New Is Great and My 40 New Goals

We did the 27-Thing Fling many times over this week while my husband took a much-needed whole week off work.

Then I filled in some empty spaces with new stuff. I have a new candy apple red purse, a new crinkle-gauze lampshade for an old Victorian style lamp, and a new Winterberry two-tiered glass stand that I'm fussing with in preparation for next year's Ladies Christmas Breakfast. Paul and I celebrated 19 years of marriage and hope the new one is like being newlywed again (without the awkwardness). My mom gave me a gorgeous greeting card organizer for Hanukkah,and I wrote in all the important birthdays and anniversaries I could think of right away and sorted my cards into their files. Oh, joy!

I'm sporting new pink leather slippers, wearing new Curve perfume, and relishing the fresh crackling sound of my new devotional journal when I open it. On the bathroom "library stand" sits my new book from an old friend. The book is called Simple Hospitality and I'm touched by Barb's inscription as much as I'm inspired by the first three chapters.

Armed with this excitement over newness, I quickly scrawled 40 things I want to try to do in 2006. They are in no particular order. I have thought of others since, but will stick to 40. Being 40 years old, I like the sound of 40. (Didn't care for the sound of 30; go figure.) Oh, and since I have failed numerously before, I am 99 and 44/100 % sure I will fail again. But I'd rather succeed at 6 and fail at the other 34 than to not try at all. God is my Redeemer and I trust Him to redeem my failures. I also trust Him for the grace to succeed at accomplishing however many of these 40 He wants to grace!

Here goes:

Goals for 2006:

1. Read the whole Bible.
2. Make 12 new entrees (one a month).
3. Try 12 new appetizers (one a month)
4. Lose 21 pounds by April 26, 31 by July 26, 41 by Aug 26.
5. Sew or finish 19 more things for charity (including drawstring bags on standby)
6. Have one new person/set of people over a month (who haven’t been here before).
7. Exercise 3x/wk or more, anything to work up a sweat for 20 mins at least.
8. Send at least one greeting card a month, not being late on anyone’s b’day!
9. Get in the habit of being places on time.
10. Get rid of 27 things a month. (27 thing-fling by the last day of the month).
11. Take a photography class.
12. Make a baby quilt for Myleigh.
13. Make a baby quilt for Talitha’s baby.
14. Spend at least one weekend night a month scrapbooking.
15. Take the kids out one-on-one again regularly.
16. Play a board game with friends every quarter.
17. Memorize scripture with the kids weekly.
18. Wean self off medication.
19. Get complete physical.
20. Get mammogram.
21. Paint dining room
22. Paint living room and foyer/hall.
23. Put in my remaining parent hours (don’t pay for them).
24. Help Ben with college entrance stuff.
25. Travel to a state we’ve never seen (Nevada?).
26. Be involved with Trip’s Iraqi outreaches.
27. Make Christmas gifts for everyone who would prefer them over storebought.
28. Have Zubs over for Memorial Day cookout.
29. Organize my bedroom closet.
30. Redecorate the little bath.
31. Dejunk the back of basement.
32. Make $200 on ebay.
33. Paint interior of garage.
34. Put up shelves in garage.
35. Make front landscaping really attractive.
36. Amend the vegetable and flower gardens.
37. Put up decorative but functional shelves in dining room to store & display china collection(s).
38. Do what it takes to be comfortable around certain people.
39. Keep the van tidy.
40. Teach Joel to spell (and maybe write) his last name.