January Summarized

Resolutions? Now let's see how I have done.

1. I've missed church two weekends. One time was yesterday for a couple of mediocre reasons, and the other was the weekend I worked, which truly makes it impossible to get to church since I worked about 7 hours that day. But those two weekends I still succeeded in listening to sermons on the computer. So I'm giving myself a grade of passing for this one!
   
2. I'm really sucking with drinking enough water. My mom and I did this diet one weekend. A diet that involved this creation that is probably the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth.
   Anyways, that day I drank tons of water (clear water for the most part thankfully). Other than that, I'm probably getting around 16 ounces of straight water a day. And I need 60 ounces a day. So let's slap a big fat FAIL on this one. But each fail is an area to grow, right?
   
3. I tried a few new recipes! And all from the Vegan with a Vengeance. I made pancakes but substituted Maple syrup with Agave nector for Malachi. They were a bit dense, but still good. I really like that they have cinnamon in them!
   
   Then I made the pumpkin cookies. Again, trying to substitute sugar (for my mom this time). I use Stevia as a sugar substitute. And its sweeter than sugar, so it's a little more than 1/3 cup of stevia for every cup of sugar. But when I was making the cookies, because I havent found just a container of stevia, only the little individual packets, I got so sick of opening all those little packets! So I thought, this is SWEETER, it will be okay! And I agree with what Nessa wrote on Shelfari. Pumpkin needs sugar! And I didnt put enough in. It wasnt bad, in fact, my dad loved them. But I think it needed to be sweeter, so I would cover it in some frosting I had left over from cupcakes I had made for a party a few days before. Anyways, I think I will try them again, probably with sugar, because I want to use chocolate chips this time like Vanessa said she did. That sounds so good! I didnt use the flax seed or the walnuts, but I did use raisens, which was good because those helped add a little sweetness.
   
   Then I decided to make the Seitan and Portabello Stroganoff. I looked for freaking Seitan EVERYWHERE in this very vegan-un-friendly town! So I bought other veggie meat that I thought I could substitute. Then I came home and saw that there was a seitan recipe in the book. So I made that which took me the rest of the night and some of my ingredients that I needed for something else. So I let that marinate till after work the next night. Then I got to cooking the actual stroganoff. Man, it smelled really good to cook. But overall, it was alot of work for something that's not quite as good as hamburger helper. Sure, its healthier, blah blah blah. I would make it again, but with a different veggie meat. I wasnt a huge fan of my seitan and will probably not make that again. Pass.
   
   
4. Malachi and I havent read the bible even once together this month. For shame! Fail.
   
   
5. I am so proud of myself. I only missed one day of working out and again credit that to working that weekend. It's hard to work out when you work 12 days in a row, making you tired and cranky, and still having commitments to follow through with in the evenings. But anyways, I've gotten to the point where I really enjoy it. I've got a routine that is not routine and that is really working well! Pass.
   
   
6. I have not finished my scrapbook yet. Really, I'm only hoping to finish by June. But here is a sample of what I have created, though these are all from my 'Travel' scrapbook and not my main one that I'm working on.
   So because I have created some pages, this is a Pass.
   
   
7. I wont be revising the old scrapbooks until that one is finished, so I'm not planning on doing this one until June/July. So in a way, this one is a Pass AND Fail.
   
   
8. I havent actually paid tithe yet, because I keep forgetting. But according to my quicken I have. I just have to fork over the check. But still, this is a Fail.
   
   
9. I have only written once this month, which is a little shocking. I think it's because I've been a little bitter this month. Which is probably why you havent seen many blogs from me. Mostly due to work being an increased stress level at the moment for the same reason everyone else is feeling, the economy. And a little because this was a really cold and miserable month. But dont get me wrong, I havent been a walking grouch, I just havent had the energy to write much or blog much. Anyways, here is the one thing I actually did write. Pass.
   
   Today something happened to me that my dad refers to as my best story yet. I was with a patient. A 17 year old girl. It was her last visit and I was saying goodbye to her when this happened.
   She says to me, "It's funny you are wearing green today."I glance at my green sweater and look at her "Oh ya? Why's that?""Well at school everyone says that if you wear green on wednesdays it means you are a lesbian." Awkward..."And so all my friends and I always wear green on wednesdays."I chuckle awkwardly, but trying to make light of the situations without offending. But...is she gay? or do her friends think its funny to go against the 'rules'? "so," she continues, "Are you a lesbian?""No, I'm not." Trying to sound casual, not wanting to say 'No!'. Again, so as not to offend."oh, cause I was gonna ask you what you are doing this weekend." She says. Not letting me pick up on if she is joking or serious.I stumble out a few words while laughing lightly and forcing a smile instead of the look of shock and confusion that was trying to appear on my face.
   And then we are finally to a place in the hall that I can say bye and walk in a separate direction, which I did.
   
   
10. I missed one week of violin. Which is suprising. I wouldnt have thought I would have been this good at playing! But still, I'm going to have to give myself a Fail.
    
    
11. I've done okay at studying spanish. I'm translating a song and I forgot what else I did. But its going well. However, I missed a week so it's still a Fail.
    
    
12. I've done great at taking a photo every day. And I truly love doing this. It was such a challenge at first when the sun was always down when I got out of work though. But still, I like how this resolution forces me to stop and take a moment to enjoy beautiful or funny or just interesting things that I would normally only glance at. I really love doing it. But here is just a taste of what I've done. And really, there are a couple of days that have hideous or boring or hideously boring photos. For example, one morning I woke up thinking, I forgot to take a picture yesterday! I've ruined my whole year for this resolution! But alas, I HAD taken a picture the day before. An ugly self portrait. Why would I do this to myself? Why didnt I take an accidental photo of my shoe or something? But anyways, this is a Pass, and here are a couple of the less hideous ones... ;)
    
    
    So it's been a month, 6 passes to 5 fails (not bad!), and I'm glad January is OVER. I have high hopes for february. A month with 3 loved ones birthdays, a short trip, valentines day, a concert and potential outdoor fun now that we are out of the negative numbers (and hopefully stay that way).
    
    Anyways, hope you guys enjoy the Super Bowl! Go Cardinals!