The Godmother of Punk

Today one of my music geek dreams came true, I got to meet Patti Smith! I was first introduced to Patti Smith's music when I was a teenager. My aunt's husband, a fellow music geek, introduced me to Patti Smith when I was about 15 or so. Horses, Smith's first album, is considered a classic punk album. While the sound is not what most people think of when they think of punk, her music is quintessentially punk. She sings about literature, poetry, religion, art, and other assorted themes. I admire her tremendously and was thrilled to meet her today, however brief that meeting was. At least I have a souvenir.

Black and White

Photographs by Dominique Nabakov, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, and Eugene Atget

So This is the New Year

It's a new year. Time for fresh starts and new beginnings. 2011 was such a blur that I feel the need to make 2012 more memorable. I want to document more of my life in this new year because it just seems to go by so quickly, especially as one gets older. I want to learn new things and experience life more fully instead of the slight fog I was in this past year. To that end I really don't want to call this a list of resolutions, but a list of goals I would like to accomplish this year. Without further ado, here are my goals for 2012:

Cooking-

• Cook at least 4 times a week
• Bake 10 loaves of bread
• Master cooking 5 classic French recipes
• Master cooking 5 classic Italian recipes
• Make pasta from scratch
• Consume less processed food
• Learn to make sushi

Reading-

• Read 40 books
• Read 2 Charles Dickens novels
• Read 1 Tolstoy novel
• Read 1 Dostoyevsky novel
• Read 1 Thomas Hardy novel
• Read 1 D.H. Lawrence novel
• Read 1 Jane Austen novel
• Read Jane Eyre again
• Take good reading notes
• Write reviews

Art & Creativity-

• Finish editing the photos I took in 2011
• Practice and improve my photography skills
• Take photography classes
• Paint 2 canvases
• Incorporate more creative time into my daily life
• Make and print 3 books of my photographs
• Write 3 blog posts a week

Life-

• Workout 3 times a week
• Run 2 5ks
• Take a dance class
• Take a Pilates class
• Let things go
• Reduce negativity
• Embrace change
• Find a new career path
• Make time to hang out with my friends more often

I think the goals I have set for my self are all achievable. I can't wait to see what this new year brings.