A few things I'm currently obsessed with

A country house, a country house, oh how I want a country house.  

I have wanted to live in the country for years now (I came very close to purchasing a great farmhouse in rural Kentucky back in 2007), but the pull of the city has kept me from moving back to the midwest where farmhouses abound.  A perfect compromise would be to get to travel into the city for work periodically, and still enjoy the space and domesticity of getting to nest in the country.  

While I haven't found the perfect spot yet, I know that it is out there with my name on it.  

Photo from HERE

2010 - better watch it's back!

So, on to the New Hopes and Aspirations:

1. Visit 1 new country
2. Read this list once a month
3. See at least 6 shows (saw one on January 2nd, so I'm off to a great start)
4. Visit Grandma before Christmas
5. Go to "Drink & Draw"
6. Take a course at the book center
7. Lose 3 pounds every month until I reach my goal (I figured baby steps are lessoverwhelming)
8. Visit 16 museums/galleries
9. Keep a "Thankful journal"
10. Visit Mantauk
11. Read & complete 37 Days
12. Get New York driver's license (goodbye great photo from my Massachusetts license)
13. Create 25 small pieces of art
14. Go to Balthazar for dinner
15. Complete the Creative Entrepreneur book with all the journal exercises
16. Spend one weekend exploring Staten Island
17. Take advantage of the Apple store free courses; go to at least 6 sessions
18. Go to Saturday Euchre at least 3 times
19. Buy 2-liters of soda & take ice to work instead of spending $2 each day on a fountain soda
20. Put $300/month into savings
21. Participate in 2 juried shows

2009

We're going into the 2nd week of the New Year & I am just now posting my New Year blog post, but hey, it's all good.

So, getting inspiration from my friend Melodie, I am listing my resolutions from 2009. I didn't do horribly, but hope I will do better this year with my goals.

I will list the two that are ALWAYS on my list - every year - first.

1) Read this list once a month: J_F_M_A_M_J_J_A_S_O_N_D. Um..less than 50% of the months...I read it in January, February, March, September & October.

2) Visit a new country: accomplished; Chile, Argentina & Brazil

3) Visit at least 12 new galleries or museums: I know there were more visit, but not necessarily new places...and only 4 were documented: Queens Museum, Warhol Museum, Carnegie Art Museum, Detreich Gallery.

4) Complete the Creative Entrepreneur book with all the journal exercises. Nope...maybe 1/2 way through it.

5) Create at least 52 postcards & document them on my blog. Well, from the sad, sad job of posting I did the better part of this year, we can all see that this did not happen.

6) Host at least 4 dinner or cocktail parties: I had 1...it's just a hard thing to do in a studio.

7) Participate in 2 juried exhibits. Hhm, I think I will put this one back on my list for 2010.

8) See at least 10 shows: Royal Family, Hedda Gabler, Mary Poppins, Polobolus, Groovaloo, Freedom, the Nutcracker & Klangforum Wien (Free Radicals). I think had I read this list on a regular basis, it would have motivated me to see more. Since I've left 35 years of age behind & am no longer eligible for $25 tickets thru hotix...that makes a difference too.

9) Go on 3 dates by March...hmmmm.

10) Successfully create & accomplish a group "creative trip to NYC" - why am I afraid of this?

11) Send at least 1 item with a publicity kit to 4 magazines...scared of this too.

So, I thought I had done pretty well until I just wrote these all out. I now realize that only ONE of those was completed in full. Wow...I think this might be a wake-up call to pay attention to life & each day...and to not just assume that I will be able to accomplish one or all of these "another day."

Tomorrow I will list my NEW list for 2010. Goodbye to this unfinished list...hello to so many new opportunities!