'THE LIST' -- 2019 Update

Although the year is not quite over, I don't think I'll complete any more of the items on my list so here is my update.  2019 was not a banner year for doing the things I had thought about doing.  Some were too vague, some I forgot about, some I didn't really want to do.

Anyway, here's my update:

Completed:

#1 Kentucky Derby
#6 Attend Gallifrey One
#9 One Second Everyday (not every day, but lots of pics/videos)
#14 Go to Michigan
#16 Go to Adam's wedding
#18 Bake new breads (only one)
#22 Fund emergency fund
#24 See a sunrise (if watching the sun rise while driving to/from Arizona counts)
#25 See a sunset (in Michigan)
#26 Go to Arizona
#27 Visit family (siblings/cousins/etc) - did this while at Adam's wedding and in Michigan
#30 Wine tasting
#32 StoryCorps Interviews
#35 Work on scanning old pictures
#36 Scan WWI letters (more about this later)
#38 "Night Before Christmas" book
#41 Pick berries/make jam
#43 Go on date with my husband (we went to two plays together - that counts)
#49 Visit Tahoe
#50 Go to the beach (I guess the beach in Michigan counts)
#51 Try a new ethnic food (middle eastern)

So, that makes 21 of last year's goals that I completed and/or worked on sufficiently.  Not as bad as I thought.  I completed two quilts, but one of them was not the Grinch quilt and one of them is what I would call a cheater quilt - so I didn't check that one off the list.

Here are the ones I didn't complete:

#2 Visit Buffalo
#3 Finish the Grinch quilt
#4 Make two quilts (the Grinch + one other quilt) - See comment above
#5 Knit a blanket for EOW
#7 Visit Aunt Mearlene
#8 Complete "Couch to 5K" -- I started this several times, but never completed
#10 Participate in the AtoZ Challenge -- this I forgot about completely
#11 Try something new/different each month
#12 Birthday Blog Posts
#13 Blog once a week, every week -- there are total of 36 posts this year (so I'm averaging 3/month)
#15 2,730,000 fitbit steps = 1200 fitbit miles (as of 12/29 I walked 1,980,342 steps (813 miles))
#17 Go to Seattle
#19 Work on photography
#20 Make pillow cases for me
#21 Make gifts for all my children (and blog about it)
#23 Begin reading the 100 books to read before you die (I don't like the list so I'll have to come up with my own)
#28 Make a dessert souffle
#29 Work on 15 minutes a day discipline (Sew, Walk, Read, Clean)
#31 Watch original Star Wars trilogy
#33 Make bread sticks
#34 Get bikes
#37 Nevada trip
#39 Make and execute a plan for watching less TV
#40 Plant garden (tomato plants)
#42 Take 6 different walks/hikes (I might have done some of this -- but didn't keep track)
#44 Re-start cocktail Wednesday (monthly) (ONLY DID ONE SO THAT DOESN'T COUNT)
#45 Have a 60th Birthday Party (I did turn 60 but we kept it very low key)
#46 Visit Yosemite
#47 Decorate for Christmas
#48 Make a stuffed animal

and I'll do this one in the next 2-3 days.

  52. Make a list for 2020.

Secret Santa - Day 5

Today was the big reveal.  We had a firm lunch and then went around the room and everyone tried to guess who their secret Santa was.  I didn't guess, though I should have. 

So here was my final gift ...

Two bottles of wine to go with the two glasses!!  

It's a great time for bringing the office together and I think it's great fun!

Favorite Things Friday - Last Christmas

So, back in the day, a blogger friend of mine used to have a Friday linky post called Favorite Things Friday and people around the world would post some of their favorite things. 


As you know, one of my favorite things is Doctors Who.  I have watched, and re-watched, all the episodes (the episode from "modern" Who which started back up in 2005).  One of the traditions Doctor Who has had in the "modern" era is to have a Christmas episode which is loosely related to Christmas.  One of my favorite episodes is "Last Christmas".  

Anyway, one of the quotes from this episode is: 

"Do you know why people get together at Christmas? Because every time they do it might be the last time. Every Christmas is last Christmas. And this is ours. This is a bonus. This is extra."

I try to remember that every Christmas is Last Christmas.  Depressing, or just realistic? or both?

Secret Santa - Days 3 & 4

I forgot to post yesterday but my Secret Santa gift was the second wine glass. 

The gift today was a Starbucks gift card .. so I have a coffee cup and now coffee.  Two wine glasses and tomorrow .. some wine?  Such fun. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Baby Weezer ..

Secret Santa - Day 2

So, I was wrong about the gifts .. which is fine.  It's even more fun this way.  Here's today's gift.

A super cute mug.  Can't wait to see what's coming next ...

Oh, what I gave on Monday was this ..

I had help with the decorating .. if it had been up to me, it would have been a complete failure.  I'm not sure how they went over, but that's not my worry.  Today's give was just some Lindor chocolates.

Secret Santa - Day 1

At the office, we have a secret santa gift exchange.  It's a little different than most because we are required to give a gift to the person whose name we drew, for five days.  The gifts are supposed to be $5 and under.  Then on the last day, the gift can be a little more elaboartet.

I participated last year because I wanted to be a part of the office.  I'm doing it this year because I really enjoyed it last year.

Here is what I got last year:  a tree (with little lights on the ends of each branch).  Each day I came in there was a new ornament on the tree.  It was really cute, and a cute idea.

Today is the first day, and this is what I got ..

Can't wait to see what comes next.

Unfortunately, I am not quite so clever.  The gifts I got are not related.  I was struggling just to think of what I could get for this person.  I need to try harder.  :(

Scanning Project

In case you couldn't tell, I've been scanning pictures this week.  Here are pictures of my Great, Great, Grandparents, James Hamilton White and Elizabeth Campbell White.

 

 

I'm not sure if this is the same couple .. I'm thinking not.  What do you think?

Michigan Vacation - Then and Now

My husband and the light house in Eagle Harbor - 1983.

The light house in 2019.

Fort Wilkins 1983.

2019.

Thimbleberry Jam

As I may have mentioned before, one of my favorite things to do when we are in Michigan, is to pick thimbleberries and make jam.  This year, we were there right at the beginning of the berries.  If we had stayed another week I would have canned at least another dozen jars.

Here's what the berries look like on the bushes (plants? patch?).  You always have to remember to look under the leaves for more.

Cleaning and sorting the berries.

Cooking the jam.  (it's a one-to-one ratio, berries to sugar).  I brought the mixture to a boil and then cooked it for three minutes.

Jars, boiled and ready for filling.

Using the jam funnel.

One jar in the window.

 

Leftovers for putting on toast. 

We made over a dozen jars of thimbleberry and four wild blueberry.  That's all until next year ... if I go back again at berry picking time.

This is me picking berries when I was young.

Saying Goodbye ...

This is a post I've been putting off since August.  We buried my father in the family plot at Lakeview Cemetery in Calumet, Michigan.

My two sisters came, along with several nieces and one nephew.  One cousin from my mother's side and one from my father's came with their spouses. and a few of my parent's friends.

It was a very, very informal affair.  My sisters and I spoke briefly and then we encouraged others to tell stories about our father.
 

Afterwards, we went to the Eagle Harbor Inn, in Eagle Harbor, Michigan, for a reception.

Then we went to the Lake Breeze for a family picture on the porch.

Here's the picture from after my mom's memorial, 8 years ago.

Veterans Day

I am very thankful for all the veterans out there.  Those who gave their time to keep us safe and free.  and also those who gave their lives.

I especially want to thank those in my family.

  

My grandfather who was in WWI.  

My uncles and father-in law who were in WWII (sorry no pictures easily available).

My great uncle who was a Korean War Vet (I think).

My cousin.

My nephew, son-in-law, and son..

Halloween 2019

My office does a thing at Halloween. They have a contest for which corner decorates their corner the best and also a prize for the best costume.  For about 40+ years I haven't dressed up for Halloween.  Last year, I decided that I needed to participate, as a new employee.  Last year we decorated our corner from Harry Potter and we won!  (a free lunch for the whole team).  I dressed as Prof. McGonagal.  I wasn't happy with my costume, but I did it anyway.  I didn't save any pictures (if I took any) which shows how much I didn't like the costume.

This year we decided on "IT" as our theme.  Everyone was supposed to dress up like Pennywise, except for a couple of people who were to be Georgie (the little boy in a yellow rain coat).

and here's the whole crew:

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Today is my husband's 69th birthday!

 Happy Birthday!

Dark Shadows

When I was in second grade -- more than 50 years ago -- I used to run home from school to watch a soap opera.  Not just any soap opera, not one based in a hospital, but Dark Shadows.

It was my introduction into the "horror" genre and I loved it.  I loved Angelique and the stories surrounding her and Barnabas Collins, though I could never figure out what she saw in him.

I was thrilled to learn that Big Finish, in addition to producing Doctor Who audio dramas, has a Dark Shadows line. I've bought a few of them and enjoy listening on my way to and from work ... it's sappy, but still fun, all witches, vampires, and werewolves.

I've also bought a couple of the Doctor Who stories.  There are so many it's hard to know what to get next.  They have the Avengers -- John Steed and Emma Peele -- not the super hero variety.  They have the Prisoner.  So many stories, so little time. 

Renovations

We are in the process of renovating our house.  We are pushing the front out a little the back out a little.  Increasing the size of the kitchen. adding a bath.  We moved to our YD's house in early spring.

Here's the family room -- all cleaned out -- pre-demolition.

SIL and MS ripping out the walls.

The back yard -- where the extension is going to be.  We have to pour footers (?).

A stray cat hanging out in the new front yard.

I'll be glad to move back to the house.  I'm really tired of my commute.