Yes, I am alive, feeling better, and indebted to those of you who sent well-wishes my way.  Thank you so very much!  Sometimes a kind word can make the sniffling, sneezing, coughing and body aches seem that much less irritating.

And here I am, on a bright and surprisingly sunny day that promises to be much warmer than it’s been, blogging anew– this is truly the beginning of the year for most, isn’t it?

Today is the day most schools go back –at least in DC– and today is the day that most people return to work as usual (even if they actually returned last week, in body at least).  And I’m a little nervous and a little giddy and points in between because well… it’s the beginning of the year and another one of those life-changing little projects has found its way to my virtual doorstep.

Have you heard of it?  The one hundred and one things in one thousand and one days project?  I first heard about it through my dear friend SoloMother, and I am wondering where to start.

I know that high on my list will be blog-related projects — possibly just updates to where I am regarding my goal, in addition to my five-days-a-week posting– and that I want to learn how to sew and that I want to finish the quilt I started in the next two-and-something years.  But what else?

Well, maybe my little silly dream of learning how to play the drums could go here as well, huh?  While we’re at it, I also want to learn to play the harmonica– which I think would make for far sweeter practice sounds.

I suppose I should also finish that novel I started writing back in 2004.  And maybe making some (very embarrassing) chapbook with some of my poetry would also be in order– if anything so I can actually see things I’ve written in order and possibly printed.

Finishing crocheting projects (blanket, two hats– surprisingly these have taken over four years to complete)
would be nice.  I can’t remember when was the last time I actually started and finished these kinds of
things in the same calendar year, so it would be nice to at least finish a couple within the same decade.

I want to take my gardening more seriously, and maybe even start a garden that I’ve designed myself.  It would be nice to take some horticulture classes, while we’re at it.

And it would be nice to clean with mostly green/organic/earth-friendly things and actually keep a clean green house most of the time, to be honest– it’s easy to slack off and turn to bleach and other harsh chlorine-based chemicals when the going (or the black mold) gets tough.  You don’t have mold spots in your shower or stains or caulk that needs a good stripping and redoing?  Please do tell me how you do it.

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It’s amazing how many undone or half-done things come to mind in just a brief amount of time.

Maybe this list of one hundred and one things won’t be so hard to write after all.  Or maybe I’m just deluding myself, pretending it’s easy and that I can do it at any time I want but all the while procrastinating as I have procrastinated with 99% of the things in my life– too scared to start, and too scared to finish.

After all, I have yet to set a start date, so the end date is not even living within the realm of possibility.

But maybe, just maybe, this naked ralization is the most important part.