Year of the Wood Snake

Happy Year of the Snake! Me, my mother, and my grandmother share this sign in the Chinese Zodiac, so the three of us should expect good fortune. Moreover, it's the Year of the Wood Snake. This is specifically Mom's element, so things should be even better for her. I'm Ground and Grandma is Metal.

Since my brother has an interest in reptiles, I asked him to match us with snake species, taking our elements into consideration. He said I'd be a Woma Python, a type of large burrowing snake, adept at crossing hot sand. He gave Mom the Brown Tree Snake, known for their cat like eyes and mouths, capable in the canopy as well as the forest floor. Grandma got Grey Ratsnake, their colouration meeting her element of Metal, as well as the fact that they inhabit places similar to where she lives.

My brother's a Water Monkey so I said he could be a Japanese Macaque, the only primate, save humans, to live so far North. They enjoy bathing in natural hotsprings, which relieves them of the cold of their snowy habitat.

Usually I do a Year in Review. My final post of 2024 was basically a review of every year except this past one, so it kind of turned me off the concept. Now we're almost through January, so we can just say I'm reflecting on this past Year of the Dragon instead. I'll probably still use Western chronology...

Previously, I'd said that the theme of 2020 was COVID. 2021 was learning to live with Lee-Anne. In my 1000th post, I'd noted that 2021 had my lowest count for entries, and fewer personal events than any other year of my life. The only thing of note was us adopting Finn. We hadn't even moved in together in 2021, we did that late 2020. But the theme of the year was creating a household together during the languishing period of COVID.

In 2022 I got my diabetes diagnosis and managed a surprisingly strong recovery. In 2023 me and Lee-Anne got married. For 2024, since she was slotted to have her intra-cranial exam for her seizures, I figured that year would be about Lee-Anne's epilepsy options.

Well, that didn't get to be as much of a focus as we would have liked. She did have the intra-cranial exam, followed by a meeting with a neurosurgeon. But they hadn't processed her data, so we had to wait for that. After that came in, we got to see the report, but we needed to wait for a neurologist to read it to us. Then we needed to schedule a meeting with the neurosurgeon again. This all took about a year. We've got a meeting coming up next week. It's always tough, because the opportunity to proceed with treatment is scary, but the constant postponements are disappointing.

In addition to this, 2024 was a real crapshoot. My mom and brother's house burned down. We had to evacuate their stuff, they had to move into our two bedroom apartment with us, we found a new place for them in our neighbourhood, and we helped them rebuild their household.

My granddad died. Trump won the US election with all manner of sinister promises.

We did get to visit my grandparents that live in Northern Ontario, which I hadn't managed for a long time. That was nice.

2025 New Year's Resolutions

 Last year I resolved to:

• Reach post 1000 on The Gryphon's Perch by adding 42 entries
• Make 60 posts total including the satelite blogs
• Walk 40 km on average weekly
• Do two strength trainings on average weekly
• Find a way to feel valuable

Let's see how I did:

Reach post 1000 on The Gryphon's Perch by adding 42 entries

I achieved this one! On December 31st, I made my 1000th post, which was a summary of the main events that happened each year that the blog has been active. Reading 14 & 1/4 years of my life to prep for it was trippy.

Make 60 posts total including the satelite blogs

I updated my food blog 20 times, with recipes for: General Tso's chicken, pork schnitzel, cream of broccoli soup, energy balls, chicken tortilla soup, Caribbean rice & beans, cheesesteaks, fresh pasta, zucchini fritters, quickles, jambalaya, fried okra, broccoli salad, dahl, macaroni corn casserole, tourtiere, chicken cacciatori, the "Do the Brussel" burger, fried green tomatoes, and loco moco.

Just by adding my food entries, this brings me to a total of 62, fulfilling my resolution. But I also made 5 reviews and I posted twice to my gallery. This brings my total to 69.

The gallery posts were both photos-based, one of Kenabeek and one of Victoria Park. I didn't do any paintings I felt were worth making their own posts for, but I did do these:

I also made a few attempts at an aurora borealis that didn't quite work out and another version of the tarot-style sun/moon with colour gradient. I tried drawing the tree in our backyard with coloured pencils too

Walk 40 km on average weekly

My average for 2024 was 44.3. Ever since 2021 when my goal was 25, I've been increasing it by 5 annually. I managed to get close enough to the next interval that I feel obligated to increase it again. I don't want to at the moment though. I was sick this week and wasn't able to do much walking, and we have a polar vortex going on, which is discouraging to go outside. I'll still make it a resolution to walk 45 km average weekly in 2025. My mom always aims for 50, so maybe I'll settle at that number when I get to it, having doubled my original goal.

Do two strength trainings on average weekly

I went long stretches where this was true. I came up with a game, where I have a character on an adventure that he only gets to progress if I exercise. I'd write a new entry every time I worked out.

After my mother and brother lost their house in the fire and moved in with us, it cut down on floor space, making it difficult to do strength trainings. After they left, I found it challenging to get back into a routine. So I'll make the same resolution this year, in the hopes that we don't have to host anyone this time

Find a way to feel valuable

I made this one because I'd watched a "How to ADHD" video explaining that people often fall out of allignment with their goals. She suggested that instead of asking yourself "What do I want to accomplish", you should ask "How do I want to feel?". I thought this was intriguing, and decided to try it for at least one resolution. I was able to identify that I wanted to feel valuable, but I couldn't find a way to do that, so I just left it as a goal to try and figure it out.

To be honest, I remember all this now, but I forgot to try and fulfill it shortly after the post. I suppose I proved my value incidentally after the fire, just by being able to provide shelter, help with documents, use my network and such, but meh. I don't really think I achieved this one.

I'll say I succeeded at 3 out of 5 of my resolutions.

Resolutions

I'm going to relax my posting schedule. I'd been wanting those 1000 posts for a long time. I don't want to give this blog up completely though. Previously, I'd set a minimum of 35 posts anually when I hit an all-time low in 2021. I kind of forgive myself for that particular year though. After doing my summary of the entire blog, I realized that 2021 was the least eventful. My brother pointed out that while we remember 2020 as the year of COVID, everything was still new and strange. The year following was when panic transitioned to languishing, so it makes sense that my inspiration was low at that time. We did get Finn that year.

Anyway, I'll return to previous years targets, and just say minimum 35 for this blog, 50 spread over the satelites.

As I said before, I'll increase my walking goal to 45 km weekly, and I'll try again for two strength trainings on average.

As far as health-based resolutions go, I found success in an area that was a surprise. After being diagnosed diabetic a few years ago, I've been on a health journey. I thought it would start with a focus on nutrition, then when I got comfortable with that, it would progress to activity, and eventually I wanted to try intermittent fasting. I even had it as a goal for 2023, which I never felt ready for and dumped the following year in favour of an emphasis on exercise.

But I did try it. I started with 12 hour fasts. It was surprisingly easy. If you're hungry, you don't have to ask yourself what you're going to eat or how much, you just have to ask if you're in your fasting window. I was comfortable enough that I increased it to 16 hours.

Something improved that I didn't expect. One morning I woke up feeling better rested than I had in years. I didn't think too deeply about it, but the next day and the day after were the same. At that time I had to ask myself if I'd been doing anything differently and I realized it was the fasting.

It hasn't helped much with weight loss (I've lost five pounds this year) but it has helped immensely with sleep, which is something I've always struggled with. I don't want to sound like a shill for this method. Everyone's body is different and I don't want to perscribe an umbrella solution. But it's been good for me, and I would like to resolve to continue with it.

I'm not going to bring back finding a way to feel valuable, but I will commit to an emotion-based goal. Lee-Anne's been reading a book on the sensation of awe. This is what you feel when you observe something greater than yourself. People associate it with nature, art, spirituality, moral beauty, confrontations with mortality, and connection with others. She wants to try and experience more of this in the new year, and I said I would try along with her.

I also want to cut down on my screentime, engaging in less media that is algorithm-based. I don't trust these corporations to have my best interests in mind when choosing the information I consume. So I'd like to spend more time with "cold media", things that can't immediately be changed, such as physical books.

So with all this being said...

In 2025, I resolve to:

• Make 35 posts to The Gryphon's Perch
• Have a total of 50 posts between my main blog and its satelites
• Walk an average of 45 km weekly
• Do strength trainings 2 times per week
• Commit to a 16 hour intermittent fasting schedule
• Seek out experiences that evoke a sense of awe
• Consume more cold media

Grattitude Jar 2024

This is the second year that I'm posting the contents of my grattitude jar.  Like last time, I've omitted confidential information. In 2023 I had 73 grattitudes, while this entry only has 53. The first one had things like "Living close to the Iron Horse Trail" which still holds true but I wouldn't bother repeating, so I don't think I'm less grateful this time around.

Since these were written on construction paper and thrown in haphazardly, I can't guarantee this is in chronological order. I did make an attempt to put them in "clumps" when they relate. 

Context occasionally given in brackets.

"Seeing what were probably bats on the Iron Horse Trail"

"Having two neurospicy coworkers" (I myself am neurospiced, which is why I'm mentioning this)

"Finding a good stick to use as a window jam" (Our window stopped working for a bit, so we needed to find something to jam it with. When winter came around, the regular lock started working again. Don't know why)

"Medical system progressing Lee-Anne's journey. Schedule for intracranial observation set"

"Being in a country with an accessible enough medical system to give this as an option for Lee-Anne"

"Living in a time where we can understand Lee-Anne's epilepsy"

"Lee-Anne's procedure is on Purple Shirt Day" (Purple Shirt Day is Epilepsy Awareness Day. Even her neurosurgeon said her procedure being set at that date was "auspicious". Some coworkers and members wore purple in her honour)

"Lee-Anne successfully getting through initial surgery for her epilepsy observation"

"Lee-Anne being supported to make a complaint after a bad experience with a nurse"

"Finding a 4 leaf clover token"

"Getting some time to myself to recuperate"

"Getting the salad bowl that was ordered for our wedding shower last year"

"Developing a strategy to keep workout routine engaging"

"Playing the new edition of Super Mario RPG"

"Having a good vet clinic" (One of our cats, Finn, had an emergency where he was urinating blood. We took him in. He was diagnosed as anxious with a delayed reaction from the Christmas season. We got him treated and he's been doing well)

"Finn feeling better"

"A workshop provider forcing some introspection on coworkers"

"The solar eclipse being cool and my boss bringing eclipse glasses"

"Running into the mother of someone I used to support and learning that he is doing well"

"Getting to experience Akira Toriyama's work" (The writer for the Dragon Ball series passed this year)

"QAM went well" (The audit system for where I work. I've been there for six years. Apparently they used to come in almost annually, but the pandemic backlogged them hard, so this was the first time I've experienced it) 

"Seeing a Via, Go, and Ion train all crossing the same spot at the same time"

"My mom & aunt made it to Kenabeek" (Where my grandparents live)

"My mom, brother, and their cats getting out of the fire alright" (When Mom was gone, there was a house fire that compromised their home. My mom, brother, and there two cats would have to live with us until they could find somewhere else)

"Family in Guelph having enough community to step in"

"Managed to get seeds to sprout sunflowers in each of the jiffy pots" (This is the only grattitude that aged poorly, as none of these sunflowers would survive. I grew three batches, but they were all eaten by pests)

"My mom and brother getting to try Graffiti Market and Thai Bistro"

"Getting the chance to show my mom and brother the Pokemon Go routes I've made" (Fringe benefit of them needing to live here is that I was able to show them some local attractions)

"Kieran & Finn and Castor & Pollux all warmed up to each other" (Our two cats and their two, learning to live with each other)

"My brother being supported by his partner in California" (My brother left to stay with his partner for a few months after the fire to collect himself)

"Finally doing Tie Dye" (When I couldn't find a purple shirt for Epilepsy Awareness Day, I remembered that I could use tie dye. I bought a kit, but also regular dye and wound up making a normal purple shirt. Eventually I made some tie-dye stuff)

"Went to the cherry festival for the first time and it was a lot bigger than I thought it could be"

"Harvested a lot of peas, got a tomato, and two cucumbers on the way"

"Hearing that an old teacher told one of our students that I have a beautiful soul"

"Being lent the complete works of J.R.R. Tolkien"

"Going to Central Art Walk and Frederick Art Walk"

"Running into some old coworkers and people I used to support at Frederick Art Walk"

"Getting new bookmarks, dryer balls, a sketchbook, and a calendar for 2025 at Frederick Art Walk"

"Getting to stay at St Jacob's for mine and Lee-Anne's first anniversary"

"Running into an old WALES member at St Jacob's Market"

"Running into my old boss and his wife at Stanley Park Mall"

"Seeing a fox outside Hospice Waterloo Region" (Not because anyone was dying. I was job shadowing someone, and when we left there was a fox)

"My mom and brother got accepted into an apartment right across the street, rent controlled with dishwasher"

"Pollux & Castor moved to the new apartment" (They didn't go right away, we waited until the place was filled out a bit)

"My mom and brother were given an armchair and couch from Lee-Anne's grandma's old place" 

"A coworker gave my mom and brother a coffee table and dining room table"

"Family friend helped us move the Guelph stuff out of storage"

"Finally getting that citrus painting from Lee Angold, which we first saw at the Central Art Walk" (Mentioning her name because she is a public fiure)

"Finally going back to Kenabeek, seeing it in Fall for the first time" (A place that was central to my childhood, but I hadn't managed to visit in recent years)

"Finding my old clubhouse in Kenabeek still intact"

"Reading my old childhood books in Kenabeek and showing Lee-Anne"

"Granddad got to be with his wife and daughters when he passed" (My granddad with dementia, not from the Kenabeek branch)

"Granddad passed while listening to his favourite symphony: Mahler #2"

Granddad's Memorial Service

Here is Granddad's obituary, mostly written by my Aunt with input from Mom:

https://obituaries.thestar.com/obituary/dr-barent-landstreet-jr-1092502209

His Memorial Service was held on January 2nd at the retirement community that he'd been living in with Oma. They have a lobby downstairs that is large enough to accomodate a gathering. It was held here because they wanted to make sure that family could make it, as well as friends and neighbours that were local to the community.

 It was a Quaker ceremony. I knew that we had some ancestry, but honestly didn't know it was immediate enough to count as our nearest faith system, at least on that side of the family. I liked it though. Quakers don't plan speaches, so they celebrate in silence, allowing anyone that feels compelled to talk to briefly say what's on their mind.

There was a very slight irony that the person explaining the format read the bit about not having planned speaches from a piece of paper.

I didn't quite have it in me to talk. I'm comforted a little by the sentiment that we were able to support with our silence. I wonder if my quietness comes from my Quaker roots.

I'll share a few of the thoughts I had while I was reflecting on my relationship with Granddad during the service. Nothing too profound.

I remembered waving to each other all the way until he was out of eyesight after his visits to Guelph.

I remembered that, during a road trip to see my Great Grandmother in Philedelphia, he was playing an audio biography of Beethoven. As an adult, it wasn't too sad, but it had some melancholy beats. I asked him and my mom why they would listen to something they knew would make them feel bad. The answer I got was that it was "sad in a good way" and when I said that didn't make sense, I was told that "I'd understand when I grew up". Well, I'm grown up now and I do know. I think this was the first time I considered that there was merit to life outside of happiness.

He was the reason I used to listen to classical music when I was trying to sleep as a child. I had insomnia and it helped.

I remembered that when things were hard when I was in high school, and our households were not speaking. We'd email each other and rendezvous somewhere for a meal and to catch up.

He's probably the only reason I had any real familiarity with restaurants before I became an adult. 

Here is a display in his honour set up at the service.

After the ceremony, we took his ashes to High Park. He used to run there regularly, as it was in his neighbourhood previous to retirement. I used to go on hikes with him there. My aunt gave the family 20 jars and invited us to either scatter them or take them home. After some thought, I figured that I didn't know which was a better way to honour him. So I chose a tree to scatter my bottle under, and Lee-Anne kept hers.

I thought that, because he was sociable I should put it somewhere that he could see people moving by. I found a spot near a walking trail and river, overlooked by this tree.

 

I also took note of a memorial bench nearby, just because those are always distinct and unlikely to be moved. A way to make sure I could find my way back.

He neighbours Marjorie and Stan Collinson. There's an engraved quote that says "Memories are precious, life goes along, fill it with caring and love"

Maybe not hyper-specific to our family, but it fits and it's a nice sentiment.

Mom thought similarly and split the difference with the ashes she was given, scattering some and taking some home. She says she wants to spread some near where they're currently living, and some near mine and Lee-Anne's place.