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 :)

11. Do a one week Facebook fast

Times I wanted to check FB the first day of the fast: 7
Times I dreamed about logging in to FB, thinking I had broken the fast: 3
Things I did instead of being on FB: Google+, Twitter, read more news, looked at magazines, slept, emailed people, updated this blog.
Day of the fast that I realized I am addicted to FB: 2
Day I definitively decided to streamline my FB page and account once this fast has ended: 6

Other observations: It is very difficult to avoid FB completely. Websites I visit show which of my friends "like" that page. Links on twitter go to facebook pages (but I avoided those b/c they are easily recognizable by their url). Articles I read show the number of "shares" on FB that article has had.

IT


IS


EVERYWHERE

And I am not ok with that. I think it has done some good and helpful things in its time, but it is SO far from what it originally was, and has pervaded our culture, our social interaction, and yes, even our minds, in such a way that is quite alarming.

So I'm choosing to back way off. And I say this with full realization that some of you are only reading this because you got to my blog from my FB page. But I don't care if that makes this hypocritical. These times they are a changin' and I'm going to respond to that by backing off of FB.

But not backing off of Twitter or Google+ so feel free to find me there. And no, I'm not removing the button below that allows you to share this on FB. Don't try to understand my decisions......

91. Learn how to cook artichokes

So this is not actually at all how I cooked artichokes tonight, but it's the next method I want to try. I boiled them for about 25 minutes in a lot more than 2 inches of salt water, then used garlic butter for dipping.

But this way sounds tasty, too. And I'm all about tasty. And these 30 second food/recipe videos from yummeo.


Such a pretty food.

55. Submit c/o 2001 contact info to WPS for alumni purposes

You know what happens when your friendmates* are willing to help you plan your high school reunion? They end up taking care of one of your 101 list items without even knowing it.

Excellent.



*for definition of this term, see the previous post

9. Plan and attend my 10th high school reunion

I pity all of you that did not graduate high school with me because I graduated with the best class of folks ever. I had my suspicions that this was true, but through this whole reunion process, it was confirmed.

These people hold a very dear place in my heart, and they always will. I felt like a proud parent (well, I guess proud class president would be more accurate) when, in the course of talking with various folks at our reunion this past weekend and catching up on life, it suddenly hit me how well they were doing. I always knew these kids were smart and were 'goin places' in life, but goodness, I was really humbled by this collection of Westminster alums. I was in the company of great minds, driven personalities, determined leaders, and kind hearts. It's so exciting and such a huge blessing to see everyone healthy, successful, and able to come together after a decade of life to spend time with one another.

Ok, ok I'm gushing, I admit it. But when you start a party at 5pm and at 11:30pm a large majority of folks are still talking and laughing together, I'd say the love might be somewhat mutual. Southern manners would've only carried that party til about 8. 11:30=true love. And that is coming from me - the one who moaned and groaned about having to plan a reunion and this time last year was not at all enthused. I am a class reunion convert.

Three of my classmates were a HUGE help in pulling this party off, and time after time during this planning process the kindness and enthusiasm of these friends and our classmates really impressed me. Which got me thinking. Can we come up with a new term for these old friends who were classmates and will continue to care about each others' lives? Friendmates? Clands? I'll keep tinkering....

So without further delay, you need to see this classy bunch. 18 of the 40 of us friendmates made it to the reunion, and I wish terribly that others in our class could have been there to share in the fun.

WPS Class of 2001 - I love ya!

80. Buy someone a bouquet of balloons for their birthday

Happy Birthday to my favorite brother!

44. Send a care package to my cousins at college

How many times in college did I go to the mailbox just hoping for something out of the ordinary? And how much was I encouraged by postcards from home, packages, cards from friends, etc.?

So I wanted to do this for my cousins.

Since I began this blog, the cousins that are in college has changed (!) and now my youngest cousins -- the babies that I held when I was in elementary school - are both in college, a year apart.

And because of the magic of Facebook, I can catch glimpses of their college adventures. Which can only be helped by sugar of assorted varieties and healthy servings of cousinly advice.

And I love that they both texted me upon arrival of their care packages. Ah, technology :)

Love my cousins!

Meet Olivia:



and Reese:


(don't they have cool names?)