Goodbye Shine

Every year, I pick a word of the year. Why do I do it? To help me step from the old year into the new. And words are important to me. For many years, I made my living using words. Even now, working in clay, many of my pieces have words on them, in them, around them. 

I’ve always loved to read. As a child the library was a place of wonder and delight. Books were my safe space. A place to go and learn and imagine a life different than my own. Now, I look to words for guidance, inspiration, and comfort. 

Shine?

Last year’s word was Shine. I look back at it and wonder. Really? Shine? At the time, my water damaged kitchen was in pieces: the sink was plastic, the kind you see at outdoor festival bathrooms, the floor was dug up like an archeological dig of the past, countertops and cupboards were missing. 

I know, I was being hopeful and optimistic and determined. I was going to ‘shine on’ anyway. I was not going to let it all get me down. I was going to fight to get what was needed to make my home whole again. I tried. Some days it worked, some not.

Shine through anyway. 

As always, art saved me. Throwing and rolling clay in my studio lightened my spirit. Even spending months in a hotel without my studio space, I painted with old watercolors. I crocheted baskets, hats and a small throw. 

Ok, I also watched a lot of HGTV. I saw old termite infested houses rebuilt. Viewed some amazing redesigned kitchens and bathrooms with gleaming tile, countertops and floors. I looked at all of this while my own home was getting torn apart. It took months but, finally all the messy pieces became whole again. Now, my countertops, sink and floors ‘shine’, too. 

Goodbye 2022.

It’s been a year. If I’m really honest, I’m relieved to say goodbye to 2022. It was challenging on so many levels. But then, so have the last three years! With all that’s happened, I really don’t know what to expect. I tried to ‘shine on’ in spite of it all. But like many, I’m burned out and tired of the worry and the stress.  

But maybe,

Just maybe, 

I’ll find a new word to give me, and maybe you, a little light to follow into this next year.  

A Joyful December Birthday

 

Growing up, my birthday was never really mine. My Dad’s birthday was two days after mine, so it made sense to do a combined celebration. The dinner, gifts, cake and candles were always shared. 

The dinner was my dad’s pick: pork, potatoes and peas. None of them were my favorite. As a child I hated pork and peas. The cake was a mix from a box: white cake and chocolate frosting. Again, not my favorite.  

In my family, everyone got their pick of dinner and dessert for their birthday, except me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my Dad. But as a child, I always felt a little cheated while I watched my brothers get everything they wanted for their birthday dinners. 

Let me eat cake!

This year, I had my very first ‘made for me’ birthday cake! My darling daughter asked me what kind of cake I wanted. Then she went to work creating a cake just for me. 

It was beautifully decorated with her own homemade fondant and inside was a rich, dark chocolate cake with melt in your mouth frosting. She crafted the outside in white fondant with black and white dots. Inside was a rich, dark chocolate cake with chocolate espresso filling.

A tale of three birthday dinners. 

My husband took me out to dinner for my birthday. At a local restaurant, I had a delicious halibut and bites of his steak with lovely red wine. On my birthday, day, my son made me a wonderful traditional pot roast dinner. 

Later in my birthday week, my husband fixed me this favorite dinner: lamb, baked potato with sour cream and broccoli. My sweet Gram used to make this dinner especially for me. And it always made me feel so loved. Another day, I had cake for breakfast!

Non Christmas flowers.

I love plants and flowers around this time of year: poinsettias, Christmas cactus, pine wreaths and rosemary trees. And I love filling my home with the colors and scents of the season. But I don’t consider them my birthday flowers. 

My true favorites were delivered by my true love. My husband arrived home with bundles of red and white long stem roses! Filling the vases with these beauties was such a joy. 

December is a joyful time

But it was made even more wonderful this year 

With food, flowers and a cake 

From my husband, son and daughter

All for me on my birthday. 

Making it merry. Again.

 

It’s been a difficult few years, right? And I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this holiday season. So much has changed in our world, cities and homes. If you’ve been reading here, you’ll know my home has been through a lot of changes. Some bad. And some good. That’s why it was even more important to me this year to make it all merry, again. 

Most of my downstairs due to water damage has been completely reconstructed. All the floors, counter tops, cabinetry and wall colors have changed. So using the decorations from previous years was a challenge. Some fit. Some didn’t. 

Tweaking the tree. 

Before we even set up the tree, I knew I’d need to change my color scheme. With the burgundy wall painted grey and the mantle painted black, it was time for new ideas. 

White reindeers now sit along the mantle driven by a black sleigh surrounded by white trees. 

Bold black and white check bows went on the wreath and stairway. 

More black and white check ribbon encircled the re-usable tree. 

The challenge: Do more with less.  

Before the reconstruction, we used to have more room. The nook hutch was taken out and the demolished old desk area shelves were deeper and wider. The new combined cabinet and desk area is beautiful. But it gave me a lot less display space than before. I was determined to find a new way to do more with less. 

Childhood Christmas books found a new place alongside a newly edited Santa collection. The teapot collection still features the Spode teapot alongside just a few teacups and teapots.

Finding new ways to use old favorites. 

The change from a white tile island to a black quartz countertop is a big one. But it does work with the new black, white and red theme, too. And my white porcelain leaf, jars in red, white and black and the red porcelain bowl keep the island looking merry and bright.

White and red poinsettias look good by the sink. 

Yes, the house was flooded and broken. 

But now, it’s all reconstructed and redone.

And I’m so grateful.   

We are all well and together. 

And making it merry. 

Again.