17. Share the gospel with a friend

Oh the joys I have too easily missed by not sharing the gospel more often with friends. I know not what God does in the hearts of others during those conversations, but he draws me closer to himself every time. And that is the joy I want others to know.

87. Go to the Georgia Aquarium

Back in October I finally made it to the Georgia Aquarium. My parents and I spent the better part of a rainy day checking out the fishies, sharks, whales, and otters. 

The contemplative parental units at the end of our lengthy tour:

22. Hand write and mail letters to 10 friends. Letters remaining: 10

I hadn't sent Christmas cards in a few years, and didn't feel like doing the newsletter update thing either. But when I was getting out my Christmas decorations and came across some cards I had picked up after Christmas last year, I decided to hand-write and send the 8 cards to friends.

So, 8 down, 2 to go!

67. Write and send a thank you note every week for a month

I still value the thank you note. I credit my family for this. My mother taught me to make them a (good) habit. My father emphasized an attitude of gratitude. My brother and sister have a gracious way with the written word. And my Grandfather still sends me a birthday card every year.

These days I confess I write more email thank-yous than handwritten ones, but I try to make time for handwritten ones when the occasion allows.

Christmas, birthday, changing jobs, etc. have all provided several opportunities for me to express some thanks this past month.

And while Crane is always a good idea (see this post: http://elaneymedia.com/2009/05/29/note-to-self/)
sometimes you can get by with options form World Market, Target, and even CVS.

My one rule: A true thank you note should never be written on a card printed with "Thank You" on it.

71. Revamp my budget

Bring on the fiscal responsibility!

I revamped my budget and updates my handy USAA spending plan. Now the tough part is just sticking to the budget!

18. Clean out my inbox at work

True confession: I had kinda thought I might have a new job by the time this list ended when I created it, so it was sort of my plan all along to check this one off the first day of my new job.

Well, here we are, Jan 3, 2012 and it is my first day at my new job. And I cleaned out my inbox. I even created some subfolders in Outlook already. Crazy, I know.

79. Create a “favorites of 2011” playlist on my iTunes

What a difference a year makes. I now use Spotify to make my playlists. I will however, be purchasing the songs on this list that I don't already own to complete my "Favorites of 2011" list.

I did make a concerted effort to pay more attention to music this year and discover new artists (new to me at least). If you compare this list to last year's, I think you'll agree that I was pretty successful with that.

So, here is my 2011 list, in alphabetical order by the artist's name. Music can tell many a story, and this list kind of tells the story of my year, in part. My disclaimer: Not all songs were released in 2011. Just happens to be when I latched on to them.

If you have Spotify, just click here. If not, keep scrolling.

1. The Civil Wars - Poison and Wine
This duo is haunting. Got to see them live in Annapolis back in the summer. Fantastic.

2. The Decemberists - This is Why We Fight
This is a band I know about because of friends. Always fun when songs bring to mind specific people. 

 

3. The Dirty Guv'nahs - Wide Awake

This band is from Knoxville, TN. First heard about them on Facebook from childhood friends who are very close to the band. They are a fanstastic modern southern rock band and are even better live than recorded. I have seen them twice in concert this year and continue to be a big fan. This song, to me, captures all their strengths.

4. Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
I can't remember where I first heard this one. But it's a keeper. "I am done with my graceless heart."

5. Foster the People - Call it What You Want
After I had fallen victim to the catchy tune of "Pumped Up Kicks" a friend revealed to me that the song is about a kid shooting up his high school. And that's just not ok. But FTP is a talented band that writes catchy songs, so I wanted to include this one on the list. We'll see what happens to this group in the next couple of years...

6. Gabe Dixon Band - All Will Be Well
Not a new song, but one I really liked this year. A good reminder that all WILL be well. The great promise of the Gospel. 

7. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Paris
One of my former bosses told me about Grace Potter & The Nocturnals after seeing them perform at Bonnaroo this year. I think this song is definitely their best, and the fact that it is quite different from the rest of the album is a little disappointing. Hoping for more of this type of stuff in the future!

8. Jason Gray - Remind Me Who I Am
Another Facebook discovery: Someone had posted this video and after playing it, I played it again, and again. Great truths in these lyrics and a easy one to get stuck in your head for all the right reasons. Also I'm really glad to have found another Christian music artist that I like.

9. Joanna Smith - Gettin Married
This was the first song I saved for this list back in the beginning of the year. It and the video are funny and definitely remind me of a few years ago when I was the singer's age - right out of college, everyone around me getting married, and I was secretly SO over it. So my attitude has changed (matured?) since then, but this song makes me sing along and smile every time.

10. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
What would a list like this be without a dance song? I spent a couple of days of a housesitting stint this summer trying to learn the dance. I had it for about a day, but haven't been able to perfect it. Get shufflin.

11. Locksley - The Whip
Another Facebook discovery - someone has posted a video of this song that I recognized from some commercial. (How's that for a sentence about our culture?) This band is like a modern-day Oneders and they fully buy into the whole shtick - short pants, slicked hair, and all. Another dance song.

12. The Naked and Famous - No Way
Found this one via a friend's Spotify playlist. Spotify has been a great way to discover new music. This video is weird.

13. Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel
Yes, this is another not-new song. But when you hear it done at a Karaoke bar at 2am, it sticks with you.

14. The Shins - New Slang
Another not new one, but this one is a great driving song.

15. Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk
Leave it to summer interns to introduce us old folks to new music. A friend's summer intern introduced her to Two Door Cinema Club, and I immediately liked it.

16. Young the Giant - 12 Fingers
Another artist found via Spotify. It was difficult to pick a favorite of theirs as I like several of them. So feel free to explore the entire album!

17. Rizzle Kicks - Down With The Trumpets
(Spotify listed them last because it didn't save the name correctly, in case you are OCD and thought that this messed up the alphabetical order.)
Introduced to this by a friend. Immediately loved it.

And there you have it! A year of good music, at least in my opinion :)