September, October, November - Summary (Months 9, 10, and 11 of Quests)

Catching up on this blog was giving me anxiety. So much so that I was putting off even thinking of my goals (not good, madam. not good at all) (...best to read that in a British accent). I felt like I would never have enough time on any given day to make it all perfect, so I couldn't even sit down and try.

Well, screw perfect.

I'm just going to get it out there. I need to get something "good enough" finished so that I can keep writing this blog and focusing on completing my Quests.

So here is a summary of the goals I have been working on and completed in September, October, and November:

Quests Completed

Quest #7: Reunion

I traveled for two weeks in October to visit friends around the world! The mix of traveling and spending time with dear friends was like a tonic to my soul.
I spent roughly five days in England (around the greater London area), three days in Switzerland, and nine days in South Korea. I feel so loved, satisfied, and ready to commit more thoroughly to my life here in the States now. Traveling like that also helps me put my life and problems here at home in a better perspective. Like looking at the world from up on the moon, everything seems more... manageable.

Quests-in-Progress

Quest # 1: Biographies

In September, getting inspiration from both Day of Democracy and Constitution Day, I decided to educated myself a little more about the people who help keep our country safe. This book follows the lives of a few service women in various branches of the military. The book is Undaunted by Tanya Biank. It was a great read, and fascinating to learn what service women go through to be taken seriously, lead, and serve their country. I am very impressed.

I didn't read a biography during October or November. I did re-read Brene Browns' Daring Greatly during my travels through Europe and Asia. I absolutely love her work - both her research and her way of writing - and would recommend this book to absolutely everyone. I wish it could be taught in our schools, it's absolutely lovely and inspiring, encouraging us to accept and allow ourselves to become the greatest version ourselves that we can be.

Quest # 3: Tithing

September: The Sacred Stone Camp legal fees fundraiser, to help them fight the seizure of sacred land for the development of an oil pipeline. Also, I donated to the AmeriCorps Alumni Association's annual fundraising drive. My two years serving in AmeriCorps was such an amazing opportunity to learn about myself, my country, and to serve my community. (AmeriCorps  is sort of the cousin of Peace Corps, with the focus on serving within our borders).
I also tithed my time, volunteering with the AmeriCorps Alumni Association to do a park/neighborhood cleanup one Saturday in Durham, North Carolina.

October: A fundraiser for Serbia's Forgotten Paws, an animal shelter in Serbia where one of my good friends adopted her puppy from. The money is used to help feed and keep the animals warm during the Serbian winter coming up!

November: The Wounded Warrior Project, in honor of Veteran's Day. I had the privilege to work in the same building and go to their offices in Washington DC when I lived there. They do absolutely wonderful, empowering work.
I also tithed my time by volunteering two 4-hour shifts at the North Carolina Comicon. I know it's a bit of a stretch as far as "volunteering my time to improve my community"... but.. the event does help bring people together to foster happiness and a sense of connectedness to a community. It also does help bring customers in for the local businesses, so that's good.

Quest #4: Spirituality

I did a mix of yoga, church, and spiritual/mindfulness discussion groups in September. Haven't really followed through in October or November.

Quest #5: Performances

September: Dragon Boat Festival (Cary, NC) - I got to see one of my bellydance instructors perform with her troupe!
November: Death Faire 2016  (Pittsboro, NC) - a "Day of the Dead" inspired festival, with music, dancers, funeral processions, the works, all in celebration of life.

Quest #6: Exhibits

September: Bugfest (Downtown Raleigh, NC) - I held a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach! (but I didn't eat the BBQ meal worms.... the line was too long...)
October: The Olympic Museum (Lausanne, Switzerland) - not only is it a well laid out, interactive, and engaging museum, it is also the headquarters for the Olympics; where they make all the "Big Decisions" -_^; Chateau de Chillon/Chillon Castle (Vaud, Switzerland) - Super awesome castle.
November: NC Comicon (Durham, NC) - Oh, the artistry! I was impressed by both the artists sitting at their vending booths, as well as those who were wearing the creations (cosplayers are amazing!). I'm so enchanted with this community of folks!

Quest #15: Housework (Update)

November - stained and sealed the deck, so now it is officially complete!

Quest #18: Exercise

In September, I participated in Camp Gladiator roughly once a week. When I didn't go to Camp Gladiator, I went to the gym. I was also doing dance class once a week. I have not exercised at all in October or November. I have been active... but have not done anything purely exercise-related.


Quest #29: Open my heart up again for companionship (maybe even [eek!] infatuation?)

In August I determined I was being a little silly about relationships. It's one thing to decide to be single in order to focus on making myself my best version of me... it's another thing to avoid dating because I was starting to develop sort of rebellious complex about "there's just no one around here for me."

With that inspiring concept, to prove to myself - and everyone who kept asking - that there was no man in my area that I would consider a good match for me, I decided to go on 10 (that's right, ten) first-dates.

On these first dates I would make a point of talking about all of the difficult topics (politics, religion, special interest issues, etc) to #1 scare people off, and/or #2 find out quickly a good reason to not see each other again.

I was pleasantly surprised at some of the guys I met, and went on a couple second dates even (gasp!). But there was one guy in particular who kept wooing my mind as well as my eyes (can that be done? my eyes were quite happy looking at him...), and I ended up going on *much more* than one date with him.

So, what started off being an effort to legitimize becoming a spinster (which is honestly a pretty decent enough sounding life! Except for the lack of cuddles...), ended up getting me attached to someone pretty darn awesome who excites me with ideas and possibilities in life. #nolongersingle #buthesprettydamnawesomesoitsactuallyprettycool
Although the dates started in August, they have continued into September, October, and November (and hopefully they'll continue?!?!) ^^.

Coming Up Next

Gettin' back on track with these goals! One last push to complete as much as possible over my final two months of this blog! :-D

KJets

August Review (Month 8 of Quests)

August 2016 Questing Report

Quests Completed

Quest # 13: Gardening

I have successfully cultivated a small batch of herbs and vegetable plants on my back porch - a container garden, if you will. I just harvested some juicy little tomatoes from my tomato plants, so I feel like it's time to officially declare this quest a success!

Quest # 22: Contact Lenses

I can see! Glasses are cool looking and all... but I prefer the freedom of not having something hanging onto my face. Maybe surgery will be a goal for next year? :-o  

Quests-in-Progress

Quest # 1: Biographies

Although started (and intended for) July, I finally completed this biography in August. Michelle Obama: A Life by Peter Slevin was well-written and a fascinating look at the First Lady's life. I recommend the read; she's pretty darn inspiring and strong. I've been noticing a pattern in successful people I've been reading about: they live their lives very intentionally, and they tend to want to prove people wrong. I like the former of those traits a lot, and I'm thinking that may be on my list of things to practice in earnest next year. Back to the book though: Seriously, if Michelle Obama ran for president, I am in 110%. 

Quest # 3: Tithing

Tithing money this month went to disaster relief efforts in Louisiana due to their insane and unusual amount of flooding. These areas in Louisiana (the two major areas being the surrounding Lafayette area, and the surrounding Baton Rouge area like Livingston and Ascension ) were not historically flood-prone areas, and many people do not have flood insurance there, so this may devastate the area's economy (and people) for at least the next couple years. I donated to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, and my post is here.

Quest #4: Spirituality

I tried going to a Universal Unitarian Church - Yay hippies and atheists! The music may not be as good as what I grew up with, but the messages are refreshingly all about love and connectedness. I'm going to try this out for a while, but not convinced yet that it's my "home." Glad to finally get this quest started though.

Quest #18: Exercise
In an effort to live more active (Quest #19??) and to keep myself working out, I signed up for a dance class that meets once a week. I'm now having dreams of training to get my teaching certification so that I can establish a healthy "side hustle" to fall back on if I need a little extra cash (because, I love this!).

Coming up next:

Quest # 1: Biographies

In September, getting inspiration from both Day of Democracy and Constitution Day, I'm going to read a little more about the people who help keep our country safe. This book follows the lives of a few service women - in various branches of the military - and I'm looking forward to reading about another set of lives so different from my own! The book is Undaunted by Tanya Biank.

and... continue with ongoing Quests!

KJets

#3 Tithing : Louisiana Flood Relief

In August, much of southern Louisiana was designated as a federal disaster area by FEMA due to flooding in what was called the worst natural disaster to the area since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. So, this month's tithing went to recovery and disaster relief efforts in the affected areas of Louisiana.

Half of the tithing amount went to The Salvation Army - to the local Gulf Coast Floods program through the Mississippi affiliate. The Salvation Army's mission statement is:

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

The other half of this month's tithing went to the Red Cross - specifically to the Louisiana Flooding efforts. They typically provide shelter and emergency supplies to people affected by disasters. The mission statement of the American Red Cross is:

"The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors."

More about them, from their website:

   The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

KJets

#11 Photography : Pregnancy Announcement

In August, I had the privilege of being the photographer for my older brother and his wife for their pregnancy announcement photos!  

I love those smiles!

Being a bit of a Pinterest junkie, I had a lot of fun sharing and discussing ideas of poses and shots. There's such a fun, never-ending supply of portrait ideas on there. They already had most of their ideas set though, and I hope I was able to help them capture what they wanted!

I, personally, have a bit of a soft spot for baby shoes, and may have gone a bit overboard in getting baby shoe photos 8-o 

This was my first attempt to do something with photography for a project other than just personal enjoyment, and I had a blast! I would love to do more photography like this, especially if I had better editing software than the automatically loaded Microsoft photo program (if y'all have a free/inexpensive editing program that you love using on your computer, let me know in the comments! I'd love to get some ideas!).

Story time!

I am overjoyed for these two! They've been working towards this for a while, and it's so beautiful to see them achieving this dream of theirs. I can't wait to be an aunt and... have a legitimate excuse to buy *all* of the baby shoes ;-) 

"Behind the scenes," before we went inside (there's a baby!! yay!) 

KJets

July Review (Month 7 of Quests)

July 2016 Questing Report

Quests Completed

Eek!  None this month :-o

Quests-in-Progress

Quest # 1: Biographies

I didn't complete a biography this month (that was disappointing... I got halfway through though and plan to finish it in August). I did, however, read an idea-inspiring book on how to start your own business, "The $100 Startup" by Chris Guillebeau (click the link to check out this, as well as his other books).  I plan to pay off car and school loans before I start on my big, dream jobs/businesses. But, this book inspired me to think more about potential "side hustle" ideas.
On a side note: Chris Guillebeau's website/blog is great for those who like to travel and live full on less.

Quest # 3: Tithing

Although I have been wanting to put money toward a cause to help with civil rights in the country,  it wasn't until I saw that the KKK was doing some of their own marketing in my State that I decided for sure I would donate to Black Lives Matter.  Because,  frankly, they do matter,  and the way many of us behave now - automatically and often unintentionally -  indicates that deep down in our culture,  we somehow feel like they matter less. Here in the South (because I can't speak for elsewhere) I feel like racial inequality is a problem often overlooked by white people until someone of color points out the injustice,  and then they are labeled as whiny and ungrateful (at best). I've heard more than once here that "they should stop complaining so much! Life here is way better for then then in many parts of the world."  I'm not going to say there isn't some truth to that. But,  as a woman - who also happens to hear that line a lot in reference to women - I get sick of that comeback.  I *am* grateful that I live in a country that allows for more equality than many others. But,  no,  that does not mean we sit back and rest on our laurels now,  y'all.  There is always room for improvement,  and we can be so much better than we are now.  So,  I do support the Black Lives Matter movement,  because they do.

Quest #5: Performance

Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (GMHG)  is the largest Highland Games/Scottish Festival in North Carolina (my blog post about it here).  It's held on Grandfather Mountain,  in the beautiful western North Carolina. Although it was roasting down in the Piedmont,  the weather on the mountain was a heavenly low-80's with a cool breeze.  If you've never been to a Highland game festival,  I recommend checking one out. The bagpipes and men in kilts alone are worth the ticket money.

Quest #27: Family

My younger brother and I did a road trip up to the mountains again,  to pick up some furniture and to help him and some other friends move. He's a good road tripping buddy! 

Coming up next:

Quest # 1: Biographies

Finish my July Biography, Michelle Obama: A Life by Peter Slevin.

and... continue with ongoing Quests!

KJets

#13 Garden

August Update: Although waaaaaaaay smaller than I was originally intending, I have created a little herb and veggie garden for myself on the back deck. I have successfully *not killed* at least half of the plants. So, I consider this a win for this year -_^

The herb garden started off as mint, basil, and sage, but when the sage died I tried lavender (which then, also perished). I now have mint (top) and thyme (bottom). I'm learning that, for now, I need to keep trying until I find a plant I can really jive with. Like, some plants take way too much care that I can't give them, and others are resilient enough to survive my negligence (I'm getting better! I've started getting into more of a routine for watering and checking on them. Everything takes practice, right? -_^). The basil has been revived more than a few times. I keep forgetting to water it on these sunny, summer days. I am pretty impressed with the plants that have survived.

My veggies have been peas and tomatoes. My pea plant got root rot, but did not officially bite the dust until after it produced its first pea pod. So, I count that as a partial success with a learnable moment: make sure that you put rocks at the bottom of the pot before putting in potting soil; the drainage is apparently absolutely necessary for plant health. My tomato plants were grown from organic seeds, and have been really flourishing, with very little assistance from me. Somehow it keeps getting caterpillars though... not sure how that happens on a screened-in porch. I have had several cherry tomatoes at this point, and have a couple more maturing now. Not necessarily a bountiful harvest, but it's been more than I've ever been able to cultivate in the past. Huzzah for progress!

KJets

#5 : Performance - Samantha Fish, blues singer

On July 29th, I met up with friends to eat food truck foods and enjoy the music of a local blues performer, Samantha Fish, at the Durham Central Park.

Our evening ended with drinks at the rooftop bar of the the historic hotel The Durham. It was pretty swanky! 

KJets