Well, it’s early July– mid-year 2024.

I’m taking this moment to check in to see how things are going with respect to my goals/plans/dreams/chores for 2024. Starting with the FB group, 224 Workouts in 2024, I’m a little behind, clocking in at 108 workouts. However, with two months of summer left and two fun active vacation trips left, I’m not too worried about finishing on time.

Then there is the matter of the 24 things to do in 2024 list I made back in Februrary. Okay. Well. Might as well go through it now… 🙂

re writing each day: yes, that’s working. I’ve ramped it up this summer, unsurprisingly, because I have more time. Yay! I’ve made it a bigger priority, and am really enjoying it.

What about those kitchen appliances lying fallow on my counter– the Insta-Pot, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, and bread machine? Have I started making use of them?

Sadly, no, no and no. I do have aspirations to start using the Instant Pot, but it’s not clear the others are going to play a big role in my kitchen life this year. I’m cooking more than I did last year, but am sticking to more simply prepared foods. Also, I’m eating less meat, which is one of the big uses of an Instant Pot (how was that for an excuse?) As for the others: they continue to languish…

However, I have better news for the next two items:

• Learn to make more plant-based meals and make them for myself and friends
• Make more progress on reducing my consumption of animals; I stopped eating pork last October, and am working this year on eliminating beef from my diet

Yes and yes! I’m eating much less beef, more tofu and plant products, and have also given up shrimp. It’s slow progress toward a vegetarian diet, but it feels steady and doable.

re travel; I’m executing my plan for go to the Chatauqua conference in upstate NY with my beloved aunt Cathy this July– next weekend. My next blog post will be from there where I’ll report on what it’s like to be a grown-up on a summer camp-like vacation.

re other travel plans: beach with family (check), August trip to Canada for Lake Huron fun and Samantha’s birthday party (planning to check this), celebrate my sister’s birthday somewhere fun (ditto), and go to a meditation retreat (deferred until Jan 2025). Not too bad.

I’ve been to some online academic conferences, but plans to go in person didn’t happen this year. Again, I’m deferring academic travel until next year.

Yes, I am meditating (almost) every day; I missed July 4th after an 85-day streak. Sigh. But it’s the one-day streak of today that counts…

Now we get to the not-yet done or even attempted items: I’ve not been swimming regularly at home (on vacations, yes, but…) I just haven’t committed to it. Nor have I been to weekly in-person yoga– I go from time to time and do it via zoom.I’ve cycled, but not yet once a week. This one I’m not giving up on– it’s just going to take a bit more planning, as I am wimpy about riding in the heat.

On to books: Yes, I’m reading a lot more, including books in my house, book club books, and recommendations from friends and the internet. Yay! And I’m doing some drawing and crafting, although there are only so many hours in the day. Amirite?

But, I’m saying yes to more social outings with friends and family, and also expressing gratitude to myself and others for the abundance of goodness in my life.

So, plans for the second half of 2024: make more time for cycling, some time for swimming, some time for yoga, and maybe find that bread machine a loving home in the country with a family who will use it.