New Restaurants #1 and #2

So I swapped out one of the items on my goal for 2026 for going to new restaurants.  Hoping this will be something that we do.

 

 #1 Millstone Pizza and Taphouse in Rock Hill

 

This was a pizza place that we went to after New Years.  It was okay. They are connected to a brewery which wasn't open when we went -- they didn't really have kid's foods.  Not a family sort of place but it was fine.  The pizza was good; the bread knots were good. No pictures.

 

#2 Seoul Food in Charlotte 

 

This was a good place to go with kids.  They had little animals the kids could ride on (for a fee); they had a playground in the back. I don't remember what I had to eat, but the beer was good.  Definitely would go back.  

 

 

Okay, I obviously need to work harder at doing this -- not just provide the name of the place.  I'll have to give more of a critique as the year goes on.  But anyway, we've gone to two new places which is a good thing.

 

 

 

Baking Challenge #1 - Biscotti

So for the baking challenge with Nevada, we're going to find different things to make.  She picked the first one (to be fair, she gave me a choice of a couple of things and I picked biscotti because I've made it before and had success).

 

Here's the link to the recipe that we used:

 Chocolate dipped almond biscotti 

 

Fortunately, I had all the ingredients on hand.

• Flour
• Eggs
• Almonds
• Semi-sweet chocolate
• baking powder
• cinammon
• salt
• butter
• oil 

 

 

I thought they turned out great.  I actually don't like the chocolate -- so I'd probably leave that off next time.   Just waiting to get pics of Nevada's ...

 

Week 3 : Jan 15 to Jan 21 2026

Jan 15 - snow in Cleveland 

 

Jan 17 - biscotti 

Jan 18 - shopping :) 

Jan 19 

 

Jan 20 - me being artsy

Jan 21 - a light in California 

 

 

Week 2 : Jan 8 to Jan 14 2026

Jan 10 - my great aunt's china 

Jan 11 - Jax 

Jan 13 - a great aunt, again 

Jan 14 - art from Africa 

 

Week 1 : Jan 1 to Jan 7 2026

 

 

Jan 1 - Jax and Grandpa 

 

 

Jan 2 

 

 

Jan 3 - pillow fort 

 

 

Jan 4 - another new restaurant - Seoul Food (in Charlotte) 

 

 

Jan 5 - Dave & Busters 

 

 

Jan 6 - SIL's birthday 

1,000 Miles

As I noted in my update, I walked over 1,000 fitbit miles.  Here's the recap from my phone.  It shows the steps (2,891,758) but not the miles :(.   

 

However, I was keeping track in an excel spreadsheet - my steps from the spreadsheet were a little less, only 2,890,934 -- 1,183.5 miles.

This year hasn't started out great, but I'll stick with it. 
 

One Second Everyday - 2025

 

2026 Goals / List

 So here goes ... welcome to 2026!

1.  Finish Grinch quilt
2.  Attend Gallifrey One
3.  Go wine tasting in South Carolina (or North Carolina) 
4.  Go to a distillery (tasting)
5.  Try six (6) new recipes (document) 
6.  1SE (One Second Everyday) project
7.  Get new scanner and work on scanning projects (pictures, old letters)
8.  Try new restaurants (12?)
9.  Keep photo diary (blog)
10. Walk 1,000 fitbit miles
11. Go to beach
12. Visit with Jennifer and David
13. Work on Ancestry / Family Tree
14. Raised bed for salsa garden
15. Plant more rosemary and mint
16. Visit OS & family
17. Visit MS
18. Visit YS & family
19. Lose weight 
20. Make a successful sourdough
21. Make a new bread
22. Get and send Christmas cards (update address list and mail by Dec 5) 
23. Spend time with sister(s)
24. Retire
25. Visit Aunt Mearlene
26. Coffee with Amanda
27. Visit cousins
28. Go to Eagle Harbor
29. Go to Mackinaw Island
30. Go to Sault Ste Marie
31. Visit Nevada
32. Try new beers (document) 
33. Go to California
34. Watch the sixth doctor episodes of Doctor Who
35. Go to a new wine bar
36. Go to a new brewery (tasting)
37. Make a cake from scratch
38. Meditate regularly
39. Take a class - something artsy
40. Sign up for yoga at the YMCA
41. Get a new laptop
42. Get a Lomi - for composting / gardening
43. Do the Adventure cards for SC or NC
44. Have date night(s)
45. Spend time with each of my grandchildren (this should be 8-9 items)
46. Become a grandma again
47. Find a church
48. Baking/cooking "challenge" with Nevada
49. Artsy "challenge" with Nevada
50. Organize recipes
51. Do a different advent calendar thing with Nevada

52. Make a list for 2027

2025 Recap - Welcome to 2026!

Here's a recap of last year's goals - half of them were either completed or worked on.  Turns out it was a pretty good year goals-wise.

1.  Attend Gallifrey One - DONE
2.  Go wine tasting in South Carolina (or North Carolina) - DONE
3.  Join a book club - NOPE
4.  Go to a distillery (tasting) - NOPE
5.  Make pasta - NOPE
6.  Try six (6) new recipes (document) - maybe.  will need to go back and check.

    *made new bread

    *figgy pudding 

7.  1SE (One Second Everyday) project - WILL POST
8.  Scanning projects (pictures, old letters) - NOPE
9.  Blog once a week (in addition to pictures) - NOPE
10. Keep photo diary - NOPE

11. Walk 1,000 fitbit miles - DONE (will post)
12. Complete Couch to 5K - TRIED (more later)
13. Go to the beach - DONE
14. Visit with Jennifer and David - NOPE
15. Finish Grinch quilt - worked on it
16. Make pillow cases - NOPE
17. Raised bed for planting (dependent upon my SIL) - NOPE
18. Plant lavender - NOPE
19. Plant rosemary - DONE
20. Visit OS and family in Texas - DONE
21. Visit YS and family in Tennessee - DONE
22. Lose weight - NOPE (gained weight)
23. Bake sourdough bread - ATTEMPTED

24. Bake focaccia bread - DONE
25. Make Christmas cards - DONE
26. Update address list - sort of
27. Mail Christmas cards (by Dec 5) - NOT BY DEC 5 BUT MOSTLY DONE
28. Spend time with sister(s) - WITH ONE - DONE
29. Visit Aunt Mearlene - (IN APRIL - DONE)
30. Coffee with Amanda (A FEW)
31. Visit cousins (DONE)
32. Go to Eagle Harbor in the fall - NOPE
33. Crochet project - NOPE
34. Go to Maryland to visit friends - DONE
35. Write down three things I'm thankful for everyday - BIG FAIL
36. Visit Nevada - NOPE (though she visited here)
37. Find a good Pho place nearby - DONE
38. Try new beers (document) - DONE
39. Yoga - FAIL
40. Visit California - SORT OF 
41. Make monthly goals - NOPE
42. Watch all of the fifth doctor episodes of Doctor Who (not complete but lots)
43. Crochet project - SECOND TIME ON LIST - FAILED
44. Complete a 1000-piece puzzle (a real challenge with kiddos around) - NOPE
45. Go to a wine bar - DONE
46. Go to a new brewery (tasting) - DONE
47. Make sponge cake - NOPE
48. Four intentional hikes/walks - DONE
49. Try a new restaurant - DONE 
50. Visit a new place in S.C. (or N.C.) - YES - North Myrtle Beach
51. Make something to wear - NO, NO, NO

52. Make a list for 2026 - SOON

February Made Me Shiver

I still don't remembered the January line. I thought it was from American Pie but that line is "February made me shiver, with every paper I delivered..." Maybe that's what I was thinking and just didn't have the month correct.

 

 

 

I realized that one of my items on my list this year was to go to California -- forgetting that Gallifrey One is in Los Angeles (which is definitely California).  So I will re-word that goal to be visit Northern California.

 

It was a very short trip for me -- arrived Thursday (Jan 16), left on Monday (Jan 20).  We had a nice visit with a some goods friends.

 

I probably won't go back again until we sell our house.  I will go back to help with packing up my stuff, to make sure things that need to be protected are.  Not sure if we'll drive back at that time (again) or if we'll fly and ship things.  Shipping is so very expensive, of course, depending on how much there is.

I wrote this post about a month ago and never posted it.  Since it's now February 28, I thought I would get all my February posts in.

Pics - February 1 to 9

Feb. 2 - balloon babies!

Feb. 7 - sunset over Lake Michigan (not my picture)

 

Feb 9 - spring??