Last day of 52...

Its Christmas Eve and a Saturday...and it has lots of meanings today.

It is my last day of being 52 years old.  Haven't really thought about being 52 this year...I assume that is generally a good thing.  I am reading a book about death/forensic criminology (All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes).  Oddly, it is actually comforting in its no-nonsense accounting of death.  Not sure where how I am feeling about getting older, but generally speaking, I am feeling good right now.

Today is also another day of Hanukkah, so this morning, I made Dreidel waffles..

ALSO, we have an MRI appointment for Willow--her knee (that had surgery last year) has been bothering her so we are having that checked out...on Christmas Eve...

ALSO, there has been a request for my traditional birthday dinner to be at the Dim Sum place in China Town...

 

A Nice Birthday Present...

I jokingly asked for a Hug (the Boy hates hugs and physical contact) ---he immediately complied--and even smiled for a picture!!

That is a perfect Happy Birthday present for a mom!

Concerts

I love live shows--the Arts are how we turn life into LIVING and having a wonderful concert experience reminds you of that in so many ways.

Going to an Indigo Girls concert is just such an experience.  I have been to a lot of their concerts (essentially, whenever they are in this area I try to go...).  I even "did" some of the virtual concerts they did during the height of the Pandemic.  

However, last night made me happy that once again, we as a community, can go back to live events.

I went with two of my friends, and it was the typical Indigo Girls concert (i.e. predominantly progressive women (some, but not all, lesbian) and "There was quite a bit of “hooting and hollering,”... The musicians just happily drank it all in! No Indigo Girls show would be complete without their signature song, “Closer To Fine.” This one always has Indigo Girls turning a verse or two over to the crowd to sing and they never miss a word."

The energy was great and I was just happy (and a little nostalgic) to be there in the moment.

Thankfulness

Thursday night we officially kicked off the Holiday Season by going to see a theater show of A Christmas Carol.  We have seen this show before, but not in a few years....and it made me feel good and in awe of life again.  

Something about LIVE performances, and being THERE with them as both the audience and the actors/crew putting on the show are in the moment and ENJOYING being there and in the moment.  

It was like coming home.  After all the mess of the Pandemic and the messy-chaos of life (note some things down below)...its nice to be reminded of how life itself is the EXPERIENCE.

The production is an annual tradition, and many of the actors perform it each year. The actor playing Scrooge has done it for over 30 years...and the familiarity is like putting on your favorite slippers.  You can tell that they are enjoying themselves.  That they are not just going through it by rote.  To do something for 30 years and have such glee in it still...what a metaphor for life.

Some days and weeks this year have been daunting.  Some have been just the daily grind until you realize that months have passed.  

But every so often, just like Thursday night, something happens to bring me to a sense of wonder and awe of LIFE itself.

Reminding me to be a PART of the world around me.  See the things in front of me, Smell, Taste, Listen...and ENJOY!

Some pictures of life the past month or so...

This was the year of No Refrigerator...our refrigerator broke and we did not have a working solution for 3 weeks...which included during Thanksgiving!  We stored the turkey and fixings in a cooler over night-

-and we feasted anyways!

New Thanksgiving decor!

Finally watched the Parade all the way through--thank you UTube for helping me find a NO ANNOUNCER/COMMERCIAL for SHOWS broadcast--I actually Saw the Parade!

While having some food with my Peeps!

Tried a cheese board, apparently not as successful as the ad hoc one I made for "Welcome to Fall"**--it was too fancy of cheese for some...

But chocolate penguins?  Yes!

Random earlier pictures from this fall:

Lennier and Willow doing what they like to do best!

Going to a show with my girl!

Kif disrupting my work...

Michael getting another collectible.  (New shirt from Count Orloks)

End of Halloween!

The Haul

Depression can sometimes look beautiful...(I wanna just Hug the bad thoughts out!)

**My "Welcome to Fall" cheese board:

Moments

Today brought many small moments.  Moments that I would not be able to cherish so well if I was in the office.  Moments that make me very thankful to be able to work from home most of the time.

Morning...extra cuddles with Willow...and then Kif comes in to make it even harder to get going on a Monday morning...

A break during the late morning, Michael brought Baragon the bearded dragon down...and I cuddled with him on the couch...and took some cool pictures of our newest pet...

That School-Time Anxiety

First day in High School did not go as planned...er, well, we got her there dressed and ready to go...but when she got there...her class schedule was all mucked up, no one was there to guide her to the special needs team and she was overwhelmed and anxiety took its hold.  She made it through the day--and actually did not tell us about the bad day until a few hours after coming home.  

Trying to get this girl to school on time and in her classes is already a task onto itself...add in a new school, new routine and NO ONE there to guide her...well, lets just say we as parents were not happy.

The School Year has become one of those times in the year I actually DREAD.  Mainly because my kids are very intelligent, witty, and extremely quirky and need special accommodations.  Welcome to being a Special Ed parent!  Its IEP (Individualized Education Programs) and Team Meetings and calls from the Vice Principal saying "We actually do not know where Willow is at the moment" (an actual conversation had in 6th grade--she had found a place to go quietly read a book...away from everyone)

The amount of anxiety and hand holding and, alternatively, parental pushing ("advocate for yourself" "contact the disability office at the college") can be overwhelming...and that is just on the parental side!  

So...this morning...on the second morning of Freshman High School...I woke her up and picked out her clothes (to help with anxiety about what to wear), took her early to get one of her favorites, Dunkin Donuts (frozen chocolate, plain bagel with cream cheese) and we talked about how things will get better and how she needs to advocate for herself.  And how (even though it is a PAIN in the BUTT) we will be picking her up from school instead of the bus (partially because it eases her anxiety--partially because we got an email discussing how the bus situation is having problems because of staffing issues).  

I dropped her off and said YOU GOT THIS!

And, a hour and a half later, I called the school to ensure that THIS day the Special Ed department had her on their radar (which they did).

Oh, I am on it, dammit.  -- special needs parent

Friends, Time and all...

As the summer starts its end run, school in the near distance...

This has been a strange summer, like all the summers since the Pandemic.  Some summers you feel like you have seized the day and spent the best times you can in the weather and activities...and sometimes you feel like you lost opportunities or just did not take advantage of the opportunities and now the summer is gone.  Its more of a feeling than a reality most times.  

This year, I am not sure if its more a feeling or reality.  We had some heatwaves and that stifled some outdoor plans.  We had obligations that were obstructing some plans.

And yet---we DID enjoy a wonderful vacation on Cape Cod.  We were at a wonderful house, we all got along, and relaxed and did (almost) everything we wanted to do!  We did enjoy the beach, the sun, the fun, each other.  We DID go to Canobie Lake and celebrate the Fourth of July. We DID go to a Pool Party!  We DID go to a Sci-Fi/Comic Convention and have fun!  

But--that was mid-July, which seems SO far away now...and while things are starting to become a "new normal" re the Pandemic, there was still issues with supplies, staff shortages, gas prices, etc. that made certain activities still unattainable.

Still---2022 seems to have gone by so fast and school approaches and I find myself trying to deal with the truth that we are all getting older, and not necessarily wiser.  

I haven't started lamenting the last gasps of summer yet, and perhaps this year I will not.  Perhaps its a year to embrace the Fall (like I used to).  Time to enjoy the air getting colder, the leaves (although the heat wave may affect the colors this year), the pumpkins, the autumn of Willow's FRESHMAN year....

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This week has been a meeting of old friends...my friend Nancy was here for a wedding, and after 30 YEARS, we met in person.  It is strange to think about 30 years ago and how we were and what we were doing...sometimes it seems like a fog filled misty memory/dream.  And then you meet your friend, who has not really changed her uniqueness at all.  It surprises you (and yet doesn't) how much she reminds you of the times in college.  It was a hard time for me in a lot of ways, and she made it so much easier.  I did not always "get" her, but I always knew I had a friend, a person who would be there for me.  

Unfortunately, she left school later on to other pursuits, but she was the reason I found my footing in college and away from home.  She is also the reason I joined the Star Trek club at college...and met my future husband....

Ghost Tour in Boston with Nancy and her family...

My family waiting for the tour to start.

Nancy and I on the Ghost Trolley

Our Ghost Host!

---------------------------

Today, we met up with Willow's friend Kayla and her mom.  Before 2020, we got together a lot...but its been harder the past few years, and this year, even with restrictions easing, it just has not been in the cards for us to get together....to finally meet up and have time with our friends...it reminded me that we also have the here and now to be a part of.  

So, these girls....

Are going to HIGH SCHOOL now....

Memories are nice.  But MAKING memories is also important.  

SO, I am going to seize the time left in this year...and make some good ones!!

Yes, we got our photo op!

Willow and I stood in a line for a little over half an hour, we got there, someone was trying to talk to him, and was being rushed off by staff (these were make up photos after all, so a LOT of people to go through).  Originally, he was supposed to be behind plexiglass...but apparently, when he arrived, he made them take it away saying "Oh, I don't like this..." (wish I had been there for that!)

We got in, staff said something about doing something with our pose to help with reflections of our glasses (yeah, I wasn't really listening...I was looking at David Tennant!)  So, he put his hands on our shoulders, as Willow went over to his other side, I said "This is my daughter, Willow" and he said "Oh, hello there Willow.." and we took the picture.  (I was more concentrating on his warm hand on my shoulder, but whatever...)

And then we stepped aside and were about ready to leave....When they said "Oh wait! We need to do a re-take because the reflections in the glasses!"  

So, we got to pose with him AGAIN for the above photo.  He may have said something...I think he did about "the camera liked you so much, we have to do it again" or something...maybe, I don't know.  

Later---Willow said "Didn't he smell nice?!"  

Yes.  Yes he did.

Okay, fangirl satisfied.  Achievement unlocked.

Fans, fandom and Cosplay Oh My

Today we went to the Boston Fan Expo.  Its like Comic Con on steroids.  

First time in such big crowds, but since Chewy and I got our boosters...and we are in MA, I feel "pretty" safe for the Covid...but, it is still kinda weird because of the last three years...

We went because--well, because I had promised myself if David Tennant ever came to a convention I could get to, I would go.  And he is coming to THIS one....BUT

Apparently not today!  

He was supposed to.  I had the Photo Op ticket, I had the cool T-Shirt...and at 12:40 was my time...and at 12 o'clock...the official word was that he wasn't here yet, and they would not know until 2 p.m. IF he was coming today.  

It all worked out in the end....(well, I hope):

We had fun, we hung out until the official word came out...everyone was happy (well, I was a bit disappointed...) and it was a good time despite it all.

AND--he is coming TOMORROW and they gave me a free voucher for the exhibition (the photo op ticket was separate) and HOPEFULLY, tomorrow, Willow and I will get a photo with Mr. Tennant (who is a really great guy and nice to his fans, so I am sure it was something he had no control over, etc.)  :-)

Meanwhile... some PICTURES:

My Cool Shirt:

Michael took some pictures too...so I hope he shares them with me and I will upload 'em...