55

I'm 55!

I'm 55!

I'M 55!

I'm gonna keep saying it until I believe it. 

I'm 55!

How? How did I get to be 55? (That's a rhetorical question. I know how).

Birthday's rarely bother me. It's a number, not a mind set. And up to 55 I've been doing ok with that thought. But 55 is a number to me. A big number. 

When I was younger, 55 was when people retired. It's when they started getting ready to spend their hard earned cash doing the fun things in life. AARP called and sent you a card. It was your "next part" of your life. 

That's not true these days. It may not be true for me ever. 

And that's another thing, when I think about my life, as I do too often, I like to think that I've done pretty well. I've lived a good life and plan on continuing to live said good life. 

I have had steady jobs. Each one teaching me what I like, or dislike, about working, the people I work with and managers. I believe I'm at the pinnacle of my career and you know what, I'm ok with that in a way I never thought I would be. The ambition is no longer to climb the ladder, but to continue being consistent in my work life. Learn, grown and just be. That's my attituded now. 

I have see the world. Oh boy have I. I've been to places I once only imagined I'd visit. I was never sure after leaving TASIS if I would ever see Europe again. Now I'm seen the majority of Europe and still have more to see. I'm so very thankful for being about to travel and see the world, learn about history, learn about different cultures and experience things that are magical. 

I have friends who love me and who I love in return. In you're 20's you have a gaggle of friends and you believe they are family. Some of those friends stay with you as your grow, but are no longer family. Some of those friends are by your side constantly and stay in your life well into your 50's. Those friends stay as family and welcome the "Wraspir" last name. They keep you level, they call you on your BS, they often give you crap about anything, they love you, they hug you, they eat your food, they listen, they will be there for you. I'm very grateful for those friends. They know who they are and if they don't, then they aren't those friends. 

In 1998 when my Aunt Jean took me to buy my first scrapbook stuff, I never would have guessed that that 30 year old would be the scrapbooking queen she is today. My craft has really come a long way. I love scrapbooking and love even more that it is what settles my mind. The creativity is something I crave and what better way than to create beautiful pages. I've learned a lot. I've taken a ton of courses and have made more pages than I can even count. I shudder to think about the amount of money spent in this hobby, but it is what it is. 

And that's another thing at 55 that I love. I no longer care about what people think about me. I used to really care and used to make sure I was almost perfect so that I could get approval. Now, I approve myself. Social media has made it difficult for people today to be ok with who they are (by "people" I really mean the younger generation) and for me, I'm so very glad that I've grown past that. I'm comfortable in my own body - even if that body is larger than I want it to be. 

And that's another thing at 55, losing any pounds takes significant effort. Sheesh. It's like my 55 year old body loves all those fat cells individually and do not want to let them go. 

And that's another thing at 55, my eyes are having a harder time seeing anything. I have glasses I need to wear when I'm reading or on the computer or reading a menu. I used to marvel at my grandparents wearing their "readers" around their necks dangling from a chain. I'd wonder why they just don't get glasses. Now I get it. I don't need full glasses. I just need ones to make things closer up easier to read. 

So another year has come and gone. I've been on this little blue marble for 55 years. Fifty-five! 5 - 5. I'm not sure how that happened. But at 55 I know I can reflect on the past and look forward to a future that is still bright, a little scary, but bright. 

Top 10 Favorite Books of 2023

Here we are at the end of 2023! It's been quite a year of reading for me. 

I've read 45 books (changed my goal from 50 to 45). Only one I really struggled to get through and think I skipped most of it ( West With the Night by Beryl Markham).

Of the other 44 there were really obvious standouts.

 

All these books I loved and some I REALLY loved. If a story stays with me, I know it was told well, and it had the right amount of plot to keep me interested enough to invest part of my brain to remember. Here are my thoughts on each - in no specific order of like. 

The Storyteller of Casablanca

By Fiona Valpy

This is another WWII book told from a bit of a different area. The family escapes to Casablanca - which apparently a lot of Europeans did. I laughed and I cried my way through this book. It's beautifully written with the present and the past. 

The author bounces you between two characters in two different time periods. What I liked about it is that I never felt lost. I felt always connected to both characters and didn't feel confused. 

Midnight at the Blackbird Café

By Heather Webber

This book came recommended to me from my friend Heather. Her recommendations have never let me down before, and this one was no different. 

Another magical book. The main character has to come back to bury her grandmother and decides to stay and keep her grandmother's cafe opened. The story is told in a way that makes you want to go to Wicklow and eat some of the pie sold there. Beautifully told with a solid plot and characters. 

The Lightkeeper's Daughter

By Jean E. Pendziwol

This book kept me engaged the entire time. It's a great story told in way that slowly unfolds. It has a mystery element to it and I found myself without a clue how it was going to end. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea

By T.J. Klune

You have to have an opened mind and like "fantasy" books to like this one. The children are creatures and if that's not your cup of tea, then this book you may not enjoy. 

Thankfully, for me, this is my cup of tea and I loved Loved LOVED this book. It's such a wonderful story and message about being ok with stepping out of your comfort zone. The characters are all loveable and you want nothing more than to know more about them. 

The sequel to this book is coming in 2024.

The Book of Lost Names

By Kristin Harmel

If I had to pick a top 3, this would be in it. Another Heather recommendation and another book I fell in love with . 

A woman in WWII starts working for an organization that transports Jewish children out of France and safely into another country. She starts writing down their names so that perhaps they can be reunited with their families after the war. 

I love WWII stories and this one was so heartwarming under horrible circumstances. The characters were all well defined and the story reveals itself slowly and in a very thought out way. 

I closed this book and just sat thinking about the bravery, the courage, the foresight that these characters had. 

None of this Is True

By Lisa Jewell

Whoa. Lisa Jewell does it again. She can tell an intriguing story that keeps you hooked and causes you to stay up way too late to read "just one more chapter". 

I had no idea where this book was going and I really wasn't sure how it would end. It gripped me from the first chapter and kept me hooked throughout. You cannot go wrong with a Lisa Jewell novel. 

Finding Heather

By Alison Ragsdale

This was an accidental read for me. Amazon served it up as a "If you liked that, you'll like this" and it was free so I decided why not?  And I'm glad I did. 

It's a lovely story about finding yourself after tragedy. Making hard decisions for yourself in order to move you forward. I found I fell in love with all the characters in this book and had that warm, loving feeling after I read it. It starts sad, but made me smile in the end. 

Demon Copperhead

By Barbara Kingsolver

This Pulitzer Prize winning novel really dug into my soul. It's a story about addiction in a very poor part of our country. The main character swears he won't become an addict like his mother, then due to an injury he does. I found myself yelling at him telling him to NOT take that pill from the doctor. 

I found I got mad at several characters. I was leery of several characters. And I fell in love with some characters. 

This book stuck with me. It was a book club read for November, and I still find myself thinking about the characters and wondering how they are today. By the way, it's fiction. 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

By Matthew Perry

This was my pick for January 2024 book club. I choose it after Matthew Perry passed. I had bought this book when it was first released and there it sat on my TBR list. Then he tragically died. It felt like the right thing to do. I wanted to hear his story. 

I know reading bios that the "stories" are all as true as the author want you to believe. But man did he struggle. Reading this on the heels of Demon Copperhead made me feel like I was an addict. I felt that unless you've been in those addictive shoes, you couldn't possible understand. I have a stronger understanding of the struggle, but I can't even imagine. 

His candid stories of his addiction and how he struggled really hit home for me. Showing that vulnerability for him must have been hard. He was my favorite "Friend" and I felt bad for the life he lived as an addict. 

Are You There God It's Me Margaret

By Judy Blume

If you're a girl and a preteen in the late 70s, you probably remember reading this book when it came out. It was all the rage amongst my girlfriends. One read it and swore it had all the answers about getting your period. Of course it didn't, but what did we know? They rereleased this book and did a movie last year and I wanted to read it as an adult. 

It hits different as an adult. Not the greatest story, but it was heartwarming and really took me back to my childhood. That's why it's on my list this year as a favorite. It's a classic to me.

How'd You Get Your Name?

Well, here we are, mid-December. Christmas is just 10 days away. How'd that happen? 

I've been keeping myself busy doing December Daily scrapping. Basically 31 photos with themes you come up with. Then you scrap those pages and tell the story. I've got 6 more pages left to do for December. 

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my life and the stories I want to leave behind. I had a book I had started answering the questions. Most didn't really apply to my life later in life, so I stopped once it had an entire section on "your married life". Rather presumptuous I think. 

Every day I wish I could ask mom one more question about her life. I've been looking through old photos and have no idea on why or what the story is behind them. 

My grandma Spaid once told me that as you age you think more and more about the life you lived. You review it and think about what could have been, what has been, and what's still to come. She wasn't wrong. And that's why I wanted to document some of my own stories. 

A friend gave me this card set. She saw it on Instagram and thought of me immediately. She thought about how much fun I'd have sharing my stories (whether anyone reads them or not). 

And so today I start with question one: How'd you get your name?

This is another one of those times I'd like to ask my mother to confirm what I think she told me. 

First, I was supposed to be a Jonathon. Her and my dad were sure I was a boy and they had not decided on a girl name. Mom wanted to name me Christina Noel because of how close my birthday was to be to Christmas. Dad said no. 

Dad wasn't home when mom went into labor. One time she said she took a cab, the other she said a friend drove her to the hospital. I'm inclined to think a friend took her. 

Anyhow, when I came out as a girl, they didn't have any names. Mom had heard the song "Jennifer" by Bobby Sherman and had the song in her head, so Jennifer it was. 

My middle name is Joy. And apparently there was a good family friend who lived across the street from my grandparents Miller whose name was Joy.

UPDATE: My Aunt Renee corrected me on the name Joy. I had it wrong. Per Aunt Rene: 

"Joy" came from our cousin Joy. Joy was given to you because you guys lived in Texas where our cousin Joy and Aunt and Uncle lived. Joy is your second cousin." 

I was never a Jenny. Ugh. Blech. Gross. Don/Dad hated Jenny and so it wasn't a nickname ever given to me. I was always Jennifer or JJ. 

Later in life, for a short period, I roomed with several Jennifer's in one room. One was already a Jenny. The other was a Jen with one "n", so I opted for Jenn with two "n's". I prefer Jenn over Jennifer. Jennifer makes me feel like I'm in trouble. 

Dad (Al) later called me J. So J became a shortened name for me. Really only he and some Wraspir relatives call me J. 

Other names I've had in my life:

Fennifer Misery

Wroscoe

TOJ (The Other Jenn)

My name has been spelled with one n (Jenifer) many times. I can't even count how many. It's also been spelled Jenipher from a Third Country National in Saudi. That spelling made me smile.

I was once Jennifer Joy Miller. Then when mom and dad got married, I took the Wraspir last name when Dad adopted me. Then I was Jennifer Joy Wraspir. And that's what it shall be for the rest of my life.