Surviving 2020 The good, the bad, and the funny!

 Well, they say that Hindsight is always 2020 vision. This year started out so promising! A new Year, a new Decade! 20 Years removed from the fear that was “Y2K.” So Full of Hope! But what happened certainly has been unprecedented. None of us could have seen it coming or predicted what took place. But if you are reading this, than like me, you survived the year that was 2020! Each of us has walked through the muck and made it out the other side. The whole Human Race, collective, together and alone. It’s a lot to process. I know. But I’m going to try. To put into words the Good, the Bad, and the Funny of 2020! This is the story of this year, as it happened to us; Buckle your seat belt!

 

The Bad:

1. My Husband had a Heart Attack. In February. He was only 53 and a healthy eater. But has a family history of heart disease.
2. COVID 19. A global Pandemic, like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetime.
3. Nation wide Shut-down.
4. I was furloughed from my job.
5. 3 of my Kids’ jobs shut down.
6. I had to have oral surgery during all this.
7. Grocery store shelves were scarily empty, and you couldn’t find toilet paper.
8. They stopped making Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper due to an aluminum shortage! I mean come on! This is one of life’s necessities!
9. I received a lot of hate from friends and family for speaking out against an immoral President and speaking up for Black Lives Matter. 2 things that I would deem worthy of speaking out for. I really do try not to post too many political statements, but sometimes I just have to say something! My husband doesn’t like me to, because of course it’s hard to see someone you love be attacked. But A. If Immoral behavior was wrong when Bill Clinton was President, which it was! Than it is wrong when Donald Trump is President, who is even worse! Leaders should be held to a higher standard! And B. Yes, All Lives Matter, but that can’t happen until Black Lives Matter! Love always champions others! Saying Black Lives Matter does not take away from any other life. The strong have to speak up for the hurting. Make America Kind Again!
10. Our Refrigerator went out, in the middle of the shutdown. Yay!
11. And the our Oven stopped working.
12. My Daughter went through a tough break up.
13. Tiger King! The worse! If 2020 was a T.V. show!
14. Both my Daughters in Law’s Fathers faced Health Crisis’! Which of course affected them, my sons, and my grandbabies.
15. Many people I know lost their parents and other family members to the Corona Virus. Having lost both my parents and my In Law’s, I can’t imagine going through that when you couldn’t even be with them as they past, or have a proper funeral. Or gather with your family and loved ones for comfort while mourning your loss.
16. My Sister in Law lost her only sister on Christmas Eve. My heart breaks for her, as I know what loosing your only sister feels like. There are just things a woman can only talk about with her sister. I miss mine terribly even still.
17. People I know and love got the virus.
18. A lot of people lost their businesses and their livelihoods.
19. My brother’s cancer has come back with a vengeance. And other people I know and care about were diagnosed with cancer this year.
20. My Daughter was diagnosed with some Health Issues.
21. My Daughter admitted to us just at the beginning of the shutdown, what we had suspected, that she has been dealing with an eating disorder. So we had to try to get her help remotely.
22. We couldn’t see our Families.
23. We couldn’t go anywhere!
24. Survived the Hottest Summer ever on record in Phoenix!
25. I have to work, sometimes for 8 hours or more wearing a face mask.
26. More that 1 member of my family dealing with Anxiety issues during all this.
27. I had to give up, among other things, my Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza this year. As my husband, due to his heart attack, is high risk. It just isn’t worth it!
28. No big Family Gatherings. Like making my mom’s Christmas Cookies all together. Or having our annual Family Christmas Party!  
29. My BookClub couldn’t meet!
30. No Gatherings. No Christmas or Birthday Parties. No New Years Eve Party! 
    

 

You know this has been a tough year, when it can turn an eternal optimist, like me, someone who always sees the glass as half full, who can always find the silver lining, and look on the bright side, to get discouraged. I have said repeatedly this year (to God, and to those closest to me) “I can not handle one more thing to worry about!” I need this to end! Enough is enough! I can’t handle anymore! But it is not in my nature to let evil win. I am determined to have the good out weigh the bad! And I have so much to be Grateful for! We all do. So here is my Silver Lining. The good things I could find in this otherwise horrible year.

 

The Good:

1. The timing of my Husbands heart attack. If it had happened just weeks later, none of us would have been able to be with him in the hospital.
2. My sweet Granddaughter was born! This will forever be the absolute best thing to come out of 2020!! She has brought so much Joy into our lives!
3. My Daughter in Law, a Nurse, was on Maternity Leave, so she didn’t have to work during the unstable, frightening beginning of the Pandemic.
4. Both of my girls thankfully still live at home. Had they been out on their own, having to deal with all this alone, it would have been devastating.
5. Husband now works from home!
6. I got a new job! Even though my hubby’s heart attack happened on the day I was there filling out my new hire paperwork, which postponed my start date, and it shut down a month later I still had it.
7. All through the shutdown my other job, a Law Firm (essential) even though we stopped seeing clients in person, allowed me to get out of the house. I need that!
8. My Daughter got a second part time job, now like her mother, works 2.
9. We never ran out of Toilet Paper!!
10. My Daughter started as a Youth Leader at our Church, once they opened back up. And is doing really well.
11. Daughter met a nice new guy to start dating!
12. Our oldest son turned 30!! And though we couldn’t celebrate it, how we would have liked to, Friends and Family from all over sent Birthday Cards for a Socially Distanced Party!!
13. We saved money not using as much gas, not shopping or eating out, Etc.
14. We found a really good Therapist, Dietician and Group that specializes in eating disorders for my daughter! She is doing really well! We are so grateful and proud of her!
15. We had the extra money to do all that! Other years, that might not have been possible.
16. We, our Kids, and Grandkids have all stayed mostly healthy!
17. I started having regular Zoom meetings with all my Brothers and Sister’s in Law, as well as with our Small Group, to stay connected.
18. My girls thrived during quarantine! They found very creative and crafty new hobbies! From Knitting, and Crocheting to Painting and Plants. They played games and put together puzzles.
19. I discovered coloring is very therapeutic. Doing puzzles, for me, not so much! I’ll stick to Reading!
20. I had lots of extra time to read! I had set a goal to read 27 Books this year, but ended up reading over 35!!
21. Was able to get caught up on shows we’d been wanting to watch, but never seemed to have the time before. 
22. Thankfully I don't have school aged children at home that I had to home school! That could have been a disaster! 
    
23. Found new local businesses to support in our community.
24. Met a lot of our neighbors while out for our daily walks, since more people were home.
25. I was still able to get my hair cut whenever I needed to, as my stylist lives with me!
26. My Husband got lots of opportunities to lead Worship! Plus we got to watch him live from home! 
27. We celebrated 33 Years of Marriage this year! 
28. With more free time and nothing to do, my Hubby's been online shopping! Surprising me with a Kindle for Reading and a new Kate Spade Bag!! #Score 
    
29. We voted in a new President!
30. Dress for Success found new ways to help women in the community!
31. Churches were forced to look outward rather than inward and find new ways to be!
32. Teachers, Nurses and other Essential Workers became the Heroes! And it’s about time!!
33. People put up Christmas Decorations early! And more houses than ever decorated this year! And we all needed it!
34. My favorite Radio Station started playing nothing but Christmas Music early, and kept it going longer that other years!
35. 2020 Memes! The whole world found something that united us! Disdain for 2020!
36. We each got a Pod! The group of people you still saw and got together with. For us it is our kids and grandkids!
37. Hamilton!!
38. Jimmy Fallon at Home!
39. Drew Barrymore’s new Talk Show.
40. Of all the people in the world, who would have thought it would be Dolly Parton who saves the world?! A children’s book needs to be written about that! At the very beginning of the Pandemic she had the wherewithal to donate a million dollars to COVID research. And they are saying it’s greatly due to that that we have a Vaccine so quickly. Dolly, you forever have our gratitude!
41. A Vaccine! My Daughter in Law got it the day after Christmas! And my Husband get’s his January 7^th. Thank you God!

 

So, you see, the good outweighs the bad! Even in the most horrible of times! Grace abounds! I don’t know what all you have lived through this year, but I do know that it was hard. You are not alone. 2020 was unlike any other year. But it is ending! Thank Goodness! And we survived! We made it through! And I am Praying 2021 is very much different than 2020. That Blessings Abound! I am Wishing you, and all of us, Health and Happiness! Prosperity and Purpose! Gifts and Goodness! Love and Laughter! Tenderness and Togetherness! And a much Happier New Year! Here's to 2021! 

Mamma Mia!

If you know anything about me, you know I love all things Broadway! And I have tried my best to impart that love onto my children.

Last night my girls and I got to see Mamma Mia! Touring as part of Broadway Across America, and it is sadly on it's farewell tour.

We all love the Movie version, but if you've seen it; not all the actor's are great singers. :0 (I can relate to that as I'm not a great singer myself! Though I don't usually let that stop me!) ;) But Broadway actors are amazing singers! And with the awesome songs of Abba, you know it's good!

 This is such a fun show! At any given moment, you can look around the audience and see patrons singing, clapping along, and dancing! You laugh and leave feeling happy and up beat!

 And Bonus! We got to see some old friends of ours; another mother with her two amazing daughters that we used to go to Church with. They are Finnish, and love Abba maybe even more than I do!

Sadly Mamma Mia! is on it's farewell tour. And as the "Dancing Queens" we are, we are so sad to see it go, but so happy that we got to see it together! And say along with everyone else; "Thank You For The Music!"

Wicked Themed Graduation Party!!

 

On my girls' 18th Birthday, this past October, we took them to see the Broadway Musical Wicked. The untold story of the witches of Oz. It is so good! If you ever get a chance, go see it! Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth were the first to play the rolls & both won Tony Awards for them!

 Well, my girls fell in love with Wicked! Singing the soundtrack constantly. It was Lexi's Halloween Costume and how she got asked to Prom!! So naturally, when thinking about our up coming Graduation Party, I thought of Wicked! If you know anything about me, you must know that I love Party Planning, and I love a Party Theme!! And with two girls, one who loves Pink & one who's favorite color is Green, this was perfect!

There are a lot of one liners & cute saying's from Wicked, so we started by making posters to hang around the house & back yard. And we incorporated The Wizard of Oz as well, since that is what Wicked is about after all!

Greeting our Guests at the front door was Our Welcome sign! Along with what happens to unwanted guests! ;) Watch out or we might drop a house on you as well! 

I pulled out my Scarecrows I decorate with in the Fall, to sit in the Backyard. Where we turned a Corn Hole Game into "Toss Toss!!" (How Galinda teaches Elphaba to flirt by flipping her hair!) ;) We also strung white lights around the backyard with about 25 Mason Jars with tea lights inside them. And placed candles inside our fire pit (since we live in Arizona & it's too hot to actually use the fire pit!) circled by chairs, which made for a nice outdoor space after the sun went down! 

 

I found this Tin Man cup at Goodwill for $1.99! I've had some little Wizard of Oz figurines since my girls were little, and once had a Wizard of Oz Birthday Party. I put them on a shelf in the entry way with a Playbill from the play! So cute!

Also in the entry way, I sat a vintage suitcase, like is used in the play, along with the Book. Yes, Wicked was a Book before it became a Broadway Musical Sensation! See, you learned something new today! :) Easy, but effective decorating!

Pinterest is a great place to get ideas! We started a Wicked Graduation Party Board awhile ago. You can see ours here.  One idea we got from Pinterest was to make little Witches Brooms out of Pretzel Sticks and mini Peanut Butter Cups. Easy, Cute and Yummy!

For the food, we of course, in Wicked Fashion, had Pink and Green; We had green vegetables, and pink fruit. Made Yellow Brick Roads out of Meat & Cheese trays, Put potato & macaroni salads in pink & green bowls. All served on Pink & Green Plates & Napkins. We ordered Pink & Green Cup Cakes, but no place had Wicked themed cake decorations, so my creative daughter, Erica made some Good Witch Crowns & Bad Witch Black Hats Picks for the cupcakes. They looked so cute!

 

I made a Poster board for the gift table, of pictures of them through the years, from birth through Graduation, that said "Follow Your Own Yellow Brick Road!" Perfect for Twins! 

 

I also found this idea for Party Favors on Pinterest; Changed For Good is one of the great songs of Wicked! So we made a sign saying "If knowing Erica and Lexi has Changed your life For Good, wear a pin." Then we had a Dorothy Basket with pins we'd had made, by my son's friend who has a pin business with one of their senior pictures on them. They turned out really great, and everyone loved them! You can find him here on Instagram.

 

 

Other party decorations included Pictures of the girls, and Their High School, along with sayings from the Play or Movie . . . 

 

We found little magic wands and wanted Ruby Slippers to set around, but couldn't find any. Maybe if it had been around Halloween time, we could have found more Wizard of Oz & Wicked stuff. But what we did find was little plastic Cinderella shoe pencil sharpeners at Party City, we bought like 12 of them and some Red sparkly spray paint & made our own! You can see them throughout some of the pictures. 

 

Our Party was Open House Style, guests could come between 6 & 10 pm. We had Family & Neighbors come. Some Friends we hadn't seen in a very long time, or not nearly often enough. And a bunch of our girls' High School Friends! Our little house got pretty full at times. It was loud & fun!!

 We are so proud of our Girls! They are both Brilliant, and Beautiful! And are each headed to Great Places, with Bright Futures!! Stay Tuned & just watch them Defying Gravity!

 Congratulations Erica! 

Congratulations Alexia! 

We couldn't be Happier! 

Or Prouder!!

Real Characters, We Are!

 Hope everyone had a fun Halloween! 

And got your fill of Treats! 

 John & I dressed up as a Couple who met "OnLine!" ;)

As Character's on a Keyboard, we go Together like an At & a Hashtag!! 

 Erica was asked by a little boy once if she was in the Movie Brave! :)

So, she decided she has the hair for it, so why not?! 

2 Cans of colored hair spray latter & she's Merida! 

 Lexi fell in Love with Broadway's Wicked, we saw on their 18th Birthday!

So, she wanted to be Elphaba! 

You could say she was Green with envy! :) 

And Together we made a Sentence;

@Wicked, #Brave. 

We're such a Social Media Family!! :)

Happy 18th!!

 Guess who's now old enough to Vote?! 

That's right, my baby girls turned 18 today!

 Erica Starr

Smart, Talented, Beautiful and Brave

Who never lets her sister forget she's 4 minuets older!

 Alexia Jewell

Talented, Smart, Beautiful and Fun

Who will always try to hug her sister in public and embarrass her!

We had a Family Birthday Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory
I just Love being their Mom!

And they are still my little Princesses!
And I found just the right wrapping paper to prove it! :)

Cheese Cake Birthday Cake!
Lexi chose Pumpkin & Erica Red Velvet

Then we went to see the Broadway Musical Wicked!

It is so good! The girls just Loved it! 

Defying Gravity;
"Because Everyone Deserves A Chance To Fly!"

Happy 18th Birthday Erica & Lexi

Just Keep On Dancing Through Life!

Fathers Day A Month Late!

I had a good idea for my Husband for Father's Day this year. I wanted to get him tickets to go to an Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball Game.

I wasn't sure exactly how to do that. I was on the phone with my son, talking me through it, as I was trying to buy tickets on line! Normally I would just have my husband buy any tickets I wanted, but since they were a surprise for him I couldn't very well do that this time!

I was looking at the games schedule thinking I'd choose a game in June, but then I saw the Detroit Tigers were playing us in July! Score!

Since we lived in Michigan for over 8 years and our Daughters were born there, John's favorite team is the Tigers! He was pretty excited when he opened his gift on Fathers Day, even though he had to wait awhile to use them!

 On the day of the Game, we took the Light Rail down town, and to our surprise it was full of Tiger fans! Since Arizona was late to game of having a professional team & there are a lot of transplanted people in AZ, there tend to be a lot of fans of the opposing team at a lot of our games.

But this day there were probably more people rooting for the Tigers than for the Diamondbacks! But being Arizona natives, we kinda root for both teams! And are happy no matter who wins! :)

Our National Anthem was sung by Broadway's "Jersey Boy", who was here doing the play in Phoenix that week!

We had a great time Celebrating the worlds best Dad! Some people celebrate Christmas in July, so why not have Father's Day in July as well?! And to top it off the Tigers won! 

Going to the game brought back some great memories of when we lived in Michigan. We'd been to the old Tiger Stadium a number of times, and the new one was built & opened just before we moved away, so we were able to take our boys to see one of the coolest stadiums ever! Where we got to ride the Carousel made up of all Tigers! Good Times!