Reverb Ketchup :)

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself.  Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

When I read this prompt these 2 photos are the first that popped into my head. Me doing a very bad Julie Andrews impression on top of Mt. SomeThingOrOther in Colorado this summer. I LOVE the Sound of Music! I always wanted to sing “I am 16 going on 17” but I also wanted to walk down the aisle with that ridiculously long train. I think this captures my silly fun side and my spontaneity. I LOVE going to new places and doing new things and seeing as much as possible and I’m definitely doing that in this pic.  It was beautiful on top of this mountain with the 2 lakes and small waterfall and all of us in our Jeeps. It’s not the cutest pic and I don’t have a stitch of makeup on but I’m having a great time and that’s really what it’s all about.

December 26 – Soul Food.  What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?

I LOVE good food. And I’ve tried a few new things this year that I’ve never had. Jacqui & Giuseppe got me hooked on this coconut yogurt from Germany and also one with chocolate chunks in it. And then there are the German pastries that are delish. Oh and the Italian coffee. I had Puerto Rican food for the first time. I LOVE fried plantains. YUM-MY! I even had a Puerto Rican/Cuban Christmas dinner and had Yucca plant for the first time and the delicious pastilles. This coming year I’m hoping to have Russian food. I want to try Borscht.

December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

This could be so many things but I think it would have to be seeing Nana sleep so peaceful and the kitties all curled up around her. The house all quiet and just this safety and serenity being there gave me.

December 28 – Achieve.  What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

I want to start selling my art. I think it’ll give me a lot of satisfaction at overcoming some fear and joy that others like what I do. I think fear is holding me back now and I’m not taking full advantage of the little time I do have. I’m lazy so if I do accomplish this then I’ll have overcome some of those obstacles. I need to finish the things I’ve started and then open the etsy store or/& art fire and talk to the business owners and start networking and making the art!

December 29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

That moment is definitely the conversation with my sponsor I had almost a year ago. I was complaining about some stuff as we alcoholics like to do and I told her I hadn’t been happy since I’d come home from visiting California. My sponsor promptly told me that the only time I’d been happy in the last year was when I was getting ready to go on a trip and then I was always depressed when I came home until I was going somewhere else again. That maybe it was time to re-evaluate my caregiver status and go live my life. It was like something inside me clicked and I knew that it was indeed time to start looking at other options.

December 30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

Nana’s love for me. She’s given it for almost 44 years. And it was her love that let me go so easily to go live my life. It’s her love that fills my mind and heart with wonderful memories.