Year In Review

Christmas Tree 2016

As we approach the Holiday Season and the end of another year, it is traditional to take a look back and to see how far we’ve come; to tally our blessings and, if necessary, lick our wounds. And whether we give thanks for the past year or can’t wait to see it end, one thing seems to be universally true: we all hope that 2017 will be better.

When I review 2016, I am aware that, all my fervent statements to the contrary, I have yet to install an elk defying fence around my backyard. And, thanks to the ridiculous amounts of snow we’ve received this month, my poor privet hedge is looking a little pancaked. So I’m hoping that 2017 will be the Year of the Elk Fence.

My backyard hosted a wedding this summer and even without a fence, both the elk and the rain stayed away and everything turned out beautifully. Love is always a blessing and I am so thankful to be surrounded by it. 2017 will continue that trend and I have yet another son that has asked his Beloved to marry him. 2017 will be a year that we add yet another Mrs. Sume to the family. My heart is very happy.

Hunting season 2016 saw one less elk menacing my petunias. But before I could finish savoring that victory, a renegade elk tangled with my son’s pickup truck on Highway 12. Thankfully he was unhurt, the truck was insured, and---as Shane used to say---they make new parts every day.

However 2016 treated you, whatever it is you see when you stop and look behind you, may 2017 be a better year. May we be kinder to one another, may we be gentle with ourselves. And, in the immortal words of Tiny Tim, may “God bless us, everyone!”

Let It Snow..

Let it snow, let it snow...Just NOT in my driveway.

Over the course of the last week, a foot –or more!--of snow has fallen at my place. Some of it is very atmospheric and beautiful, makes me feel all Christmassy and I want to drink hot chocolate and have a snowball fight and make snowmen and snow angels and go sledding and write run-on sentences... But far too much of it has landed in my driveway. And driveway snow is a buzz kill. Driveway snow means I have to shovel---and I have a lo-o-o-n-g driveway. Parts of it are uphill---both ways! I quickly lose all my happy thoughts and start stomping around and muttering under my breath, stupid dang snow, anyway.

So far the SSD (stupid dang snow) has 1) caused me to go outside in my PJs with a broom. Don’t ask, just be glad you’re NOT my neighbor. Single-handedly I often lower the property values in my neighborhood. I’m the kind of neighbor people will often beg to “stay inside while the realtor is showing the nice couple around, please?” 

 2) Spray myself in the face with neon pink spray paint. Once again, don’t ask, but I will tell you I wasn’t re-enacting the Cat-In-the-Hat. Although I did end up with a lot of pink snow. And a pink nose. It was a clever---well, it seemed like a clever idea at the time. Anyway, it was an attempt to prevent a Snow Crime. You know how when you just finish shoveling your driveway and then you go back into the house to take a shower and put on Real Clothes and hop into your defrosted car--congratulating yourself for having wise foresight in defrosting it ahead of time—and you drive down the driveway only to find that while you were inside the long awaited snow plow has come along and plowed you in? Yes, well that’s what the spray paint was for. (It made sense in my head, don’t question it.)

In my opinion, snow is the original four-letter S word....and it needs to S T O P.