Moving Towards 2012

Is this really my last post of 2011? Wow...

While it's been an odd year for me personally, I've been really happy with lots of things related to the blog this year. I'm glad that I was able to add some on-location vlogging to posts (check the vlogging label on the left); and despite my occasional hatred of Facebook :), I've been happy with the growth of Try Anything Once's Facebook page. Plus, I feel like I've gotten to know many of you through your comments, blogs and tweets, and that has been quite fun. You all are a funny, encouraging and fascinatingly diverse group of people.

I looked back on what I wrote year-end last year, and I did accomplish some of the things that I wrote about in that post. I did a lot more entertaining at home (we entertained three times plus hosted Thanksgiving dinner), and I stopped whining about my blogging frustrations. :)

Here are some blog-related goals I'd like for next year (I figure if I write this out I'll do it):

Be more helpful to you all. I think many of you enjoy the travelogue posts and restaurant and eating stuff, but I would like to offer up more valuable information here. I don't do more posts offering up tips because I often feel as if I might sound preachy or be stating the obvious. I think you all are super smart and well-informed already, but perhaps I can add a little perspective next year.

Be a better Facebooker. I'd definitely like the TAO Facebook page to be a place where you an access more content and be more informative to you.

Conquer my fear/procrastination re: baking. When I don't want to do a certain activity or when something stumps me, I procrastinate. I procrastinate for other reasons too, but these particular reasons apply to baking. I don't need to become the second coming of Betty Crocker, but I would like to be able to bake something from scratch that doesn't taste like cardboard.

Be a little more provocative. I'm still working on this one, since I didn't really do this at all this year. Blogging is my happy space, but there are some things that I'd like to get off my chest. I'm not talking about rants but just things that need to be said and topics that I'd like to explore more here on the blog.

I want to thank all of you who publicly follow the site (I see you there on the left column); those of who subscribe to the blog through RSS feeds and various blog readers; those of you who follow me on Twitter; and those of you who have joined me on Facebook. I appreciate your continued support, comments and readership so very much!

I am wishing you all a year of peace, health, discovery of new places and new tastes, and, most of all, a discovery and knowledge of what brings you joy.

Happy New Year!