2024 Recap

 Well, what a weird-ass timeline have we been thrown into this year!  They're trying to tell us that the Bald Eagle is now officially our National Bird (when it always has been according to my knowledge), apparently aliens are living in the oceans (but they have yet to save us from ourselves), orbs and drones have been sighted in the skies along with a mysterious fog that doesn't act like real fog, and a host of other weird things going on.

Wild, I tell you; wild!

This year's booklist looks more like a slaughterhouse than a "read pile" with the amount of abandoned books that I did not finish.  10 out of 50 I left unread.  They were just trash, for the most part.  But I had some really stellar gems in those 40 that I did finish.  The most recent was a book called The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman.  That was a lovely gothic novel that I truly enjoyed and will be reading more of Ms. Stokes-Chapman's works in the future.  The other one I was really surprised by was An Intrigue of Witches by Esme Addison.  It's always lovely to find a nice local author, and even better when you find that they've written something magical that transports you right into the world they've written.  Even now, months later, I can still vividly recall how she set the scenes up.  Simply beautiful!

My goals for the year fared much worse than my booklist.  I wanted to have this separation all taken care of and done and dusted by the end of the year.  Unfortunately, it has been nothing but a long hurry up and wait.  I was hoping that I'd have my finances all squared away after dealing with it.  But, here I linger...waiting.  And to top it off, my car got totaled earlier this month, and I'm waiting on information on that before I get another.  So, to say my goals are a WASH is an understatement.  But, I've survived another year. So, that's something.

The year did have it's moments though.  

My niece has been a bright spot and watching her grow has been a lot of fun.  Spa days with her are the best days!  

Being in my happy place (iykyk) has also been wonderful.  Getting to hear those waves roll in gives me peace.  

In August I found my first live sand dollar while I was holding my niece's hand in the water.  So, that was  really cool!  

I had another hurricane on my birthday, but still enjoyed it!  I went to Tweetsie Railroad for the first time ever on my birthday week and that was cute.  Sadly, the weekend after Helene came through and destroyed a lot of the area.  Hopefully it will recover.

I celebrated 5 years at my second job this past year.  I can hardly believe I've been there that long.  And at my main job, I will celebrate 25 years of service  next year!  It's funny how I've been in the same sector for so long that people who knew me when I started in my 20's are now coming back into my life, and it's so delightful to see us at the (almost) end of our journeys.  After next year, only 5 years left!

I've got a lot of projects in the works for 2025, and I'm getting started on them already now.  And despite all the setbacks of 2024, I'm motivated to get those items crossed off my list.  I'm really optimistic about it.  Now, as long as my body and the universe cooperates!

Happy New Year

What I did in 2020

Beautiful sunset.  Just because.

 Another year, albeit a weird one, has come to a close.  What a wild ride that was.  In some ways it was SO very different.  Working from home.  Being furloughed for a while.  Moving almost all doctor appointments to telehealth.  Libraries closed.  Everything shut. 

Then suddenly going back to my part time that I was fuloughed from and having face-to-face contact with people on a multiple times per week schedule.  Being able to go to the dentist again.  Getting my mammogram in person.  Going out to eat.  Toilet paper back in stock.

Just wild.

But, all that said, I did accomplish quite a bit this year.

• 
  I narrated and produced an audiobook that debuted in December.  In addition to reading that, I produced a second that has yet to debut.
• I also read and completed, for my own personal knowledge, 36 books.  With an additional 6 that I abandoned because I got bored.
• I put puzzles together with my father and saw movies with him (all before lockdown).
• I've been mailing cards during the pandemic to people I care about. Sending sunshine to brighten days, while helping the post office. 
• A new sushi place was revealed to me, and I've delighted in it ever since.
• In June 2020 I reached a milestone of 50 days where I meditated.  And then in November, I reached 100 days of meditation.
• I was fortunate enough to celebrate (although, alone) my 20th year working for the State of North Carolina.  That means I've been working for a total of 22 years of my 41 years on this earth.  I've now worked half my life.
• The kitchen renovation was completed in February, right before covid hit.  So, it was wonderful to have a kitchen again after not having it for 6 months.  And just in time!
• 
  I've sucessfully migrated to a new phone, with the almost death of my old one.
• Saw the Outter Banks for the first time, thanks to one of my favorite people, who decided to book her birthday trip there.  I was so grateful to be invited to spend time with her and her friends.
• I went to my first ever haunted house this year with another of my favorite people.
• I was introduced to Szcheuan Hot Pot this year.  So much fun!
• I have really honed my skills at creating weekly goals and habit trackers this
  past 6 months.
• I honed my scone and spring roll recipes.  And I have tested out my Instant Pot Vortex Oven/Fryer.
• I've played with new makeup color combinations this year.  Most people seem bored senseless by this, so I've stopped posting my creations.  But I still enjoy doing them and having fun.
  
• I completely changed my haircolor.
• I got my first Henna tattoo from a woman from Bangledesh.  It was intricate, and a wonderfully soothing experience.

I have been, and continue to be, grateful for the people who have stuck by me this year.  When it has been so easy for everyone to just hole up in their own covid-bubble worlds.  The people who made time to talk to me, see me, and invest their time in me are so appreciated.  

Mind you, there have been moments of saddness.  To keep it real, there have been major disappointments in situations, people who were in my life, and myself.  It's not all perfection.  But, yearly, I celebrate the accomplishments.  Not the failures, setbacks and disappointments.  Those are for my personal blog.  Just know they exist.  So, if you're struggling - you're not alone.