Not-So-Spooky Salem #5: Salem Willows

Any regular reader of this blog knows that this post was a long time coming. In fact, I'm sure a lot of you were wondering when this was going to pop up.I'm actually kind of surprised by that as well. I think maybe I wanted to showcase some of Salem's other offerings before I immediately began gushing about my favorite place in the entire world. For anyone who HASN'T been following this blog regularly that place is the one and only Salem Willows Park.

It's hard to put into words just how much this place means to me. One part of me wants to share it with the world so everyone can enjoy it and have fun. But the other part of me wants to be selfish and hide it away in my pocket or something so no one else can have my happy place. Which is impossible I know. But I can dream, right? ;) 

Generations of families have been enjoying the shady willow trees and concessions here since the late 1800's. It's practically a staple for North Shore families to visit over the summer. There is something for everyone at the park! Whether you come to play some of the old-school arcade games, go for a stroll down by the water, play on the curiously hard mini-golf course (yes they  have a full 18 hole mini-golf course), or if you just want to have a BBQ or picnic, you can do it all and more! The only real downer about this place is that they're only open seasonally between late April and mid-October. But that is to be expected since the park is situated right on Salem Harbor. Playing Skee-ball in 30 degree weather is probably no fun at all ;). See, you October-only tourists might be missing out on one of the best parts of Salem right here. 

   

I have many fond memories of the Willows, especially ones involving my Nana. When I was younger, my family would always make  it a point to come to the Willows at least twice every year. Everyone would arrive around opening time and we'd have a little picnic lunch before we went to play all the games and go on the rides. As a kid, it was all about the games and the tickets and the prizes of course! But now that i'm older, I've grown to appreciate the full experience. The sea breeze, the food, the atmosphere, everything. Sadly, the family trips don't happen as much anymore. Everyone is a sicker, older and now without Nana it doesn't really feel the same. But Yeti and I have been trying to do our part to keep the tradition alive. We held our wedding celebration here as well as our first anniversary/my 30th birthday party. (Thankfully, Nana was still there for those :) ). 

And that's partly how my fondness for Salem began. I always knew as a kid coming to Salem meant fun, happy times were on their way! As a teen, I found more reasons to love the city from all the cool spots to hang out and places to eat. Finally as an adult I realized what it meant to have a happy place and for me that special spot was Salem. To be able to share that spot with Yeti and with all of you MAKES me happy! Helping others see the fun and beauty in this place is the whole point of this blog series :). 

I hope I can reach at least one of you October visitors with this. Come on up and see the rest of what Salem has to offer. Outside of the Downtown area ;).  

Not-So-Spooky Salem #4: Witch City Consignment

Can you tell I have a strange obsession with vintage consignment and antiques of all kinds? I can't help it. Yeti and I both love things that are older and have character and a history behind them. I guess it's a good thing we live in Salem, huh? ;) That's why when we came across Witch City Consignment we were kind of excited! What better place to help furnish our new apartment!

The store is massive! They even have a basement level that they open up when the main floor starts to fill up with product. The whole shop is a giant menagerie of nostalgia. It's part antique store/part thrift shop with an inventory ranging from beautiful gently-used furniture to piano rolls. Yes pianos rolls. Like for an old school player piano!I'm always very impressed by the furniture selection whenever I go in there. The prices are fair considering some of the items. Yeti and I actually bought an oak table from them with a set of 4 chairs for $140. That's a pretty sweet deal! If we would've gone to Jordan's or Bernie and Phyl's, who knows how much that would have cost us! Even if we don't have anything in particular to buy, it's fun to just go in, look around and see just how many strange things we can find. Like this shelf full of typewriters:

Seriously,those signs make everyone want to play with them....

And my adorable new Halloween tree:

That's also the oak table we bought in the picture :). 

If you're a sucker for old-world style and furnishings like me, hold onto your wallet when you walk into this store. It's hard to walk out empty handed. I really was not planning on buying that Halloween tree but I couldn't resist! You've gotta act fast if you see something you like at Witch City Consignment. It could be there one day and sold the next! It's shopping at places like this that have ruined shopping malls for me. Sure I could go by a bookshelf at Target that is way overpriced and cheaply made, but it would be the same bookshelf everyone else has. Maybe just in a different color. It would have no character or life of it's own or story to tell. The items in stores like this most likely ended up there at the end of someone's life or because they wouldn't fit in someone's new home. They obviously held significance at one point. Why shouldn't they go to another good home to be enjoyed and support a small business at the same time? Or even better maybe at a store like the Goodwill or Salvation Army whose profits go to a good cause. Thrift stores are awesome and Witch City Consignment is one of the best around.

If you happen to stumble upon it during your October trek and you like what you see, make sure you come back and see them during the off-season. We'd like to keep them around until next Halloween season  and for a good long time after that ;).

Not-So-Spooky Salem #3: The Engine House

Aaaaand i'm back! Sorry, I was a way for a few days. I was ::ahem:: a little busy this weekend:

But more on that later ;). For now, let's get back to business, shall we? 

When I was in my late teens,  I started coming to Salem more regularly on my own. Some of my fondest trips were spent going to Harrison's (which i'll talk about in a later post) with one of my good friends at the time, picking up some comics and then heading on over to the best pizza place in town for lunch. The two of us would walk in, order a large extra cheese pizza and some pepsi's and read the comics we just picked up. At the end of each trip, we would generally leave only one lonely slice of greasy deliciousness left on the tray. Two 19-year-old, 110lb, 5'2" white girls would just gorge themselves on pizza and walk away leaving the staff stunned. How in the hell did we eat all that pizza and stay so damn small?  Ahhh, those were the days of awesome teenage metabolisms. It'll probably catch up to me in my old age but i'll be fat and happy and full of awesome pizza, dammit! To this day, I don't think I've ever had a more delicious pizza than at The Engine House on Derby Street.

(photo credit to the Engine House website!)

Now don't get me wrong, I truly believe there is no such thing as a bad piece of pizza. Even if it's mediocre store-bought frozen pizza. There's something about the combination of pizza dough,sauce, cheese and whatever topping you could possibly want that's just a delectable fiesta when it hits your palate! Am I wrong? And nobody seems to do that better than the Engine House. Maybe it's the mix of spices they use, or the cheese blend or the sweet sauce but the end result is absolutely to die for. It even brings back fond childhood memories for Yeti! He's a South Shore native having grown up down in Dorchester so when I first brought him to Engine House, he was quite surprised when what he tasted was very similar to a place he used to order from with his family called Roy's. He was so excited to finally find a place of comparable taste! I think that's when I knew it was true love ;).  

The only problem I've ever had with the place was that they don't deliver too far outside of Salem which is understandable. They're not a chain after all but I think that adds to their charm.The pizza where we used to live in Medford was just o.k.. Did we drive up to Salem just for pizza sometimes?  Yes. Yes we did.  And it's that drawing power that always kept me coming back! Of course now that we're residents, we just have to walk out our front door and down the street. But you might find if you give Engine House a try, it may not be your cup of tea. There are plenty of other options throughout the city! There's Damatas, Georgia's, Mandees, The Flying Saucer, Salem House Of Pizza, the list goes on! Find your flavor here in Salem. There's something for everyone :)

I'll leave you today with a fun fact about Engine House to pique your curiousity though. Horror fans will no doubt recognize the joint as one of the locations used for filming in Rob Zombie's latest film "Lords Of Salem". But no need to worry, there's no threat of the Lords coming back to town anytime soon ;). Unless they want really great pizza of course! 

Not-So-Spooky Salem #2: Modern Millie Vintage and Consignments

Over the past few days since I came up with this blog idea, I started compiling a list of "all-things-awesome" about the city of Salem. There is actually enough to keep me going for everyday of the month! Now let's see if I can actually keep up with writing a new post for everyday of the month. I've  With a list that big, it was hard to figure out exactly where to begin. As I sat here at my desk at my grown-up job, I started people watching as I normally do. I couldn't help but notice some of the atrocious wardrobe choices of the day. Anyone who knows me well knows that I kinda despise modern fashion as a whole. I hate going clothes shopping for this very reason. I can never find anything I want to buy. Leggings and acid wash jeans and off the shoulder big sweaters. Egads, it's like we've never done this before, people! 

But that's when it hit me! I knew exactly where to start! My go-to place for clothes! If you're looking for a spot to find fun, vintage threads at a reasonable price and if you like stores like The Garment District, why not give Modern Millie Vintage and Consignments a try! They're located at 3 Central Street in Salem which is right off of the pedestrian mall on Essex Street. They also have a second location in Newburyport. The stores should be pretty easy to spot considering they always have such jaw-droppingly gorgeous window displays like this one:

(photo credit to the store's FB page)

I really and truly have a hard time leaving this store without a bag in my hands. They have everything! Here you'll find beautiful vintage dresses (I actually bought my wedding dress here), fun skirts, hats for all occasions, gorgeous shoes, gloves, scarves, vintage aprons and even old school lingerie! I'm talking legit heavy satin nightgowns, folks, not your grandma's flannel nightdress ;). The staff is always super nice and helpful too. Living a 5-minute walk away from the front door of this place has been dangerous for my wallet! If it wasn't for those pesky bills and rent getting in the way, I'd be in there every day! 

So next time, instead of hitting the mall up the road for some new threads, why not give Modern Millie's a try? You won't be disappointed :). 

Not-So-Spooky Salem #1: An Introduction

Well, well, well, what have we here? A new blog? What is this madness?

To be completely honest, I haven't had much to blog about recently. Nor have I really had the time! Between my grown-up job, my grandmother getting sick and dying and Yeti's grandmother dying, there hasn't been too much that has been inspiring me to write. But about two months ago, Yeti and I finally got the opportunity to move to Salem! Finally! After wanting to live there practically my whole life, we officially became Salem residents in August. Now that we have our own space and are getting back to normal after the move, I feel like my creative juices are starting to flow again. I even took a brief hiatus from cakes! Brief though, not long term ;).

For the past few weeks, i've been toying around with writing something. I had a few brief flashes of inspiration for one of my never-ending passion projects There were a few fun story ideas that ann through my head brought on just by daily life in general but nothing seemed to be sticking. Nothing felt right.  It wasn't until I started noticing the increased amounts of traffic and tourists around my neighborhood that I realized what I needed to be writing. It's something that I would think about every time I came to town before I even became a resident and something that will probably stick with me until I leave (which is hopefully never). Why is it that Salem only gets an influx of love in the month of October?

Is it because peopIe equate witches and psychics = scary/Halloween fun? Is that really all there is about the city that is bankable? It may be hard to believe but there was a time when the city didn't really make a huge deal out of its notorious history. That's thanks in part to an episode of Bewtiched back in the 70's where the Stephens family comes to Salem for the "Centennial Witch Convocation" and are soon plagued by shenanigans. Then it all went downhill from there. Or uphill depending on who you ask. So thanks a lot, Samantha Stephens. 

Although I guess in a way the town I know and love so much often shoots itself in the foot in this respect. But I mean that in a good way! If it brings revenue and visitors to the city then why not promote the hell out of Halloween as much as you can, right? However it's this very reason that causes people to forget Salem exists for the other 11 months of the year. It's like it disappears off the map! The crowds don't seem to have any other reason to come here which is sad. My city is far more than some haven for all things terrifying and spooky. Granted that part is fun, but my city is also friendly, vibrant, charming, beautiful and full of life for the other 334 days of the year! There is so much that people are missing by limiting their visits to just one month. 

So my goal with this blog series throughout the month of October is going to be to highlight some of my favorite things about the city as a new resident. Now I know I've only lived here for two months but I've been coming to Salem my whole life as more than just a tourist. I have very fond memories of this little seaport town. The happiest times of my life were spent here with some of my favorite people in my favorite spots. This city has given me so much that I feel like it is only fitting that I should try and help the town out a little and do what I can to support tourism throughout the year in my own way :)! i hope you'll continue on this fun journey with me throughout the month! 

With any luck I may just keep up with posting on a regular basis once this is all done but only time will tell ;).  

For Nana

                                   

First, let me start by saying that on behalf of my entire family thank you for all for coming out today. Your support during this difficult time means more to us than words can say.

My grandmother touched a lot of lives here in more ways than one. She would be completely taken aback by seeing all of you here now. One thing that she would often say to me whenever she heard of someone passing was  "Don't cry for the dead. You should celebrate them instead. Their troubles are over in this world." That thought alone is what is getting me through this difficult period. So my goal with this speech is to not mourn her loss but instead to rejoice that her hardships are done and remember the special lady that brings us all together today. It’s her ever present strength that is going to get me through at least the next few minutes while i’m up here talking to you all.

Nana and I shared a passion for many things. Some of my favorite pastimes today are the activities I used to do with her. She had a fondness for crossword puzzles, or even just word puzzles in general. She always wanted to keep her mind sharp. I would often do a crossword puzzle or two in whichever book she was using at the time and she would yell at me for doing it in pen. I’d say “But Nana I like writing in pen.” to which she’d reply “Ok.” and then I’d have scratch marks and scribbles all over my puzzle and she’d say “See? That’s why you use a pencil.” Eventually I gave into my own stubbornness and now I use a pencil whenever possible. So, thanks for that Nana. She was also great at Wheel Of Fortune and loved Jeopardy.  One of her favorite stories to tell from when she was the bookkeeper at the church was when Major Goding would sometimes call her into his office and say “Lorraine, we have to have a meeting.” So she would go and then they would proceed to play Wheel of Fortune on his computer. Because of all of this, I developed my love of words and trivia games and brain teaser puzzles.

She loved all the old games down at Salem Willows. And she was great at them too! I’d always find her at some point during one of our many trips there and she’d have a fist full of prize tickets. “Nana, how did you do that?” I’d say to her. She would just laugh and shrug. and say something along the lines of “I just put the quarter in!”. I think she hit the jackpot every other time we went down there, to be honest. Her claw machine skills were unmatched. You could tell her exactly what you wanted in the machine and she would get it. Even if that meant she had to get a bunch of other things first. She still got you that stuffed animal you wanted. But that’s the kind of person she was. Even if you wanted all those jackpot tickets she won, she gave them to you.

Nana was a giver, after all. She would practically give you the shirt  off her back and more if you really needed it. She always made sure that everyone around her was taken care of before she sat down for herself. Caring for her family was one of her greatest joys. Whether it was something as simple as a few rounds of cards Saturday night, cooking Sunday dinner for whoever came over after church or one of the many Christmas Eve parties we would have at their house, she always had the biggest smile and laughed the most when we were all together. She loved everyone and everyone loved her in return. And she loved no one more than my dear grandfather. I’m sure i’m not the only one to think this but the importance of family, blood-related or not, was drilled so deep into my heart because of her and her commitment to all of us.

My husband shared a great quote with me the other day which was written by Sir Terry Pratchett from his book “Reaper Man”. He wrote

“...They believe that no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away – until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.”

I knew I wanted to include this quote in here somewhere and I didn’t know exactly where it would fit until I took another look at the picture. 

Now some of you way in the back, or even in the middle here might not be able to see this clearly but this is a photo of my grandmother working on one of the many wedding cakes she did throughout her life. She was so proud of every cake she made or anything she baked for that matter and that passion for her hobby was so strong that my father picked it up. Then as time went on, I followed in their foot steps. Without her doing it first, I wouldn’t be on the path to trying to open my own bakery. And that is what that quote means to me. So as long I keep making cakes and cupcakes and cookies, she will never truly die. When I hang this picture on the wall in my bakery kitchen, she’ll be there. Watching over me. Watching over all of us.

I love you, Nana. 

SMRT

Yup, you read that title correctly. SMRT.

Whenever I do something on the quasi-intelligent side, I look over at my husband and say something along the lines of "Hey check that out! I'm pretty S-M-R-T aren't, I?" This is generally followed by a guffaw or a good chuckle. It's just a thing I do. I regularly mock my own intelligence levels, which is probably one of my biggest character flaws. I really don't think I'm that smart at all. Despite being told numerous times by Yeti and countless others that that is absolutely not true and  that I am quite bright, I still can’t believe it.

Some might think that it's because I chose not to continue my education after high school but I beg to differ.  Personally I don't think a college degree measures ones intelligence. Y’know who didn’t go to college? Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and even Winston Churchill (just to name a few), who were some of the most brilliant minds of our time.  Does it make you more proficient in a particular field of study of your choosing? Absolutely it does.  Hell, I've met doctors that I would say are certainly book smart but are seriously lacking in the common sense/street smarts department. I have this theory that people like doctors get so caught up in learning about medicine and the human body that it leaves little room for much else in their minds.  I do love learning though, which is another pro for the higher education column. But I would much rather learn at my own pace and focus on things that are important to me rather than taking required courses just to get the credits to graduate. And then of course there is the inevitable debt that comes with it all. No, sir, I don’t like it. I can educate myself and live debt free .

One of my biggest problems is that I don't talk enough out loud about what's on my mind. This most definitely contributes to my “not feeling smart enough” problem.   I need to work on fixing that. Usually during group conversations, everyone spouts of their different ideas and theories about this, that or the other thing and I just sit there quietly and listen. Most of the time, I just can’t keep up with what’s being thrown around. Everyone is so quick witted and ready to spout of the next fact or morsel of information they have.  It’s not that I can’t follow the dialogue (well, I guess that depends on the person speaking) but there’s just so much information coming at me back and forth and sideways that my brain just can’t process it all. It’s awful. In the moment, it makes me feel weak and inferior.  I usually end up beating myself up a lot over things like that but that also happens on a normal Monday when I’ve had too much time to think.

It’s not until sometime after said big group discussion that my brain finally decides to kick in and have an opinion about the topic. Then of course after that I can have endless conversations in my own head about the discussion that no one ever gets to really hear. Well Yeti hears them of course because I trust that if I say something stupid/unintelligent, he’ll explain it to me in a way that doesn’t make me feel even worse about myself. Although if the previously mentioned topic is math or numbers related, I’m a lost cause. Math and I don’t mix. Does this happen to anyone else? Is it just me? 

But then there are times when the opposite happens. Well, somewhat opposite anyway. For example: One day Yeti and I were in a grocery store around Christmas time and we came across a gentleman looking rather befuddled in the baking aisle (which I could probably walk down blind-folded and find what I need).  He stopped an employee who was stocking shelves and asked him for royal icing (presumably for a gingerbread house considering the time of year). The store clerk was stumped and wasn’t exactly sure where it was either.  Then they began discussing how they didn’t even know the difference between royal icing and regular frosting and how silly it seemed to try and differentiate the two. It was about that time when Yeti started poking and prodding me to intervene since I actually HAVE useful information on the subject. All I had to say was “Actually there is a difference between royal icing and frosting but you’re probably not going to find it at the grocery store anyway. You either have to make it or buy it at Michael’s or A.C. Moore.” That’s it, just a simple two-sentence answer. I knew the exact answer they were both looking for but I couldn’t do it. I froze. My natural instincts as an introvert took over and made me shy away. So even if I DO have the right words to say or valid information on my side to share, I still can’t do it. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Sometimes it sucks being Jo.

There are rare occasions when I do decide to contribute to intelligent conversations with something witty and clever. And then I get all tongue-tied and stuttery.  The stuttering does not help when I’m trying to assert myself either. Am I just talking too fast? Or not processing my thoughts fast enough? Or is it that I’m just thinking way too much before I speak on purpose so I don’t say something stupid. Why does my awkwardness constantly get in my way? 

I can’t remember much about math equations or past political events/leaders that changed the course of history, but I can tell you random facts about film, music and movies from a bygone era that nobody in their right mind should know.  And I’m not sure why that is exactly.  I can recall events and info about the strangest and most obscene things….but I have trouble when it comes to finding percentages and substituting x for y.

And then I come across something like these jokes here or I watch something like this and I understand every word.  It all makes sense. Yeti and I went to a talk with Dr. Michio Kaku just last Wednesday and found it all so fascinating and followed along with every point that Dr. Kaku made. In fact, I left wanting to hear more! I’m even contemplating reading the book we got signed by him, which is strange! It’s a physics book. A theoretical physics book and I’m seriously considering picking it up when I’m done with what I’m currently reading. On Sunday night, I watched Cosmos and I enjoyed the hell out of it. It was presented beautifully and everything that was said really seemed to stick in my brain. In real time too, without any sort of "processing" time. And in those moments, I feel like the smartest person in the world because I know there are more than a few people who would probably be lost. Where is all that smart confidence when I need it? Why does it seem to disappear and reappear at the most inopportune times?

I guess what I'm trying to say with all this is that maybe I just wasn't meant to know some things. Maybe I'm just not equipped for everything. Maybe I just learn differently than others. I'm not exactly sure. But what I do know is even though I may not think i'm all that spectacular in the brains department I have plenty of other qualities to make up for it. I may not know much about quantum mechanics or politicial science but I can certainly bake you the best damn cake you've ever had! :) I can also lend you a shoulder to cry on or I can be a sounding board if you need to vent! But don't ask me to help you with your calculus, because you're on your own there ;)

Positives

So it has officially been over TWO MONTHS since my last post. Go Jo!!

I can't say I'm disappointed or surprised. I am, after all, working a full time job and trying to start my own bakery business sooooo I've been a little preoccupied lately. Luckily for me though my full time job seems to have sent me to a place where there isn't much else to do but be alone with my thoughts and sit in front of a computer most of the day. What better to do then get some of those thoughts out on the blog, right?

At first, I was kinda sad that I'm stuck (for the foreseeable future) in the most boring building we have. But now I'm trying to focus on the positives. Around Thanksgiving, I began posting what I was grateful for each day. I'd like to get back into that if I can. For example: Since my hours have changed and Yeti got a promotion at his job (Yay Yeti!) I've been taking the T into work every morning. Sure, it sucks and it's cold and it's crowded but I get to read more! I consider that a win! It's hard for me to find time to sit and actually READ things. I really want to! It's hard though. Now I have actual reading time. It may only be about 20 minutes a day or so depending on what the T is up to, but at least it's time I didn't have before! My first book of choice: American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Starting every day off with some Gaiman is the best! And that's only ONE of my positive things for the day.

There's also been a lot of excitement coming from the bakery side of things! I had two relatively big "professional" events to do cupcakes for! The first was in the middle of February for BOSKONE, which is the New England Science Fiction Association's (a.k.a. NESFA) yearly sci-fi, horror, and fantasy convention! It was a ton of fun do the cupcakes for their "Meet and Greet" event but man was I nervous! It was my first gig for a large group! 6 dozen to be exact! And to make things even harder, I only got official word to do the job about 10 days before the event! AHHH!!! So there was a lot of late nights and early morning leading up to it, but the end result was nothing short of fantastic! I'm particularly proud of the One Ring set. I literally practiced writing in Elvish over and over and over so it would be just right when the time came to put it on the fondant.

The best part though was getting to watch total strangers get excited over my cupcakes! Family and friends are one thing and I truly appreciate all the work I've gotten to do for them but there is nothing quite like standing back and hearing people talk about your work with such excitement! There were 72 cupcakes total and they were gone in under an hour. I was floored. I will always be grateful to people at NESFA for giving me my first big "break". I look forward to doing the con again next year (if they'll have me, of course!).

At the tail end of February, I had a really amazing opportunity cross my path via a couple of my really good friends (thanks Mike and Steph) to participate in the MGH Blood Donor Center's very last Cupcake Tasting Event! Yeah, you read that correctly. MGH. As in Massachusetts General Hospital. As in one of the most world-renowned medical institutions in the world, if not the country! How could I turn it down? Not only was it Mass General, but I also got the chance to showcase my wares  in an environment that also included a few of the bigger name bakeries in the Boston area including Sweet, Flour and Lyndell's! I may  have been more nervous for that than Boskone. How was I supposed compete with those?? But I think the Jostess Bakery held up pretty well against the competition:

I couldn't believe how they just sort of fit in with the others. At first glance, you would never be able to tell I was just a small business just starting out! Currently, i'm waiting to get some comment cards from the event coordinator about my cupcakes. It will be interesting (and terrifying)to see what people have to say about my product compared to the other pros :). 

I'm really hoping that these two big events bring some more business my way! In the meantime, I am working on getting all my ducks in a row on the business side of things like looking for community kitchens to work out of, food-safe certification classes, networking and building an online presence, etc. People really do seem to be shocked when I mention all the steps I'm taking to make this bakery a reality. "Wow you really are serious!" seems to be the general consensus. 

I'm not sure how I feel about that or what that says about me as a person, but I am completely sure that this is what I need to be doing with my life in order to be even happier than I already I am. I have everything I need. My awesome Yeti, amazing family and friends, food in my belly, clothes on my back, a roof over my head and I finally feel like i'm on the right path to a career that I will love. So many positives and exciting things to look forward to! I just hope that this pattern continues ;). 

Reflections

As 2013 comes to a close, I'm thinking of all the things that made this year magical and special, all the amazing people who were a part of it, and how truly lucky I am for everything I have. Sometimes when I have bad days and I feel like I'm just stuck in a rut that I can never get out of, I only need to look to these amazing memories to remind myself of all the wonderful things I've done and will continue to do throughout 2014 and even past that.

I have a really good feeling about the coming year, despite getting some rather upsetting news on New Years Eve. At first it got me worried. I thought it was a bad sign that this is how the new year was starting for us. But then I realized something. It wasn't 2014 bringing me the bad news. It was just the end of 2013 spitting out the last nasty bits that it could. It wasn't a bad year overall for us. There were some unpleasant moments of course but I feel like Yeti and I grew a lot both as individuals and as a couple. It's an important thing to be able to grow together and embrace any changes and challenges that life may through your way. I'm so lucky to have an amazing partner to go through this crazy thing called life with :).

I'm not sure if I actually have any "resolutions" for the coming year. It's more like I have some goals and a general rule of thumb in my mind, but we'll get into the goals later. For now I want to focus on my new rule, and that is simply this: to be nicer to myself.

Most people make resolutions surrounding physical health such as losing weight but I feel like emotional health is just as important. I'll still make an effort to hit the gym or do some exercising as much as I can, but I realized something over the course of 2013. I really am my own worst enemy. Is it sad that i'm 30 years old and still have self esteem issues? Especially when it comes to my cakes or any other foray into the creative world I may try. I never like anything I write and my cakes are always meh, even though I know there is evidence to the contrary. For some reason, I'm convinced that i'm not allowed to be good at anything or know more about a certain subject than someone. I wish I knew why that was. I'm constantly asking Fred to proofread the things I write and then never believe him when he says they're good. The same goes for my cakes. I think the fact that i'm very detail oriented and a perfectionist also attributes to that. It's for this very reason that i'm thankful for the people I have surrounding me now. They're so good at helping me believe that i'm good enough and I am getting there, slowly but surely.

I have two goals for this year and one is slightly harder than the other but i'm making great strides to get them both moving! One of course is to keep on working to make the Jostess Bakery a success. Thanks to everyone who has already put in cake orders and are spreading the word!! 2014 is going to be a big year I think. A few weeks ago I was off for a few days from my real grown-up job at the medical center and I spent a good chunk of time working and baking Christmas treats. Not once did I feel stressed or feel like I was doing work. I knew then that baking is where my heart truly lies. I just have to keep at it, do my best and I know I can turn the bakery into something more than just a hobby.

My second goal  (and I think this has been the same for me for the past few years now) is to finish some of the long term writing projects I've been working on for god only knows how long now. I think once I actually FINISH something, that will put me on the right track to get the rest done. I've worked out that for at least 2 or 3 hours each day, I will sit down and write. Even if I only get one page done, or a paragraph or a sentence, I need to make a little bit of progress each day. I will be okay with that. I'm excited about the direction the stories are going to take. I think I came up with a really neat way to link them all up so they are occurring around the same time in the same universe. I can't wait to put everything together and see how it turns out! :)

About two weeks or so ago, Facebook put together a little "Year In Review" thing that supposedly pulls together all your "biggest moments" from the year, which I thought was cool, but I feel like they left out some key moments. Moments that for me were personally satisfying not just because of how many "likes" or comments they got. So I decided to make up my own little photo collage to commemorate 2013 of some of my absolute favorite moments. What a year it was! All these people, all these places and all these things have meant so much to me this year .Although I wish I had a group shot of my fellow Arkham Horror Book Clubbers to include in here.

 





I mean, really, how many people can put meeting George R.R. Martin on their list of  awesome moments from 2013??

Since this post is already as long-winded as it is I will close it out by simply wishing you and yours nothing but love and happiness for the New Year! And, well, i'll leave the rest up this guy: