My new reality

I’m Baaaaaacccckkkkk!  Well, I’ve never really gone too far.  I just stopped writing, busy with life and also feeling a tad inadequate. Until recently, I only read for enjoyment but now I dissect and think a little more about the author’s style and vocabulary and content.   I recently read and enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘High Tide in Tucson’, a collection of autobiographical essays and commentaries on politics, society and environmental issues.  The comparison of her writing and my own attempts was overwhelming and intimidating.  Oh, and didn’t the imposter syndrome make it’s way back into my psyche?  Enough!  I learned a long time ago to not care too much about what people think (however, since I am basically a self-diagnosed ‘people pleaser’ there’s a constant battle raging in my brain).  In any case I’m back and writing occasionally when I have a whisp of a thought worth expounding upon (or not). After all, this blog’s about me, it’s free to write and read, so no harm done. I’m pretty sure it’ll all work out.

It’s funny, because that thought-whisp will inspire me to start writing and yet this blog will totally end up about a topic quite different than the original premise. I typically think about my posts while walking, swimming, driving, or lately, ice skating. I love my ‘alone-time’. I bemoan more recent generations which have no moment of solitude left to themselves (thank you very much earbuds and cell phones and bluetooth and stupid social media). ‘Alone-time’ is comforting and allows me to align my thoughts and lists and schedules. I do love my ‘people-time’, don’t get me wrong, so you’ll see me waving madly as I pass those few cars on our road or chatting up anyone I’ll run into at the grocery store or mailboxes.

An update on our recent excursions: In November we spent a long weekend in the Boston area catching up with friends, then later in the month a very fun Thanksgiving in the Buffalo area with my entire family in residence (all 6 remaining siblings together with significant others and various nieces and nephews). We again hit the local breweries and also my cousin’s pierogi restaurant and finished the night at an old school Irish bar, replete with an honest to goodness Irishman, the entire bar singing along with the jukebox and also me doing shots with the kiddoes. (Props to Jeanette here, she knows why). In early December we travelled to the Orlando area to attend my beautiful niece’s wedding at the Universal resort, and then also visited other family and friends for a few days in St. Pete. Typical of our trips to Florida, the weather was iffy and temps only in the 50’s. Why do people (and alligators) live there? Then back to Buffalo for Christmas Eve for the Polish Vigilia at my mother’s and Christmas day at Greg’s brother’s. Christina and Dan and Anna (Dan’s girlfriend) travelled with us. Kudos to Anna for 1. spending time with Greg and me in the car, 2. spending time with my family (we’re fun but apparently crazy) and, 3. living with Dan. Hugs to you, Anna!!!!

Christina spent the week after Christmas here in the ADK with us. We managed to keep her busy with ice skating and forest walks, Stars on Ice and ski-jumping shows with fireworks, reminiscing with home movies, testing the new pasta maker, and inventing new cocktails. We celebrated the incoming new year at a neighborhood party and danced a bit as well. It isn’t NYC with confetti and dropped balls, but was fun nonetheless. An aside here: Christina and I saw ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ in NY a little while back and we are both OBSESSED. The musical score has caused me to utilize my bluetooth headset or Bose speaker a little too often, reducing my ‘alone-time’ but it’s worth it. Did I say ‘obsessed’?

Our friends Steve and Andrea have a tradition of listing the year’s best meals and also memorable moments. Some of my best meals in 2019: The fish tacos at Flyer’s in St. Croix, just about everything we ate in Italy (there are no bad Tiramisu’s but don’t eat raw shrimp, ever), 2 dinners in Asheville, N.C. (as Steve reminded me: tapas and Mexican), grilled pizzas on our own deck, Jim’s deep fried chicken wings and Thanksgiving turkey and anything my sister Terry makes, Christina’s birthday steak dinner at the ridiculously expensive French place in NY, ravioli at Portofino in Orlando, dinner at the Essex in VT last spring, anything that Serge makes, and also anything that Christopher makes. Guess there’s nothing on this list that I have made…

As for memorable moments, there were so many and mostly all fun for which I am grateful: an amazing month in St. Croix with friends and family, an amazing trip with Alan and Jeanette in Italy, an amazing tour of Asheville, Nashville, and Memphis with Steve and Andrea, an amazing summer with the highlight of my year: the Erie Canal bike ride with Tina. More fun moments: brewery tours with my brothers and sisters, my surprise birthday weekend, my niece’s wedding, anytime spent with my kids. Oh, and Greg too.

Now it’s January. Winter has settled into the Adirondacks since early November but the sun is staying around a little longer every day. We have snow for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I corralled a group of neighbors to take pottery classes with me so yay! We will be visiting Western NY again later this month to install the kitchen cabinets that Greg built into my sister’s house. And shortly after that, a week in Antigua! In March, Greg and I travel to Peru to tour the Amazon, Machu Picchu, and the Galapagos, so there’ll be some interesting blogs forthcoming.

I’m psyched about 2019. Life will be interesting. What can happen in a year? We shall see!