happy world introverts day!

Did you know that today is a world holiday? 

After all the holidays from November through December 2024 - Thanksgiving, Mawlid al-Nabi, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Pancha Ganapati, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (I’m sure other holidays are in there) - January 2 is World Introvert Day. It’s the day after the festivities of the past year end and introverts can (finally) get some peace and quiet to recharge their social batteries.

I am an introvert and I do love the holidays. Yesterday I fixed the “Last Supper” of the holiday season, our New Year’s Dinner filled with foods that are said to bring luck and good juju to this coming year. It was a quiet dinner, just Todd, Patrick, and me. I missed the table stretched out with two leaves, filled with 10 people, but the table for three was perfect. Actually, we sat at our new island so “the boys” could watch the Ohio State/University of Oregon collegiate playoff game. As much as I missed my people and all the busy-ness that filled the house, I did enjoy starting the 2025 on a quiet note.

Todd grilled baby back ribs that he covered with mustard and a spice rub and then cooked in the oven for a couple hours. He finished them off on the grill - three minutes per side. They were quite tasty. I think he will cook his ribs like this from now on. They get that yummy grilled flavor without getting charred. To accompany the ribs, I fixed ham and bean soup, mashed potatoes, a spinach casserole, and sauerkraut. It’s a lot of food, which means I can send some home with Patrick, but also have some good leftovers. That soup will taste good in the coming cold winter days and the leftovers mean some easy days of meal planning. Patrick headed back home, Todd finished watching the Ohio State game, and I cleaned the kitchen. It was my way of winding down for the evening, some quiet, restorative time.

“Please kindly go away, I’m introverting.” ~ Beth Buelow, The Introvert Entrepreneur

So ends my month-plus of events. Even though it was exhausting, I was so glad it happened, grateful that it happened, and though at times it was overwhelming, it was sure a lot of fun.