WHAT A YEAR!

Just when my life seemed to be ending with my eightieth birthday, new things started happening.

First there was my birthday celebration, where we all gathered at a resort for five days. A once in a lifetime thrill for me, as I’m sure the trip the previous year was for my husband. I’m constantly amazed that our children have become so accomplished and are able to do such things for us.

Then there was my blog’s first anniversary in September. I couldn’t have expected such response.

I was asked to chair a committee for redecorating our large clubhouse and established a friendship with an interior decorator who gave us an exciting plan. Hopefully, in the next few months it will be competed.

When I suggested an idea for an entertainment at our club house, I met with a group that does “old time radio shows”. They rehearse near our home, so I stopped to introduce myself and ask them to do a program for our “Good Times Club”. Because I already knew one couple there, I mentioned my desire to do scenes from two plays which I had planned to do for several years. Not knowing how to present them because they were scenes from very serious award winning dramas, one dealing with a woman planning to commit suicide, they sat in the drawer for years. The radio show people asked me to bring them to a rehearsal so my friend could read them with me. It turned out that the one we read was so powerful we decided to do it as a play reading vehicle for our whole community. Our readings will be done in March.

I realized my dream of having wood floors installed in our two bedrooms. I never liked the carpeting in them from the time we bought eight years ago. Next year maybe there’ll be new counters in the kitchen.

Once again we held a Christmas Eve celebration for all the family in our home. This time it was totally different for us all. We bought Chinese and instigated a “Yankee Swap” where everyone got one present instead the usual dozens. A few were not happy, but all said they would do it again next year, maybe with pizza.

Although we requested no presents for us, we received a pile of gift cards for restaurants in the area. Over the past year we started to eat out more so they were appreciated.

What can I say about the final gift which I received? I now have my second book in print, thanks again to my son. The first was my cooking memoir; now one hundred of my blogs are in a spiral bound copy. One of his employees worked until Christmas Eve to finish it, which she did in tears of frustration. From my first blog to the last on December 21^st. they are beautifully printed with illustrations. (Of course, you can’t buy it at your local book store.) I was astounded!

What a year I’ve had. I’m so blessed.

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