January started out with a burst of travel – driving cross country between Maryland and Arizona with a stop for a week in the Dallas area. There were associated ‘little celebrations.’
Leaf earrings from a local artist in McKinney TX – I celebrated finding earrings I like a lot…and if they are created by a local artist that makes it even better. I find it very easy to remember where I purchase earrings so they are great mementos for my travels.
A day on my own – Usually when I travel, my time is full of interacting with other people and I end up exhausted after it continues for too many days. On this 9-day trip, I had one day that was almost all ‘me time’ and I celebrated the lull!
Getting to the hotel in the snow – One day I was out and about in Dallas when it started snowing. I thought it wouldn’t stick but it started before I could head back to the hotel. Dallas does not use salt and there had not been any time for sand to be out either. I was driving an unfamiliar car too. I white knuckled the drive (overpasses particularly) but made it back to the hotel without incident…and celebrated.
Then there were ‘home’ related celebrations:
Home again – I enjoy traveling but coming home again is always a little celebration.
A good night of sleep – I came home from my travels with a cold so the first night that I sleep well was cause for celebration.
A sunny day – January in Maryland has been full of gray skies and drizzle (no snow) so I celebrated one on of the few sunny days.
A new car – Maybe this is a big celebration rather than a little one. I only buy a new car about every 10 years or so…and I’m still savoring the lingering celebration of acquiring the Prius Prime.
There are instances of little celebrations in my favorite activities as well:
Anatomy of the Abdomen and Pelvis Course – This might be the most challenging courses I’ve taken on Coursera – but tremendously interesting. I am celebrating every module. Kudos to the Leiden University Medical School for producing it.
A hike and finding skunk cabbages – I enjoyed a winter hike and was celebrating being outdoors when I found skunk cabbages already up in the winter muck…and that made for a bigger celebration.
Red-tailed hawks – It seems like I am seeing red tailed hawks a lot more frequently this winter….or maybe I am just becoming a better observer. My daughter and I saw them on our cross-country road trip, there is at least one that is frequently the woods behind out house and I saw one at Centennial Park when I was there last week. I celebrate that the birds are thriving and that I am seeing them!
As I walked up to our house, I noticed that the bush near our garage needed trimming. This would be the second time for this year. The next morning I went out to trim it – remembering to take the ‘before’ picture. It started out looking like a porcupine…then became a bush with a mohawk trim…
Then an asymmetrical bush. I cut some branches from the inside because I want it even shorter. The step stool I have that is easiest for me to carry around to trim bushes does not give me quite enough height to reach the top easily. Note that I used a lot of different tools: electric hedge trimmers, long handled pruners, and saw. I will do more with the pruners and saw to make the bush shorter!
