End of 2017
Well, here we are, another year dwindling down. Those dreaded Holiday Parties and family fights are finally almost over. Too many calories eaten, too many internal arguments in your brain with people you are related to, perhaps some arguments became real but disguised as a dish, "No, you don't put butter in cornbread you put olive oil!" Meaning "You don't know a thing..." etc etc. Certainly in some families there are characters that can't be missed and are almost looked forward to! Some of the favorite characters are:
Top 17's highs for the blog
1. Visiting the Madonna de Guadalupe shrine with my mom and aunt in Mexico City was a beautiful day where we took the metro, were calm and happy and enjoyed a mass at the Basilica. It was such a simple sweet day together with some of the sweetest ladies in my family at one of the most special places in Mexico.
2. I adored watching Mrs. Fluffy Bunny make a tunnel in our front yard, and have her nest of bunnies. She was dutiful in rushing in the spring rain to cover the entrance of her cave with dried grass to keep her baby bunnies dry. Mrs. Bunny was a good friend.
3. Jumping into the crystal blue sea and having fish escape from my kicking legs then swimming out to boulders and leaping into the water....was one of my favorite weeks. I also really enjoyed the lemon risotto and the piano player in Nerano, Napoli. A piece of my heart is there. Possibly my intestine as well since the risotto was tasty but quite toxic!
4. Feeling my heart soar in Adoration of the Eucharist. It was pure love.
5. In November I was able to use a chop saw. I was terrified. I was scared. It was thrilling. It was worth it. It made me see a world of opportunity.
6. I started working in a place that has good free coffee and that alone is a very good year.
7. Many long walks were had alone, with neighbors, with friends and with a cat who likes walks.
8. I looked at a lot of pretty trees. I feel like I didn't notice the beauty of the trees as much in 2016 (come on, even arborists probably didn't appreciate trees in 2016) but 2017 was a good year, a very good year for tree-looking.
9. I spent many a lively Thursday singing my heart out with the choir. I loved learning the words to songs, and learning how to interpret the feeling of the message in a way that my singing reached through the barrier of my limitations and joined other singers limitations and together we grew in 4 parts, in one song and praised the goodness of God.
10. The kittens had excellent health this year! We had no near death moments and for very old cats, I am thankful!
11. The housework got into a nice routine for my fastidious standards of keeping house. Some dust bunnies were overlooked but overall we found a good balance for the art of keeping home and work. One big tip I enjoyed has been cooking in the evening after dinner for the next day. That way you cook after you ate dinner so you are not hungry, and you have time to play with food and make something yummy without being in a rush that you just throw things together.
12. I gained weight. That needed to happen. I could use to loose 3-4 pounds but I am ok for now even if granny thinks otherwise.
13. I made new friends! (some of them homeless old ladies but still, good friends.
14. I realized that arguing to have a sunny spot at work is worth it. It's where you spend so much time each day!
15. I went for a walk on Christmas Day, it was freezing cold, I couldn't feel my cheeks burning from the cold but the sky was alive and vivid with colors. The street was quiet and I loved the pleasant company of only the sky in that moment of solitude.
16. My brother wrote the most funny story that had me doubling in laughter and made me grateful to have a funny, alert and thoughtful big brother.
17. Amazon delivered all the heavy cat litter this year! I am so thankful for Amazon.
- The annual Christmas crier, the person who gets so anxious over the dreaded family reunions that their nerves fry and they go cry in a dark sad corner while everyone attacks the buffet and only someone looking for the bathroom in the wrong place finds the crier then walks away because the bathroom prevails. Or the crier can be more dramatic and can just unabashedly wail letting their tears and frustrations overflow in a fountain of water and mucus for all to see and vow to never do this awful family dinner again....
- Then there is the family nit-picker who wants to make sure you know you are stupid. About everything. They can cut you with their glare.
- The family know-it-all who is different from the nit picker and wants to relay the truth of the real truth to you. They have a hard time being quiet. Did you know everything is bad for you?
- The family bully who hates everything and everyone and wants all to know how terrible they all are.
- The family homeopathic "positive-thinker" whose nerves get so strained that there is no natural organic massage or oil or mineral bath that can be relaxing (come family time the smell of "relaxing" lavender produces nauseating thoughts of stress)
- The family pets never do so great as their intestines usually ingest something they shouldn't
- The family peacemaker who tensely with a frozen sterile smile tells everyone to say something thankful around the table after the dog has vomited, the crier has wailed, the nit-picker emotionally stabbed, the bully emotionally damaged everyone for good year, and the know-it-all who knew this would all happen (and states it) "I knew this would happen!"
Top 17's highs for the blog
1. Visiting the Madonna de Guadalupe shrine with my mom and aunt in Mexico City was a beautiful day where we took the metro, were calm and happy and enjoyed a mass at the Basilica. It was such a simple sweet day together with some of the sweetest ladies in my family at one of the most special places in Mexico.
2. I adored watching Mrs. Fluffy Bunny make a tunnel in our front yard, and have her nest of bunnies. She was dutiful in rushing in the spring rain to cover the entrance of her cave with dried grass to keep her baby bunnies dry. Mrs. Bunny was a good friend.
3. Jumping into the crystal blue sea and having fish escape from my kicking legs then swimming out to boulders and leaping into the water....was one of my favorite weeks. I also really enjoyed the lemon risotto and the piano player in Nerano, Napoli. A piece of my heart is there. Possibly my intestine as well since the risotto was tasty but quite toxic!
4. Feeling my heart soar in Adoration of the Eucharist. It was pure love.
5. In November I was able to use a chop saw. I was terrified. I was scared. It was thrilling. It was worth it. It made me see a world of opportunity.
6. I started working in a place that has good free coffee and that alone is a very good year.
7. Many long walks were had alone, with neighbors, with friends and with a cat who likes walks.
8. I looked at a lot of pretty trees. I feel like I didn't notice the beauty of the trees as much in 2016 (come on, even arborists probably didn't appreciate trees in 2016) but 2017 was a good year, a very good year for tree-looking.
9. I spent many a lively Thursday singing my heart out with the choir. I loved learning the words to songs, and learning how to interpret the feeling of the message in a way that my singing reached through the barrier of my limitations and joined other singers limitations and together we grew in 4 parts, in one song and praised the goodness of God.
10. The kittens had excellent health this year! We had no near death moments and for very old cats, I am thankful!
11. The housework got into a nice routine for my fastidious standards of keeping house. Some dust bunnies were overlooked but overall we found a good balance for the art of keeping home and work. One big tip I enjoyed has been cooking in the evening after dinner for the next day. That way you cook after you ate dinner so you are not hungry, and you have time to play with food and make something yummy without being in a rush that you just throw things together.
12. I gained weight. That needed to happen. I could use to loose 3-4 pounds but I am ok for now even if granny thinks otherwise.
13. I made new friends! (some of them homeless old ladies but still, good friends.
14. I realized that arguing to have a sunny spot at work is worth it. It's where you spend so much time each day!
15. I went for a walk on Christmas Day, it was freezing cold, I couldn't feel my cheeks burning from the cold but the sky was alive and vivid with colors. The street was quiet and I loved the pleasant company of only the sky in that moment of solitude.
16. My brother wrote the most funny story that had me doubling in laughter and made me grateful to have a funny, alert and thoughtful big brother.
17. Amazon delivered all the heavy cat litter this year! I am so thankful for Amazon.
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