I'm back to beginning every blog post with "I know it's been a while....." I'm just going to accept that. Life around the holidays is crazy, crazy, busy and I am exhausted. I liked them better when other people did the work and all I had to do was wake up and find out what Santa brought me. I'm actually looking forward to Monday because I think things will settle down a little and Garion will be back in school. But! Today I'm going to take 5 minutes for a little 2009 reflection. I like listing all the great things that happened the previous year, especially the things that I did for the first time. I don't think I've ever dumped that into a blog post before, but it seems appropriate--another first for 2009.
This year I:
-Smote the olive green walls in my bedroom and now have a lovely buttery cream color that doesn't make me feel sea sick every morning.
-Smote the 80's-awful wallpaper in my entry-way and the pepto pink wall in my living room and painted the whole thing a nice caramel-y color...mmmmm......caramel......
-Painted the living room WITHOUT TAPING. Yes, I did it free hand. And it looks GREAT! It's like I've had this super power locked up inside me all these years and I never knew.
-Went to Australia! By far, the highlight of 2009. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the thought that I actually made it to the other side of the world. In Australia I also tried meat pies for the first time, saw weird (to me) animals, smacked into people while walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk, stairs, escalator, etc. and saw so many beautiful things I'd never seen before that I can't possibly list them all. And also, they have Minties there, which I just adore, but I think I've mentioned that before.
-Managed to go camping...twice. Hmm. Not as many times as I would have liked but both times were with close friends and were great weekends.
-Bought a canoe! So much fun. Except that now it's so cold outside that I'm having trouble remembering what it feels like to be warm enough to think that taking a canoe out on the water is a good idea.
-Fully recovered from a stupid back injury. I am so grateful for this--I don't seem to have any lingering problems and I am just so glad that I can still do all the things I love to do. Also, I found out that my husband is good at housekeeping and just wasn't letting on.
-Did lots of fantastic hiking and trail running and I DID NOT FALL!
-Enjoyed my job security--I know a lot of people who didn't have this last year and it makes me even more grateful for mine.
-Marveled at Garion's leaps in bounds (the boy is 7 and reads chapter books--freak of nature that one).
-Thoroughly enjoyed Garion's first appearance in a Christmas pageant--he was a detective shepherd and was brilliant.
-Made my first peach pie--an unmitigated disaster.
This year, I did not:
-Make to the top of Mt. Humphrey's, again. sigh.
-Complete any of the runs I signed up for. At least the money from the entry fees goes to charity, right?
-See the Great Barrier Reef when it was actually within shooting range. Huge mistake. If you go to Australia, go to the Great Barrier Reef, for crying out loud.
-Cry on Garion's last day of kindergarten (but it was close), or cry on the first day of first day of first grade. I did get a little teary when, a couple of weeks ago, he left a note on my pillow that said, "I love you mom."
Plans for 2010:*
-Grow out my hair. I AM doing it this time. Really. It's time for a change and I just need to muscle through the the year of grow-out. This year is the year. It IS!
-Eat real food, as in only eat things with ingredients I can pronounce. No more fake creamer in my coffee
-Learn how to make pie. I love pie. Why do I not know how to make one?
-Smite more ugly wallpaper.
-Make it to the top of Mt. Humphrey's, damn it.
* Bonus material:
Moses's Plans for 2010:
-Install the woodstove.
-Take his wife somewhere nice and warm for their 10th anniversary.
