It Is Good to Have Goals (aka: Annual Exercise in Foolishness)

Go ahead and save yourself some time -- set the Hilarity Index to "high" because it is the annual setting of the goals season.   And, yes, gentle reader, in the face of all my previous experience, I am going to set some.  Hey, there's always hope, right?

Before I get to the actual goaling, I want to show my intentions are pure.  So, starting as I mean to go on allow me to unveil my blue jay:

This is the pure ole jay that's been hauling around with me for several months trying to be started, but always suffering from the curse of the black silk -- the wrong silk, no silk, you know the story.  Anyway, there he is.  Before you faint from shock at my show of commitment, you should know that I intended to finish him today.  I got distracted.  There was sleeping in, the Rose Parade (the best parade in the whole world... not that I'm biased), the family walk to the swamp (errr, wetlands) to visit the ducks (who had the good sense to be elsewhere), and there was outdoor hockey to cheer at---

Sorry, Blackhawks.  Good show Capitals!   And, to cap off the day, there was Fiddler on the Roof at Arena Stage courtesy of my dear brother in law who took us as part of our Christmas.  If you get the chance, do go.  It was a very nice production.

Ok, I'm stalling, back to the topic of the day..... Goals.  Go ahead and save yourself some time -- set the Hilarity Index to "high"--

This humble badger's goals for 2015:
Stitching:  I think I'd like to aim for 24 finishes this year -- 12 ornies and 12 significant projects
At the moment the projects foremost on my mind are the following (categorized by how I think of them)

• Daunting:
• By the Bay's Serenity Harbor sampler SAL -- the one fresh start on this list
• needlepoint flag (about 10% done -- just boring basketweave)
• Ellen's flag  (about 20% done -- languishing due to largeness)
• Ethel (needlepoint) (about 30% done -- I spend most of my time staring at it and figuring out what stitch to do next)
• Mrs. needlepoint  (maybe 3% started -- got set aside in efforts to finish auction items, small gifts, and exchanges.  I think February will be the Month of the Mrs.)
• Boothy's KandQ  (maybe 2% in -- damn color changes)
• Tish's Ladies Day (needlepoint)  (probably 65% done -- sky, hair, faces, and jewelry remain)
• Ewe and Eye/Trilogy -- Rose City Stitchers  (probably 45% done -- other things seemed more important)
• Artists Collection summer barn quilt needlepoint (maybe 8% in -- It's mine so it can't be all that important, but I'd like to finish it to see if I want to do the other seasons before they are no longer painted.) 
• Friendly Stitchers' A-Stitch-A-Week sampler  (I believe I have all my boxes done, and 3 or 4 filled in.  I got sidetracked coming up with perfect fillers for the squares. And it's mine so it is never very urgent.)
• Large:
• Susan Roberts' engineer nutcracker needlepoint  (about 3% in -- a present which needs to be done for next Christmas-- so by August/September)
• Waterweave's Eagle Eyes "Darryl" needlepoint  (about 28% done -- lots of color changing, lots of color differentiating, and a stitch guide that was a laughable waste of money -- great canvas; TERRIBLE guide.  It's mine too.)
• Dawn of Spring SAL  (probably 70% done -- I got hung up beading a row... lots and lots of beading)
• Carriage House Samplings' A Mind Independent and Free  (about 7% done -- over-one.  My enthusiasm for over-one is limited.)
• Manageable:
• plum floral fan needlepoint (65% done -- need to do the handle, couching, and figuring out how to do the flowers.)
• olives ornies needlepoint  (maybe 3% in -- fun, but not important;  but they take a lot of space up because they are on a long canvas so getting them done would help out my stitching bags.)
• Painted Pony Home of the Brave ornie needlepoint  (50% done -- lots of fiddly color changes)
• Blackbird Designs' America  (45% done -- somewhere my count got off)
• Beau Geste Santa banner ornie needlepoint  (about 5% in -- coming up with multiple small stitches is a pain the the fanny.)
• Golden Gate Bridge ornie needlepoint  (80% done -- I need to do it on my stitching stand and I usually don't haul that out-- just lazy.)
• Stitch Specialists' Tree of Stitches  (about 50% done -- I got busy envying everyone else's.)
• powwow shawl dancer needlepoint  (about 75% done -- background, hair, face, and bead fringe)
• Quaker a la Six Mains (90% done -- just need to custom the wording)
• Beau Geste Santa hiker ornie needlepoint (about 3% in -- finding small stitches... still)
• Smalls:
• big tree ornie  (about 1% in)
• leeping sheep ornie  (probably 45%)
• Drawn Thread bird wreath ornie  (probably 40%)
• pending new start ornie exchange with Jenn  (pending = 0.0%)

Because I get so enthused seeing everyone's activities in Blogland, I joined a series of SALs and challenges.  I'm rationalizing that they will help keep me focused and active.  Yeah, right.  You know you are all going to have to help keep me on track.

SAL's/Challenges joined:
Stitching from Stash 2015 (approx. $25/month)
Friendly's Getting It Done in 2015 (focusing on, well,getting stuff done)
Smalls 2015 (post the last Wednesday of every month;  trying for one every month-- two would make me blissful!)
Turtle Trot 2015  (10 projects to pick and deal with and post about on the 10th of every month-- happily, as you can see from the above list, I have no shortage of opportunities for this one)
Edited to include:   Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness (posting the 15th of the month)

On the book front I was really good in 2014 and I hope to continue that trend in 2015.  I've set my Goodreads goal at 65 and hope to read a page more than I did last year, but really I aim for not getting bogged down in anything.  Life's to short for boring or annoying books.

Ok, beyond the goals for 2015, allow me to share a little of my inspiration of the current moment.  My sister-in-law was an amazing quilter (God rest her soul).  Here in the Blue Suite where I write to you from tonight, my bed is covered with one of her beauties-- a calendar quilt.  Here's May for your enjoyment --

And here's a piece of her's that lives in St. Louis right now but used to hang in the Blue Suite.

Oh, before I wander off I have happy news.  Princess is home and enthroned in her favorite chair by the fireplace.  She was boarding with the vet while we were in St. Louis and she had congestive heart failure.  Poor dear had IVs and and oxygen tent.  But she's back to her somewhat friendly, blind-ish and deaf-ish, but pretty self.

Good night and here's to 2015 treating us all well.