I’m pretty sure I’ve done this before, but given my blog adventure last year, I’m not sure I’d know where it is. So, borrowed from Cassandra:

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Made a conscious effort to eat more locally. Ran, and plan to again (well, hadn’t done that in 15 years, but that’s pretty close to never). Learned to have the guts to be my own patient advocate.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My “resolution” centered on health, if you recall. All aspects of it. Among other things, I tackled purging things I don’t need (there is still much more to go), coming to terms with a new normal in my physical health, adjusted my perspective on what material-wise and food-wise  I view is healthy, tried to make some progress on the health of my marriage (baby steps), and a whole bunch of other little things. I wasn’t expecting monumental changes, but lots of little changes in lots of areas is a pretty sweeping attitude change. I consider it a success.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, but there are at least a couple of babies coming in 2010 that I’m excited about!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, fortunately, but FAR too many people died who were close to people who were close to me. One degree of separation. Simply, too much pain for too many people I know personally and would not like to see a repeat of in 2010.

5. What countries did you visit?
Nothing new this year, unfortunately, but I WILL make it to the Netherlands in 2010. It may kill my pocketbook.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
An exercise routine that I stick to. I frankly wouldn’t mind being pregnant, but we’re still not actively pursuing that (and I’m ok with it).

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Probably Inauguration Day was the only one – for obvious reasons. My cousin’s wedding. The Sunny Day Real Estate show since I’d wanted to see them for SO long.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Grew a garden. My “resolution” was kind of a big one, in a strange way. Finally got the old tattoo on my ankle covered and got the one I had planned for my 30th birthday, which was 2 years ago, LOL.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not achieving anything bigger in 2009. My weight – after working so hard to lose weight before I went to Europe, I have inched up again. Lesson learned: age and metabolism are not friends. Not taking care of my debt and getting carried away by impulse buys.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, thankfully. Just dealt with what I already have and attempted to manage it. I know what I need to do, it just seems to be up in the air as to whether or not I’ll do it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My GTI.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
J, who is infinitely patient with my quirkiness, as always.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mother and her husband. A large number of the people around the Metro DC area. In many cases, I agree with Cassandra about Americans in general – as in the post I referenced in #2.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Debt. Toys.  <- THIS needs to change.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Wonderful things happening for my friends and family.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Unfortunately, anything by Lady Gaga, who I really don’t like.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:?a) happier or sadder? ?b) thinner or fatter? ?c) richer or poorer?
Happier, about the same, about the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Had more adventures.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending money and eating.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my inlaws in North Carolina.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No. Stayed in love, which is a big thing in and of itself.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Hmmm….I started watching a bunch of new shows this year that I hadn’t before….Mad Men? Biggest Loser?

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate isn’t worth the energy.

25. What was the best book you read?
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sparta. Why must I discover bands after they’re already broken up?

27. What did you want and get?
My GTI.

28. What did you want and not get?
There’s always something. New kitchen counters.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Probably “Up”…I did like “New Moon,” but in a hedonist kind of way.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 32. Spent time with my mother, went out to dinner at a new local restaurant. Other than that, I don’t really remember!

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Feeling like I belong somewhere in this world and having something significant to contribute.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Evolving. Found a blog that changed my attitude and have been running with it.

33. What kept you sane?
Having not too much of anything. Not too much work, not too much play….

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one really.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality, I’d say.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends and family who are all over that place that are not HERE.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
Didn’t really meet too many new people, but Facebook continues to be a fun place to reconnect with old friends!

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Just because you CAN have something it doesn’t mean you need to have it or should have it. I hope to apply this more in 2010.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“You set a fire to forget, to burn up all you regret. But really, nothing has changed, today. You can’t go on this way.” – Sparta

Onward and upward, forward is the only way to go. Cheers to 2010.

Dad and his wife have been here this weekend – the closest we get to Easter around here is breaking out a Paas kit and feasting on Peeps and Creme Eggs. So, while everyone else spent Sunday at church and at family gatherings, we spent it at the newly-reopened Museum of American History. Two of the exhibits we really wanted to see had lengthy lines, but we were able to see the Star-Spangled Banner and this:

Any ideas?

It’s Julia Child’s kitchen.

I was amazed by how homey and real it is, and at the amazing array of gadgets – the mix of single-use gadgets and the best of the best multitaskers. Her knife collection. The pots and pans on peg boards on the walls. The solid, central kitchen table that could serve as a dinner place, a gathering place, and an extra workspace.

Nothin’ fancy, but heaven conceptually for the home cook.

The exhibit included TV’s playing her old PBS shows – as a New England girl, shows from WGBH-Boston were regular Saturday fodder. This Old House. New Yankee Workshop. Jacques Pepin. Yan Can Cook. And of course, Julia Child – who, by the time I was on the scene, had long ago settled in Cambridge and was filming her show, finished each episode buy sitting down to dinner with a glass of wine. It was actually a mix of water and Gravy Master, I learned today – she didn’t want to be drunk and filming, but did enjoy good wine with her meals – a lesson learned from her time in France at the Cordon Bleu. Forty plus years ago, she was making a point of cooking in season, with locally grown produce. Sound like a familiar “trend?”

“Food should have sense of time and place,” one of her friends said in a video. I wholeheartedly agree.

We came home, newly inspired. We tried a little recipe reverse-engineering for dinner tonight. I think we have a winner – a fun, easy meal. With a sense of time and place – at least, a reminder of it for us…

Even though I haven’t been blogging, I am alive, and life goes on around here. My free time lately has been taken up by a little (?) sewing project: another quilt. I got it in my head to make a quilt for my MIL for Mother’s Day (shhh!), and I found a quilt I liked that was different from my last one, but still easy enough, and even better, a class that was running to keep me on track for an on time delivery. This past Tuesday was the last class, and we had to be ready to add the borders that night. After a semi-busy weekend with Cassandra (more on that in another post), Monday night was homework night – sew, press, rip out because it’s on point, I’m confused, and I sewed backwards, repeat.

At the end of the night, we had success!

It’s another lap sized one, and I was able to get the borders on Tuesday night and send it on its merry way to be quilted by someone who actually knows what they’re doing. Once it’s back in a couple of weeks, time to add the binding and we’ll be ready to surprise Mom #2 with it. These are totally her colors, and I’m hoping, her style.

J was a big help again with this one, helping me assemble the blocks and keep them in order. We’ve been talking about making a quilt for our bed for awhile, and he mentioned that he really liked this pattern. It’s a good thing, because if I’m making a king-sized version of it, he will be helping. A LOT.

In the back of that picture, you can faintly see some little shoots of something – that would be the beginnings of our garden, growing happily along. The squash and cucumbers have really made a run for it. J sneaks in almost every day to look at them – I think he’s excited, and I am, too.

Happy Friday!

Once upon a time, there was Boy 1 and Girl 1. They were high school sweethearts, and they both went to Big Midwestern U (BMU). (Boy 1 went first)  By the time Girl 1 got to BMU, Boy 1 had already been there for a couple of years and lived in Fancy Dorm. In Fancy Dorm, there were all kinds of upperclassmen who endlessly fascinated Girl 1. Specifically, Boy 2. Boy 2 and Boy 1 met – they had a lot in common, since they had the same major, played guitar, and Boy 1 was in a band with Boy 3.

Girl 1 loved this whole scenario endlessly, particularly Boy 2. Girl 1 was a total music fan, and just loved hanging out with bands, and sometimes even singing a bit. She was quite over Boy 1. Well, things didn’t work out with Boy 2, but they all stayed friends. Boy 2 met Girl 2, and they dated for quite awhile. Girl 2 was not Girl 1′s biggest fan. Girl 3 entered the picture later, and she and Boy 3 were a thing right away.

Soon, the time came for all of the group, one by one, to leave BMU for the Big World. Boy 2 was a real smarty pants and stayed on for more degrees, Boy 1 came back for another degree a bit later, and Girl 1, as the youngest, was the last to leave.

They were all very good friends, and all stayed in touch. Somewhere along the way, Boy 1 really hit it off with Girl 2, and since she was Boy 2′s ex, asked if it would be “OK” if they dated. Boy 2 was fine with it. He was dating someone else.

A little time passed, and Boy 2 broke up with Psycho Girl. Around this time, he and Girl 1 had been talking more regularly, and bonded over the fact that Girl 1 had also just broken up with Wrong Guy. There was a great show coming up in Big City (there goes that music thing again), and Girl 1 invited Boy 2 to come up for the weekend to go to it. Girl 2 and Boy 1 lived there, and they would be coming along as well.

Well, next thing you know, Girl 1 and Boy 2 are an item again. Girl 2 was not thrilled, but soon they all saw that the writing was on the wall, and Girl 1 and Girl 2 made amends. Girl 1 and Boy 2 got engaged, and Girl 2 and Boy 1 got engaged. Soon, there were weddings, and everyone was in everyone else’s wedding (two weeks apart) – including Boy 3. Not long after, Girl 3 and Boy 3 got married, too.

Always, always, there was the music. Boy 1, Boy 2, and Boy 3 in various incarnations of bands, sometimes butting heads on styles, but always enjoying playing. Girls 1, 2, and 3 were quite used to this, and in the case of Girl 1, oftentimes she’d have just as much fun hanging with the Boys as with the Girls.  Time passed, the new little families spread out, but made it a goal to get the Big Family of Friends together regularly for fun, music, and generally pretending that they were all back at BMU.

And so, this weekend was one of those weekends. Friendships and bizarre history that extends over a decade at this point (almost two, for Girl 1 and Boy 1!). It’s amazing how certain people can enter your life as friends, and no matter the time or distance that separates you, when you get the crew back together, it’s like you never left. In my eyes, the six of us are so much more than friends – really, we’re Family. And the time we spend and these relationships are among my most cherished things. There are the trappings of being grown ups – good jobs, nice houses, a baby, some dogs…better beer and food (most of us slightly rounder as a result), better guitars, a recording studio in someone’s basement…but in there, in this time we spend, we’re still Girls 1, 2, and 3 and Boys 1, 2, and 3 jamming and hanging out at BMU.

I am blessed to have these people in my life.

Somewhere around July, inevitably, there will be an oddball nice day or two. J will stand outside, coffee in one hand, cigarette in the other, sniff the air, and say: “Fall is coming.” Usually by September, he’s lapsed into “Winter is coming.”

Tags: family, seasons
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