I know I say this every year but WOW! 2019 flew by! And it’s hard to believe that 2020 is almost here.
For me, 2019 was mostly filled with positivity. My husband grew his bee yard adding more hives, I reached the one year milestone at my job (and even moved to a new department), our honey labels were approved by the state so we could legally sale our raw honey, and our daughter spread her wings even further and moved to Florida to give that a go. We have even been going to church whenever our work schedules allow it.
But 2019 wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It marked the one year anniversary of Jedi’s passing. And, most recently, a close family member was tragically taken from us this past November. We are still trying to make sense of that and will probably never fully understand it.
My hope is that 2020 is good to all of us. Because we all need a nice calm year to start this new decade.
For the past several years, I have causally brought up the idea of having chickens, but I was the only one who thought it was a good idea. And while I could have gotten chickens anyway, I wanted the rest of the household, i.e. my husband, to get on board with the idea. And I am happy to say that he has finally started to warm up to the idea.
With that said, however, we’re not getting chickens just yet. I want to wait until next spring to give us time to research more and learn as much about them as possible. So we’re just in the planing stages at the moment. My husband is excited about creating the chicken coop, and making cool chicken gadgets, and I can’t wait to raise feathered dinosaurs. But we want to make sure that our future chickens will have an awesome coop and run that will keep them healthy, happy, and protected from predators.
So, what does this exactly mean?
Welp, it means I’ve been, and plan on continuing to, pin a shit ton of chicken-related things on Pinterest and trying to learn as much as I possibly can. But I am so excited!
Instead of New Years resolutions, I’m making goals. Why goals and not resolutions? Well, almost every year I make a bunch of resolutions, which I stick to for a few weeks, and then abandon before Spring hits. Resolutions seem more of a “I will definitely get this accomplished this year”, while goals have a more relaxed and laid back type of vibe. And I like that.
Anyway……
The goals I have set for 2019 are obtainable ones that I’m pretty confident I can achieve this year. In the past, when I would make New Year’s resolutions, it would be something that was much more difficult to accomplish. While things like ‘lose 50 pounds’ is possible in a years time, it takes a great deal of dedication that I just don’t know if I can complete. So that’s why I have decided to set real, obtainable goals for this new year.
Improve my Sewing Skills
Towards the end of 2018, I finally got our sewing machine out and made myself learn how to properly use it. And with the help of some Youtube videos, I was able to make my first ever not-sewn-by-hand catnip kicker. I have also made a couple of plastic bag holders — which surprisingly turned out okay — and want to continue to improve on that ability. I would like to the point where I can sew a skirt, dress, or pajama pants with ease. I’m not sure if I can accomplish that in 2019, so I’m just setting out to improve my sewing skills no matter how little that improvement may be.
Get Out of the House More
And I don’t just mean to the grocery store. While I don’t want to set a larger goal of “traveling abroad”, I do want to go out and do more things, even if it’s just in the town next to me. I spend way too much time in the house. I work from home and relax at home, and while I do love being home (that’s where my kitties are after all) I also want to get out and explore, and do things that require leaving my house.
Ignite my Lost Passion for Photography
It wasn’t that long ago that I had a Nikon D90 and I would plan trips to local areas to snap some pictures. I loved photography, and was rather decent at it. And then, at the start of 2013, I had to get rid of my camera, and I just never got another one. But this past April my husband bought me a camera for my birthday. I was so happy to finally get a DSLR again, and then I just didn’t use it. I’m laying some of the blame on my phone because it’s just so much easier to grab the phone — which is almost always within reach — and snap some pictures then it is to get up, walk to where I keep my camera, take it out of it’s case, turn it on, get it set, blah, blah, blah. It feels like a chore. And this saddens me so because, at one point in my life, my camera and the act of shooting photos brought me so much joy. It gave me a reason to go outside, and it allowed the creative side of me come to out. I miss it and want to get that passion, or at least a small portion of that passion, back.
That’s it. Three goals. Three not-too-complicated goals that I have set for myself during this new.
What about you? Did you set goals or resolutions for the new year?
For years Mike had toyed with the idea of raising bees, but for one reason or another, he would always put it on the back burner. At the moment, however, we’re in the position where he can dive head first into this venture. In February, he preordered 2 sets of Nucs from a somewhat local beekeeper and started the month long process of beekeeping classes. He was originally suppose to receive the Nucs in May but, because of the abundance of rainy days, it ended up delaying the growth of the hives, which meant waiting until June.
It’s been a few months since he started this venture and things seems to be going well. So well, in fact, that we’re planning on adding a few more hives in the spring. I’m learning so much about bees (like did you know that honey is essentially bee vomit!), and what is required to properly care for them. I’m also learning just how much of a negative impact we humans have on them.
Why Are Bees Important?
Bees are amazing creatures that pollinate over 80-percent of all flowering plants. This includes 70 of the top 100 food crops consumed by humans. According to a wide array of experts, one in three bites of food we consume is derived from plants pollinated by bees (as well as other pollinators). That fact alone should be enough to convince even the most stern bee-hater just how important these buzzing insects are. Without bees, thousands of plants wouldn’t be pollinated, which would have a direct and extremely negative effect on our lives and the life of our planet.
Furthermore, most honey bees aren’t aggressive unless they feel their hive is in danger. I wear nothing more then my normal clothes and flip-flops when visiting the hives, and I have yet to get stung. And I’m right up there inside the hives with Mike, snapping pictures and recording videos.
How Can I Help the Bees?
You don’t have to be a beekeeper to help bees, though having a backyard hive is a great way to improve your garden while obtaining a bit of honey and beeswax. You can also just let your grass grow a bit more between mowings, and try not to hate dandelions so much.
I honestly never understood why dandelions, which is technically an herb not a weed, have such a bad rap. They brighten up a green landscape with their cheery little yellow faces. And they are one of the earliest food sources for bees. If you let them grow some before declaring all out war on them, you’ll provide bees with food to help make them and their hives strong. You’ll also reduce the amount of time spent mowing your yard so it’s a win-win situation!
Another option is to forgo chemical pesticides that cause more harm than good, and instead try a safer route that is more bee-friendly. For example, a mixture of salt and vinegar is a less harmful weed killer that still gets rid of unwanted grass and plants without the potential of harming beneficial insects.
Seek the Help of a Beekeeper
If you do happen to find a hive somewhere on your property or house, don’t destroy it and don’t call a pest control company. Instead, reach out to your local beekeeper. They have the knowledge and tools to safely remove the hive and transport it to a local apiary where the hive can flourish away from people’s homes. What’s even better is that local beekeepers won’t charge you a cent for removing the hive!
May the 31st marks 3 months since Jedi passed. I’m doing okay, I guess. As well as can be expected considering I’ve lost my soulmate, and yes, Jedi was my soulmate. I truly believe that soulmates are not always romantic in nature, nor are they always human, and I know that Jedi was in deed my soulmate.
I hide my emotions about him being gone fairly well when I’m around people. But then I get into the shower, shove a washcloth in my mouth, and scream until nothing comes out and cry until I can no longer produce tears. During the day my mind is occupied with work so I am usually okay, but at night, when everything is quiet and there’s nothing to push the fact out of my mind that he’s really gone, well that’s when it’s the hardest.
But I have to keep all of that to myself. All the despair, the pain, the wanting nothing more than being with my baby again, that has to stay hidden. Cause people suck, people are assholes, and people keep trying to get me to take their cat(s), as if that would make me feel better.
I already have two cats that I love dearly, and I wouldn’t give them up for anything. But having Nefarian and Widget doesn’t make Jedi’s death any less painful, so why the hell would they think “getting another cat” would help me “heal”. It takes everything in my being not to put my fist through their face when they start hinting (some even come right out and say it) about me taking their cat or getting another cat.
I don’t expect people to understand my love and devotion to my cats. Hell, I don’t even expect people to respect it. What I do expect is for them to not be inconsiderate pricks. And I really don’t think that’s too much to ask. Especially since I am very vocal about how much my cats mean to me, and just how important Jedi is.
It’s been close to two months since Jedi passed away. I can honestly say that it doesn’t get any easier, I’ve just had to learn how to live without him. And that right there hurts so damn much. It feels like I shouldn’t continue forward in my life without him. He was my best friend, my constant for almost 12 years, and going on with my life feels like I’m turning my back on him, like I didn’t really love him. I know that sounds ridiculous ’cause I know how much I love Jedi, how much he means to me, but I just can’t help feeling that way.
And I have all these things going on in my life that I want to share with him, and taking part in these things without having my beautiful ginger baby with me just feels so wrong.
After a year in Charleston, we’ve decided to return to West Virginia. We have loved our time in Charleston, South Carolina but the opportunity arose to go back home and we decided to take it. I will miss the weather and close proximity to Folly Beach, but not having our family and friends close by was a huge downside.
I don’t know where we’ll end up in this life, but I’m so thankfully that we’re in the position to experience different places.
Nothing much happened in January and February. I did catch the planning bug at the beginning of 2017 and Mike bought me the Erin Condren Life Planner that I wanted. But I didn’t utilize it as well as I should have.
At the beginning of March, Mike and I visited the Charleston, South Carolina area for the first time so he/we could check it out in the event he was able to transfer to a store down here. Little did we know that it would be less than a month before we would be packing everything up and moving 9 hours away from our home state.
In the early morning hours of April 1st, we left our home that we had finally paid off the previous year, our family, and our friends to take a chance at a new life in a state where we didn’t know anyone. Mike drove the U haul packed with our stuff while I followed behind in our vehicle with the 3 kitties. Raven stayed behind in West Virginia for a little longer while she finished her sophomore year of college. The entire process was scary, stressful, and exciting. I don’t know where we’ll end up but the journey was worth it whether we stay in the area, move back home, or go somewhere completely different.
I celebrated my 37th birthday at a delicious — no seriously, they have amazing burgers — burger joint right down the road from us. I had the “Don’t Call Me Shirley” burger. So good.
I fell in love with Folly Beach. It’s the best beach ever where you can watch dolphins feeding as the sun sets against the backdrop of Morris Island Lighthouse.
Spent these three months showing Raven around the area and making many trips to the beach. In June, Mike and I also bought tickets to go see John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous tour here in Charleston on January 26.
We had our first “experience” with a hurricane, Hurricane Irma, and we were lucky because it didn’t do nearly as much damage to the Charleston area as they had originally thought. There was a lot of flooding, however.
Raven’s two friends from England flew over and stayed with us for a week. They are lovely blokes who brought me some Jaffa Cakes to finally try, they are absolutely amazing and have taken the place of Hobnobs as my favorite British treat. The three of them spent the week exploring the area.
The Terrace Theater showed the original Halloween with an introduction with David Gordon Green, director of the upcoming Halloween movie, as well as Pineapple Express, Eastbound and Down, and Vice Principals. He answered questions and talked for awhile about his upcoming Halloween movie and the Charleston area. That was pretty damn cool.
November
Towards the end of November, Raven took her first international trip, which was also her first time on a plane, to visit her friends in England for almost 2 weeks. While there, she went to a Gorillaz concert. She is planning on headed back to England as soon as possible.
Problems with my Godaddy hosting, whom I had been with for almost 10 years, resulted in them “losing” my website. Thankfully, I had downloaded a back up a few months before so not much was lost. Their whole attitude about it was the final straw and I’ve broken all ties with them. They have been a subpar hosting company for so many years, but I didn’t want to take the time to move everything to another company. But I’m kinda happy that they screwed up because it finally forced me to take action and get away from them. Though I’m still in the process of getting everything back in order on my blog.
December
This was our first Christmas in a new state hundred of miles away from our family and friends. I was/am battling a bit of homesickness. Thankfully, my Dad and Step-Mom drove 10+ hours to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us.
This was our first Christmas in Charleston, a new city hundreds of miles and 9 hours away from our family and friends. To say I have been homesick this holiday season would be an understatement. I don’t miss the freezing cold temperatures of winter in West Virginia, but I sure am missing my Mom, my Aunt Lois, my sister-in-law, my oh-too-cute niece and nephews, and my in-laws. Thankfully, my Dad and Step-Mom made the 10+ hour trek down to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with us. That helped a lot and made it feel a more Christmasy than it has been this year. If I could just scoop my family up and relocate them all to Charleston I would feel a million times better about living here, because I really do love the area, I just hate being so far away from my loved ones.
Anywho, we did end up getting a real Christmas tree this year, which is something I haven’t had since I was little. It was actually pretty fun picking out a tree, and the cats loved smelling it and rubbing their cheeks on the branches.
Look at that handsome bearded man picking out Christmas trees!
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This is by far my favorite Christmas decoration. Love it!
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We picked Raven up from the Charleston International Airport (she spent 2 weeks in England) and it was decorated so nicely for the Holiday season.
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We spent a few hours walking along Folly Beach on Christmas day. Mike ended up finding another shark tooth, which makes his total of shark teeth found since moving down here to 4.