How'd I do?

I do not make New Year's resolutions, but last year I made a "this year I would like to" list. I thought it might be fun and helpful to see how I did.

In 2008, I said I wanted to:

• Learn to knit. And I did! And I have had so much fun both knitting and making knitting friends. I just wonder why I waited so long.
  
• Speak more positively about living here, and to find things to like rather than focus on the many things I don't like. I probably don't speak any more positively about living here but neither do I speak any more negatively - I am Switzerland. But since we have come to the realization that this is not the place we want to live long-term and that our residence here is temporary (even if "temporary" means years), it has become easier to accept. But I still want out of Georgia!
  
• Be more patient with my mother and brother. I love them both dearly but they both try my patience, for different reasons. I made progress, but I can do better.
  
• Make bagels. There is not a decent bagel to be found out here in greater metropolitan Hooterville and I get tired of driving into Atlanta to get one. For some stupid reason that eludes me, I did not even attempt making bagels - perhaps a "to do" again for 2009!
  
• Grow three inches, since I don't think I am actually going to lose fifteen pounds! Okay, so maybe that isn't a serious one...but it was! And I did lose fifteen pounds and so far, I have kept it off. Yay for me!
  
• Be more active. I hate exercise with every fiber of my being but I understand that I need to get moving to be healthier. I totally missed the mark on this one - I am still as active as a lazy slug.
  
• Write more. This blog is a small start, but I need to be disciplined about putting my thoughts into words, if only for my enjoyment. While I have not expanded beyond the blog, I have kept up with it and really enjoyed having an outlet for my thoughts and phrases.
  

All in all, not too bad although there is certainly room for improvement. Stay tuned for the 2009 "to do" list.

An excellent Christmas gift

Despite a less than pleasant holiday overall (see Too), I received some very nice gifts for Christmas. James and Aidan gave me a cute handbag (always appreciated), knitting needles and some luscious yarn. Lovely! But one of the nicest gifts I received was the gift of time, to visit with a friend.

Since joining Ravelry, I have met some incredibly nice people all over the United States and around the world. One of my favorites is a woman named Kelli, who lives in South Carolina. We have communicated via Ravelry discussion boards,via email and now even via Facebook. When I told her that we would be in South Carolina (just south of Charlotte, NC) for Christmas, she suggested that we get together for coffee. She was willing to drive up from Columbia, about an hour away, so we could meet in Rock Hill. I am sure that my in-laws thought it odd that I was getting together with someone I had never met, but that really wasn't the case at all: we had met, just not face to face.

So at 10 am on Christmas Eve, Kelli and I finally met in person for coffee and for the next two hours, the conversation never lagged. We talked about ourselves, our families, our knitting, politics and just about anything and everything else. Kelli is just as funny, friendly, caring and interesting as she comes across via electronic media. The time flew by and before I knew it, I was late for lunch back at my in-laws' house.

Visiting with Kelli was the highlight of my Christmas and I cherish the time that James and Aidan gave me to spend with her. Is there a better gift than time spent with a friend? I think not.