Fall Edition: 11 in 2011

Diana over at Smiles Go with Everything did a 11 in 2011 at the beginning of the year as well as doing a summer edition 11 in 2011. I thought it was such a neat idea that I've stolen the idea and am making it my own for Fall.

Now that the #1 son is back to school and the fall routine is shaping up nicely, I have been energized with all kinds of projects in the queue. Yesterday I cut out a knit top that has been waiting patiently for, ahem, much too long. I was so jazzed about it that I emailed my sister and told her all about it.

So I came up with my very own 11 in 2011 Fall Edition:
(to be completed by Dec 22nd when Fall ends and Winter begins)

1) Blog More: I have really been pathetic with my blogging over the last year or two and want to rectify that. I do love blogging and being part of the blogging community. So along with my other writing endeavors I will be squeaking out time to blog and my goal is to post 3x a week. Hold me to this, will ya?

2) Exercise More: It's time to get serious about working out again. I have a 3 prong attack for this goal: walk the trail, join the stretch class and/or zumba class in town, and do the dvd thing at home. 3x a week. Who's with me?

3) Write More: Now that the Joe boy is back in school, I have time and quiet to hear my own thoughts and get creative. I have a novel in progress that needs a middle and an ending, and I have a short story I've just started which has got me all excited. Quite a fun story if I do say so myself =) Three days a week I have an appointment with my computer to write. No interruptions allowed.

4) Read More: Found a new mystery author I'm enjoying and looking for another young adult fantasy author to replace the series I loved and finished this summer. Also have some non-fiction titles awaiting my attention as well.

5)Sew More: I have lots of patterns and lots of fabric, so I just need to make the time to do this. Use up my stash and add some new items to my closet. My goal is to complete one project each month.

6) Join a Writing Critique Group: I have scoped one out. It meets every other Saturday which would be very doable. Now to get my courage up to walk into a group of stangers. Wish me luck!

7) Set Aside Money for Travel Our 30th wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of years, and we have been talking alot about a cruise. All my siblings have done the cruise thing and loved it! So we need to set aside some moolah every month to pay for it. I'd also like to visit one of my sister's in Colorado next year and maybe take the Joe-boy on a road trip next summer to visit friends in the midwest and east coast. We'll see ....

8) Date Night Once a Month: Before #1 son came along, we were great about having a weekly datenight. Even after the little guy entered our lives, I made it a habit to seek out the babysitter and off we would go. But ever since Mike's accident, we have been horrible about going out on the town. Some of that can be chalked up to limited funds, moving around and not breaking in a new babysitter, it getting easier to take Joe places with us, but none of that washes anymore! We need a DATE NIGHT .... and mama needs one tonight! (hee hee) So I have a potential babysitter in the works, I just have to meet up with him and do the final "walk-thru" and then plan a great evening out for the two of us.

9)Explore Portland n'borhoods: You've seen them highlighted in the mags, those cute, quaint n'borhoods all over Portland? We really need to take advantage of being so close to PDX and get out there and explore.

10) Improve My Cooking Skills: I've always enjoyed trying new recipes, but now I want to improve my skills and techniques. Case in point: we love a good steak, but I have always had a really hard time with steak. I either undercook them--ewww blood! or overcook them---ewww tough! So I spent several evenings this summer trying new steak cooking techniques to figure out how to cook the perfect steak. I can't say I got it yet, but I'm alot closer than I was last May. Other techniques I will conquer: making a great pie crust, a great pot roast, and cheesecake. Want a bite?

11)Go to the Portland Zoo: Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh my!

So that's my list for Fall. Got a list of your own? Do tell!

Til next time ....