2020: A year of opportunity, Sarah Style!

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Okay, so this is going to feel like a New Year's wrap up, and maybe it is, who knows.  I mean, I haven't had a lot to blog about this year, not that people are behaving themselves around me more than normal, but because I just haven't gone anyplace this year.  Who has?

But, I was thinking the other day about the Christmas letter I'm not going to get out on time...again.  Typically we have a theme.  This year, for all it's bumps and bruises, I had to think of as a year of opportunity.  But, you know, in my brain, 'opportunity' isn't necessarily the same thing as it is in a normal brain.

So, to end 2020, and to sort of combine a Christmas/New Year's Five for Friday all on a Tuesday...or Wednesday (By the time I get this finished), let's just go at this:  2020, a Year of Opportunity!

An opportunity to return to the basics:

So Christmas 2019 was the year Hubby and I decided not to get each other STUFF, but instead to get each other "experiences."  You know, concert tickets, tickets to plays, that sort of thing.  We stuffed our 2019 Christmas stockings with all kinds of fun little mini trips to one theater or another.  

Well, we did get to see PIFF the Magic Dragon in Skokie, IL and TOBY MAC in Milwaukee just before the world shut down.  The rest of the great concerts and plays, however, were put on hold, some until 2022 (Which made Skippy wonder aloud: Will that guy even be alive in 2022?)

And thus, Christmas 2020 will be a return to basics, at least for me.  I'm getting hubby a whole bunch of stuff.  Just, you know, stuff.  Stuff cannot be cancelled. It was be eaten, it can be watched, it can be worn, but it most assuredly cannot be cancelled. Therefore, this is a chance to return to our basics!

Not one single ticket for one single event in the bunch.

An opportunity for discovery:

 I've discovered something more interesting than documentaries about World War II:  Injury and death on mountains!  Do you have any idea how many shows and documentaries there are about dying on Mount Everest?  I DO! 

Thanks to the many streaming services we have, I've also discovered that sitcoms from the 80's are now pretty much unwatchable, and many from the 90's are just...not funny.  (WOW...the whining that goes on in some of those. I know the 90's were the grunge era, but seriously, "Mad about You" is literally two people whining.)

Also, "Animal Crossing," who new chopping down trees and digging up fossils to build an island community for a bunch of weight lifting/fashion obsessed animals could be so relaxing? It's like being a mom in real life...you get a mortgage, you have to clean up the island every day, the other island inhabitants do nothing for the benefit of the island, but they passive aggressively tell you about birthdays and Christmas and what they might "need" at the store.  And yet...thanks to Skippy, who thought this game would be a nice relaxer for me...I'm now addicted.

I've discovered that not even my great love for Russell Crowe is gonna get me back in a theater.  ("Unhinged" was a GREAT movie, BTW.  I'm never EVER honking my car horn again!_

Oh, and hey, "Legends of the Fall" and "Royal Tennenbaums" are still horrible movies. I didn't discover that, I just figured I haven't mentioned it in a while.

An opportunity to get creative:

My Nanowrimo brain center!

Those of you who familiar with my author page on Facebook:  Sarah the Author, know I participated in "Nanowrimo" again this year.  It's been a long time since I sat down and attempted to write a full length (over 70000 words) novel in a year but I managed it!  AND, I "Won" Nano, by completing 50000 words in November alone!  The first draft of "Deal with a Devil," which will be the fifth book in the Rock Harbor Chronicles series, is done and the second draft is under construction.  Release date?  Summer 2021-ish.

But writing wasn't the only place where I got funky with it:  I started opening some of the cook books people keep giving me and I started cooking!  I had a chance to discover cooking with meats that weren't beef, chicken, or pork, and I have had fun doing it!  Bison is my new favorite protein, but I've also had fun with lamb, goat (so yummy!) and yak.  Yes, I have a yak guy.  I can hook you up if you want to give yak a try.  Meanwhile, in an effort to cut carbs, I've also gotten brave and experimented with alternative "Pastas."  Helpful hint:  Most are just not worth it.  They cost a fortune, and taste like paste.  However, there is one that actually works.  shirataki mushroom "pasta."  (There are a number of brands. Look for them in either the international/oriental foods section OR the gluten free section of your mega mart.)  Warning: These "noodles" stink like rotting shrimp when they come out of the package (Peaches and I discovered that unpleasant fact the first time we tried it).  However, under a pasta sauce...they are a really good substitute.  Next up, I'll be trying the "orzo" shape of this product as a replacement for rice since the riced cauliflower pretty much evaporated when I put it in my gumbo.

Yes, Peaches gave me this book last year for Christmas. And if I cook like Padma...I'll look like Padma...that's my hope anyway!

An opportunity to do...whatever this was:

In a moment that was truly "It can only happen to Sarah" I managed to get a yeast infection.  Now, okay, that might seem gross to those of you who know what that typically entails (And those of you who don't...look it up I'm not explaining that here.)  BUT in 2020, this was not an ordinary yeast infection. Nope...I got it...in my ARMPITS!

You read that correctly.  A yeast infection. In my armpits. During a pandemic.  So while other people are losing their sense of taste and their ability to breathe, I'm sitting there scratching my pits which smell like a bakery.  (Which would be a good thing, you'd think...but no.)  

The treatment for a yeast infection is a series of cream applications, which you can get at your local health and beauty department. Not mine. Not a pit infection. Nope.  After trying to self treat for a couple weeks (and again, this was a super itchy thing, so thank goodness we were in lock down) I called a dermatologist.  I haven't been to a dermatologist in years, so I was a NEW patient. 

See, doc, my armpits itch...so...whatdya think?

How does a new patient go about seeing a dermatologist during a pandemic?  VIA Internet video call.   Yep.  I had to show this complete stranger (She said she was a doctor, but she was in her home and I was in mine...) My naked armpits (did I mention the infection also spread to the underboobal area?  I didn't, well, yeah, that also happened.) on a video call.  She prescribed a couple creams that worked like magic, but still...there I was in front of my computer's webcam, baring parts of my body for a stranger. My mother is actually worried there's some kind of "sexy tape" on the internet featuring my armpits now.  (I don't even want to meet the fetish group that would find that sexy.)

An opportunity to be supportive at all costs:

We've been told to support our local eateries through this pandemic, (not that the Bradley family really needed any encouragement that way), but there are so many places, and honestly, I was trying to cook healthier, more interesting meals!  WHAT TO DO?

If you've read this blog more than twice, you know that ordering take out is on my top five list of stuff to do in a day.  (The other four things are: taking naps, watching cooking shows, watching movies, and watching American Football.)

We basically picked our places, the four of us, and we've done our level best to keep them in business.  Here's a list of the places in the Waukesha/Pewaukee area we order from...a lot...

The Steaming Cup  (Coffee, oatmeal, fun breakfast sammies, and a great bakery)

 Dave's Restaurant (Best double cheeseburgers in town.  Really great breakfast options.)

Taqueria Guadelajara #2 (Legit Mexican food that's a little adventurous.)

Spring Garden (Excellent Chinese food)

Skippy's List:

Sobelman's Pub and Grill  (Great burgers and chicken sandwiches.)

Mod Pizza (really funky pizza)

Peaches' list

Fengs kitchen  (Long time Waukesha Family owned Chinese place)

The Twisted Vine Wine Shop  (Local Wine shop offering charcuterie and desserts.)

If you live in the Waukesha/Pewaukee area, check out these places. If not, look around to your independent, local eateries. They are suffering right now and need your help! It's a struggle, ordering out food,,.Not cooking dinner for yourself every single night of your life. I know, I know...but we must support them at all costs!

An opportunity to look outside ourselves:

This has been a rough year for a lot of people.  While we've had our share of bumps this year (and yes, Skippy had COVID back in early March) the four of us have been blessed to be able to keep working through it all.  Skippy and Peaches, working in different areas of the food industry, are considered essential workers and Hubby and I are able to work at home.  (Well, I've been working AT HOME for almost 6 years now, hubby has been working FROM HOME for 6 years, but this year he worked AT HOME.  That might seem like I'm saying the same thing...but it's not.  Nope.) We've been blessed to stay in our jobs, and to stay healthy (Skippy's case of COVID was relatively mild. He was hard down for three weeks, and his lungs are not the same, but he's recovered).

We're not jerks...we donate clothes and household goods to St. Vinny's.  We volunteer to help out at our church.  We donate food to the local food pantry. You know, we do the stuff everyone does.  But this year we looked around and realized that was not enough when so many people have lost so much. This was the first year in a very long time where we've been in a position to help anyone in a financial way.  Now, some would say, "You should save that money...take care of yourself...pay off some debts."  2020 has been the year we realized that we are always going to have debt.  But others around us weren't worried about paying a credit card bill, they were worried about paying the heat bill.  So...in large part thanks to our church, whose leaders look for ways to reach out to the community and help anyone in need, whether they are members or not, we've been able to help others in a tangible, practical way.  

What is it they say about candles?  Candles lose nothing when sharing their light.  Something like that.  

Yes, this!

Well, we've lost nothing in looking outside our own needs. In fact, we've gained a tremendous amount of joy from looking outside ourselves and donating to causes we've only thought about before.  (You know those catalogs you get at Christmas where you can send a cow or some chickens to a poor family in a third world country?  Yeah...we sent a goat and a couple chickens and some Bibles to a couple villages. a GOAT! I'm having a blast just thinking about the family that "gets my goat." LOL)  We've net so many great people we would NEVER meet otherwise and we've seen miracles and angels every day now that we've opened our eyes.

So friends, what I'm trying to say is this:  yes, 2020 was the pits.  And who knows what 2021 is going to bring us?  But forget the noise of politics. Ignore the fact that the ultra wealthy are never going to do their part like they should.  We regular people...if we pull together and keep our sense of humor...and if we keep praying...we can not only get through this, we can thrive.  We don't have to just sit in our houses and wait:  the opportunities are there for all of us to laugh, and grow, and help others.  

Of course, yes, I am hoping we get back to normal so I can once again watch humanity in action in line at the pharmacy...but here's to 2020...a weird year full of opportunities!

So Merry Christmas, happy holidays, enjoy the last few days of this year...and let's look to the lessons we've learned in 2020 and take the opportunities in 2021 to really make this world better!  

And hey, if you do see a picture on the internet of my armpits...please don't tell my mother.

Christian Rock, a New Member of the Family, and what got dumped on Sarah at a Toby Mac Concert.

Good morning all!

Last night, Hubby took me to Toby Mac's Hits Deep concert.  Now, this was definitely outside the box for me.  First of all...rock concerts have not been my friend of late.  Second of all, we JUST saw Piff the Magic Dragon last weekend and honestly, two big nights out among people...that's a lot

for me.  (Let's just say this is the month when all those "PERFECT" Christmas presents are happening.)

Side note, see this show. It's hilarious!

Also, while I do enjoy Christian contemporary and rock music, I'm not an avid listener and other than the headliner, Toby Mac, I had zero knowledge of any of the other acts playing this very concert.

To fully understand me (who would want that?) we have to go back to the dawning of, well, me.  See, I was raised in what can only be called a super ultra mega religious conservative family. All of my elder relatives were in THE MINISTRY  (not the band, no, service to GOD) and I, too, was educated parochially and then went into the ministry as a parochial school teacher.  As far as my upbringing was concerned (and I'm not making this up) when it came to music, popular music was the work of the devil (unless it was Perry Como or The Kingston Trio.  The Osmonds were a big too edgy and the Partridge Family...well that was just going to send you straight to Hell.)

When Christian Contemporary music started popping up, it was a whole different battle for my elders. See, in my family, the PIPE ORGAN was the only proper instrument in church and, really, if there must be something else, I guess we could get crazy and play trumpets, but only on Easter Sunday.  When it came to this new music, this...well, AMY GRANT...that was considered at the very least useless, and, in some realms, more damaging to good Christian teens than say, satanic backmasking.   (You younger folks, go look that up.)

And this was all before Brittany Spears wrapped a snake around herself.

Wow, did I get off topic.  

Anyway, my point is that I wasn't exactly raised listening to CC music. Which doesn't mean I haven't had the opportunity to get into as an adult. Plenty of adults (most of them in my church choir) listen to K-love and know all the songs and all the artists.  Not me.  I liked listening to the radio as a teen, we all did, and in college I experimented with alternative rock, but by the time I became a full on adult, my musical tastes were pretty much set and, not being a big scholar of music, I'm perfectly satisfied with my CD collection as it is.  I'm more into movies now anyway, so my last several music purchases have been movie soundtracks.  But, thanks to a recent change of churches, my church choir, and musicians like Mike Westendorf, I'm learning.

So we're at this concert last night and I don't know any of the songs or any of the artists, and there were a lot...but still, I was having fun.  The message was positive, the music was high energy, and the crowd was awesome.  

As we know, Sarah has had issues with concerts in the past.  There have been multiple Rick Springfield concerts where she's gotten a rum and coke dumped on her.  There was that Melissa Etheridge concert where she sat next to a guy who either was a Nazi or had no idea that his over head hand gesture was really, really, really funny, given that he was at a Melissa Etheridge concert.  (Crack a book, dude!)  There was the Pat Benatar concert where she sat in front of people who argued for ten minutes about who was really supposed to be in the seats, and then DUDE shouted, "Play Love is  A Battlefield" the entire concert and then when Pat did, he didn't recognize it.  And how many countless other concert mishaps have there been?

Well, something got dumped on Sarah this time too...all courtesy of the older lady behind her.  

Love, and the courage to, how do I put this...PRAISE JESUS! out loud.

See, I grew up in one of those churches where we show our love for the Lord by sitting very quietly

I mean, is there a single person who looks like they're enjoying what they're doing?

and focusing on how sinful we've been.  The lady behind me clearly came from a different denomination.  She was definitely not ashamed about her faith, nor was she shy about adding commentary to the performers' talking points.

She started slowly, a few "Amens" and "Yes Lord" as the opening act performed.  The second act was a little loud, but she managed to get a "Mm, Hm yes!" over to me.

Right before the intermission (this was a Looong concert with a half dozen artists playing) the MC came out and talked about how HOPE is so important and how he'd gone to Ethiopia and met with a young family of children whose parents had died and how a 12 year old boy was the head of household and how HOPE in the Gospel moved some Americans to sponsor the kids.  The story started with how the parents died.  

Lady behind me:  Oh Lord.

MC: These children lived in four mud walls.

Lady behind me:  Oh Lord Jesus.

MC:  There was no floor. They had no beds, and no roof. When it rained, they were sleeping in mud.

Lady behind me:  Mm, Mm.

MC: They had no school supplies.  They had no clothes. They couldn't go to school,  These four children just wandered around with not enough food, no clean water, no way to go to school and they slept in mud.

Lady behind me:  Oh Lord.

MC:  But then, someone filled with the HOPE....

Lady behind me: Mm, say it!

MC:  Filled with the hope of the love...

Lady behind me: Say it, Say it!

MC: With the hope of the love of Jesus...

Lady behind me: He's sayin' it! Ses Lord!

MC: Sponsored these children and now they have a roof and they have a floor and they have four beds and they have school supplies and they have clothes!

Lady behind me: He's sayin' it!  Lord, he's sayin' it!

MC:  And now they know the HOPE and the LOVE of JESUS!

Lady behind me: HE SAID IT!  Yes, LORD! HE SAID IT!

Now, I'm not sure if it was the story about these children in Ethiopia, or the verbal expression of unashamed faith from the woman behind us...but guess what?

It's a GIRL!

Yep, we, the Bradleys, have now sponsored a young girl in Rawanda. Her name is Claundine, and a buck a day and some letters from us to her will build her a house, clothe her, feed her, and give her the hope in the love of Jesus.

That's a mighty powerful buck a day. Yes, Lord.

Can't wait to tell Skippy and Peaches they have a new sister.

So...in summary...my plan going forward it to listen to more CC music on the radio because, and I know there are those who are going to disagree with me, one can only listen to so much 80's jams before you need something else. Plus, I think I can go to concerts again without worrying that my shoes are going to get ruined by rum and coke.

 I also plan to include less sitting quietly and more "YES LORD PRAISE JESUS" in my life.

Also, I have a new kid to care for, so there's that!