A Year In Review

This has been quite a year!!  2010 was better than 2009 for sure.  I sure do hope 2011 is even better!


We had a LOT of snow in 2010!  If that doesn't happen this year, I'll be very happy!  At least I have 2 very eager brothers who are more than happy to shovel my driveway and make some money!  Now if I can just figure out how to teleport myself to work so I don't have to drive in the snow!


2010 brought continued good health for John.  His stem cell transplant seems to be doing the trick, and for the first time in 3 years, he is 15 months in remission!!!  We hope and pray it stays that way!


My son graduated Summa Cum Laude from college  in May with a degree in Business marketing and minor in Economics.  He's waiting tables until a real job comes along!  It's so tough for some of these new graduates to find work.  I'm not sure if he's being too fussy in where he's applying or what.  Hopefully he can begin his career very soon!


My oldest daughter got engaged and will be married in July 2011!  Her fiance' did it in the best way I've ever seen!  She threw him a surprise 30th birthday party.  He knew all about it.  He bought her an engagement ring while she was visiting her best friend in Ireland, and proposed to her in front of all their friends (and her sister, brother, Daddy Dearest, Maleficent and me)  at his party!!  She was so shocked!  He totally hijacked his own birthday party and turned it into an engagement party!


My youngest daughter finished her first year of college on the Deans List and announced that she really wanted to be a hair stylist.  So in September she started beauty school is very happy!  It was a good decision for her.


In 2010 I also broke down and agreed to meet Maleficent.  I found her to be very ordinary.  When it finally came down to it, I realized, finally, that I really didn't care.  This was huge for me!  At least I know that I can be at family function with her in attendance and not cause a scene!!!  Just in case, I probably should abstain from alcohol when I'm around her!  I told my sister-in-law (who was also smart enough to divorce my ex's brother) that maleficent was the trophy wife.  SIL said "Oh she is NO trophy!"  I love my SIL.


2010 was a time when I tried and failed to lose weight.  I quit smoking 19 years ago.  If I can do that, why can't I get this added weight off?  I am making yet another attempt on Monday.  


This past summer, John and I had a great time on vacation in Ocean City, MD.  I conquered my fear of heights by going parasailing!  I'm still afraid of heights, but I did something I've been avoiding since 1981 (the first time I chickened out)


It was the year of broken things.  My dryer, my hot water heater, my dishwasher (although it still runs), my bed (that was fun!!)  TMI??  Sorry!  Got my fingers crossed about my car!  It's 8 years old today and runs great!!  Knock wood!!)  


I'm sure there's more to add, and I probably will do a new post when I think of things.  In the meantime, I must get to work.


Happy New Year everyone!!!  I hope 2011 is better for all of us, in health, happiness and finances!

There are 2 more new posts below this one!  I was playing catch up!

Good Riddance, 2009!!! and I Resolve.....

With only a few hours left to the year 2009, I've been thinking what kind of a year has it been?   I had some good times, I had some bad times.  For the most part, I'm happy to see 2009 exit and I'm hoping that 2010 will be a much better year ahead for me and my loved ones! And for you too!

I did a Pro and Con sort of thing with the events of the past year.  A lot of the events have both Pro AND Cons to them!  Sounds odd but you'll see what I mean soon enough.

This past year brought a lot of stress and worry with John's cancer coming back not once but twice!  His oncologist (a brilliant woman at University of Pennsylvania Hospital) told him this Lymphoma was the kind that likes to keep coming back again and again, and boy was she right!   They did an autologous stem cell transplant (they used John's own stem cells) this past summer, and so far (knock wood!) it seems to be working!!  John is as strong as he was when I met him over 3 years ago!

But this year also brought a lot of joy to go along with the cancer, strange as that may seem.  John's illness brought us closer and closer together.  We made a pact to fight as a team and not think about the possibility of John dying.  We did, however, make sure his wishes were in writing to protect him.  You know, I never once thought he might die as a result of his treatment.  I sure am glad he proved me right!

This year, my youngest graduated from high school and went away to college.  On the plus side, MY YOUNGEST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND WENT AWAY TO COLLEGE!!!  WOO HOO!!!   Empty nest!!!  I have my life back!

Like so many others, this year has been a bit of a strain financially.  Thank goodness I still have a job (and more importantly, so does my ex, since he has to pay me spousal support for 5 more years!)   I did miss work here and there with John's illness but my boss has been fantastic and worked with me when I needed the time off!

I got to meet (virtually at least)  a LOT of truly terrific people here on Blogger!  What a fantastic community of caring people!  We've shared births, deaths, loss of jobs, getting new, better jobs, new hairdos, weight loss, illness, recovery... so many things!

We've laughed with (and sometimes AT) each other, cried at losses, got pissed for the each other when someone did you wrong, rejoiced at marriages, mourned the loss of marriages.  

We've journeyed all around the country with travelers, lived vicariously through those of you who live in exotic places, dreamed of seeing some of the places you've all described.   You know, I've always wanted to see so many places in the world, and this past year, it made me realize there are so many wonderful places to visit right here in our own country (Oh Lord!  Now I sound like Dorothy Gale!).  I'd love to visit Ireland and Greece but I also REALLY want to see Alaska and the Grand Canyon and Florida and Arizona and Hawaii and the Great lakes and Canada (I know it's not part of our country, silly, but it's right there!  Just north of me and it's connected to us even!)

I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions.  The last time I successfully made a resolution was 1991, when I resolved to quit smoking.  I'm proud to say I haven't picked up a cigarette in 18 years!  I KNOW if I do, I'll be buying a pack before the day is out, so I don't dare!  And even after 18 years, there are times when I crave a cigarette!  I am sorry to say, however, that I have become one of THOSE ex-smokers, who really dislikes being around cigarettes. (I swore I never be like that).  I am not unhappy that smoking inside restaurants has been outlawed in Pennsylvania.  Hey!  That's just me!  :)

But this year, I thought I'd try to make a few resolutions that I might actually be able to keep.

I resolve to try to take better care of my finances and maybe I won't get hit with overage charges to my checking account.  All the money I spent last year on overages,  I could have taken my vacation last summer (who am I kidding?  John was getting chemo the week I was supposed to be in Ocean City, MD).

I resolve to try to get my blood glucose levels under better control.    I will lower my carbs, stop buying candy and other junk food.  Hey!  Maybe I might actually knock off a few pounds in the process!

I will try to read as many books as I can in the next year (I read 20 books this year!!).  With my Kindle, all the print books I've bought and haven't read yet and all the audio books I download from the library, this should be an easy resolution to keep!

So, good bye 2009!  Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!  And hello 2010!  I hope you are a kinder, gentler year!

I hope everyone has a very happy and healthy 2010.  I'd like to wash away 2009 and start fresh!!!