December 6- 28, 2025


December 6, 2025
freak accident Friday

So. I was knocked down. By a car.

In early October, I was enjoying the nice weather, walking laps in the circle driveway. I noticed my mother's car approach on the street; she stopped and turned in the driveway. I thought she would take the path toward the house and unload her groceries, so I turned my attention back to maintaining a good walking pace.

But I looked again and she was headed right for me! I was knocked down and landed on the ground by the driveway. It all happened so fast. I know the car hit my right leg near the knee. I'm not sure, but based on friction burns on my back, it appears I rolled across the hood of the car.

Now I know how stunt people feel. #Ouch

I was definitely rattled but okay. I got right back up on my feet. (Hello, adrenaline!) But a few hours later, I was standing in the kitchen, and I suddenly felt weak and had to sit down. (Goodbye, adrenaline.) Plus, as the day went on my right knee swelled and started to hurt.

I went to the ER to get checked out. It took subsequent trips to the orthopedic doctor and an MRI to determine that I had a small fracture on my tibia, near the knee. By the time they found it, it had started to heal.

It’s been just over two months since the accident, and for the past week, my knee has been back to almost normal. :D

I'm sure it goes without saying that I would have preferred to avoid the physical discomfort, the waiting-and-seeing, and the medical expenses. But, for some time now, I'm choosing to trust that when God allows something in my life, He will use it for a good purpose. In this case - honestly - from the start, I've been counting my blessings.

1. As I kept telling the fam, “It could have been so much worse!” My injuries were minor. Except for the first day, the pain was not terrible. The only prescription pain med I took was the one I was given at the ER. I did three and a half days of ibuprofen (recommended by the ER for the swelling) and after that, I haven’t needed anything else for pain.

2. At the ER, since my head hit the ground, they x-rayed that, too. Thankfully, the scan showed no issues from the fall, but the doctor spotted a sinus infection. I had been a little stuffy for several weeks but didn't realize the problem was to a scannable extent! The ER doctor offered to prescribe an antibiotic, and I accepted.

3. Because of my experience recovering from the jolt in my April 2024 car wreck, I understood that the healing process often includes somewhat unpredictable patterns of pain. So, this time, I didn't freak out so much on the days when a new wave of aches surged.

4. The accident happened at the beginning of the government shutdown, and so I was working from home. I was able to continue working from home for the full 43 days of the shutdown. By the time I went back to the office, my knee was more than ready for the added activity.

5. When I thought I might need knee surgery, I considered the many ways that would impact my life. I didn’t need surgery - praise the Lord! - but I hope to parlay this new insight into being more proactive to help friends and family in their infirmity.


December 28, 2025
» a year in review - 2025

1. What did you do in 2025 that you'd never done before?
* met with 20 co-workers, all of us wearing plaid flannel shirts, and took pictures of us in silly poses to make a calendar for the boss's Christmas present
* attended AI training courses
* was provided a standing desk to use at work
* made a purchase at the gift shop at work
* endured two dental crowns in one year
* fractured a bone, had an MRI, and was treated by an orthopedic doctor
* learned that people can purchase toys for their chickens(!)

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
For 2025, my resolution was in the form of a word: intentional. I quickly forgot that it was my resolution word… but I often did it anyway. Time and again, I intentionally chose faith over fear. With an even busier work schedule, being intentional in identifying which To Do's are for now and which must wait was a necessity.

My 2026 resolution, "start with heartfelt prayer," is already underway. Start with because it is critical to prepare for the day's battles; heartfelt prayer because when life gets busy, my prayers can be somewhat rushed and routine.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
no

4. Did anyone close to you die?
no

5. Where did you travel?
Only to local cities that I've visited before. I frequently drove to two local cities in one day. #DrivingMyLifeAway

6. What would you like to have in 2026 that you lacked in 2025?
A job with long-term prospects. In my fall performance review, the boss shared that while they are very pleased with my work, given the current federal work environment, they do not see any near-future openings for advancement.

7. What date or event from 2025 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
my accident

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
getting some medical checks that I've been putting off - including one biggie #GoodResults #ThankYouJesus!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I often had to apologize this year. Alas, even more times than that, I needed to apologize but didn't.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Multiples of each. A sinus infection lingered. A skin rash aggravated. From March to August, an ill-fitting dental crown left me unable to chew on the right side of my mouth. In October, a freak accident resulted in a fractured leg bone and several weeks of back pain.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a new computer

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
my co-workers, who surprised me for administrative professionals' day with flowers and a gift card

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The hospital billing department. I received a (large!) bill in late November and paid it onsite with the hospital cashier. However, they soon sent a bill marked Past Due, and the on-line system was still not showing my payments either. On Christmas Eve Eve, I had to take the morning off of work and go see their cashier in person to be certain their records indicate it is paid in full. Which they did.

14. Where did most of your money go?
medical bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
when I could make time to accomplish an extra task in the morning before I leave for work

16. What song will always remind you of 2025?
"Let It Be A Hallelujah" by Lauren Daigle
(Also, "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" by Culture Club)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? happier
Older or wiser? older, having had more age-related issues than in any prior year
Thinner or fatter? fatter
Richer or poorer? slightly richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Had interesting projects that filled my days at work. That was the case in the spring and summer, but not much at all to do in winter and fall. And volunteering to help others repeatedly proves fruitless. Apparently, I've *got* to be a squeakier wheel. ;)

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
shied away from speaking up

20. Did your heart break?
went through some hard days - and weeks! - but not quite breakage

21. How did you spend Christmas?
I worked on these questions and reflected on the year. My mother, my sister, and I opened our gifts around nine-thirty, after I set up our 28-year-old, low-frills video camera. I told the Christmas story from Luke 2, using some props left over from a children's Sunday School lesson. I took pictures of our gifts and made lunch (a frozen entree: stuffed peppers). I walked outside to enjoy the pleasantly mild weather. The fam and I ended the day watching DVDs.

22. How will you spend New Year's Eve?
I have to work, but it should be slow because nearly everyone else is on vacation. Hopefully, I can take my usual walk during lunch. Later, the fam and I will watch DVDs, and then ring the new year in as we typically do: sleeping. (At least, we will attempt to sleep, because the neighbors can be counted on to go overboard with fireworks.)

23. What was your favorite TV program?
I continue to devote my TV time to familiar "comfort food" shows. This year, I have especially enjoyed Chuck, Monk, Remington Steele, Greatest American Hero, and the original Beauty and the Beast TV series.

24. What were your greatest food discoveries?
A coworker's homemade snack mix with chocolate candy, peanuts, pretzels and various cereals all coated with white chocolate. I waited to sample it, but after I did, I went back. Three more times. ;)

25. What was the best book you read?
God Always Has A Plan B. Its collection of Bible verses and encouraging quotes by Christian authors helped steady my nerves during medical room wait times.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
A happy rediscovery. A vague line from a fave-but-mostly-forgotten song has been stuck in my head since the 1980s. This year, I remembered a few more of the lyrics, and finally my Internet search was successful: "Call Me" by Dennis DeYoung. I have since savored the video many times on YouTube, to make up for not hearing it nearly enough back in the day.

27. What did you want and get?
I did not need surgery for my knee injury. #PraiseTheLord!

28. What did you want and not get?
I wanted to accomplish more in purging junk from the house. Still, I am glad to say I made small, consistent efforts for much of the year, even with a changed work schedule that requires more of my time.

29. What was your favorite film?
In keeping with our Christmas-time tradition, we watched two of my all-time favorites, While You Were Sleeping, and Babes in Toyland with Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves. <3 <3
I also enjoyed part of the first X-Men, from the year 2000. (I had to use my imagination for the last half since my DVD has aged poorly.)

30. What did you do on your birthday?
Took the day off of work, computered after breakfast, toiled in the attic to collect a load of junk to toss, went grocery shopping, stopped to print at Staples, did chores, watched an episode of "Beauty and the Beast," and worked on a few volunteer projects. In the evening, I went to the midweek Bible study at church, where I was serenaded with Happy Birthday. <3

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I could have continued working from home. Earlier this year, I described returning to the office five days a week to a friend: "I mostly feel rushed and tired, running from one To Do to the next. My weekends are jammed full of chores, and even then I don't get everything done." Thankfully, since I wrote that, I've prayed for wisdom and gradually introduced routines that have helped bring order to the chaos.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2025?
still casual but aiming for a hint of style at work and at church

33. What kept you sane?
Encouragement to keep trusting in the Lord Jesus in spite of lingering perplexities. I clung to this quote noted in my 2016 prayer journal: "Someday you will need this piece of the puzzle."

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
My past fondness for certain dreamy musicians and TV characters resurfaced throughout the year - to my delight. <3

35. What political issue or news story stirred you the most?
I was repeatedly exasperated to find doomsday predictions, opinions, speculation, and other non-news headlines filling a so-called news feed.

36. Who did you miss?
Two of my department's managers retired. I miss T's outgoing personality and relentlessly positive outlook. And I surely miss R, one of only two people who took time to explain some of the processes to me.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
a couple from church, Shane and Jennifer

38. What changed the most in your life this year?
I began keeping my active files "in the cloud" (no sensitive data, of course). I switched to decaf coffee only. My family doctor retired and so I have started seeing a new one. At work, I changed from working two days at the office to working five. At church, I gained a new co-teacher in Sunday School (thank you, Mary!) and a new batch of lively fourth graders. I switched to reserve status with the praise team, initially because of my leg injury and more recently because they keep having a stage full of others who want to serve. I am happy to share. :)

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2025.
"I will not let that bitter root grow." That line from a fave song* became an anthem for several weeks. When a "bitter root" thought sprang up, I nipped it in the bud by declaring that line in my head and turning my focus to something more productive.
*"Tornado" by Sarah Groves

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
This time, not a song lyric but a Bible verse:
"So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16

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