Welcome, 2016

As the year comes to a close, rather than dwell on the nightmares highlights of my 2015--which are mostly not-so-great and will be the topic of a future book--I will focus on 2016, which represents a clean slate and a fresh start.

My son is spending New Years in London visiting a friend who lives there. He paid for the airfare with money he earned working at Merroir over the summer.  I couldn't be more proud of him for being curious, brave and resourceful enough to make the trip by himself. To make it even better, he will be meeting two friends of mine from college who live in/near Cambridge. That my son and college friends will be meeting for the first time in another country absolutely thrills me.

Daughter, in the mean time, is filling out her application for a passport in preparation for a trip to Quebec after she graduates in June.  She hopes to hear about acceptance to college in January.  In the mean time, she's in the throes of her last high school basketball season, and thus far the team is undefeated.  I'm relishing this precious time with her as we brace for the transition to I'M GOING TO BE AN EMPTY NESTER SOON WHAT WILL I DO WITH MYSELF? college life in the fall.

As for me, I am looking forward to an impromptu trip to San Diego next week thanks to my college friend Iris, who is going there for business.  Given the horrific 2015 I had, she offered to pay my airfare there!  Although I could give a million reasons why I shouldn't go--not the least of which includes all the time I've missed from work due to car accidents and surgeries of late--I'm realizing that the time is now to do the things I want to do, and I can no longer take for granted that there will be a "later on" to enjoy life.

I hope that 2016 brings you joy and good health.

Happy New Year!

Mathews Christmas Parade, Part II

Here are shots of some of the equine entries in the recent Mathews Christmas parade.

Santa Claus sealed up the end of the festivities by sailing in on a bright red Ford.

Merry Christmas.

Mathews Christmas Parade, Part I

Saturday's sunny skies drew a great crowd for Mathews County's Christmas parade.

There were way too many, my ears are still ringing lots of loud sirens.

And several silent striders.

It was warm enough to wear shorts!  I'm guessing those guys in the heavy cloaks and fluffy, feathered hats were wishing they'd opted for another outfit.  Bermuda shorts, polo shirt and a pith helmet, perhaps? 

This look says it all: "Meeeeeeerry Christmas!!  Is this over yet? It's 70 degrees out here, and that's in the shade, which I'd sure like to be sitting in right about now."

There were some real cuties in this year's parade.

How I resisted the urge to go cup this boy's cheeks in my hands and
smother him in kisses is beyond me.

Hello, neighbor!  She and her husband--who attended the Waverly Lane Christmas party later that evening--sponsor the high school's robotic team.  

The cast of characters was seemingly endless.

Be still my heart!  Someone else in Mathews has a crab hat!!

This is my favorite daytime parade yet, there were so many more unusual entries and lots and lots of horses, which I love. These are but a few of many photos I took; I'll post more later in the week.

In other news, I am still at home resting up from my surgery and return to work this Friday, just in time for Christmas and New Years.  But I'm feeling stronger every day.

It feels good to feel good.

Moving Right Along

I'm still here.

Right here, on Queens Creek, the same as I ever was.

The recent events of my life have been the equivalent of at least four Lifetime movies.

I could write a book about each major event, they're all lengthy, dramatic, quasi-incredible stories.

It was as if someone was testing me, to see how much I could take at once.

But, for whatever reason, I'm still here, alive and convulsing kicking twitching.

Right now, I'm recovering from my last major surgery for 2015.

So far, so good. I should be back to normal, whatever that is, soon.

Today I went on my first walk since the accident back in October.

It took me 39 minutes to walk two miles!!!!

(This is unacceptable; but all things considered, I am grateful to be walking, talking, typing, writing, twitching convulsing and alive.)

The whole family has been impacted by stuff.  And not just my stuff.

My mother was hospitalized for two days for an infection.

(She's fine now.)

My father has been having a very rough time of it for a while.

(Chronic problems that have worsened.)

But here we are.  Alive.  Pressing forward.  Doing the best we can.

I am very, very grateful.

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I hope to return to blogging more regularly as time permits.  I also need to write a book about the recent events of my life, but I'm not sure when I'll find time to do all that.  Right now, I'll just commit to a blog post here and there.

(But there is an unbelievable book--based on a true story--just brewing inside me.)

I hope all of you both of my faithful readers are doing well.  Thanks for stopping by.

I'm still here.