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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Springing Forward

Time changes are always so challenging! The process of adjusting can be a real pain, but there is something so fantastically wonderful about knowing that spring is here* and that it won't be dark so early. I rarely am able to pick a favorite season, but this year I am really looking forward to spring. Rebirth and freshness are kind of a recurring theme in my year, and having that manifested by nature every time I look out my window is uplifting to say the least. There are currently daffodils blooming in out front garden and crocuses have popped up throughout our yard in a multitude of colors. They all look so happy! Soon it will be time to plan our garden, plant tomatoes, and hopefully this year I'll be able to start a small herb bed beside our porch. Bake Sale Season starts at this end of this month and I'm already busy planning a variety of snacks to prepare and sale. I've been stockpiling recipes all winter long and am really looking forward to baking in the upcoming months. I've also been messing around with basic cupcake recipes and adding to them based on various inspirations to create my own recipes. THAT is more fun that I would have imagined and it is gratifying to create something that other people enjoy.

Life in SWVA has been run of the mill. I wake up in the morning, go to work, come home, rinse and repeat. This may SEEM lousy and boring but in all actuality it's pretty much what I need right now. Work has been calm enough that I am able to get most of my paperwork done before I leave the school, which leaves my evenings open for reading and relaxing while I watch TV and chat with the BFFs. I've been fairly successful with my Lent challenge. I've finished four books and I've read at least 30 minutes every single day. I've also only read one reread, which is refreshing. I love to revisit books I've loved, but sometimes in doing that I forget how many amazing books are out there that I haven't taken the time to read.

Television this season has been a little disappointing. We regularly watch American Idol, but so far most of the shows have been too boring to hold my attention and I've read through each episode. ANTM has been wonderful so far this season though. If you've never watched the show I would recommend this season as a fantastic starting point. Tyra has sadly been normal and hasn't attempted ACTING so far this season, but I'm positive that will come about later on. US models in the making are competing against previous contestants from Britain's Next Top Model in Cycle 18. The most recent episode is the makeover episode** which includes all the usual DRAMA about hairstyles and cuts and colors. I find these episodes particularly amusing for multiple reasons. I'm looking forward to the new season of DWTS and the celebrity lineup this year looks MUCH more promising than last years. Urkel! Laura Ingalls Wilder! Gladys Knight! As usual I will livetweet my viewing of DTWS. Occasionally I livetweet Idol, but it hasn't been tweetworthy so far this season.

*Spring has actually been here all winter, truth be told.
**This is always my favorite episode of every season. My goal is to own every single makeover episode of ANTM so that I can watch them on repeat on bad days.

Lent

As usual I gave up a beloved food item for Lent this year, but I've also been trying other things as well and setting goals for myself during this 40 day period has been reasonably successful in the past. So here are my goals for Lent!

First, I read about this challenge. Now, I never need a reason to read, but sometimes I do need to streamline my reading process. This year I am WAY ahead of my personal reading goals so I didn't want to pick a huge number of books to read for this challenge. Instead I decide to challenge myself to read 10 books over the seven week period of Lent. But really, 10 seems too easy in a way, and after reviewing my current reads I realize why. I am currently rereading two series. Therefore, my additional challenge is one new read for every reread. I have a list of 22 books that I am choosing from during this reading challenge. I'll try to post them in the sidebar, but my computer is broken again and that may prove to be an impossible task with the tablet. I am also creating a separate GoodReads shelf to list all my challenge books.

Other challenges include exercising more. That's been a challenge for 2012 in general, but I've really slacked off in February. I really want to be healthy and I can't do that if I don't work for it.

The food I gave up this year is fast food. This ties in with being more healthy, and it is a step I'm considering making permanent. I know that will be difficult, especially when I have to leave work and go straight to meeting and such, but I'm willing to forego the majority of fast food if it means I can be healthy and fit.

An unplanned Lenten sacrifice may be not spending any money, because if Suzette is well and truly dead I will have to buy a new computer. Which will be horrid in regards to matching my desires (a Mac) to my finances (not Mac friendly.)