The Marci Rating System

Yesterday I was copied on an email in which a coworker (unironically) used the phrase "I hope this email finds you well," and I (metaphorically) nearly fell off my chair. I BOGGLED. starandrea assures me that this is a normal phrase people use in emails. I thought it was always a joke!

So then (of course!) I wanted to go find the thing I remembered from tumblr: I hope this email doesn't find you



Art by body-of-ouches; based on a tweet from sickofwolves.

(Note: I tripped down the rabbit hole of reading some of the comments, and apparently the vibes hit very differently for different people. It feels hopeful to me. And also funny, but I realize that my brain does tend to automatically remix everything as humor, so that may not be the best indicator.)

Here's my 2025 collage! May the year truly be a beautiful adventure!

At a broad level, my goal for 2025 is 'be present in body, heart, and home.' But if anyone asks, it's to drink more tea. (Same thing, right???)

Cagney enjoys her heated bed very much, and she is also an elegant princess. <3

Yay 2024! I started listing out some things I'd like to do this year, and then I started trying to group them thematically (as one does), and then we made fun collages!


(scrapbook paper, LOTS of stickers and washi tape, and the central image is from a mini wall calendar of art by Geninne D Zlatkis)

2024, year of enrichment! With three overlapping themes, because contrary to all current goal theory, I prefer my goals to be broad, vague, and as easy to achieve as possible.

2024's Themes:
*move
*learn
*connect

Lots of my more specific goals have elements of more than one theme, which worked great for the collage but less great for my plan of writing out a few of them for each theme in this post...

Some General Goals:
*using my left hand more -- this was directly inspired by the desire to be able to crochet wings both righty and lefty so they could be symmetrical, but I've long been intrigued by improving my left-handed skills for things like brushing my teeth, writing, and coloring

*yoga practice -- this was a 2023 goal that I'd like to continue; it's been particularly helpful for my balance and range of motion. I've been enjoying Yoga with Adriene's 30 Day Yoga Journey for January.

*creative outlets -- yay for learning things and self-expression! So far I've been expanding my crochet yarn options and writing my daily haikus.

Very Specific Goal:
*ONE DAY ONLY! SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR! THE RETURN OF TOTALITY! April 8th, 2024 -- a total solar eclipse will be visible from many parts of the United States. The path goes from Texas to Maine, and we already have our SKY EVENT OF THE YEAR commemorative coins, so you know we're excited!

Deeper Meanings:
*At the heart of all these goals is really one thing: I'd like this year to be one where I feel more comfortable and connected to my physical body -- I'd like to learn and move and express myself as a path to embracing my current physical presence in this vast spiritual universe. This quote from the Yoga With Adriene site resonates particularly this year: "While yoga is and remains a good workout for many, it was originally crafted to allow our souls to experience embodiment."

When exchanging casual conversation about goals for the year, I find it easier to share something like 'I want to learn to crochet left-handed' than 'I want to embrace the experience of my soul's embodiment,' even though they're really one and the same.

Summertime Cagney!