Oh, 2014! It seems you were just beginning, in some ways, and in others, boy were you a lot of fun! The Fat Kid has had a lot of things happen this year - some were tremendous, like marrying my best friend, and some were tragic, like saying farewell to my grandmother and my aunt. In both the good and bad things, this year has been a wild ride, and one for which I am grateful.
The good: Wedding planning is over! Yup, my love and I were united in holy matrimony in September, and it was pretty darned amazing. It was also a lot of work, as we did as much of it as we could ourselves. We are most grateful for the countless hands that helped us with everything, especially all the family and friends that were press-ganged into service for decorating and other minutiae of that weekend!
In October, we took off for the sunny lands of Louisiana, to honeymoon in New Orleans. Vampires and jazz, baby!!! A week of sunny and 75 when home was cloudy and 42 certainly makes us long to make a dramatic move to the southern climate! I would say it's too bad we don't know anyone there, but, well, having met so many fantastic people there already, I'm not sure if I can claim that!! Seriously, if you ever find yourself wanting to visit a party town where you can choose the kind of partying you get to do, I highly recommend NOLA. Great people, fun times, fantastic music, amazing history, spectacular food, and even though I mentioned it once, GREAT PEOPLE (they're THAT awesome.)
We said good-by to my grandmother this year. She was a pretty amazing woman, and I miss hearing stories over and over and over and...well, ok, maybe I don't miss it completely...I think I miss the opportunity to hear all those old stories again, more than anything else. Her parting gift to me is an opportunity I shall talk more about later.
Saying farewell to my aunt this fall was equally as challenging, and equally painful. It's never fun to lose anyone, and to lose them to something as insidious as cancer sometimes makes me mad. I remember, though, that my aunt was a woman of inestimable grace. She knew how to be content with being simple, and that is a rare gift indeed. Her greatest lesson to me is in how to live simply and be content with the hand you're dealt.
Other good things: KITTEH! Yeah, we adopted a kitten this year, and she supplies our life with laughter, frustration, mild annoyance, She came to us through a funny story: My now brother-in-law had a couple cats who...well...got busy while he was out one day, and a bit later, a litter of kittens appeared. So, one of the littles was given to us, and we are now the proud parents of a tortoise-shell kitten/ hellspawn of mischief.
Well, those are the highlights...except for that opportunity I spoke about before. I'm pleased to announce that I will be going forward with plans to launch Bellissimo Custom Works as a secondary source of income. This stemmed from my grandmother, in a way, for the box I made for her a couple years ago is now serving as the vessel in which her ashes are housed. It promises to be an adventurous new beginning, but it is one that I am very anxious to pursue.
So, BRING IT ON, 2015! THAT'S what you have to beat, and frankly, I'm not sure you can. But do your worst, for I will do mine. Bring us the storms of life, the sorrows, too. But know that I am a storm myself, and I will take your challenges and turn them into something pretty. I will see your challenges, and i will come out of them the victor.
May you all know peace in this new year, and may 2015 help you become more than you ever thought possible. Happy New Year!!!!!
Thanks for Reading,
The Fat Kid
