Thirty-One for Thirty-One: Two

This was a great birthday. The greatest. The rain stopped, the clouds parted and Frances slept until 4:50am. Twenty minutes later than usual giving me hope that she might someday sleep until the sun is up. And in addition to lobster and cake (mmm) this birthday meant taking some time to catch up with my thirty-one for thirty-one. Highlights courtesy of my sneaky two and a half month head start:

1. Switch from morning coffee to morning green tea: Probably still going to happen … as soon as Frances comes around to 4:30am not being a good time to greet the day. 

2. Read six books: I’m almost done the first – Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children (yes, I totally started it three months ago) – and can’t wait to share its chocked-full-of-awesomeness. I’m thinking of Gone with the Wind next. I can’t believe I’ve never read it - then again neither our library nor our local used book store carry it, so maybe not that surprising after all. 

3. Grow and freeze enough herbs to last until next spring: Beautiful little raised bed built (courtesy of my talented talented love) and herbs (courtesy of grandma and grandpa) planted: basil, oregano, cilantro, tarragon, spearmint, marjoram, chives and lemon balm. I've been reading about freezing these gorgeous greens in ice cube containers (to preserve the most freshness) and can't wait to give it a try in the fall. Now just to wait for the sun to come out. Hello? Sun? Hello?

5. Go to yoga regularly: One of the biggest changes for me from pre-Frances to Frances is having to choose just one or two of many things to fill my now super limited free time. Gone for now are the lazy weekday evenings of yoga and running and pottery and knitting. If I can run for half an hour three times a week we are rocking it. The more I thought about going to yoga the more I realized how much I'd rather spend that time running. Maybe someday I'll be able to do both but for now running brings all the zen and relaxation I need.

So I'm thinking of switching this one. Is that allowed? Yes. Okay. Number five will now be Go apple picking.  See you in a few months yummy fresh apples. 

6. Complete three knitting projects: baby winter hat, baby winter scarf and mamma winter leg warmers: Definitely also more of a crisp fall day sport so this one will probably wait until then. I have to be really ready to commit to the baby knitting projects since she keeps outgrowing what I start before I can finish. 

7. Make one new vegetarian meal every week: Kind of slacking. I've made two really great vegetarian meals since first posting this, chick pea burgers and potato and swiss chard quesadillas. Even though they were be-still-my-beating-taste-buds delicious, I'm still feeling a bit daunted about devising/finding/trying fifty more table worthy dishes. No time like the present though.

13. Keep the bird feeders in the back and front yards full all year: This was off to a great start. Then a woman in Halifax contracted meningitis from pigeon poop. When we fill our feeders we get lots (lots) of pigeons. And their poop all over the balcony and the backyard or everywhere that Frances walks, crawls and plays when she's outside. For now the feeders are on decor duty only. They'll definitely be back this winter, maybe earlier if someone (like a pigeon inspector I guess) gives east coat pigeons the all clear. 

14. Make no more than one online purchase per month: Only one in the last two and a half months. So I get three in July right?  

16. Publish The Turnip every two months. Check. April and May each got an issue and July is almost ready for the printers. 

21. Keep this blog going in photos and words: Love ma little blog. 

22. Finish the living room redesign: Ugh. I spend a lot alot of time in the living room. Like more in a single day than in the entire two years before Frances was born (given that it now doubles as a giant toy box). It being half complete (or less than half complete since I decided I couldn't handle the stained rug for another minute) makes me pace. The problem is we have a HUGE blank wall and nothing to fill it with. We've looked everywhere in our little town for large art or even two pieces of medium art and have come up empty handed. We stuck two great big nautical maps up there which I thought might work but didn't. Or did for like a day. Any suggestions?  

23. Learn to sail: So amazingly in progress.  

Boat painting

Boat painted

24. Switch to cleaner greener cleaning products we can make ourselves and that make the earth happy: We've still got a mammoth cupboard of traditional Mr. Pinesol Cleans to get through first. Although they're probably not doing our respiratory systems any favours, I'd feel worse for the earth just dumping them down the drain (they end up there anyways but then I've wasted the energy it took to produce and deliver them here). 

25. Switch to cleaner greener cosmetics that make me and the earth happy: I've tried two new natural cleansers - derma e vanilla bean mousse and avalon lavender cleansing milk - both different but both really wonderful. I'm almost ready to commit to a new organic pressed powder I just need to get passed it costing seven times as much as the drug store brand (no exaggeration).  

29. Get sleep. Get a decent amount of sleep: I'm up to six beautiful hours a night most nights and its making a huge difference. I'm hoping for seven to eight eventually but without having to go to bed at the same time as Frances. Hmm. 

31. Get the compost in the backyard cleaned and functioning: Almost there. We were really lucky to find an almost brand new compost in our backyard when we moved in. But it was full and in a really awkward location. It's now empty (because who knows what kind of cat poo was put in there before us) and in the perfect place. I just need to find a second indoor container (hopefully today) so that we can separate out the meat and fish (and other feral cat beacons) for the municipal compost and keep the fruit and veggie scraps for ours. 

Phew.