Happy 2013!

My most sincere wishes for a wonderful, happy and healthy 2013 to you and yours!

I had a revelatory moment seconds ago -- as I was surfing the web on my laptop, which is now conveniently connected to a docking station at my roll top desk. I love this piece of furniture; it is something I wanted starting at about age 12, and was a gift from my parents the year we bought our house.

Part of my computer routine for many years was settling in at my desk, usually with a cup of coffee or tea, and checking email before I blogged or surfed. I surround this desk with things I love -- there are photos of my husband and children, little souvenirs and gifts from people, and a framed triptych of Bruce postcards from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

This space is part of what's been missing in my blogging. I can feel it; it is physically different for me to sit here and type. I hope that is a good sign that I will be a better, more consistent, and more thoughtful, blogger in 2013.

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I hope your holidays were lovely. December is a difficult month for me -- I was determined to get through it without wallowing, and for the most part, I did. I started shopping early this year and I set reasonable expectations for myself. (That is something I have been working on for several years, and slowly, I am learning.) I also (and this is key) allowed myself to LOWER my expectations for myself on the fly. Therefore, in the midst of the bake sale - holiday concert - gift wrapping - keep smiling! - order cards - etc - craziness, if I couldn't get it done, I let it go. It wasn't always that easy, but I did it, and I just decided that, on the spur of the moment, if I felt like I could add something, I would.

So I let go of some of the baking stress and added an evening of lefse making with friends. What fun. And since I had never made lefse before, and it is a staple of my Norwegian family's holidays, I was thrilled to have a teacher and some company. It was lovely.

I bought books for the nephews and niece on my side of the family; they always get toys, and I love being the auntie who buys books. That trip to the store was nothing short of joyful, as I chose books I love and books that were on wish lists for children I adore. How blessed I am to have an extended family that, despite our collective faults and the ups and downs of life, stays together, loves each other, and works toward a better future for us all.

Rob's extended family gathered (most of us anyway) at his mom's this year. The highlight for me was Saturday evening out with the siblings and spouses. Grandma kept the kids and they watched movies, and we went to the VFW and played Bingo, then to a billiards hall for a few games of pool. I am NOT a pool player, but I made a respectable showing and had the most incredible burger with a strawberry sauce on it. Fun night!

New Year's Eve had middle son Evan off babysitting (an overnight gig) to earn spending money for his trip to Washington, DC and New York this spring. The rest of us stayed home and Garrett threw a party for a few friends. Turns out that basement family room is worth its weight in gold -- just as we hoped, it has become a gathering place for friends, and we love that. We know who is there, what they're doing, and we get to know the kids. This is a good group -- fun, funny, and so dear to us.

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2012 was a good year -- we bought a beautiful new camper, spent lots of time at the seasonal campsite as a family, took a fab vacation to Washington, DC and Monticello, and spent time with friends and family.

And so, 2013 begins. I am not a resolution girl, but I do have plans to learn more about that fancypants camera I got almost a year ago. I will do the Project 365 (a photo a day) thing again, and I hope to muck out my creative space here in the eaves of the house. Right now it is a mess, but I've decided to give it a try for 3 months and see what progress I can make.

All the best to you and yours, with hopes and wishes for joy, laughter, and fun in the new year.