Sunday Stealing on Christmas Eve!

 I'm joining up with the Sunday Stealing gang:

1. Who did you spend time with this year? I didn’t spend enough time with our granddaughters. The first seven months of the year were spent in the apartment and there just wasn’t room and over the last few months, we’ve been settling back in. Hopefully I can do better in 2024. I spent a lot of time with my co-workers. In reality, if you work full-time, you spend a lot of time with your co-workers. Every month I spent time with friends, too – we are in an out-to-eat supper club, a neighborhood supper club, and our long-time supper club. We spent 10 days in Israel back in February and so we spent a lot of time with those folks.

 

2. Anything change with the pets in your life? We still have Harvey, our cat. He is still suffering from PTSD from the fire. We actually bought a pheromone “dispenser” that plugs into the wall and supposedly it will help calm him down. I tell him that he is “the best kitty boy around” quite often.

 

3. What was your job like this year? What do you do? Did any roles or assignments change? If you aren’t employed, base this question on your work at home or volunteering. I continued in my role as the assistant to the senior pastor at a large United Methodist Church. I’m also the director over “the welcome center” and a few other “welcoming” ministries. One of my jobs on Christmas Eve is literally standing on the sidewalk with a giant sign that says, “Can’t find a parking spot. Stop and talk to me.” Our church sits in the middle of a neighborhood so we are land-locked. I’ll be directing people to a couple of community parking lots and to streets in the neighborhood. We’ve arranged for golf carts and a van to drive continuously back and forth to pick up folks.

 

4. What was the best book you read this year?  How many did you read? I read at least 50 books this year in addition to a couple of text books and a couple of books that I taught from. Emotionally Healthy Discipleship and Emotionally Healthy Relationships were both good. I really loved Remarkably Bright Creatures, and I thought Lessons in Chemistry was good.

 

5. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? Did you feel differently? I celebrated a big birthday this year – the big 65. We didn’t do anything special. I don’t really feel any different but I do think I’ve entered a new era – the one where the person becomes invisible. If you are 65 or older, have you noticed that? I swear that sometimes I must be totally invisible!!

 

6. What political or social issue stirred you the most? I don’t like to talk about politics at all. The thing that has probably upset me the most is the war in Israel. My heart hurts for our friends in Israel and for our friends in Bethlehem.

 

7. Who was the most interesting new person you met? I have no idea. I’m going to have to think about this question!

 

8. What changed in your home? I could write a book about this one and bore you all to death! Our home was rebuilt between February and July 19 and we moved back in! We did several upgrades while we were rebuilding.

 

9. What have you learned throughout the year? (Other than crafts)  Can be a new skill or a life lesson. Hmmmm . . . . I’ve learned that material things are just that – they are things. I love some of them and place value on many of them but at the end of the day . . . they are things.

 

10. What was your favorite outfit for warm weather? Cooler weather?  what do you wear when you dress up? Any new clothes or accessories you really love? My favorite warm weather outfit is shorts and a short sleeved top or a skort and a short sleeved top with Birkenstocks! Cooler weather finds me wearing more jeans and closed toe shoes. I love to wear dresses the most – all seasons. I have ordered several dresses from Tuckernuck and love them!! I’ve also ordered a couple of dresses from Amazon and they have been amazing.

 

11. Did you make or give up on any efforts to be healthier? Diet, water, exercise etc? I’ve pretty much held my own this year though when I weighed in at WW this week, I was up 3 pounds which was VERY annoying.

 

12. Fave meals, snacks, desserts, restaurants etc? Eat out or eat in? We eat in a lot but we eat out several times a month. I always love shrimp! I had some great shrimp tacos this year! We’ve been to Casual Pint and to Mudtown and to the Frontporch the most. None of those are fancy restaurants but we enjoy the drinks and food.

 

13. Did you learn any new crafts or techniques? What was your favorite thing you made? I didn’t learn any new techniques or crafts this year but I did make some cute ornaments to tie on Christmas gifts.

 

14. What are your hopes and dreams for the new year?  (Some suggestions-family, travel, work, lifestyle, hobbies, pets, appearance) Let’s see . . .I would like to finally reach my goal weight and for the doctor to say, “Great job!” We plan to go on a really cool cruise in October of 2024 and I’m really looking forward to that. We have a new granddaughter arriving in April so that will be fun! I hope to have more time to be creative! I plan to take three classes in 2024 . . .which will leave one class in 2025 and I will graduate with my AA in May of 2025.

 

15. What was the best new/new-to-you thing you a) bought b) made c) acquired in some other way? We have really enjoyed all of the upgrades we made. I really love my new stove and ovens. I have always wanted a Wolf and never thought I would have it.