Because the birdsong might be pretty, But it’s not for you they sing, And if you think my winter is too cold, You don’t deserve my spring.
Erin Hanson
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Frigid winter storms have hit here in NorthTexas. All the schools and municipal buildings are closed today, maybe tomorrow, who knows? Police are suggesting everyone just stay home unless it’s an emergency. I agree. People here don’t know how to drive in ice and snow, and there are no salt trucks and plows on constant patrol like up north. (Chicago girl, here.) The good news is… it’s Texas. We will be complaint about the heat in a couple of months. 🤦♀️
Yesterday, I saw some doves hovering by my front window. I have a bird feeder out there, but it was empty. I stopped putting seed in when my pest control guy said that the seed attracts rodents. I had lots of rodents in my attic this winter. But, these shivering birds melted my heart, so I went out and filled my bird feeder.
Many different birds came and shared the seed. THE COOLEST PART, almost made me cry, was that the small birds went up to the feeder and carefully put seeds in their beaks and threw it down for the many birds patiently waiting below. Nature is wonderful. Why can’t we all be like birds, sharing and caring with all? Watch my little homemade video….
“Looking back at this decade, I can see how far I’ve come, learned, grown, suffered, healed, blossomed, and accomplished. Life is good.”
~Toni Armenta Andrukaitis
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Today is January 1, 2023…….. On January 1, 2013, I gave myself a daunting challenge to start a blog on WordPress and see if I could find something to write about EVERY DAY, for one entire year. Well, I met that challenge, and today, I have written a blog post EVERY DAY for ten years, an entire decade. Wow!
When I started out in 2013, I was married, with a beautiful family and a host of wonderful friends. My life was great. My stories were about fun activities on the square, tennis matches, art venues, visits with my sons, Mom, and sister in Chicago, and great times with friends. By the middle of that year, my life was turned upside down by a blind-sided betrayal and looming divorce. 2013 was not a great year. I was a mess, but I kept writing and sharing my stories. Some were painful and others promising. That’s when I discovered that sharing my stories with family, friends and complete strangers helped me heal and grow. THANK YOU ALL!
I’ve decided that this will be my last day of daily journaling here on WordPress. Not because I’m out of stories, but because I’m out of data storage here, and they charge a lot of money each year to add more storage. Once I stop paying, all my posts will be deleted. But, Sid is trying to back-up my posts so I can have a 10 year journal of my life. It’s fun to look back and see my journey. I’ll still post on Facebook and maybe find another site, but I’m retiring my WordPress renewal. So when that’s up, “That’s all she wrote.” Ten years is a pretty awesome accomplishment. 👍🏼 “I AM AMAZING.”
Over the course of my ten years of blogging, I have posted 3,665 stories, with 158,100 views, 86,500 visitors and 1,850 followers. That is AMAZING!
Another tradition of mine is on January 1, I read all the little notes in my GOOD JAR. These are notes that I put in about good things that happened, and also notes that friends pop in there when they visit. I love looking back at the good times and reading the messages. I also count up the coins and lucky pennies that I’ve found along the way. I put them in a ziploc bag and mark the year. Everyone should have a GOOD JAR. Awesome memories.
Other accomplishments have been my walking and photographing sunsets. I try to get out every day and walk, enjoying the sunshine or braving the cold. The best part are the awesome sunsets. I looked at my phone and it said I took 1,493,945 steps in 2022. I looked up about how many miles that would be… around 653.4 miles…give or take. Cool!
Living here in Texas, another tradition is to eat black eyed peas on New Year’s Day for luck. So, I made a big pot from scratch, with the dried beans. I never did that before. Now, I’m going to turn it into my awesome Texas Caviar Salsa, with roasted corn, jalepeño diced tomatoes and salsa. Yum!
My New Year’s Eve was pretty quiet. I stayed up till midnight and toasted with water. I’m taking strong pain meds for my back, restless night. Sid and Kira (German shepherd) stopped by for a little while this afternoon, and we had pizza and toasted the New Year with sparkling cider. Then, I got to FaceTime with the grandkids. It was so different after seeing them live in person every day for 25 days. It’s been a good day… except for the nagging back pain.
The past ten years have taught me SO much, and with each year I have blossomed into the AMAZING person that I am today. OK, that’s an inside joke with my friends. I always say, “Miss Toni is….?” And they have to say, “AMAZING!!!!” (But, it’s true.)
Happy New Year and may you have an AMZING 2023! ❤️
“The last day of this year has been exciting, hopefully tomorrow will bring a wonderful New Year.“
Me
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Started off my day still in pain. I made an appointment to go to the local Urgent Care at 1:30 pm. I was in and out in less than 45 minutes. The Dr. phoned in my prescription to my Kroger pharmacy. I drove over at 2:30, but they said it wouldn’t be ready till 5:30.
When I picked up my 3 prescriptions later, I expected a huge charge at the pharmacy. I was beyond delighted when the technician said, “That will be $1.91. Happy New Year to me!
I hadn’t eaten all day, so when I came home, I made a bowl of soup and took my drugs. Now, I just wait. Hopefully, I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I don’t know about staying awake till midnight. Wish me luck.
I am wishing you a most JOYOUS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Toni Andrukaitis 