Five Year Plan

I love making Five Year Plans. Some of the things I have planned have happened, some have not. I find that having direction gives me stability for deviation. Lack of direction leaves me as a lump on the couch and afraid of chaos. As the new year approaches, and as I have had a slight deviation in my plans, I thought it might be good to update my Five Year Plan.

2010:
Get a job
Complete and publish mystery novel
Begin MBA dissertation
Marry Richard Armitage
Join community band

2011:
Complete MBA
Application for PhD/DBA programme
Complete 2nd novel have been working on

2012-2014
Complete PhD
Have Richard Armitage's babies
Attempt extended genealogy for grandfather (Francis Casmir Ziolkwoski)

2015
Work one year for African Development Bank Group
Begin application for teaching position
Start a small sheep farm
Grow to higher quality community orchestra

So this is a rough outline and I know it looks a little vague. Trust me, my private Excel version of the plan is much more detailed. Between the lines will be things like half-marathons, triathlons, spending time with friends, serving in the community, etc. This updated plan feels ambitious but achievable, and satisfies my core person. It incorporates my love of knowledge, arts, and helping people. I really like the direction of this plan.

Especially the Richard Armitage part...:)

Good Gifts

The greatest gift this Christmas season was the Christmas Spirit. It has been a few years since I've really looked forward to Christmas and I was afraid that I had outgrown the magic of the season. But I think it was hibernating through heartbreak of the past few years.

Second great gift is being back in Salt Lake and being surrounded by good friends whom I love. I was able to spend the day with Charles and Peter and their family.

The best tangible gift was the Christmas tree Holly and Shawn put into the apartment before I moved here.

Then I was thinking about some of the other fun gifts I've been given in recent years. I don't really get a lot of gifts. My opinion on gifts is give one if the item really speaks to you about that person. Otherwise just give treats or time instead.

But here is a collage of some of my favorite gifts in the past few years. (one special gift is missing from below. It's a wooden frog with a huge mouth. Melyn gave it to me the year I went to visit my step-day while he was ill. Don't worry Melyn, I still have it, but it's packed away with my frog things. I still need one more bookshelf to unpack everything. ) (yes. I have frog things.)



I think you can all recognize Grover. Kelly gave him to me when we were roommates on Dana St. Love him. He does live under the bed during most of the year, and then comes out during Christmas time.

The brown thing is, at best guess a Hippo. I've had him since 2000. Right before I moved to Boston. He was given to me at work during our Secret Santa exchange. Everyone at work had already been given there gifts and the days were ticking buy. I tried to be a mature adult, but I was really sad that my person had forgotten me. The Friday before vacation, the gift appeared. I stepped away from my desk and when I came back, the hippo was there! It's sooooo soft.

The little heart-shaped pillow is from Becky. Must have been about 5 or 6 years ago. It's so simple, but I like it. Anytime I move, it's one of the first things to get hung on a door knob.

The blanket is from Melyn. Maybe 2 years ago? (and it could have also been a b-day gift...but for the sake of this blog, we'll call it a Christmas gift. :) ) It's a simple fleece blanket that has music bars on it. It's well used. (not for playing music. but for snuggling up with a book.)

The three books and plastic grasshopper and snake are from Angie. The same year I got Grover from Kelly. She used the grasshopper and snake as bows and ribbons. I thought it was very clever and fitting for me. (there was a spider as well, but the cats decided it would make a great toy and they ripped all of it's legs off.)

And last, but not least, the whirly-pop. Best gift ever! Misty and Jessica gave this to me. Also the year I got the wooden frog, right before I left to visit Raymond in the hospital. I know that things like whirly-pops and hotchocolate mugs and soap baskets are given to people as gifts because other people can't think of what to give. But Jessica and Misty knew the whirly-pop was THE perfect gift for me. I have used it almost every day since I got it. I don't know many gifts that are as well used and appreciated as my whirly-pop!

The Greatest Gifts

Christma Eve Eve

On the 23rd Salt Lake received a timely little snow fall. I was so excited to shovel the walk! Having lived in Boston for 7 years, I've grown accustom to having to shovel the minute one little wet icy snowflake hit the earth. I probably went a little overkill on the powdery snow of Utah. The neighbors probably think I'm a fanatic.

It was so beautiful and peaceful with the snow and all the Christmas lights, so after my second clearing around 9:00 p.m. I decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood and take photo's of the lights. (I wish I had a great camera that did night shots well.) In no particular order, here are some of my favorite shots of the day:

The entire yard of this house was lit up! I particularly liked the row of colored lights along the fence. I think this style of light is my favorite outdoor light.














This lamp post is in my neighbors yard. And I was very much in their yard when I was taking the photo. I did invade quite a few yards that night. And I'm a tall bulkish person with a heavy coat and hat on. I'm lucky no one called the cops on me.

I do love this photo. It was still snowing when I took this one. I have another shot where you can see the fat snowflakes coming down, but the post didn't convey well.













Poor flamingos. They should be taken into the garage for the winter.











This was earlier in the day, after the first shovel run. This is a row of little evergreens along our drive.













This is what I see across the street from me. It's a pretty colorful house during the day. It's big and blue and purple. The Christmas lights definitely match the house. As you can see, the cats also like to look out. (the cat is inside. It's a large picture window at the front of the house.)

Yard Work

One of my least favorite things about living in an apartment for the past year and half was not having a yard. I especially missed yard work.

I know yard work is two four letter words for most people, but I just love almost everything about it. I love moving my body. I love being outside. I like getting something done. I like casually getting to know neighbors while you do these things. I love having something to show for your efforts afterwords. I just love it.

One of the main things I required when looking for a new place to rent in SLC, was having access to a yard. My new landlord (and he's new at being a landlord) is a pretty laid back dude and has plenty of other projects to work on and has given me carte blanche of the yard. This won't really get too exciting until Spring. But I did tell him I will happily shovel snow and mow the lawn. I think he thought I was joking a little.

But I wasn't. It has snowed today. I have shoveled.

I love having a yard again.

At least I'm not in 2 feet of snow in DC....

My week in a nutshell:

Unpack a box
Stare into space contemplating what to do with other unpacked boxes
Apply for job
Stare into space contemplating not having a job
Farm on Farmville
Update Facebook Status
Go for a walk
And repeat with unpacking a box....

Quickest of Updates

Just finished my accounting final. *phew* just hoping to have passed.

Now, to pack for the move to Utah. Yep. Moving. To Utah.