2015 becomes 2016

On this first day of 2016 I was a good Jan. I started the new year properly. I got up and weighed, took my blood pressure, blood sugar, medicine, breathing treatment, all the little bits to properly monitor my health. This was a signal to me and the new year beginning that I am prepared to forge ahead health wise. I felt a small satisfied moment, very small, when I realized 2016 will be a good year because I can't get any worse. "The only way," as the saying goes, "Is up".

The last day of 2015 was a good day for Jan. One of my favorite kind of days, a three son day. A perfect kind of day. Ian had the day off and was messing about. Roger was having his truck looked at by our resident mechanic, so I drove to Christian's shop to pick up Roger and Connor. Boom, boom, boom  and done and done and done.

Roger and Connor hung out for most of the day. Connor helped me bake a cake, clean off his toy shelves, and ask me a million questions, sorry a million and one questions. I introduced him to two more or less classic movies: Horton Hears a Who and Where the Wild Things Are. When I asked him if he had seen the movie WTWTA, he said "No, but I read the book." Spoken like a true progeny of mine.

I don't think 2016 will be much different from 2015.
I'll keep on quoting stuff: "Exhaustion of passion is the beginning of wisdom." Lost Horizons.
I'm not going to argue much.
I'll still spout bits of philosophy: "We aren't here for long and we aren't alone." Yes, you are passionate about your beliefs, but we have 7 billion other people to take into account also. Your commute through life isn't the only one. Yes, you are smart, but you didn't earn that. It was an accidental gift from the gene pool. Just say thank you.

A friends daughter was killed last Sunday in a car accident. She had three teen age children. The overwhelming loss feels staggering. Compassion and love and caring pours out and much of it directed at my own life, my own children, grandson, friends, family. An intense reminder of what is important.

On my death bed I don't think I am going to wish I had cleaned more, loved less.

I want to keep on learning and being surprised by life. I went trolling online for some Cope's Dried Corn. My beginning search was "Indian Dried Corn" and I was promptly directed to Asian/India cooking. Nope. Back I went to refine my search and added "American Indian Dried Corn." Still nothing, except all the decorative fall dried corn stuff  you find in craft shops showed up, and how American Indians made hominy. Then out of the corner of my eye I spied the word Cope's and remembered that was the brand name. Well, here is the surprise. Native American Indian Dried Corn soup is made with Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish dried corn. Ain't that a kick in the pants? I learned something and it surprised the heck out of me.

Family is starting to query about visiting. My favorite kind of chit chat. 2016 is wide wide open and looking for company.

If you are planning a trip to Washington please bring me some Cope's Dried Corn. I haven't gone to the big wazoo grocery store yet to try to find it locally. All though I had been looking for the spice packet to make pulled pork for years and had looked at all the wazoo groceries then SURPRISE, I found it at the corner market convenience store less than 1/4 of a mile away. Ain't that a kick in the pants?

But if you happen to take this road less traveled and you happen to bring some Cope's Dried Corn all the way to the Pacific Northwest that would make my 2016 better than 2015.

Here is to your 2016 and what ever makes it better -- or not.
Life doesn't have to be lived with big stuff all the time, smaller quieter moments count also.

I asked Connor what he liked better Star Wars or Legos. After a long thoughtful pause he concluded: combined he would have to say Legos, but not combined it is Star Wars all the way. Egad he is smart, thank you gene pool where ever/whoever you are.