i’m almost half-way through my 50th year! since this was my attempt at documenting my year and showing you what my 50 looks like, it’s probably time for some reflection.
i’ve been to the river every month this calendar year except for february. but, since this is my plan and i make the rules, i just reset the timer and will try to get there every month thru next february to make it a full year. if you don’t meet your goals- just modify so you are the winner! how kind of me, to me!
in april i went to my sister’s house in washington to paint her house for her 60th birthday. nevermind that her birthday was the previous november, but we did a fabulous job and mostly finished in a week (see update and photos below).
although my mom moved in with me around september 2020, she sold her house this july and we are now officially roomies. she’s a great cook and keeps me on my toes shopping for her. her grocery list is a case study in patience. half of her items can only be found at a certain store, and only on tuesdays. i come back from the store with more questions than groceries. we are still trying to fit all our stuff into my little bungalow, but we are getting pretty creative with storage solutions. i was very surprised to see the boxes of kleenex stacked up in a row behind the bathroom door. she said it gets too hot in there and she was trying to redirect the heat from the vent to the hallway.
in october i went to a city with a real bookstore, and bought 4 books. i have actually read two (almost 3) of them already. these are actual paper books with dog-eared pages and water stained covers from using them as coasters. some of these new purchases may retire to my bookshelf, and some may be relinquished to the little library down the street or the lending library at the college market. a trip to a bookstore is indeed significant in my life because my town is sorely lacking in the bookstore department.
here’s what i ended up with:
- Bad Tourist -misadventures in love and travel
- Lonely Planet-ITALY, 2021
- Lonely Planet- Best Travel Writing
- Stanley Tucci’s Taste
i got to visit my sister in washington again in october. i carved out some time to finish a project that we started in april- and we were all pretty excited by the results. see below/after photos below. the purple door was the culmination of a fabulous effort and a total home makeover of her sweet ranch house on her little 3-acre farm. also pictured is a fabulous huckleberry pie we devoured from the 57 Store in priest river, idaho.
i’ve had ups and downs this year. as most of us have. i count my blessings everyday as i see sadness, loss, disease and tragedy in the news and amongst my family and friends. i have a prayer list (which i haven’t really had before) of lost animals, sick babies, arguing families, terminal disease, grief and broken hearts. even though i struggle with depression and anxiety (which rises and falls), i try to find the bright spots. the neighbor that helps me finish my sewing projects, the christmas lights across the street that reflect off my window into my living room every night, the big red dog that brings me socks to lure me out of bed to play, a text from an old friend “out of the blue” and the anticipation of a friday night date and some good laughs. so, i trudge on.
bluebird skies 
Love you.