Today is my half birthday, which means I have now completed twenty-five years and six months on this here planet (I won’t count the nine months I spent hanging out in my mama’s womb). I’m not particularly sentimental about half birthdays, but because I spent some time ruminating on my twenty-fifth birthday and setting a list of things to accomplish back in March, I figured I ought to report back on my progress. After all, I shared my list in the interest of accountability, so I owe it to all my oh-so-interested readers to share what I’ve done so far. ;) So – let’s take a look!

• Pay off a loan. Completed 3/15!
• Sew myself a dress.
• Blog at least five times a month. On track as of September 15th!
• Drive in a big city.
• Send people birthday cards and gifts on time. On track as of September 15th!
• Work out weekly. On track as of September 15th!
• Learn how to use InDesign. Sorta-kinda in progress…
• Knit myself a sweater.
• Do more creative writing. On track as of September 15th!
• Start making Christmas gifts during the summer. Completed as of September!
• Make a pie with a lattice crust.
• Re-learn how to crochet.
• Get another tattoo.
• Read more poetry. On track as of September 15th!
• Take the GRE.
• Try hot yoga.
• Start and maintain an Etsy shop.
• Consistently make some of Moria’s food. On track as of September 15th!
• Knit a pair of socks.
• Call (or write to) far-away family and friends more frequently. On track as of September 15th!
• Visit a new country. Completed 8/13!
• Do more hands-on volunteering. Completed! (And I’ll continue to do more.)
• Super-secret private goal! Completed 4/12!
• Super-secret private goal! Workin’ on this one…
• Super-secret private goal!

I’ve fully completed five goals and am on track with eight others. Silly me for making a bunch of long-term goals that can really only be evaluated at the end of the year! I do have a fair number of discrete ones though, and I’ve gotta get started on those. Looks like I’ve got a lot of crafting to do in the next six months… and a tattoo to get. If only I weren’t so terrible at making decisions. I have lots of nebulous tattoo ideas, but nothing concrete yet. Yeesh.

I’m pretty happy with my progress. I’ll definitely accomplish a majority of my goals by the time I hit 26, and if I don’t make some of them, they won’t be the really important ones. So that’s something!

Anyway – that’s enough self-indulgence for a Saturday. I promise I’ll return with more Edinburgh yumminess soon. I meant to post earlier, but’s be a busy, busy week. I had to wear actual business clothes this week, and wearing heels always tires me out. Just kidding. Sorta. :)

To thank you for reading this, have a picture of Moria enjoying her (vegan!) adoptiversary cake!

Carrot-peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting and puffed millet “sprinkles”!

Yeah, my pup’s a little spoiled. ;)