1.09.2015

concrete aspirations 2015

Here goes 2015!
  1. make four things from my DIY Pinterest board. (1 2 3 4)
  2. use the crock pot once a week for a month.
  3. bake something once a month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
  4. get to the next French checkpoint in DuoLingo.
  5. get to the next Spanish checkpoint in DuoLingo before the DR trip.
  6. declutter the apartment again — leave nothing in our to-Craigslist pile.
  7. make Grandma’s cinnamon rolls.
  8. make Grandma's potato sausage.
  9. apply for dual Philippine citizenship.
  10. connect with an ELP to start the homebuying process (!!!!).
  11. call/e-mail a long-distance friend each month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
  12. video chat/call family each month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
  13. go on a creative date with Ian each month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
  14. write for “Riding with Charlie.” (1 2 3 4)
  15. resize images in all old blog posts to fit current design.
    More details on my progress are in related posts.

    concrete aspirations

    1.08.2015

    concrete aspirations 2014 in summary

    While I didn't knock out everything on my list, I feel I did pretty well considering I didn't even look at the list every month. It sounds like a cop out, but I still remember Christina Rosalie's words about making these sorts of lists... if you tuck it away, when you find it again you'd be surprised at how many of them happened.
    1. complete a Bible reading plan. I'm not as consistent as I want to be, but She Reads Truth has been amazing for me.
    2. use the crock pot once a week for a month.
    3. bake something once a month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
    4. be able to have basic conversations in French — find a partner. Thanks, DuoLingo!
    5. take a Spanish class before the DR trip. Thanks again, DuoLingo!
    6. declutter the apartment again — leave nothing in our to-Craigslist pile. I accomplish this every year, but every January, I put it on my list again, because things pile up. Maybe Marie Kondo's advice will help it stick in 2015.
    7. make Grandma’s cinnamon rolls. I still have a sense of accomplishment because I learned spritz in 2014.
    8. make Grandma's potato sausage.
    9. clean out my email inbox, and keep it streamlined (don't let emails languish). Thanks to a new inbox system learned from Sara and the new Inbox by Gmail, I feel thisclose to accomplishing this goal!
    10. talk to an ELP about our plan for buying a home.
    11. call/e-mail a long-distance friend each month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
    12. video chat/call family twice a month. (2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
    13. go on a creative date with Ian each month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
    14. write for “Riding with Charlie” once a month. (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12)
    More details on my progress are in related posts.

    concrete aspirations

    1.01.2015

    thankful list | December 2014

    The Scherlings wish you a merry Christmas from the plains! #christmasinkansas

    01. a freelance copyediting project.
    02. a crafty lunch break to help prep for the office kid's holiday party.
    03. lunch with some of my favorite little ladies (and Erin too).
    04. finding a fantastic pair of jeans.
    05. the annual REUNION leadership community holiday party (candlepin bowling!).
    06. a sparkly gold package from a Kickstarter project I backed (a special edition sized for grownups!).
    07. a successful REUNION curriculum team meeting.
    08. snow.
    09. community group.
    10. a couple fun work projects.
    11. a haircut that I've been putting off for months.
    12. another copyediting project.
    13. the office holiday party.
    14. the chance to wear a fun, sparkly party outfit.
    15. the best date for the party (who also happens to look great in a suit).
    16. watching the Sasaki Gnomie award presentations (hooray for happy, surprised friends!).
    17. an uneventful eye doctors appointment.
    18. my unique eyes: I now think of my one nearsighted eye and one farsighted eye as a superpower.
    19. K-State live streaming graduation, so we could watch Caleb get his diploma.
    20. a good Sunday at REUNION (I love Advent Conspiracy).
    21. a quiet evening alone to catch up on errands.
    22. our community group Christmas party.
    23. a lunch run to Taza for Christmas presents.
    24. endless chocolate samples at the Taza factory store.
    25. the site group office holiday party.
    26. the entertainment value of trying to match childhood photos to coworkers.
    27. last pick at the Yankee Swap courtesy of an awesome coworker's best-cookie win.
    28. a cathartic candy-making session (triple batch of apple cider caramels!).
    29. an interesting office presentation, where I learned some tips for better managing time/email.
    30. the corporate studio holiday party.
    31. playing Family Feud at the corporate studio holiday party.
    32. toasted ravioli (a.k.a. "t-rav").
    33. new friends over for dinner (thanks for joining us, Jason and Christine).
    34. the amazing short ribs Ian made.
    35. a surprise visit from a good friend (have fun in London, Foxes!).
    36. time to get everything ready for our trip back to Kansas.
    37. fun at REUNION setup (and a later than usual start time thanks to the holiday schedule).
    38. dinner with friends who are amazing cooks (Doctors Hu, you are incredible).
    39. uneventful flights to Kansas City.
    40. a kitchen for Ian to unleash his passion for cooking.
    41. catching up with good friends over a tasty dinner (Karen, Jeremy, thanks for hosting us!).
    42. a pit stop to Danenburg Jewelers to get our rings gussied up.
    43. finally making it to Taco Lucha for lunch.
    44. finding the last few items on our Christmas shopping list.
    45. Dinner at Bourbon & Baker with Caleb and Kate for a belated graduation celebration.
    46. time with Grandma, especially spritz-making lessons.
    47. lots of time with all our family, who we miss dearly.
    48. the incredibly awesome and thoughtful gifts we received.
    49. Jurey family game time (Munchkins and Bohnanza!).
    50. flipping through Grandma's photo album of her (glamorous) younger years and family in Sweden.
    51. hearing family stories and memories prompted by Grandma's photo album.
    52. safe travels to Dodge City.
    53. lunch at the Taco Shop with friends we hadn't seen in years.
    54. the Serial podcast, started and completed during our Kansas car time.
    55. Aunt Susan's fantastic cooking.
    56. a cozy fireplace when outside the snow was blowing sideways in frigid temperatures.
    57. learning more about Grandma Marilyn's time at K-State, and Ian's genealogy.
    58. starting a new year with my favorite person (happy anniversary, Ian).