projects progress...a 50x50 update...

While I haven't written an update lately, I have been continuing to check things off the old 50 x 50, at least when I remember to. It's now been a little more than a year since I began, and when I look over my progress I think I'm fairly satisfied. Certainly some of the goals are coming along much more easily than others. I can't believe I have two which are at least halfway done now (goal #8--Donate 50 trunk-loads full of stuff to charity thrift store, etc. and goal #15--Try 50 new recipes). And there are several more that I'm at least a fifth of the way through (goal #10--Support 50 different independent local businesses, goal #16--Bake 50 different kinds of cookies, goal #18--Can/freeze/dry/otherwise preserve 50 different things, goal #30--Do 50 different environmentally friendly things, and #38--Read 50 books borrowed from someone else). Of course, these are balanced out by several goals that I haven't even begun yet. ;)

Yesterday saw me adding to a couple of goals. I managed to add two things to goal #22--Make 50 one-of-a-kind gifts. But truth is, one of them might have to come off sometime in the future. Yeah, this was not a well thought-out goal...because how can I always be sure that I won't eventually make "another" of something even if I don't have plans to at the moment. Oh well, for the time being, I added this chunky hat that I made to put in Annie's stocking:

Gray graciously offered to model it for me. I didn't realize he had this goofy face in mind, but who am I to complain--as I had no other model available at the time. :P But this is actually a hat I could see myself making again sometime. It was super quick to make (gotta love chunky yarn!) and I think it's a cute little hat. I used this free pattern but did make a few changes to it.









I also whipped up a dishcloth for my Mom's stocking, using a basket-weave stitch. Probably won't make another of these...I love a basket-weave stitch for a lot of things, but am not thrilled with for a dishcloth. Oh well, live and learn, huh?

Last night, I also managed to knock another off goal #11--Watch 50 documentaries. Though it might be considered cheating, as it's actually the third time I've watched this particular movie. (It's the first time I've watched it since starting the 50x50 so I've decided it's legit...and since it's my project, I make the rules, right? :P ) Anyway, I asked the boys if they wanted to watch a Christmas movie last night. They went to the movie cupboard, and came back with Food Inc. Yeah, not exactly a Christmas movie, but they both really wanted to watch it, and the rest of us had no objections to seeing it again so we went for it. I have to admit that I thought there was a possibility that the boys were going to tune out, but that definitely wasn't the case. Gray, especially, loved it!!! Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised though--Chew On This (Eric Schlosser's young people's version of Fast Food Nation) is one of his all-time favorite books. He was at times enthralled, disgusted, shocked, and inspired watching Food Inc. (Yeah, pretty much like me even during my third viewing.) We had to pause the movie multiple times, as he asked so many salient questions. And as an added bonus, he came away with a desire to actually help us in the garden next year. :)

Today should see me adding another check to goal #15--Try 50 new recipes. I'm going to try out a recipe for Ribbon Pumpkin Bread to take to my parents' tomorrow. If it's as divine as it sounds, I'll be sure to share the recipe. And in the meantime, I hope all of you celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow have a positively peaceful and relaxing holiday! And for those you not celebrating, I hope you have a damn fine day as well!