happiness is...

happiness is...
kenya 2010

Friday, December 30, 2011

resolutions. 2012, here i come!

i can never remember if i love or hate new year's resolutions. regardless, i generally make some. not actually tasks like "exercise 5 days a week" or "stop answering the phone when (insert any ex-boyfriend's name here) calls", but more of a new year's blue print for my life- a new year's plan. i try to evaluate where i am and where i want to go, and develop my plan from there. some years i add things like goals to meditate more often, or read the bible more regularly. some years i give things up, like 9 years ago when i gave up smoking.

this year, i'm struggling.

i have been putting quite a bit of thought into the coming year and my resolutions and i've drawn a big fat blank. well, until today. i've decided that this year's resolutions will be more about discipline and reflection than about set-in-stone goals. they will be more about appreciating what i have than amassing more "stuff". they will be about learning to live as others live instead of living the way society says i should be living. they will be about food. there has to be at least one focused on food. after all, i'm still ME!

my 2012 new year's resolutions, in no particular order:
-designate one night each week as "no lights night" and not use any electric lights in my house- only candlelight
-not turn my thermostat above 66 degrees all winter...with most days keeping it at 64 while i'm home and 60 at night while i sleep (you should know how drafty my house is to fully appreciate THAT resolution! the key is layer, layer, layer!)
-not make a single purchase that isn't a necessity for the entire lenten season (february 22-april 7th)...only food, medication, cleaning supplies, etc.. no "fun" stuff.
-(this last one is my favorite. since i am exploring an opportunity to do full time mission work in nepal, and have a short term trip planned there for sure in the spring, i am going to try, for a short time, to eat as the nepalis do. in the mountain region where i am going, they eat the same thing, twice a day, every day. nothing else. it is called dal-bhat-tarkari, which means lentils, rice, and curried vegetables. that sounds delicious. i am sure i'll love it! for about a day and a half... )my resolution is to cook and eat dal-bhat-tarkari twice a day, every day, for two weeks starting january 3rd.



here is the fun part- i am going to blog it! i will blog the recipe, the results of my first (and subsequent) cooking attempts, how i like it, and my thoughts each day as the monotony either bores me senseless or lifts me to a higher level of spiritual and culinary bliss. let's see what happens! check back on january 3rd for an update.

happy new year! see you in 2012.   :0)

6 comments:

  1. You have more will power than anyone I've known. I'm sure you will do fine. I also think that when the 2 week period is over, you will head straight to La Familia...& you may stay THERE for 2 weeks. Hahahaha. Good luck! I'll be watching from OH. Happy New Year to you & your Family!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Luck. You are stronger then me. I could not eat the same thing twice in 2 days let alone twice in the same day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. well, i love my food and i love variety...it will be a stretch for me! mike- you know me too well! i have already thought out what my first la familia meal will be post-experiment. haha!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm excited about this and look forward to reading your blog. I appreciate your intentionality! And if I had to pick a meal to eat twice a day for two weeks this one sounds great. ARe you still Fregan, too????

    ReplyDelete
  5. i have relaxed a little on the freegan-ness, mostly because i need to eat more fresh food and produce than i was getting that way. i shop as little as possible, though, and delivery day at the food bank is like christmas since they can't give out dented cans (for health and safety reasons) and the volunteers get to scavenge through and take what we can use. don't tell my family, but they had a dented can christmas eve chili dinner. haha!

    ReplyDelete
  6. p.s. if you know where a girl can get "freegan" rice, lentils, onions, tomatoes, etc..., i'm all ears. ;)

    ReplyDelete