Welcome 2014

I've decided to make "avant garde" as my 2014 theme. Not only is it one of my favorite challenges on Project Runway, I love the synonyms for this word.

I feel like I've begun pushing myself outside of my comfort zone in 2013 and want to continue this avant garde way of living and thinking into this new year.  

I have also made a list of goals (resolutions) for 2014.  Hopefully I can stick with this list.

1. Keep at least at 3.0 gpa.  Sounds simple but grades are just not a priority for me this time around.
2. I have a hard time just sitting still- I would like to go to the reservoir (or somewhere similar) and just sit with Sally. Even if I only do this once it would be progress.
3. Get up early at least one day a week for some me/God time. Also I won't be rushed and my day will hopefully be better because of this.
4. Join a bible study-possibly rejoin my Redeemer group or check out the single girl's group at Fondren Church that a classmate invited me to join.
5. Be more intentional with dating and what I expect from my dating life. Yikes...this might be the toughest goal.
6. Go on at least three really good dates with a man or men that are worthy of me.
7. Paint my house shutters, my bathroom and the guest room (trim included in this room).
8. Have a dinner party at my house that would make Martha Stewart proud.
9. Plant a vegetable garden on the side of my house.  Nothing big, maybe just squash or something simple for my first time gardening.  The worst part of this is going to be digging out all the weeds in this area of my yard.
10. When I come to anything with my former married name on it, I will change it immediately. Procrastination leads to that name still hanging around after a year.
11. The obligatory lose weigh resolution.  I'd like to get to my graduated school weight which is about 15 pounds lighter than I am now. Maybe I'll start wearing pants again if I can shed a few pounds. 

As for the blog in 2014, I will be doing something a little bit different in January.  I have been working on a series of 31 journal like entries that are extremely honest.  Some may even raise a few eyebrows.  Each day of January I will post one journal entry.  I hope you will enjoy!

Cheers to 2013 for all it was and welcome 2014!

-MK

Goal Setting and Resolutions

I really enjoy setting goals and meeting them.  I feel more put together when I have goals that I am working toward. Even if the goal is something like not turning my heat on until December, I still feel accomplished. Which by the way for health purposes I did turn on my heat at thanksgiving when my thermostat read 56 degrees. 

New Years resolutions are right up my alley. My former roommate, Lindsey and I would hang up a list of resolutions in our apartment. We even decided to set a theme for each year. It started when Lindsey decided her theme in twenty dime would be "babies". You will have to ask her about the meaning behind that theme ;)  This past year my theme was "edgy" and "bible". Edgy because let's face it, 2012 was not a great year and 2013 was all about stepping outside my comfort zone and being edgy. And then bible because I wanted to read through the entire bible which is something I have never done. I made it about to June on the read through the bible in a year suggested reading schedule. Maybe next year I will read the other half? Maybe. 

I sat down to make some goals for 2014 and realized I needed to make a resolution to finish before the new year. That is get rid of all things "Archer" (my married name) that are still hanging around. Simple but difficult. I ordered a new credit card with my real name, I changed my name on my paycheck, I changed passwords and key codes that were Archer related. And it feels good but weird at the same time. 

It was easy for me to change my name when I got married. I was an excited newlywed. It was not easy to change my name back. There was a lot of emotion tied to that name and I guess that is why it's taken so long for me to change everything. I'm sitting in my sunroom with my newly activated credit card that displays the name Mary Kendall Land. It's strange to think that I won't ever sign Mary Kendall Archer again, like I have been every time I've used the old card this past year. It's strange to not type in mka when I log on my computer. These little remnants of my former life are gone just like my former life left me a year ago. I'm feeling bitter sweet in this moment. I wish you could see the way the sun is flooding in this room creating shadows across my body. It's a really beautiful moment for all that it is, bad and good.