A Year In Review

Three hundred and sixty four days ago I turned forty-nine and started this blog. The whole aim of the blog was to set myself a challenge that, while doing, would prevent me from slipping into a 'woe is me--I'm so old' mentality. And on that, I can say I succeeded. No, I didn't hit the magical number of fifty in all my categories. And I'm okay with that. My challenge, my grading scale.

To summarize:

I read way beyond my targeted fifty books, although I nowhere near hit twenty-five classics. Classics are time consuming. Sometimes very beautifully descriptive, but not a quick read. It can take them a whole chapter describing what a meadow looks like, and I must admit my mind wanders a bit to my grocery list, or some other task that needs doing. I also discovered speed reading the Bible is probably not likely to confer upon one wisdom and spiritual enlightenment. I proceed along with this at a more prayerful and respectful pace.

I have truly enjoyed visiting new places. The sense of curiosity I felt as I ventured into a new place was, in a way, childlike. And it didn't matter if it was a gift store or a restaurant or a hiking trail. It was new to me and I delighted in the discovery.

In the foods eaten category--I did my best. The difficulty came in trying to find something new to try. I wanted to try foie gras, but couldn't find a restaurant nearby that served it. I have to admit, in my kitchen right now is tofu (no I've never eaten it), seaweed (had sushi maybe once) and sake. Even if I went right now and sampled those three, I still would not reach the fifty. But hey, I tried. And I know that in the future, I will say yes to weird foods, as long as they are gluten free. And not too stomach turning. I mean, really, there's a sense of adventure and then there's just plain disgusting.

The things learned category was actually the hardest to quantify. I suppose I could go to the dictionary right now and find a handful of words I didn't know and top off the list, but what's the point? What I discovered is that as long as you push yourself into uncharted territory, learning happens. I didn't know last October that I would be a chicken owner. All the learning involved with that alone I feel allows me to say sure, I've learned fifty things.

And now onto contests. I see these contests in magazines and hear about them on the radio, and
wonder, does anyone ever really win any of those? And the answer to that is YES. I have known people who have entered and won contests. I haven't personally, but I have come close. And so it is with great humility that I announce that I was a finalist in the Vlasic Pickle contest. And the winner of $100. I found out this morning, and what a fitting and slightly weird way to end this year.

For those of you who have stuck it out with me on this journey, I thank you and ask you to check back to this site in the future. I haven't yet determined what direction to take the blog, but you all will be the first to know. Till then keep dancing.