NOT TOO SHABBY

One of the things that Dad said to me the last time I saw him was about how time kept getting messed up in his head. I was thinking about this while I looked through the pictures of this (soon to be past) year and why it helps to have photographic evidence that things, good and bad, happen in my life. What do I have to show for the year 2013? How does it measure up? It's hard for me to sit down and really answer those questions. I'm having a hard time looking back at this moment because I've started looking forward. I feel that anxious need to get everything neat and tidy, to eat buckets of kale and other self improvement projects that either fell by the wayside or just never got started. I've got big plans for 2014. OK, maybe not BIG plans, more like mediocre plans, but plans none the less. Taking a few moments to look back at this year reinforces the need for those future plans. The year 2013 started out a bit on the gloomy side. There were snow storms and moments of snow shoveling that nearly broke me. There were adventures in online dating. There were weddings and trips. I attended three weddings and one funeral this year. One wedding short of being a movie. I fell in love and acquired a new family in what feels like a matter of minutes. Mom and I took our first steps out of the country. In fact, I often get the urge to send mom this text: "hey remember that time we went to Ireland?". 2013 swirled itself together in a frenzy of new and wonderful as well as a little bit of sad. There's always gotta be a few thorns or we wouldn't really appreciate the sweetness of the fruit. 2013 has been a very sweet year.

2013 in Pictures from elephantsoap on Vimeo.

I hope this could be said for your 2013 as well. Here's to the sweetness of 2013 and the many more joys to follow in 2014. Wishing you all a fabulous and safe New Year.