How’s it going?

Back in January I laid out my goals and intentions for this year. Here’s how things are tracking so far.

Family Trip to the UK

Looks like this is actually happening (!!) Everybody has passports. Flights, hotels and housesitters have been booked. We still need to file some paperwork and lock down transportation between cities but the itinerary is shaping up. I’m super grateful for Alan’s support as we navigate all the costs and planning. It’s going to be a stretch to pull it all together but I’m hoping this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the family!

Health Stuff

Dry January went great again. I have started dabbling in pilates on top of my typical yoga routine. Started taking pottery on the wheel on top of my watercolor practice.

However, once again, I’m failing miserably toward my ongoing goal to get in more steps. I’ve got nothing but excuses.

The other health-related goal I’m tracking right now is: can I eat 30 unique, whole, plant-based foods every week? I’ve been diligent with tracking but dang! It’s harder than it seems. So far I’ve only hit my plant diversity target for 7 out of 12 weeks this year. It’s tricky to incorporate enough distinct foods while also optimizing the budget for leftovers and storage space in the kitchen. However, I have found myself more likely to order crudite or a salad at a restaurant as I try to make up the difference.

_{A salad with persimmon and Humboldt Fog at Spring in Marietta.}

Old Stuff

One thing about me is: I like old stuff. This year I’ve been indulging my interest in historic preservation as much as possible. I attended a historic cooking demonstration where we interpreted sparse recipes from a cookbook written in 1885 and baked on a fire-burning cookstove from the 1850’s. I took a tour of the historic Herndon Home on Diamond Hill, a mansion built in 1910 by Atlanta’s first Black millionaire. Out of curiosity, I’ve also been sitting in on the Historic Board of Review and Historic Preservation Commission meetings in Marietta. While there are hundreds of historic homes and buildings in the City of Marietta, few of them are covered by districts with guidelines and even then, protection is not guaranteed. It’s been eye opening learning about the review functions across these committees—everything from signage approval for small businesses downtown to stop-work orders when renovations go wrong.

_{The historic Herndon Home c. 1910.}

Free Space

While I started off this year booked solid, I found myself with some surprise open space on the calendar this Spring. The extra flexibility has been a huge blessing. I’ve been able to wrap up projects around the house, fit in lots of coffee dates, make progress on fun vibe-coding ideas and spend meaningful time with my grandmother. She’s getting ready to downsize into an apartment from her condo where she’s been living for the last 20 years. It’s been a lovely change of pace running errands with her.

Feeling well-rested and bored in a good way, I’m starting to get itchy for new challenges.

Right now I’m thinking a lot about:

• How systems can improve our lives at work and at home
• How teams can jump from playing with AI to reliably realizing value
• How arts, crafts and homespun human creativity cuts through the swamp of slop

Reading / watching / baking

• Life Expectancy: A Memoir by Rachael Maddux
• The Pitt
• DTF St. Louis
• Shrinking, and The Confrontation from Les Mis
• Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model – prayers up for Miss J!
• The Muppet Show with Sabrina Carpenter
• Hamnet, Bugonia, Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Blue Moon and Train Dreams were fine but not my favorites)
• Coconut Cream Pie with Whipped Cream and Store-bought Crusts

This year, our cherry tree bloomed on March 11th and now all the petals are on the ground.