Now that I’ve written out my plan for 2015, going forward will not be complete without a review of the last year. I’m repeatedly told not to dwell in the past but I believe the path to the future lies in the past. One must deconstruct and understand to past to move forward into new mistakes and learnings. So, a 2014 review post just has to happen. 😀

Then the other day I came across Vidya’s post on ’Thank Outside The Box With Gratitude’ and I was like ‘Hey! That’s a nice way to approach the 2014 review.’ Vidya and Corinne host the Gratitude Circle, a way to share gratitude for at least very thing once a month on the 4th Thursday of every month. 😀 ( I’m looking forward to joining in)

As I sat thinking about all I am grateful for, it hit me, being thankful changes things, the good starts to look great, the bad shrinks and fades to back. The world and life starts to look all shiny and new. Ok Ok, enough of my philosophy, now onto thankfulness. 😀

2014 for quite a year for us, we had some sticky situations, tight spots, crazy days, mad upheavals and yet we also had moments of intense happiness, thrilling achievements, successes that make us proud and awesome memories to take away.

We started the year with moving house, getting 5 dogs together and settling in. Life seemed like madness as we all learned to live together and work it out. But looking back I am so thankful for those days, it has made me stronger.

Walking the dogs everyday seemed like a chore, now it’s something I look forward to everyday, it’s my time with the dogs. I am so thankful for my pack, they complete my family, they are my friends, confidantes and they know me better than me.

Our first house was lovely, all stone and without corners, but our second out does it, or so the dogs think. We moved house mid year and went through the whole logistical nightmare again. The madness of packing and unpacking was just a part of it, moving five dogs is another thing all together. But we survived that and have moved up a level in the Pro-packing team.

‘Pawsible’ is a lovely place. As I sit here and write I have a spread of lawn a step away in the shade of coconut and arecanut trees. Dogs passed out in dappled sunlight. A largeish house where granite dominates and keeps it all cool. There is so much to be thankful for here.

I’m thankful to the powers that be for giving my Granny a long life and to all who helped me be there in Bombay for her 90th birthday this year. It’s was a immense joy to be there.

With 6 dogs overnight holidays are almost impossible but in 2014 we did this too and not once, twice! I am so grateful for Devisri who is amazing with dogs and someone who I can trust my six with.

And now since we’re are already on the fringes of people let me dive into the sea of people I’d like to thank this year.

My Mom and Bro; there is just so much i couldn’t have done without them. Two moves and settle-ins would not have been possible with out Mom’s excellent skills and Bro’s logistic handling.

Doggie friends that helped us make it Pawsible – Parinita, Raji, Devisri, Preeti, Anitra, Chaitanya and anyone I missed. These people jumped in when the going got tough and helped me make sense of a lot of the chaos.

My Dogs – We started out with one 5 years ago and now have six. Each one brings so much to my life. Senti, my forever baby, Buddha the one who teaches me peace and calm, Cuckoo who brings the chaos in her wake, Max whose all about food and love. William the only dog who ever made me pee in a garden, and Elu the little heart of it all, she is a free spirit, a bridge between worlds and a calm before the storm.

And lastly the man who I come close to throttling quite a few times each day. The shore to my sea, the boat to my river, the polariser to my sun, … and more such cliches. All said and done Che has his moments and I’m thankful. 😛

P.S. – Vidya and Corinne, Thank you for getting me started on the Gratitude Trip. 🙂

It seems like yesterday that it was New Year and here we are with a new year starting again. The years seem to be flying past as life slips by me and I watch it all unfold in slow motion. Ok, enough moroseness; switching topics – Happy New Year to you. May 2013 bring exciting times in your life. 🙂

This is the only 13th year in our lifetimes. 2013 for those who are triskaidekaphobic, must not be something to look forward to but I think 13’s lucky for me so, bring it on 🙂 But before I start the new year I thought I’d look back at what I had planned for 2012, and just what came of all my grand plans.

So here’s some of what I’d listed out on January 1st, 2012. Warning: the following may get introspecty and boring, so skip to the end if you like 🙂

Learn to use the Mac well – I did try to do this and succeeded to a comfort level but not maybe an expert level. However as things turned out the Mac become more Che’s travel computer and I got the iPad that I seem to be using more and more these days. (I’m typing this post on the iPad. 😀 )

Learn a new craft – I didn’t get started on this for a long time but in the last quarter I put it together and bought three potted plants. I’ve learnt a lot already and I still have a lot of learning ahead but plants are still alive right now. 🙂 I did a bit baking through the year though and tried a new recipe every time. Most of it turned out well, but my breads still need some rising 😕

Blog regularly – I wasn’t very regular but I did write the highest number of blog posts ever this year, 103! And there were a couple of cool high-points for my blog this year – a few authors got in touch with me for reviews (I’m still smiling about that one); I’m not all that bad a book reviewer after all. 🙂 I also got to blog the Tour of Nilgiris as their official blogger – TfN is this cool hip must-do tour in cycling circles and having seen it I heartily agree.

Mission Cuckoo – I didn’t get much done on this front. I had hoped to teach Cuckoo some new tricks but I just didn’t get down it. I did experiment with new toys though and surprise of surprises I found a toy that Buddha finally showed an interest in.

Read 50 books and watch 50 movies – This is one section where I excelled. I read 70 books and I’ve definitely watched over 50 movies though I can’t remember all of them. I really wish someone would make a GoodReads kindof site for movies.

In retrospect its been a good year. I didn’t really follow the plan but I did get most of what I had planned done, or at least somewhat done 🙂 I hadn’t thought of 2012 as a gret year but it was, with lots of travel packed in too. 😀

Looks like this plan and review thing works, well it did make me feel good this year. So, here’s a few things I’d like to do in 2013.

• I’d like to spend more interactive time with Cuckoo. Senti needs more exercise and so do I so, that’s on my list too. Then there’s Buddha who’s getting older and needs more attention and care. And last but not least is William and Max, the new additions to my brood, who will take a while to settle in.
• I need to learn a lot more about gardening, and set up a small veggies garden. I also intend to start composting at home.
• Last year I tried my hand at baking and came away fairly successful. This year I want to learn some of the finer nuances. I want to try my hand at icing and fondant.
• Start cycling. Yeah, yeah, ok, ok, TfN did inspire me. Not to cycle TfN 😯 but to take up cycling and explore the area I live in. 😉
• I have a jigsaw that has been incomplete for a while now, I intend to complete it and start a new one.
• Last year I set a target of 50, this year I think I’ll up it to a 100 books.
• And of course it goes without saying – more blog posts than last year. 😛

Phew! that seems like a long list. Wonder how much I’ll get done. Well, either ways looking back next year will be fun.
Have you done this? Does this review thing work for you?

First up – Happy New Year! Hope this year exceeds all your expectations 🙂

For me this year started on a great note. After a very long time (or maybe never) I slept before midnight on 31st and woke up early morning on the 1st. It’s my first new year without a hangover in many many years 😀

The 1st was a packed day with family, friends, movies and planning – a good day and good start to the year. There are a lot of things I’d like to do this year and that’s where resolutions come in.

New Year Resolutions, I’ve made them every year and broken them too. Like I’ve been saying for years resolutions are meant to be broken. But are they really? What if they weren’t hard and fast and were just a guideline for the year.

I’d like to plan what I would like to do in the year and at the end look back to see if it worked out to plan.

So here’s a few things I plan to do.

Learn to use the Mac well
My Christmas, New Year and a lot of other days combined present was a Mac Book Air. I’ve been a Linux and Windows user until now and the Mac is an all-new ball game. This year I want to spend time learning to use the Mac effectively and productively. I hope to learn tips and tricks to using the Mac and hope to be comfortable with the system by the end of the year.

Learn a new craft
I love to learn new things and haven’t learned something new in a while. This year a want to learn to do something new. I haven’t made up my mind yet on what it will be but I intend to learn something new. Maybe woodwork, gardening, or a new paper craft. I know a few things like knitting, crochet, quilling, glass painting, etc. Do you have any recommendations?

Blog regularly
I intend to make this blog more regular. There is so much I’d like to talk about and share. This year I hope to do that, I want to review the books I read, the movies I watch, share new things I have learned and of course voice my opinions and rants.

Mission Cuckoo
I have three dogs and they are a handful. This year I hope to spend time with Cuckoo (my first). Give her a lot of exercise both in mind and body. Spend time understanding her and teaching her new tricks. My two small boys need a lot of exercise and love. They don’t like playing so much so the challenge is to see if I can find a game they like to play.

Read 50 books and watch 50 movies
2011 saw me read 65 books. I hadn’t planned to read so many and I’m thrilled that I did. This years target is to read at least 50 books through the year and share them my views about them on the blog. I also want to catch up on movies (I have a huge backlog) and watch at least 50 that I really enjoy.

G Reader subscriptions
I followed a lot of blogs in 2011, so many that I’ve got overwhelmed by the sheer number of them I have to read. This year I’d like to start again from starch. Find blogs that I love to read and redo my Google Reader subscriptions.

Calendars
Calendars have helped me remember and get work done but these again over time have multiplied and just got very clogged. This year I intend to spend time sorting them out and making them productive and useful.

Get more tech savvy
I have a lot of technology around me and use it too but my knowledge is quite limited. This year I will spend time learning to use all electronic devices in my life more effectively. Like this post – I started writing it on the Android phone and now I’m finishing it on the Mac 🙂

There’s a lot more I’d like to do and I’d like to see what the year looks like in review in 2013. This but just a start…

What are your resolutions for the year? Do you have a to-do list too?