Still Alive

Well, it's January so I suppose we're due for another post. It's past new years but since I love the New Years season so, indulge me as I share a few of our thoughts and hopes for 2011. (If you don't call them resolutions, you won't feel as guilty for not following through..:)

1) Plant a citrus tree in our backyard: Okay if you didn't know already, I've had a lifelong love affair with citrus trees. In my backyard growing up we had a lemon tree, an orange tree and a grapefruit tree. Not only were they beautiful to look at, they produced prolific amounts of delicious fruit (for free) and scented the air with the most lovely delicate fragrance in the entire world when in bloom. Now that we have our own home I can't wait to plant a lemon tree. My gardening book says to plant in late winter or early spring, but since it's already in the low 70s during the day here, I think the time is drawing near! :) I'll keep you updated on this project, and if you're nice, I'll bake you a lemon meringue pie like this one if you come visit!

2) Activity Increase: Like everyone else in the world one of our New Year's resolutions is to get out and be more active. Surprisingly, I'm pretty proud of the progress we've made in this category so far this year. Dean generously got me a year's worth of yoga at a local studio and he in turn received some hockey gear/will be signing up for a local league in February when the new season starts. So far I've gone to yoga once each week, Dean's already breaking in his new skates and we've played tennis for a few hours the past two Saturdays. Okay, so we're not running marathons, but I think it's a step in the right direction. Exercise for me is more of a mental stress reliever than anything else at this point and I'm happy to report that my hour and a half of yoga is one of my most blissful hours of the week!

3) Go on at least one Fabulous Trip, preferably out of the country: What's the use of having no kids if we don't even take advantage of it by traveling the world? haha jk. But really, we would like to plan and take one wonderful trip this year. We always (ok me especially) talk about traveling, but somehow work schedules, money and other obligations always get in the way. Maybe it's the fresh start feeling of January, maybe it's jealousy of my sister's fabulous trips (Colombia, Mexico, Spain, Bali, and Thailand to name a few recent escapades) or maybe it's just bitterness about testing overload at work, but I am determined to seize the day this year and travel to at least one fabulous destination. Thank you Mr. Keating. And yes I am teaching Walt Whitman's Oh Captain, My Captain this week, which in a circuitous way makes me think of the whole Carpe Diem thing. :)

Well, We'd better leave it at three for now, lest we be too ambitious. I sincerely hope everyone else is enjoying this fabulouso month where great things are still ahead of everyone, and we can be content to refresh, dream, plan and find joy in the good things yet to come.
Ps-I love this video and hope you will too!