A Look Back At 2007

Well 2007 was anything but dull. I have over come much, and learned much more.

We made the long climb, and I feel that we've finally rounded the hill at the top of this roller coaster that has been my physical condition. We can now throw our hands in the air and scream and enjoy the ride back down to some kind of normalcy. Or as close as we can get, anyway. We've had to put a lot of things on the back burner while dealing with this, including our friends and family. I would like to thank everyone who was there for us for all their love, support and understanding...it really made a difference. Most of all, I thank my husband Nick. Your constant encouragement and unyielding love and support made it possible for me, for us, to get through this. Though the words hardly do my gratitude justice....Thank You.

2007 also brought with it some exciting events and changes.

We saw the Harry Potter saga come to a conclusion. Though the end was quite satisfying, I felt like I had lost a friend. I related with Harry on so many levels and as the story grew, so did my connection to him and to his world. The past two years, when I began to get really really sick, It became my key diversion. No matter how awful I felt or how scared I was, I could always go back to Hogwarts for a bit of magic. I suspect I always will.

My best friend Willow and I took another amazing journey together to see Tori Amos.

My sister got married, and I gained an awesome new brother!


We went green!

We planted our first garden, purchased our first couch and got a new kitchen sink. Now none of that sounds especially exciting, but believe me...when you've been sitting on metal futon bars for 7 years, a couch is bliss. For your bottom. And when your kitchen sink looked like this:



this is the heavens opening up and shinning glorious, glorious light into your kitchen:



I also turned one of our spare rooms into a little meditation room, a tiny sanctuary if you will. Once again I have to thank Nick here for his indulgence, as we were at the hardware store shopping for something else entirely when I suddenly announced that if I didn't paint that room tonight, I was going to go mad. He acceded and as a result, I did not go mad. Quite the opposite, in fact. This room will also double as our guest room, if we ever have the pleasure of hosting any. So come on down and see us, folks!



Nick was finally able to escape his lackluster job of eight years and has found employment with a new, yet entirely bewildering company. Still, it's something different, with slightly better pay (and virtually no commute), and has the potential to open a door that he would very much like to see open. We shall see where this new venture takes us.

Nick also started his nifty blog, which I thoroughly enjoy. Not that I'm biased, or anything.

I'm sure I'm probably forgetting something, which is kind of my new trademark. Forgetfulness, that is. But all in all, though 2007 started off with a mighty big bowl of really sour lemons, it ended up a rather refreshing glass of lemonade. Pink lemonade. With a slice of lemon meringue pie.

As the year draws to a close, I find myself looking forward to a clean slate. New year, new opportunities and a chance to start fresh.

Taken from the blog of Neil Gaiman, master of words:

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

What You Should Be Doing On Wednesday Nights, 8/7 Central

I don't watch much television. I neither have the time nor the interest in most of what passes for entertainment on television these days. However, my love for a good story and bizarre characters has me tuning into ABC every Wednesday night for Pushing Daisies.

Pushing Daisies has everything...fantastically quirky characters, unique plot lines, wit, romance, resurrection (from the dead!) and lots of pie. Plus there is a murder to be solved in every episode. And, as if it couldn't get any better, the entire story is narrated by the brilliant Jim Dale *swoon*.



The characters are what really attract me to this fairy tale. Aside from Ned the pie maker who can bring people back from the dead and his dead, but now alive, girlfriend Chuck, there is Olive Snook. I mean, the name right there just makes me squeal with joy. Olive is Ned's neighbor and also bakes with him at The Pie Hole. She is in love with Ned, but does not know his secret.



Then there are Chuck's two aunts, Lily and Vivian Charles, who are former synchronized swimmers with an affinity for fine cheeses. Lily wears an eye patch, after getting dirty cat liter in her eye caused her to lose the eye. She has a different patch to coordinate with every outfit. They do not know that Chuck is alive.



I wouldn't normally blog about TV, but as you may have guessed I really love this show! It's all enormous fun and always brings me a smile. And it's finally something different! It's not often I find something that feeds my infatuation for all things bizarre and unusual. This story, however, certainly does.

Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp.

See this guy?

I love him.

He makes me smile every single day.

We spent some time today taking pictures of our family out in the snow. I was rather disappointed by the performance of my remote shutter, as I couldn't get more than a foot and a half away before I was out of range. Still, we got some pretty fun shots and it was an enjoyable afternoon all around.

Though Christmas is just over a week away, I have found myself still struggling to find the Christmas spirit. There was a time when it was all so magical, I could feel it in my tummy. These days, with all the commercialization, obligations and the hectic rush to get to everyone and to get everything done, the holidays feel like one big hassle. Working in a retail store certainly doesn't help anyone find any magic, holiday or otherwise. So we spend this time of year "just trying to get through it", which is really quite sad.

Still...it's days like today when I can be surrounded by those I love most, out in God's beautiful winter wonderland, that I feel some sense of heart and spirit. Simple acts...tossing snowballs, laughing, and capturing moments...that is what Christmas is about. Simplicity and love. And taking joy in it.

Although we have a busy busy week ahead of us, it will be spent getting in touch with the people we love, our friends and family, for an opportunity to experience some real Christmas spirit. And also, maybe some pie.

There may be hope yet for some magic.

The Storytellers - Part One

A clear, brisk Friday morning found me and my dear friend Willow on the road, heading to Boise to worship the Goddess Tori Amos in concert. To say we are merely fans is putting it lightly. We are enthusiastic followers.

Tori is more than a musician, she is a weaver of tales. She marries her words with the music so beautifully and her spirit embodies passion, love and what it really means to be a woman. Her music has long been a place for me to escape and take solace or simply just to rock out. It often reminds me of where I have been and also where I am going.

Willow and I have traveled to see her in concert before, but as it had been some years we decided a girls road trip was definitely in order. Our girl trips are always the best.

Getting out of town was a bit of a comedy of errors, forgetting pillows and directions and also the tickets, but eventually we made it onto the highway. A storm was set to hit any time, but our five hour drive to Boise was clear sailing.

Once we arrived, we decided to stop first at the venue to see what the meet-and-greet looked like. Much to our surprise and delight, there was hardly anyone there which meant it was most likely we'd get a chance to talk to Tori. And we did. Well, Willow did. She and Tori shared a good ten minute conversation while I stood by and took photographs. I have met Tori several times in the past, and I felt that I have said everything I needed to say to her and that I didn't have anything else to say that she hasn't already heard a million times. I was quite content to shoot pictures and just observe. She is an amazing subject, I love to photograph her.

The concert was extraordinary, she played most of the songs I had hoped to hear and some I never dreamed I would hear her perform live. Willow had made a request of her at the meet-and-greet...a song that was very special to her...and Tori played it. I really enjoyed sharing that moment with Willow as I knew how much that song meant to her and how much it meant that Tori played it. We both got a bit teary...it was so great.

Despite being exhausted after a long day of travel and excitement, we were still on far to much of a high to sleep once we got back to the hotel, so we stayed up talking. I love just staying up talking.

Again, despite the storm warnings, the drive back home was smooth sailing and we arrived back in Salt Lake about 5pm Saturday evening, just having missed the huge snow storm that dumped six inches of snow in the valley.

It was a brilliant trip. Good Karma was with us all the way, and so was a cherished friend.

Caught A Light Sneeze

I am officially sick.

Brilliant.

It's 4:12am and I have yet to get to sleep. I have spend most of the night trying to think of clever ways to get out of swallowing, because it really hurts, and also how to keep my nose from running all over my pillow. I have been unsuccessful in both attempts.

Sneeze. Sniff. Cough. Ouch. Repeat.

Since sleep was not obviously going to happen, I finally got out of bed a couple of hours ago to have a few cups of tea and to take some aspirin for the pain in my throat. Both have helped, but I still feel completely miserable. This could not have come at a more inopportune time. Not only do I have to work this weekend, but I also have two Christmas parties that I really want to attend.

Bugger.