Looking Forward

Dear Readers,

The year of 2015 has certainly been a full one.  It has held some of the hardest things I've ever had to go through, but also allowed me one visit with each of my sisters and their families, Amy once at my house, and Amy and her family once at her house, at Christmastime.  This was certainly pleasurable, to say the least. 

But reviewing the year is something I decided not to do this time.  (Although later I might write a recap of my visit with Amy, for anybody who's interested.)  Instead, I'm looking to the future. Just like John Thornton. :P 

I don't exactly do "resolutions," but I thought I might make a 2016 Bucket List.  Not to imply, of course, that I intend to kick the bucket at the end of 2016.  But these are things that, if it all works out, I am planning on doing or at least trying to do. 

2016 Bucket List

~Make a brand new Regency ballgown, since my last model is from way back in 2012.  (I think.)  And hope that they will have the ball this autumn to wear it to. 

~Try contacts again, since I haven't done so since 2009, when I wouldn't have needed them half as much as I do now, and hope that they will work out this time, because I'm tired of having to wear glasses almost all the time.  This was not my intention in getting glasses, haha.

~Blog at least an average of twice a month. 

~With a combination of reading and listening to audiobooks in the car, get through at least 25 books. (I'm a slow reader, guys.) *

*There are certain books that I particularly want to finish this year. Those in bold are books I intend to review on this blog.

Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery 

Pride and Prejudice and Kitties by Pamela Jane

Lady Susan by Jane Austen (sadly, I have not read this all the way through yet)

Emma by Jane Austen (this I HAVE read, but I fancy reading it again)

A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh

Other Plans and Expectations for 2016

Tomorrow-- or perhaps today, when you are reading this-- well, in any case, on January 4th I will be taking three college classes.  College and I have had some... interesting run-ins.  For the record, I actually graduated from high school so long ago that, if I had entered college right away and was on a 4-year path to a bachelor degree, I would actually be graduating from college THIS MAY.  2016 was, when I was about 13-15, the year I thought about very distinctly as When I Graduate From College, and of course as soon as I had my degree in elementary education I would get a teaching job to start in the fall of 2016. 

Ha.

Looking back on that now, it's hard to believe that actually that much time has passed, and I actually am as old as my 13-year-old-self was thinking ahead to.  Well, I don't feel like it.  Not at all.  

In any case, my college history is as follows. If you are curious, read it.  If not, skip it. ;)

>>In my junior year of high school, I took a U.S. History class for the whole year, as dual credit, from Community College 1.  CC1 has what they call "quarters"-- Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.  So I tend to view it more as three terms, with summer being more optional, just like any other school. But anyways. For example, instead of, say, HIST101 and HIST102, they have 101-103, so three terms is the equivalent to two semesters elsewhere.

>>In my last semester of high school I started taking a writing class from Community College 2, which would be from Jan-May.  This class ended up being all about writing research papers and I opted to quit while there was time to withdraw honorably, because that one class was making me awfully stressed.

>>After that point I decided not to jump into college as soon as I graduated high school, and also decided that I didn't want to get a degree in elementary education. Although this still interests me, I didn't feel the same passion for it as I used to, certainly not enough to endure all the hard classes it would entail. I already knew how much I detested tests.  (Ha. haha.)

>>Much contemplation went on, I had a couple of different jobs, I tried to register for school and it didn't work, blah blah.  In winter 2015 I took a class from CC1 called Intro to Business Computing, my first step to trying to get an Office Specialist certificate. (I really want to work in an office. ;)) Due to a complicated life at the time, one of the last things I would have wanted was to take another class in the spring.

>>Last fall, I was applying for FAFSA and the results did not come in in time for me to register for that term.  When it did come in, I found out that there was enough to actually cover all my expenses-- but that's only going to be this year, due to the fact that it was based on my parents' taxes from 2014.  So I am pushing myself to take three classes this spring for the sake of finances, while working about 20 hours a week.  This will be... interesting.

The classes (which are all online--another story, haha) are Database Applications (aka learning all about Microsoft Access), Word Processing Procedures 1 (actually looking forward to this one! I love MS Word), and Records Management. (no idea what to expect there, honestly.)

But here's to plunging ahead and trying new things, eh?  (Although despite the fact that I've only taken one class since high school, I feel I have loads of experience with college.  Seriously, I probably know more about every degree I've looked into than the college advisors.)

As for blogging, I am looking forward to participating in Cinderella Week as much as spare time will allow.  I am planning to review the 2015 movie, but I am also working on Something Else and the Something Else keeps stealing attention away from that main project. :P (Also relating to Cinderella.)

I am also contemplating the fact that I have had this blog for five whole years. FIVE YEARS, PEOPLE.  How on earth did that happen?? 

There are some other things I am contemplating doing this year, but they are neither bucket list-y or concrete plans, so I will cover them at a later date.

I am soon to make over my blog.  (And yes, I was planning on doing that before I knew that Amy was planning to do it.)  The majority of you wanted a new design, so a new design ye shall have.  I had hoped to do that this week, but as I am going to try to participate in Cinderella Week, I am decided I will hold off on that and just change back to my old header and have a plain background.  Please note that starting on January 10th (and hopefully not lasting longer than a week), my blog will be closed to the public as I work on the new look and reorganization.  (Yes, I did steal THAT idea from Amy.)