My List Accomplishments

Max has no goals, which I feel this picture demonstrates.

Remember my list?

Okay, you probably don't remember. When my husband left to work in Germany for 9 months I made myself a bucket list of sorts. The goal was to force myself to live my life to the fullest, even though I was alone. I have not been recording it very well, but I am making slow and steady list accomplishments! 

That hole was so easy to dig, just like a big shovel test. 

I planted a tree. Do not worry arborists, I planted this tree in the fall when it was appropriate (I know all of my readers were deeply concerned). Her name is Wanda and she is a Brown Turkey Fig tree. I did my research (there is a Brown Turkey Fig tree up the street) and I know it will grown in my climate. It should also produce this summer, if I can manage not to kill it. She is small, but cute!

Wanda in the ground

Turns out planting a tree is just like shovel testing, meaning, I just had to dig a hole and put the tree in it. But, now I have a tree!

I went trail running last Saturday. It was beautiful and rewarding. The sun was shining and we were having a freakishly warm day (I mean in the 70 degrees Fahrenheit range). I liked it. Driving to run seems a little silly to me, so this will be a sometimes treat. 

This is totally a posed picture, I did not bring my camera running silly!

Okay, I am saving the best for last! This is actually the reason I have been an itinerant blogger lately. I have been obsessed with quilting. 

I can not believe I turned this fabric...

 into a bunch of little squares,

which I sewed together and added applique circles.

Then I trimmed the fabric,

 and added a border.

 And attached to a batting, then tried to add a backing. It turns out the cat loves quilting. It is the MOST fun thing a cat can do to slide across the living room on fabric. Tunneling under fabric is pretty fun too.

Sewing machines are less fun, but make great human hunting blinds.

After some intense cat battles and some actually quilting, I got this! (full disclosure: it is not actually done, it still needs trimming and binding).

It is a beautiful and rewarding thing. There are tons of mistakes and little things that will bug me. But, I am a beginner. I have gained so much confidence in my sewing! The reason the binding is not finished is I had to start my second quilt (I do have a solid start on my binding and I will probably bring it when I have to go to Savannah at the end of the month). The next quilt is going to be a gift for someone and I am operating on a deadline.

Unfortunately, that person reads this blog. So, no pictures until after the deadline.

Back to sewing! Happy Sunday!

Corn Maze!

Hello loyal readers!

I have had a crazy October. Allow me to list the states I have worked in this month: Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina (x2), Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland. Oh yeah, I also went to a conference in New York State. I think I have been home for a week. Not that I am complaining. I have gotten to work on cemeteries, in the city, in the country, and at both prehistoric and historic sites.

I have been a little sleep deprived and my kitten hates me, well, he will get over it and I will catch up at some point. I will won't I? Right?

Before I left for my epic journey, I gathered up some of my dear friends and went a corn mazing!

After a thorough internet search I selected McKee's corn maze outside of Hillsboro.

None of us had ever done this corn maze thing. Here we are at the beginning, ready to head off a journeying..

First we had to go on a tractor ride, hehe!

When we started, we were each given a ticket. In the maze there were stations where we could punch the ticket. The goal was not just to get out, but to complete your ticket. The record was apparently about an hour and a half. 1.5 hours, for truth. This is a grown-up maze.

They have a maze for babies too. Remember the good old days, when life was so much simpler?

We felt we could handle the whole twelve acres. We came in with a plan, in retrospect we probably over thought the maze concept. We also did not account for the randomness of the whole punch stations. It turns out that only turning one direction really will only get you to the exit, not the punch stations.

Julie looks a-mazing (sorry, had to do it).

We got through the whole maze in about 20 minutes! Whoopee! Except, we only had 3 punches. Then, we turned around and started looking for punch stations.

Josephine is so jaunty looking in this picture.

At this point, things started getting frustrating. We were retracing our steps and sending out scouting parties (no joke). When we found a punch station we would get all excited! Energy renewed!

Then the sun started going down. We started getting hungry. Who knew you should pack food and water for a corn maze?

I wish I could tell you we persevered and finished the maze. We has to stop. It was time to eat.

I was feeling a little bad about this until I saw all of the other tickets. Most people gave up after 3 or 4 punches. Wusses!

This was totally a value, about 3 hours of entertainment for only $8.

Success?

Somehow wandering amongst the corn stalks managed to feel both wholesome and creepy. It seems like a lot of scary movies involve corn fields. Farms seem so wholesome though.

List item checked off for the win!

My List

Thank you friends for all of your great suggestions! I am very excited about my list (and my year).

1. Pancetta. That is right, I think this is the next step up from bacon. We shall call it advanced bacon. It hangs up to cure.

2. Backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I want to go somewhere and sleep in the woods. There will probably be jelly beans, beef jerky, and canned beer. That is what you eat when backpacking.

3. Make a quilt. On my sewing machine. Probably a small one.

4. 3 new restaurants outside of Chapel Hill. Get out, experiment, try new things.

5. Cooking (or baking) class. There are things I can learn, for sure.

6. Concert in town. This could happen more than once, inspiration may strike.

7. Picnic. You know, I am sort of too lazy for picnics. You have to make food, then pack it, then go somewhere. Why not just eat then go to the place? But not this year. Bring. it. on.

8. Friendship bracelet. This could happen soon. Stay tuned.

9. Trail running. Sometimes I run on roads, I need to branch out.

10. Volunteer with REI. I will help build the trail I walk on.

11. Dance class. I am not even sure this is possible. I will look into it.

12. Kayak. I have never done this before. It seems like fun.

13. Go to Saxapahaw. This will include hiking and probably duck fat fries.

14. Climb to the highest point in Orange County. That is North Carolina (not California). It is not very high.

15. Plant a Tree.

16. Jam exchange with Rachel.

17. Play poker. This I used to do in middle school, I am grown up now. I still think I will not play for keeps. I am not that grown up.

18. Make a piece of art. Maybe painting, perhaps collage. We shall see how my muse moves me.

19. Happiness list. My mom suggested this one, make a list of things I am happy about. Can do.

20. Go to scrap exchange in Durham. I have never been there, but I like strange stuff.

21. Make pasta. All of the way from semolina flour to noodles.

22. Have a mustache party. With paper, not hair. Hair has been done. Plus, I can not grown a mustache.

23. Swimming. Lap swimming, not playing in the water.

24. Go to a festival. Probably a close one by one. I am pretty lazy.

25. Go to a museum. One with art or old stuff. I have not been to any of our local museums. For shame!

26. Salted chocolate covered caramels and Homemade Marshmallows. Enough said.

27. Forage persimmons. This is a long story. More later.

28. Visit corn maze. I have never done that. Sounds spiffy.

29. Make a paper crane. I could never do this as a child. I am now a mature adult, who can follow directions much better.

30. Go to or host a wine tasting. Then I can say more than, "I like it" or "Icky." Girl has got to have goals. If I host it, I might even have to do research. Right on.

Ok, time to get started. The list may be a little fall heavy, but I will make it work. This weekend might be a big one!

Gute Reise Derek!

My love left today. He is off to Germany to make research happen for his dissertation. I love him very dearly and saying goodbye today was terribly hard.

It is never easy to say goodbye. It is definitely not easy to say goodbye until Christmas. I cannot even think about the rest of the year. Thank goodness for Skype.

We have been having/attending many celebrations and events over the past couple of weeks. We wanted to do one last pork shoulder, one last time at our favorite restaurant, one last trip to the taco trucks, you know how it goes.

One last trip to Fullsteam.

Speaking of this, I am going to do a post about Derek's last United States dinner soon. Fennel pizza deserves its own post.

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Then, I took Derek to the airport and when I got home it was so quiet. Too quiet.

One last smoked pork shoulder.

I am going to miss that boy.

I am not a wallower though and I intend to keep myself busy for the next three (really ten) months.

I am a list maker and I am going to make a list of the exciting new things I want to try in the next year (307 days, but who is counting?) and get out of my comfort zone a little. Not that I need Derek away to step out of my box, but I need goals so I do not think too much about Derek being gone. I am thinking a I will make a list of 30 goals, get it 300 days?

In order to really get out of my comfort zone, I want help making this list. If I have any readers (Mom?), would you help me come up with suggestions for my year? If they are feasible, I promise to do it and document my efforts here.

Here is what I have so far:

1. Make pancetta.

2. Go backpacking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

3. Make a quilt.

4. Try a 4 new restaurants outside Chapel Hill (I have no idea where the number 4 came from).

5. Take a cooking class.

6. Go to a concert in town.

7. Go on a picnic.

8. Make a friendship bracelet.

9. Go trail running.

10. ?

Okay, I have nine so far. Help me out friends! I will think on this a bit and hopefully come up with 21 more... with your help? Please?