The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 5 (In Memory of Shadow)

Continuing with The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge, I'm on Day 5 now. Today's theme: 5 Life Lessons You Learned in 2016.

The question that is posed is: "Whether we realize it or not, we all learn something new every single day of our lives. So what have you learned in the year just gone?"

These aren't really new things that I learned...they are more a reminder about life lessons that I need to continue practicing:

1. It’s okay to let your children see you cry.

Today Shadow, our 11-year old cat, died. He wandered onto our farm back in the early 2000s. Originally an outdoor cat, he gradually learn to trust us as we fed him food.

 

He eventually came indoors for about a week when it was 20-something below zero for multiple nights. It was safer for him that way.

Eventually, when it was warmer, he went back outdoors. He'd walk with Olivia to her preschool bus and then hide in the trees as the bus approached. He'd appear again when the bus returned around lunch time to drop her off.

Once he became an indoor cat, he loved being around us and observing what we were doing. He liked when we would do homeschool experiments and activities, and wanted to be right there watching.

He got along beautifully with the other cats.

All of the cats also had wandered onto our farm or were rescues. Shadow got along with all of them.

 

He even got along with the dogs and the dogs enjoyed his company as well. He'd keep me warm at night (I'm under the blue blanket on the bed).

In about September 2015, he developed hyperthyroidism. Basically, his heart was beating so fast and burning up his body. He became thinner with each passing month.

On the 28th, his breathing was labored. He sat in my lap for a long time as I pet him. I sensed that he was nearing the end.

He was laying near the heat registers and on the Christmas lights that were by the wood stove to keep warm.

On the 29th, he was laying next to the Christmas tree. This was not a normal place for him to be - in the middle of the floor. I sat down next to him. He reached out his paws to me, and I pet him. He was so frail.

He meowed in a way that was not like himself. I knew it was time. Olivia was walking by and saw me. I told her that Shadow was dying. She got everyone else and we all said goodbye.

Sophia, Olivia, and I took him to the vet to be euthanized. I couldn't see him suffer any longer. Wrapped in a blanket and laying on a pillow, we made our way to the vet. We were all in tears.

Shadow was truly one of the best cats that we have ever had.

2. Be grateful for this moment, it is all there is.

This life lesson builds upon the first one. We need to be grateful for the moment we are in. We are not totally present and available if we are dwelling in the past or future.

Even more important is recognizing the times that we need to slow down and stop. Be right in the moment, and grateful for that particular experience.

I am so thankful that I happened to pass by the living room when I did. Otherwise, I might have not seen Shadow and we would have missed being with him as he passed away. It was important for us to be there for him...just like he was there for us for so many years.

3. Over-prepare and then go with the flow.

This has more to do with a major event that our 4-H club did in November called One Stop Donation Drop. There were so many details involved with planning and executing this event. Everything was planned down to the smallest detail.

However, when a major snowstorm/ice storm occurs on the day before the event, there's not much to do except go with the flow. What happens...who shows...what money is raised...what items are donated - all is out of my control.

We just have to be grateful for those who did make it to the event; and donated or supported the 20+ organizations in some way.

4. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

One of the things I do is support the girls' interests. For Sophia, that means music - whether she is performing for people at nursing homes, churches, weddings, or funerals; or for animals at Northwoods Humane Society.

For Olivia, her interests have been in the visual arts and creating a Barn Quilt Trail. This has been a two-year project that just was completed earlier this month.

I also have done a lot with homeschooling - field trips, hands-on activities, cooking/baking, and science experiments - so that their school years would be filled with lots of memorable experiences.

Birthdays and half-birthdays are celebrated; and holidays throughout the year are an important to our lives. Some traditions are ones that have been passed down from my parents, while others are ones that are new ones that I've learned from living in a town that has a strong Swedish influence, from taking the girls to the Waldorf school when they were young; or from Pinterest.

All these things - and more - have added so many memories and rich experiences to our lives. I'm hoping that when they look back on their childhoods that they smile and remember fondly what we did together.

5. Don’t compare your life to others’ lives. You have no idea what their journey is about. This life lesson kind of ties into a couple other ones: Be content with little and Concern your life with more than money.

There are many times when money is tight since we're a one-income family who is choosing to homeschool (and pay for all the resources we need) and incorporate art and music into the girls' lives. Our health insurance is not good so we pay a significant amount each month just to cover the premium and overly-priced appointments and medicine.

Nevertheless, it's important to be content in one's current life. If I'm always looking at what others have and thinking that I need that, then I would never be happy. I remind myself that I have enough. That's the key word. Enough.

Does what I have meet my needs? Is it sufficient? If the answer is yes, then it is enough. Chances are, it's more than enough.

Would I want more expensive things or better clothes or more luxurious services? Sometimes I think I would. Then I think of what would be needed or exchanged in order to get those things. It's not worth it.

To me, there are always greater pursuits in life than money. I value being of service and making a difference in the world. If I'm a slave to money in order to get those high-priced items, we couldn't volunteer and do the things that we find so meaningful in our lives.

We couldn't enjoy the things that are around us - like beautiful sunsets; seeing wildlife at our farm and around the area; and enjoying the simple things in life.

So, my life does look a lot different than others. I can't compare it fairly because what I value isn't something that everyone else values. And that's okay. I'm content with my life and how it has unfolded.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal - December 2016

During our outdoor time these past couple of weeks we went....

back to the barn and back mostly. Between light rain, thunderstorms with pouring rain, freezing temperatures turning the rain into ice, and 50+ mph winds - the weather has not been that enjoyable.

Taking the garbage and recycling cans to the street was even challenging. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing clogs or boots, walking on a driveway covered in ice tests my skills in balance.

Will need to figure out a solution to ice-covered pathways in the backyard, the driveway, and areas by the barn. It's not safe for any of us - or the animals - to be walking on such slippery surfaces.

The most inspiring thing we experienced was...

watching the birds at the bird feeders. Have enjoyed seeing all the black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, woodpeckers, and cardinals (who periodically show up).

Black-capped chickadee at the feeder.

Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)...

how the bees are doing. It's best not to open the hives during the cold weather. We are hoping that the mite treatments and winter preparations were enough to get them through the bitter-cold weather a couple weeks ago.

In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting....

nothing. I received a seed catalog the other day and debated about purchasing some seeds. However, we were so pleased with the CSA this past year that having a diverse garden isn't something that has a huge draw for me now.

That being said, I'd like to have a variety of tomatoes, beans, carrots, cucumbers, and some herbs so we can go to the gardens and pick what we didn't receive many of through the CSA. (The carrots were prolific during the end of the summer and fall - but not through the majority of the summer.)

I'd like to see if the blueberries and raspberries I planted last year are still growing. I planted them in a newly-plowed field. Since we don't use chemicals at our farm, the weeds grew much quicker than I could keep up with so the little plants quickly were overtaken. I wasn't sure where they were in the weed patch.

I am reading...

American Bee Journal. We get a subscription to this magazine and I learn something new each time I read it.

One of the articles focused on challenges that beekeepers have when selling their honey at fairs. Someone will invariably come up and say that honey is bee vomit. Interestingly, I had heard this, but no one ever corrected me to tell me that honey is not bee vomit.

Sophia with the honey she harvested this year.

People think that honey is bee vomit because it looks like it is coming out from the bee's mouth. Found out, however, that's not the case. The bee sucks and collects the nectar from flowers using its proboscis and stores it in its special stomach or "honey stomach." This stomach is separate from its true stomach for digestion.

The bee secretes enzymes into the nectar and converts it into honey that has healing properties.

I am dreaming about…

less bone-chilling weather. I'm not sure why I'm having difficulty this year with the weather. Although I prefer colder weather, this year it has felt more frigid. Sometimes it takes so long to warm up after being outdoors - even if it's for a brief period of time.

A photo I would like to share...

Cooper enjoys looking out the window during the day. There's a bird feeder right at his eye level. Often times, though, he is looking further out for squirrels and rabbits.

Cooper.

It's the squirrels that will send him into a frenzy - especially when they are at the feeder, jumping into the apple tree, or eating crab apples off the tree.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 4

On the fourth day of The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge, the theme is: 4 favorite movies or television shows of 2016.

The shows I most enjoy watching are:
- The Middle
- The Goldbergs
- Modern Family
- Fresh Off The Boat

Okay...two more: Black-ish and Speechless.

One would think I spend all my time in front of the t.v. given that I could come up with that many shows. The reality is, that's about it for what I enjoy watching. Many of the shows are so violent these days. There are images that I choose not to watch because I don't want to have them in my mind. Why put them there if I have a choice?

With the shows I watch, I laugh during each one. Sometimes I need to do that.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 3

The theme of the third day of the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge is 3 favorite songs of 2016.

The first song I like is Heathens by 21 Pilots. On 6 December 2016, "Heathens" received three Grammy nominations: Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Every time I hear this song I think about the men I used to write to who were in prison as part of CLF's Prison Ministry program. A couple of them would share with me what people were like there, how they had to act, and the general atmosphere. There are many parts to this song that echo what they told me.

The second song I like is Handclap by Fitz and the Tantrums. It's one of those songs that I like for its energy. There's a part where the lyrics repeat: "I can make your hands clap." It reminds me of when I worked for the American Composers Forum and there was a performing group that used their bodies for instruments. It was pretty cool to see all the different sounds that could be made with clapping on hands, arms, and legs.

The most recent song that I like is Kids by One Republic. There are parts of the song that I especially like. It's not so much the lyrics with this song. However, as I read the lyrics online, I found these lines interesting:

I refuse to look back thinking days were better
Just because they're younger days
I don't know what's 'round the corner
Way I feel right now I swear we'll never change
Back when we were kids
Swore we would never die
You and me were kids
Swear that we'll never die

Although the lyrics above talk about not looking back on younger days assuming they were better, I would have to disagree. I think of my own childhood and how - in many respects - it was an idyllic world. Not all parts were perfect...there were challenges...but, for the most part, it was certainly an easier world than what we all live in now.

What I do agree with is the part about not knowing what is around the corner. Sometimes it does feel like things will never change...that you can get into a rut or pattern of living that seems endless. Yet, without embracing change, we would never know what's to come and whether it's something that will improve our lives.

The last few lines remind me about how, as kids, we see our lives as unending. Death does not seem real - for ourselves or others. In reality, death is omnipresent...we just may not be aware of it lurking in our lives.

For that reason, it is vitally important to live each day to its fullest and make the world a significantly better place. We each have that responsibility...at least that's what I believe.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 2

Continuing with The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge, the second day focuses on two foods that I can't get through Christmas without.

For our family, making desserts is something we enjoy doing during the Christmas season. We have some standard Christmas cookies that we make each year - like Santa Hats and Peppermint Shortbread Cookies.

Then there's a variety of additional new recipes we try. Of course, I didn't take photos of any of them except this cake.

Some we will definitely make again while others we won't. The cake is one we'd make again. It was a hit. It's a white cake mix, but other ingredients are added: like a stick of butter and 1 cup of sour cream. There are eggs in it too.

The frosting is homemade - the primary ingredient is powered sugar.

The marshmallows should have been white - like on a Christmas stocking. The grocery store - interestingly - didn't have white marshmallows the day I went. They had these pink peppermint ones instead. The kids (and young adults) loved the marshmallows...so it all worked out.

The second thing that makes a Christmas dinner is predictability. We know that there will be ham, cheesy potatoes, vegetable casserole, and applesauce. There were also fresh vegetables and dip which was good.

This was the first year that we were at my sister's condo. There's a community/party room there that she reserved. It worked out nicely and everyone could fit comfortably in the room and around the tables.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge - Day 1

Was searching for different challenges and came across The Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Challenge that was done a few years ago. It's not a current challenge, but I liked the idea of it so I thought I'd update the questions to reflect the past and upcoming years.

The first thing to write about on Day 1 is "1 Thing You Got for Christmas."

It actually wasn't a present I received for Christmas. Rather, it was one that I invested in so I could document and remember Christmas as well as people, pets, and things we do in the coming months and years.

Finally, I can take those close-up photos I enjoy. This is Aspen, our American Staffordshire Terrier mixed with a Siberian Husky. She's a great dog. Very loving.

I'm back to being able to take photos of Sophia and Olivia. Now I don't have a big white splotch in the center of the photograph.

Photos of recipes I've tried are clear again.

As are pictures of my family. This is my sister and brother. I'm in the middle in the photo...but the oldest of the three.

I can document the projects that the girls do....like this pillowcase dress that Sophia made for Little Dresses for Africa. The dresses are given to girls who may not have many clothes to wear.

What's also meaningful for me is documenting some of the more difficult memories. In this case, remembering my parents who died on January 5, 2012 and August 15, 2015 (Dad and Mom respectively).

Here the girls have decorated their graves at Fort Snelling.

They decorated both sides - one wreath for each of their grandparents.

The camera also gives me the opportunity to document special occasions - like Sophia's 16th birthday.

It's nice to have a working camera again.

Celebrating Sophia's 15th Adoption Day

2016 marked the 15th anniversary of Sophia's adoption day. It's hard to believe that 15 years have passed since we were in China meeting her for the first time. How quickly the time has passed.

This year, her adoption fell on a Saturday. It was a special day - not only because of her anniversary - but because she was asked to play the harp at a friend's wedding.

We have known Mary for many years now and she is a wonderful friend and so supportive of our family. She was a widow for a long time before meeting Art at our church's Thanksgiving Eve service last year.

Sophia was playing the harp there at the service and Mary wanted to hear Sophia play the harp. Art was at the service and the two met, started talking, and began what was a year-long dating and engagement.

They were married on Thanksgiving weekend - November 26th. This was Sophia's first wedding that she played at which was exciting.

She talked with the pastor who was officiating the ceremony. Tom, the pastor, was one of the pastors when we moved to this area. He and the other co-pastor (also named Tom) came to our home. They were both so engaging and inspiring to talk with. It was nice to be able to have Sophia be at a ceremony that he led.

Sophia played for about a half hour for the prelude and then did a solo during the ceremony.

That afternoon she saw "Fantastic Beasts." In the evening, we ate dinner and open presents.

She received one gift for each year she has been a part of our family.

Many of the items are things that are useful or clothing. One of the items that was more of a non-essential item was a hat she tried on and liked at an antique store.

One of the books she received was about the making of "Fantastic Beasts."

Shadow, one of our oldest cats, was laying on the table watching Sophia open gifts. He has hyperthyroidism and his heart is working extra hard these days. He's lost a lot of weight, but still is able to get around. He no longer can jump up high onto things, so we've had to make some adjustments to help him.

We are so thankful that he is still with us...and still wants to participate in special family celebrations.

Since we didn't go out to eat on Sophia's adoption day, we went out for breakfast at the Lowell Inn on the following morning for Sunday brunch.

I had not been feeling well for about a week, but wanted to celebrate this special milestone.

It was a very nice breakfast with a wide variety of entrees, side dishes, and fresh fruit.

Brunch was served in the George Washington Room. Many of the pictures in the room featured George Washington. The antiques and décor of the room were lovely.

Celebrating Olivia's 13th Adoption Day

Today is the 13th anniversary of Olivia's adoption day.

We started the day by going to see The Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater. To get to the theater, you take a steep elevator to the fourth floor.

Once you get there, you can walk to an area that leads to an overlook of the Mississippi River and the Stone Arch Bridge.

It was a beautiful day - warm enough that we didn't have to wear jackets.

For dinner, we had food from the Chinese restaurant.

It was nice to eat at home in a more relaxing and quiet setting.

After dinner, Olivia opened presents.

There is one for each year that she has been a part of our family. All were surprises this year with the exception of the hat that she picked out at Gammelgarden Museum. It's a warm fleece hat with a pretty trim that is perfect for cold, winter days.

Olivia loves doing puzzles and there was one that we found that has different breeds of dogs. It's only a 1,000 piece puzzle (she's currently at 3,000 piece puzzles), but it's sometimes fun to have an easier puzzle to do when the picture is something that you enjoy looking at while you're working on putting the pieces together.

There's a quote on Pinterest that I saw that I liked. I've adapted it to fit Olivia and Sophia:

We have made two people sisters.

Two people will share a childhood because of us.

We have given two people a gift that no one else could: each other.

Sophia and Olivia at the Japanese garden in

San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

October 2016.