Things I Learned in 2015
Another
year. More moments and adventures. More memories and laughter and
disappointments. And lessons. So many things learned.
I
enjoyed participating last year with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky, and
thought I’d share again this year.
This
is by no means a complete list, but it’s certainly all over the place. Just
like my 2015.
1. There is a very
specific method, dare I say art form, to making the perfect custard. I’m not the usual “custard-maker”
at the pie shop where I work, but I do have to step in from time to time. There’s
a lot that can go sideways in the custard cooking process. But thankfully I’ve
learned a lot this year.
2. The little box that
plugs into the wall on power supply cords is called a wall wart. Obviously this little
nugget of knowledge came from my husband. And thanks to YouTube I also learned
how to solder and replace a capacitor in one of those. Haven’t put it into
practice yet, but it’s on my to-do list.
3. How to sew a button
on a shirt. My
hubby had accumulated shirts with quite a few missing buttons over the years,
before we were married. And apparently our dryer likes to eat them. Compliments
to YouTube again, because I can now sew buttons like a pro. Our dryer will not
defeat me.
4. There are bears in
Tennessee. Okay.
I realize I probably should have known this. But I was SHOCKED when we saw
bears on the side of the road in the Smokey Mountains on our honeymoon.
Gatlinburg is only a few hours from where we live! I just didn’t realize bears
lived so close to us.
5. I can clearly hear
the sound of a spoon scraping the bottom of a glass bowl from multiple rooms
away. Gregory
has a problem with ice cream. My hearing is a match for his late night, early
morning and mid-day sneakiness.
6. I actually have the courage to fight against the expectations and traditions and ideas of what other people want, to have the wedding that we wanted. No white dress. No walking down the aisle. No bridal party. No gifts. No crazy planning and decorations. Just potluck-style dinner while we said our vows. Complete with kids everywhere. And it was perfect.
7. There are frequent,
unannounced (at least to me) parades when you live down the street from a high school.
The
cost of this lesson is waking up from a nap to the sounds of a marching band
and sirens, followed by the horrifying realization that your car was parked on
the street. Why yes, my little red car doubles as a parade obstacle.
8. What exactly aperture,
shutter speed, and ISO mean and how they work together to make a good picture. I’ve always been
interested in photography. And my husband is quite knowledgeable in this field
and has some pretty awesome equipment. And Greg has been teaching me a lot. I really
enjoy it.
9. How to make window screens. I love having the windows open. So Gregory taught me how to make window screens and how to use this fancy little tool. This man constantly amazes me. Boys are annoying. They know how to do everything. “Hmm… I need window screens. Let me just make them.” I can’t just DO that. Well... I guess, actually now I can. Hmm. Another benefit to marriage.
10. My husband knows
how to juggle.
I discovered this one a few nights ago. Oh marriage is fun.
11. My husband also is
the best Christmas tree limb shaper I’ve ever witnessed. We had the nicest
shaped artificial trees possibly in the whole country, or state, or for sure
our town.
12. It’s actually
pretty easy (and cheap!) to make your own wonton wrappers. After not being able
to find some at the grocery store (and I was DESPERATE to have some crab
rangoons for Chinese night!) I did a quick internet search and BAM! found a
great recipe.
13. There are some
friendships that go deeper than any distance or circumstance or issue can tear
apart.
Some friendships take a lot of time. Some can be pretty low maintenance. Some
can feel life-changing the moment you meet them. Some can take a while to take
off. And sometimes you get lucky enough to experience friendships that withstand
everything. Friends that stay friends regardless. True love.
14. Ice cream is a
foundational part of my marriage. We started off with plenty of ice cream at
The Old Mill Creamery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We bought an ice cream maker
to make our own shortly after our honeymoon. My husband bought me ice cream for
Christmas. Ice cream is great.
15. Grace is truly and
completely changing my life. I don’t always see it day to day. A lot of
days I can be quite hard on myself. Some days my insecurities feel like they
are choking the life out of me. But as I sit here looking over my year, I feel
different. I feel a new peace and joy. Bad days no longer completely do me in. I feel a
faith that has become foundational. Suffering has shaped me. It’s hard to
describe. But I’m not the same Emily of 2014.
16. I’m attracted to
the light.
Yes, this might make me sound part insect. But on a random trip to Lowe’s, I
experienced the unexpected wonderful loveliness of walking through the light
fixture aisle. I had to walk through it multiple times. The warmth and
brightness just brought me so much joy. (I won’t mind if you take this lesson
further for a much bigger meaning… *wink* *wink*)
17. I’m an extremely
emotional person.
As much as I hate to admit it, it’s totally true. Small things affect me. I’m
insanely sentimental. Little moments can tear me down or build me up. I find
beauty and life lessons in the weirdest places. I can be so dramatic. I think
deeply. I love fiercely. And it all leaves me feeling completely vulnerable.
And I feel crazy most of the time. But I’m also learning it’s okay. And the
people who love me the most, love this part of who I am more than I could have
ever expected.
18. I am a writer. I write on this blog.
I write in journals. I type. I write with pens and pencils. I do calligraphy. I
make up stories in my head. I tell stories of my life to the people around me.
It feels scary to say it, but this year I’ve learned it’s completely true. I am
a writer.
It feels hard to find a place to end this list. It's hard to find a place to stop. I feel like I can go on and on. It’s fun to look back on the last year. But I guess number 18 is as good a place to end as any.
It's been nice to look back on this year with a lot of silliness and a smidge of seriousness thrown in. It's been a rough day. But it's been nice to write this post. Thanks for reading with me.
What about you? What lessons have you learned?
I want a marriage filled with ice cream too ��
ReplyDeleteOh friend, it's great. I be praying this sweetness for you :-)
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