100 Memorable Experiences of 2008

Lisa Call's blog post: 100 Accomplishments of 2008 inspired me to write my own. Whew! I didn't think I could come up with 100 but Tom helped.

1. I experienced an incredible wedding with Tom, the man of my dreams. When things just click, you know it and it feels right… I knew this was possible but hadn't experienced it before.
2. Tom and I spent a fabulous two-week honeymoon in Savannah, Georgia, Durham, North Carolina and Florida.
3. Saw an incredible exhibit of William Christenberry's work at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia.
4. Joined Alameda Women Artists and became a board member.
5. Accepted into Frank Bette Center for the Arts Alameda on Camera exhibit.
6. Threw a summer party in our home.
7. Visited my sister and her partner in San Diego and ate lots of wonderful food.
8. Conceived and led Artist Business Circle at Frank Bette Center for the Arts.
9. Started yoga at at Loka Yoga.
10. Inspired by Kelly Rae Roberts to begin blogging.
11. Ran across the Golden Gate Bridge and back on New Year's Day 2008.
12. Spent weekend in Napa with Tom.
13. Took care of my mom's dog. Learned a lot about myself and how my life would need to be different if we were to have a dog.
14. Learned coptic sewing and long stitch link stitch binding via Keith A. Smith's Non-Adhesive Binding Books Without Paste or Glue. If you buy this book or any of his books which I recommend, buy them through him, he'll send you a thank you note!
15. Bought a Vivitar Polaroid Instant Slide Printer and learned how to make emulsion lifts.
16. Started working with scrap aluminum.
17. Bought a modern sewing machine from a garage sale.
18. Lost weight through Weight Watchers and kept it off.
19. Took emergency preparedness courses through Oakland's CORE program.
20. Saw a great KFOG Concert for Kids featuring the Pretenders and Amos Lee at Oakland's Paramount Theater. (Incredible eye candy!)
21. Discovered great ginger snap recipe. (Tom calls them Ginger Slaps.)
22. Conceived, planned and executed our first lawn art sculpture: Hammie with Tom.
23. Planted our first tree.
24. Cleaned our gutters. Tom reminded me of this. Such a great workout!
25. Created more art than I've ever created.
26. Worked outside of my norm and created works in pastel colors.
27. Paid off debt.
28. Bought digital camera.
29. Planned Christmas meal with Tom and didn't suffer from the lack of abundance feeling that I get at times, "Is this enough?" It was enough.
30. Finally painted my lamp my mom gave me years ago.
31. Worked with Tom to design placement of ART letters on studio door.
32. Bought our first gas BBQ.
33. Bought outdoor furniture from the Alameda Flea Market.
34. Ate Southern BBQ.
35. Experienced fried pickles. Yum!
36. Went to the Salvador Dali Museum and then later found the pencils he used at the Alameda Flea Market.
37. Discovered Key Lime Pie and that it's not green!
38. Discovered the Daiso.
39. Took a really great AIA home tour via bikes. Nineteen miles round trip!
40. Stayed up til 3 a.m. with Tom and made art.
41. Discovered lynda.com.
42. Attended a LEGAL same sex wedding.
43. Voted for Obama.
44. Asked Michele Pred to speak at my Artist Business Circle. She said yes!
45. Bought an original Michele Maule.
46. Was incredibly inspired by Cay Lang's Taking the Leap.
47. Took a class with Lisa Kokin and discovered what great things you can do with books and dictionaries.
48. Attended an Oakland City Council meeting.
49. Took a tour at S.F. Recycling.
50. Witnessed my sister's defense for her Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
51. Letterpress printed our wedding invitations at SFCB.
52. Saw the Cowboy Junkies in Napa.
53. Went on a women's retreat to Occidental.
54. Discovered Graton and had fabulous food at Willow Wood Cafe.
55. Bought a great jacket from Mr. Ryder and Company.
56. Saw Chihuly's In the Hot Shop video. This is a great example of "artist as director".
57. Saw the Joseph Cornell exhibit at SFMOMA.
58. Sold more artwork than I ever have.
59. Bought a Royal typewriter and Tom named him Roy.
60. Discovered how yummy frozen grapes can be from Carol.
61. Discovered the Food Mill and their super ginger bars.
62. Discovered radish sandwiches.
63. Ate wonderful turnip soup Tom made.
64. Spent an exhilirating day planting with Tom, my mom and Warren. We planted the plants my mom bought for us for our wedding.
65. Put political signs up in our yard.
66. Asked for trees from the city of Oakland.
67. Bought house numbers.
68. Sumitted work to Rock Paper Scissors.
69. Submitted work to Rhythmix Cultural Works.
70. Changed my name.
71. Exhibited work with AWA at the Alameda Library.
72. Exhibited work with AWA at the Alameda Museum.
73. Sold several handmade books.
74. Got my lip pierced.
75. Wrote letter to my city council representative.
76. Letterpress printed thank you cards.
77. Exhibited at Frank Bette Center for the Arts in "Vision and Revision".
78. Heard about Francis Bacon's studio from Julie Alvarado.
79. Wrote 46 blog posts.
80. Began reading Lisa Sonora Beam's The Creative Entrepreneur.
81. Wrote to Lisa Sonora Beam and told her that I would like to host a class of hers.
82. Created my first visual journal.
83. Experimented with different types of frames including a window.
84. Began reading Kelly Rae Robert's Taking Flight.
85. Wrote a note to Carol C. Parks.
86. Bought LK Ludwig's Mixed-Media Nature Journals on Carol C. Park's recommendation and really enjoy it.
87. Imagined idea of running a non-profit for artists.
88. Bought Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea.
89. Bought and used ideas from Alyson B. Stanfied's I'd Rather Be In the Studio.
90. Introduced to the concept of "teaching what you need to learn".
91. Read Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet.
92. Celebrated Julia's 60th birthday with her and extended family.
93. Was treated to a fabulous day in San Francisco by my mom, sister and sister-in-law for my wedding.
94. Met incredible people of Tom's past on our honeymoon.
95. Asked Dona Turner to speak at my Artist Business Circle and she said yes!
96. Gently reminded of connectedness and introduced to the Oakopolis creed of "No separation between art and living".
97. Reminded by Dona Turner of the importance of enjoying one's creativity. She shared an incredibly cute dog she created with my Artist Business Circle.
98. Introduced to an exciting new gallery in Alameda: Autobody Fine Arts.
99. Experimented with solvent transfers.
100. Organized garage and studio.