Twelve-Month Plan I

In trying to think of plans or goals or intentions for My Sixtieth Year, I have had the idea - not to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking - but to cook my way through a recipe for Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon.  Before I put this on my official list of things to do before October 8, 2011, I thought I'd better look up the recipe.  Whoa!  Before I can even think of making "BB," I need to make "a simple beef stock."  This requires its own recipe, and I found one at www.food.com/recipe/simple-beef-stock-a-la-julia-child-147999.  And, hey, it only has 10 ingredients and 12 steps!

As I wrote the above paragraph, it struck me:  I am usually so focused on the goal that I look for the easiest and fastest way to get there.  In cooking, this means I usually can turn out a pretty good meal (protein, starch, vegetables) in less than an hour - and, often, less than half an hour.  I'm working without a cookbook (it's faster), using as few pots and pans as possible (it's easier), and turning out something that looks and tastes pretty good (it's eaten, sometimes with compliments to the cook).

What if I tried a different approach?  What if I focus on the process or the experience that leads to the goal?   A sort of "not the destination, but the journey" idea.  This could apply to lots of things, not just cooking.

Right now part of me is saying "Aha!" and part of me is saying "Duh!"  But, you know what?  I am putting Simple Beef Stock a la Julia Child on my list.  And, if I can summon up the courage, I may even add Boeuf Bourguigon, too.

Stay tuned for more on my Twelve-Month Plan.

Now what do I do?

Here I am starting my first blog - and I'm not at all sure what I'm going to do with it.  Within the last several weeks, as I approach my 59th birthday, the idea occurred to keep some kind of record of my 60th year. 

My birth date is October 8, 1951, so I do have a few days before that year actually begins.  I plan to spend October 6-12 traveling to Sedona, Arizona, for a "Soul Adventure" (I'm not at all sure what I'm going to do with that either).  My suspicion is that this blog will - at some point - contain a report on that trip.

My ideas for this blog are all over the place - spiritual, informational, political, philosophical, educational, conversational, factual, fictional, inspirational, motivational, and so forth - or some combination of these.  Stay tuned to find out how it unfolds!