Ten Things for 2013

Pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels weird typing "2013."  It's hard to believe that it's a new year already; didn't the last one just start?

Anyway, stealing an idea from the wondrous Mrs. H here; last year, she posted a list of twelve specific things she wanted to accomplish in 2012.  I'm not quite that ambitious, so I'm only going with ten things for this year.

Little Bug's first time at the top of Cowles Mountain in San Diego.

So, without further ado:

Ten New Things for 2013

1.  Blog more.  I know, I know, I've been terribly neglectful of my little blog here.  But that's about to change!  Well, maybe.  Clearly, the Internet needs more of my opinions.  So I'm going to try to post something once a week, but you probably shouldn't get your hopes up too high.

2.  Exercise more.  I used to be a total fitness nerd, but for the past eleven months I've been using Little Bug for a convenient excuse not to.  Don't get me wrong here; running around after a baby means I rarely stop moving, and we go for a walk of some sort pretty much every day, but I've decided it's time to get in better shape again.  That picture above of us at the top of San Diego's tallest "mountain?"  I was pathetically winded the entire hike.  Time to change that.  (And I won't lie; I want to look good for my honey when he gets home from deployment!)  So, inspired by a recent post by Mama Birth, here are my rules:  at least 20 minutes per day, six days per week, Sundays are free.  If all I do is walk, it must be at least 30 minutes.  And walks totally don't count if they involve Starbucks.  Ideally, I will be doing more strenuous things than walking (hiking, weight training), but so long as I'm active, then I'm happy.

3.  Create "In Case of Emergency" binder.  Stealing this idea from my friend Noël, shared on one of her many lovely blogs.  It's hard to go against the conventional wisdom of DON'T EVER WRITE DOWN YOUR PASSWORDS EVER OR THEY'LL GET STOLEN AND THEN YOU'LL BE SORRY, but it's harder to argue with her logic of keeping control of your own information.  So this year, hopefully sooner rather than later, I'm going to create an "In Case of Emergency" binder and then buy a bigger fireproof safe to store it in (since my current safe is entirely too small to store anything useful in).  Go read her post if you want more details on this wonderful idea.

4.  Make some of my own "beauty" products.  Any by that, I really mean just things like body wash and face wash.  I recently picked up (figuratively speaking) a copy of the new ebook DIY Organic Beauty Recipes, written by Heather Dessinger of The Mommypotamus.  I've perused it a little, and I'm especially interested in making some new baby wash for Little Bug and dabbling in things like tooth powder.

5.  Start Little Bug's baby scrapbook.  That's right, he's coming up on his first birthday and I haven't started any kind of baby book for him yet.  (This may qualify me as a "bad" mommy by some standards.)  My intention has been to create a scrapbook for him covering at least the first ten years of his life, full of mostly pictures because I'm not sentimental enough to add things like locks of hair.  Time to go on Shutterfly and create some scrapbook pages and get this party started.

Little Bug is always trying new things.

6.  Knit a few pairs of baby socks.  I haven't completed a single knitting project since Little Bug was born.  Honestly, while I miss knitting sometimes, it's kind of at the bottom of my priority list of things to do during nap time.  So I'm thinking that I'll try to get back into the swing of things with small projects.  Thus, my aspiration to knit some baby socks.  Little projects = sense of accomplishment.  Plus, I LOVE HIS FEET!  The only way they could possibly be cuter would be if they were clad in homemade socks.

7.  Make jelly.  Late last summer, a good friend and I dabbled in learning how to can stuff; we made jams and pumpkin butter and had all kinds of fun, and I have a small stockpile of interesting things in my cupboard that I refuse to open until D returns home from deployment.  My primary resource is the book Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan.  Next on my list of recipes to try: jelly.  There are a couple of jelly recipes that start with juice of some sort, which is always accessible.

8.  Renovate my personal file system.  Inspired by Mrs. H's goal to organize her finances, I've decided my paper filing system needs an overhaul.  I frequently pull documents to shred (I keep everything for thirteen months, except tax-related documents which are retained for five years), but so much has changed in the last few years that my folders are kind of in shambles.  I have folders for things I no longer have, extra folders crammed into places where they don't really belong, and a need to create new folders for some things life has recently thrown our way.  I will purge documents and folders, relabel things, and reorganize until I'm happy with my "important papers" box again.

9.  Participate in Vegan MoFo.  Once upon a time, I dreamed of starting a blog purely so that I could participate in the Vegan Month of Food.  Well, I have a blog, so this year I will finally do it.  What is Vegan MoFo?  As the website says, "The idea is to write as much as you can all month, about vegan food."  Goodness knows I'm not actually completely vegan (and I probably never will be), but I do eat vegan a lot.  So this October, it's on!

10.  Participate in NaNoWriMo.  I've tried to get myself to write during National Novel Writing Month twice in the past two years, but never lasted longer than a few days.  If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo before, the idea is to write an entire novel during the thirty days of November, at least 50,000 words in length.  I shall try again this year, and hopefully I shall be victorious!

Unrelated musings

He's coming for you.

I.  Crybaby

There are currently five things that I know of that consistently make Little Bug cry:

• My cough.  This one is most potent at night; if he's asleep, no matter how deeply, my cough almost always wakes him up crying.  During the day, he only cries when I cough if he's in need of a nap.
• The vacuum cleaner.  Well, if I'm wearing Little Bug, he'll usually fall asleep by the time I'm done with the apartment.  If I'm not wearing him, the vacuum makes him cry.
• A certain friend's laugh.  It took us awhile to pinpoint this, but my friend and I eventually figured out that something about her laugh seems to startle him, and he cries.  When this happens, I work hard not to laugh at him.
• Packing tape.  When I'm using clear plastic packing tape for any reason, the sound of it usually makes Little Bug cry.
• A certain friend (of Little Bug's) cries.  For some reason, when this one friend of his cries, Little Bug's empathy kicks in and he starts crying too.  But only for this one friend.  Other babies cry, and he totally doesn't care.

II.  Unmentionables

Sometimes, I get tempted to start another blog.  But an anonymous blog, one that no one would know was written by me.  Then I could write about pretty much anything.

You see, there are a few topics that I would very much like to blog about, but for whatever reason I just can't.  Like the family member/friend/random acquaintance/etc. who makes me frustrated/pissed off/etc. and I want to talk about here, but I'm afraid they'll see it and think I don't like them or are talking behind their back when really all I want to do is VENT because I can't actually change things and it doesn't mean I don't otherwise like the person in question I'm just VENTING.  Or various topics related to babies or parenting that I have strong views on but my strong views don't necessarily agree with the societal norm and I don't want to talk about it here because my family/in-laws/friends don't even know I do/don't and I simply am not prepared to open that can of worms yet with them even though for some reason I'd otherwise be okay with discussing my views with strangers I don't know.

Yeah.  That sort of thing.  Maybe some day I'll become brave enough to blog about some of those things openly.  Maybe someday, but not today.

III.  Telemarketers

Today, I received a call from some sort of telemarketer who asked for "the person who owns this number."  I was silent for a moment, and then asked if she had a name.  She said no, just the number.  I asked what she wanted (without providing my name), and she started off into a speech, providing me a company name (financial something or other) and saying they had collected numbers "from my area," at which point I interrupted and asked where she thought I lived.  (Because my area code totally doesn't match my current location... one of the joys of being a Navy wife, I suppose.)  She couldn't tell me, which means she probably didn't know.  I interrupted again and said I was not interested in whatever she was selling.  She said she wasn't "selling" anything, and requested that I listen to what she had to say before saying I wasn't interested.  I interrupted again and asked to be put on their "do not call" list.  I listened long enough to hear her say she would, and then I hung up.

Ugh.  Telemarketers get worse all the time, and that's two minutes lost forever, wasted on a BS call with someone who didn't even have my name, just my phone number.  How irritating.

A month of gratitude

I don't do "Black Friday."  Never have.  Hopefully never will.  I don't think any "deal" is good enough to face the madness at the stores.  Plus, my idealistic side is not into supporting the big stores, although my practical side freely admits that I will end up buying some of my holiday presents at them.

For what it's worth, my morning tea latte did *not* come
from Starbucks today.  Although I do drink a lot of Starbucks.

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to get to celebrate Thanksgiving in the company of two good friends and their families.  I contributed a lentil shepherd's pie and a pumpkin pie; other dishes included sweet potatoes, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and an amazing pecan pie.  I have a bunch of leftovers, which Little Bug and I will continue feasting on for at least a few days.  Good food, great conversation, and fun times; D may be away, and I may be unwilling to travel during the holidays, but thanks to a good support network I still had a fabulous holiday.

Little Bug enjoys his first Thanksgiving feast!
It's difficult to get a picture these days that isn't a little bit blurry...

Over the course of November so far, I've been watching as my friends post daily about what they're thankful for.  In that spirit, here is a list of thirty things I am thankful for.

1.  My wonderful husband, D.  As that song goes, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend..."

2.  My Little Bug, my little sunshine baby.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing son who is helping me to rediscover the wonders of life.

3.  While we're working on those essentials, I'm thankful for the rest of my family, those I'm related to by blood or marriage.  It's nice to have so many people to care about, and who care about us.

4.  Friends, both near and far.  Friends that I've collected over the course of my life thus far and in all of the places I've lived.

5.  I'm thankful D has a secure job that enables me stay home to care for Little Bug.  I'm also thankful D & I are both on the same page financially, and that money is very rarely an issue of contention between us.

6.  I may not have to work, but I'm thankful for being a book reviewer and for my various freelance editing gigs.  The little bit of extra money certainly doesn't hurt!

7.  Of course, I'm very grateful for my little fuzzy monster, Freddy.

Freddy watches Little Bug suspiciously.
Maybe one day they'll be friends...

8.  My ability to cook.  Being able to make healthy, delicious food for my family is a joyful thing.

9.  Certain convenience foods.  I try to cook fresh whenever possible, but on busy days (like Thanksgiving!), it's nice to be able to substitute gravy mix for my usual homemade mushroom gravy and still be satisfied with my meal.

10.  Certain appliances.  I love my slow cooker, and yesterday my immersion blender made pumpkin pie filling into a breezy process.

11.  Books.  I may not get to read as much as I used to before having a baby, but I still love to read.  I am also thankful for my library, and the fact that it only takes me ten minutes to walk there.

12.  Music.  I love to sing, and I sing to my Little Bug every day!

13.  Pie.  Because, honestly, who doesn't love pie?

A crappy cell phone picture of my pumpkin pie.  And then I ate it.

14.  Tea.  My tea drinking habits have definitely changed over the last year; I can't remember the last time I finished a cup of tea at home without having to re-heat it at least once, and at least half the time I'm drinking lactation tea, but that's okay.  I still love my morning tea!

15.  CSAs.  I may not currently be a member of a CSA (because with D gone, I simply cannot eat the contents of an entire box by myself), but I am incredibly thankful that community-supported agriculture programs exist.  Gives me hope for the future of our food system.

16.  Two Sentinels Camp, my other home, even though it's been a few years since I've been able to volunteer there.  This place, and the other people who run it, played a major role in shaping the person I am today.  Someday, I will be back, I promise.  "Two Sentinels will be my home; makes no difference how far away I roam..."

17.  The Internet.  Enough said.

18.  My health.  I'm glad I am relatively fit and healthy, that I have the physical strength and endurance necessary to keep up with my growing boy.

19.  I'm thankful that I had such a positive birth experience, in a time and place where so many women cannot truthfully say the same.

20.  I'm also thankful I've had the courage to follow my instincts when it comes to parenting.  Raising a child is the hardest thing I've ever undertaken, but also the most rewarding!

21.  Text messages.  Seriously.  Ease of communication is a wonderful thing.

22.  Skype and video teleconferencing on base.  I may be separated from D physically at the moment, but at least I get to see his face in real time every now and then!

23.  The forthcoming arrival of the last book of The Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light.  Closure is coming, my friends!

24.  Board games.  And card games.  And dice games.  And role-playing games.  Yes, I'm that kind of nerd.

25.  Freedom of speech.  I listen to the news every day, and I'm always finding new reasons to value the fact that we have the fundamental right to say pretty much anything.

26.  NPR.  Balanced news coverage is a wonderful thing, and I learn new things all the time from all of the other wonderful programming here.

27.  Home.  I've always had a roof over my head, and I've never lived anywhere where I ever felt unsafe.  Well, our first apartment in Sacramento could be debatable.

28.  Our planet.  Sometimes I start thinking about the miracles of science and nature that have all conspired to create this world we inhabit, and then my head starts to hurt.

29.  Chocolate.  Enough said.  Oh wait, I'm also thankful that I started liking chocolate again once Little Bug was born.  Otherwise, that could have been one of life's little tragedies.

30.  My beloved country.  I am unbelievably blessed to have been born in this nation.  Sure, America has its faults, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere in the world but here.

Applesauce BBQ Sauce

When I said I was going to find or create recipes to use my surplus of jarred baby food, Little Bug laughed at me.

Well, try this on for size: BBQ sauce made with applesauce.

Seriously.  Give it a try.  Tangy and sweet.  Mmmmm.

I made Crispy Barbequed Tofu Slices with my sauce!

Applesauce BBQ Sauce

inspired by this recipe on allrecipes.com

1 c applesauce (2 [4-oz.] jars apples/applesauce baby food)
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Cover (or use a splatter screen; you don't want to get hit with this!) and let boil a few minutes, stirring regularly.  Remove from heat and let cool completely (it will thicken).  Makes 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

Ingredients!

...yum?

This is how Little Bug helps when I cook.

I totally suck at taking pictures of food.  But here's the finished product!

Introducing the Post-Deployment Bucket List!

Quickie post here.

Eight months is a long time to be separated from my honey.  And seeing as my primary method of coping is to keep busy (but not too busy; don't want to burn myself out), there are a lot of things Little Bug and I are doing for the first time that we'd like to experience again as a complete family.

I know I won't be able to remember everything on my own, so I'm starting a list!  Here on my blog, where I can add to it as Little Bug and I hit the town and find new things to share.  I'm calling it the "Post-Deployment Bucket List," and I'll keep updating it over the duration of D's deployment.  Go check it out, if you feel so inclined!  There is now a link at the top of the page.

Little Bug at the San Diego Botanic Garden, where we recently visited
with some friends.  So many new things to see!