1. Well, well, well. It’s been a while. Between house projects and needing to update my MacBook I disappeared for quite some time. I don’t have anything exciting to report, but because I feel like checking in we are going to travel back in time to last month.
2. I managed to find the most decadent, delicious, astounding gluten free pie that disappeared just as quickly as I found it. Seriously, what’s with me and finding treats I enjoy (and that don’t make me feel like a bag of bricks) suddenly disappearing? Perhaps next holiday season it will return…
3. My Christmas gift to myself was $3,000 worth of car repairs. I’ve had the same car since 2008, and I hadn’t needed any major work until now. I suppose it was long overdue, I am amazed at the longevity of my beloved. $700 of that bill was for new tires, which I suppose doesn’t count, but the timing of the remaining work racked up the bill. I needed a new alternator and a new radiator.
The only reason I knew there was an issue was because of a funny noise. She now purrs like the day she was manufactured. I hope for many more years with my granny mobile.
4. My car has taken Little and I on many wonderful drives together, including my current favorite core memory. I wrangled my mom, my sister, Duncan, and my child into the car and we went to look at Christmas lights. Little was more enthralled by the car headlights than the actual Christmas lights, but it was a magical hour nonetheless. The gang was all there.
5. When I moved back to the states at the end of 2020 I moved back into my childhood bedroom. My plan was to resettle into the area and then try to find a place to live. Turns out renting an apartment is something I couldn’t justify with the $1400 price tag, so I stayed with my mom and sister. Helping them and being close to family just continued to feel right. My older sister has autism and helping provide care for her is easier when living under the same roof.
At this rate I’m not sure I’ll ever leave. Just kidding. I think.
6. With that said, my childhood bedroom needed some help. I wasn’t planning to stay long, but suddenly three years went by and I was still occupying the space. On December 6th I was laying down looking at the walls and decided I wanted to rip the wallpaper off.
Much to my surprise it came off with ease, and I decided to go get paint.
Three days later my small space had a fresh coat of paint. What a difference this has made, and I am so happy I decided to impetuously give my room a facelift. There is one small area of the wall my lovely mother wanted to keep, a mural she painted fully equipped with drawings from when I was too young to know drawing on the wall was wrong. It’s an atrocious eye sore, but I’ve come to accept it.
I have since painted another room in my moms house, so basically you can now call me Bob Vila.
7. I started a run streak in the middle of November with the goal of running everyday until the new year. I completed my goal and ended the streak on Jan 2nd. I ran 56 days in a row, and truth be told I wish I would have kept going. There were only a few days I didn’t feel like running during the streak, but I was always able to manage one mile on those days.
I ended the streak with the idea that I might want to train for a half marathon, but I find myself fearful of the training process. My body handles running shorter distances everyday better than running longer distances every few days. This is something I have come to accept about my Sjögren’s, but I hope to eventually push through the fear of flare ups and just go for it.
I’m now running a few times a week, while I figure out my next goal.
8. While cleaning out my closet recently I found a costume I made when I first started my current job. I was there for a week when I discovered they dressed up for Halloween (something I have come to detest.) I was new and wanted to attempt the tradition and I made myself a snail costume.
It only makes sense that I dress as my biggest fear…ironically I adore Halloween, I just don’t love dressing up at work. The DIY snail found its way into the recycle bin, but not before I snapped one final photo.
9. I think my dream job would be to help willing people declutter their lives/homes. I say willing because if someone isn’t ready to let go of things, the process becomes more difficult. One of the current house projects I am working on is helping my mom declutter her space. 30+ years of belongings need to be sorted through and organized, and nothing brings me more satisfaction that organizing.
This was our plan when I moved back, but it took some time for my mom to be willing to jump on board. Patience has never been my virtue.
10. One of the perks of going through old boxes is finding absolute gems of photographs. I think I found my favorite class photo of me as a child – from the silk blouse, and the red overalls, to the scowl on my face with my hands in my pockets. This feels like an accurate depiction of who I am as a person.
Can we also take a moment to appreciate my Lord Farquadd haircut? My mom gave me this same snip for years.
Q: What’s your confession?
29 thoughts on “Early Morning Confessions”
Josh del Villar
I am happy to hear that you are doing well. Keep it up amiga.
Brittany
Thank you friend. I hope you’re hanging in there too.
Tammy Bowman Bowman
So great to see a new blog post from you. I hope this new year takes you on many great adventures!
Brittany
Thank you, I hope so too! Right back atcha.
Rootchopper
I love childhood pix. Yours is terrific .
One mystery from my running days to share: whenever I felt lousy at the start of a run I invariably had a great run. I’d go from “Oh okay just a short one” to “I’m running on air in a tailwind. Whee!”
Brittany
Yes!!! I always make myself do at least one mile because 95% of the time after that I’d feel better. Once in a while I don’t feel better and that’s when I know I’m genuinely fatigued.
Childhood pictures are golden comedy sometimes.
Some Small Things
I think I’ve said this before, but I can’t believe Little likes the car! Love the photo of her looking at the lights.
Nice paint job!
Was happy to read your post. 🙂
Brittany
I also cannot believe he likes the car, in fact we went out last night after not going for a while and it’s always such a special moment for me.
He gave me so many head butts of appreciation, he loves it. Blows my mind! My favorite little buddy! 🥰
Rhonda
I love that costume-so creative!
Brittany
Thanks! It was fun to make, but admittedly the shell was a bit heavy and uncomfortable to wear. LOL.
C.A. Post
Absolutely LOVE the Lord Farquad look on you!🤠
❤️🙏
Brittany
LOLOL. Thank you, I’ll tell my mom. 🤣
AuntGem
I love that you love organizing! This was such a cheerful post. And all the projects – good job on the painting.
Brittany
Thank you! I really enjoy having projects to keep busy. 🤪
Michael McCard
I was wondering what you were up to.
Brittany
Cats, and cleaning! 🤣
Michael McCard
Well we are finally taking Christmas down here. Wanna help ? 😃
Brittany
Funny, my mom leaves hers up for a while too. Most of the Christmas specific stuff is down, but there are a few rogue snowmen still lurking in the living room…🤣
Michael McCard
We decided to leave it as is for this month because people may want to get a jump on their personal Christmas cards. I’m asked my partner if he wanted to leave it up all year, and be known as the Christmas House. He declined 😂🤣😂🤣
Brittany
LOL, Christmas cheer all year long? Not such a bad idea!
Michael McCard
I know right. Unfortunately my big mouth started something with the town. This year we are doing a Christmas Cookie Crawl / best decorated house contest.
Allie Zottola
We wanted to bring Malcolm to see Christmas lights SO BADLY this year and it didn’t happen. Sooo I got a mesh backpack for him and now we take him on walks, LOL. That’s my confession 😜
That pie sounds amazing! Way to go on keeping your car. I hope you get to have it many more years!!
Love the Lord Farquadd haircut!
Brittany
Yasssss I love that you got a backpack for Malcolm. My mom bought a stroller for Little, and while he likes going out in it, I HATE pushing him in it. It’s a bit too far and I feel embarrassed. Not to mention the neighbor LITERALLY THOUGHT I had a baby. 🤣🤣 He gave congrats to my mom and she was like noooo, no.
MarketGardenReader/IntegratedExpat
I thought for a moment I’d missed something and you had actually had a child, as opposed to the fluffy kind. Very impressed with the decorating, the snail costume and the running, and good to see a post appearing on your blog.
Brittany
Ahahaha noooo human children. Just my fur babies forever. LOL. Thank you for your comment. 🥰
Pree
I love the vibe of that corner in your room! Also the lord farquadd haircut 🤣🤣 I had a similar haircut from ages 2-4 haha what was up in the 90s though
Brittany
LOLOL this must have been the haircut of our time. At least you were significantly younger than me…my mom cut my hair through 6th grade I think. It only got worse…
GO Figure Club
In regards to the one small area of the wall your lovely mother wanted to keep, I think she has rights to her memories as well . and your Art work an atrocious eye sore may be to you, But remember as the saying goes “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” . As I always love watching the world through your eyes and postings very nice and always a great vibe . keep it up, and tell next time🌹🌹🌹
Brittany
You are absolutely right, and truth be told I don’t even notice the mural much anymore. At the end of the day she makes the decisions in her own house!
Thank you for your kind comment. ☺️