Saturday, January 31, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Winter Birding
I decided that 2015, among other things, would be the year of Birding. While camping in Chiricahua National Monument with my brother and his girlfriend after Christmas, I was left for long stretches of time on the trail while my companions disappeared in the brush in search of bird sightings I had no interest in pursuing. Brian, in his element with like-minded bird-nerds, took off with them. This continued to happen, much to my frustration, until I realized that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, and so off I went to see what all the fuss was about. Birding, ladies and gentlemen, was born.
Since then we've managed a few Saturday morning trips to see what we can find. A trip to the Rio Salado Audubon Center provided awesome glimpses of Roadrunners and little Burrowing Owls. Even at the park right down the street from our house I managed to spot a Say's Phoebe.
Last Saturday, Brian and I spent the first day of our three day weekend birding in the Hassayampa River Preserve. This is land rescued from an RV park by The Nature Conservancy outside of Wickenburg, AZ. The three miles of trails were easy to meander and provided glimpses of the Western Bluebird, Black Phoebe, and Anna's Hummingbird.
So far my 2015 Year List is at 47. I'm using the Audubon Bird App to record our sightings which I can also access at home via Nature Share. I have a feeling it's going to be a Big Year!
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Search for Minimalism
While I certainly subscribe to the values of "less is more," I often find myself in a reality that feels far from it. As this has been on my mind since the beginning of the new year, I thought I should visit this idea from time to time as a sort of "check in" with myself.
Where am I on this quest?
Have I gotten further in my understanding and application?
Are there new interpretations to consider?
What are my future goals?
The hardest part about minimalism is that it does seem as if it takes forms entirely dependent on the eye of the beholder. My intentions of minimalism are going to vary greatly than that of my brother, whose minimalist philosophies are more extreme. For me, I've simply noticed a desire to pare down. To purge. To rid of clutter. Mental and physical clutter which may take the form of piles of junk mail, or unused spices in the cabinet, too many pairs of shoes which I hold on to for the sake of guilt, or too many apps to keep up with. I'm looking for a sense of freedom from having too many things, too much to "keep up," and too much to want more of. The more I have the less I want.
There are times, even at its most basic level, that I wonder if Brian and I will want to move to a different neighborhood. Will the house be big enough. Is the street quaint enough. Are the neighbors young enough. Really all I'm asking myself is Is it good enough? and I go around in my mind for all the reasons we bought this house. At the end I determine, yes. Of course. It is exactly good enough because it is what exactly we wanted, which was so simple.
1. We wanted a yard where we could plant a garden and the dogs could run free.
2. We wanted a mortgage that didn't require staying home all the time for fear of going broke.
3. We wanted to be close to work and our families.
It is a small house at 1100 square feet, but not small at all, really. We have two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a kitchen and a living room and a dining room and a sitting room and a laundry room and a garage. I'm painting it how I want it and have slowly acquired curtains and a new couch and a patio set. I'm perfectly happy living in my 1100 square feet and I want to keep it that way. But I guess what I'm realizing is that it takes some work to not always want for something more.
It takes a little work to maintain what we already have so we aren't wasting money on more things to replace them.
It takes time to organize the constant flow of paperwork and holiday gifts and school supplies that have ways of reproducing in dark corners and creeping in on usable space to the point where it isn't being used anymore.
It takes discipline to realize that magazine subscriptions are mainly ending up in the trash and just because I can afford it doesn't mean I should buy it.
Living below our means means culling the desire to want more. The enjoyment seems found in the empty spaces between the accumulation. Like pockets of air you struggle to find.
Our stuff feels like an avalanche. I am trying to build a snow cave.
Where am I on this quest?
Have I gotten further in my understanding and application?
Are there new interpretations to consider?
What are my future goals?
The hardest part about minimalism is that it does seem as if it takes forms entirely dependent on the eye of the beholder. My intentions of minimalism are going to vary greatly than that of my brother, whose minimalist philosophies are more extreme. For me, I've simply noticed a desire to pare down. To purge. To rid of clutter. Mental and physical clutter which may take the form of piles of junk mail, or unused spices in the cabinet, too many pairs of shoes which I hold on to for the sake of guilt, or too many apps to keep up with. I'm looking for a sense of freedom from having too many things, too much to "keep up," and too much to want more of. The more I have the less I want.
There are times, even at its most basic level, that I wonder if Brian and I will want to move to a different neighborhood. Will the house be big enough. Is the street quaint enough. Are the neighbors young enough. Really all I'm asking myself is Is it good enough? and I go around in my mind for all the reasons we bought this house. At the end I determine, yes. Of course. It is exactly good enough because it is what exactly we wanted, which was so simple.
1. We wanted a yard where we could plant a garden and the dogs could run free.
2. We wanted a mortgage that didn't require staying home all the time for fear of going broke.
3. We wanted to be close to work and our families.
It is a small house at 1100 square feet, but not small at all, really. We have two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a kitchen and a living room and a dining room and a sitting room and a laundry room and a garage. I'm painting it how I want it and have slowly acquired curtains and a new couch and a patio set. I'm perfectly happy living in my 1100 square feet and I want to keep it that way. But I guess what I'm realizing is that it takes some work to not always want for something more.
It takes a little work to maintain what we already have so we aren't wasting money on more things to replace them.
It takes time to organize the constant flow of paperwork and holiday gifts and school supplies that have ways of reproducing in dark corners and creeping in on usable space to the point where it isn't being used anymore.
It takes discipline to realize that magazine subscriptions are mainly ending up in the trash and just because I can afford it doesn't mean I should buy it.
Living below our means means culling the desire to want more. The enjoyment seems found in the empty spaces between the accumulation. Like pockets of air you struggle to find.
Our stuff feels like an avalanche. I am trying to build a snow cave.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
2015 New Years Resolutions
GIVE
Humbled and in memory of Dan, this year I am committed to supporting a few charities. I'm not yet sure if this will be in the form of a membership or a small monthly donation. I decided that my focus will be veterans and wilderness. It just suddenly became clear to me how lucky I am and I'd like to be able to give back to some of the causes that are personal and important to me. A few organizations I am looking in to are:
US Vets
Wounded Warrior Project
Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness (Project H3 Vets & StandDown)
Sierra Club
Nature Conservancy
Audubon Society
SAVE
I recently discovered Mr. Money Mustache. He says I have a debt emergency. I never looked at it that way before, but now that I realize it, I'm getting serious over here. I am determined to have a frugal year so we can do away with this load once and for all. I know I can do it. I just have to be dedicated and disciplined. I can't wait to report back on this at the end of 2015, too. I am determined to boost our retirement and get our net worth moving in the black.
READ
I read 12 books in 2014 with the goal of actively pursuing a hobby that does not have social media attached to it. (Read my 2014 year-end book reviews here). My only goal is to surpass that this year. This resolution was really interesting for me last year and actually really successful, so I anticipate more good things to report next December.
TRACK
1. Birds. I want to start keeping a list of every bird we see in the backyard ALL YEAR. OMG I'm so excited to see how many species we come up with.
2. Dog Walks. I bought this pdf to keep track of how many nights all year we walk the dog, and I'm really interested to see how this motivates us. Half the battle is just getting out the door.
3. Dinners Cooked at Home. I also plan to use the same pdf to keep track of the nights we cook at home. We cook most nights at home, but I'm hoping this will really feel good and satisfying to see how dedicated we are to eating wholesome meals together.
4. Bike Rides. I plan to ride my bike home from school from now until school is out in May. Can I do it? Who knows. I plan to keep track just for fun and see where it takes me! Maybe it will be a good kick start for a new hobby!
As sad as I am to see things come and go, I am always refreshed at the possibility of a new year, a new outlook, a new goal, a new direction, a new attitude. It just feels so cleansing and freeing to let go of what was and look ahead to what could be. Now we just have to make what could be what is.
I'm ready to get started!
Humbled and in memory of Dan, this year I am committed to supporting a few charities. I'm not yet sure if this will be in the form of a membership or a small monthly donation. I decided that my focus will be veterans and wilderness. It just suddenly became clear to me how lucky I am and I'd like to be able to give back to some of the causes that are personal and important to me. A few organizations I am looking in to are:
US Vets
Wounded Warrior Project
Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness (Project H3 Vets & StandDown)
Sierra Club
Nature Conservancy
Audubon Society
SAVE
I recently discovered Mr. Money Mustache. He says I have a debt emergency. I never looked at it that way before, but now that I realize it, I'm getting serious over here. I am determined to have a frugal year so we can do away with this load once and for all. I know I can do it. I just have to be dedicated and disciplined. I can't wait to report back on this at the end of 2015, too. I am determined to boost our retirement and get our net worth moving in the black.
READ
I read 12 books in 2014 with the goal of actively pursuing a hobby that does not have social media attached to it. (Read my 2014 year-end book reviews here). My only goal is to surpass that this year. This resolution was really interesting for me last year and actually really successful, so I anticipate more good things to report next December.
TRACK
1. Birds. I want to start keeping a list of every bird we see in the backyard ALL YEAR. OMG I'm so excited to see how many species we come up with.
2. Dog Walks. I bought this pdf to keep track of how many nights all year we walk the dog, and I'm really interested to see how this motivates us. Half the battle is just getting out the door.
3. Dinners Cooked at Home. I also plan to use the same pdf to keep track of the nights we cook at home. We cook most nights at home, but I'm hoping this will really feel good and satisfying to see how dedicated we are to eating wholesome meals together.
4. Bike Rides. I plan to ride my bike home from school from now until school is out in May. Can I do it? Who knows. I plan to keep track just for fun and see where it takes me! Maybe it will be a good kick start for a new hobby!
As sad as I am to see things come and go, I am always refreshed at the possibility of a new year, a new outlook, a new goal, a new direction, a new attitude. It just feels so cleansing and freeing to let go of what was and look ahead to what could be. Now we just have to make what could be what is.
I'm ready to get started!
2014 Book Reviews - A Successful Resolution.
In 2014 I challenged myself to read more. This resolution was (thankfully) just general enough to keep me motivated, but not so specific that I felt overwhelmed or disappointed with my progress. I was surprised that just by focusing on this one hobby, I actually learned new things about myself. This is supremely fascinating to me as I didn't expect to learn anything at all, really, I just wanted to enjoy myself and reconnect to a quieter, more cerebral activity.
The only thing left to contemplate is what books will 2015 bring??
On to the next!
What I learned:
1. I prefer reading e-books.
2. I LOVE the kindle app.
3. I prefer non-fiction.
4. It's OK to give yourself permission to abandon.
5. Read what you love and you will love to read.
A run-down of what I read in order of least favorite to most favorite:
Unfortunately this book came highly recommended by a friend. Also it was a massive best-seller. So if you liked it, I'm sorry for you because this review is going to be harsh. First of all, it wasn't even written by the girl the story is about, (and it is advertised as a Memoir), and the self-indulgence and woe-is-me-naivety was nauseating. Plus the whole "I'm so enlightened from traveling" bullshit wears out pretty quickly. That message is just not authentic enough to pull the weight of the entire narrative. Finished it quickly, but ultimately hated every second of it. Even worse, they're making a movie! My disgust is up there with Wild on this one. That was on my worst list of 2013 for almost the exact same reasons.
What a bummer. I couldn't wait to read this book and it was sooooooooo borinnnnnnnnnnnngg! I guess there are only so many anecdotes you can tell about being a National Park trail dog. I couldn't finish it, and I think that says more about the author than it does about me because I love just about everything that has to do with the National Parks.
I didn't finish this one, either. The all-natural/organic lifestyle doesn't need to be sold on me. It was all very elementary information for people who have no idea what they eat or what they put into their bodies. For the rest of us that get it, this is kid stuff. Over it.
This was pretty good. I liked her chapter on annotating text with post-it notes and I use that all the time now. I also completely agree that novels should not be torn into little shreds of comprehension questions every chapter because it kills that art of the plot. This was really refreshing to read, but very specific to this teacher's style. I adapted what felt like me. Overall, a good resource.
This was not as good as The Year of Magical Thinking, but beautifully ruminative just the same. Didion is "Queen of Prose." Took only a few hours to get through, but more than a few days to stop thinking about. Lots of mother-daughter themes, as well as death, life, purpose, beauty, and regret.
As Leslie Knope is my hero, there was no way I wasn't going to read this book. It was quick, easy, enjoyable, and interesting. Nothing mind-blowing or all that fascinating here, but fun. Thanks, Amy! The real question now is what am I going to do with myself with "Parks" is over? HELP!
I finally got over it and read this book even with its implications. It put me at ease and has helped me feel more prepared for a future journey of raising an only child. I liked it and would be interested in reading more on the topic.
This book got me thinking a lot about how the rest of the world interprets free time, hobbies, work, child care, and parental balance. I really enjoy reading about other cultural interpretations of highly complex societal and social norms. I appreciated how research based it was.
Oh boy. Couldn't put this one down from the moment I started reading it. Everyone knows Hurricane Katrina was f*cked up, but did you know it was THIS f*cked up? This brought up a ton of philosophical issues about life, death, age, choices, hierarchical systems, human error, systematic failure, and the moral role of corporate responsibility to employees. Also a lot about critical thinking, problem solving, and authority. Wow. This was heavy but riveting. You have to really get comfortable with the idea of every-man-for-himself and what that dilemma truly feels like in life or death trauma, especially at the leadership level. No thank you.
Well, the only thing I'm as obsessed with as National Parks is Tumbleweed Tiny Houses. This was a great story about a woman who ditched her corporate life in a beautiful home for a simpler life style that is reliant on community and sustainability. I love what this movement represents. Freedom from possessions, freedom from convention, freedom from debt, smaller carbon footprint... It is just so idyllic and desirably I can hardly contain myself. The book felt a little rushed at the end, but was so enjoyable for me, it didn't matter.
My number two choice of the year is about Edward Curtis, a Seattle artist in the early 1900's photographing the last of the dying Native tribes across America. The story was riveting and heartbreaking and inspiring and frustrating all at the same time. I don't usually like history books, but I love narrative non-fiction and this was perfect. My mom and dad both read the book, then both Brian and I did, and then we passed it on to Brian's dad. When we went to Seattle this past summer, we even visited Curtis's original studio in the heart of downtown. It was a sort of pilgrimage for us and really set the theme of our time in Washington. A fantastic book about a talented and perhaps cursed visionary genius.
This book takes the cake because it felt like it was written just for me. It wasn't, of course, but also, it was. It's a book written by a working woman, (Sheryl Sandburg, CEO of Facebook), for other working women. It explores motherhood, leadership, power, responsibility, ambition, marriage, success, and on and on and on. The overall question is why are so few woman in corporate leadership when women make up 50% of the population? How do we change that? It's about encouraging and empowering women to make career choices that are not based on fear or guilt. It is about "leaning in" to the table and not leaning back waiting to be invited. It was about faking it until you make it. It was about allowing yourself to desire what men want in the same way. It was about encouraging men to have a more hands-on role at home and in the family so the partnership truly is equal and women don't have to feel ashamed to say they work, and they don't have to assume they have to do it all, because they can't and they shouldn't. It was about how women can be incredibly successful if they are simply willing to stay in the game. It was so inspiring for me that it changed my complete career direction and gave me the courage to keep taking things to the next level in my career. It also gave me hope that balancing motherhood and a demanding career is possible with a balanced marriage and a disciplined schedule. It can be done and we all deserve the best that we can attain. And anyway, why shouldn't I attain my potential? This book led to a whole burst of TED talk obsessions and had a domino effect on other areas of my job, so I would highly recommend this to any other woman working, no matter what profession or what level or status. It is so empowering and truthful. Go for it.
The only thing left to contemplate is what books will 2015 bring??
On to the next!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)