning the house everyday. I wrote it up last week and am doing one room or area everyday besides the general cleaning, so far so good. As for the 30 days to a new Habit, as I figured it is a lot harder. Reading my Bible is not as hard and right now I am up to Day 18 (I did have to start over once) but walking is proving impossible although I am not giving up. 4 days in a row is as far as I have been able to get. I'm still hoping that I can get there eventually though.

Now on to other things. An update on my 101 in 1001: I am working on so many of the things I don't know where to start. Reading my Bible was one of them so again I am up to 18 days on that. I'm still working on the walls in the house. And hey I just realized I finished one - I have organized and sorted all of the books in the house (which actually means I got rid of most of them because the kids had outgrown them). I have a concert trip planned for me and Audrey in July with a few friends and I can't wait for that, it will be a first for both of us-how cool. Hey another one I have done - I got my eyebrow/facial wax - not sure if I'm going to do it again though. I love my eyebrows but have I mentioned that I have sensitive skin. And another one (Wow!) I got my new camera. I have crocheted one thing and am working on teaching myself to knit although I'm not quite getting it. I am doing good at learning to make jewelry (will have to post some pictures soon). I have all of the digital pictures on one computer and am working on going through them and organizing them. And of course we are always working on the finance ones. So see I am doing things, even though I'm not being consistent with reporting them. I promise to try harder.

#88 completed - Vote

I did it. I finally voted. I took the time to register, to do the research and to learn about the candidates and I did it - I VOTED!!! It feels great to know that whether it went your way or not you had a say. It feels great to know that we are part of a great country where the citizens still have a say in how things are ran. I'm not sure why I had never done this before but now I have and suddenly I feel entitled to complain about every little thing that goes wrong. Haha!!!

#86 and 87

Knowing who is running for President is simple, it's in your face everywhere you go but knowing who is running for local offices and finding out what they believe is a little more difficult. I have never done this before so I had no idea where to look. I searched until I found a sample ballot for my state and county (here's the link but it will mean nothing to anyone outside of WV). I'm sure most states have these. Then I set out searching for each of the candidates and reading up on their record or lack there of and what they say they believe in and want to accomplish. I'm not going to get into politics here, I have no interest in that but I can officially say I am well informed and ready to vote.

#4 Attempted again.....

I tried again Friday to give blood and had the same problem. They can hit the vein but the blood just stops coming out. After the second arm (yes I let them stick them both) did the same thing they decided to force the blood through the line, to see if they could tell what it was doing. Even though they have anti-coagulate in the line this is how fast my blood was clotting.

Yes, the worm looking part is my blood. Apparently I have an extremely high platelet count and it is making my blood clot ridiculously fast. I'm thinking this can't be too healthy for me. So I am making an appointment with the doctor and am back to exercising and eating better ASAP. In the meantime I will leave you with the picture of the bruises I got for my effort. I really wanted to be able to give.

#46: Get teeth fixed

I have a horrible history with dentists and I would rather do just about anything than go to one. When I was little the dentist that Mom took us to was horrible. He put a filling in the same tooth 11 times and it still wasn't right. When I finally had to go to the dentist years later because of my wisdom teeth, instead of cutting them out they decided to pull all of my back teeth because they weren't great anyway. Of course my wisdom teeth have still not all come in and the 2 that did weren't any good, they were hollow on the inside. One of the teeth they pulled got a dry socket and I didn't know what it was and tried to suffer through the pain. I finally went back and let the fix it but when I got pregnant the second time I ran into problems. Where I had let the dry socket go the nerve had unattached itself from the gum and attached itself to my cheek bone. As I swelled with the pregnancy it was putting pressure on that nerve plus I was grinding my teeth and putting more pressure on it. It was horrible. They gave me mouth guards and as much medicine as I could take while pregnant to get me through it. They literally wanted to slice my face open and cut out the nerve, I said NO and once I had the baby it went away and hasn't bothered me since. Glad I didn't let them cut my face open. So you can see why I have issues with dentists. I haven't been back in 10 years and hadn't had a cleaning since I was a little kid.

Fast forward to today. I posted the other day about my tooth problem and today I went to have it fixed. I had an appointment with a different place to get the rest of the work done but this place could take me in now. So I planned on getting the tooth pulled today and then going to this other place later and getting the rest of it done. In all honesty once I got the tooth pulled and the pain went away I probably would have canceled the other appointment. I really liked this dentist today though. She looked at my teeth and asked me if I wanted to get the rest of my teeth fixed. I was reluctant at first but she told me she could do the sedation dentistry. In other words they will knock me out, do all the work and when I wake up it will all be over. She said this reduces the chance of dry sockets too because you aren't aware enough to mess with the tooth and mess things up. So I figured what the heck, I'm going to bite the bullet and get it done.

They did all of the x-rays today and set up a plan. Since Insurance sucks they can't do everything at once. They will sedate me next Wednesday and do all of the major work; Pull the one tooth I just broke, cut out the wisdom tooth that wasn't any good and do 2 root canals and fix my 4 front teeth(they are thin). They will go back in January(once my insurance starts over for the new year) and do the rest of the work; Permanent crowns on the root canals and replace the rest of the fillings that aren't good(that the quack put in when I was little). So now I can't back out because the one tooth has to come out.

I also let them clean my teeth, can you believe it? Man does it feel weird. Hopefully I will not have a bad experience this time. Hopefully all will go well and by this time next year I will have good teeth, I may even get them straightened. Not sure I could handle braces but I may check into the Invisaligns.

101 in 1001 progress

I feel like I am spinning my wheels. I have so many things that are just on the verge of being completed but I can't quite get there. A few of the things are a little too dependent upon Hubby's help. Like #25 and #9. A lot of the things are planned and it is just a matter of finding the time to do the follow through. The beginning of a school year is always hectic, I'm hoping to get settled into the new routine in the next few weeks and get some things accomplished. I am working on the walls for #15 and that is going to be a long process. The crocheting and knitting for #64 & #65 are going to have to wait till it cools down, it is just too hot to fool with that. I am going to start #63 on my birthday this month but as it suggests it will take a year to complete. I thought it would be cool to do it from birthday to birthday though. For #76 I have actually got my keyboard back out and am now looking into taking some type of class because I just don't think I can teach myself this. So I am making progress, it just isn't very visible.

101 progress

I know that it seems I am not getting anything done but really I am. So much of it is coming down to planning, so that is what I have been doing. A lot of the things really needed to wait till the kids were in school also.

Of course I've already posted that I tried to accomplish #4-Donate blood and was unsuccessful. I am trying to convince someone that I can do #9-Build a platform bed but I may have to result to buying one. I tried to start #21 but I discovered I need a new bread machine. We have the plans and money for #25-New Porch but with all of the destruction going on around here it's hard to get anything hauled in or delivered.I've left 220/1001 comments for #73. And then here are some more detailed plans;

#11:Fix/organize all closets

I have my plans for the boys closet but again I do not want to try to do the work with them here. I am going to take everything out of their closet. Rods, shelves -I mean everything and start from fresh. Going to fix up the inside walls, which they have made a mess out of and then fix the closet up. Instead of one long rod across I'm going to put in a rod on each side. On one side I'm going to put 2 rods and just one shelf and shoe storage at the bottom, then on the other side I'm going to put 1 rod and a few shelves. I may put a shelf up high going all the way across but I haven't decided for sure on that. Then it will be on to the next closet.

#15-Patch and paint all walls

I have gotten a start on this but again it has proven to be a little hard to do with a bunch of wild boys running around. I have one wall almost done. This is going to be a tedious process, I will have to explain exactly what I'm doing in a later post.

#18: Organize all Files-Set up System

I know one of the more boring things on the list but I have been working hard on it nevertheless. I have my system completely set up and a very detailed list of what I need to get. Now I just have to go on a shopping trip and do all of the work. I'm waiting till the kids go back to school to do this. Going through and sorting all of the stuff out and organizing it would not be an easy task with them all here. I will post soon on this one being completed-I promise.

#67 and #68

I am giving up on #67 and 68. I will replace them with something when I can decide on what but I have made a few decisions lately and they have to go. I will post a more detailed post about the "decisions" later but this is one of those things that I felt like I should do, should be able to do but that I don't really get enjoyment out of. So they must go.

The Reason behind #48

In my list of 101 things in 1001 days, hidden almost in the middle is a little thing that I continue to run from. #48 calls for me to get a body scan for skin cancer. My dad has had it, my sister has had it and we are a family that is very fair skinned. We have all been burnt, over and over and over again. I keep saying that I need to go to a dermatologist and get checked and have a full body scan but it never seems to happen. I'm thinking, today at least, that this needs to happen sooner rather than later. I noticed that a spot on my arm was really sore yesterday and when I started looking at it I realized it was a mole that looks really bad. It's a little better and I'm thinking I may have just scratched it or something but it scared me. I'm calling to make an appointment for right after the kids go back to school (no sense in trying to do something like that with them all hanging around).

#4 Attempted

I tried to complete #4 yesterday but it was a No-go. I have a pretty bruise and a sore arm for my troubles though. Oh well, at least I tried.

My 101 progress

It's been almost 2 weeks since I posted my 101 in 1001 list (if you haven't seen it look here) so I thought I would give a little update. I have bought cards/stationary for #1. I have an appointment to donate blood #4, hopefully I will be able to give.  I have started patching and painting the walls for #15. We have planned and should be starting on a new porch anytime now and hopefully the picnic area too #24 & 25. I am working on 1 crochet project and have the stuff to learn how to knit #64 & 65. I have posted 47/1001 blog comments for #73.

     This has turned out to be much harder than I initially thought but I suppose that is the point to this.  When I was making the list it all seemed so simple that I upped the ante on quite a few things. This makes you think daily about what you could/should be doing with your day and your life. I have to admit I was taking this project lightly when I first started preparing the list but it has become a real challenge to myself. I really hope I can complete it all.

101 things in 1001 days

As I have mentioned before I don't really like New Years resolutions but I ran across this idea which, to me, seems fantastic so here I go. I tried to leave 10 things for future things I realize I want to do but I could only manage 8. When things come up that I know I want to do I will add them. I tried not to include many things that had to be kept track of (like 0/0) I wanted each thing to be unique.

The Mission: Do 101 things in 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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date:July 7th, 2008
End Date: April 4th, 2011

My 101 things in 1001 days

Faith, Family, Friends
1. Send a card/letter to someone once a month (counts as complete after 6 months) 0/6
2. Take a leap of faith (I know ambiguous but when it happens I will know it and let you know)
3. Organize/start a girl’s night out
4. Donate Blood
5. Participate in at least 3 walks/charity events
6. Read bible- 15 minutes a day for 30 days (will restart each time I miss a day)
7. Pay it Forward (how to be determined later)
8. Meet up with an old friend

House and Home
9. Platform Bed (try to build first then if all else fails buy it)
10. Make our Bedroom a place we want to be
11. Fix/Organize Closets
12. Replace Floors in whole house
13. Re-do Master Bathroom
14. Re-do Bathroom
15. Patch and Paint all walls
16. Get dining table refinished
17. Organize and sort books
18. Organize all files – set up system
19. Organize CD’s, DVD’s, Games, etc.
20. Try 20 new Recipes - 0/20
21. Get back to baking my own bread (do at least 5 times to count)

Our Outside World
22. Get pond put in
23. Get whole yard fixed up
24. Fix picnic area
25. New Porch

Travel/Recreation
26. Go on a trip for our Anniversary (alone)
27. Take Audrey on a Cruise for her 16th birthday
28. Go to the beach
29. Go camping
30. Go to state fair
31. Go to a concert
32. Go on a picnic
33. Take kids Ice Skating (and myself)
34. See show at Theatre WV
35. Visit 3 of the USA’s top 41 wonders

It’s all about Me!!
36. Lose 10 lbs.
37. Lose 20 lbs.
38. Lose 30 lbs.
39. Wear Size 12 Jeans
40. Get to below 27 BMI
41. Walk 1001 miles - 0/1001
42. Get a Mani-Pedi
43. Get Massage
44. Get a Facial/Eyebrow Wax
45. Complete Couch to 5k
46. Get teeth fixed
47. Go to Doctor (Ob/Gyn)
48. Get Body scan for skin cancer
49. Get fitted for a Bra
50. Get a new camera
51. Complete a Jigsaw Puzzle

Expand My Horizons
52. Make a living will
53. Sing with Mom in church
54. Play Golf
55. Ride a Roller Coaster
56. Fly a Kite
57. Visit at least 1 state I’ve never been too
58. Go to a real Museum
59. Go to an Aquarium
60. Build a Snowman
61. Decorate the whole house for Christmas
62. Take picture in a photo booth
63. 365 day self portrait

Knit One, Purl Two
64. Crochet 6 things 0/6
65. Learn to Knit
66. Teach someone else to crochet
67. Complete quilt started in quilting class
68. Sew something that can be worn
69. Get home videos onto DVD (via my computer or a service, whichever is more feasible)
70. Organize all Digital Pictures
71. Master Photoshop (or at least enough to fake it)
72. Learn to Scrapbook (not digitally)

Blog Land
73. Leave 1001 blog comments -0/1001
74. Blog about tasks as completed
75. Do a Video Post

Education
76. Learn to play my keyboard
77, Learn to change a tire
78. Learn to shoot my Bow
79. Take some type of college course
80. Read 10 fictional/biographical books -0/10
81. Read Jane Eyre
82. Learn more HTML and CSS
83. Learn to build a website
84. Start/join a Book Club

Voting
85. Register
86. Learn about Candidates
87. Do Research
88. Vote

Finances
89. Eliminate unsecured debt
90. Open a savings account
91. Increase 401K contributions
92. Completely clean up our credit

Future
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Make new list of 101 things