Monthly Archives: December 2024

The Last Day Of An Old Year

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Welcome to the last day of 2024. It’s hard to believe we have found our way through another twelve months and to the end of the line on our annual calendars.

I remember a time that 2025 sounded like such a distant, almost futuristic year. Now it’s so close we can almost touch it and I’m feeling a little cheated. WHERE is my Rosie the Robot?

My cleaning, laundry and cooking won’t take care of themselves! 

This year passed so quickly and I honestly don’t know where the time went. I traveled less, hiked less and read less than normal. But my travels did take me to interesting places. I journeyed on a train, supported many independent bookstores, and learned lots. I saw the Northern Lights from my own yard in southern Ohio.

I watched a plane fly high overhead as I stood at the grave of Wilbur and Orville Wright who gave us the fine gift of flight. Wonder what they would think of how their invention has moved people and society across all these years?

Actress Mary Steenburgen moved me deeply when she told the Ohio School Boards Association about her passion for books and reading. A classic Pizza Hut location transported me back to my childhood. A few days later, a walk amongst the cherry blossoms along the Athens Bike Path took me back to my college days at Ohio University when I was young and learning was exciting.

Hikes were rare this year thanks to a sprained ankle, knee problem, bronchitis and, most recently, emergency dental surgery. But the hikes we did get in were good ones and we found a gorgeous old trail that the tourists haven’t discovered yet.

Along the way, there was beautiful music and art and kind volunteers who offered lessons and aid on topics ranging from Monet to trolley cars and from the Liberty Bell to books galore.

We said farewell to my brother Fritz – a German Shepherd we brought home as a pup who infused much joy and excitement into my parents’ home. He had suffered greatly in his old age, making it impossible for him to go on and cruel to make him do so.

In other words, there was sadness,  adventure, the extraordinary and the mundane. That’s life. And, thankfully, life does go on if we are fortunate to wake again for another day. 

I’m not at all excited for the new year. In fact, I view it with some distrust and disdain. My own mental and physical health need to take priority this year and that means less news, more hikes and less tv in favor of more books and creative pursuits. It’s time to start planning some adventures. After all, one important key to happiness is having something to look forward to.

Tomorrow is a new day. It’s the first day of a brand new year. I hope to spend this day at home and doing as I please. I’ll go to bed early with a book and hopefully wake up on January 1, 2025 prepared to face the new year! 

Kandy Kaleidoscope

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One of my favorite images of 2024 was this quick snap of the candy shop at Kennywood. I was there for the Christmas lights but happily admired the vintage buildings and rides as well.

The candy shop was packed with folks stocking up on their favorite candies and fudges for the holidays. It was also warmer inside, making it a mecca for everyone looking to escape the cold.

I was drawn to the building’s style and the snazzy colors and font! Incidentally, this is the first thing you see when you exit the tunnel and arrive at the amusement park!

The Week Between Years

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Darkness has fallen, Scout is sitting in a box I had hoped to use, and sweet potatoes are roasting in the oven. The wind is vicious here on the ridge and it’s raining hard enough that I can’t help but wonder what it would look like if it were a few degrees colder and snowing.

It’s the week between years. Those precious few days between Christmas and New Year’s where we are all in a cookie coma and no one knows what day it is. It’s going on 5:30 p.m. and I can honestly say, I don’t recall looking at the clock even once today.

I don’t care what time it is.

Instead of following schedules and clocks or responding to buzzes, dings and rings, I’m simply enjoying the quiet of my home. Truth is, my home is a bit of a disaster as I continue disassembling Christmas and reimagining some pine and lights into something beautiful for winter. I have been putting away Christmas gifts, pausing some to read a chapter in my book and allowing Scout the chance to enjoy my being home. Every time I sit to read, he cozies up next to me for a catnap and a good snore.

This is the week I typically spend preparing for the next chapter. After months of adventuring followed by a season of gluttony and spending, it’s time to dial back the celebratory, almost uncontrolled aspects of my lifestyle into a season of wintering.

I’m so excited for this upcoming season of hibernation and rest. I will take my cue from nature and spend the next couple of months quietly resting, recharging and nurturing myself.

Each January is defined by a No Spend Challenge. This serves many purposes for me and is something I eagerly anticipate every year. I have written about this before and will again soon but, in short, it’s a time to reset habits and to go back to the roots of who I am and what I value. January is defined by staying home to rest and to appreciate all that I have already. It’s defined by finding creative solutions and using what I own rather than embracing the cultural norm that new is always better and that spending can solve every problem.

I reduce food waste, read lots, create more and feather my nest in ways big and small. 

Sometimes the challenge lasts just for 31 days while some years it extends into February and March. Some people in my life think it’s silly or that it’s a form of deprivation but they couldn’t be more wrong. It’s about celebrating all that I have and realigning my values so that I’m using my time and resources in ways that are meaningful to me. 

Those sweet potatoes in the oven have been languishing here for a while. They could easily be wasted if forgotten. They will be used as a base for bowls for a few days – breakfast bowls with eggs over easy, sauteed peppers and onions as well as perhaps a salmon bowl or two with chipotle ranch dressing, spinach and green peppers. Every ingredient will be from my fridge or pantry and will require no store runs for oddball things that will be used just once.

My mental shift into January has begun although, it turns out I have a return to make at TJ Maxx tomorrow. Since I’ll be in that store and a few others, I’ll look around but am hoping the sight of what’s left on the bargain table carcass after the post holiday sales will leave a lasting impression of just how much excess junk there is out there that I simply don’t need.

Meanwhile, my friends, I hope you are enjoying this week between years and that you are living your very best life embracing what you value. Have a great evening!

There’s Something About Going To The Movies

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My favorite movie theater is closing soon so I’m headed out to see one last show today. Our last movie at the Athena Grand will be Nosferatu, a retelling of the 1922 silent film of the same name. It sounds like a good old fashioned classic style film so I look forward to seeing it. 

Seeing a movie at home is nice. I have comfortable seating and a reasonably large screen for viewing but I have to say that the home viewing experience pales in comparison to seeing a good movie in the theater. 

Perhaps the best quality of the theater experience is the sense you’re in a deprivation chamber. There’s nothing to focus on but the movie. You can’t talk on the phone, jump up to deal with laundry, or run to do “the one small thing” you just remembered needs attention. 

All there is to focus on is the film. Multitasking isn’t a thing at the movies. 

In a world where constant multitasking is expected of us all, this feels like a rare and luxurious treat. Not to mention movie theater popcorn is always better! 

We do matinees which tend to be less crowded and less expensive. Plus, going to the movies feels like more of an experience rather than just a story on a screen. I so enjoy that experience and hope that while folks are choosing streaming more and more often, that we can still hold onto our movie theaters. 

I’ll miss the Athena Grand but do have a couple of other good theaters in the area. Do you have a movie theater nearby? What was your last movie in the theater?

Finally! Resting On Vacation

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I always try to take vacation around the holidays and was fortunate again this year to have off an extended amount of time that began last Friday. And yet, this is the first time I have nothing to do on my vacation. There’s nothing to wrap or cook. There’s nothing to buy or return. No one is coming over and I refuse to leave the house unless it’s to take out the trash. On second thought, that can wait till tomorrow.

My house is a mess but I’m struggling to care. I am going to do a little de-Christmasing this afternoon. One of my two Christmas trees and a few small decorations from around the house will be taken down. I like all the greenery and lights so a lot of decor will stay up through January. 

Scout got a toy for Christmas that is way bigger than expected (always read product dimensions before you buy). In my defense, it is rare for a product to exceed expectations these days. We need to figure out a home for his new Kitty City 2.0 starter kit. Here he is living his best life, cuddled up for a midday nap.

Otherwise, I may read until I get tired and take a nap. Perhaps I’ll work on a puzzle or watch a movie. Whatever I do will be low key. I’m still nursing my mouth. An emergency tooth extraction last week left a cavernous hole in my gum and the nature of the issue caused enough trauma to my jaw and the area around the tooth that the pain is distracting. 

All of this (minus the oral health issue) is part of my intentional winding down of the busy season and transition into my No Spend Challenge. This means fewer adventures and more quiet time at home. I’m taking a cue from nature and choosing to embrace hibernation and healing for the remainder of winter. All of this is a different story for another day.

Keep coming back. We will talk about more of this year’s adventures that I haven’t covered yet (there are many stories to tell) and we will talk about hibernation, not spending and a little about bucking social expectations.

How are you spending these last days of 2024? I would love to hear about it.

Lego At The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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LEGO has always fascinated me. I love the idea of colorful blocks that can be used to build whatever your imagination allows. Yet, I never played with them when I was a kid.

I’m not sure why but I don’t recall any of the kids at school playing with them in the 80’s either. Perhaps they were just too expensive for the kids in my poor rural community and not trendy enough to pressure parents into buying them.

Today, you can buy kits to build all kinds of things like the castle from Harry Potter, the Eiffel Tower, a flower garden or a set from your favorite tv show. I have a basic beginners set that I sometimes pull out on a cold winter night and often ogle the more advanced sets in the store.

When I visit my Pittsburgh friend, I get to stay in her college student son’s room which is packed with fabulous Lego creations that always make me smile.

So imagine my zeal when we found a fantastic Lego village and railway in the visitors center of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. It was put on by Steel City Lug, a local group of adults that love Legos. By the way, LUG stands for Lego Users Group.

Boy oh boy!! They made me want to clear off the dining room table and start building! Who knew you could make a working Lego train? There was a longer train but I forgot to photograph it.

I really like the group’s mission system:

“We further the enjoyment in all facets of hobbies that surround LEGO products, including, but not limited to: building official sets, building MOCs, collecting, artistic expression, investing, reselling, designing, robotics, sorting, and anything else that would drive someone to seek membership.”

This sounds like a group I would appreciate if I lived closer! Do you belong to a Lego group? I would love to hear about it! Find Make The Journey Fun on Facebook to see more photos.