#32: get etsy shop up and running and sell 12 journals

I finally got my etsy shop, Literary Ruin, back up and running. Woohoo! A few years ago I set up this etsy shop to sell handbound journals I made from old books. Overwhelmed by school and teaching, the rest of the postings lapsed. I wanted to get it back up and make some more journals this summer, since I'm not working. Also, it's the only money I have coming in right now! I buckled down and put up four journals for sale the other day--two days later, I had sold two of them! Now there's five up for sale, which are all that I have made, so I need to get to making those 12 new ones for #31!

5 Easiest Tasks to Complete

These are the tasks which I seem to be having no problem completing! These are all tasks which couldn't be completed all at once, but which I'm finding I don't need anywhere near the whole 2.75 years to finish.

#3: Go on four walks in a week, 5x. I've already completed four of the five, I guess I had a need to get out of the house a lot! Plus, my friend in Escanaba likes to go for walks a lot, and one of these weeks included hiking in the Rockies.

#43: Go on five vacations. I've already gone on three vacations. I don't have any concrete plans for the next two, but I'm sure I'll manage two vacations in the next two years. Robert and I already have vague plans for a trip in the fall--something to celebrate his 30th birthday, my 25th, and our 4th anniversary. Woo!

#55: Grow my hair out. This one doesn't take too much work! Though, I know soon it'll be a length I don't like, and I'll want to cut it! Right now it's starting to look a bit too Justin Bieber for me, but I'm finding new ways to style it.

#76: Clean the bathroom once a week for a month, 3x. This has ended up being a lot easier than I thought, especially during the summer since I'm not working. I've decided Monday is my cleaning day, so I clean the bathroom, do some dishes, and either vacuum or clean the kitchen. It feels nice to keep on top of things before they get dirty.

#99: Watch 10 documentaries. I've watched six so far. And have at least five more in our Netflix instant queue right now.

#61: Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial

I've wanted to go to see the Crazy Horse Memorial ever since I learned about it. It is about 15 miles from Mt. Rushmore, just outside of Custer, SD. Begun in 1948, it is going to be a memorial of the Indian leader, Crazy Horse. Though his face is the only thing sculpted so far, when finished he will be riding atop his horse, pointing to the East (After loosing a battle for their land, an American general asked him, "Where are your lands now?" Crazy Horse pointed East and said, "My land is where my dead lie buried.") Entirely privately funded by donations, and entry fees to view the memorial, the original sculptor has passed away, but 7 of his 10 children continue the work on the mountain.

I found the Crazy Horse Memorial to be much more impressive than Mt. Rushmore. Part of this is just because of where my loyalties lie when it comes to the history of this country. I am much more impressed with the Crazy Horses of History than with the George Washingtons and Teddy Roosevelts. My sympathy lies with those who fought to protect their land and their dignity, rather than those that fought to steal land under a guise for freedom for all (read: rich white men). And so the Crazy Horse Memorial had a much more emotional appeal to it than Mt. Rushmore for me. Also, it is SO BIG! All four heads of Mt. Rushmore would fit inside Crazy Horse's head, with some room to spare.

Here's a contrast of the model (what it will look like finished) with a better view of what it looks like now:

#60: Go to 50 Farmer's Markets

Farmer's Market #1: Madison, WI.



So, Madison's farmer's market fills the entire sidewalk all around the entire Capitol building. It was probably the largest farmer's market I've ever been to--there were just so many vendors, and SO many people, it was hard to walk. But it was really fun! We even stopped and watched and enjoyed some skits by the Madtown Liberty Players--we especially liked their skits about the Gulf Oil Spill and predatory lending traps/bailouts.

It was great, but after awhile, we had got what we wanted to get, and then every table seemed like it had the same stuff, and there were sooooo many people, so we got out of the crowd and left. But it was great!