The Sallie Mae Pay-Off Cake (This Year's Best Accomplishment)

After sixteen and a half years making payments toward one of my student loans, I finally paid it off last Friday morning.  

And made myself a celebration cake to beat all prior celebration cakes.  :)  A glittering rainbow,  some shiny coins, a goodbye scroll, a few smiley faces, a bluebird of happiness?  OHHH YEAAAH, it's got it all.  :)

I first took out this student loan in the summer of 2000, a month or so before starting grad school at New York University.  That is so many lifetimes ago now, it seems, so all the better to have all the payments for it finally completed.  

Even with jobs, grants, and scholarships, the student loans were also always necessary for me throughout college and grad school, but the debt is quite a burden to carry, and as with everyone after a certain age, if I knew then what I know now and could redo it all, who's to say. . . .And I still have an insane amount of student loan debt, but let us celebrate today what we can, right.  Never again having to pen into my journal my new-and-improved Sallie Mae balance is an accomplishment. 

I have been keeping diaries and journals since I was nine, and while looking through some of my old ones late this summer, I soon grew tired of seeing how many times I'd written "My Sallie Mae balance is now down to $[whatever-amount]" or "Another payment today.  New balance:  $[whatever-new-amount]."  Blah blah blah, entry after entry, year after year. . . .When I was twenty-three. . .Thirty-three. . .Thirty-nine. . .Until I got sick of it late this summer and sat down with pen and paper to figure out how much I'd have to work to pay it off by the end of this year.  THIS year, finally.

I calculated my wages, my usual number of hours/week and hours/month, what overtime would maybe be available throughout the fall, and how much extra I'd need to do in order to make the final payment on this loan by New Year's Eve.  I came up with the number of extra hours I guessed I'd need to work--and I worked them.  And worked them, and worked them. . .days and nights, going back to work after just a few hours of sleep from the shift before, giving up days off to get a few more hours. . .the past three months. . . .And I ended up working only one hour more than I'd estimated that I'd need to and actually paying it off two weeks early, so all my estimates were spot-on.

I gave up what was to be my second visit to Boston, in October, for this.  I had already booked the flight and gotten the days off work but decided to be a grown up and do this instead.  'The  right thing to do, but I so wanted to be there in the fall. . . .It was to have been the weekend of David Ortiz's final game with the Red Sox and of an Oktoberfest-themed 5K race I'd intended to run.  My designated "Boston days" found me back at work here instead.  Life goes on, and I'll get back to Boston sometime, and now the loan is paid off. . . but the trip would have made for some sweet autumn memories. 

I made the final payment last Friday morning, hours after returning from a week of "merry early Christmas" with my family and set out for the grocery store for cake-baking and cake-decorating supplies soon after.  ♥  The cake was the classic Hershey Celebration Cake but with hot coffee and buttermilk replacing the hot water and milk per an Ina Garten recipe.  Candy-tape made the rainbow, I dolled up a few yellow gumballs for the smiley faces, the coins were easy to find with Hanukkah candy this time of year, and I crafted the bluebird and scroll out of homemade marshmallow fondant.  It is not the most prettily-frosted cake, but I was too tickled by the cause for celebration to care.  :)

And I called my dad--who had warned me in summer 2000 not to take out this loan in the first place, but I had just turned twenty-three so knew everything and didn't listen to him, of course--to tell him the good news. ♥ 

Stuffed was unimpressed and remained on his warm radiator-perch all afternoon.

I should have followed his lead, as it turns out, for I came down with the flu Friday evening and was sicker all weekend than I'd been since early 2012.  But until then:  happiness and cake!  :)

Even if fatigue ultimately caught up with me, I reached my goal and have kissed this debt goodbye.  And the fresh new journal I begin next month will be the first in almost seventeen years that won't mention it.  And the flu has now mellowed into a cold, and there are still two slices of cake in the fridge.  :)

♥

The Face of Christmas 2016 :)

When Niece Bianca, who is somehow now three years old, first saw my parents' Christmas tree decorated and with colorful bundles already under it--even before Santa's arrival, ooh! ah!--she immediately ran over to the gifts and tried to unwrap one.  My mom repeatedly redirected her:  This one is is actually for So-and-So. . . .We only open our own presents. . . .You can open them when you come with your mommy and daddy on Christmas Day. . . .Awhile later, little B carried a present over to my dad and said, "Mimi"--my mom--"said I could open this."  :)  Dad was amused but not buying it and eventually was able to distract her with a book.  When Mom next returned to the living room, though, Bianca was caught in the act yet again, sitting under the tree holding her stuffed animal and trying to tear into a gift.  "My bear wants to open one!" she explained.  :)  Dear sweet little imp.  Look at that FACE.  :)  ♥ 

Patchwork Walls with the Christmas Tree

It took a few days longer than anticipated, but I finished patching the walls Saturday afternoon and got the tree up yesterday afternoon.  I love both:  the walls turned out exactly as I'd envisioned and the tree is my favorite one yet.  A package from my mom arrived Saturday afternoon, so there even a few presents under the tree already--blocking certain curious cats, hopefully, from chewing on the tree's lower boughs. 

I'll add my set-aside framed pictures to the walls after Christmas when this becomes my writing corner.

Most of the mishmash of wall fabrics are from Mom and other loved ones.  The Old English Sheepdog sketch fabric was a gift from my friend Kent, the pink chenille was from my grandparents' house, the blue floral and the green gingham were from Mom, a few of the floral handkerchiefs were flea market finds from Mom, the long-stemmed pink roses-on-white fabric was a 69-cent pillowcase I found at Goodwill with Mom one of the last times I was home, the few small patches of coral roses were cut off an old sweatshirt from my rag bag. . . .Thus I used most of the fabric I'd had stored-away here--and a hearty "Yeaaaaa!" to that. 

As my fabric-supply dwindled, some of the patches had to be reconstructed in a way that was especially patched--

--but it all turned out as I'd wanted. 

The touches of green gingham on these tiny walls are across from the green gingham curtain I have dividing the kitchen and dining spaces and diagonal from the green hutch in the corner, and already this small apartment looks so much cozier and so much more tied-together as a result. 

The tree is a simple one, only four feet tall but up on a tray-table and decorated with some favorite ornaments.  Most everything on it is handmade and/or a gift from someone.  (And most ornaments are from Mom, it seems.)  The skirt is one of my tablecloths.  The angel tree-topper was made by friend Sommer's mom when I was eighteen.  I made my stocking, and I think Mike's was a gift from my younger brother.  Stuffed's stocking is one of the rare things I saw and just had to buy, but it was too perfect to pass up.  

He snuggled up with it again last night when I unpacked it from its box.  The green snowflake cookie ornament next to it was a gift from Mom, as was the Chickadee ornament below that she painted. 

The pastel green patchwork pear was from Mom too and is actually a pincushion. 

. . .Pale green ice skates from Mom,

glittery pink deer from Mom,

a sign from my friend Madai,

a dear and detailed ornament from Aunt Laurie of the Cratchit home from A Christmas Carol,

a pink snowflake cookie from Mom,

a salt dough ornament I made of Stuffed years ago,

another Chickadee mom gave me,

and a few ornaments I've found, like this snowy window from a thrift shop about ten years ago,

two $1 doves from Barnes and Noble I glued together and joined with a heart,

a simple gingerbread man from the $1 bin at Target,

and so many snowflakes and handmade salt dough hearts. 

The only ornaments that seem to be missing this year are the pink candy cane salt dough ornaments I made years ago.  I've found the yellow, blue, and green ones.  An afternoon spent watching a Christmas movie while twisting salt dough into candy canes would be lovely, though, so. . .one of these days.  Next is Christmas card-mailing, and the sewing of an in-joke ornament for my dad, and otherwise I'm all set until a few days before the holiday when I begin baking.  I finished my Christmas shopping November 29th.  I get a little more organized every year, and despite having worked so many hours of overtime the past three months, this really is the most on top of things I've ever been with all this.  'Am quite proud of that.  'A few weeks now, then, to slow down and just enjoy it all. . .to look up from a good book every few pages to admire the newly-patched walls, and to nap with Stuffed in front of the string lights.  Bliss.  ♥

♥

Today's Pre-Christmas-Tree Project: Patchwork Walls

After being bothered year after year by the bare wall behind-and-beside the mantel--and that is always behind our Christmas tree in pictures--I finally figured out what I wanted to do with it:  patchwork, of course--and set to work.  

I went back and forth about it for awhile this morning but decided just to use dabs of hot glue to hang the fabric pieces since I've already told the apartment's building manager I'll fix up the walls with a fresh coat of paint whenever the day comes to move out.  If I have to spackle/patch a few more spots before repainting, I'll live.  Scrap by scrap this morning, then, the narrow strip to at least one side of the mantel was transformed.  The rest will have to wait until tomorrow, but ooh la la, even this much just SENDS me.  :)

Below is what it looked like pre-Christmas tree last year. 

The green floral wall is only about three feet wide, and the formerly-bare one a little over two feet.  After Christmas, this tiny corner will become my writing corner.  I've already chosen a (black) corner-desk, since the two desks I've inherited from grandparents are both still at my parents' house and neither would fit into this little apartment anyway, and I have a few other things tucked away in the bedroom closet to add to my writing spot once it's all set up.  Before that, though, it'll be the corner for the tree. 

By tomorrow. . . !

And between this and the patchwork lampshade I dolled-up in September, I'll have used almost my entire stash of saved fabric pieces, which is a most satisfying little accomplishment.  It annoys me to have bags of things like that sitting around or squirreled away, especially in such a small home.  Stuffed approves. 

Ah, home! 

Love, love, love!  And soon, there will be a Christmas tree and twinkling lights in this picture--All the better.  ♥

Making My Day

Mike is out of town visiting family and sent this picture to me today from his parents' home while I was at work.  Ha!  They're everywhere, these crazy hearts. Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating today, and a good day to you all.  ♥

Sunday Morning

I do find the best graffiti.  ♥

Pantsuits, Perfect Weather, and Patriotic Fudge: Election Day 2016

As I've said before, I love Election Day.  I'm happy to see everyone out and about and in the often-long lines at the polling places, no matter to whom their votes are going.  I myself was in line at seven this morning, and forty-five minutes later was walking home in the most gorgeous November weather wearing my "I voted" sticker. 

'More than a few "pantsuits for Hillary" at the two polling places I observed today, and there were likely as many Donald Trump supporters beside them.  Peace to us all.  ♥  I love this day.  I love that people care enough to take the time, period. 

I made up plates of Grandma's fudge to take to the volunteers at the two polling places nearest me.  My original plan had included taking fudge to both Hillary Clinton's and Donald Trump's campaign headquarters, as well--♪ What the world needs now is love, sweet love ♫--but when I walked a plate of fudge over to Clinton's listed headquarters, the office/storefront was already boarded-up and padlocked--I thought it would still be active at its stated address at least through tonight--and Trump's headquarters were in two suburbs of the city too far for me to get to this evening.  My good wishes and respect to us all, then, but Grandma's fudge ended up going only to the volunteers.  :) 

'Returns-watching the rest of the night here for me, and tomorrow, my second run since mid-August.  I'm finally healthy again--thank you ♥--and happy to enjoy what's left of this beautiful autumn.  It is a day of hope here, to be sure. 

To and From Work ~ So Goes October

A cough lingers, I'm still a bit stuffed-up, and I feel worn out from two weeks of this.  This oh-so-eagerly-anticipated autumn has, officially, started without me.  And my cold has coincided with what has felt like a thousand overtime shifts at work I can't get out of, so it is already a wearying fall.  All that said, I still feel worlds better than I did even a few days ago.  And I found these three hearts along my walks to and from work yesterday and today. 

Ah, love!  Here's to a brighter mid-October and a healthier November (for me, for us all, and for this county, for that matter).

Onward!  ♥

Sick-Day Chair-Stealer

The cold continues, but the cat is cute.  ♥

Last Heart of September

It's been a soup and tea-filled weekend as my first cold in many months rages on.  'A couple more days before I'm scheduled to return to work, though, and here's hoping the extra rest does the trick.  It's finally fall, my favorite season, and that finds me happy, cold and all.