I spent yesterday looking back at my year as documented by Nana’s Whimsies. What a year 2014 was!

January

After much waiting, my niece gave birth to Baby Lilly, and Austin surprised us by immediately loving her. Bec and I spent one full day with our friend Andrea as she showed us how to make tamales. The Broncos brought us to our feet by making it to the Super Bowl only to break our hearts on February 2. I attended my first dog show.

February

In our own inimitable style. we celebrated Mardi Gras in typical fashion, with lots of family and lots of food. I made my big transition from nanaswhimsies.blogspot.com to nanaswhimsies.com. It was a good change, and my readership continue to grow.

March

Bill and I had some kind of fun attending an amusement park fundraiser put on by the local high school, though we kept in mind my brother’s adage that death by amusement park is only a matter of time. We also attended several Spring Training games, which always, of course, includes a trip to Portillo’s for hot dogs or Italian beef sandwiches.

April

Our month was full of wedding activities. My niece Kacy and David renewed their vows in a beautiful ceremony at which Bill presided. Maggie and Bec and I spent an entire day making a variety of small desserts to serve at their rehearsal dinner.

We capped the month off on a cruise of beautiful Saguaro Lake with Bec.

May

We returned to Denver just in time to be there for the birth of our 10th grandchild Cole Jonathan. He arrived a bit early, but was healthy as can be. His sisters loved him from the get-go. Kaiya couldn’t keep her hands off of him. She still can’t. You might also recall that was the beginning of my car issues in a nerve-racking experience involving a stalled yellow bug in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Denver.

 

June

In June, I published what turned out to be one of my most popular posts, the story about my not wearing my glasses as a small girl, though I desperately needed them. I attribute its popularity to the fact that the story included the photo of my little friend Addison Kay, who looks adorable in glasses. The month of June was also exciting because it was my first celebration of National Martini Day. I finished off the month with the purchase of two knives from my grandson during his short-lived stint as a Cutco salesman.

July

July included a road trip with Bec to our old stomping grounds of Columbus, Nebraska, where we reunited with a number of relatives. Mark, Maggie, Austin and Lilly also came to visit us and the Austin got a chance to play with his own cousins. I got a bit of one-on-one time when Alastair and I went geocaching. He went above and beyond — literally — to gather a geocache from high up in a tree.

August

Late summer is peach time in Colorado when the western slope peach growers start sending their ripened fruit to the markets. I purchased a case, and made delicious pies. But the best part about August was a visit from our Vermont family, which included a dinner at which our entire family gathered.

September

And if August is peach time, September is green chili time. I bought way too many chilies, and spent a considerable amount of time cleaning them. We also began harvesting our pears and our peaches, and Mylee and I spent one afternoon making applesauce. “I want to put my whole face in the bowl,” she told me. A visit to Bill’s mom in Chicago included one of the highlights of my year — a trip to Eatily in downtown Chicago. September also included several days of keeping three of our grandkids full time as their mom and dad traveled. Our babysitting included a trip to Steak-n-Shake.

October

To celebrate Bill’s birthday, we took a train ride up into the mountains to the pretty little town of Glenwood Springs with some friends. Jen and I also had the opportunity this year to spend a weekend in Estes Park to listen to the beautiful sound of elk bugling for their mates. Bill and I returned to AZ late in October to open up our house after the long, hot summer, only to find our garbage disposal was among the casualties. Bill, never one to scrimp when it comes to household appliances, installed the Waste King 8000 Legend, which could grind up a refrigerator, but which, my friends, we have yet to use.

November

Thanksgiving, of course, is the highlight of November. I offered a Thanksgiving dressing Throw-Down and got lots of response. November was also the month in which I confided to the world that our AZ neighbor may — just may — be a nudist. It was again a very popular post. It just shows where ya’all’s minds are People. Finally, early in November, while still in AZ, the sisters got together and put together a timpano party.

December

And now we come to the end of this wonderful year. I have been writing Nana’s Whimsies for over a year. I have published over 400 posts. I have over 12,000 views and have received 1,006 comments. One thousand of these may have been from my biggest fan and blog manager Jen! It’s been a wonderful year, I’ve had a great deal of fun sharing my life with you all, and I am looking forward to even more success in 2015. Thanks for all your help. Word of mouth has been very beneficial.

I leave you with these two Christmas memories….