Christmas Letter 2022

Happy Holidays to all my Friends and Family.

The New Year started with me at my hotel job with a coworker answering phone calls for the hotel shuttle to drive them back from the bar. Next day started putting decorations away. Started a candle business trying to earn extra money and busy making heart shaped candles for Valentine’s Day thinking any leftovers can be sold for weddings the rest of the year. Got all my Covid boosters so I could continue working. We got pounded with 14.3 inches of snow that my front wheel drive SUV didn’t like making turns in and got stuck pulling into my driveway. Neighbor came over to help shovel my tires out to get the SUV into the garage. My dead-end street is always plowed last in the city, usually 24 hours after the snow ends. Watched the Olympics on TV. Celebrated ferret Boromir’s 5th Birthday. Visited Mom for Valentine’s Day and gifted some candles. Celebrated sister’s birthday at her home with her family. Wrote a children’s book for Easter about the ferrets teaching the kittens how to trap the Easter Bunny. I got an Ebook distributed through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Google Play, some Dutch bookstore, and a British bookstore. I sold 1 printed to a coworker all together. No royalty check for me from the publisher this year. Donated 4 candles for an online charity auction and 2 of them sold. I told the pet page holding the auction they can do whatever they want with my donated items that failed to sell.

Applied to 3 farmer’s market for the summer. 2 accepted me but had to turn down 1 explaining with 1 farmer’s market already set was all I could physically handle without any help. Held a fundraiser for a pet page in Ukraine promising $1 for every candle sold until Easter. I sent the pet Patreon account (Youtube thing) a total of $35. They still post updates so still alive. Celebrated ferret Luthien’s 6th Birthday. Went the “The Magic Flute” at the Des Moines Civic Center. Went to the eye doctor for new glasses and they said, “Congratulations, you need bifocals”. It sucks getting old, even worse, getting old alone and few people care about you. After 3 years waiting, I finally took my nephew to the Elton John concert at Wells Fargo arena. Who’s a good aunt? We ended up purchasing the same rock t-shirt. I swear this kid is my twin (it always feels great to rub off my nieces and nephew). Spent Easter at brother’s house with family and it snowed. Was mother nature intoxicated?

Had the return of a Red-Tailed Hawk to my yard’s bird feeder in the spring (they migrate down south during the fall). Had to guard the ferrets when they went out to prevent them becoming lunch. Celebrated Mother’s Day lunch with Mom and siblings. I received a “From the Cat” Mother’s Day card from my sister. Viewed a lunar eclipse at work and made my coworker go outside to see it too. Went to my niece’s high school graduation. She is going to college to learn business management. I told her that if I ever open my own gift shop, she can work for me. IF I ever get there with my new candle drop shipping business. For the farmer’s market I decided to add wax melts which are candles without wicks. Missed my brother’s birthday party due to blocked streets for some marathon competition through downtown and around Gray’s Lake. Won a contest to win new sample fragrance oils from the candle making company I buy my oils from. I bought larger versions of all the samples cause smell so nice. Visited Dad at the cemetery with family. Come into work for the 4th of July to find 2 coworkers quit. Great. 1 quit 3 times so unsure why they keep rehiring them. Missed the fireworks but did see a parade with family. Made a wreath for Mom’s birthday gift and took her to the store to choose flowers. Store was changing locations so everything was 90% off. There is a God.

Had adventures driving the hotel shuttle when drivers decided not to show up for work and not call either. We have flight crews who need to leave for the airport on time or the airline get fined for late departure flights, which screws up their flights the rest of their day. I can’t get last minute cabs so have security watch the counter while I take the flight crews to the airport (2 round trips). One airline contract we lost at the end of November and then the drivers suddenly become more responsible about showing up. Nice. Celebrated Nephew’s 18th birthday. Celebrated my 47th birthday at my hotel restaurant with family (I'm a night auditor). Had my last farmer’s market at Valley Junction. Won’t be doing that market next year, didn’t sell very much to make up the expense. For some reason people keep asking if I am selling soap. My ferret Eowyn died a few weeks short of her 8th birthday. She died while I was holding her. Buried her in the backyard with the other pets. Got fall scented candles ready for the Beaverdale Fall Festival since I missed their farmer’s market. It rained early in the morning so had to bow out. At 1 Valley Junction farmer’s market day, a rainstorm arrived and soaked my stall, so I had to replace 17 paper boxes.

Our new front desk manager quit without telling anyone, so I got 16 hours of overtime that week. Hotel had a Halloween Carnival and I dressed up to run a game booth. It was popular and ran out of toys. Beggar’s Night was great with about 30 kids, usually I get 9. Celebrated cats Bilbo and Misty’s 4th birthday. Participated in an Etsy Cyber Sale offering 20% my merchandise. I received 0 orders. Celebrated niece’s 19th birthday. She loves my candles so much I gave a gift card for $50. Took ferret Luthien to the vet for a swollen 3rd eye. They thought she has lymphoma like Eowyn did. My poor baby. Celebrated Thanksgiving at sister’s house. Had a great sale at my hometown Milo’s craft show during their town-wide Christmas celebration. Sold more there than any suburb farmer’s market day. Good to come home. Strange how I lived in Des Moines and West Des Moines for over 20 years and Milo still feels like home. Got my Christmas decorations up during my extra day off. Then soon after, caught a fever and had to stay home from work for 2 days. Boring! Once the fever broke got work on Christmas chores like putting ornaments and wreaths online to sell and writing cards and letters. Next chore is baking. Christmas will soon be here. Probably be working and visiting brother’s house for dinner later in the afternoon.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Jordan

Bilbo, Misty (cats)

Luthien, Boromir (ferrets)