Happy New Year - 2024

Rang in the year with Snicklefritz.  Last year we missed hanging because The Hubby and I had the nasty flu, this year, all good and healthy!  She and I watched Harry Potter, played several games of her new Uno game and had glasses of sparkling grape juice.  I'm a light weight because we both hit the bed at 11, ringing in the new year with the TV and NYC.  She was okay with that because she seemed tired too.  

Of course I was up early, as usual but it was the quiet time I like to journal and just be alone.  

It was time to start my new journal of the year.  Last year I went through 3 of them with all that happened.  It was an epic year.

Later I started the dismantling of Christmas and was ready to have her help when she woke up.  She's always such a huge help for me.

These ornaments are my prize collection.  For years now I've worked on them and so far I have 82.  I am very careful packing them away, wrapping them in tissue and they stay in the top box, my legacy to my girls.  We got it all cleared out and even had time to start a new jigsaw puzzle before her momma had to get her.  She will be back tomorrow though.  

Later for dinner we enjoyed steaks, a gift for Christmas from friends and black eye peas, my favorite.

The Sun is a Shining

Yes this morning the sun is a shining through my window. The weatherman promises that it will be 74 degrees today, close to 5 pm. I want it at noon today so I can piddle outside and not do anything in the house that I need to do. I promise that I will at least get the ornaments off of the tree and get the gigantic tree crammed into the tree bag to heft up into the attic (what was I thinking getting the mammoth tree.) I will put away all of my old world Santa's that are placed around the house and hopefully I won't miss one as I did last year. He just stayed where he was all year long gathering dust. I will take all of the ornaments and keep them in bags and boxes ready to put away but they will have to stay piled up until the new storage boxes I have ordered arrive. My old storage soft plastic, uh, bags, sort of, well, they have disintegrated. The stitching on the zippers and the plastic have just fallen apart. Besides, this year I will pack stuff a little more careful because when The Hubby helps me get it all down from the attic, well, he tosses and if I miss they fall. I had many broken ornaments and the ceramic tree that was my grandmother's got a chip in the bottom. That WON'T happen again, right Mr. Hubby! I will pack carefully because I have decided that if Christmas next year is like Christmas this year there is no point in putting it all out. I love to have everyone here but it has evolved to going to everyone else's house. I don't like it but it is the changing life we live.

I am always complaining that I need some alone time and the past few days I have gotten my wish. We stayed home from the cabin this past 4 day holiday weekend and since he goes to the office I'm left here at home all by myself. I'm not sure how good that is because, frankly I'm pretty bored. I could clean out a closet, take Christmas down, get a head start on gathering up tax crap, bake, or even read but I don't. I have played on this stupid computer for two straight days, blogging, reading blogs, journal, and playing ClubPOGO. Maybe I needed to just do it and nothing else. Anyway, it is done, the days are past and this is a new day. I will do this post, read a few and then TURN IT OFF! At least that is the game plan.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all!

My first post for 2009...hmmm...what shall I write. I could write about my resolutions for 2009 or my sadness of days gone by or for the future of 2009. I think instead I will write one day at a time, a little of the past and a little of the future. The past is that I slept in bit this morning. Something I have wanted for awhile now as The Hubby usually makes so much racket that I can't stay asleep. This morning he actually slept in and was very, very quiet when he left the room. Nice. I slept till almost 9 am this morning. I didn't wake with a headache, which I should have with a whole bottle of Mondoro Asti and two classes of almond champagne in my system. I took ibuprofen and drank a huge glass of water before I laid my head down and so slept like a baby. We brought in the new year in town this year instead of the cabin. We usually go there and have a progressive dinner with our cabin as the main course but I opted out when I heard the guest list was 36. No thank you! We spent it in town with some cabinites and had a grand time. There were just 5 couples and it was wonderful. We grilled steaks, popped corks, and laughed the evening away with friends. What a nice evening. It almost wasn't though as we were leaving the house The Hubby's cell phone rang and it was a customer whose furnaces and hot water tank were not working. We had installed a new generator for her in case of next ice storm and finished the job this week. Well, somehow either she had a breaker trip or the pilot lights were not re-lit or something but of course being the owner and boss his cell phone rang on New Year's Eve. It never fails. We were lucky that she had half heat in her huge home and was able to wait for this morning till he was able to get by. Whew!

Today I have taken my shower, no makeup and no blow dryer thank you. I will be au-natural today. I feel so much better, let's just hope I stay that way for awhile. The black-eye peas are simmering on the stove for tonight's dinner. I just emailed B&B2 and told them we were grilling pork chops and having black-eye peas if they were interested. They're probably still in bed. I have sent an email New Year greeting to A back in LA. Miss her already but know she had a great time last night.

I smell the black-eye peas simmering away on the stove and the dryer is going round and round with The Hubby's socks and underwear. I haven't turned the TV on today, instead enjoying the sounds of my quiet house on this new day of the new year. Most of the morning I've spent reading many New Year blogs and now it is my time to insert my first entry of 2009. I will also crack open a new journal and fill it with handwritten thoughts that I many not necessarily share here. Happy New Year to all.

My year in review

The last day of 2008. Well, what do you know. (This website says that this post will be #472.) When I was young I never dreamed that I would live to see the years in the 2000's. That was too far away when I was 18 years old. Now here it is, the eve of 2009. Can't believe another year has literally flown by.

I have been thinking about the past year and it has been an interesting year. We set up The Hubby's best friend and that may lead to marriage. Our oldest daughter B is now a married woman after we threw her a huge wedding/reception. We flew to California to visit the youngest, A, and my friend (first time for me.) Found a personal trainer and have lost 25 pounds since last January. July spent a few days watching The Hubby on a ventilator in the hospital after his accident. Right after his accident I began having health issues, probably brought on by stress. Now it gets weird. Stressed by the accident. Stressed at still dealing with the loss of my friend and mother and relationships. Stressed by sister pulling a bonehead move with her cat. Stressed with the holidays and the changing of it all. Stressed by the financial strategies we are all facing and the shifting of what I have to do with our stuff and business. I'm just stressed and trying to deal with it all and trying to wrap my head around being 52 years old and still not sure what I want to do when I grow up. Awww, my life. Well, on to 2009. A toast to a better year, let's hope.

Not only do keep this online journal but I also keep handwritten journals and have for many years. I've only been on the online one since 2006 but I also print all of my entries. I keep them in a three-ring binder. I'm afraid that some day they will be gone and for goodness sake these are words that I have written and I AM A WRITER. I may not be published, well, I guess I am if I am on the web, anyway, headache. I AM A WRITER and someday, someone will read these and maybe find them interesting, maybe my great grandchildren. I'm getting ready to close out my 2008 journal and begin the 2009, so today, probably tonight I will write my last entry and tomorrow I will write the new one. I used to do the New Years resolutions but that is just a stupid thing for me. The first one used to be, "I plan on losing blah, blah, blah pounds." Never happened until last year, after I didn't write about it. So no NY's resolutions for me. I am just going to try and survive 2009 'cause I think we are in for a very bumpy ride, even rougher that 2008. See everyone next year.

The Wind Blows

I was awakened early this morning to rain hitting the roof. Too bad it was still too warm from yesterday. I was so hot last night. The ceiling fan was just not cutting it. I rolled around in the sheets and without the sheets just sweating to beat the band. Finally, I drifted back to sleep but was awakened by The Hubby watching the history channel and the rain blowing against the windows. It was about 6:30 and I had to get up to visit the bathroom and take another round of antibiotic. I started to get up and just stay up but the sound of the rain just lulled me back to the nice bed. I again drifted off to sleep and woke up to A roaming around the house and talking to her father. They were chatting about buying her a car and car insurance, 4 cylinder and 6 cylinders, and then they went into maybe she "should" get into selling real estate...yadda, yadda, yadda. I was glad they didn't get into a shouting match. I was impressed that both of them talked like adults. Whew.

Today I plan on spending the day like yesterday...doing absolutely NOTHING! Since I'm trying to get better from this stupid virus I am taking full advantage of resting. The antibiotic is working pretty quickly on this round and hopefully after this I will be finally over it all. A friend had MRSA several years ago and although it is always with you she has not had another outbreak. She was so bad that they thought she might have to have chemotherapy. YIKES! I must get well, I must get well, I must get well. I think if I can stay well for the next few months, no colds or sore throats that I will be home free. I just have to build up immunities. I'm not going out anyway because the virus has popped up on my face and doesn't look real pretty.

Well, I guess I need to get to the reading and resting. Maybe a shower, journal, read and then sleep a little today. I might have to cook later but I already did a wonderful roast and veggies last night, so I've prepared them that it will probably be pizza tonight.

Yee Haw

Here I am sitting at our lake home and I'm on the Internet. I went into one of the extra bedrooms and took my new laptop and tried to get a connection. Lo and Behold I'm connected with the neighbors connection. Yee Haw! I knew he had it unsecured as others here use it occasionally and now I can too. I will always bring my laptop from now own so in the mornings when I want to write or blog I can. I'm very happy. I'm connected with the world. Just kidding. I really like not having the outside interference when I am here as I like being left to my books and my journal, but this is cool.