I just had my unbirthday, which means (1) I’m halfway to 33 – ugh, this year is going by way too fast; and (2) it’s time for another 32 things update.  I feel like I just did one, but anyway.  Here we go again.

1.  First, a BIG one: Visit my BFF in Germany next summer (and maybe tack a week in Austria on there too).  I know this will be a challenge to pull off with a toddler, but we really want to try.  Hubby, R and I are all super excited.  Sadly, this isn’t going to happen this year.  We tried.  We looked for a good flight and just couldn’t find anything that wouldn’t be insanely tough on Peanut.  It’s a shame, because it’s probably the only time we would have had the chance to visit R on one of her overseas adventures – it seems like this may be the last one.  But it isn’t something we can do at our current stage of life, which is a pity.

2.  Write my grandmother at least once a month (I don’t expect replies, just want her to receive letters from me).  I have not been good about this AT ALL.  But I did knit her a cozy shawl and mail it to her with a letter, so that’s something.  I need to get on top of this ASAP, though.

3.  Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Greycliff.

4.  Run the 2013 Buffalo-Niagara YMCA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.  Such a fun race with my sisters-in-law!  Read my recap here.

5.  Read and blog about 20 classic books for The Classics Club.  Blogs posted for Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, Anne of Ingleside, Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside, Jane Eyre, Middlemarch and Excellent Women.  I’m currently working on balancing reading time with my new hectic schedule since going back to work, and have mainly been reading quick, cozy mysteries.  But I have some plans to knock off a few more classics soon..

6.  Make refrigerator jam.

7.  Re-read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series.  I can’t believe it took me so long to re-read this series, which I loved as a little girl.  My thoughts on experiencing the Little House books as an adult are right here.

8.  Join a group at church.

9.  Road-trip to Ithaca for a weekend.

10.  Knit a dress for Peanut.

11.  Learn to play three new piano pieces.

12.  Go to see Shakespeare performed in Delaware Park.

13.  Have a date night with hubby at Rue Franklin.

14.  Knit through 1/4 of my yarn stash.  Working on this!  I’ve made infinity scarves for myself and my mom, a scarf for my grandmother, two “practice” hats for myself, a slouchy beret for my sister-in-law, a neck warmer, and I’ve got another infinity scarf on the needles now.  I’ve done it all using stash yarn and I’m working on emptying one of my Rubbermaid tubs of yarn before we move next.

15.  Write a guest blog.  I have some kind offers (thanks, friends!) and some ideas.  Hoping to draft up posts and send them to my pals soon.

16.  Take Peanut for a bike ride in one of those hilarious trailers.  I’ve had my bike tuned up (had to – it’d sat for about two years, and I had to get it back in shape before I started training for the Five Boro Bike Tour) and I think I’ve picked out a bike trailer to buy for Peanut.  I’ve also scouted out a few fun-looking bike trails.  Can’t wait to get out for some family bike rides this spring and summer.

17.  Finish Level I of the Rosetta Stone French course.

18.  Spend a few days (a week if I can swing it) with my high school BFF and our kids.

19.  Knit a lace beret.  Done!  I knitted up a slouchy eyelet beret for my sister-in-law.  She loved it.

20.  Go to a Sabres game!  (Ideally, I’d also like them to win.  C’mon guys, for me?)

21.  Overcome my fear of baking bread – a holdover from last year.

22.  Get in the habit of better skin care – another holdover from last year.  Working on this, too.  I’ve gotten into a pretty good moisturizing routine.  Next I’d like to make time to exfoliate once or twice every week.

23.  Volunteer with Literacy New York – Buffalo-Niagara.  I worked with a student for several months before I had to back out – my work schedule was too hectic, and my student seemed to be in a place in life where her schedule didn’t support tutoring either.  But I loved getting to know her and helping her a little bit along in her journey.  I hope that when I have some more spare time, I can go back to this program.

24.  Knit a cozy shawl for my grandmama.  Done.  I actually sent the shawl to my other grandmother, who I thought would get more use out of it.  She loved it and that made me smile big.

25.  Go see a movie in the theater.

26.  Read South Riding, by Winifred Holtby.

27.  Buy a Sabres hockey jersey for Peanut.  (She already has a Cornell jersey.)

28.  Learn the Tunisian crochet stitch and make myself a scarf.

29.  Do some charity knitting.  I’m thinking hats for preemies?

30.  Read a book by Umberto Eco.

31.  Try out five new hikes in WNY.  We checked out Tifft Nature Preserve and had a wonderful, snowy walk.  (Look for spring, summer and fall posts to come).  And I’m planning plenty more hikes.  My inlaws love hiking, and so do our friends Zan and Paul, so I think we’ll have no shortage of friends for the trail.

32.  Another BIG one: buy a house.  This is FINALLY in progress!  Now that I have a job, we have a budget.  We just met with our realtor for the first time and are starting the process of seeing houses.  I can’t wait to be settled in our own space again.

Not bad.  I’m trying.  Lots of the smaller, less-commitment items – like reading books by Umberto Eco and Winifred Holtby, and knitting for Peanut, and the like, haven’t happened.  But it’s all about trying.  I’m trying hard to make this the best year I can.  That’s all I can do!