Friday the 1st we started the year by making Eggs Benedict and artichokes for brunch, followed by hours of cleaning the kitchen because my helper cracked an egg into a drawer. The girl squad made gingerbread houses in the afternoon. As always, I found wise words from Neil. Monday Jill faced black ice on the way to work, and got her second vaccine dose – she said “Second dose done! I’ll update in a few days with any side effects, but I feel so blessed to be able to be one of the first to get this vaccine to start helping us recover.”
Thursday the 7th, Seth says it better than I could. Friday we got take out from MyHome Thai Bistro and I got a duck roll & calamari (Nina had Popeyes instead). Saturday 2 of Nina’s friends celebrated their birthday with a party held in the park across the street. Luckily it wasn’t terribly cold and we ate food and watched the girls run around. Monday Nina was selling cookies again.
Friday the 15th we got takeout from Flippin’ Pizza and I made this mashup and posted it (after initially being denied for too much Go-Gos). Saturday we hosted Nina’s friends. Sunday Nina had Girl Scouts and she decided she wanted to be a chef – first up was brunch where she helped make a smoothie and a “turtle waffle” (waffle with pineapple feet and head and strawberries on top). Monday she helped cook cheeseburgers for us and chicken sliders for her. Tuesday Jill woke up to a flat tire and brought it to a mechanic and then took the bus to work. Happily it was fixed by the time she took the bus back.
Wednesday the 20th was the second student holiday of the week, this time for Inauguration Day. Nina and I watched the ceremony and I felt a great weight lift from my chest where it had been since the 6th. Jill said “So grateful to close Chapter 45 and start Chapter 46. The best parts of my day were listening to NPR on my way home recap the inauguration and watching Amanda Gorman with N on my lap for a cuddle.” And about the Bernie Sanders viral photo said “This is honestly my favorite Bernie pic/caption. (A photo showing Bernie at the inauguration sitting with his arms crossed wearing a brown winter puffy coat and handmade brown patterned mittens. It is captioned: The chairman of the senate budget committee wearing his only heavy coat and gifted handmade mittens made from recycled plastic bottles and repurposed wool sweaters. We found the right person for the job.)”
Friday I saw this article about Nina’s school. We got takeout that night from Panda House Chinese Restaurant – I enjoyed the half roast duck. Later that night I needed to talk to Disney and they left me on hold for a while.
Sunday the 24th Jill ran errands with Nina and they came home with frozen yogurt. Monday Nina started an appointment for neurofeedback, where she gets to choose to watch a show on Netflix while she’s being monitored (It’s not hard to convince her to go). Wednesday Nina played indoor gymnastics with her friends. Friday we got take out from Ariake – more sushi! At the end of the month, Jill said “A reminder to myself: the work is not done. It is neverending, but that is ok. It is good work, and good will overcome. Art and words by @ohhappydani . (A picture of an 8×10 art print; printed words in a rainbow gradient. It says: “You were created to do good work. Work that empowers and inspires, liberates and transforms, restores and softens. Yes, work can be hard – as it was meant to be. The verb itself calls us into action. Rejecting passivity and demanding sustained effort. It provokes, agitates, and disturbs. But this work – the call for justice – is good work. It defends the oppressed and frees the captive. It tears down walls and destroys barriers. It changes things. So when you’re feeling weary, or hopeless, or spent, remind yourself that the darkness is being flooded by marvelous light. Yes, this is work. And it is good.” -Danielle Coke)
