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Tag: 101 in 1001

  • How We’re (Eventually) Going Green

    Number 85 on my 101 in 1001 list says: Make an achievable plan of steps to take to have a more environmentally friendly life. Since today is Earth Day, I figured now is a good time to make that list!

    But first, here are some things we already do:

    -Recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic

    -Drive a hybrid vehicle

    -Use cold water for laundry & dishes

    -Minimize use of electricity & use energy efficient bulbs

    -Use cloth bags for groceries

    -Drink out of reusable mugs for coffee

    -Water lawn at night

    -Buy used when possible

    Now for the list:

    Holidays

    -Put up a real, locally grown tree each year

    -Make my own cards

    -Buy energy efficient outdoor LED lights

    -Choose experiential gifts like show tickets, spa gift certificates, etc.

    -Use homemade wrapping paper like paper bags, magazines, or newspaper

    Home

    -Make our own cleaning supplies

    -Ditch paper towels in favor of microfiber cloths

    -Keep the amount of “stuff” we own to a minimum (we don’t have a lot)

    -Reuse, donate, or recycle anything we don’t need

    -Stem the tide of junk mail

    -Turn off the power strip to the TV when not in use

    -Call electric & gas companies to ask about alternative energy sources

    -Buy used: everything from gadgets to clothing to furniture

    -For future appliance purchases, consider energy-efficient models

    -Install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and low-volume toilets

    -Start harvesting rainwater

    Food

    -Start composting

    -Start shopping at farmer’s markets for produce

    -Find a source of local meat, and eat less of it

    -Buy organic when possible

    -Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste

    -Cook at home more often, and cook just enough

    Personal

    -Shop thrift stores for clothing

    -Take good care of clothes and wash them sparingly

    -Use less products

    -Buy organic products from companies whose philosophy I believe in

    ***

    There are so many more ways than this in which a person can live an environmentally friendly life, and for a comprehensive guide I suggest you visit this website. However, the above are the things I feel are achievable for us. There are some ideas I’m just never going to get behind (anyone heard of the “selective flush”?), and some that just aren’t feasible (like building our own, entirely green home).

    Some of the items on my list will be easy, and others will take time and effort. But if we can get to a place where we’ve basically achieved them, I’ll be proud.

    Tips, links, and advice are always welcome. I’d love to hear about what works for you. :)

  • Goals Update

    On Saturday I got the urge to spend some serious time being productive and working on, among other things, my 101 goals. Don’t you love it when you get in those moods? Unfortunately I had to work all weekend, and then the weather turned nasty which greatly changed my desires. I ended up spending Saturday night curled on the couch reading and watching basketball with David.

    Since I couldn’t actually be productive, I decided to plan my productivity instead. But first, I wanted to update you on a few of the goals I’ve checked off since the last time we talked about this.

    #25: Back up all of my computer files.


    This is the external hard drive that I bought a ways back. Before I got a chance to use it, my computer crashed. I was able to salvage most of my files, but they ended up saved on the external hard drive all in a jumble and unnamed. I finally found the time to go through those files, save the ones I want to keep, and back up my computer for real. Now what I do is back it up at the end of every month and once I do so I set myself a reminder on my phone to do it again the next month. That way I’ll (hopefully) be able to keep up with it! By the way, this gives me SO much peace of mind, and if you don’t already back up your computer monthly, I highly encourage you to do so.

    #44: See another live musical.

    I think I’ve mentioned it before, but my youngest brother works stage crew at the Alley Theatre downtown, which is one of the most prestigious theatres in Houston. (Sidenote: did you know that Houston has one of the best theatre districts in the country?) Anyway, his job offers some perks, namely that he gets a few free tickets to every show. Since he knows how much I love plays I pretty much get to see every one. Not too long ago the musical Wonderland made its world premiere at the Alley, and I got to be there. I thought it was fun, and the music was poppy and catchy–definitely something I can see myself singing to in the car. My only criticism is that it was 2 1/2 hours long. I’m pretty sure it’ll be edited before it goes to Broadway though!

    #90: Have a custom stamp made.

    My lovely friend Julie, who I really wish had a blog, designed this stamp for me when she saw I wanted one so much. It made me happy in a time of sadness, and now I’m inspired to write many cards just to use it. :)

    #95: Be a regular at a women’s Bible study.

    My church held a women’s study that ended last month, and I was happy to be a regular attender. I couldn’t go every week due to work, but I’m pretty sure I went to the majority of meetings. I love the ladies at my church so much, even if I am the youngest one there by decades!

    #96: Complete a Beth Moore Bible study with homework.

    Beth Moore is a Christian speaker and writer from Houston, and I am blessed that I actually get to see her live frequently. She hosts a couple weekly women’s Bible studies a year, and although I can’t always commit to them I can say that they are always worth it. To complete this goal I bought one of her study books, The Beloved Disciple, and borrowed the CD’s with her messages from a friend.

    Now, these are the goals I’m hoping to complete in the near future…

    #1: Shop at a Farmer’s Market. There is one every Saturday nearby, and I’m going this weekend!

    #12: Buy ankle weights and start wearing them at work twice a week. Going to get them today, start wearing them tomorrow.

    #24: Implement a system for David and I to save our change.

    There are many more that are in progress, but they will take a bit more planning and time to complete. I’ve been at this for almost a year now, and I have 39 goals completed. Just under two years to go…I can do this!

  • #41. Attend A Messiah Sing-a-long

    hallelujahOr, How I Met My New Best Friend.

    I wanted to go to a sing-a-long of Handel’s Messiah because I sang it for four years in college when I was in choir, and I miss it. I wasn’t even going to blog about this event, but that was before I sat next to Gladys.

    My mom and I were looking for the soprano section, as there were no signs and it wasn’t our church. I noticed that many of the people had on maroon collared shirts, so I figured they must be the church choir. We walked up to one of the rows and were pleasantly surprised that we had found the right place. Gladys graciously scootched herself over to make room for us.

    She was an older black woman, slightly hunched over but with a gorgeous smile. I thanked her for letting us sit there and she replied, “Honey, I don’t own any of these pews so you can sit wherever you want to!” As the performance got started I could tell that her voice was probably past its prime, and she was having a bit of trouble reading the music. It made me wonder how long she’d been singing in that church choir.

    During one of the solos, Gladys patted my hand and pointed to my wedding ring. “When?” she whispered, eyes twinkling. I cupped my hand around her ear and said, “A little over a year ago!” For a moment I felt like I was newly engaged all over again. Back when I couldn’t stop looking at my ring, when I knocked it against things and constantly snagged it because I wasn’t used to the weight. Now it’s just an extension of my hand. “Oh, you’re married already? Wow!” Gladys replied.

    A while later, after we had just sat down from singing one of the choruses, Gladys looked at me and said, “You have such a pretty voice. It’s sweet.” I tried to clarify that my voice is soft, but she wasn’t having it. “It’s sweet. And you are so pretty.”

    During the Hallelujah chorus, I noticed that she lost her place in the music and couldn’t find it. She was using a different score than the rest of us and couldn’t go by our page numbers. She searched and fumbled and finally just put her music down and sang. Something about that made me sad, that she tried so hard to find her place but couldn’t. It didn’t seem to bother her, though. Even when she began singing the wrong part, it didn’t matter. She was singing Hallelujah one way or another.

    At the end of the night, after the long Amen, Gladys and I exchanged at least three hugs. I kind of didn’t want to leave, because I will never see this delightful woman again. I don’t know much about her, but tonight she made God proud. I’m sure of it.

  • #87: Complete NaBloPoMo

    nablo.sat.1109.120x200Today is the last day of November, and the last of my daily posts. I’ll be honest; there were times that it was a strain. I went through a lull in motivation about halfway through, but then I learned to plan ahead a little bit and came in strong for the finish. I challenged myself to be creative, to just write something even if it wasn’t great, and I did it. As cliche as it sounds, I do have a sense of satisfaction in completing this task.

    Posting every day isn’t something that is a priority for me to continue, but I have gotten into the habit and I think I’ll be a lot more frequent than I used to be. I really appreciate everyone who has encouraged me this month, who have told me how much they enjoy my daily posts. I love the creative outlet that my blog is to me, but the main reason I keep it up is because of the community and the people. Thanks, y’all.

  • Relinquishing Goal 26

    Number 26 on my 101 goals list is to learn CSS/HTML/PHP well enough to design and run my website independently. After much thought, equivocating, and some internal growth on my part I have decided to intentionally NOT complete this goal.

    The reason it ended up on the list in the first place is because I am committed to my blog and I like it so much better when it looks nice. I admit it, when I visit a new blog I totally judge its appearance. I won’t not read a blog if it’s badly designed, but if I like the way it looks then it has a higher chance of succeeding with me. I’m sure other people are the same way. (Come on, ‘fess up!)

    Right now I have an extremely complicated theme running which doesn’t allow for easy editing. I came to be in this conundrum because my brother is a graphic and web designer, and in the past he has done the bulk of the work for me. After awhile I became weary of my old design, and felt exasperated waiting on my brother to change it. I don’t blame him at all, because he has a full-time job and no computer at home (crazy, right?). So I hastily switched to my current theme without knowing how difficult it would be to work with. There are many things I want to change about it, but can’t on my own. So I wrote goal #26, because I want to be able to do what I want with my blog, when I want.

    The problem is that as much as I try to get into learning this website stuff, I don’t enjoy it like I wish I did. It’s not something I can sit down and master in a few hours, and I don’t want to immerse myself in anything I don’t love. I would much rather spend my time on other goals, or with people who matter to me. Giving up on this goal is like breathing a sigh of relief. I’m okay with my blog being “good enough” and not perfect. I plan to search high and low for a user-friendly theme that I love that will work for me, switch over, then do minimal editing from there until it looks pretty. And if that doesn’t work, I can always resort to flattery, bribes, or threats to get the help I need. :)