Life,  Lists,  Making Do

March: The Good, The Bad, And the Goals.

As part of my plan for getting more consistent around here, I’ve decided to make it my goal to post a wrap-up of each month – this way I can sort of look at each month in review, identify what I accomplished and what needs improvement. I feel like it’s also going to be nice to have a handy list of what I’ve accomplished for myself (in addition to everything I know I’ve gotten done for work) over the last month. Hopefully it’ll be a handy guard against my anxiety creeping in and telling me I’m unproductive and lazy.

Now the shape this post takes may change as the year goes on, and as – hopefully – I get back in the habit of consistently posting on here. But for now, here we go!

THE GOOD

Sketchbook

1) Started drawing more frequently.

This has been on my goal list for years. I used to love drawing, and it’s nice to get back into the habit of doodling when I have some down time. On the flip side, it also means I want an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to play with SO BADLY now. And uhhh financially that’s just not going to happen.

Totoro mittens in progress

2) Finished one of my Totoro Mittens.

1 down, 1 to go. All I’ve got left is the thumb. Let’s DO this.

3) Read 1 Book for funsies (Review coming soon).

I finally finished Lirael, after sort of letting it linger half-finshed for a couple weeks. Review pending.

Undertow-Shawlette

4) Made progress on my Undertow Shawlette.

This too has been on the needles for years and I need to be done with it.

5) Spring Cleaned the Living Room.

The amount of cat hair I pulled up when I vacuumed the cat tree was truly horrifying.

one pot pasta

6) Cooked 60% of my meals at home over the last month.

I’m hoping this has saved me some moolah over the course of the month – because I’m going to need it.

CSI_Crime_Scene_Investigation_-_The_Complete_1st_Season_On_DVD

7) Finally finished watching the rest of CSI.

I had been a devoted fan of CSI since it first started airing in 2000. I have VHSs full of episodes that I begged my dad to tape off the air when I was in high school and had to miss for rehearsal sitting in my parents basement (ah, the days before on-demand). I watched almost religiously for 10 years – until grad school and teaching got so overwhelming that I just sort of lost track of it? It happened for basically all the TV shows that my dad didn’t also watch with me – I would just forget to tune in if I wasn’t reminded. Bones went the same way, and then NCIS did too once I moved out of my parent’s place and didn’t have my Dad to come tell me it was on anymore.

But anyway, I finally finished. I have kind of mixed feelings about it, to be honest, because this show was such a big part of my life for so long. It’s sad knowing there’s nothing new left for me to watch. On the other hand, it was admittedly was ready to end. It was getting pretty ridiculous in that last season with seemingly every other episode putting another member of the team in mortal danger. I also really didn’t care for Elizabeth Shue’s character at all (although I did quite like Ted Danson’s – which I didn’t expect, honestly). But it had just been with me for so long… it’s just kind of sad to have it done.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1) Fell on ice and screwed up my knee for two weeks.

Yea, that sucked. Honestly, the bruise is still in the process of fading.

2) The fall also triggered a regression of my shoulder issues since I haven’t been 100% the greatest at keeping up with my physical therapy exercises.

I hadn’t really said anything on here but the last year or so I had been struggling with a trapezius spasm that would not go away, and which then caused a chain reaction of mess with my shoulder. I know a muscle spasm doesn’t sound super serious, but good gracious did it interfere with being able to function – particularly since two of my jobs center around being able to play instruments and conduct, both of which are pretty shoulder intensive. I finished physical therapy and had the issues mostly tackled in early February, but I was supposed to keep up the routine of PT myself at home, and I’ve been sort of hit-and-miss with it the past few weeks because of work stuff. Well, my fall made it evident WHY I was supposed to keep those things up, because BAM, the spasm came back, and with it all my shoulder issues.

So yea, that sucks pretty hard.

3) Return of physical problems triggered a slight slip in staying on top of anxiety issues.

My anxiety very much revolves around health stuff – my mind immediately goes to the worst-case scenario when I don’t feel right. And so the return of physical pain (coupled with the fact that my body is responding differently to basically everything because of age and weight gain) has me on edge pretty much constantly.

4) Taxes, Car repairs, and general financial stress… oh my!

Yeaaaa, pretty self-explanatory.

THE GOALS

1) Spend even less money on take-out.

2) Read 2 books at least.

3) Finish the other Totoro Mitten by my self-imposed deadline.

4) Finish the Undertow Shawlette.

5) Keep up with my Physical Therapy exercises better.

So let’s see how I do.

What are your goals for April?

Come visit me at Magpiemakingdo.com!

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