The 109 in 2009 is HERE!

In 2008, I attempted to do 108 new things in a year. Well, I did 45. Not bad but not great, and this year I hope to accomplish even more. And I also hope to document my progress more at The 109 in 2009. I did a very poor job of taking photos as evidence of my endeavors. So, as a general rule I shall take more photos of day-to-day items/events.

Please check The 109 in 2009 often to see my progress - and there will be a permanent home for the link in the top right corner of this blog.

Some of these are items I moved over from 'The 108 in 2008' list, some are completely new and some are slightly modified versions of last year's goals. Cam suggested I organize the lists into different categories and I really like the layout. I'll cross items off the sidebars as they happen. And as always, your encouragement is most appreciated.

Just for Fun (17)
- Have a Jane Austen Day that includes watching the entire 1995 A&E version of Pride and Prejudice.
- Go on a picnic.
- Read outside.
- Watch a sunrise.
- Watch a sunset.
- Buy a cookie cake for no reason at all (and of course share with friends).
- Send an overseas friend snail mail.
- Finish a crossword puzzle.
- Finish a jigsaw puzzle.
- Send my nana a card.
- Spend a whole (non-sick) day lounging around the house with movies, books, etc.
- Go out on a boat.
- Become SCUBA certified.
- Win a radio station contest.
- Have afternoon tea with my mom and sisters.
- Beat my dad at gin rummy.
- Go shooting.

Travels & Destinations (15)
- Go on a vacation.
- Go back to my college town for a visit, see Meaghan and meet her new son.
- Visit a park I have never been to before.
- Got to a state I have never visited.
- Visit a new foreign destination.
- Go to a fair.
- Go to an art museum.
- Stay at a nice bed and breakfast.
- Take an unplanned trip.
- Visit my high school alma mater.
- Go to the beach.
- Go camping.
- Visit a historical site.
- Visit Savannah.
- Visit Washington D.C.

Food & Cooking or 'The Making of a Domestic Goddess' (16)
- Cook at least once a week (starting now!).
- Take a cooking class.
- Make homemade pizza.
- Make homemade ice cream.
- Have a fajita night.
- Have a bacon, avocado, lettuce sandwich.
- Make biscuits from scratch.
- Bake a cake from scratch.
- Make homemade bread.
- Make S’mores.
- Cook and serve a four-course meal.
- Cook mama's recipe for pulled pork.
- Contribute at least one dish to Thanksgiving dinner.
- Make homemade lasagna.
- Cook Cam his favorite meal of country fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra and pecan pie.
- Fix a meal for either my family or Cam's family.

Go Out on the Town (12)
- Go see Cirque du Soleil.
- Have a girls' night out.
- Visit the New World of Coca-Cola.
- Visit the Georgia Aquarium.
- Try a new restaurant in Marietta.
- Eat at Bacchanalia - consistently considered one of Atlanta's best restaurants.
- Eat at Crepe Revolution.
- Be a tourist in my own town, including taking lots of photos.
- See Bodies: The Exhibition.
- Tour one of North Georgia's vineyards & wineries.
- See a play.
- Try a new type of cuisine.

Be a Bookworm (17)
- Read The Shack by William P. Young.
- Read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
- Read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neiffenegger.
- Read The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer in its entirety.
- Read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister: A Novel by Gregory Maguire.
-Read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
- Read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
- Read Persuasion by Jane Austen.
- Read Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.
- Read Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.
- Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.
- Read The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller.
- Read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.
- Read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
- Read American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman.
- Read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Let's Get Physical! (11)
- Get back to a size 4 and maintain it.
- Stick to the BeachBody Slim in Six and post about my experience.
- Run a race.
- Learn to rollerblade
- Go bike riding.
- Go fishing.
- Participate in a team sport.
- Go skydiving (this will depend on funds).
- Go horseback riding.
- Do 100 consecutive push-ups.
- Go on a hike.

Be Creative (16)
- Create a tangible scrapbook.
- Create a handmade card and send it.
- Decorate my office.
- Write a short story.
- Knit a scarf.
- Knit an item for Nola.
- Design and create new seasonal headers for my other blog, A Different Bird.
- Draw a picture and frame it.
- Design stationary.
- Finish knitting Ava's baby blanket.
- Send out Christmas cards with a personal note in each.
- Get published under my name.
- Document a “day in my life” with photos.
- Throw a party.
- Plan & implement an entire date day.
- Create a series of graphic prints and have them framed.

Benefit Others (5)
- Baby-sit my niece, Ava.
- Baby-sit my niece, Nola.
- Leave a server a 100% tip.
- Volunteer for a worthy cause.
- Donate blood.