2012: Recap

I borrowed this survey from All & Sundry. It's not relevant on all accounts but it's pretty comprehensive. 1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?

Went to Lake Lure in NC, Destin in FL. Learned to drive a motorino. Crashed a motorino. Dogsat for a summer. Lost a dog to tragic ends. Dealt with dramz of unprecedented heights. Wrote four sabbath school lessons. Submitted a manuscript to a literary agent.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
 My big goal was to lose 15 lbs. I have lost 10. I am on my weigh. Ha. Punny.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
 Yes, special welcome to my stepnephew Lucas!

4. Did anyone close to you die? We lost Toby. We still talk about him every few days. It was the realest loss for my children and we continue to mourn him.

5. What countries did you visit? None.


6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? One less condo in Boston.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Not to belabor the loss of Toby, but I truly understood in the moment of holding his lifeless body a small shred of what God feels for us when we turn from Him.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
 Growing stronger in my marriage, definitely, positively and absolutely.

9. What was your biggest failure? Letting frustration trump trust in friendship and colleagueship.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Praises be, no!

11. What was the best thing you bought? Schmancy new camera with my pro growth funds.

12. Where did most of your money go? Boring but necessary grown-up things like mortgages and Montessori tuition.

13. What did you get really excited about? Watching my sister TP finish a marathon! Conversating with lit agents about my manuscript. Having a couple of pieces published in McSweeney's.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011? I got to see Committed in concert at Bible College this year. It was highly memorable and very moving. Will particularly remember their song "Soon Ah Will Be Done."

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 – happier or sadder? Hmmm, probably about the same. – thinner or fatter? Wee bit leaner – richer or poorer? Financially about the same (see also: ouch)

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
 Spend more time playing with my kiddies. More dates with my hubby.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
 Complaining about what I can't control, per usual.

18. How did you spend Christmas? Will be spending it with the Midwestern fambam.

19. What was your favorite TV program? Parenthood. Those writers stole my life for its script, I'm convinced.

20. What were your favorite books of the year? I'll go with Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?
 The songs Baby Girl writes impromptu, particularly about unicorns.

22. What were your favorite films of the year? I really enjoyed "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Keira Knightley has moments of absolute brilliance.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I cannot remember. Why can't I remember?

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? In spite of a hefty portion of bad news we received this year, I was still pretty satisfied in my roles as a wife, mother, and teacher. I always want to see more of my family and I miss my friends in Boston something fierce, but the things that really matter were pretty secure this year. I'm grateful.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? I will not buy myself bigger pants. I will just do more yoga.

26. What kept you sane? Bikram yoga. Singing praise songs in the shower.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
 Love and forgiveness are still the strongest and most surprising forces in the world. I married someone who is incredible at his profession. It is possible to not eat a lot of sugar and carbs for a month. I lack organization, but there are simple things I can do to change this. God gives us so much more than we need and we need only ask and He will show up to bless us big.

Comfort Food

It is pure cliche to cozy up in the kitchen come October and become a one-woman factory of pumpkin spiced everything consumable but here I am: an autumnal cliche! I've been whisking up heaps of goodies and it feels so good to be working the node in my noggin' that is not used for grammar or creative discipline.

Some highlights from my baking adventures: Pumpkin Creme Brulee (excellent) - I made an oreo crust on the bottom of this messipe. Pumpkin smoothie Candy Corn bark

We finally got to host a soup swap at our place and it was so lovely. Everyone brought either several quarts of soup, a few dozen cookies, or a few loaves of bread -- all homemade (FTW!). And everyone went home with somebody else's spouse! Oh...and I kid. We gathered with three other families that are also suffering raising up joyfully the small children who live with them, so we ate at the same time that nursing homes start slinging the jell-o for dinner and everyone went home with a whole mess of food for the week. It was so clutch.

Except for this guy. He was bored out of his gourd.

Crash

I couldn’t resist having a proper look-see at a newish house just a stone’s throw from Bible College campus. It’s your standard three bed, three bath McMansionvilla. The South loves itself a “bonus room,” and every realtor must play an infomercial host, “Oooh, but there’s more!” and they toss in this whole extra parlor like it’s a potholder and I’m supposed to throw my panties in the air, “Yip! Yip! Yaw! Too good to be true!” Trust, the home I was looking at is really a four bed cookie cutter deal. I set up an appointment for a private viewing of the house.

And by that I mean I asked expressly for trouble.

As I approached the cul-de-sac wherein my prospect sat, I got all nervous nelly about meeting the realtor Miss Laverne. I had corresponded with Miss Laverne, who mercifully appreciates the technology of text messaging, in lieu of speaking telephonically (gasp, perish the thought) or e-mailing from her AOL account which is totally acceptable practice in Confederate commerce. I believe phonebooks are even used here for purposes other than boosting up small children to the dinner table (?).

I was wearing my crusty gym clothes. I was also wearing a helmet--which, by the way is adorbs with a ladybug print--because I was driving our motorscooter. We had just gotten it fixed (the scooter) and one of the quirky handlebars that has the power to accelerate was, turns out, no longer quirky.

You know that part in your nightmare when you can’t hit the brakes? It’s awful something fierce, isn’t it?

Oh. I. Broke. Oh. I. Oh. That. Happened.

The garage door was completely busted inward. And the crash was not a silent one. Ha.

Miss Laverne came out and I wasn’t sure if I should turn on the waterworks or if I should just pretend like I was not the same person who had come for the private viewing at 10 a.m. Nope! Hehe! I’m just the person who promptly at 10 a.m. crashed her motorino into the garage door of strangers who are trying to sell their house.

In the end I decided to cry but I was so sweaty and shocked that my tear ducts were paralyzed.

Miss Laverne was so kind, though, and, honestly, a good two minutes of me making the ugly face trying to cry was enough for her to ask me if I wanted to check out the rest of the house. I was unhurt as was the bike so we stood the bike and myself up and we went all HGTV on that place.

The rest of the house was really gorge. Bright and palatial, but like I said, I was still quite stricken by the accident. It sort of felt a little insincere to remark on the lovely tray ceilings when I had just effectively disassembled one of the major egresses of the home.

So, this must be a sign, right? That I'm meant to own property in both hemispheres. The North and the South. Think the installment plan is the ticket. Gonna lock down the garage first, work my way up to the kitchen, put the half-bath on layaway. Lock it up by end of fiscal year.

I spoke with Miss Laverne later in the day about our options, in terms of repairing the garage or just waiting to put an offer in on the house wherein, apres an official inspection, we would ask the owners to repair the unsightly garage door before we bought it.

Miss Laverne might have even asked God to bless my heart for cracking a joke like that;I knew I was dealing with a true Southern belle.

I then asked God to bless her heart. No, I didn’t really, but I wonder what she would have said to that. Bless your heart. No. Bless YOURS.

The above described incident occurred some months ago and all damages have been paid for and repaired. Except the damage to my ego :)