Top 10 of 2010: Life As I Know It

The year 2010 was quite a ride. I don't know quite how else to put it. There were ups and downs, there were all-arounds. But I came out on top. With a little help from my friends, as the Beatles would say.

I've also got lots of pictures to share, so hopefully this will be a fun post (visually speaking).

Drum roll please ...

Top 10 of 2010: Life As I Know It

10. A good year for art.
My art, that is. I sold more than usual, especially during the holiday season, including several whopping orders from one woman who bought more than 25 beaded spoons throughout fall and winter! She told me one even made it to Okinawa, Japan, to a military family. So apparently I've gone international. Pretty cool. Here are some pics of newer pieces:

 

The old blue-and-yellow front porch

9. Painting our front porch. Finally.
When we moved into our house, our hideously-painted front porch (bright yellow and blue -- think IKEA colors) was the first thing I planned to change. Six years later, I had managed to completely redo the inside of the house, but the front porch stood only half-primed. But we found a good handy-man who finished the job, and it looks beautiful now. What a relief!







8. Nine Inch Nails.

NIN's show at Northerly Island

It might seem funny to list a now-defunct band as a top-10 item. But there are two reasons for NIN (my favorite group of all time) to make it on this list, specifically this year:
1) They had a fantastic farewell tour, which Geoff and I saw. The last Chicago show (held on Northerly Island) included performances of rare Downward Spiral material we had never heard live before. I was especially excited to hear "Ruiner."




2) Founder Trent Reznor continues to be active in the music scene, having formed a new band called How To Destroy Angels with his wife. And it totally rocks. So while we wave goodbye to NIN, we welcome a new incarnation of Reznor's music. And so all is well.

2010 Stanley Cup-Winning Blackhawks

7. Blackhawks Winning the Stanley Cup. 

OK, I'll admit. I'm not a huge sports fan. But I'm a sucker for hockey. And of course, as a near-lifelong Chi-towner, that means I'm a Chicago Blackhawks fan. And for the first time in 49 years, the Blackhaws won the Stanley Cup -- the World Series of hockey. I don't get cable at my house, but luckily both my parents do, so we had multiple playoff game viewing parties. ONE GOAL!

Abby, Cheryl, and Lorien

6. Great friends, old and new.

Nephew Jackson and brother-in-law Dan

5. Seeing my "in-loves" (aka in-laws) for Christmas.
It was so wonderful to see Wendy, Geord, Lindsay, Dan, Kyle, and Sarah again -- after an entire year. And to meet my little nephew, Jackson, for the first time!

Lindsay and Jackson

Wendy, Jackson, and Geoff

Geord and Jackson

Sarah and Kyle

4. Family support & proximity.

Sister Sarah

Sister Joy

I feel lucky that my family lives within a short drive. I am thankful for their support and companionship. Specifically: My near-daily 6 a.m. conversations with Mom (usually in Spanish); "sister sleepovers" with Sarah; sharing vintage clothes and jewelry with Joy; and Blackhawks games and home improvement projects with Dad.

Lorien & Mom at Mt. Kilauea

3. Trip to Hawaii With Mom. How could going to Hawaii not make it on my Top 10 list?! But going with Mom made it all the more special. We had quite an adventurous time, from snorkeling (several times during the day, and once at night to see giant manta rays), to hiking around Kilauea, to visiting a seahorse hatchery, to strolls through a tropical botanical garden. Here are a few photos from our trip:

An orchid

Lobster Claw heliconia

A waterfall we saw
on our birdwatching trip

The View from our condo

Mt. Kilauea fuming

No more credit card debt!

Geoff's 2006 Hyundai Elantra

2. Family generosity. 
Let's face it. As a one-income family with a mortgage that we took on when we were a two-income family, we're not in the greatest of financial situations. Add to that some accumulated credit card debt (like most of middle-class America). Add to that a year-and-a-half of my being unemployed. Add to that both Geoff's and my cars going kaput within 48 hours of each other this fall. We were in dire straits. But some very generous (although not so wealthy themselves) family members totally came to our rescue in helping us to pay down that credit card debt and make down payments on not one, but two very nice and longlasting cars. (Geoff got a 2006 Hyundai Elantra; I got a 2008 Honda Civic.) I don't know what we would have done otherwise. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

My 2008 Honda Civic 

Geoff & Lorien on New Year's Day, 2011

1. Geoff (my husband).
I would not, could not, be doing this without him and his support. Financial support (he continues to work full time while I go to school), emotional support (hugs when I get frustrated), you name it. This has not been easy, and will not be easy in the future. But he is behind me. One of the great things that I especially appreciate is his listening ear. I tend to get really excited about things (like proteins), and I want to share that with someone. Geoff has been incredibly patient with me in listening to my (sometimes lengthy) stories and explanations of what I am doing at school, at the clinic, and so on. Thank you, my love.