10 Things

It was a crazy week and I've been having a hard time coming up with a "10 Things" list this week, so I thought I would just skip it. Then my friend Terie made a comment about missing the list this week, so I couldn't just not do it. So, for Terie, and the rest of you who enjoy the "10 Things" list, here is what I came up with for this week...

10 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Be a book editor. I always thought this is a job I would be really good at, plus I would get to read books all day long. Sounds like a dream job to me!!

2. Knit well. Now that the weather is cold and dreary, all I want to do is curl up under a quilt, drink tea, and knit. However, I haven't knitted in years and I wasn't particularly good at it back then. I'm inspired to try again and would really like to try knitting myself a sweater. It might be a bit ambitious, but I want to make something I'll use and love.

3. Keep my mouth shut. I have a bad habit of saying things I shouldn't, or things I wish I could take back and think over a bit more before I say them. I have to be very, very careful about what I say these days - the new job is pretty intense and I feel like I am constantly under a microscope. Anything I say could be used against me and I need to be careful... not nice to think about, but it's true.

4. Be better about exercising. I know it would help with my stress level and just make me feel better in general, but I HATE to go to the gym. My fully packed gym bag has been sitting in my car for the past month, at least, and I look at it every day when I get in the car at the end of school, but I never manage to actually make it to the gym. I would rather do just about anything than go to the gym. Good thing I only paid $100 for the year for a membership - I'll be lucky if I go 10 times this year. I need to find some other type of exercise, because the gym just isn't going to happen and I need to stop feeling guilty about it. Maybe a yoga class... it would help with the stress too.

5. Work only 4 days a week. Wouldn't that be nice? I would happily have the school year extended if it meant that every weekend was 3 days long. Yes, 4 day weeks always seem busier, but I love having 3 days off - one day to recover from the week, one day to get ready for the next week, and a day in between to actually enjoy myself and do something fun.

6. Play the guitar. I love watching people play - they make it look so effortless. One of my favorite things at Wanakee is to watch and listen to Sue play the guitar and sing. I'd love to be able to play all the camp songs and actually play a portable instrument. Someday I'll take lessons...

7. Travel more often. My passport is gathering dust and it makes me very sad. I haven't been anywhere that requires a passport since I returned from Peru a year and a half ago (!!!!!!) and I'm itching to go somewhere, anywhere.

8. Cook and bake. I don't have a single domestic bone in my body (with the exception of my newfound love of crafting - who knows where that came from!) and I'm okay with that, but more and more lately I've been wishing I knew how to cook and bake. My issue is I have no patience for it and I don't really find the process of cooking and baking particularly enjoyable. But I love the outcome and always appreciate homecooked meals. As the weather has gotten colder, I feel a stronger pull to actually cook. We'll see if it really happens...

9. Be a great letter writer like my mom. My mom is amazing about sending cards and letters to friends and family, as well as people in her church. She is very thoughtful and enjoys sitting at her desk writing to people. I love getting cards from her and I know other people appreciate it too. I think email and Facebook have made me pretty lazy when it comes to writing letters, but I'd love to get in the habit of it and be more like Mom. Nothing is better than opening the mailbox and finding an actual letter in the midst of all the bills and other random stuff.

10. Be a better photographer. I love looking at things and I often see things I would love to capture in a picture, but when I take the actual photo, it doesn't turn out how I want. I've never taken a photography class, but I think it would be really interesting. I've always just had a point-and-shoot camera, so I don't really have very many options, but I love well-taken photographs and would rather look at photos in a museum than paintings.