End of the Year Accounting

I am not generally one who looks back on a year and regrets the things that haven't been done. That just seems to be a waste of time to me. Nor am I one to start my New Year with a whole list of resolutions. Resolutions just seem to be a list that is doomed to failure. If you are a person who makes a list of "resolutions" to guide you through the new year, how many of those have you actually ever accomplished? How long is it before the list is discarded or looked on with regret. I bet not very long.

Now don't get me wrong, I do maintain a list of goals that I want to accomplish but that list changes and morphs and doesn't begin on January 1st of the New Year. Some are long term goals and some are short term but all are manageable. Also, some of those goals may have "sub goals" that are sort of stepping stones. I told you that I like lists of things. Lists just makes me happy.

OK, so I got off track a bit there. I do love to look back at a year and see what I have accomplished, it makes me feel good. Now here we go down memory lane for the year 2008..........

-1-

This was the "Year of the Sock" as far as knitting goes. I actually started knitting socks some time in 2007 but had only done one pair so I don't see that as really counting. But this year was different. It is typical of me that when I decide that I am going to learn something and learn it well that I just immerse myself in it until I have it mastered. So, this year I knit:

12 pair of socks for myself,
2 pair as gifts,
3 pair for Socks for Soldiers.

That is a grand total of 17 pairs of socks. Not bad. Next year I have already made the commitment (in my head and to the group) that I will knit 12 pair of socks for SFS. That is sort of an ambitious goal but there are so many soldiers waiting for hand knit socks.

-2-

I have finished compiling my list of "Books Read" for this year. I think I mentioned before that I keep a list of the books that I have read. I have to thank one of my mother's friends for that idea. She was a librarian and long ago she mentioned to me that she had a list of every book that she had ever read. Now THAT is ambitious. Me being a person who loves lists was totally intrigued by this. Also, I had just been introduced to Excel and was totally intrigued with the idea of a book list. So, each year I maintain a list of the books that I have read. They are listed by Author, Title, classification, a short synopsis, pub date, date finished, number of pages, where it was obtained (library, bookstore etc.), cost if I paid for it and where I heard about it. Then, on the last day of the year I resort the main list, folding the books read that year into the main body of the list. Then I set up the book list for the next year and do an "accounting" of the last year. So here is my accounting for 2008

Total books read: 97
Total pages read: 34,050
Nonfiction: 59
Fiction: 26
Memoir/Bio: 10

Not bad for one year. Not the most books I have read in a year but this was a busy year for other things so I didn't have as much time to read.

-3-

More in the book vein. I use Paperback Book Swap a lot. I discovered this service this year although I had heard about it. I am not going to explain how it all works in this post, just know that it is a great way to get rid of all those paperbacks that you might have lying around and also a great way to get other books that you might like to read. So this year I mailed 109 books to other PBS members and received 57 books back. I haven't read all the books that were sent to me.....yet.

-4-

I took almost 1600 pictures during 2008. That is probably not the actual number because that number reflects the pictures that I actually kept, not the number that I snapped. You never know what I might take a picture of.......

-5-

I "journaled" 345 of 365 days this year. That is probably the best that I have ever done as far as journaling is concerned. You can go here to read about my journaling....if you want to that is

Well, I think that is enough strolling down memory lane. I will see you in the New Year. Look for some changes to the blog in the days to come. I will be adding a new feature or two (maybe) and there may be a new look (if I get to it).