Diaversary

Me embracing my inner Moira Rose on my Diaversary. Video to follow.

 It’s been quite a while since I’ve written on my blog - between COVID; lockdown, work, delaying my big COVID meltdown until end of June/beginning of July and followed two weeks late by a Lis Franc sprain at the end of July, working, and hustling for work, pen to paper and writing about myself for my own blog was damn impossible. 

 I kept promising myself I was going to write a blog post tomorrow - but then when tomorrow arrived I’d push it off again. 

But I’m writing one today!

43 years ago today I was diagnosed with diabetes and spent my Halloween in the hospital instead of trick or treating and have spent the past 43 years living and sharing good, the bad, and the diabetesalicious of it all. 

Every year I write a Diaversersary post listing things I love/ I’m thankful for and in no particular order. - with the total corresponding to the number of years I've had diabetes. 

2020, I won’t let you take that away. 

So here’s my 2020 list of 43 things that I'm grateful for and hope you can relate!

1. My people. My friends, family,including YOU. You all make my world a better place!
2. Speaking of friends - Lucy the Elephant.
3. Smart Insulin - you’ve made my life easier and my body healthier. With that being said, let's get your prices lower - people are dying because they can't afford it!
4. My garden. It made my summer, which was spent social distancing and nursing a bum ankle much easier to bear. It also made my salads much tastier. 
5. Dove Ice Cream Mini Bars, variety pack. Seriously life-changing.
6. Sex
7. Speaking of life-changing, I’m thankful for Time in Range - it’s a diabetes game changer!
8. My honest and caring mechanic  - Thanks for being honest and giving me a great price when my car was having issues  - Very much appreciated!
9. The beach. Even though I didn’t spend a lot of time on this year (because people were being idiots re: social distancing,) I’m so grateful to have grown up at the beach and to have access to it as an adult.
10. The Ocean. See number 8.
11. Being able to attend MOMA’s Dorothea Lange' Words & Pictures Exhibit this past September.
12. Dorothea Lange’s photography
13. Being an Aunt because it's a fucking gift from the heavens. I love my nieces and nephew so much! 12 unique and individual works of art.
14. Democracy. 
15. Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg - May her memory be a revolution.
16. Music. Silly to say, but music makes my heart sing.
17. Waking up and realizing that I have an hour before my alarm goes off.
18. Becoming a better baker. Thanks to my friend Pam (who bought me a beautiful and solid bundt pan last Christmas because she thought it would help me chill I made my first bundt cake from scratch a few months later. During lockdown I perfect banana and banana blueberry muffins, this week I’m attempting pumpkin :) 
19. NetFlix  - you know why.
20. Hoka ONES. Seriously comfy sneakers.
21. Schitt’s Creek: Best. Show. Ever. 
22. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar - book by Cheryl Strayed . READ IT.
23. My camera. I bought a Canon 35 mm camera a few years ago with 300 and 80 degree lenses. LOVE IT.
24. Insulin pumps - making my life easier since 2002.
25. Dark chocolate caramels with sea salt. AMAZING.
26. My Mac laptop I bought 16 months ago.
27. CGM. It makes life easier - except when it doesn’t. 
28. Dogs. DOGS RULE
29. Homemade Soup. I have mad soup skillz.
30. The color green. It makes me feel healthy, beautiful, balanced  - and it makes my eyes pop!
31. Paper plates - Lockdown means dishes are never done. Paper plates make my life easier. The environmentalist in me struggles with this, the chief dishwasher (ME,) is thankful and works especially hard to be environmentally conscious in other areas of my life.
32. Both Sweetzels and Ivins Spiced Wafers
33. Cheese. I’m a cheese lover and self-proclaimed cheese slut. 
34. PBS 
35. Lipstick. I wear it every day and under my mask!
36. Ray Collins Photography 
37. Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
38. Goldenberg Peanut Chews - Original Dark Chocolate
39. Prosecco 
40. Nature
41. Jewel color tones. I’m just not into tan -with that being said, I appreciate a warm and smartly tailored camel hair coat.
42. Jewelry. I love jewelry - whether it’s a macaroni necklace a little made me, costume, or the “real stuff - I LOVE SPARKLE.
43. The Diabetes Online Community. You’ve changed my life and life with diabetes for the better and I love you all so much!