December was a month of random life lessons and thoughts.

1. Open studio events aren’t for me. Although I enjoyed visiting with each person who came, and the sales were decent, my studio is just too small, and I’d rather be doing other things than sitting inside, listening for cars so I can go help people find their way up the steps to my little shed. 
2. Christmas decorating no longer interests me; in pondering my indifference and reluctance to participate, a pattern emerged. It isn’t just Christmas; I am satisfied with how our house looks and would rather put my energy into other things than fitting in some seasonal tchotchkes. Good to know it isn’t just Scroogism.
3. It is very important to pay attention to all notes and messages from a customer before gleefully announcing that something is finished. Maybe I can call this the Remember Hockett Rule. (This post tells all.)
4. I rarely go to Starbucks – neither Three Rivers nor Exeter have them, and when I am in Visalia, my list is too long and my time too short. But these are interesting: (clickable link that will open in a new tab): Starbucks hacks that can save you money
5. Eyelashes are a big deal; 2 different friends told me about getting fake eyelashes, and suddenly I began noticing them everywhere. Someone even invited a “lash technician” to BNI, my business networking group – that’s a real job title? (Hint: mascara is easier and costs way less.)

   

6. Note to self: ALWAYS check the dates carefully before scheduling a post. Note to subscribers: When I first scheduled this post, I used 2019 instead of 2020 – ugh, confusing to the subscribers. I’m sorry.
7. Christmas can be as hasslesome or as simple as you want it to be. Very little is truly mandatory, and “No, thank you” is a complete sentence. Once all those shows and events were finished, my holidays became simple, with time to crack walnuts, paint a mural, help friends, read a stack of books, write letters (yep, I often write personal letters in response to some of those Christmas newsletters), visit with neighbors, and just enjoy what passes for winter in Central California.
8. Adulthood feels stronger in the S’s. There is a new confidence when dealing with difficulties and customer “service”. Recently, I’ve encountered big mistakes both with the DMV and our phone company. Instead of accepting the default first answers (summarized as “Too bad, Chump, just deal with it”), I calmly pushed through the layers and levels until the bureaucrats did the right thing. Yippee-skippee for adulthood!