Alsatian Cheese Salad

2015: A Watershed Year

It's a brand new year, a brand new season!

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
I graduated with a Master's degree!
I became an occupational therapist!
I started a new job!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No resolutions this year. I was too busy making it through fieldwork, studying for my board exam, and starting my new career.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Hmm. I think maybe my niece gave birth earlier in the year.... Like I said, I've had things on my mind.

4. Did anyone close to you I die?
I don't think so. I would remember, wouldn't I?


5. What countries did you visit?
None.


6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
More money. But that is actually happening already, due to aforesaid new career.

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 17. The day I graduated.
August 10. The first day of my new job.
September 1. The day I took my board exam.
September 10. The day I found out I passed my exam.


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Passing my board exam with flying colors.


9. What was your biggest failure?
Unbelievably, I can't think of one!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No. Since I went off of gluten, I have felt better.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A desk/bookshelf combination to be my new "office."

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My youngest son, who got a job and a house and is doing a wonderful job of bachelor-ing. He even bought a breadmaker and makes bread every night for his daily lunches!



13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Someone who was supposed to help me when I started my new job, but didn't.


14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills.

15. What did you get really excited about?
Getting to know the kids I work with, and learning to be a great school OT.

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Hogan's Heroes theme song. Watching Hogan's Heroes was my fallback de-stress activity. I think by now I can quote most of the episodes.


17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? much happier
– thinner or fatter? about the same

– richer or poorer? a little richer as far as every day living goes, but deeper in debt.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relaxing.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.


20. How did you spend Christmas?
Cleaning and organizing. Technically, we haven't had Christmas yet. That is scheduled for January 10.


21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
No. But I didn't fall OUT of love either, which is an accomplishment in this day and age.

22. What was your favorite TV program? 
Reruns of Hogan's Heroes.


23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No. But I dislike someone. See #13.

24. What was the best book you read?
No More Meltdowns.


25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pandora.


26. What did you want and get?
To pass my Board Exam well, so that I would never feel it was a fluke. And I did!

27. What did you want and not get?

A Christmas trip to visit out of town relatives for a big family reunion. We couldn't go because of the weather.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I think the only film I watched was "Minions." I went on a "date" with my bachelor son to a real movie theater. That's big time, right there.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I don't remember what I did on my birthday. I turned 53.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If my husband had not been sick and depressed.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
Professional and approachable.

32. What kept you sane?
Back rubs from Hubby. Adrenaplex and Blood Builder (vitamins).


33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I had other things on my mind this year, so I have no idea how to answer this one.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm still distraught over government health care. ISIS is not exactly a relaxing subject either.


35. Who did you miss?
My daughter, who lives in Texas with her husband and our two grandkids.


36. Who was the best new person you met?
Several people, actually. All of them therapists of one sort or another. But especially the one who was my fieldwork instructor at the pediatrics clinic and taught me almost everything I know about occupational therapy with children. And then my other fieldwork instructor who taught me it's okay to loosen up.


37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Do what you think is right, and it probably is. Or, if you act like you know what you're doing, people will believe that you do.


38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Can't think of one. If I do, I'll let you know.




Still Chocolate, But No Gluten

Chocolate After Supper is back online, but this time, the supper is gluten-free (well, and so is the chocolate...). Why, you ask?

 This summer I decided, after way more research and thinking than anyone should have to do, that I should try a gluten-free diet. I have suffered for more than ten years from chronic muscle aches that just increase every year. It's not unusual for me to sit by the woodstove on a winter evening huddled up as if with fever 'n ague, and unable to lie still at night from the aches, restlesness and skin-crawling sensations in my legs, back and arms. I have wondered for a long time what in the world is wrong with me. Is it Restless Leg Syndrome? After effects from West Nile? Fibromyalgia? Chronic Fatigue? Wacky hormones? Who knows?

 I finally had enough of nightly, increasing, doses of ibuprofen and aspirin, and the general fatigue and achiness, and spent my free time this summer trying to figure it out. I discovered that doctors who treat patients with fibromyalgia have found that many of them respond well to removing gluten from their diets. I thought, what have I got to lose? (Well, besides toast and bran flakes for breakfast. And macaroni and cheese. And pizza.)

 So I began; eating no bread or anything else with gluten. I wasn't sure I was seeing any results until I realized that I was no longer taking ibuprofen at night. And then I realized I had more energy. And then I discovered my sensitive tooth wasn't sensitive anymore. And I wasn't begging my husband to PLEASE rub my arms, and my back, and my neck, and my legs.... I began to wonder if I had just imagined all that achiness.

 After four weeks I knew it was time to test it for sure. I spent two days eating "normally." Toast. Pasta. Gingerbread. Surprisingly, I still felt pretty good. My daughter came over and the first thing she asked was "How are you feeling?" And I said, "Waiting for the other shoe to drop."

 Three days later, in the middle of the night I woke up with a bang, aching so badly I could not hold still and wishing the world would end. While waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in I looked around on the internet and found out that, yes, there can be a delayed reaction, sort of like catching a virus. You know, where after being exposed to someone's nasty cold you feel fine for a while, and then kind of off-ish, and then BAM! you wake up with a whole raft of misery. I'm still recovering from my gluten cold, and that was three days ago.

 So now I am pretty sure this is it. As my husband said after that miserable night, "No more gluten for you!"

 Next time, I'll talk about how I am making that happen and still have happy suppers.

DIY Makeover Quote #14

"It takes creativity to wear one dress ten ways; any dummy with a credit card can buy out the mall."

--from Rebekah, via Academichic

Long Time Gone

There have been a lot of things going on around here in life, and in my head. Much of it has been too complicated or too personal to write about here. Also, as I've mentioned before, I've discovered Facebook, where I can sum up my life in short blurbs, and I read all the blurbs of my friends' lives.

I have just a few items of interest to share. One, I'm going to be a grandma in a few short months. New relationships! New roles!

Two, I am re-connecting this fall with an aspect of myself that I have ignored and even shunned for a long time: I'm going back to school. I'm not sure yet where that journey is taking me, or how long it will be, but I'm excited.

Three, because of those two things, I am seriously considering shutting down this blog altogether. I already post very infrequently, and it may be time to close it down as I move into the next things.

This blog was originally about finding myself in my mid-life-- whether I communicated that or not-- and it looks like I AM finding new direction and purpose, so it remains to be seen if I still need this particular outlet.

If you try to find me later, and you can't, you'll know what happened!

Friday Fashion: Elie Saab

This is an auspicious day: I found a designer whose designs I like, and would actually buy and wear if I had a big pile of money in my back yard. Here are a few of my favorites from Elie Saab's Fall 2010 lineup.

I could see myself wearing this one to church:


Or this one (with a camisole):


I like this one too:


The bandage neckline and body-hugging skirt catch my eye on this one:



And this jacket! Oh, I like this jacket!:


I don't know what this is supposed to be; some sort of new camouflage? But I like it:



And something lacey:


Can I wear this one, pretty please? (with a long nude slip underneath...):



I wish I had a red carpet event to go to:



On second thought, maybe I want this one instead:



Or maybe this one:



I can't believe that I liked over HALF of this designer's collection. I'm sure it helps that many of the street length dresses were knee length--much more desirable from my 48-year-old point of view than the shirt-length dresses other designers are showing.

It's probably good thing I don't have lots of money or I would want to spend it all on these dresses!

Fashion Peeve #4: The Future is Yesterday

Here in Nebraska we are still in the tight clutches of winter. Yet last week when I was out shopping I saw spring clothing boldly displayed, and all the winter stuff was crowded onto a few clearance racks. I can understand that. Even though we are probably at least a month away from being able to wear any of the new styles, I can see that it's fun and interesting to plan ahead. Plus, it's a welcome distraction from the unending snow and ice and cold temperatures.

BUT--and here's my latest peeve-- now I'm seeing fashion forecasting for NEXT FALL! Come on. I'm not ready to think that far ahead. I still have to plan what I'm going to wear this coming summer!

Related to that is this: Fashion forecasting is a game, not biblical prophecy.

At least, that's what I've decided. People who love and know a lot about fashion try to guess what the new trends will be in the next couple or three seasons. Sometimes they are right, but just as often they are wrong. Sometimes they were right for only a brief moment. I saw fashions last spring that only lasted long enough for the first run to get bought, and then the trend was gone again. If I had jumped, I would have only had time to wear my cutting edge whatsit once before it would have been So Last Week.