keeping myself accountable

way, way, waaaaaaaaay back now, i made a list of things  and slowly but surely i have been able to tick some off my list. if i’m being completely honest, did i think i would still be working on this list OVER 6 MONTHS LATER? no. no i did not. but i am grateful that i have not given up, not turned my back on these mini-projects that are making me whole again.

so a quick update on which i’ve “newly” accomplished: #4 { returning to yoga }, #5 { exploring various faith communities }, #9 { creating something as a gift to give away }, #17 {  learning a new skill from/with someone }, #18 { having a “terribly adult” conversation }, #21 { re-purposing something}, #22 { doing something wildly outside my norm }, and #28 { spending the day being crafty }.

#4- returning to a yoga practice: of all the things on my list i’ve managed to complete so far, this one has probably been the most challenging.  in part, i had to get to a point where i truly believed i was WORTH investing in. i managed to stumble across a groupon about 2 months ago that was for my favourite studio for one month, unlimited $35. that was about the maximum i felt like spending on myself { ridiculous in hindsight. i’ve spent more on a single massage! } so i took the plunge. after the groupon month, i remembered all the physical and mental benefits i received from yoga and after waffling another 2 weeks or so, debating if i should just buy a limited pass or make the commitment to unlimited monthly yoga….i did just that! on the unlimited pass i don’t have to worry about how many classes it takes a week. i’m realizing just how out of shape i am, but i’m really really proud of myself for investing in ME!

#5- exploring faith communities: my original intent was to visit 4 separate “types” of faith community- one i was familiar with, one i wasn’t, specifically a Quaker meeting, and then one “spiritual community”.  i have yet to attend a Quaker meeting, but the reasoning is good- i actually found a church i like attending….even if it’s a half-hour drive away so i’m not going regularly. it’s affiliated with the United Church of Christ, very progressive, and very racially diverse. in the process of exploration, i also visited a Jewish synagogue { because i’m ethnically Russian Jewish }, and an Episcopal church that’s historically Japanese-American.

#9- creating something as a gift to give away. one of my many happy places is a quiet stretch of beachfront at a local park. during low tide, i love to look for shells that have naturally occurring holes near the top, which i turn into collaged pendants. a friend was having a rough week, so i turned one into a vibrantly coloured collage which i strung on a chain and gave to her.

#17- learning a new skill from/with someone. my dear friend A and i try to get together and have tea/craft at least once a month. it doesn’t always happen since she’s a single mom who home-schools her 2 teenagers AND raises chickens, rabbits, a goat, a sheep, 5 cats…basically her own mini-farm. a recent craft we did was BUILD BIRDHOUSES! A taught me how to assemble it from wood scraps AND how to use a major power-drill to form the opening for the birds to enter. i had never done anything like that before. i plan on gifting the birdhouse to my mom.

#18- having a “terribly adult” conversation. my intent was different than the reality on this one as well. i intended to sit down with my spousal unit and talk finances/ making a budget/ beginning the long process towards home-ownership. this will still happen….i ended up, however, having a long talk over coffee with my pastor-friend R about all kinds of deep, spiritual stuff. which, in my opinion, is just as “adult”.

#21- re-purposing something. we have this really nice box that i got from work { a customer returned a shit or something that came in it }- it has a bamboo-slot outer, and the inner reinforced cardboard holder slides in-and-out. after several christmases and birthdays of reusing it a gift packaging, i went out and bought fancy fabric-tape { washi tape } and ribbon. along with a few smaller boxes i “up-scaled”, they now are a travelling set for my oracle cards.

#22- attempting something wildly outside my norm. not only did i attempt it, i *DID* it. i have participated in several political marches and gatherings. i have never been terribly vocal about my political beliefs, but the current horrific state of our “leadership” has propelled me into taking action!

#28- spending the day being crafty. as mentioned above, i have spent many days being crafty– birdhouses, shell necklaces…but also, i have spent an afternoon painting teeny-tiny canvas with a friend. i have spent evenings creating collages. i built 2 separate cosplay costumes for last month’s comiccon- which including sewing, painting and fabrication. and i made myself a pair of flannel pj pants just because. i’ve also started “oldschool” journaling.