Every New Year's Day in our house (and my mother's and sister's houses), we do this thing called vasilopita. It's a Greek tradition where you bake a lucky coin into bread, then cut up the bread while announcing loudly whose slice is whose, and one lucky bread-eater chips a tooth on the coin. Usually, my mother did coffee cake. Since I'm not as Greek as she is, I often buy a cake and poke a lucky dime in the bottom of the thing.
My point is (besides describing our fascinating Greek traditions that I actually had to google the word for, because all my life I've just called it "the lucky dime thing") last year, I got the dime. This hasn't happened since 1980, the year I won both the dime and a stuffed dog at Riverside Park. I expected great things. Did the dime deliver?
Overall, 2015 was a fabulous year. It had high points and low points, but really, there were more highs than lows. Let’s take a look:
High Points:
At the beginning of the year, in this blog post, I vowed to be more selfish. Best thing I’ve ever done. I sought out and found a job I love; I took more time for myself, even when Jason grumbled; I ate cupcakes when I wanted a cupcake. It’s made me a happier person overall. Here’s to more selfishness in 2016.
My novel, Ordinary Boy, came out in March. It’s gotten good reviews, and was even nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Also in March: shamrock shakes happened yet again. Hooray!
Bloom County came back after a twenty-six-year hiatus. Just the best news ever. I cried a little when I heard. And now I get to laugh again, every morning.
I vacationed on Block Island for the first time in four years. There were no cell phone signals where I was, no wifi, no cable television. I was forced to spend quality time with my family, and read books. It was delightful!
I was on television in September. It was anxiety-inducing and scary and fun. The guy who interviewed me is one of my favorite people in the world, so it was kind of like . . . hanging out with one of my favorite people. Overall: pretty cool.
The year ended with the announcement that my niece has finally reached Girl Scout Cookie selling age. Clearly, good things are ahead for 2016, like Thin Mints and Samoas.
Low Points:
By the end of May, three family members had been hospitalized. That kind of sucked. But all three of them are doing well now, so it all worked out!
Spring didn’t arrive in New England until June. Al Gore promised me global warming, but instead, we had snow in April. On the plus side, we haven’t really had winter yet this year.
The publisher who bought my second novel was bought out by another publisher, delaying the release of My Sister the Zombie. Kind of a bummer, but the new publisher did promise that the book should be released by the end of July. Plus, he offered me some freelance editing work, so it turned out to be a win.
I was bitten by a tick on the tushie in June, and wound up on antibiotics six weeks later. I was tired and achy and my hands went numb and I had no ambition to do anything. I can't even come up with a stupid Pollyanna spin to this. Just glad it has passed.
This fall, and on through December, either Jason or I or both of us have been sick. Colds, sinus infections, whole other colds . . . we've gone through a lot of Kleenex and DayQuil. In December, Santa informed me that I've been on the naughty list for three decades, and last night, on New Year's Eve, a fourth family member wound up in the hospital. You see, I think the dime's magic wears off toward the end of the year.
I liked 2015. It was a good year. I'll remember it fondly. Well done, magic dime. I have this year's coffee cake ready to go, and if Jason doesn't rouse out of his NyQuil coma soon, the whole coffee cake will be mine, including the magic dime. Happy New Year!
____
This week from The Storyside:
Reflections on books I've ignored: "Classics I Haven't Read" by Stacey Longo (hey, that's me!)
Fabulous Free Fiction: "Sunset Anniversaries" by Rob Smales
My point is (besides describing our fascinating Greek traditions that I actually had to google the word for, because all my life I've just called it "the lucky dime thing") last year, I got the dime. This hasn't happened since 1980, the year I won both the dime and a stuffed dog at Riverside Park. I expected great things. Did the dime deliver?
Overall, 2015 was a fabulous year. It had high points and low points, but really, there were more highs than lows. Let’s take a look:
High Points:
At the beginning of the year, in this blog post, I vowed to be more selfish. Best thing I’ve ever done. I sought out and found a job I love; I took more time for myself, even when Jason grumbled; I ate cupcakes when I wanted a cupcake. It’s made me a happier person overall. Here’s to more selfishness in 2016.
My novel, Ordinary Boy, came out in March. It’s gotten good reviews, and was even nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Also in March: shamrock shakes happened yet again. Hooray!
Bloom County came back after a twenty-six-year hiatus. Just the best news ever. I cried a little when I heard. And now I get to laugh again, every morning.
I vacationed on Block Island for the first time in four years. There were no cell phone signals where I was, no wifi, no cable television. I was forced to spend quality time with my family, and read books. It was delightful!
I was on television in September. It was anxiety-inducing and scary and fun. The guy who interviewed me is one of my favorite people in the world, so it was kind of like . . . hanging out with one of my favorite people. Overall: pretty cool.
The year ended with the announcement that my niece has finally reached Girl Scout Cookie selling age. Clearly, good things are ahead for 2016, like Thin Mints and Samoas.
Low Points:
By the end of May, three family members had been hospitalized. That kind of sucked. But all three of them are doing well now, so it all worked out!
Spring didn’t arrive in New England until June. Al Gore promised me global warming, but instead, we had snow in April. On the plus side, we haven’t really had winter yet this year.
The publisher who bought my second novel was bought out by another publisher, delaying the release of My Sister the Zombie. Kind of a bummer, but the new publisher did promise that the book should be released by the end of July. Plus, he offered me some freelance editing work, so it turned out to be a win.
I was bitten by a tick on the tushie in June, and wound up on antibiotics six weeks later. I was tired and achy and my hands went numb and I had no ambition to do anything. I can't even come up with a stupid Pollyanna spin to this. Just glad it has passed.
This fall, and on through December, either Jason or I or both of us have been sick. Colds, sinus infections, whole other colds . . . we've gone through a lot of Kleenex and DayQuil. In December, Santa informed me that I've been on the naughty list for three decades, and last night, on New Year's Eve, a fourth family member wound up in the hospital. You see, I think the dime's magic wears off toward the end of the year.
I liked 2015. It was a good year. I'll remember it fondly. Well done, magic dime. I have this year's coffee cake ready to go, and if Jason doesn't rouse out of his NyQuil coma soon, the whole coffee cake will be mine, including the magic dime. Happy New Year!
____
This week from The Storyside:
Reflections on books I've ignored: "Classics I Haven't Read" by Stacey Longo (hey, that's me!)
Fabulous Free Fiction: "Sunset Anniversaries" by Rob Smales
Also, I got to meet another wrestler in 2015. This is Ted DiBiase, who managed The Ringmaster (Steve Austin) back in the day. One step closer to Stone Cold.
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