Happy New Year!
Last year’s post remarked that even if I gave up other posts I would always stick with this and this year that turned out to be true. I posted a lot of photos on Instagram and kept up project notes and things there, but sadly neglected this. That’s ok, though. I really just love my big look back. I’ve also thought, “why bother even clicking post? Isn’t it enough to have this saved as a Google doc?” and you know I am looking into printing out that massive document. I’ve got 13 years’ worth and each one ends up being like 20 pages with the photos included. As usual, I began by reading last year’s post, which I really loved. All day today we’ve been sharing memories so I feel pretty ready to do this. Sticking with my categories…
Making Stuff (aka, mostly sewing)
This year I only made one garment, but it had been on a to-do list for quite some time-the Winslow Culottes! They are voluminously fun, and as they are black seem very practical for the wardrobe, but the truth is I haven’t worn them very much.
I did a lot more crocheting this year, accomplishing a 2021 goal of making a hat. I actually made 3! (Just realized one is not pictured, but it’s a chunky knit made for Tabby for Christmas.) I finished another small blanket, and got started on an accidentally large ripple afghan. I’d hoped to finish it by now but gasp! One of my colors is apparently discontinued. In the Christmas hubbub I could not deal with it, but now I will need to turn my attention to finding a suitable replacement. Although it’s not done I am proud of what I have so far.
My biggest “making” achievements this year were finally finishing my Dresden Plate quilt–Hooray!!– and making six (!) of mmmcraft’s new pattern for a felt house. I loved making these little houses and tweaking details. The tiny string of lights inside! The little trees! The mini Santa! It took my miniature loves to a new level. I kept one for myself but gave the others away as gifts.
As for other felt things…I did make my 3rd witch, this year with a mushroom theme. And in the spring I turned one of the Twelve Days patterns into an Easter Bunny, styled after my favorite Easter story, The Country Bunny. I started the yearwith hearts for Valentine’s Day and ended it with a snow globe yesterday.
As for the quilt, well it was everything I wanted it to be. This summer I buckled down and got to hand quilting it. I found a method that worked better for me and methodically worked my way through the Beatles’ catalog while standing and quilting at my ironing board (using it as a raised table.) I love these fabrics and will cherish this quilt.
Our Pets:
This spring there were some sad losses. Both of our guinea pigs, Samson and Louie, died (of old age natural causes) bringing an end to an era. I still find myself setting aside salad trimmings for them. Very sadly our beloved giant rooster Carl died. And very sadly and unexpectedly my mom’s darling dog, Harry, died. We miss them all.
Their losses left a little room for an opening, though…
A big highlight of our year was the adoption of Goose, a kitten. Goose was a birthday surprise for Tabby and was possibly the most successful surprise ever. We had decided in the summer that we’d get Tabby a cat (she had been requesting we get a cat for the past year or so) and it would be a birthday surprise. We wrapped up a cat carrier and took a video of her opening it. When she realized it meant a cat, oh my goodness. That video. Pure joy! Two days later we went to St. Hubert’s and looked at lots of cats and Tabby picked the tiniest kitten there, which she promptly named Goose. We have loved having a kitten around and she is a delight. My camera roll is totally full up of just a million pictures of her. At this point she’s well integrated with Liesl and Sweetie and Willow, which is great. She especially loves batting at Willow, which Willow tolerates with gentle amused grace.
In the spring Willow had a torn ACL, but we’re happy to say she recovered nicely!
In the fall we got 8 chicks to replenish our very small (6 old hens) flock. One ended up dying, so that left seven. They are grown now, but haven’t yet started laying. We look forward to that happening!
Garden:
We didn’t even plant our garden out front this year. We’re really floundering here. We opted to just do tomatoes in containers,which were very successful. The peonies were gorgeous, as usual, but the coneflower beds seemed a little meh this summer. And for the first time (honestly, how we dodged this bullet for 18 years when no one else in our town has I don’t know so I should just be grateful) the deer discovered and ate almost all of our hosta. The front porch houseplant bonanza was charming, again, though, so that was something.
In the way back we successfully grew pumpkins (about a half dozen), and the corn looked pretty good until…the deer ate it.
And, though our garden may not have been ravishing, we had some very welcome visitors this year-hummingbirds! Though we’ve had hummingbird visitors in the past, this year we had several times daily visits from at least two separate hummingbirds (possibly a third, too.) Every time they were a delight.
Concerts:
This year Tabby and Clark got to go to a lot of concerts, too! It’s great seeing them get to see bands they like and Paul is just a hero in our house for driving us all to Philly all the time, scoring tickets, knowing how things work, and taking care of us all so that we can rock out to live music. My list of shows this year is stellar and basically represents every music I like:
The War on Drugs (exactly what I wanted them to be), Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (heart achingly beautiful. I’d forgotten what beautiful music they make), Kishi Bashi (and Tall Tall Trees) (will never disappoint me. This particular show was very tiny and just A++), Kurt Vile (who also showed up at as a surprise guest at another show!),
Kraftwerk (perhaps the weirdest concert. I loved the whole experience, 3D, die hard fans, cool sounds), Aurora (she is so great live, Tabby came with us) Beach House(all 4 of us went),Guster (we just love these guys. Had tickets to see them a month later at Carnegie Hall but bailed), Decemberists (it had been so long! Truly one of my favorite bands and they sounded amazing), Ben Folds (we’ve seen Ben a few times before and this wasn’t his best but he’s still good), Elvis Costello (I’ll call this the one semi dud of the year), Pearl Jam (with Clark, which was incredible. They will never let me down), Kathleen Edwards,Death Cab for Cutie (our 3rd, and maybe best, time seeing them), Mother Mother (with Clark & Max, what a fun high energy show),and we ended the year seeing 2021 EuroVision winners Måneskin (with Tabby.) Going out with a bang because g-d this show was so fun. They played a song (I Wanna Be Your Slave ) TWICE, once in encore, which was just nuts but also a fantastic move because everyone loved it all over again!
As a family we also went to see the iconic Blue Man Group, which turned out to be a lot of fun. And a very big deal for me, Paul and I went to see The Music Man on Broadway, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. This is one of my favorite musicals and to see it on Broadway with those two was just an absolute dream for me.
Big Things:
This year had some big things in, mostly all having to do with Tabby and Clark. Tabby graduated from 8th grade. With things “back to normal” at school this meant there was a flurry of activity at the end of the year-an awards night, a dance, and graduation.
Over the summer Tabby performed in her 4H club production, as usual, but she was also a camp counselor at 4H day camp for a week, in addition to attending sleepaway Girl Scout camp. Meanwhile, Clark went on the trip of a lifetime at the start of the summer–he went to Europe with a group from school on a tour and study of Holocaust sites. It’s the longest he’s ever been away, not to mention being overseas and experiencing something big and meaningful. We missed him but loved hearing about everything and seeing pictures. Although a lot of the trip was very sad and a lot to process, he also got to experience the wonders of being in a new country, traveling with friends, eating new foods, and so on. When he got back he got his driver’s license, and boy did that change a lot of things. He went on vacation with his friend’s family in Cape May and drove himself there!
Then in the fall Tabby and Clark got to attend the same school for the first time since kindergarten/3rd grade. It’s his last year and her first year of high school. She’s also doing vo-tech and really enjoying the Graphic Communications program. Clark’s applying to colleges, which is surreal.
So while nothing momentous happened to me or Paul, just being parents of all these big changes is plenty momentous enough.
Hmm…I did just remember something pretty big. I turned 50! We had a grand party and it was a lot of fun celebrating.
Trips:
This year we were able to do a lot of traveling! We took one regular vacation over the summer and three other mini (2-3 nights) trips. (Plus lucky Clark also went to Europe and Cape May. My goodness!!)
In the spring we headed to Washington, D.C. primarily to do a couple of days at the Smithsonian. We saw some wonderful exhibits, spent time at the zoo so I could see my beloved baby panda, and trudged around seeing monuments. It was super. I love D.C.
In the summer we rented a cabin in the Berkshires on a lake in some middle of nowhere community. It was glorious. We have all agreed that the lake was the best swimming we’ve ever had in our lives. We primarily played games, read, and swam. But we did venture out to Stockbridge so we could all go to the Norman Rockwell museum. I had been there a few years before and was eager for the others to experience it as I found it quite moving.
A couple of weeks later we wrapped up the summer by going to this place in the Adirondacks we like, right on the Hudson River, just south of Lake George. We were happy to return there and spent some touristy time playing hilarious miniature golf in Lake George (we had eyed this place last year and were determined to go this year.) We had a dramatic end to the trip when a huge storm came in, knocking down terrifyingly large trees on the property and knocking out power. It was too scary/unsafe to stay so we ended up basically fleeing and getting home well after midnight.
Then, this fall, we took a trip we’ve always wanted to do, which was visit Salem, MA for a couple of days. We went a couple weeks after Halloween so it wasn’t crowded or crazy, and had a lovely time. I’d say many many of our Christmas presents came from here because there were tons of little shops to wander around and visit. We did go to the Salem Witch Museum, and out to eat, and the second night we did Massachusetts fun–candlepin bowling. It was a lovely little jaunt. As a special bonus, my niece met us for breakfast before we left and we haven’t seen her in years, so that was just wonderful.
Special Moments and Random Memories:
And now, the random list of special moments and memories throughout the year. I asked for input from the rest of the fam, so some of their things are in here, too.
First night in DC and going to an underground taco place, Tiki Taco, and having the best tacos EVER.
Running into a friend at the Museum of Natural History (Tabby)
One day this summer Clark, Tabby and I went to Sandy Hook and had a gorgeous beach day. Clark remembers that there were lots of dead crabs floating in the water, which shockingly didn’t bother me. But I do remember the sheer thrill and joy of watching dolphins frolic and leap!! Also, swimming out to a distant sandbar with Clark to jump over the waves.
Walking Willow by the river and being surprised by a heron taking off close by. (Clark)
Stopping on the way home from Cape May to meet Dad for lunch and getting Kirby drinks. (Clark)
This memory is not fun, but is definitely crazy–Clark and I driving across our one lane bridge (he was driving, 2 days before license) and a car swooped onto the bridge and drove right into us!!!
Going all the way to the Mann with Paul and then everyone being sent to shelter under the pavilion and waiting two hours before they finally said the concert was cancelled. It sucked but hearing and watching the big storm roll in was pretty cool.
Spending dozens of hours this summer in the basement playing Stardew Valley! I’ve never been this caught up in a video game and I adooooooored it. Totally caught up in the world, so relaxing and fun. I loved my little farmer, Ramona.
A special memory from two days ago–Clark and I replaying Kirby’s Epic Yarn the day after Christmas. It was very nostalgic as we remembered each level. We were perplexed that something we recalled Clark playing for months when he was 8 (and good at it) took us 6 hours. Also, he was much nicer to play with now than then.
Speaking of video games, in January Paul started playing Pikmin and it became his walking delight for the entire year.
We have a running joke in our family about Clark finding money on the ground. When he WhatsApped us from Prague to tell us he found the American equivalent of $250 on the ground we couldn’t believe it. He literally just finds money everywhere!
Lunar Faire! We went to our first Lunar Faire this summer and loved it. (everyone else went to other ones, but this is the only one I went to.) It was held at a local buffalo farm and had a pride month theme. There was a simply beautiful moment looking at the full moon rising over the farm with the lunar faire letters glowing in lights.
Spontaneously stopping at an accordion museum in Connecticut and finding out it really was a little local museum that was a collection of hundreds of spectacular accordians. The owner and his wife were so friendly and sweet, played for us, and let us play too.
Taking Clark to visit my alma mater (Trenton State College, now TCNJ) and walking in to the student center. I had not been there since I graduated in 1994 and it was emotionally overwhelming to say the least. I became immediately teary. Seeing my old dorm room window was pretty cool, too.
That moment in the beginning of the Music Man when Harold Hill (Hugh Jackman) suddenly stands up and reveals himself.
Watching all three seasons of Umbrella Academy all together. We loved it and got so caught up in it.
Going out to a seafood restaurant in Salem and just getting a big bowl of mussels for my dinner.
Seeing Tabby’s beautiful drawing of glass (white on black) in an art show, and then this school year stopping by the school for a work thing and seeing it hanging up in the school’s office!
Hearing Tabby’s teacher describe her as she presented her with a very special award. It was one of my proudest moments ever and sometimes I start to cry just thinking about it.
At my birthday party feeling a little tipsy and merry and talking at length to two also tipsy and merry friends about all the weird things in our silverware drawer. We were cracking up as we looked at baby spoons and other stuff and I’ve often laughed just remembering that.
Hand quilting on a hot day while listening to all the Beatles.
Playing miniature golf on our vacation at a place that was the best theme I’ve ever seen carried out–it was Swiss and every hole was something about Switzerland. We had an absolutely grand time.
Deciding to visit the Baltimore Aquarium on our way home from DC and discovering that something I’d remembered from childhood as being huge and terrifying was….not.
Arriving at the lake on our vacation and just walking directly into it and swimming right out. The water was incredible.
Playing in the lake–charades jumping off the floating dock-Clark pretending to be an old person looking at facebook on their phone, playing catch with a tennis ball in the water.
Lots of good times this year!!! So far Tabby and I have managed to still not have caught Covid, though Clark started AND ended the year with it, and Paul also had it. Fortunately they did not feel ill with it. Knock on wood that Tabby and I can keep our streak going this year. We really had a lot of wonderful family times together this year, making lots of happy memories and just really enjoying time with each other-games, trips, shared experiences, and so on. I really couldn’t ask for anything more, so here’s to a 2023 that has plenty of fun and games, experiences and learning, laughter and wonder, creativity, and at least a few dips in a lake 🙂