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We have two cats and a dog. What does that have to do with resolutions and goals? Well, I'll tell you. You see that kitty on the left? That's Jazz. She hasn't been completely happy with us since we moved from our rental (a converted barn with a sunroom -- kitty bliss) into the house that we own. She was not pleased and showed it on the carpet. (Mabel, our other cat, is a lot more laid back and would probably be horrified if she made a mess.) Then we added a dog to the list, and Jazzy REALLY wasn't pleased. She ruined the carpet. So the first thing on our 2012 home goals is:

1. Replace the carpeting in the house. We're saving our final call until we go look at flooring, but at this point, we're focusing on bamboo.
2. Paint the outside of the house.
3. Fix and/or replace the deck.
4. Create a garden.
5. Finally build that clothesline.
6. Build a railing for our new, beautiful concrete steps.
7. Finally build a pergola over the front door (and maybe a second one for the deck).
8. Finish the bathroom (sink vanity, flooring, medicine cabinet, toilet).
9. Organize the laundry room.
10. Replace the kitchen countertops with white quartz, change faucet, add backsplash.
11. Extend Bodie's yard.
12. Get a Tough Shed garage.

Plus there are lots of little projects including trimming out the bookcases and adding baseboards to my office. I'm optimistic about getting this laundry list done because we only have one house to focus on this year. And buckle-up because I'm going to share my personal resolutions, too.


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1. Nurture an Open Heart.
2. Write more (freelancing, blogging, etc.).
3. Be healthier. (I started the year off with pneumonia, so I'm hoping to only improve from here on.)
4. Let the blog's readers get to know me better. (Have some more diverse posts.)
5. Embrace Nevada County more, seek to make it home.
6. Explore and hike in Tahoe -- it's only 45 minutes away!
7. Take more overnight camping trips with the pup.
8. Keep painting, even if I don't have any upcoming shows.

There you have it -- two very full lists. As always, I'll share the processes, and since I'm hoping my camera will become another appendage, there should be lots of photos.

 
 
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A photo of Badwater, Death Valley I took in 2010.
One of my goals for the year -- something I began to focus on a few weeks ago, in fact -- is to have an open heart.

There are many ways of interpreting this. One of them is by being more accepting of others' belief systems. My own beliefs and experiences, and therefore my prejudices, don't have anything to do with how others interact with the world. While I may see things with a more scientific bent, that's not how everyone sees it. If the way a person views the world makes them more kind, giving, and accepting of others, that's wonderful. The way isn't important. The result is.

So imagine my chagrin -- and anticipation -- when I was asked to write an article about Mormons. My dad's side of the family is Mormon. I have a lot of experience with the church. Many of those experiences were painful and scarring. BUT those experiences had nothing to do with the (very, very nice) people that I interviewed for the piece. They were trying to help others in the ways they knew how. I'm grateful I got to talk with them. I enjoyed my conversations and felt good that my interactions with them were nothing but positive. So far, I'm delighting in my journey of an open heart.

Next week, I'll be back with the blogging tradition of goals and resolutions for 2012. How's the year treating all of you so far?.