A Year of Family,
Travel, Art, and Millie
Two months into 2026 and we’re already exhausted and shellshocked. That said, I’m
taking this opportunity to look back at 2025 – another auspicious year, but for
me, it was a year of discovery, creativity, travel, and even some jazz hands.
In no particular order (and lord knows I’ve forgotten some details - I don’t
even remember what I had for lunch today), here is my list of accomplishments,
including one big thing in each category.
Crafting: I have reinvigorated my inner Martha
and made some cool stuff. Along with painting wine glasses, starting an art
journal, painting a bit, purchasing a copious amount of art
supplies (So. Many.
Brushes.), I made a crib quilt for my new great-niece, Audrey Lu! I now
meet with a small group of passionate, talented women to create, chat, gripe, encourage, and support each other. And sometimes, there's even a bit of wine involvement.
 |
| Audrey Lu. |
Family: The Schwabs are a far-flung but
tightknit group, and we were happily able to get together a bit this year. I was
thrilled to fly to Indy not only for my niece Olivia’s bridal shower, but also
for her wedding in September. (For the record, Schwab Family Weddings are
really Schwab Family Reunions.) Audrey Lu, named for her great grandma Mary Lu,
joined our family in February, thanks so Zoe and Austan. We cheered a graduation (my nephew Matt, from
ASU), and I hosted the AZ Schwabs for both Easter and Christmas Eve.
 |
Uncle Frank!
|
Travel: I’ve written about my travel
adventures, but to recap: Portland, to see the gorgeous Lauren perform with the
Oregon Ballet Theatre; a return (after decades) to Walt Disney World Resort with the Schaefers; Vegas,
Baby!; and a solo
trip to New York City. That trip included a visit with my beloved Uncle
Frank – and I’ll see
him again, onstage, later this month!
AZ
Travel/Activities:
The Grand Canyon State is more than a desert – it has a lot going for it, and I
was going for a lot of it. For travel, my friend George and I went to Bisbee and Tombstone; Tombstone was the best, but the Copper Queen Mine Tour in Bisbee was totally worth it. We
also toured the Saguaro Lake on a Desert Belle Cruise. No wildlife sightings to report, but it is a gorgeous lake.
I’m proud to say I attended two “No Kings” rallies. Activities here at Encore
included: cooking classes with Chef Mary; Trivia Nights (won once!) and Large
Pot Bingo (didn’t win); 4th of July BBQ; Encore Fashion Show;
Friendsgiving; and an enchanting night with mentalist James Knight. Let’s
not forget the Days of the Javalina here at Encore! While our new Mesa Gateway Library was under
construction, I joined a crowd to sign one of the beams before it was placed, for both Lew and me. Heck,
I even made a pilgrimage to Organ Stop Pizza!Home
Improvement: Hey, I
had my house painted! And, um, I got a new kitchen disposal. So…moving
on.
Loss: My good friend and mentor, Sue
Wilson, passed away. It’s hard to think of that whirling dervish of energy
stilled and I will hold dear all she taught me forever. Millie and I lost several
dogs we’ve seen on our walks since we moved here: Buddy, Lulu, Sam, Luca, and Millie’s
first dog-walking bestie, Sunny. But we’ve also gained little Asher, and new
neighbors Bisbee (with her mom, Jenn), and Izzy (Shay and Tony).
 |
| Donny & me, just hanging out. |
Shows! How fun to get out to see some live
performances! I finally saw “Wicked,”
at the Gammage; also finally saw “Dear
Evan Hansen” at Mesa Arts Center.
In Las Vegas, I saw Donny
Osmond (again), a show called “Piano Man,”
with songs from both Billy Joel and Sir Elton John, and because Barry Manilow
cancelled due to illness, a consolation show called “Soul of Motown,”
which turned out to be fun and fabulous! But it was the trip to New
York City that ramped up the show tunes. From being swooped free into a new Broadway
show (“The
Queen of Versailles,” rightly closing a month later), to front row at “Just in Time,” to second row for “Art” – it was an amazing
trip. Read the blog.
Reading: With a blog titled I’d Rather be
Reading, you better believe I’m making an effort to read more! I read
some fabulous books in 2025, from my great friend Nancy’s first novel (Dying
for Donuts) to my favorite Encore Book Club choice, The
Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn. I’ve added so many titles to my To Read
list, it’s almost daunting. Almost.
Writing: And speaking (again) about my blog –
I’ve rejuvenated it (again)! It’s a bigger deal to me that I write it, although
I hope it’s finding readers out there. While reading Stephen King’s On Writing, I accepted his
challenge to write a little short story from his starter suggestion. Too much
time has passed; he no longer feels an obligation to read/critique these
stories. But that’s OK – my writing group liked it, Christine critiqued it, and
I’m proud of it. And, oh yeah – I wrote my first real poem. I submitted
it (as one does), and it’s gonna be published, you know, like a real poet. Stay
tuned on that!
Health: I went to a chiropractor for months
last year, I started going to the clubhouse gym and walking solo after
Millie’s morning walk, I donated blood, blah, blah, blah.
Millie: This was the year we found out
Millie has a bit of heart murmur, so we pulled up our big girl pants and dove
in headfirst to figure out what all that means. Turns out, it means visits to a Dog Cardiologist every three months
(this year, we’ve graduated to every SIX months!), measuring her resting
breathing rate with a special doggie heart app (Cardalis), and
medication twice a day. And I’m happy to say we survived a weekend in the ARISE Emergency veterinary care in
June. Beyond all that, Millie has settled into Kate’s Retirement Life even
faster than I have. She loves having the backdoor open all day, the 3-4 daily walks,
begging for snacks, and dashing from the backyard to the front yard, barking at
what turns out to be nothing. It’s Millie’s life, I’m just living in it.Heading into 2026 be like: Book clubs, creative work, blogging/writing, travel, another Schwab baby arriving, and Millie. Bring it on!
 |
| Gratuitous Javelina photo, because I know you all wanted one. (Photo by Steve Baune) |
Comments
Post a Comment