25 in 2025

Here are things I'd like to accomplish in 2025:

1. Knit a sweater.

2. Create a new knitwear design. 

3. Walk more. 

4. Reorganize the yarn in my craft room.

5. Get rid of 25 things I don’t need. 

6. Exercise regularly. 

7. Join the Photo a Day challenge. 

8. Do something useful every day. 

9. Study Spanish on Duolingo regularly.

10. Teach classes at the university level. 

11. Read more. 

12. Drink more water. 

13. Relearn to play the guitar. 

14. Practice my watercolor painting. 

15. Create at least 1 new sketch in my sketchbook. 

16. Log my food in the food diary on My Fitness Pal. 

17. Reconnect with friends. 

18. Read my bible. 

19. Practice meditation. 

20. Do more gardening. 

21. Learn something new. 

22. Try a new recipe. 

23. Write a letter. 

24. Try yoga. 

25. Practice Tai Chi. 

26. 
    

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

EDEX 962 and EDEX 963

Today begins another day of teaching. I’m teaching a combined class of EDEX 962 and EDEX963 which has four students. I have been teaching this class for the past 17 years. It is a practicum class so I created a school for these teachers to show me that they can apply all that they learned in their other Master’s level classes. It is my favorite class to teach because I love seeing how my students grow in just four weeks. It is like watching baby birds learn to fly.

For their first blog reflection, this is their assignment:

“I want you to come up with 3 goals for yourself. I want to know how you are feeling about the course, the children, and your expectations.”

I also have 3 goals:

• I want to make sure that everything is set up for my teachers so they have a great learning experience.
• I want to give feedback to my teachers so they will have useful information to help their own teaching.
• I want to be available as a resource so my teachers can gain confidence in teaching students with special needs.

I’ve been teaching for 44 years and I’m still excited about beginning this class. Like any class with any age students, every class and every student is different. You never know what challenges you may face but I like facing them together with my students. I feel that if you aren’t excited on the first day of any class you are teaching, then maybe it is time to get out of teaching. I love teaching and sharing my experiences with my students (who are teachers). I hope that they will learn from my experiences so that they can be effective in their classrooms.

Let the fun begin!

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

2023 Goals Review for December

We had a wonderful month of December. Most of the month we relaxed and enjoyed our hobbies. We had a quiet Christmas but it was nice. I achieved 82% of my goals.  I was one book short of achieving my last goal so I am happy with my results. 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele. COMPLETE!

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee) COMPLETE!

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – COMPLETE!

●                                  Yarn used - 12263 yds.

●                                  -Yarn bought - 9009

4. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl COMPLETE!

5. Try 4 new recipes. - I didn’t do this at all for the whole year.

6. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We walked and exercised regularly. COMPLETE!

7. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 0 pages in December  (Total - 82) (Even though I didn’t do 2 each month, I did more than 24 overall so I’m considering it complete.) COMPLETE!

8. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – COMPLETE!

9. Read the Bible every day. – yes COMPLETE!

10. Read 100 books – read a total of 107 books this year. COMPLETE!

11. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (Total: 11).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

-  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

-  No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

-  Spare by Prince Harry

-  John le Carré: The Biography by Adam Sisman

 

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

2023 Goals Review for November

For most of the month of November, we were on a cruise ship. We left Valencia, Spain and arrived in Miami on November. 24. 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I finished 2 projects on the cruise. 

●  Yarn used - 10737 yds.

●  Yarn bought - 9009

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - I couldn’t cook on a cruise ship. LOL

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 0 pages in November.  (Total - 82)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through November. 

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in May, 3 in June,  3 in July, 12 in August, 20 in September,  10 books in October, 15 books in November (Total: 91)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (Total: 11).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

-  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

-  No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

-  Spare by Prince Harry

-  John le Carré: The Biography by Adam Sisman

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

2023 Goals Review for October

October was a busy month. On October 11, we headed to FL for the winter. We attended the Postcard Show on October 14, and the Stamp Show on October 21. On October 24, we got on a plane for Valencia, Spain. After spending 3 days there, we got on the MSC Magnifica on October 28. 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – It has been a good month and as of right now, I’m meeting my goal. 

●  Yarn used - 9837 yds.

●  Yarn bought - 9009

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. I was too busy this month to try anything new. 

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 10 pages in October. (Total - 82)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through October

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in May, 3 in June,  3 in July, 12 in August, 20 in September,  10 books in October(Total: 76)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (total: 9).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

-  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

- No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

- Spare by Prince Harry

 

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

2023 Goals Review for September

September has been an exhausting month. It took 2 weeks for me to get over jet lag. Then we went to a knitting retreat on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Little Switzerland. 

 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I’m so glad that I am not counting souvenir yarn (bought on our cruise) or yarn gifted to me! As of September 30:

●              Yarn used - 8871 yds.

●              -Yarn bought - 9009

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - Just didn’t have the brain space to try anything new

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 0 pages in September but since I was shooting for 24 for th year, I’m way past my goal. (Total - 72)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through September

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in May, 3 in June,  3 in July, 12 in August, 20 in September,   (Total: 66)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (total: 9).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

-  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

- No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

2023 Goals Review for August

August has been an interesting month. We left on August 6 for Europe and have been on a cruise ship for most of the month. I finally got to go to Iceland! 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I hope I can achieve this goal but I need to get busy knitting! Not a lot of change since I’m still in the process of knitting a shawl and a pair of socks on the ship. As of August 31:

●              Yarn used - 7719 yds.

●              -Yarn bought - 9009

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - No cooking done this month. 

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 2 pages in August (Total - 72)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through August 

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in May, 3 in June,  3 in July, 12 in August  (Total: 46)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (total: 8).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

-  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

What are your goals for this year? Please share.