Top Three of '17

This is the Eighth year that I have been doing this tradition, which Larry brought to the relationship on our first New Year's Eve together, 2010. I had a fun party that night full of food, friends, wine, and sharing stories, poems, and "The Best Of" in a spare room that would later become The Beat Lounge.

Here are my Top 3 and some contenders

3. Christmas Eve Eve
2. Camping trip to Hocking Hills
1. Camping trip to America, the Beautiful/Weird!
     a. Driving into Two Medicine our first night in Montana, scoping out a campsite. That feeling that the area was magic.
     b. Night of the Indian Rodeo at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation--the breathtaking beautiful children collected on horses and ponies, riding bareback.
     c. Being shocked by the beauty of the Black Hills
     d. Yellowstone Lake
     e.  Our campsite on a cliff above Jackson Lake in Grand Tetons
     f.  Our stormy hike on Sand Cave trail at Teddy Roosevelt. The night of the rainbows and bison
     g.  Seeing a Grizzly bear in the Shoshone National Forest after not seeing any in three weeks
     h.  Staying at 70s lodge San-Suz-Ed outside of West Glacier


Contenders
--nature photography
--the owls at Eagle Creek-->intro to amateur birding
--Friday night sundowners at Eagle Creek with Larry
--Theater--saw many good shows this year, with Jersey Boys coming in at #1 favorite, followed by Motown and Kinky Boots. Locally, I liked Dance Kaleidoscope "Divas" and IRT "Boeing, Boeing" (a surprise as it really is a stupid play! ), Little Shop of Horrors starring our friend Tristan, and a local author show--
--Street Cat Named Bob and World According to Bob--two books on CD I had never heard of, just saw the first one sitting on a shelf in the library. I listened to each one twice, and they brought such joy to me that they stand out as positive things of the year
--Books--I stumbled upon great books this year. Round House, Broken (Wind River), You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, Kringle (! A book about Santa Claus!!!! ??? Yes, picked it up on a whim and loved it!)
--Women's March/Rally in January with Larry and Jodee!
--Started new career, permanent position with a company I've consulted for the previous 3.5 years. I was also offered a job with another firm at the same time and had to make my first "big girl" decision since graduation in 2000. It's not a dream job, but it's a good one. I enjoy going to the gym and to fitness classes on site. December, bad news, lay-offs. My boss and his boss both let go with 300 other people. More layoffs possible with another re-org. 

Top Three/Six of 2015

Every year, Larry and I toast the New Year by listing our favorite three things of the previous year.

3. Trip to Detroit
For a few years, Larry has wanted to go back to Detroit, where he grew up, to see a Tigers game and show me around. First we went back in time 100 years to see the homes, labs, studios, and factories of American's greatest scholars, inventors, orators, and composers: Greenfield Village! We booked a room in an old mansion in the famous Brush Park area in downtown Detroit. We went to a Tigers game and stayed for the fireworks. It was fun! The teams played real ball and there was a young dysfunctional couple sitting in front of us, and their various fights, freeze-outs, and make-ups kept me entertained, and frankly, baffled.  The next day we hit the Avalon Bakery, the Detroit Institute of Arts--WOW!, the Detroit Public Library across the street from DIA, then got tickets for a tour of the Motown Museum. This was an emotional, exciting, and moving experience. I have heard that most people from Detroit have never been, and I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Then we headed to Eastern Market. We were broken-hearted to hear that some asshole ("probably some rich white kid from the suburb" the guy who ran the AirBnb on Alfred Street seethed) burned burned Heidelburg Project, a blocks-long living art history museum of Found Art from abandoned Detroit. Okay, it looks like part of it still there. We're going next time! Then we headed to the play "Ernie."  Not a single man had a dry eye. Next day we met my high school friend Darrell and his wife JeDonna for brunch at The Dimestore and checked out the Guardian Building and the Detroit Riverfront. Then we packed up and headed to Pokagon State Park, IN, for some camping.

2. Lucinda Williams concert in Bloomington (June)
I found a place at the stage and danced for five hours straight in heels. Lucinda singled me out of the crowd and jammed with me.

1. Hiking trip to New Brunswick province in Canada and Maine (August/September)
From the surprises of stopping at Niagara Falls along the way (so much more beautiful than I had imagined!) to camping in the quiet wild purity of the Canadian boreal forest to hiking Acadia to the lighthouse/boat tour in the charming city Portland to a surprise visit with my best friend from high school--Jessica--in Syracuse, whom I hadn't seen in at least twenty years.

I had a hard time choosing just three, so I decided on six. Here are the other three:


6. IRT: "What I Learned in Paris" by Pearl Clege (April)
 Hilarious play by an African American playwright, an African American cast, and predominately African American audience who was all decked out in splendid 70s clothes and the VIP party in the cabaret afterwards with the cast, crew, donors, and patrons. There was a live band playing my favorites from the 70s and plenty of champagne and food and lots of dancing. I remember a distinct feeling of being welcomed into a life-loving community.

5. Camping trip to Red River Gorge
We took off early one Friday morning, eating cheese danish and listening to Lucinda and Patti on CD and set up camp by afternoon. Took off on a short hike. Had some issues with making fire. Oh well.

4. Valentine's hike and dinner at Turkey Run (Feburary)
This was a simple and fun and beautiful day/evening with Larry. It was one of those snowy, mild, sunshine-y days, where the white is still fluffy. Hardly anyone was on the trails. We got lost once or twice and had to help each other navigate some icy canyon terrain. We had a typical Indiana dinner at the Inn. It was candlelit and quiet and the fire was toasty. We took a final moonlit walk after dinner. Larry fell down the side of the canyon, but was okay. Before he fell, we admired the moon and the trees and the river and the snow gently falling.

Thank you 2015 for all of your surprises!