Happy New Year, friends! I hope everyone had a restful and wonderful holiday season. I’m so thrilled that we have made it out of that weird stretch of days at the end of December. I feel as though I have re-entered the stratosphere and I’m ready to get these kids back to school tomorrow.
Here a few things I’m loving and looking forward to!
Things That are Making My Life:
Wickles Pickles Wicked Okra – I loved pickles and pickled things. I love the briney, vinegary taste – it gives me so much joy. I was at the grocery store getting last minute holiday items and I saw Wickles Pickles Pickled Okra. I LOVE pickled okra – maybe it’s a southern thing? You let me know. Anyway, what I love about this okra is that it has a somewhat sweet aftertaste to it. There is an understated spice, a tang of pickle-ness and a sweetness.I could not stop eating them and I think about them constantly. I’m a little mad I don’t have them with me at my office right now.
Results from Dog DNA Kit:
The TL/DR is that Roux is not part human, as suspected – I was surprised to learn she is mostly chihuahua and yorkshire terrier which is wild because she is 26 pounds. Not surprisingly, Ozzy (who is basically our third child), is mostly dachshund. How accurate are these results? It doesn’t really matter to me – it was fun to do and it gives us a bit more insight into these little lovebugs that wander our house (even though they are mad at us currently for boarding them over part of the holidays while we traveled).
What I’m Looking Forward to This Year:
This is probably the first start to the new year where I didn’t have the post holiday blues – normally I get into a bout of seasonal sadness when the merriment is over and we have to go back to “real life.” However, since we traveled right after the holiday, the days following didn’t feel so abrupt when the anticipation transitions into nothingness.
I now know that a trip is essential for me – either in late December or Jan/Feb – so I can channel my frenetic holiday energy into something else to anticipate. I just turned 40 and it feels like I’m finally beginning to understand myself. What I’m most looking forward to this year is being more gentle and kinder to myself – and it started this holiday season.
As I looked back at 2023, we had some hard things but mostly what I saw was travel, friendship, so much love and determination.
I have a really, really good feeling about 2024.
I hope you have something you are excited about in 2024 – and if you haven’t found it yet, I hope getting laundry crossed off your list allows you to free up the time to find it.
Till next month!
Laurel
