Happenings:
Took annual MI (i.e. Galena) trip with closest pals; first time ice skating; got a new car; dressed up at For the Love of Chocolate; took road trip to Florida (Car City USA, GA; Key West!; learned about 6-toed polydactyl cats at Hemingway House, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm); attended weddings of wonderful people; got to meet wonderful babies, Evelyn and Harrison; lazy river floating and dune rides in MI; I turned 29; got vintage glamour shots; became Turanga Leela; took a trip to CA (attended my first Breeders Cup); became reacquainted with laughter; celebrated 100 year birthday with Planned Parenthood; got a new job; became active in the political process and fell in love with a man named Bernie; did Facebook-free February; stepped up charitable giving; went to gym for the first time in 5 years; acquired a cat carrier that looks like a moon unit/washing machine; worked 3rd year of farmers market season; started working at bakery store-front; drank Chinga Tu Pelo; moved into new apartment with Ry; rocked a donut swimsuit; finally found medication that works the best; became a DBSA facilitator and was elected board President; attended first professional baseball game.
Lessons:
It's ok and necessary to love your body and sometimes that means you buy more spandex. It matters that I feel beautiful and worthy to myself, above all else.
Forgiveness and healing is a long walk.
Even setbacks can give you hope.
Dressing up for no reason and no one (except myself) is definitely ok.
Sometimes more really is less.
There are moments when you have to do what is best for you and put yourself first.
Walking around is a worthwhile and underutilized meditation.
Most influential...
Music: Beyonce-Lemonade, Lydia Loveless-Real, Against Me!-Shape Shift Against Me, Lucius-Good Grief
TV Shows/Movies: The Great British Bake Off, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Man in the High Tower, Naked and Afraid, Equal Means Equal, Futurama, Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, Bobs Burgers, Minimalism, Stranger Things, Sherlock, Cooked, The Office, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Podcasts: NPR One is the BOMB, Mental Illness Happy Hour, On Being, The Sporkful, The Hilarious World of Depression, Death, Sex, and Money, the Dave Ramsey Show
Live Concerts/Events I attended:
Jason Isbell, Neko Case, Noam Chomsky, Lucius, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bad Religion, Laura Jane Grace, Craig Finn, Titus Andronicus, The Falcon, Dance Bullies, Faade, Angela Davis, Riot Fest! (Sleater-Kinney, Misfits, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, etc, etc), Breeders' Cup, Sex, Death, and Money Podcast Live Recording, Mortified
2017, here we go.
