January 04, 2011

So what did I do in 2010? Part 1

Believe me, I ask myself that question often. I mean, where did this year go? Here’s a look back…

January 2010

I made my first dress! Courtesy of the amazing workshops at M. Avery Designs.



February 2010

I finally made popcorn on the stove top. And I’ll never make it any other way again. This may seem insignificant to you, but it was a life changer for me.


March 2010

I learned to make donuts. And I never made them again. They’re trouble in a frying pan, I tell you. To think, delicious donuts are just a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough away.

April 2010

One door closed and another opened. I walked away from a job I was at for nearly a decade and sprinted into a new one.

But not before running away to the New Orleans Jazz Fest for a weekend.



And then we started our much ballyhooed attic renovation.

And then, I walked away from my blog.

Life got in the way. I could barely keep up with my new routine, and everything else just sort of fell by the wayside in 2010. The few spare hours I had I was happiest just sitting in silence with my dog and a good cup of coffee. And sometimes by "good cup of coffee" I mean "stiff cocktail."

But the rest of 2010 wasn’t a total wash.

May 2010

The tulip bulbs I scattered the previous fall bloomed just in time for Mother's Day.


They were late bloomers, but so was I and I turned out OK. Or so I'd like to think.

June 2010

By June the attic was fairly gutted and we realized "relaxing summer" would not be in our vocabulary.


The front garden went all jungle on me, only three years after planting it.


We also joined our Hands Across the Sand to help protect our beautiful beaches.


July 2010

Have you ever been to the Newport Folk Festival? I went for the first time because my favorite band (The Avett Brothers) was playing. We took a family road trip and it was the perfect weekend...just me, mom and my brother. I suspect I'll be back in 2011.











July held another first for me: My first ambulance ride. I don't recommend, but am very grateful to the Bradley Beach First Aid Squad for scooping me up (and to my friend for scooping up my bike!). And for the endless hours of entertainment provided to me by all of the guidos being treated in the ER. (This happened on a Saturday at the Jersey Shore, so you can only imagine.)

Next up: Farmers and zombies and blizzards. Oh my!

13 comments:

Maureen said...

What a year.... and this was only part 1?!?! Can't wait to read the rest!

Caren said...

I am so happy to see that you're back! I didn't do much with my blog this year either. So sorry to hear about your bike accident. I hope you're on the mend now!

Happy New Year! I look forward to catching up!

Purple Flowers said...

I enjoyed reading your month by month activities. I'll be back for more! :)

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Well, you never actually left my thought processes, but it is so nice to see you writing again!! The picture of your upstairs gutted is what our upstairs looks like right now. I have done the general contractor thing before (kitchen) and am not at all pleased to be doing it again. So far, we have had 3 plumbers come in, say they will call, and well you know the rest...I feel like such a wallflower!Can't wait to make some shopping plans.
♥, Susan

The Quintessential Magpie said...

I am SO delighted to see you back, Laura! I have missed you terribly. Sounds like a good year, though, minus the ambulance ride, and I look forward to hearing the rest.

Love you and wish you all the best in 2011!

XO,

Sheila :-)

Joyce said...

There is only so much in a day to do everything even if you are a gifted multi tasker! It looks like it was a fun year, except for the ambulance ride. Many hugs my friend! xo

heidi said...

I keep going back to that popcorn pic... yum!!!! Happy New Year, Laura!
xoh

Keetha Broyles said...

This was a GREAT recap of half a year that the rest of us missed in your life. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

To quote Homer Simpson: " Mmmm, Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?"
I know what your next post will read. So what did I do in 2010? Part 2

You were in a local ER (on the Jersey Shore) during a summer weekend.
Clearly it took months just to be seen and released!
Did you see the vault they have to store all the gold chains and earrings that the guidos must remove before going to X-Ray?

Your Friend,
Deborah

Patti @ Pandoras Box said...

Time certainly flies, doesn't it...sounds like you had a fun pt1...looking forward to hearing about the rest of the year!

theappletea said...

what a year!!!! Great post! :)

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

It seems like a very good year if you don't include the bike accident...but maybe that had to happen to keep you from something worse? I believe in karma so it was meant to be.

So glad you're back! Don't stress out with trying to blog too much...keep it fun!

A very happy and healthy 2011!

Courtney said...

Yay! I love that you're catching us up on some of the highlights of 2010. I'm relieved to hear everything's okay and you just got too busy to blog. Which, BELIEVE me, I understand!!!!