Hello 2011!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!  My Christmas was amazing - I got to spend time with family and friends, plus I got a few new toys to enjoy in the coming year.  My kitchen adventures can now include an immersion blender and a waffle iron, and I can get some more reading done (hopefully) with my new Kindle.  I consciously took some time to relax and enjoy the holidays, so I'm starting the new year feeling revitalized and excited for what's ahead.  There are definitely going to be some changes in my life this next year (I'm not talking the resolution-type).  Starting in May, I'm going to begin a 2-year house-sitting job (well, between 18 and 24 months) - meaning I might actually get to feel settled in one place for a while.  These last 2 years things with my job have been very up in the air, and I've never known how much longer I might be there so I've sort of always remained packed and ready to pick up and move again.  And I have to say, I don't know how military and other more mobile people do it!  It's very mentally taxing to never be sure whether you're staying or going, at least for me.

Speaking of my job, it ended last month.  It's just no longer going to be funded, but that's alright.  I loved my job, but it wasn't what I wanted to settle permanently into (which is a good thing, since it never was permanent).  I had hoped it would continue a little longer, so I had more time to get some other pieces into place, but oh well.  That's how things go sometimes.  My main goal this year is to get on track for a masters degree, so I'm going to do some temping to pay the bills while keeping my eyes open for opportunities more related to my career track.  And I'm going to do some volunteering to hopefully get my foot in the door, as well as build some more contacts for the grad school application process.

As for my free time, I wouldn't say I have resolutions or goals so much as aspirations - a list of things I'd like to see/try/do in the coming year:
- Canning: Last year I canned jam and applesauce.  This year I'd like to try salsa, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce.  And I'd like to make enough that I can share with friends and family.
- Gardening: I'd really like to join a CSA, but since I'm currently unemployed I can't justify spending such a large chunk of money.  If I can start working in the next week or two, then I might change my mind.  Regardless, I'd still like to work on improving my container gardening skills (because believe me, there's a lot of room for improvement!).  I'm thinking of making my own self-watering containers and trying to keep it simple - tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and some herbs.  Maybe some salad greens as well if I feel ambitious.
- Composting: House-sitting means I'll have a yard in which to start a compost bin!
- Baking: Simply put, I want to experiment with bread baking - especially making rohlicky (Czech crescent rolls) and baguettes.
- Knitting: I'm comfortable knitting and purling.  In a straight line.  I've yet to try anything more complicated than a seed stitch, and I haven't knitted in the round.  So this year I'd like to get more adventurous with my knitting.
- Scrapbooking: Make time to scrapbook.  Period.  I'm ashamed to say, I haven't scrapbooked since April!
- Social: I love doing stuff with friends, but my current space is too small to have more than one person over at a time, and I feel bad about my friends always having to host.  Since I'm watching my money, I don't want to always go out to dinner or a movie.  Once I'm moved into the house, I'd like to start up regular potlucks/game nights/social events where we all take turns hosting (and don't worry, the homeowners already know about this and are fine with it).

I can't wait to see what 2011 brings!