The Best of 2009

I am a little behind in doing this, but since I am still feeling a little down about things, I think doing this will help me see just how great I've got things here...


The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge
What is the challenge?

A look back on your year. A time for reflection. A chance to make new friends.

How to participate in 5 simple steps:

1. Write on one or all thirty-one of the prompts for the month of December

2. A post can be a sentence, photo or 3,000 word essay

3. Link up your blog or Twitter account at the link above (you'll find the prompts there too!)

4. Tag your posts and photos #best09.

5. Share your best moments of 2009 over the course of December. Don't get hung up on details or length - if there's an aspect of the question that doesn't resonate, change it to meet your needs.

December 1 Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?
We didn't take lots of trips, and NYC was lots of fun (Rockaway Beach, meeting Reid & Karen...), but taking the kids to ARGH, seeing the mountains, staying in that gorgeous cabin, meeting all those fun & friendly unschoolers... So. Much. Fun.

Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee

December 2 Restaurant moment. Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?
We don't go out to eat very often, so each time we do, it's very special, which makes it hard to choose the *best* from the past year. In March we did our annual St. Patty's Parade Day at the Dinosaur BBQ. Jacqueline & I join my mom, Aunt Sue, and Judy - other guests have come - and Ginny and her baby girl, Dawn, joined us this year. The food is always fantastic, and we always have a blast.

In May I took Jacqueline out to The Outback Steakhouse. We had a quiet dinner under the watchful gaze of an alligator, and the food was yummy as always. I can't remember what we had, but it's always so good!

But if you make me choose, then I'll have to say when we took the kids out to Raging River BBQ after Pagan Pride Day. Again, I don't remember everything we had, but it was all very tasty, especially the Fried Pickle Chips; they were definitely better than I expected! And we hardly ever get to take all the kids out all together.

December 3 Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and reference throughout the year.
Hmmm... that's not something I usually do. But back in July, I posted something that I've tried to keep in mind about Blogging without Obligation and being Authentic, all prompted by this poem.

December 4 Book. What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?
Most books I read, are not books I own. I don't have the kind of income, or storage space, where I can just purchase books willy-nilly; so we go to the library every few weeks and check out a bajillion books. Thankfully the library we visit has a great online site, and we can put books on hold there from the entire system which is county-wide. Anyway, there's been no buying or giving away of even one copy! LOL! And I read mostly at home, in bed, before going to sleep.

The book I am reading right now, Eat Pray Love, is good, funny & moving, and the books by Sophie Kinsella that I read this year (Remember Me? and Confessions of a Shopaholic) were pretty good, IMHO. Chocolat really moved me, but the book that touched me the most was Esmerelda Little Flame's Temple of the Twelve, "a spiritual fairy tale" that "transcends all differences between various paths of Pagan spirituality and unifies them all."

December 5 Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
Our nights out are few and far between. We're both homebodies for the most part, and we don't have much extra money for going out, but we were lucky enough to have a few night's out this past year. The best was probably the Diversity Rules Benefit Show.


December 6 Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?
I only went to one conference this year, ARGH at Roan Mountain State Park, and it was fantastic. The workshops were mostly for things I already knew, but I still learned a lot: I learned that I don't like driving at night, particularly on roads I don't know, to the point it makes me frantic and panicky. I learned that I have a fear of heights when driving as well (not as a passenger or on my feet). I learned that there are people who feel the same way about school as I do. I learned our kids are well behaved even in the midst of other home & unschooled kids. I learned that there are people out there who won't judge me for my relationship, religion, income, or anything else. I learned I want to go again, maybe even move somewhere where there are more people like that...

More tomorrow! If you're playing along, let me know! I'd love to read your Best of 2009!