Hello and welcome to a gorgeous fall Saturday here at the Wannaska Almanac. Today is September 28th.
I'm a terrible Christmas card writer. This is not low self-esteem talking. I really am.
Before Shutterfly, people wrote Christmas letters - lengthy, joyful summations (sometimes tinseled with sorrow and loss) of all the year's happenings. Despite a little grimace and internal shriek of Egads, I don't have time to read this!, I'd settle in and read it anyway, if anything to honor the Herculean feat of lovingly and meticulously cramming a year's worth of living into a cleverly formatted, single-spaced, 10-point Times New Roman, double-sided 8 1/2 x11" paper trimmed with holly and berries. More often than not, I'd feel inspired to write my only family saga only to end up scribbling, "Warm thoughts and happy hugs for a New Year to you and yours," on December 30th while my family watches Mysteries of the Abandoned on the Science Channel.
Some years, I don't even get that far, in which case, I imagine a world where sending out family greetings for Valentine's Day, or St. Patrick's Day, or Easter, is a thing. One year, I thought that 4th of July family greetings could really take off. Get ahead of the curve, you know.
This morning when I went to turn off the alarm and check the weather on my phone, I had a "One Year Ago" notifications from my phone's photo gallery. When I tapped, photos of paintings from the Worcester Art Museum pleasantly faded in along with other snaps of an amazing weekend trip I took with the 7th & 4th graders to see their their sister last September. Then it showed me pics of another trip and another moment. I don't know how to turn it off or how to find it again, so it's still cycling through the memories, which made me think of The Christmas Letter.
While the calendar year is January to December, my personal calendar has always cycled from September to September. In case I don't get any Christmas cards out - the Shutterfly kind - again this year, consider this my Christmas Letter of 2024.
September - took the littles to Worcester where they loved on their sister and their sister and her friends loved on them with hours of Mario Cart, hiking around Purgatory Chasm, and a rainy stop at a barcardia in Providence, Rhode Island.
October - I started a new full-time job. College Kid 3.0 ran for the first-ever Potato Day King. He didn't win the crown, but he won the crowd over. MEA weekend we had our 5th (or 6th?) annual family camping trip this time in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. A warm, short-sleeved weekend of hiking among boulders and bison and golden light on crisp prairies and rocky canyons before the first snow flew.
November - My first visit to NDSU (Go, Bison!) to receive the 2023 Distinguished Education Professional Award for my work at Warroad High School. Best Thanksgiving ever with my cousins and brother's family in Brainerd.
December - A band concert in which the 7th Grader "races" out of the gym to grab her "Santa Claus" brother to save the concert and Christmas. A family trek by Amtrak to ski in Whitefish. A bucket list trip for my husband, the lack of snow disappointed him, but I was happy to work on my swish-swish on the few available green circles. The togetherness of family and the most gorgeous view of the winter Rockies in the distance more than made up for the lack of powder.
January - Hockey Day Minnesota. Robotics Kick-off.
February - First 4-H overnight youth camp for the 7th Grader. I chaperoned. Meeting my virtual co-worker for the first time in person after 1 1/2 years of working together.
March - Grand Forks robotics regional, Marvin booth, and all the college kids managing to make it for an impromptu family gathering. Excellent dinner at the Olive Garden celebrating said young people.
April - Robotics regionals, worlds, and the glittery gold sports coat my son wore through it all. Knowledge Bowl State. Warroad team comes in 4th.
May - Piano concerts, college graduation in Worcester, high school graduation in Warroad, visits from my Czech father-in-law and nephew. Celebrations all around. Friends are my anchor.
June - The youngest kids' first solo sojourn to the Czech Republic. I visit the Oldest in San Diego. A new Indonesian sister-in-law. Also in the Czech Republic.
July - My husband and I join our children in Czechia. A 50th wedding anniversary of my parents-in-law, hugs lots of love, hugs, and prosecco with family and friends.
August - The youngest's first friend birthday party at our house. The nearly 30th annual Family Gathering at Whipple Beach. My husband drives cross-country from San Diego to Minnesota with our daughter. She drives cross-country from Warroad back to Worcester.
May - June - July - August: Laketrails, Laketrails, Laketrails for all.
September - Husband and son drive cross-country to commence his college adventure. Swim team and football for the younger kids. An abundance for firsts.
And on this last weekend of September, I host my fourth Red Shoes Writing Retreat at Doc's Harbor Inn. Same time, same place as last year.
I don't have tons of photos, but the collection of what I do have show me that it's been quite a year of love and adventure.
Happy New Year and much love to you and yours.
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