Merry Christmas, and Happy (almost) New Year!
Did y’all have a nice Christmas? I know I did. Because I ate and ate and ate—at one point piling too much Jell-O salad on my plate but eating it anyway because there are starving kids in other countries and swallowing it seemed wiser than giving my mom a smart-aleck comeback. I learned that painful lesson years ago. Besides, despite popular belief, Jell-O salad does not ship well in the mail.
I also got a few cheery gifts. Like a Starbucks card. Which is gone. And some chocolate truffles. Which are…gone. And a giant Razorback piggy bank that came straight from our state’s Capitol. Which is not gone, but still sits empty because I’m terrible about hoarding change in my wallet and trying to remember to fill it isn’t easy for a girl who can barely remember her kid’s birthdays. A daily planner. THAT would have been a nice gift. Or maybe I should start using my iPhone for more than Googling fun facts on Bieber and Levine (forgive me, Adam. I know not what I say). But that’s beside the point. I got some cool gifts, but I can’t tell you everything because I’d hate for any of my faithful readers (all two of you) to be jealous. So let’s just say that my favorite gift involves paper, ink, bright buttons, and a shiny black tray. If you’ve figured it out, try not to hate me. Some of us are just lucky like that.
Anyhoo.
This year rocked. It was one of my favorites, actually, for a few obvious reasons. Such as:
1. The Razorbacks won the Cotton Bowl (our last win for what appears to be a very long time).
2. I went to the Cotton Bowl (where I nearly got crushed by one thousand crazy fans smashing me against the entrance, but that’s a whole other story).
3. My son learned to drive, and subsequently got his license.
4. Because my son got his license, my taxi service was cut by a quarter (but funny how—after all the complaining I did for years—I find myself missing shuttling him around. Sometimes. Like, every other Tuesday).
5. We went to the beach.
6. We went to the beach again.
7. I finally—FINALLY—landed a literary agent (If I listen real hard, I can still hear the angels singing).
8. All my kids started school, including my youngest, who ventured off to kindergarten (terribly sad for a day, but then I got right over it).
9. I won a major award (a writing one, not a leg lamp. It’s bittersweet).
10. I turned 30 (plus a few extra years thrown in for fun).
There was more, but they’ve slipped my aging mind right now. But the year did leave behind a few favorites that I’ll carry with me into the next one. Thought I’d share those with you, too.
Amy’s Favorites—2012 Edition:
Shoes: Black Chuck Taylors. Now, I’m currently on my second pair, but I this is the first year I’ve received so many compliments on them. I’m pretty sure it’s because they make me look so cool. And hip. And younger. Tomorrow I’m gonna cut the neck out of my grey sweatshirt, pick up some Final Net and a pair of orange leg warmers at Wal-Mart, then throw it all together to test my theory. The compliments should be rolling in by noon, probably.
Shirts: Old Navy Polar Fleece half-zip pullovers. Because despite what Cosmopolitan might have you believe, it is possible to combine high fashion and major comfort. Plus, if you time it just right, you can get ‘em for five bucks. So there’s that…
Hair Style: Unwashed and thrown into a ponytail. It’s so convenient. Not to mention attractive. My husband is so lucky.
Hair Product: Aveda shampoo, because it smells like peppermint. And I, for one, love my hair to smell like food.
Candles: Bath and Body Works Vanilla Caramel. See above explanation, substituting the word “hair” for “house.”
Excuse for Getting Out Of Housework: “I’m on a deadline.” Because it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten to use it!
Broken appliance: This comes in at a tie for Microwave and Dryer. Because both are currently broken. And apparently appliance people don’t believe in working before Wednesday of this week. Then again, neither do I.
Movies: So many…so many. But just to rattle off a few: Trouble With The Curve (because of all my vast baseball knowledge—totally understood all the lingo, by the way), What To Expect When You’re Expecting (because the whiny, uncomfortable, miserable star of the movie was exactly me pregnant—all four times), The Amazing Spider-Man (because I loved Andrew what’s-his-name who starred in the movie—totally cute), Marvel The Avengers (who knew? but superheroes in tights are also totally cute), Perks of Being A Wallflower (went into this with dread, came out a fan. Plus, I like when books are turned into movies), The Hunger Games (because I want to learn archery. and how to rock a cool side braid), This Means War (because who doesn’t love Reese Witherspoon? and being fought over by two hot guys who know how to shoot guns?) I know there’s more, but they’ve completely slipped my mind. And for the sake of keeping things positive, we won’t go into the years worst movies (Magic Mike, I’m talking to you).
Books: This is where it gets tricky, because I’ve read a ton. Some good, some not so good. But again, for the sake of keeping it positive: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, Slammed, Point of Retreat, and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (the lady was on fire this year), There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones, Wallflowers From Winter by Katie Ganshert, The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. There are a few dozen more that I’m forgetting, a hundred more still waiting to be read in my bookcase and on my Kindle, and tomorrow I’ll probably kick myself when I remember a great one I forgot to mention, but these are the ones that stand out right now. Next year, I’ll have a whole new list, and when I read one especially awesome, I’ll share it with you.
So.
It’s sorta hard to condense a year into just a few hundred words. Don’t be surprised if, on Thursday, you come back to read a continuation of this same blog. Because we haven’t even talked about my favorite television shows. Or music. Or recipes. Or cleaning appliances (and heaven knows I have so many of those).
See you in three days!
Amy