This year I . . .

• rediscovered the magic of Harry Potter. Read books five through seven and went to the midnight showing - all in November.
• learned about lacto-fermentation. My favorite concoction so far is the shredded beets with apple. So good in a veggie wrap. The sauerkraut was okay, the pickles were awesome, and I've been enjoying a fermented peach slice or two in my morning smoothie. Yum.
• gave my dehydrator a workout. dried pears and mango = candy.
• fit in my skinny jeans (as of today. Happy New Year to me!). I'm now in the best shape I've been able to manage since the great thyroid disaster of 2008.
• read a lot of books. Wallace Stegner and Anne Tyler top the list of new favorite authors.
• made a new e-friend (Hi, Miri!).
• cooked eggplant Parmesan for the first time. Made up my own recipe. The secret's in the sauce . . . and the Japanese-style breadcrumbs.
• ate roughly a million pounds of Swiss Chard, the most prolific plant in my garden. Still eating it in smoothies.
• quit drinking cow's milk and gave up cheese and ice cream most of the time. My body has been throwing me a party ever since.
• worried a lot about the present and the future, felt despair, then did some hard things.
• danced in a studio for the first time in five years. My soul needs it.
• didn't blog very much. I just didn't feel up to it a lot of the time.
• celebrated my fifth anniversary. It's hard to believe. Harder still: believing that I first met Clark over ten years ago.
• found   lots.  of.  new-to-me.  music.  I.  love.
• learned to play a little ukulele. (lol!)
• ate a lot of tofu sausage. and a lot of healthy bread.
• freed my skin and hair from the tyranny of sulfates, parabens, and silicone. So what if my hair smells like a salad?
• watched all seven seasons of The West Wing, again . . . and two seasons of Lois and Clark (yes, the new adventures of Superman - from the 90s). 
• considered trying to find more recent sources of entertainment, then gave up and read more books.
• sold some junk on craigslist for the first time. I'm pretty sure all your home lacks is a black futon frame that my husband pulled out of a dumpster and refurbished. It can be yours; price negotiable.
• directed the yearly primary program - with some kick-butt dynamics.
• learned to really like those little boogers in primary. Loving them was easy; liking them took some work for me.
• handed my calling off to Clark. Every week I sneak a peak at him singing with the nursery kids; it's hands-down the cutest thing I have ever seen.
• grew my biggest garden ever, thanks to neighbors who let us use part of their open field.
• made some new friends. Really new. I'm excited to get to know them better. It's amazing what happens when I don't spend all my time hibernating, commuting, or studying.
• didn't take my grad school comps. I was near catatonic in October; it just didn't happen. The new goal is March.
• got a new, seemingly free heater. the old one was an oil furnace that gave out several times before we gave in. Last Christmas, Mom and I huddled under blankets for two days watching Cranford because no one was available to fix it. This year we watched Return to Cranford in relative comfort. The heater installation was done in September and we have yet to see a bill. I'm a little worried, but for the moment I'm 4k richer. and a lot warmer.
• was proud of Clark. He worked hard at building walls, installing insulation, and doing other hard things.
• felt support and love from people who came to help us build walls, install insulation, and do other hard things.
• was more settled-in at work.
• spent time alone and liked my own company.
• taught a short grammar class to a group of sassy legal-assistant students. I hope they now understand the concept of antecedents. ^sigh^t
  
• went to my ten year high school reunion. I was a little ambivalent about going, but I'm glad I went. It was a good time, and I was delighted to find all you girlfriends of mine who have grown into confident women are more beautiful now than ever. 
• kicked out the tenant from our basement apartment.
• learned how better to screen for tenants for our basement apartment.
• meditated by a lake at what was possibly the best professional conference of all time.
• finished my last class some classes for my master's degree.
• didn't write a thesis, mourned my failure to academicize, then reconsidered the future of my academic career. Yes; I am still paralyzed by indecision.
• took back Christmas. As opposed to the failed campaigns of 2005-2009, in 2010 we made about 90% of all of the gifts we gave.
• didn't mail off said gifts before Christmas. There may or may not be something life-changing coming to a mailbox near you. but probably not.

The best I can say for 2010 is that it's over and I did some things, felt some feelings, and learned some stuff. Sweet success?! I think it might be.

Here's to next year, my friends. A happy 2011 to you.

kudos to clark

Clark was recently recognized at his company for his mad skillz. By editing video for it's upcoming convention, Clark saved the company "tens of thousands of dollars" as announced at a pre-convention meeting. He got a Home Depot gift card out of the deal - 25 whole dollars - a sweet kickback from those tens of thousands in savings (?!).

At least he didn't have to attend convention this year. in Florida. in August. without me. We can console ourselves by thinking of Clark's awesomeness . . . and by building a fence, deck screws compliments of Home Depot.

to boldly go

On a whim, we went to see Star Trek last night. I had free tickets from my birthday that I had been saving for . . . I don't know what. I really liked the movie. I do enjoy Star Trek, but I'm glad this one was more accessible and not too Star Trekkie, if you know what I mean. Our spontaneous date was great, but two things came up while at the movie that consistently bug me.

1. Being a target market. Do you ever sit through previews and wonder, "What market research concludes that I would be interested in (movie title with ridiculous preview) just because I am watching (feature presentation)?" I wonder this all the time.

2. Having grammar brain. I wish that sometimes I could turn of the part of my brain that recognizes every split infinitive, which, by the way, is fine if it serves a specific purpose; I just wish I didn't have to notice. I guess it's an occupational hazard.

poco a poco

There's good news and bad news.

Good: I got a raise and a promotion! My new position, as of the first of July, is Academic Support Coordinator (yes, it sounds slightly inflated). I am really excited to have more opportunity to help students succeed in college. Another benefit is that my new responsibilities are slightly more in line with my MPA degree. I also get my own office: no window, but my very own space nonetheless.

ESL students receiving awards
at the Adult Learning Center, April 2009

Bad: I don't teach English anymore. For the past two years, teaching my adult ESL students has been an indescribable experience. Many of them are so eager to learn that they attend class four nights a week so that they can expedite their language acquisition and have a better chance to provide for their families. I have been overwhelmed, at times, with the idea that I was their primary source of knowledge about the English-speaking world. In my anxiety, and perhaps because of it, teaching and interacting with my wonderful students has given me a fresh take on community, love, culture, communication, determination, and the meaning of acheivement. If you want to teach ESL, there is a place in your community to do so (generally volunteer positions - every community has a need); I highly recommend the experience.