Spring Goals

It's officially spring, you guys! It is about 30 degrees out and SNOWING (WHAT?!), but it is spring nevertheless, and I am in the mood to set some new goals and enjoy this season.

So I've got three goals for the next couple of months. I think they're challenging but reasonable:

1. Train for my first triathlon! 
At the end of March, as soon as registration opens, I'll be signing up for my very first triathlon. It's a sprint-distance tri, so nothing to extreme, but I'm really excited about mixing more swimming and finally some biking into my workout circuit every week. As soon as I'm done with my current running training plan (a 5k to 8k plan that is really awesome, let me tell you) and I run my next 8k (April 7th!), it's time for triathlon training. Yessssss.

2. Significantly cut back on processed foods! 
With the exception of certain dairy products (because I am not giving up cheese, you must be CRAZY), I am going to make a concerted effort to eat whole foods instead of processed foods. I've got a CSA membership that, lucky for me, has continued to run through the colder months, so I'm already on track with fresh veggies. The main thing that leads me to eat processed foods and pre-made snacks is absolutely the convenience factor, but feeling healthy is definitely worth a bit of extra effort for meal planning and making sure I have healthy snacks in the house at all times. We'll see how this goes for a few months and what it does to my budget.

3. Up the craftiness around this joint!
More specifically, spin up my fiber stash and work on the colorwork design that I've been tossing around in my head lately. And by lately, I mean "for the past year at least." I've just finished up the world's most boring project/greatest labor of knitting love, so I'll have pictures of that as soon as there's enough sun for a decent photo shoot, but I still have nothing really exciting on the needles, and that needs to change. 

Any goals you're working on right now? Anything you're looking forward to accomplishing this season? I'd love to hear what's up in the comments.

[29 before 29]: reading the classics

One of my goals this year is to read four classics as a break from academic reading. I finished the first on my list last week, and I thought I'd say a bit about it here in case any of you are looking for a quick and interesting read!

On the strong recommendation of a friend, I picked Machiavelli's The Prince to start out.  I felt like everyone in the world had read this book, and I was lagging behind, wanting to get to it eventually but never feeling particularly inspired. In a way, I'm glad I waited as long as I did, because I know some things now about ancient biography and historiography that made it really interesting in a way it wouldn't have been had I picked it up in high school or college.

Anyhow, you all know what it's about: "the ends justify the means." Except that isn't really what's going on in the book at all.  Instead, it's a rather conversational collection of what are basically short advice columns for young rulers trying to figure out the best way to gain, consolidate, and preserve their power in the face of common internal and external threats.  And there are fascinating examples drawn from classical history that spice things up.


Here's a link to the book online via Project Gutenberg if you're so inclined.

P.S. Coming up soon: new yarn and photos from a weekend in Cincinnati!

[29 before 29] bread of the week

Crazy, stupid good. I can't even explain.
On Sunday morning I made English muffins. It was a pretty fast and simple process, and the result is so delicious. It's really really difficult to eat just one at a time.

 

This is the recipe I used, from Michael Ruhlman's blog.

[29 before 29] Red Kale, Dutch style

It's not particularly glamorous, but it sure is delicious! Meet my spin on a traditional Dutch winter meal (vouched for repeatedly by my Dutch friend, who was totally right about its filling, warming qualities), using new-to-me veggie #2, red kale.

Ingredients:
4 stalks or so of red kale
6-8 baby potatoes, red or yellow, your preference
1 cup or so of baby carrots
1/4 milk
1 tbsp butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Boil some water and add chopped potatoes and carrots.  Chop the kale and set it aside for a few minutes while the other veggies boil away.

When the carrots and potatoes are nearly fork-soft, add the kale to the pot to wilt for about 1 minute.

 Drain all the veggies and do a rough mash with butter and milk, then add salt and pepper.

Enjoy your simple, hearty meal or side!  This probably makes enough to serve 4 people, but I ate it in two sittings because I treated it as a main dish.

Comments on kale -
This green is a little bit bitter for my taste, so in future I'll probably try to disguise that a bit by preparing it with some kind of sweet sauce or dressing.  Nonetheless, it was great in this dish to balance the heaviness of the potatoes.

Etsy Monday: Fit

Last week was both the first week of a new year AND the first week of a new quarter, which meant that I was determined to figure out how to fit regular workouts into my class/study/work schedule.  It also meant I was not very good at actualy fitting everything in, because I just wasn't sure yet what the structure of my week would feel like, and I underestimated just how tired I would be when it finally got to be late afternoon library-ditching time.  Week two promises to be much more organized, and keeping daily workouts and healthy eating as number 2 on my list of priorities seems totally do-able (work is number 1).

If you click on that "Fitness" tab under the blog header, you can see what I'm up to in the gym every week and what I'm planning in terms of big and small rewards for reaching various fitness goals.  Setting small, trackable goals (weight loss in 5lb increments, for example) and keeping a calendar where I write "Run" or "Yoga" in big letters after I finish a workout helped me stay on track through most of last year, so I'll continue using those strategies to stay motivated.  These great fitness-related Etsy finds are inspiring, too, as small rewards for consistency and as reminders to stick with my workout plans.

Speaking of calendars for writing down workouts, this desk calendar is super cute and colorful.

Page by Paige shop

This classy yoga bag looks like it would have room for all the essentials.

LslieArt shop

Working out plus NT passages. Pretty much I ought to own this shirt.

Firedaughter Clothing shop

For those mornings I don't want to get out of bed and walk to the gym, maybe this print should be hanging on the wall above my gym stuff:

The Love Shop

Do you have any fitness goals, or have you figured out a workout schedule that fits into your regular routine?  What helps keep you motivated?

P.S. Tomorrow I promise to share some knitting; I have a few FOs to share, plus the continuing story of the Castle pullover and its visit to the frog pond...

[29 before 29] Collard Greens, 2 ways

For my first new vegetable, I decided to try out collard greens. I looked up a few recipes using Pinterest and settled on two exciting options.

This first is really my adaptation of a recipe called "Asian stir-fried collard greens." If you'd like to try it for yourself, my concoction was made a little something like this:

Ingredients:
4-5 collard greens leaves, stalks cut out and leafy greens roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp crushed red paper flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
for sauce: 
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground ginger (fresh if you have it)
2-3 tbsp water

Add olive oil to skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is heated, saute onions with garlic and red pepper flakes until onions soften, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  When the onions are ready, add collard greens to the skillet and pour sauce over the top.  Saute until greens are slightly wilted, about 7 min.  Makes 2 generous servings. Enjoy!

Recipe #2 was one I followed more exactly, just subbing in the collard greens in place of kale, so I'll just show you my picture and send you to the original recipe post on the Happyolks blog. I took this to a holiday party on Saturday, and people seemed to enjoy it, plus the colors were so festive!

Vegetable review:
Consider collard greens a new staple in my winter kitchen.  They're a good change from spinach, especially because they're a bit more sturdy and can stand up to different types of cooking.  Overall, I preferred the first dish, mainly because I like my vegetables served with plenty of salt and garlic; this felt more hearty and appropriate for winter. Let me know if you try it out or if you have any other collard green recipes I ought to make.

[29 before 29] a goal list

This last year I have really enjoyed the challenge of working to complete goals from my list of '28 before 28' goals.  It has been a great and positive change from the type of New Year's resolutions lists I've made in the past; one of those old goals was "shower every day in the coming year" - hey, I was in college! What do you want from me?  While I didn't make it through all of the goals I set for myself, that just means I have a chance to do even better on this coming year's list!  My 29 goals are listed below in various categories, with what you might call "reach" goals in italics.

Healthy/personal goals:
run (at least) three 5k races
try twelve new vegetables/fruits
keep an inspiration and contemplation journal
restart and continue my yoga practice
take one personal day a month for reflection and relaxation
regular phone calls, e-mails, and snail mail with distant friends
get in the best shape of my life so far

Crafty/domestic goals:

knit socks from my own handspun yarn

grow my blog by adding more DIY tutorials and crafty giveaways

learn to make macarons

bake a loaf of bread a week (this might also inspire me to try new bread recipes)

office/craft studio decorating project

knit down the stash, especially sock yarn leftovers

stranded colorwork sweater for me

Adventure/learning goals:
go to six new-to-me Chicago restaurants
take a non-academic class to learn a new skill (can't pick one yet, but I'll narrow it down)
read four literary classics I haven't read before
take and pass my comprehensive exams
submit my dissertation proposal
take a hike. no, really.
road trip to... mystery location!
international travel

Outreach/service goals: 

do at least one random act of kindness each month

help a friend with a major cleaning or moving project

make ten winter hats and donate them through church

organize and participate in 3 service projects for my on-campus club

teach someone how to knit (not sure this is service since it's basically passing on an addiction!)

increase shop sales to donate to MSF

save for and make a significant half-birthday donation to project heifer

Any goals you're making this time of year? What are your big plans? I'd love it if you'd share in the comments!

New month, new goals

Happy November! Here is a hilarious commercial to brighten your day.



It's a new month, so it's time for some new mini goals!

Health & Fitness
Switch to morning workouts when possible
For the last couple of days I've been doing my workout first thing in the morning, and it's definitely been good. I mean, who needs coffee when running three miles gives you super endorphins? This is not to say that I won't be buying a coffee machine to replace my broken french press, but dang, working out is nearly as effective as caffeine for helping me wake up. I think this will also help with the whole "it's dark out and I can't drag myself out of bed" thing I've got going on.

Run my first 5k
November 5th... I'm really excited!

School & Work
Complete all my exam reading lists
The sooner I can finalize these things, the sooner I can get down to actually enjoying my reading and synthesizing concepts instead of hunting through bibliographies.

Craftiness
Knit myself another sweater
There are so many amazing patterns that I keep adding to my Ravelry queue, and I am going to buy some yarn and get going so that my winter wardrobe will be a bit more handmade.

Do you have any goals for the month of November? I'd love it if you'd share them in the comments :)

On not being afraid anymore

I saw this photo on the front page of weheartit the other day, and after an initial, "Yup. I recognize that fear," I realized that in fact I'm not afraid of this anymore. 

On the contrary, lately I've been feeling so much more confident about my ability to make friends, keep friends, and really enjoy the strong and supportive relationships I have in my life.  Most of this confidence-building has been slow, the work of almost a year of therapy, supplemented by six months of yoga and some major, consciously-made changes in my social group.

Therapy and yoga manage to effect the same sort of change in my overall demeanor and attitude; when they're both a part of my week I get verbal and physical affirmation that every bit of effort does make a difference and that I have a major store of strength that can help me accomplish whatever I want to do, if I'm willing to accept that change happens slowly.  Yoga has also been teaching me in a very tangible way the importance of letting go of expecting perfection: my instructor said at one point, "Just give 100%" and it was such a crazy revelation that matched something I had learned in therapy a few weeks earlier, that everything I'm already doing actually is enough, even if not everyone around me perceives it that way.  In so many arenas, we're encouraged or expected to give 110%, to push ourselves to perform perfectly and to do more, even if that means overextending ourselves and sacrificing/overlooking a sense of our own inherent value.  Instead we can choose to participate in activities that require and reward constant effort instead of performance and to surround ourselves with the people who see and appreciate our effort.

Devoting my time to new friends and new kinds of plans has made an incredible difference, too, over the course of this year.  I've been doing my best of avoid those people who are a source of negativity, who are overly critical of others and who consequently drain my energies.  There's a big difference between griping about things that can be changed in order to get yourself motivated to make changes and just griping about everything and continually harping on the things that you can't or shouldn't change, particularly other people.  Over the last month I've made a commitment to myself to avoid the unproductively negative as much as possible.  The result is more energy, more happiness, and more hope, all of which contribute to an overall feeling of gratitude for where I am and confidence about my ability to have the sort of future I want.

In any case, I'm no longer terrified of being left all alone in the end, and it's so freeing.  My more positive attitude allows me to see and be grateful for the people who are around me who are making an effort to be positive and gracious and who notice the effort I make, and I'm no longer trying to twist myself into all sorts of weird shapes in an attempt to please and attract people whose negativity prevents them from appreciating what's around them and would only end up making me feel less-than-valuable anyway.  I'm far more confident that since I am most comfortable and happy being in mutually supportive relationships with people and I'm getting more comfortable with just being myself and noticing the good in others, those kinds of relationships are bound to be part of my life.

Phew, that was a long post! Thanks for reading and for the part you as readers have been playing in this journey. Your supportive comments on reflective posts, your compliments about my knitting and spinning, and your willingness to join in the weekly '10 Things' gratitude lists have been so wonderful!!!

Have you overcome any major fears lately, or are there any anxieties that you continue to struggle with?  What small steps do you take to deal with your fears? 

Photo-a-day, Week 4

Monday, I love veggies:

Tuesday, packing books:

Wednesday, breakfast smoothie:

Thursday, Salvation Army finds:

Friday, desk in a box:

Saturday, park day:

Photo-a-day, Week 3

A day late on this post, but that just means an extra picture from yesterday! You might also notice a new addition to the sidebar over there on the left - now you can follow Perknitious via Bloglovin' or Google Friend Connect. Or both, really :)

Sunday:

Monday:

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

[28 before 28] Progress

It's midweek and approximately midyear, so what better time to check in on my 28 before 28 goals? I've been able to cross a few more items off the list since March's check-in post, and a few more opportunities are coming up soon.  Here's where I am...

27. Publish a knitting pattern with a magazine or Knit Picks IDP
It's high time for me to bite the bullet and get this one crossed off. The pattern has already been designed and knit, the item was given to my friend who requested it, I know what yarn I want to use, a few friends have offered to be test knitters, and I'm just delaying. So the associated mini-goal is that by the end of the week, I will write up the pattern and send it in to Knit Picks. You all can keep me accountable.

23. Houseplant success

These little guys are all doing well! Nobody is wilting or otherwise looking sad, and my coffee table is way more cheerful since their arrival. Perhaps I don't have a black thumb after all.

17. Log 350 exercise miles
Done and done, in less than a year! That's a whole lot of walking and jogging, but it has been totally worth it. Getting in a bit of exercise time every day keeps me energized, reminds me to think about what I'm eating and drinking (lots of vegetables and lots of water, mainly), and gives me at least a few moments to think or not think, depending on what I need on a given day.

11. Design a product logo/2. Reach 100 Etsy sales

With the help of my fabulous designer friend Yael, I've got the logo you see above. Hooray! Now I just need to get my butt in gear to actually add new items to my shop... For some reason my knitting concentration has been low lately, and I'm working on fewer projects at a time. This means finishing lots of pairs of socks really quickly, but it also means not having items for sale.  Next week I'll start taking shop knitting to the library for my reading days, and hopefully I'll be able to crank out some hats - fall is on the way, after all.

4. Travel to the PNW for a friend visit

Check. It was the perfect start to my summer, and I already want to go back. That photo above is of one of the streets I lived on during college.

Have you accomplished any goals lately? What challenges are you facing, and what are you working for?