It is crazy that there are TEN years of "A Year In Review" linked above. They have been of varying levels of promptness, completion, and value. But I still think it's pretty kick ass that I've been doing this for so long! 2022 - let's go! Looking back at photos and reflecting, it was an incredibly good year. There were definitely some rough patches in there, but it was a really, really good year! I think part of what made it so incredible was just that I decided to start really caring for myself and putting my needs first. I sound very privileged white lady, and I don't really know how I feel about that. But I got out of a really terrible job situation, which in retrospect, was really not a good situation for the kids as well and I'm glad I got out and found a job I like so much more. I took time to do things I love, like going to go see the McElroys just because I wanted to, spending a night in a hotel by myself watching HGTV, reading, and getting room service, and also starting to take a few hours for myself each weekend. We took time for our marriage, not as much as we would have liked, but we made an effort. Sam quit a job early in the year, because we literally did not see each other during the week. We also took our first night away from Edwin this summer, thanks to my mom watching him for us. We had a few incredible dates, like going to an amazing Mexican restaurant in the cities, mini-golfing over the summer, and going bowling for a couple hours during Edwin's nap. My sister got married!She and Brent put so much into this wedding and it was heartwarming and so much fun! They got married on the farm where Brent grew up and it was a such a beautiful venue. E got to be the ring bearer and did AWESOME. Favorite Books:
1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus This book was super enjoyable and meaningful to me as a woman, as a mother, as a feminist and I cried a lot. 2. L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón This book was SO, SO good and I could not stop reading it. I loved the inter-generational family story. 3. The Guest List by Lucy Foley I haven't read any mystery/thrillers before this and I really enjoyed it! 4. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan The sweetest little book that reminded me of my time in Scotland... and had a character named Edwin! 5. Introverted Mom by Jamie C. Martin I did not love this book, but I do feel that it was very impactful. 6. The No Show by Beth O'Leary We stan Beth, and this one did not disappoint! On the edge of my seat the whole time! 7. Wahala by Nikki May I am still convinced I'm Boo. This is not a compliment to myself. 8. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris This book made me think a lot. I think it is technically magical realism, which I usually don't love! New Experiences: 1. Having a monthly "full moon" gathering with a small group of close friends. 2. Buying a (used) car from a dealership. I'm now a Subaru girlie. 3. Losing a solid 3 nights of sleep worried about my BFF who was in labor. 🙃 4. Parent child swim lessons. I do not love these. 5. I tried to become an ebay resaler over the summer. It was a sort of fun but not-so-lucrative endeavor. Stuff I Really Like: 1. Linen overalls!!! 2. Coffee jellies from Star Cup 3. The smell of my RoC night cream 4. The fact that claw clips are back!!!! YES the 90s! We love it. Looking Forward To: 1. I will have a two year old?!?! 2. Possibly... maybe... finding a new house? 3. Getting to know Sam even better and on a deeper level, and continuing to watch him as a dad. 4. Finally being able to change my nose piercing to a hoop, this has bothered me a stupid amount the last 5 months.
0 Comments
The Disclaimer I'm interested to look back on this and see if my perspective changes. I want to be gentle, but also realistic as I write this. As mentioned a few times previously, the 2021-2022 school year was my most challenging yet. Caseload numbers were higher, I was spread across quite a few grade levels, and I had one particular student with very challenging behaviors. I place zero blame on this student and their family. I cherish this student and have known them for years and LOVED teaching them. Their family members are absolutely incredible, gracious human beings. (I am using they/them pronouns for anonymity purposes.) Also, my principal treated me incredibly well and I place none of the blame on him. I think this year is primarily a reflection of systemic issues and some lack of support from a district level.
Comment on the teacher resignation trend: our society does not value teachers. If you say you value teachers/education, you'd better not be voting for people who make Betsy DeVos the Secretary of Education. Just saying. Great teachers keep leaving the field and if I continue to have experiences like this, I will too. I want to give it another shot in another district because I freaking love teaching small groups of kiddos how to read. And who wouldn't want to spend summers with that curly-haired cutie above?
In true only-grandkid fashion, E celebrated his birthday 4 times. We had a small party with the Weaver family in early March when Lily was home for grad school. Despite several amazing gifts, E seemed most taken by Grandma's homemade chex mix. He also enjoyed a small chocolate smash cake, mostly by licking off all the frosting. E also "smashed" a watermelon cake down in Florida at Oma's. Then we took some one year photos on his actual birthday and held a gathering of friends over the weekend. His birthday party was woodland themed and I am very glad that I won't have to throw another big birthday party for a few years... he'll be none the wiser. By about 4pm he was laying on the living room floor, all partied out.
March brought a shockingly successful trip down to my mom's house in Florida. E surprised us by doing very well on the flight down! He loved spending time in the pool (almost as much as I did) and loved taking in the new plants and sights in the yard. The beach was his favorite, playing in the sand and licking all of the salt water off of his toys. Sam and I had two great date nights, and enjoyed several trips to a local ice cream place. The flight home was definitely a rougher one, but E finally conked out for the last 45 minutes of the plane ride, after thoroughly crying himself to sleep. Nothing felt quite as good as loading all the luggage into the car and heading home.
Last weekend, my mom and Dan were in town helping us with quite a few childproofing projects. We were all a little antsy and bored sitting around the house on Sunday, and decided to tackle this project I'd been dreaming up. January was by far the hardest month in a long time. Work was absolutely insane and I even took my first mental health day. I had mastitis (again), and norovirus hit our whole family. This little project was a great distraction and became a peaceful place of respite to play and connect with my little guy.
2021 was a huge year in a lot of ways: having our first child, postpartum depression, the death of my grandmother, and the hardest year of teaching I've ever experienced. I don't really feel this is the space to talk about all of those things in depth, so here's just a fun, kind of glib, very "me" way of representing 2021! (Plus, trying to share a year in review without sharing photos of my child on the internet is beyond difficult!)
Amid several texts from friends, family, and coworkers daily for the past week or so, Sam and I are still waiting. We are currently 5 days past our "due date," which for a first-time pregnancy really isn't so bad. Here are my current thoughts on being past 40 weeks.
The Pros
I realized that since we are mostly staying in our own homes, most people probably won't see our nursery it's cute, first-time-parent, never-been-used state. So here are some photos for posterity.
A nursery didn't feel like something we wanted to spend a ton of money on, and we were really fortunate to be gifted 2 cribs and mattresses (one is downstairs). Everything else is just pulled from around the house, with a few details, like the lamp, from Goodwill. I'm writing this post during my 35th week with anticipation that the next few weeks might be crazy/tired.
Physically I feel really grateful during my third trimester! I really thought I'd be miserable at this point, but I can honestly say that I am not! I had back/hip pain in my second trimester but haven't had any yet this trimester. I committed to daily yoga & walks in January and I think that has really helped! (Although the sub zero temps in the last few weeks have meant that a walk out to say hi to the chickens totally counts.) My biggest third trimester complaint has been the heartburn! I am really thankful I turned to medication this trimester rather than toughing it out like I did with the nausea. I have also radically changed my diet to avoid heartburn triggers, which has helped, though I do miss some of my favorite foods! Luckily, ice cream is still okay. I have noticed more tiredness and will often head to bed around 8 or 8:30. I have also definitely noticed heightened emotions (thanks, hormones) and general brain-fogginess. Bean has been getting strong! Most evenings the kicks can get painful and I have a permanent bruise under my right rib - not fun. Sam and I were curious and watched this video to see what baby looks like while they are moving around in there. That explains the foot in the ribs for sure! PreparationsMost of our "final preparations" were done in January - including baby showers, freezer meals, and packing the hospital bag. (Thankfully before the tiredness really set in.) We have taken a few online courses related to childbirth, newborns & breastfeeding, since in person classes are not currently an option. Nothing says dinner and a movie like watching a labor in progress! I've also been trying to prepare our home, our supplies & myself mentally for postpartum/the fourth trimester. I'm really grateful for the book "The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother" by Heng Ou for helping to fill a much needed gap in pregnancy/parenting genre - the postpartum time. Pregnancy is all about mama (and baby), but it seems that as soon as baby arrives, our society tends to shift the health & wellness focus all on baby and forget that mama just went through a pretty traumatic 9 months, mentally and physically. Turning towards other cultures for how they handle the fourth trimester has been really enlightening. I have also joined a weekly breastfeeding support group (we meet virtually) which is really exciting as I form a community of other mothers around me. Navigating the PandemicBecause of COVID, the third trimester has also meant navigating some interesting situations, such as trying to figure out how friends and family can help us out once baby comes without having to worry about Bean's health & safety or ours. It has also meant making big decisions like whether to get the COVID vaccine while pregnant, even though there was no evidence on the benefits or dangers. (I'm confident in saying that I have decided YES - as soon as possible please, and I'm happy to share why.) We are SO grateful that Sam gets to come to the 36 week appointment! Our hospital just started admitting "plus ones" for patients, so Sam will get to be a part of the conversation with our midwives about our birth plan and we will also be doing an ultrasound to see if Bean is head down. (They better be after all of the inversions I've been doing! Not a fun time with heartburn!) Other Life ChangesSam has transitioned to a new job, as his pre-pandemic work (freelance editing for a local business) seems to be taking it's sweet time in coming back. He is now working nights as a custodian and enjoying the time to listen to music and podcasts. It is certainly an adjustment, but also an incredible blessing at a crucial time financially. We are also thankful that his boss is giving him a few weeks off once baby arrives, and that he can continue this work when I return to school in the fall. I will have to figure out how to do bedtimes as a solo parent pretty quickly, so any advice or support is welcome. We are trying to make the most of the last of "us" time without baby. We squeeze daily walks when I get home from work & before Sam leaves for his job. We also recently hooked up Sam's Nintendo 64 and have been enjoying playing Mario Kart on our projector. So a babymoon seems a little bit like "stuff white people like," but it felt extra important to us after being cooped up in the house for almost 11 months #thanksCOVID.
We rented a local airbnb house, I got a masked prenatal massage (thanks Zaniya - they wore masks too!!!), and we did a lot of cooking and a few takeout meals. We spent hours in front of the fire playing games, watching movies, and dreaming. It was an excellent weekend. The highlight of my weekend was a delicious mocktail, a coconut mojito that was the best thing I've had in ages! I know every mother is different, but here are some of the favorites of my pregnancy.
Books: Like a Mother Fertile Ground The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Clothes: Maternity joggers Maternity jeggings (especially those from Old Navy) Baobei Maternity bloomers & bralette Things: Burts Bees Unscented Belly Butter (for an itchy tummy) Honest Company Bath Salts Wool Ease Oatmeal yarn (for knitting bebe a sweater) Tums - berry smoothie is the best flavor! Hot packs of any & all kinds IG Accounts/Apps: Ovia App (shoutout to Jordan for the recommendation) @takingcarababies for all things sleep & newborn @karrie_locher for all things nursing & newborn @expectingandempowered for a PT expert to guide you in all things movement, exercise, & pain relief @midwifemarley for all things labor, postpartum & hilarious comics @_happyasamother for a little therapy & love for mothers Grandma King has always held a special place for Sam & I, as she is our last living grandparent between the two of us. Also she is hilarious, kind, and always has chocolates when you come to visit.
Ever since I told Grandma I was pregnant, she's called about every other week just to ask how I'm feeling and to say that she's praying for us. We had the opportunity to meet her for a "window visit" in October and it was so special! I hope we can get down for another window visit once Bean is born. When we asked her for some parenting advice during our visit, she said "Hang in there. It's a long road but it's worth it." How does one reflect on 2020? I guess I need to begin with gratitude. Although we've struggled with isolation, jobs looking differently, and unemployment, we have been extremely fortunate. Everyone in our families is healthy and alive. I still have a job, and one with health insurance. We have still gotten to celebrate certain milestones, like graduation, and holidays with some amount of family (usually just Sam's parents/sister, with many, many precautions). We even got to celebrate a really big life step, becoming pregnant with our first child. Highlights:
- Finding out we were pregnant with baby Bean on July 10! - An incredible 2-day birthday celebration that Sam threw for me, the perfect cities date + a surprise party! - Graduating with my Masters in Education in July - Getting to spend a weekend with my sister & her (now) fiancee Brent before COVID lockdown - Being back in-person teaching this fall. Nothing has felt so special. (Seeing the kids is special. Being terrified of giving/getting COVID daily is not so special.) - Hearing the heartbeat, seeing the Ultrasounds & feeling the kicks for the first time Favorite Quarantine Past-times: - Morning walks on the path near our house - Sunday baking experiments (especially bagels & pretzels!) - Reading, reading, reading! - Rediscovering Yoga with Adrienne -Cookouts - House projects!!! - Weekly phone calls with Holland Favorite Experiences: - Kayking in my very own inflatable kayak! - Getting and raising 4 ridiculous chickens - Telling my sister I'm pregnant - Getting wedding photos taken for our 5-year anniversary Favorite Books: *I would also like to note that I accidentally joined 3 book clubs in 2020! One stopped reading books once quarantine hit, thankfully. so I had a little less to keep up on. I highly recommend joining Weeze's book club! - Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman - How to Be Less Stupid AboutRace by Crystal Marie Fleming - Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - A Place for Usby Fatima Farheen Mirza - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman OOOH there were too many good ones this year! Follow me on Goodreads! Grieving: - The all-too-quick hustle to get "back to normal" in the midst of protests and calls for racial justice - The losses so many have had this year... losing parents, children, jobs, financial stability - Wednesday evenings & Sunday mornings with my church community, laughter, liturgy & music - Eating, drinking, making food with friends/community - Good sleep Looking Forward to in 2021: - Baby snuggles - A new president in office! - Getting to spend time with people outside again - Getting Bean in the water for the first time! I can't believe that last Thursday marked the first day of my third trimester! This pregnancy has gone incredibly fast, especially the second trimester. Highlight: Probably the biggest highlight was getting to see Bean on the 20 week ultrasound! Sam wasn't allowed to join me because of COVID protocols, which was unexpected and really difficult (especially first thing on a Monday morning). He missed about the first half of the ultrasound, but we eventually got the video chat connected and he got to see Bean's tiny hands, feet, and some profiles as well. The very next day I felt the first kicks! Bean hasn't stopped moving since. Nesting: No room in the house was safe from me first trimester. The whole 2nd floor got rearranged along with most of the first floor. We did some painting, purchased a few new items of furniture & I had the best time organizing EVERYTHING, obviously giving my label maker a pretty good workout. Other Highlights:
- getting to eat real food again, even braved a burger and fries - going on some hikes with Sam - getting to see the bump grow! I think every day of my first trimester I googled the phrase "Does it get better after the first trimester?" For me, I'm so thankful that the answer was YES.
Honestly, the first trimester was hell in a handbasket. I was tired, very, very sick, and it was COVID-19. Sam was working from about 1-9pm every day and it was summer break for me, which meant I passed most of late July-late August on my couch watching HGTV Carribean Life and learning too much about TikTok trends (turns out this has paid off: my students and I can now quote TikTok videos to each other). With the pregnancy and impending school year, I fought a lot of anxiety about what that would look like and if it would be safe for me. I was also struggling with pretty extreme isolation between a global pandemic and my husband working most days. I was sick, depressed, and most frustratingly in retrospect, full of guilt. I felt constantly guilty for not eating the "right" foods or exercising AT ALL because even trying to get off the couch could send my nausea over the edge. I look back with so much grace for that person, and hope to carry more of that grace into the rest of my pregnancy. Thankfully, around about week 15 I could mostly function and I had also discovered a miracle food: salted popcorn homemade by my dear husband. By about week 18 I was only nauseous in the mornings. Sam was (and continues to be) incredibly helpful. Making me food, keeping the house together, and some weeks, working well over 60 hours a week between two jobs. He even came home and listened to me explain TikTok trends to him (trust me, hearing someone talk about TikTok trends is way more fun that actually seeing the videos). Here are some brief, unflattering photos that sum up the first trimester: Some of the most precious memories from the first trimester were telling people we were expecting.
One part of our story that was really cool to me was that actually Sam and I got to find out together. It was the morning I had been waiting for and I finally got to take a test & know it would be accurate. I took a digital test, which take a while to load. Sam was in the kitchen, making some coffee, and I called to him "You'd better get in here!" We held each other, waiting, and were so shocked and excited to see that it was positive! We spent the morning dreaming, reveling, and in my case, calling the OBGYN office because you can never be too early, right? We decided that day to name our little fetus "Bean," as it was the size of a vanilla bean seed when we found out on July 11. Another really special part was getting to tell friends & family. Because of COVID, we only got to tell Sam's parents and my sister in person, which made it that much more exciting. (The excitement was only slightly dampened by how remarkably sick I felt.) We got to tell the rest of our close friends & family over Zoom calls, facetimes, and phone calls/fun texts. One of the funnier stories is from telling my sister. We planned a socially-distanced, outdoor meal on a 100 degree day. When Sam and I pulled up, my sister had already decorated the garage with a huge "Congrats" banner - I was so confused, and disappointed that she already knew, until I remembered that I had recently finished grad school and my thoughtful sister wanted to celebrate in some way. The banner made for a great background when we told her we were expecting. This was the most special birthday! Sam organized a surprise party for me and it left me shocked and crying happy tears. I cannot believe all of the people who showed up (and traveled) to celebrate with me. Ann made delicious food, Mikayla decorated, and friends came to enjoy time with me. I felt so loved! Holland and Isaac celebrated the day with me as well! We had a birthday brunch and they treated me to a mimosa! The day before, Sam and I enjoyed a lovely lunch and a sunny afternoon at the Como Zoo Conservatory.
My word in January for the year was "process." As in, be okay with things being in process. Be slow. Create space. Looking back, if I were to give a word to 2019, it might be "Damn, that was kinda rough." Or something like that. 2019 hasn't been outwardly significant; I didn't graduate anything, start a new job, move, or make any other major life changes. 2019 was more like a bootcamp; in a lot of ways it kicked my butt, yet I remain hopeful that it kicked my butt for the preparation of my future. Maybe growing pains is another way to describe what I felt. Our marriage went through a lot of push and pull as we figured out how to sacrifice for one another as we try to pursue our passions. Our budget felt the strain of being homeowners as we paid for unglamorous things like a new refrigerator and garage roof. My job became a little more complicated as I navigated administrative changes and new grade level teams. I felt one of the significant pains of adulthood when three of my closest friends moved away. My brain and soul went through a good deal of rewiring as I began to go to therapy (and haven't stopped, and don't plan to). I am feeling the growing pains and the simultaneous hope as we enter into 2020. Now I want to share some of the more frivolous and bright parts of my year as well! Favorite Experiences
1. Seeing Lake Superior in Winter 2. 11 snow days & a polar vortex, complete with candles and dinner at Denny's 3. Townie bonfire on the lake 4. Cozy dinner party for my birthday 5. Goatsitting for my coworker friend! 6. Becoming somewhat social with my coworkers in general 7. Going to the local waterpark with my two favorite adventure buddies 8. My brother's wedding! And his amazing wife, Laura. And all of the booze, food, and dancing 9. Restoring our bedroom door (lime green no more!) 10. Going to my first Brewer's game at Miller Park 11. Working with a principal and staff team that seem so strong and supportive it feels like a new job! Rhythms 1. Journaling nearly every morning 2. Summer yoga by the lake 3. Sunday afternoon hikes (didn't quite make it to 52... 35 is close!) 4. Restarting date night with Sam! 5. Working out after work because it brings me sanity 6. Eating intuitively, without so many "rules" 7. Becoming a few times a week patron of the library, and starting to see myself as an avid reader 8. Reading on the patio of my favorite brewery, Kombucha-ginger-ale in hand Made me feel loved 1. My brother building us a fire pit in the backyard 2. My sister paying for my tattoo as a birthday gift... on her birthday 3. Tosha making me a Charcuterie board for my birthday 4. Lexie dropping by on her trips to Minnesota 5. Sam buying me a beautiful ceramic vase, flowers, and Justin's peanut butter cups after a hard day 6. My mom & Dan helping us reroof our garage, including days of labor, flying to WI, and helping us get supplies 7. Ann & Pops buying us dinner and having us back to their house for cards and dessert 8. The Weavers postponing Christmas because I had the flu 9. Kimmery becoming my personal trainer for the year 10. All of the weekends Emily chose to come spend with us! 11. Hikes, dinners, sleepovers, birthdays, all of the little ways the Redingers consistently do life with us. Entertainment 1. Sam Weaver 2. Charlie Parr 3. Peanut Butter Falcon (Movie) 4. Rewatching the marvel cinematic universe 5. Blind Boys of Alabama with the Weavers 6. Yolus, the musical Sam was in, obviously 7. Spider-Man Far From Home (Movie) Travel 1. Austin, TX - March (Visiting Hannah, Joel & Silas as well as Jenna & her family!) 2. Waukesha, WI - June (Visiting my long lost love, Emily) 3. Wisconsin Dells, WI - July (Mosquito-ridden camping trip) 4. Duluth, MN - July (Gabriel's bookstore with Megan!) 5. Duluth, MN - August (Anniversary trip) 6. Minneapolis, MN - August (Jordan's Bachelorette Weekend!) 7. Cascade, WI - August (A weekend at the little family cottage) 8. Alexandria, MN - October (IV Crosstraining) Sam Gigs: Duluth, Amherst, Mankato, Duluth, Minneapolis Consumed 1. Bibimbap 2. Gin & Tonics 3. Fancy toast 4. A 6 course Italian meal with the world's best ravioli 5. Lots of good tacos 6. Friday night pizza from Aldi 7. Gourdough's donuts in Austin 8. Lots of chili and cornbread Looking Forward to in 2019 1. Graduating with my master's degree! 2. Visiting BANF with my siblings 3. Continuing to dream about what's next 4. Hopefully some snow days!
A new-ish monthly ritual, inspired by a friend of mine.
As you (hypothetical reader) may have noticed, I haven't blogged in about 6 months. I've been going back and forth trying to decide if it's something I think is worthwhile/important/helpful/fun for me to do. I have not yet decided. BUT, every year since I began blogging I've done this, and so I will carry on the tradition today! Favorite New Experiences
1. Buying a home! 2. Being the proud owners of a pre-owned 2007 Toyota Prius 3. Beginning grad school at Viterbo 4. Being the wife of a musical artist who released two albums & had over 10 gigs this summer! 5. Joining the senior choir at our church 6. Having a few different roommates live in our home with us 7. Kayaking through the caves on the shore of Lake Superior 8. Spending summer evenings on my patio/the sidewalks of the raw deal with Tosha & co. 9. Hosting "come as you are, bring what you can" dinners at my home randomly throughout the summer 10. Becoming a part-time babysitter to the world's cutest 5 (now 6) year old. Travels//State Parks 1. January - Willow River State Park 2. Feburary - Lake Wissota State Park 3. March - Fleet Farm. At least 3x/week, sometimes 3x/day. 4. April - Council Grounds State Park 5. July - Sibley State Park in Minnesota 6. August - Spending a few days in Duluth, celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary 7. August - A quick jaunt to southern WI to visit Ariel, Rachel & long lost Lara, home from Germany! 8. Winona MN, Duluth MN, Durand WI, Rice Lake WI, Eau Claire WI, and Cochrane WI for Sam's Musical Endeavors Favorite New Routines 1. Daily walks 2. Going to the library every 2 weeks to get new books & return the old 3. Swimming out in the mornings & arriving at work extra early with chlorine-smelling hair 4. Spending Wednesday evenings with the OSL senior choir members 5. Sunday night roomie dinners Lessons I've Learned 1. Community is good and also hard. Being there to move somebody (or many people), cook dinner for someone, take someone's kid for the day, inviting people to stay overnight/for a few months in your home is HARD. But it is more rewarding than anything else in this world. 2. I crave alone time & need to fight for it and advocate for it. 3. I enjoy working out, but it can get scary, quickly. I stopped having my period for a few months this summer and I am now approaching my eating/exercising habits with more caution around "rules" because of my perfectionist tendencies. 4. I can set limits with my friends & they will still love me. 5. Signing up for Grad School in the same month it starts is hectic, but not the end of the world. 6. Running with a pacer is the best way to run a half marathon, and the least painful 7. I look really good with short hair. I should have short hair for a while. 8. After spending a few months on an elimination diet, I am confident I cannot live without: chocolate, wine, and some sort of daily hot beverage. 9. The best Old Fashions can be found at Loopy's in Chippewa Falls, Zanzibar in downtown Menomonie, and Skoogs in North Menomonie. 10. Learning how to do long distance is key. Marco Polo makes it easier. Best "Thinking" Books of 2018 (In order of greatness) 1. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson 2. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee 3. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 5. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 6. Evicted by Matthew Desmond 7. Dear Martin by Nic Stone 8. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich Best "Just for Fun" Books of 2018 1. . Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear 2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 3. A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver 4. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 5. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn 6. My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kember Recipes 1. Menstrual - roasted root veggies 2. Follicular - chicken satay 3. Ovulatory - shrimp scampi with zoodles 4. Luteal - one pan pakistani kima 5. Best easy meal: quinoa bowls 6. Best deluxe meal: butternut squash risotto Cliche Experiences with my Roommate Emily & Our 5-year-old Friend 1. Going on a hayride to a corn maze 2. Carving pumpkins 3. Raking Leaves 4. Building a snowman 5. Picking out and decorating a Christmas tree Looking Forward to in 2019 1. Spending more solo time hiking, especially on Sabbaths 2. Doing some hippie thing like buying a deep freezer for a cow, building a greenhouse, or getting solar panels. 3. Finding out who our next roommate will be (it could be you!) 4. Intentionally tracking the moon's cycles & mine 5. A trip to Austin, TX to visit friends & babies and a potential road trip to the west coast! This post is a long time coming, but I think maybe I've been afraid to write it. Often, I feel timid in posting publicly about social justice because I'm afraid my white privilege might be showing. Uh, duh - I'm white, it will be. Anyway, I read a book this last spring that opened my eyes and changed my thoughts unlike any book I've ever read. Maybe read is the wrong word, I actually listened to the audiobook while I trained for my half marathon that I ran back in May (I told you this post was overdue...). The book is called Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Bryan is a Southern Black man who became a lawyer and then returned to the south to work for, and later begin, a non-profit law firm. The narrative of this book mostly follows the story of a black man named Walter who was wrongly accused of murder and put on death row for several years while Bryan continued to try to appeal Walter's case. There was so much corruption within the whole case, corruption with the local authorities, unfair juries, false testimonies, etc. Without giving too much away, I do want to share the end of the story. Walter, the man falsely accused of murder, had spent 6 years on death row. He had been denied freedom in his original trial as well as in an appeal several years later. After these traumatic years waiting to die, he was suddenly released back into the world, with nothing. Bryan worked to sue the state and eventually won a few thousand dollars for Walter, but that did nothing to repair the emotional, mental, and relational damages Walter had suffered. His wife no longer wanted to be married to him, as her life had changed drastically since he began his time in prison. He was unable to safely return to his community because of the bigotry and hate against him, even after he was proved innocent. Even once he was free from prison, he was far from being able to live a free life. Unfortunately, this is far too often the case. Many of the people who are put into jail or prison have no supports once they are let out. To compound this difficult situation is the fact that many people were in jail because of drugs, mental illness, or both. In any case, what is needed much more than prison is treatment. Even for those who go to treatment, there is little for them once they are out. How can we simply expect them to pick up their lives when there are so few supports in place for them? True, there are community organizations, but often I've seen them fail to help people in dire need - people applying for low income housing & being rejected because they don't have seven years of a clean drug record. Seven years. So after serving time in jail, going to treatment, and overcoming addiction, we expect them to begin a life with no opportunity for housing? With no address to apply for jobs or other assistance? No emotional support team for their addiction? Our communities have failed. Which is why, after reading Just Mercy during all of my runs, I realized how much I wanted to run for this - run for a purpose, for freedom & justice for people who have gone to jail/prison - innocent or guilty - and are trying to have a fresh start. After expressing my desire to a close friend of mine, she told me about a mutual friend of ours who was trying to start a run for just this purpose - to raise money for a ministry he has started that helps others re-enter the community. I was 100% on-board, even though it meant running again in August, when I still didn't want to run the upcoming half marathon I had signed up for. So in two weeks, Josh - the founder of Now What...Ministries and several other community members and I will be doing a bike/run from the Chippewa County Jail to the Dunn County Jail in an effort to raise money for this purpose. If you are interested in sponsoring my run, please visit gofundme.com/jail-to-jail-run. My goal is $500 and I still have quite a bit to raise, so it would mean a great deal to me & to our community if you considered it.
Other Resources:Donate
- Equal Justice Initiative - provides legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons Read - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - Nickel & Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich |
Archives
December 2022
I'm guessing I'll have it all figured out by the time I turn 30.
|