Happy Everything!

May your week ahead be everything you want it to be; full of good surprises, lots of good food and as many hugs, compliments and kindnesses as you need. I was going to take pics of the jewelry I made for my secretaries this year, since they all turned out so beautifully. But of course it was midnight by the time I finished, so I wrapped them and sent them on their way. Maybe pics of our Christmas Finger Food Feast instead?

I'm not going to reach my goal of 50 lbs lost by New Year's Eve, but I'll be close. 46 lbs as of yesterday. I'm down five sizes and have to figure out something about an interim wardrobe. Just picked up a new book, "Reconstructing Clothes for Dummies". It looks terrific, I'll let you know how it turns out. I've got a few ideas already.

Things were kind of hectic here for a while. The husband has been dealing with some ongoing mysterious health issues. My workplace has been rather tense lately, and the Boychik is going through some post-adolescent angst. So we're looking forward to relaxing over the short holiday weeks, and looking forward to getting back to normal in the New Year. I have lots to share, some new experiments that have gone well, a few that have failed miserably, and news on the home quest.

All coming soon to a blog near you...hopefully this one! Take care and stay safe out there.

A Dragonfly for My Daughter

Those of you who know me personally are aware of my longtime love of tattoos. I got my first in 1986 at age 18 - a birthday/graduation present from my mother (who was very supportive and cool for the time). Since then, I have gotten eight others, including both sides of my neck, the insides of both wrists and the back of my right hand. Not very concerned about showing them to the world, they tell the story of my life. I have a tattoo for an old friend who I loved dearly, one for the breakup of a serious relationship, one for my stillborn son Max, one for The Boychik...but I've spent years looking for inspiration to strike so I could mark The Girlchild. I was tempted a number of times to go searching for something appropriate, but I knew from experience that when the time and image were right, they would make themselves known.

She came to visit recently with her boyfriend and a girl we refer to as my "other daughter". The Other Daughter wanted a tattoo, a dragonfly. Now The Tall Guy and I have a thing about dragonflies. They appear all over our home, and we've considered naming our farm after them. As soon as it was mentioned, I knew that was the right one. And as luck would have it, The Girlchild decided she wanted to get her first tattoo, as well. What a great bonding with my baby, my first child, the one I loved so much that I cried when I learned I was pregnant with her brother. I loved her so, I didn't see how I could possibly have any room in my heart for the new baby (it turned out that I did, of course).

We have a rocky past, The nina and I. We haven't lived together for a very long time. She has her bitterness and I have my regrets. We don't always understand each other. I don't know if she listens when I give her advice. I don't know if I have the right to give her any advice, considering our history. But I still love her with everything in my soul. I hope when she goes to Hawaii to study for her Doctorate, she will look at her tattoo from time to time and remember when we were marked together. I hope she knows how enormously proud I am of her spirit and her drive. And I hope she forgives my mistakes and remembers that, like the dragonfly, we all go through changes before we turn into what we were truly meant to be. Te quiero, Chica.