Thanksgiving 2020 finds me coming back to this blog to check in. Life has been such a rollercoaster of crazy though 2020-a pandemic, working from home, dealing with wrenches that life has thrown in my way. Today, I just feel the need to write and recenter on choosing to life life, rather than just survive it. So here are my gratitude list for this year, an update on my list items I have finished this year, and a description of my new word of the year for 2020 (That I am going to start on early!)
Happy Thanksgiving! In a year that has taken so much from so many, I am thankful for the things that this year has given. I am thankful for... -medical workers who sacrifice for our greater good -the slower pace that life has taken -seeing my kids throughout the day -hugs from Luke between meetings -texts, calls, and video chats with friends near and far -wearing comfy clothes every day -a home that protects us from the outside world -our jobs and the security they provide -a golden retriever that shows that we should ask for love whenever the need hits -the healing brought by music and art -a church that has filled our souls from a distance -delivery services and workers who bring things small and large to us -businesses that have adapted and kept going despite the numerous challenges thrown at them -scientists near and far who have worked tirelessly to bring us the knowledge to live with and fight covid -politicians who have made hard decisions to try to keep us safe -sacrifices made by so many to keep things going and keep others safe -technology tools that let us connect to humans when we are physically apart May today, although different, remind us that our lives truly do have blessings that abound. Completed Life List Items Living through a pandemic, finishing items on my list is more challenging than ever intended. However, I have still made a few happen. Here we go: 1)Learn to Make Fried chicken In August when the numbers were looking a bit better, Luke and I went to STIR cooking school and learned to make a full fried chicken meal. I would never have thought that it was that easy. I will probably not make it often, but at least I know how. 2)Max out the Pay Scale After a several year effort, I finally turned in my paper work in July to max out the pay scale. (The timing was great though as this fall I decided not to host clubs due to the pandemic). 3) Give Platelets on Luke's Machine When I donated blood early in the summer, I learned that our blood bank allows us to donate platelets on the machine Luke has worked on so much. So, when asked if I could donate some, I said yes to have the chance. It felt like a privilege to help others and celebrate Luke's professional life in one swing. A New Word The end of November seems to be the time of year when my new word picks me out. This year, my new word for 2021 is going to be Thrive. With SO much outside of our control, we have spent 2020 surviving and I know that the only way to move past this is to set intention to do this. So, starting today, I am going to start constructing my word and intentions to Thrive through whatever comes next. More to come soon.
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"In karaoke, you don't choose the song; the song chooses you." -Aisling Be a voiceboxkaraoke.com/locations/rino-denver/I love music. I love to sing. Growing up, I was choir from the time they would let me join Mrs. Heer's children's choir until the day I graduated. And then, just like that, my days of public singing went away. Why? I'm not really sure. But when I added this item to my list, it was meant to bring me back to my musical roots and the joy they bring me.
This got to come to life as we went out to celebrate Celina's birthday at the Voice Box. A new take on the classic karaoke bar, the Voice Box lets you rent out a booth Korean style and control the music with your smart phone. After a LOT of beer and white claws, we had a great time belting out nineties music, old country, and a few odd favorites. After our time was up we were having so much fun we paid to stay for another session. Next up, a live performance at the Park Center Lounge! "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." -John Lennon This summer was hard. There is simply no other way to say it. We struggled with balancing family, work, and unexpected challenges. I fell off of the blogging train and, to be quite honest, didn't do much from my list. Throughout the summer I made "posts" to fill out later, but later kept getting pushed off. Today I deleted them all and decided to do one big "update" post so I can move into September with a clean slate and a commitment to taking care of myself by starting to focus on living my list once again. So here is what I "did" on my list this summer. Life List ItemsI drove a tractor. I love being from a small town and from "farm" families. But ironically, I had never actually driven a tractor. My boys have done it a million times with Papa Ben's Ford and Papa Jo's John Deere. So in June I took my turn on the Ford. It was funny that my 14 (soon to be 15) year old son was the person to teach me how! It was harder to control than I had anticipated, but it was fun none the less. Another Item off my list this summer was I finally learned to make tamales. For years I thought that this process would be "too hard" but a better descriptor would be "really long and lots of dishes." It took us three days to make our tamales because I didn't realize the importance of sequencing and timing. (Cook roast, mix masa, wait, soak husks, stuff, steam--there are lots and lots of steps). The only really challenge I hit was that I tried to steam them in my instant pot but they kept coming out sticky. When I sucked it up and went to buy a real steamer, it got SO much better. I can't wait for it to cool down a bit so we can do it again. I went on a 40th birthday girls trip to Puerto Vallerta with my high school friends. It was a blast to travel without any responsibility and reconnect with these women who where the constant companions of my childhood. We swam, shopped, went to mass in a beautiful church, ate great food, and simply enjoyed one another company. For the second time, I am putting this item back on my list--it was too fun to not do again. We went white water rafting in Idaho Springs. I had great memories of doing this in college and I wanted to share this adventure with my three boys. This summer there was epic water because of record snowpack. The water was freezing but it was a blast to take on the rapids. Luke nearly feel out of the boat, but was hilarious to watch as 3 people had to pull him back in. Going to a Craft and sip adventure that wasn't paining also came off the list. I went with Kirsten to Upstairs circus where I made a cool string art project. It was fun to pick your own project but there was a WHOLE lot of estrogen in the place. (Only one guy in the whole place!) |
AuthorAlmost 40 and tired of the treadmill, I am going to LIVE each day as a new adventure while finishing todo items on my life list. Mom, wife, teacher, geek! Archives
May 2020
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