You know it is time to update your blog when you get an email that a PUBLISHED WRITER whom you admire and respect leaves a comment on your blog and you think, “Oh man…I forgot I had that thing.” Embarrassing? You betcha. (On that note, if you are not reading Vicki Lane, you are really missing out on a great Appalachian writer. So if your resolution was to read more, go buy her books. You won’t be sorry.) So, as the rest of the world makes resolutions today on this landmark date 1-11-11 that just begs to be written, I resolve to endeavor to keep this updated.
What started as a platform to keep people updated about Baby Bird’s health status will be my new outlet. My coping method of choice last winter with a preemie baby on a heart monitor was to bake twice a week, which was undoubtedly delicious, however, I am not sure that my waistline can handle another winter of BakeFest, so my new plan for combatting the winter doldrums will be “Blogging, not Baking.” (Please be patient with me, I am learning the ropes and not so great with code and pic format, etc. so the blog remains a work in progress.)
So, my plans for change this year are to
- Be more gentle with myself and others. (Look at that face, how could that NOT inspire grace?)
- To take more pictures..and better pictures.
- To usher my family (yes, even Papa Bird) into a lifestyle of more responsible eating. This morning, as I was feeding Baby Bird her delicious breakfast of homemade Greek yogurt and organic blueberries and planning out what I vegetables that I preserved from our summer garden to fix for her dinner, I laughed until it hurt, because I was doing it as I also ate my breakfast—a diet soda and a hunk of cheese. (And before you say, “Well, cheese CAN be a complete protein and it CAN be produced from great farms that use humane and sustainable practices, etc.”—I am pretty sure that the people at Velveeta don’t put that much love into their “cheese.”) Oops. There is a clear dichotomy in what I eat and what I feed my child. In 2011, I want to eat as well as I feed her. Currently, I fix two separate meals—something healthy and delicious for the baby and something that comes in a box for my SUPER picky husband and by the time I have picked off their plates (because it makes me nauseous to waste ANY tiny bit of anything) I am too tired and too full to actually sit down and eat anything.
- To quit making excuses for not writing or exercising. They are both things that make me a better version of myself and that I, for the most part, enjoy.
- To capture my grandmother’s story. She is fascinating and beautiful with so much wisdom to share—whether I write it down or just make notes for my children to enjoy, I want to make use of our precious time together.
So from our family, we hope you had a great holiday and thanks for joining us on our journey into this next year. I am learning, more and more, that community is worth so much, and I am glad to have you as part of my "village."
What changes do you hope to make in 2011?
