winding down the year of hope

each year i like to have a theme. 2008 was/is the year of hope (riding on the tails of the year of fun '07).

the year of hope was fruitful. i had considered having the year of the house, but balked at the idea. too scary, too much pressure etc. then 2 months into the year i bought a house. . . so 2008 was in large part the year of the house. i am hoping 2009 is not nearly as consumed by the house! the year of the house was productive. i learned a TON of stuff, but it was stressful and hard. and probably not really my truest talent.

the year of hope turned out to be a prophetic choice. i had no idea how important the role of hope would be this year when it became my theme.

as you know, i was actively engaged in barack obama's campaign. i actually chose my theme after reading a piece he wrote about hope. i felt like it was not only what i needed but what the world needed. little did i know!!!

so hope played its role. the world made some serious changes this year and so did i.

i bought a house. i am now living alone, big change from living with my almost-sister lindsay. i remodeled a house. significant relationships changed, as they do. friends moved away (i still miss you cooks!!!) there was loss, wonder, fear, and anxiety. all during a time of serious economic downturn and a nail-biting election. i called on this "hope" a number of times. it became a mantra. not always effective, but it did provide a beautiful mattress to fall in when i felt overwhelmed and scared. there is a scripture from the book of mormon that i memorized when i was 20 that i still love, and actually carried me through some of the rocky spots of this year.

"wherefore, whoso believeth in God, might with surety hope for a better world. yea, even a place at the right hand of God -- which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." (ether 12:4)

i am happy to see the year of hope end. (though hope should never end) i am really glad i had it, but it was hard. i believe i am a much better person this december than i was last december, and that is a good feeling. i feel healthier, liberated, and more authentic than i have in years. but getting there is/was a painful process. this felt like a refiners fire. i am now hoping that things can slow down a bit. that i can now take in all the changes, experience all the wonder, and enjoy where i have landed.

i am convinced that i need years like this if i am ever going to live up to my potential. i really want to become the best teabelly i can be. a task i believe impossible without good friends and loved ones.

there are so many people this year who made the year meaningful. as i think back to the people who really influenced and made this year i am overwhelmed by all of the faces and all of the love and help that came my way. any list of people will inevitably be inconclusive and i will feel bad if i miss someone, but i am going to try. here is my list of folks:

annie and vint, ali, aimee, barb, elaine, liz, cheryl, andy and bethany, holly, andy the carpenter, heather the master gardener, sonja, larissa, kamilah, rich and barb mckeown, melanie, julie lopez, my wednesday morning group, diane, the douglas family, josh, kimber and dave, sarah and tomicah, marc and michelle, betsy, my grandma, my mom, and even from a distance -- my dad.

gosh, that is a long list of really wonderful people and really wonderful friends. i am SO incredibly blessed and lucky it is almost crazy!

i do hope you will forgive a comment i'd like to make about two of the most significant players:

i am forever in debt to dianna who stood through this year with me with grace, strength, love, her ever present wonderful perspective on the world and ability to make the best out of hard things. she is a true friend and a wonder. there will be more on this as next year's theme is revealed (be all on edge). i will say that without dianna i wouldn't have the beautiful garden i now enjoy. and frankly, i probably wouldn't have had the courage to buy the house and the design sense to make it so homey and warm without her input. of course, friendships go deeper than home purchases and i guess i just want to acknowledge, as publicly as i can, that i would not be where i am not without her love. plus, we had some wicked fun times along the way!

here are some of my favorite photos of us from our trip to cambodia and laos

hi mike

lindsay also deserves a public thank-you. she too has stood by me through this crazy year. she is a pillar for me to lean on when i am overwhelmed. we have a friendship that has weathered some serious storms (not the least of which is our year of raisingdc). i am so glad that we have this special friendship. next year will probably include lots of changes for lindsay too (stay tuned), and i am excited to stand by and watch where she goes.

my guess is that 2009 will not make change stop (we voted for change after all). how could it, right? but hopefully it will be in less intense dosages.

thanks for following my neurotic passions on this blog. from green home improvements, to obama loving, to gardening tips, to training re-tooling, i often wonder why people (other than my mom) even read this thing. i am not sure many do, but it is a nice way to process the world and keep a journal and share my life with friends and family i love that now are scattered all over the place.

happy holidays! and here is to an awesome 2009!!!!