What Is And What Should Never Be

This spring we got overwhelmed, as if we were casually splashing and bobbing in the ocean and an unsuspecting giant wave came up and took us under. This spring I worked so much overtime and took on so much more at my jobs while my bosses/seniors had to step back. This spring I lost my voice and turns out that was a virus that lasted like a month. This spring Craig got sick again. This spring I had to quit volunteering at New Leaf which I'm still not happy about but I needed the margin in my week. This spring I watched the first three seasons of Queer Eye twice because it was just the right medicine. This spring also came with flowers, which was nice, and a birthday hike and an Easter walk, a visit from friends, a completed/passed board review, a quick lead in to a very good summer.

This Winter We  - careened through the Christmas season  - spent Christmas Day on a plane (it was great, actually)  - cried during the Mr Rogers documentary  - enjoyed two weeks in Arkansas  - got our fix of cheese dip and Whole Foods  - finally tired of chili (we ate this every Saturday and Sunday for months)  - got hooked on steak pies  - finally went to Crombies for our meat (and they let us use our glass containers! and they're so nice and fun like friends! why didn't we do this sooner?)  - attended our 2nd annual Burn's Supper  - (Jill) applied for, was offered, and turned down a job at a local business I love  - (Jill) went to the dentist (they tell me my teeth are great! they say come back in one year! they charge me £11)  - cheered on Scotland at our first time at a rugby match  - went on a Valentine's walk and donut date  - took more late afternoon walks because the sun stays out later now  - spent a school break week at home at it was so luxu

I'll remember 2018 in yellow. The soft, reassuring winter beams, the joyous canary yellow of springtime gorse, washed in bright blazing sunlight, the golden summer evenings and the subtle shifts of nature settling into fall. It was our first full calendar year in Scotland, and so much of it was defined by the seasons.  We began with a literal bang at Hogmany then slowed to a slog through what felt like the world's longest January. I remember being thankful about the present and optimistic about the future in specific moments, but all the while a cloud of uncertainty and homesickness hovered over us. In February we made deliberate choices to have fun and try new things and believe that Spring would come. In March it finally did. Sunlight returned and our hearts woke up and crawled out from hibernation. April brought blossoms and visitors and a new job for me; May and June continued on bright and life-giving. We walked so many miles, topping up on vitamin D, filling our