Lifestyle of Learning 2024 Edition: Volume 2

 

February 1-29

- I read The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanne Cannon, The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf, I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl by Joyce Hansen.

- I am reading Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky and Heroes of the City of Man by Peter Leithert.

- I learned about the roto-sphere and saw one of the nine that remain on public display. Read more about roto-spheres at this site.

- I have been making some red winged blackbird observations. I have been wondering if they migrate during the winter or if they hunker down during these cold months. I have noted that on the warmer days this month a couple of male blackbirds have made an appearance and then they are not to be seen when the cold descends again. I believe that they stay for the winter hunkered down in cozy homes nestled at the base of the cattails and reeds.

- I observed a great horned owl at Mama's. Two days in a row it has roosted in a tree outside the house. I knew that great horned owls were large but to see just how large it is... breathtaking! Wow!!! Do you see it?!!

- On a beautiful day, Herb and I took a walk at the nature center. The view, with it's trees stripped down, was starkly stunning. We observed some ducks and the birds were quite active.

- I did some ax throwing! This was a first for me and it was a good time.

- I made another trip to New Mexico. I made this trip alone and it was centered around Torrance County. I went to church and heard a sermon related to a chapter in 1 Samuel. I played lots of games with the family, had great conversations with friends and family, and ate some delish food.

- I saw a performance of In the Heights. Twice!

- I have been continuing to journal.

- I watched journaling related videos by February and June. 

- I listened to the following podcasts: X22 Report; The Snake River Killer; Zone 7; The Case; Unspeakable Crime: The Case of Jessica Chambers; Mind of a Monster; Life Without: The Untold Story of Heath Stocks; Bone Valley and The Snake River Killer and am presently listening to Counter Clock.

My 24 Hard Things for 2024

In 2023, I declared 23 Hard Things that I aspired to do and committed to focusing on. As a whole, it was successful. I'm going to give it another try in this new year. Here are my 24 Hard Things for 2024 

1) Read 48 books, in addition to books of the Bible that get read. Reading 48 books was one of my hard things in 2023 and, given the fact that I read soooo many more than that, it may seem that it is not quite right to still consider this to be a hard thing for this next year. However, I intend on devoting significantly more time writing in 2024 which will make it more difficult to devote time to reading. Additionally, 12 of the 48 books need to come from my personal library and 12 of the 48 need to be memoir, biography or autobiography. 

2) Replace gutters.

3) Trim trees.

4) Get rid of the van.

5) Edit and curate the attic quarters.

6) Have at least one adventure per month.

7) Use or purge extra scrapbooks.

8) Purge a minimum of 1800 items.

9) Lift weights a minimum of 48 times.

10) Track expenditures a minimum of 275 days.

11) Take vitamins a minimum of 275 days.

12) Floss teeth a minimum of 275 days.

13) Write at least 12 letters.

14) Graph monthly spending by category for at least 6 months.

15) Learn 12 songs on the mandolin.

16)Write 60 blog entries, can be any combination of my blogs.

17) Dance.

18) Do 100% of Balancing the Sword Volume 2.

19) Take at least 12 spectacular photographs.

20) Learn a new skill.

21) Get the boys mending completed.

22) Have the big trash hauled off.

23) Reorganize the Christmas ornaments.

24) Try 25 new recipes. 

Lifestyle of Learning 2023 Edition: Volume 13

 December 1 - 15

"Leave the earth dry and live with no regrets." -Mariah Johnson

-I have read above quoted book, Relentless Melt by Jeremy Bushnell, and In Time of Harvest by John Sinclair.

- I attended Cocoa Chronicles, a live radio show performance.

- I am reading The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman.

- I managed to get to the gym twice (still recovering) and went for a walk at the park to see the Christmas lights.

- I am doing a lot of journaling.

- I am listening to the following podcasts: The Piketon Massacre, Zone 7, Shallow Graves

- I am researching and have begun doing exercises to improve foot, ankle, and knee health. Did you know that there are 33 joints in each foot?

- I learned to play Ono99.

Lifestyle of Learning 2023 Edition: Volume 12

 November 16-30

"The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions, the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind of look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimal of pleasurable thought and genial feeling." -Coleridge

I read Nevada: Off the Beaten Path by Donna Peck, Black Fortunes by Shomari Wills, Home-Making by J.R. Miller, Return to Abo by Sharon Niederman, The Case of the Runaway Corpse by Erle Stanley Gardner, and Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor. 

I saw an original theatrical production, At Risk.

I am listening to these podcasts: Zone 7, The Fall Line, Gone South, Dark Valley, Witnessed: Fade to Black, X22, LISK, Citizen Detective, Shallow Graves, Why Can't We Talk About Amanda's Mom?, The A to Z of David Bowie, and The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs.

I am reading The Autobiography and Other Writings by Benjamin Franklin, Human Property Hanging in the Family Tree Yields a Harvest by Ann Lee, and The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf.

I am researching the history of and what to see and do while traveling on Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway.

I am exploring the Preservation Acts albums by The Kinks.

I researched recipes and tried several new ones.

Turkey pot pies by Bishop

I saw a stage production of Elf the Musical.

Lifestyle of Learning 2023 Edition: Volume 11

 November 1 - 15

"To conclude, therefore, let no man out of weak conceit of sobriety, or in ill applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far or be too well studied in the book of God's word, or in the book of God's works." - Francis Bacon

I have read Beyond the Limelight: Some Pioneer Recollections of Missouri and Oklahoma, Johnston's Shut -Ins State Park by Harry H. Johnston; How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer; and The Raven and Other Favorite Poems by Edgar Allan Poe.

- I am listening  to these podcasts: Let's Talk Memoir, X22, Zone 7, The Hillside Strangler, Devil Town, The Fall Line, Witnessed: Fade to Black, Dark Valley, The Snake River Killer, and Gone South.

- I have continued to do some weightlifting.

- I've been dancing!

- I am taking Hillsdale's online course The Genesis Story: Reading Biblical Narratives.

- I went for a walk at the botanical gardens. I got some exercise and made some seasonal natural observations.

- I did more public speaking. It does get easier the more I do it.

- I am reading Home-Making by J.R. Miller, Heroes of the City of Man by Peter Leithart, The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tales of Troy by Padraic Colum, Off the Beaten Path: Nevada, Roll of Thunder, and Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor.

An Update on My 23 Hard Things in 2023

1) Write 12 snail mail letters. DONE. I completed this goal in June but have continued to write letters. In October I wrote a letter to my friend Sara and Aunt Carol. 18/12.

2) Initiate three dates with hubby. DONE. I continue to invite him on hiking ventures. This has been a pleasant way to connect.

3) Purge 1200 items. DONE. I reached my goal in July but still attempt to purge 100 items per month. In October, I purged 231 items. 2121/1200.

4) Read 48 books. DONE. In October,  I read 28 books! Including books of the Bible, I have read 146/48 books. Excluding books of the Bible, i have read 80/48. I have absolutely slammed this goal!!!

5) 12 of the 48 books read are to be books that I own. DONE. I read 26 books from my personal library in October! 52/12.

6) Have one adventure per month. I hiked at a new location, hubby and I had a picnic (that may have been a first), I did some public speaking, and I helped a committee at work pull off a celebration, our ESOPtober celebration. I'm doing new things and stepping into new roles.

7) Make and maintain a minimum of six monthly journals. DONE.

8) Make 36 blog entries. I made three blog entries in October. 28/36.

9) Repair camera. DONE. 

10) Repair mandolin and learn to play one song. DONE.

11) Dance. Doing it and loving it! I am really making progress on this goal. Dancing is becoming more natural. One evening I was caught by my youngest following a new dance tutorial. "Are you dancing?" "Um

12) Learn to tiptoe (move like a child). DONE. Still can do.

13) Learn to skip (move like a child). DONE. Still can do but not smoothly and, dang it, my foot keeps acting up. Ugh.

14) Do one cartwheel, although a round off will do (move like a child). Nope. I havent even tried yet.

15) Remove tree from front yard. DONE.

16) Repair front porch stairs. DONE.

17) Write a letter to Carole's mother. Written but not sent, still uncertain.

18) Take vitamins a minimum of 275 days this year. 258/275, need 17/61.

19) Floss teeth a minimum of 275 days this year. 231/275, need 44/61.

20) Track expenditures a minimum of 275 days this year. DONE. 283/275.

21) Do not go to Andy's alone. Still a fail. I went three times in October! Ugh!

22) Try 15 new smoothie, salad and vegetarian recipes. I tried two new recipes - roasted parmesan broccoli and a vegetarian chili with sweet potatoes. Both are soooo good! 12/15.

23) Complete at least 75% of Balancing the Sword Volume 1. DONE.

 

"Don't sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them." -Madam C.J. Walker

Lifestyle of Learning 2023 Edition: Volume 10

 October 16 - 31

"We need intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has any magic about it, but because we ... need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion. A man who has lived in many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the greatest cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and microphone of his own age." -C.S. Lewis

- I went for a walk at a botanical center. I made natural observations while moving my body and I made note of how the various gardens were presenting at this time of year vs. earlier in the year.

- I have been doing some journaling and continue to experiment with styles and approaches.

- I have resumed watching YouTube videos related to journaling. I really enjoy February and June and Suzi's Tiny Desk. Their work resonates with me.

- I read Battle Cry for My Generation by Ron Luce, Sacred Rhythms by Christine Sine, Mountainair N.M. Centennial History  1903-2003 by Bert Herrman, Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse, Footprints in the Ash by John Morris and Steven Austin, Scopes: Creation on Trial by R.M. Cornelius and John D. Morris, Land of Burning Heat by Judith Van Gieson, Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, Our Little Macedonian Cousin of Long Ago by Julia Darrow Cowles, The Legacy of Lord Baden Powell by Eleanor Clark, The Search for Christina by Eleanor Lattimore, Winter Pony by Jean Doty, The Official Guide to America's National Parks, and Unfit for Command by John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi.

- I listened to these podcasts: LISK, X22, and Gone South. 

- I have resumed working on my disco routine and I learned the Wobble. I have also found another dance tutorial that is going to be a blast. Imma dancin'!

- I hiked the nature center.

- I am reading Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, In Time of Harvest by John Sinclair, Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington, Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A. by Jane and Michael Stern, and How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer.

- I watched The Shining Code 2.0.

- I have picked up the mandolin again. It felt good!

- I completed Hillsdale's online courses Introduction to the Constitution and Constitution 101 and am taking American Heritage From Colonial Settlement to the Current Day.

I survived... I mean, did... some public speaking.

- l have written two letters this month and am working on the art of letter writing. My mom and older sister are gifted letter writers. I am not but am trying and am making progress.

- I did some weightlifting and I have started utilizing the rowing machine.

- I am researching kettlebell techniques. Kettlebells will be a great way for me to get resistance training in when I am on the road and away from a gym.