2020’s What’s In My Cup Review

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, New Year's, tea

Happy New Year!

They say it’s good to look at where you’ve been to help you plan where you are going. I don’t know who “they” are, but “they” obviously didn’t just live through the past year.

Have you started making resolutions or plans, and if so, how many have you broken already? 😉

Each new day is an opportunity to start afresh, to see each new day as an opportunity to embrace life’s events not fear what lies ahead. 

Byron Pulsifer

So without fear, let’s pour of cup of tea and review 2020’s What’s In My Cup posts. (I promise, it’ll be short!)

In 2020, I posted 25 tea reviews and researched 9 tea cups and 1 tea pot. If I had to pick my favourite flavour for the year, I would have to say Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea. Just Peachy as an iced tea was a close second.

I explored 2 tea time additions, honey and lemon, experimented with hot brew vs. cold brew, and researched skinny tea, to dunk or not to dunk, the types of “tea times“, and Irish hospitality. I tried a recipe for tea-stained chicken and shared a cookie recipe. And I sampled my first Irish coffee. Sláinte!

It takes strength to step enthusiastically into each day of our lives. This strength comes more readily on some days than on others, but every day makes demands on us.

Karen Casey, The Promise of a New Day

Planning for the new year includes all my posts here on jennsmidlifecrisis, and as always, I’m open to ideas. Have a tea cup you want to learn more about? Share a pic and I’ll see what I can do. Have a question? Pass it on. Is there something you like? I could always use some encouragement. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try but didn’t have the nerve, maybe I’ll test the waters for you? Unless it involves sky-diving…I’m not skydiving, no matter how much you encourage me!

In our current global situation, where opportunities are limited and interaction is discouraged, dreaming is not. I encourage you to step enthusiastically into each day, as well as take time with your cup of tea, and let your imagination go…

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you, Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be, dream a little dream of me

Ella Fitzgerald

Happy Monday!

Recap of 2017

Tags

humour, New Year's

2018 is right around the corner and I’m still asking —

At the close of the 2016  Year In Review , I prayed:

May 2017 be a year with more laughter than tears. May I have the ability to rise above the challenges of supreme annoyance. And may I retain the ability to dress myself at the end of each day! Amen!

This past year has certainly not been a year of laughter, Humiliation yes! But not a lot of laughter. There were plenty of annoyances, and consequently the odd rant. But only one confession. But I can still dress myself!

I have aged by a year, which has led to a tumultuous relationship with my bed, the raging inferno of my dying youth, and a Faulty Filter.  I decided to be daring and I wore my first bikini. The beacon was lit that day, but on other days, I became positively invisible.

There were moments when I failed as a mother, and other times I had to exercise faith. Little Guy participated in a fundraiser for those who need a hand up and wrote a guest post for me this summer about Tom Thomson. We had more serious “grown up” talks.  I hope he never grows old.

In October, I experienced the sublime with my mother-in-law’s sudden passing. She was a lovely woman and we shared may giggles over cups of tea.  That same weekend, I experienced the ridiculous with some sudden and naughty text messages and phone calls from strangers. “Hey Baby”, maybe I should have considered changing careers?

In April I participated in the A to Z Challenge. In September, I started a regular Monday tea feature called “What’s in My Cup?”.  I took my summer vacation in December (it’s a long story) but at least I escaped the annual Winter Concert. Wednesdays nights remained Halo night. I also took time to lament being short, and compiled my own list of requirements for a wife. And a bunch of other silliness…

Bing Crosby may have crooned his dreams for a White Christmas, but he could afford someone else to white-knuckle drive in white-out conditions, and he certainly didn’t brave freezing temperatures that rival the north pole. It was -20C today and it’s numbed my brain. Whether it’s the lack of sleep and trays of sweets, or the fact that 2017 wasn’t a particularly grand year, but I seriously lack any enthusiasm to begin yet another year. But just like Christmas, it’s coming.So to all those who have popped by from the blogsphere –

 

 

 

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year?

Tags

New Year's

Social convention dictates we greet one another at the beginning of January with “Happy New Year”, and I have had to exercise a great deal of willpower to not sarcastically snap, “Is it? Is it really?”

This year, I made some resolutions, which included cutting back on caffeine, losing weight (a losing battle), training for Mud Hero (knowing full well I can back out any time), and approaching each day with a more positive attitude (i.e., replacing my sarcasm, my snarkiness and my vocal displeasure of the morons stupid people around me with sunshine and lollipop thoughts). It was a glorious 3 seconds before I burst out laughing at my own farcical attempt to delude myself. You can’t teach this old dog new tricks!

We’re 6 days in to 2017 and so far, I have:

• driven home from my parents’ in snow and high winds
• killed the guinea pig’s water bottle
• nearly been killed  by a moron bad driver (apparently I still have great reflexes and there was no oncoming traffic)
• stood in a store trying to replace a dysfunctional lava lamp (the clerk used my batteries and screw driver to test 3 more…we now own a plasma ball instead)
• driven into the city to pick Hubby up from work because his car is dead
• nearly froze to death at work
• test drove a new car – the cost of which will wipe out 4 years of savings
• been walked into at Tim Horton’s by a moron…and there was plenty of space to go around me
• nearly broke my big toe kicking…the kick-plate

And that’s just since Wednesday…

My house is trashed, my clothes don’t fit, my bank account is empty (along with my resolve not to eat the last box of homemade cookies before starting the box of liquor-filled chocolates), my winter boots leak, it’s freezing outside…Hubby’s dead car is still in the city…and now I have this song stuck in my head!

My new year’s resolution should have been to stop kidding myself that I’ll make a lifestyle change this year. Cheers!

 

2016: A Year In Review

Tags

humour, New Year's

It’s the last day of the year and too many people are starting to share how they are going to make big changes to enrich their lives in 2017.

Personally, I feel more like crawling into bed with a big boxful of rom-coms and an even larger box of chocolates. Bridget Jones may have despaired at the thought of dying “fat and alone” and being “found three weeks later, half-eaten by wild dogs”, but her evenings alone in her pjs still holds a certain appeal. Canadian winter is bearing down on us. Earlier this week, I froze my extremities, drove to my in-laws in an ice storm, sloshed through giant slush puddles (apparently my winter boots leak), and dug my car out in a blizzard. Good times!

So while you’re polishing off your stationary bike to start your training for the Tour de France, I’m planning to polish off a Henry (O Henry!) and take a horizontal life pause. Thank you to all those who shared 2016 with me – it was quite a year!

2016: A Year In Review

2016 was certainly a year! I started it by sitting in the E.R. for 5 hours on January 1^st with Big Guy! He had suffered weeks of hiccups that resulted in the inability to keep food down. X-rays confirmed what we already know – he’s full of “poop”! He was released around midnight and feeling peckish, so we picked up McDonald’s fries on the way home. He was obviously feeling better!

This year, I struggled a lot…mostly with stupid people!

Stupid people in parking lots
Stupid people at the school
Stupid people at the car dealership
Stupid people at Canada Post
Stupid people at the passport office
Stupid people at Home Depot
Stupid brides, stupid computers and 2 stupid squirrels – the one who stole my cupcakes and the one who stole my panties!

 

Either stupid people are taking over the world, or I’m turning into a cranky old lady! This year I started facing the raging inferno of my dying youth, a bout of insomnia, and the stupid people who decided 50 year olds shouldn’t wear jeans. I started embracing my new identity with half an empty nest, and watched my mother caring for Nana in her last days.

While my midlife crisis adventures were limited this year, I got to join the VIP room for 2 days, improved my baking & video gaming skills, took belly dancing classes, and found out what happens when a group of women get locked in a series of rooms and told to escape in an hour. (We escape in less than an hour, then spend an hour trying to find a parking space at Jack Astor’s for dinner!)

 

 

I posted my 1000th post this Fall! So from the ridiculous (a body in my deep freeze) to the sublime (How much do you love me?) – it’s been a year! I expect 2017 will be…

God, may 2017 be a year with more laughter than tears. May I have the ability to rise above the challenges of supreme annoyance. And may I retain the ability to dress myself at the end of each day! Amen!

Waiting for the Stars

Tags

humour, New Year Resolutions, New Year's

Life isn’t always about big bangs, mountain tops, or shooting for the stars! Sometimes the stars are so veiled that not even a glimmer shows through…sometimes for weeks.

The last few months have felt like that.

It’s Day 8 of the New Year, and just like my New Year’s Eve celebration, it’s come in with more of a fizzle than a bang. On the other hand, I really enjoyed my quiet New Year’s with my family – a good movie, a good game, a good family photo on the couch, and a good glass of wine right before I fell asleep.

And it wasn’t even a full glass.

Like many of you, January 1st signals time to do some soul-searching. To review what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it. To figure out who you are. To set goals and make plans and forge ahead with more than good intentions.

I’m not there yet.

And I’ve decided “that’s ok”. I’m not an overachieving, super-anxious woman of action (some who know me might disagree). Sometimes I need to sit in the dark, ponder the silence, wait for the stars.

That’s not to say I’m aimlessly and idly sitting by. I still have meals to cook and a house to clean, a job and rehearsals to attend, programs to plan, and relationships to nurture.

I’ve made a few plans for 2016:

I will start with taking down my Christmas tree…and hiding Frosty in the basement for Big Guy.

Does this look like the face of an evil genius to you?

I’ve started a diet, and will  be really crabby by the weekend. If Wednesday’s squirrel had been holding a nut, no matter how cute he was, I might have hurled myself through the glass door in an attempt to steal it.

I’m going to stare and smile at people who are gullible, weary, or pissing me off solely for the purpose of increasing their paranoia.

I’m starting a belly dance class next week (what was I thinking?). I take comfort in the knowledge that when I took it 10 years ago, I was the youngest in the class so maybe I’ll still be in the “middle of the pack”!

I have a brand new Beth Moore study into which I’m itching to dive head first. I also have a Bread Bible to muck up with butter and flour!

I’m considering running in Mud Hero again this year – it was a big deal…and a lot of work! But then I’ve been saying this for 2 years…(I also thought about aiming for a bikini this year but they’ve already outlawed whaling…)

I’m carrying on with my lessons in Italian and seriously considering a trip for our 20th anniversary. I’ll probably take my husband.

I’m going to try “10 Minute Mondays” (where I can write about whatever I want for minimum 10 minutes, no editing – mayhem, memories, maudlin mumblings, or  “mwa ha ha” moments). I’m keeping Wilderness Wednesdays (and learning what all the buttons do on my camera – mostly because I keep hitting the wrong ones)! And I want to make Fridays funny – because I want to laugh more and cry less (and if I cry laughing – bonus!) I may post other days – I may not. I think I’m ok with that…

I’m going to try to “drink deep in the morning”, and be gentle with myself when I’m tired and discouraged. And to bless others more.

I’m going to keep watching for the stars – and be amazed!

“The stars are visible only in darkness, but though equally set in the firmament during the light of day, they are lost in the brightness of the glorious sun.” – Rev. Edward B. Moeran

Happy Weekend!