Something New: Week 52 and Conclusion

December 23 -- Watched "The Dark Knight Rises" with my family. Didn't really like it. It was just way too long. Also at church that day, I performed a new Christmas medley that I arranged.

December 24 --  Wrote our first note to Josh from Santa. Not sure how I feel about that. Tell me it's not dishonest. Got new pajamas from "The Elves", like every year.

December 25 -- Enjoyed a bunch of Josh's new Christmas toys. Tried to assemble a crazy complicated Mine Shaft marble track and failed. Also, I got my email account hacked for the first time, so I got to fix that. Sorry to everyone on my email list who got spam on Christmas!

December 26 -- Saw "Les Miserables" in the theater. Cried like a baby. Loved every minute of it, mostly for the emotion it was able to convey, but the singing wasn't bad either.

December 27 -- Used the new gadget I got for weighing my luggage. I love it. (We flew to AZ that night.)

December 28 -- Tried cookie butter on bread. It's a new favorite. Matt tells me I've had this before, but I don't believe I would forget something so delicious.

December 29 -- Met Kevin's parents (Matt's sister Stephanie's new in-laws). Steph went through the temple that day to be endowed before their wedding. Also, I wore a new skirt. Thank you, Santa.

December 30 -- Played the game Anomia with Matt's siblings. We got this game for Michelle for Christmas, and it's really fun and easy. If you like games and fast thinking, you should check it out.

December 31 -- Finally saw "The Hobbit" with Matt and Michelle. I thought it was great. Not close enough to the book, but a good story anyway. And that's how we welcomed in the new year!

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CONCLUSION

This has been a great and crazy year. I am so glad I made the goal to try something new every day, and here's why.

I just looked over all my weekly posts and tried to make a list of the favorite new things I experienced this year. I ended up with a piece of paper that is so crowded with words that it's barely legible! There was so much I enjoyed learning and tasting and reading throughout the year! Not everything I tried was easy (or delicious), but every single thing added something to my store of knowledge, or broadened my comfort zone in a significant way.

And even better -- since I wrote about something for each day, I can actually remember these experiences. I was able to look back and feel proud of myself, take an inventory of my year, sum up my mini accomplishments. I determined that 2012 was the most productive, interesting year I have ever lived, and it was also the year in which I have done the most growing up, by far.

In addition, I'm now in the habit of trying new things, and even seeking them out it advance. It has become an important part of my life.  I constantly have a mental list of things I'd like to try. For example, right now it's brussel sprouts, Romp 'n Stomp, driving a stick shift, homemade cassoulet, and a bunch of new books. For starters. :)

In conclusion, here are some summaries of my favorites. Because who doesn't love a good list?

New Favorite recipes:  Zupa Toscana, homemade soft pretzels, cauliflower mash, brownie mix cookies, creme brulee, Mexican mole, triple chip blondies, BJ's deep dish pizza crust, blueberry cobbler, donut muffins, tofu chocolate mint pie, bacon artichoke penne bake, Aspen oatmeal pancakes, toffee chocolate chip bars, maple bars, cobb salad with blue cheese, chicken and veggie skewers, homemade pickles, homemade vanilla extract, Cajun chicken pasta, and s'mores cookies.

New foods tasted:  fresh fennel, Alaskan halibut, tilapia, lobster mac, tofu, radishes, Ovaltine, acorn squash, Jolly Rancher chews, turkey bratwurst, cactus chili, purple green beans, gnocchi, canoli, turmeric, and stevia.

New beloved TV shows:  Sherlock Holmes, Prison Break, New Girl

New books read (not including the handful I started and never finished): The Hobbit, God's Smuggler, When Crickets Cry, Eat This Not That for Kids,  Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Northanger Abbey, The Secret Garden, Crossed, Matched, Persuasion.

New places visited:  Ludington, Leland, and Traverse City, MI; Lake Jackson and Tomball in Texas; Hoboken, NJ; Seattle and Bellevue, WA; the freakishly large Minneapolis airport; the Frankfurt, Germany airport; Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy.

And most importantly...

New skills developed:  teaching piano, driving a tractor, moving the lawn, using bleach in the laundry, clearing a computer with a virus, making uncomfortable phone calls, reading the news, speaking some Italian, staying home alone without Matt overnight, gardening, using a jigsaw and a blowtorch, not crying when my armpits are waxed, eating seafood without gagging, serving on the preschool board, conducting a presidency meeting, operating Instagram and Pinterest (sort of), talking to strangers, communicating about religion with people of other sects, singing in front of Primary.

I've met a lot of new people, learned to be a better teacher, discovered a lot of amazing foods, got in the habit of trying new things, became very involved in my community, and made a big crack in my shy shell. If any one of those things had been all I accomplished in 2012, this goal would be worth it. 2013 has some big shoes to fill!

Something New: Weeks 50 and 51

Super late...catching up after being gone forever...but here's my penultimate Try Something New post. Almost done!

December 9 -- Had the Schmidts over for dinner. They are seriously awesome people. Also went to a fun nativity night at our neighbor's house where the kids acted out the story of Jesus' birth. Josh refused to dress up. Jude was a little wise man king. On mushrooms.

December 10 -- Tried a new recipe: Jamaican spinach soup. Not bad, but not my favorite flavors (turmeric). I needed to get rid of some ingredients in my fridge.

December 11 -- Tried going to early to the Santa House so we wouldn't have to wait so long for our turn. Bad choice. Ended up at the back of a line anyway, and had to wait a long time in the the freezing cold for Santa to show up. We didn't dress in warm enough clothes either. Not going early next year.

December 12 -- Came across this video about weird Utah Mormon names. It's worth sharing.



December 13 -- Finally wore my new red skinny jeans. It was Josh's Christmas party at school, so I paired it with bright green so I'd look like an elf. Because I'm an awesome mom.

December 14 -- I finally had my first piano recital for my very own students!!! This has been a longtime goal of mine, to have enough students to put on a small recital. There were seven performers, twelve songs, five families, and about a dozen elderly people gathered in the lobby of their assisted living center. The recital only lasted about twenty minutes, but it was just right. Even Josh performed the one song he knows: "Hot Cross Buns". I'm so, so mad at myself for not getting any kind of photo or video that night. What kind of a mom doesn't get a picture of her son's first piano performance?? I take back the awesome mom comment already.

December 15 --  Flew out of the new terminal at MBS. It's really nice, for a small airport. Saw the Palmers' sweet California pad for the first time.

Posted by Vanessa on Facebook

December 16 -- Went to my Vanessa's ward and learned about Women Wear Pants to Church Day, which I was completely unaware of due to my inactivity on Facebook. It was definitely celebrated in the Bay Area. Hmph. It seems like there are a bunch of women who really don't understand their own religion if they think wearing pants is going to make God decide to give them the Priesthood. No one ever said you can't wear pants, but congratulations on getting a bunch of negative press for the Church so the world can think we don't value women. I'm all about girl power, but don't get me started on this one...

December 17 -- On a lighter note...caramel apple frozen yogurt from Cookies and Yogurt. Amazing! Why is there no frozen yogurt where I live?! What did I ever do to deserve this?!

December 18 -- Flew to Seattle with Matt for work. (Left the kids at Grandma's house, thank you very much.) Neither of us had been there before, but it was quite nice and really cold. We found out that snow follows us everywhere. What did they think we were running away from by leaving Michigan in December??

Who doesn't like a little snow on their palm trees?

That night we also experienced Pagliacci's "Pear Primo" pizza in Bellevue. That's right, pizza with pears on it. It shouldn't be good, but it was actually really tasty. I'd make it at home.

December 19 -- Explored the fancy Bellevue area while Matt went to meetings. Bought nothing but food all day. SUCH good food! Top Pot doughnuts, Red Mango yogurt with bobo balls, Oil and Vinegar's pear balsamic, Jamba Juice (of course), Bis on Main's Alaskan Halibut...yes I ate fresh fish in Seattle and it was beyond amazing. Here's proof:

See how I'm holding fish up to my nose and not even gagging??

December 20 -- You know this is gonna be more about food. Our last morning in Seattle, we had the best bagels we have ever eaten at Gilbert's. Seriously...all I wanted for Christmas was just ONE of these places to move to Midland. Just ONE!

December 21 -- Crocheted my first pair of boot cuffs. My mom showed me some that she bought at a boutique, but we couldn't find them anywhere else. I just Googled a pattern and whipped some up for her for Christmas. And for my three sisters, too. I can't resist a good cheap gift, and they were so easy to make. Check out this link and you'll see how to wear them.

December 22 -- Saw the movie "Pitch Perfect" with my siblings. They are obsessed. It was a funny movie. It made me wish that I had an a capella voice, and it made me love this song.