Lots in progress and a couple more completed items!

I'm about half way done with the Couch to 5 k program! I have been working out faithfully for about 6 weeks now and taking Belle on long walks as much as my schedule will allow. As a result, I have lost 6 pounds! Yahoo!!!

I have also been writing somewhat consitently in my journal blog. It is a great outlet for me and right now Brian and I are deciding if we want to make the blog open to invited readers. It was meant to be a private place for me to record my thoughts and feelings. But, now as we continue on our journey, I'm using it as a place to record updates on testing and doctor's appointments. It's not something that I would want the world to view, but would be comfortable enough for select family and friends to read.

Raised Garden Boxes....Check!

I had a week off in Janaury. So, I decided to make it a productive week. My parent's had some old redwood boards from a deck that they had ripped out. My dad offered to make them into garden boxes for us.

The first step was to level the side yard. It was a mess of dried weeds and very uneven soil. My dad brought over his rootertiller and broke ground.

The next step was to level the ground. We have had some drainage issues in the backyard due to the higher level of the side yard. So, we moved a lot of dirt away from the house.

We built the boxes

Set the boxes in place and filled with dirt. I can't wait to start planting once the weather warms up a bit.

First Item Completed...Bake with Yeast

I baked with yeast at Christmas, technically before my 101 project started. So, maybe I cheated....just a tad! I was working on this 101 list at Christmas time. Since I already had "bake something with yeast" on my list, I guess it's not techinically cheating. Right? Anywoo....I baked homemade Garlic Knots for Christmas dinner. Yes....from scratch....not the freezer kind!

Photo courtesy of Annie's Eats

I found the recipe on a foodie's blog and she was raving about how easy they were. She spoke to my heat when she proclaimed, " often I hear of people saying that they are intimidated by working with yeast. I don’t understand this, as it is just the same as following any other recipe, but if you are one of those people, get over your fear! I think this recipe would be an excellent one for a first-time bread baker." I was one of those poeple fearful of small packet of yeast, but I decided to give it a try.

I wasn't disappointed. They were easy and delicious. I love the garlic glaze.....yummmm! I just have to work on the timing a bit....we only have one avacado green oven, so cooking a roast and bread at the same time is hard. I left the rolls rise slightly too long. They were still good, but just got really big.

I've become addicted to food blogs and have subscribed to a number of them in my Google reader. If you are interested, check out this blog....I've made a handful of recipes from here and none of them have disappointed: http://annieseats.wordpress.com/

You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind.

Why 101 Things in a 1001 Days?

Over the past 15 months, our journey to have a baby has slowly consumed me. I realized that I really had no other goals than getting pregnant and staying that way. Making that realization scared me. I do not what to be one of those parents who has nothing else to talk about except her child. I was inspired by a fellow blogger who posted her "101 things" list. I thought this would be the perfect way to force myself to make tangible goals to accomplish over the next several years. I started this blog as a way to communicate my progress along the way. As I complete a task, I will post a new entry all about it.

Here's the scoop on how it works....

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.
Calculating the End Date
You can easily find out when your project will end by using this handy tool at http://www.timeanddate.com/
Start Date: January 1, 2009
End Date: September 29, 2011