late January: making plans

 

January is swimming along.  We went to the zoo a couple weeks ago, have been to walks in the park, to visit friends, and one day I convinced my middle kid to go pick up trash at the park with me.  And we put in a new kitchen faucet, which does not leak. 

Currently, I have eight items captured and crossed off my annual photo list, which is better than usual for this time of year.  The weather has been mild, and the skies bright, and that always makes it easier for me to do photo-creating, whereas the cool and dark weather makes me want to sink into blankets and read or do knitting-creating.  

I am working on sleeping better.  I am a night owl by nature, but it doesn't fit as well with the rest of my world to be up late.  Instead of sitting on the computer, watching or listening to something while I knit into the wee hours, I've been working on reading books, which I hear is better for sleep.  Not sure.  I am not so extremely tired, so I wake up more in the night, but it is making it easier to get up in the morning, and I'm reading more.  That's good.  I'm also knitting less; neither good nor bad. 

Recently I went through my "things I want to read" list on a website that's popular for buying everything under the sun but also apparently not big on free speech.  I'm working on going through all the items (250!) on the list and sorting out why I was interested in them - recommendation? author? topic? and whether I do still want to read them.  I can't imagine I'll have time to read them all this year, but if I'm really ambitious, perhaps ten percent.  Also, whether I can borrow them from the library, or perhaps track them down at my local used book shop.  I'll write more about books soon. 

Currently, I am reading my grandmother's diary from 1938.  She was 19!  It has been fun, I never knew her to stay out until midnight but apparently she had a little more energy back then.  

Other plans include what to grow...  I am thinking of starting some basil under grow lights.  I have never had luck starting basil from seed, and I get the impression it is much easier to buy than start.  But I have the time and the lights, and we really love basil pesto and basil in tomato sauce, so I think I'll just see about it.  

I'm also working on some photo things, still lifes, and I bought an umbrella for an idea.  When I get it done, I'll post it.  I also got some fun stuff sent off to a birthday person on time, maybe even early.  And I still have a week left to make some good use of January.  What about you?  Finishing anything from the to-dos this month?