Accomplishments

It's about time...

                                                                    Tempus fugit

           

Lately I've been feeling like life is sort of slipping through my fingers. It seems like it's always time for bed once again and at the end of the (busy) day I can't remember what I've done. 

I'm a list maker. I need to write things down so that I don't walk around in a frenzy trying to remember what I'm forgetting. I cross things off as I complete tasks and then forget about what I've accomplished.  So it's time to take a new approach.
I saw somewhere an idea for a List Jar and decided to give it a go. I jot down my list as usual, but then, instead of throwing the list away after crossing off the accomplished things , I write them on pretty slips of paper and put the slips in a jar. I notice everything I do, from menial chores like doing the dishes and laundry to creative ventures like painting pillow covers to being kind like visiting someone lonely. Not all the things I do come from the To Do-list, but if I do it, it goes in the jar. This is a therapeutic way for me to see that life is not slipping through my fingers and I am not just idly standing by.  :-)  Already I see the jar filling up! 

I'll keep adding to my jar until it's to the brim and then I think I'll start a notebook. A friend told me how excited she was to read a diary that her grandmother she never knew had filled up with lists of her everyday doings. (She baked lots of pies and took them to people to cheer them up!) What an fascinating way to get to know someone!


About a year ago I made a list of fun things I'd like to do in the new year. I had a blast doing a bunch of them:

-Be amazed: I saw Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables and was amazed!
-Learn to dance: Not from Zac Efron as originally planned (hah). Nevertheless, loads of fun; 
  my Brazilian friends taught me!
-Midnight kiss at New Year's: check ;-)
-Own a kooky umbrella
-Get dessert as an appetizer 
-Go to London: Repeat, please!
-Go to "Bali": My sister took me to a Resort & Spa in Finland
-Paint a picture

What we do with our time matters. Life comes in stages and what we concentrate our energies on varies by stage. But every stage is prime.
A quote by April Monroe comes to mind. "Sometimes the most moving, altering moments of life are in fact only moments. Sometimes they are not destined to be novels, essays, or memoirs." 
Sometimes we just need to take the moments and appreciate what we're experiencing. :-)
My list jar is showing me a nice blend of work, play, and making a difference. (A Blog Post slip goes in!)

How do you measure what you do in a day? Are you a list maker? A journal keeper? I hope you feel accomplished!

Herm's Inn

A charming gas-station and inn from the olden days, Herm's Inn is now renovated and expanded to be a trendy restaurant that draws a breakfast and lunch crowd at the mouth of Logan Canyon. 

The place used to be known as the last chance to fill up your tank -and your vehicle's- before venturing into the winding canyon that leads to Bear Lake and beyond into Idaho and Wyoming. 

Hungry as a bear or on a health kick? The menu items satisfy a variety of moods. Sandwiches, salads, and traditional breakfast foods (the homemade pancake syrup is to die for), hearty skillet meals, and crepes -all worth a try. 

Herm's Inn caters, too. Check out these beauties, enjoyed at a Christmas party :

A fun and funky spot for relaxing among friends with a plate of good food.  :-)

Santorini, Greece: Fira & Kamari

If you live in my hemisphere, you may be ready for more sun rays to brighten the chilly days and bring hope of a new spring.

So while we wait, let's dip into the reserves. 
My sister K and daughter M had a fabulous week in Greece. These great photos by M depict the island of Santorini. To me it equals a blue and white paradise. :)

Fira, the capital of  Santorini island, affords quiet corners and cafes to take in the calming views of the sea. 

Many churches and monasteries dot the town, as they do most of Santorini.

Boat in water...

... Boat out of water :-)

Signage

A little bit of country...

... and a little bit of... well, shopping

    

Water taxi ride

Hotel Argo in Kamari

 Many of the streets are constructed with such care.

This wall has a door that leads to the other side... why?

 Summer stroll

Cliff houses

There we are. A quick dream trip to satisfy the summer-yearning soul. 

Polar Bear Plunge

SUB. ZERO.

'Can't imagine even the Finn in me would get me to take this jump, but I know some people who dove right into Hyrum Dam at the Cache County Polar Plunge -"Freezin' for a Reason" to raise money for Special Olympics. 
(I learned there are three million athletes worldwide!) 

Crazy, no?

This year's fundraiser is on Feb 8-9 with plunges at midnight and noon. There will be lots of teeth clattering, but what better reward than a warm heart!