A bit of everything and nothing

A lot of people may be thinking about New Years Resolutions right now.  I am one of those people.  I like the routines of the annual calender, goal setting etc..it's like a temperature check.  Also I keep thinking about some of the tools I'd like to purchase over the next few weeks and months that will help me get my craft on,amongst other things! I wanted to get that list out of my head before I started my resolutions!

Things I'd like to get hold of in 2012

A glue gun and a staple gun
A self healing mat and rotary cutter
A big pot of Modge Podge
The perfect photographic display frames
A new red apple candle
Baking Parchment
Some canning jars
A small selection of sewing threads on spools
Sufjan Stevans Cds
A bread board
A medium sized saucepan (3 quart)
Fabric galore 

Leather needles for hand and machine sewing
Ski trousers
A humidifier
Address labels
A piano

So the things in purple my husband wants too, the things underlined I may start to go a little nuts without... everything else, well I can live without - as you can see the piano is in bold...as in it's what we are hunting for.  I've been looking for 4 months, initially I was after a digital piano that I can cart around..now I'm not so sure, it's difficult when you see a beautiful wooden baby grand for sale at the same price!  

It was a quiet  Boxing Day yesterday.  Boxing Day, it's normally filled up with friends and family and outings to see Christmas movies or walks to the park with my nieces and nephews.  My parents and you know - FAMILY!  I was without family all day, even my poorly husband, who was super nice to me when he got home  We went and sat in the hot tub and warmed up.  It's odd, it reminded me of the 6 weeks before I got married, when I was in NZ and my husband had to travel to Thailand and Cambodia on a social justice initiative.  I lived in a huge field surrounded by sheep and not much else!  I had the same feelings of loneliness, but not sadness.  Thankfully I wasn't sad and lonely yesterday, just a tiny bit lonely.  I have a friend who is a single mom and she was feeling both sad and lonley - if only I could have flown them over for the day!  I at least got called by our out of town relatives and my family overseas, so that was good and I got a lot of organizing of photographs done. If nothing else I won't dismiss what opening up my home to others may mean for them and myself.  Creating community might be the single most brilliant and kind thing a person can do in their life.  Now that excites me!  

When I mean a lot, I mean 400plus.  Here are some pics.  I got the album as part of a Christmas gift, at 1/2price from Michael's, it was originally $25.  I love it's simple layout for 6x4 photos, in a large scrapbook sized album.  It packs 5 photo holders a page (double sided =10).  I sometimes double up if I can't bear to throw something away.  Even some old panoramic from my teenage travel years can be held ( if not completely covered) in this nifty construction.  I don't think I'll ever get fully into scrap booking, I'm not the neatest scissor user!

So going back to my list, if anyone has any good ideas on pianos, or makes, brands or companies to go with, let me know!  Also for the bread board, staple gun, glue gun and fabric...still figuring out a new country - thankful for all the tips so far!!

 Today I made a bit more @home granola and substituted apple for Christmas cranberries.  I love how the red berries pop against the mushy golden browns.  Do you like my new blue LaCrusset baker?  It's very nice to bake in, cleans very easily.  If I could get a medium sized saucepan from LaCrusset I'd be set!  This was a very nice Christmas gift too!

Resolutions or at least things I'd like to accomplish if not change during 2012:
Drive in America - take and pass the test
Get a part-time job
Get regularly involved with an anti-trafficking organisation
Drink more water*
Learn one or two new recipes
WRITE A SONG and sing more

*seriously the lack of humidity takes some getting used to!