Time Flies...Some Reflections on the Past 900-Some-Odd Days

It's been almost a year since I last updated this blog. I can't say that I've been tracking any of the items, but I have been tackling some of them. I've been cooking and reading, but not writing about it (or keeping track there either). I've been in and out of exercise and yoga routines, interrupted mainly by bouts of physical inability.

And in reviewing the list at this point, there are a lot of things that I wanted to focus on in principle, but didn't really make the time for in a way that was trackable. There are also a lot of experiences that I listed out as very specific items (that was, in fact, the rule of the project - get specific), but really just represent my general wish to have new experiences and try new things. I've been doing some of that this past year as well, again, just not tracking it.

I'm not giving up on finding a way to bring more of the kinds of experiences I'm wishing for into my life. And maybe even to track them. One of my biggest overarching goals was to write more, whether it is for a formal audience as in this blog or my long-neglected food blog, or just for myself. I like the idea of holding myself publicly accountable, if only to an unnamed public, and so this blog may evolve and change and reflect the next stage of my indulgent path towards the life of my dreams.

There will be more to say about what that will look like, sometime between now and January (I fully appreciate that resolutions big or small don't have to coincide with the New Year, but my current schedule is looking pretty hectic for the next couple of months. Ah, life.). And because I draw so much inspiration from other quests for happiness and exciting experiences, chances are it will look like something I've read recently (working on Happier at Home right now, the next installment in the Gretchen Rubin Happiness Project experience) or seen elsewhere.

Until then...

New Recipes

Recently, I started cooking again and while I haven't been great about writing about it on the Brooklyn Forager (or tracking it here), I'm hoping to make sure everything gets logged appropriately more frequently.

For now, I've tried a couple of new recipes that are fitting the bill for this challenge:

• Curry Roast Chicken with Tomato Leek Gravy
• Pear Ginger Muffins
• Butternut Squash, Apple and Leek Casserole

I only wrote about the chicken so far, but the other two recipes will be going up on the blog as soon as I can get all the pictures in order and the recipes together.

More Non-fiction and More Food Blogging

I've read a couple of additional books this month, slowly adding to my total.  I read Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr which inspired a diet cleanse and more blogging over at Seeking White Space (yes, I probably have too many blogs...but they're all different!). I'm excited to have a new challenge and I hope to use it to get inspired in the kitchen and for blog posts across all of my various writing locations.

I also read:

• Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism by Paul Collins
• Super Freakonomics by Stephen D. Leavitt and Stevin J. Dubner

Trying to get in as much non-fiction as I can, I guess! I suppose I've been drawn in this direction these days, and it doesn't hurt that I get double credit!

Another One Bites the Dust: New Restaurant Round-up

While I wasn't looking, I also managed to finish my restaurant item! We don't go out to eat very often, so I set the bar low, and that worked to my advantage. Here are the places I've tried:

• Two 8 Two
• Lupa - This one was for our 11 year dating/2 year wedding anniversary.  I could write a whole entry just on this one, but in the interest of time, I'll just say it was fabulous AND counted for a date night.
• People's Republic of Brooklyn - We ate in the back garden, so this one was one of our al fresco nights. 
• Cubana Cafe
• http://www.stoneparkcafe.com/

Part of what I wanted to do with the books, movies and restaurants was write more. I think that with all of these items I bit off more than I could chew (which leads me into some thoughts about how to morph this blog into something a bit more simplified and targeted next time around, but I'm getting ahead of myself).  To remedy this, I'm reverting to lists and will focus my writing on the places that really call for it (some Brooklyn Forager posts are coming!). 

A Lot of DVDs Going On

I have been streaming loads of Netflix movies and TV since my last Netflix update (I know, 10/10.  That's sad.). But making a list of those streamed discs seemed daunting.  So I let the list get longer.  I sat down tonight to count actual discs as a start, with a couple notable movies from streaming thrown in.  And lo and behold! I finished this item with a couple to spare.  Very exciting.  Here are the movies that got me here:

• He's Just Not That Into You
• Ironman 2
• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone: Part 1
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Where the Wild Things Are
• Big Love Season 4 (3 discs)
• Whip It!
• Inception
• Alice and Wonderland
• The League Season 1 (2 discs)
• Scott Pilgrim v. The World
• I Am Legend
• My Sister's Keeper
• Kick-Ass
• Damages Season 2 (3 discs)
• Dexter Season 3 (3 discs)
• Big Love Season 3 (1 disc)
• Mamma Mia! 

Since I actually managed to finish this one so early, and because I'm so behind on my other items, I'm reading the tea leaves and seeing that I need to really focus on my other activities.  Which is sort of the point of this whole list.  I've got a couple of things lined up, so now I just need to take this sign and run with it. 

Catching Up: What I've Been Reading

I'm hoping for more regular updates soon, but in the meantime, here is what I've been reading:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
• Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
• Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Essential C-Section Guide by Maureen Connolly and Dana Sullivan
• Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr
• Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah Davis
• The Agency by Ally O'Brien

I will skip the reviews this time around, but I hope to get back to it now that I'm getting back on track. At this point, I'm well aware that I won't come even close, but I like tracking so I'll keep trying to get as close as I can. 

Catching Up: Books, Dates, Home and Family

There are so many things that I need to update on this list.  While I haven't been actively keeping track, I'm going to try and go through to update whatever I can remember. Here are a few of the categories I've been working on:

Date Nights - We've actually been doing really well on these.  It helps that we have a very liberal definition of date night, but also that we're making an effort to frame even simple nights in with a special home-cooked (or ordered) meal and a movie counts.  Last night, we went to see friends briefly for a farewell party, but then moved on to see Super 8 and eat gyros at the local Greek street fair.  I won't bore you with all the gory details, but we've had at least one night a month, and usually more, that I can fit into this category.

Books Read - Since I got pregnant, reading has been a real challenge.  I'm just too tired at night.  I've gotten some reading in on our travels, partly added by e-books on my commute.  Here are the books I can remember finishing in the past few months:

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This was one of the best books I've read in awhile.  It helped get me out of a slump.  It's beautifully written and thoughtful.  I literally laughed out loud, cried and marveled at how well crafted the book was overall.  The movie trailer looks like they may have done a decent job with it and I'm looking forward to it.  I definitely recommend the book first, though, since it was a great reading experience. 
• An Embarassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof - I picked this book up (after glowing recommendations from my father-in-law who lent me his copy) over the cold winter when I needed to imagine the Caribbean.  This is a beautiful memoir of the cruising life taking a couple from cold Canada through the hurricane season in the Caribbean and back.  While I also recommend this book, make sure you don't have easy access to a sailboat.  You'll be off before you know it.  The book also includes great recipes that I'm dying to try once I can get my hands on conch and can drink good Caribbean rum. 
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I got this book in hardback when it first came out as a gift or gently used.  It sat around my house in the "To Be Read" pile until just before the movie came out.  I finally decided to knock it out before the movie was released since it's usually the better way to go about it for me.  I enjoyed the book, although there were aspects I didn't love.  The Depression-era circus culture was fascinating and very well written.  The modern day aspect wasn't as exciting for me, although I liked the way Sara Gruen finally brought it all together.  
• A Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - This wasn't my favorite of the Tudor stories from Philippa Gregory.  I find the back story very interesting and I knew nothing of Queen Katherine except the bits and pieces from the later Boleyn years.  I thought this book made me wonder if Gregory was finally over-fictionalizing since so much of it is assuming private thoughts and actions.  I'll have to do my own research (which is one reason I love these books - I get motivated to get to the bottom of whatever historical information is actually out there) to see where I fall.  I found the book generally overly romantic, but it is about a teenage bride becoming a widow and negotiating her way back onto the throne.  I'm sure it's hard not to be.
• The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace - I didn't know much about the wine auction world or rare antique collecting before. I can't say that now I do, but I know more and this books presents a fascinating story of wine purported to belong to Thomas Jefferson and sold for an exorbitant price at auction. Definitely a new world for me and a new way to think about these wines. 
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum - I tried to read this book in high school some time, but the minute I saw that things were not like my well loved movie version, I put it aside.  The Gregory Maguire Wicked series peaked my interest again, but I didn't do anything about my interest until I found the series free on Amazon Kindle.  I actually enjoyed the book this time, appreciating the differences from the movie and discovering the aspects of Oz that had previously escaped my notice. I'll certainly work through the series.

Home and Projects - I've kept up on trying to declutter and keep everything tidy around the house.  It's been harder with a less energetic me and a less-often-home Austin.  But I'm moving forward.  I've also made progress on one of my embroidery projects.  It's a big crib cover for the baby's room which is taking me forever even when I am working on it.  I can't count it anywhere near done, but I'm making progress. 

Family and Friends - I started on my birthday cards this year.  I have to get through 10 to get credit, but  I do have plenty of birthdays coming up to get me there.  Hopefully focusing on this one more closely will help set up a good habit.

I do have more areas - loads of Netflix (my one constant) watched and maybe some others, but this gets me up to date on some of the ones that I was procrastinating.  More to come....