The older you get, the faster time flies.  My mother, Gert Svarny, has been saying that to me for years.  She also has added over the years “Wait until you’re 60.”  Or, “Wait until you’re 70.”  Then it was “Wait until you’re 80 and you’ll see how fast time whips by you.”  You would think that living in a small, remote city between the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean would mean that time would just forget about you.  Or at least drag by slowly.  But it doesn’t.

Since my last blog post in February of 2011 (!!!) much has happened.  All of the ordinary stuff, of course, like holidays, birthdays, spring, fishing, berry picking, and teaching.  I’m still making medicinal products from plants.  I most certainly am still creating chocolates.  I almost killed myself last winter trying to dig us out of the most never-ending snow of winter.  We grew our Aleutian potatoes again this year.  A couple of milestones this year were my son marrying his love, my youngest daughter going back to school, my Dad turning 86, my oldest grandson entering 5th grade, helping mom, dad, and Caleb replace part of the foundation of mom’s and dad’s house, my sister and nephews moving to Anchorage, my husband losing his gall bladder, my daughter losing her appendix, and me stopping my consumption of wHeat.

Mom and Dad hosted the most rip roaring Christmas Eve party again this year, and to give ourselves a break, Mom and I decided that instead of the New Year’s Eve double birthday extravaganza that we usually have, we are all going out to dinner!  We’ll have some appetizers at the folks, go to dinner, come home to watch the midnight fireworks, and cut into 2 birthday cakes – one for my husband, Caleb, and the other for my mother who will turn 57 and 83 on January 1st.

See?  We are trying to slow things down.  We want to have more time to enjoy each other.  More time to work on art.  And, darn it, we are going to go on more picnics this summer!  Even if it means a menu of crackers, cheese, and olives.

So my mantra for the coming new year is to simplify.  And to look as good as my mother when I reach the age of 83!  And fie on time flying.