Year in Review

According to Nickie, "What you're supposed to do is take the first line (I just went with sentence), from the first entry of each month. When the subject was part of the first sentence, I copied both of them."

So here goes my shot at this....

January: Well, here I am, FINALLY starting a blog. I finally caved to the pressure. ;-)

February: THE CONTINUING SAGA OF A MIDDLE-AGED SINGLETON

March: You know you're in trouble when........you google 'horoscope' hoping to find some good news for your life out there.

April: Coming up for air

May: Peace... The past weekend was difficult for a few reasons...

June: I guess an explanation is in order

July: Pursuing that half full cup

August: What I learned on my summer vacation... Okay, so I didn't have a summer vacation but....

September: Midnight Meanderings

October: Well, apparently I was absent in October, which explains November's first entry:

November: Where did I go?

December: Wonder of the season.... of the year, actually. After some really dark times and coming to peace with a lot of it, some good things appear to be coming my way.

So there you have it. Not terribly profound. Doesn't provide a lot of insight into my year. What IS clear is that my blogging ritual has really slowed down and I don't see that necessarily changing, but who knows?

What's also clear to me tonight on New Year's Eve (alone yet again, something I'd really dreaded but I'm finding I'm okay... of course the alcohol is probably helping), is how very glad I am that 2006 is OVER. Transitional years may be necessary but they tend to be painful. And I'm very grateful for all those who blessed me with their love and support. I'd not be here without them. And I'm VERY appreciative that the last few weeks have been entirely different in so many areas from the previous 18 months and have offered some pleasant surprises. I'm feeling deliciously spoiled.

I'll never forget you, Michael, and you will always be a part of who I am. I'm letting you go now. Thank you for ALL of it.

Cheers to those of you still reading and here's to a wonderful year of health, laughter, adventure and love in 2007!

Wonder of the season....

....of the year, actually. After some really dark times and coming to peace with a lot of it, some good things appear to be coming my way.

There is reason to hope that 2007 will be a much better year for me personally than 2006.

I'm sleeping better more consistently. The FM pain is still there but it's been manageable for almost a month as long as I'm careful. There's even real possibility of effective treatment for fibromyalgia in the foreseeable future. My best friend, my sons and new daughter-in-law are along for the ride. After a LOT of negative experiences with online dating sites (from being rejected the moment my pic was available to rudeness - it was unrelenting in its variety - to an acquaintance rape situation last month that entirely undermined me for a while), and finally getting to a place where I was really okay alone and possibly even better off alone for various reasons, someone nice has come into my life. Remember the list? He fits, not just a little bit but very specifically. For now, anyway. It's been a pleasant surprise and it's fun exploring a new friendship, wherever it may lead and however long it lasts. I'm enjoying the kindness I seemed to have seen so little of for too long. I've sorted out some other friendships, let one go, rebuilt another, am considering what to do about a third one.

Last Christmas when I was once again decorating by myself (my younger son couldn't care less about the decorating *chuckle*), missing Michael and missing my older son who was away yet again, with every ornament reminding me of one or the other or both, I decided that this year I would make some changes. So I changed my colour scheme after 26 years of the same, started picking up ornaments back in January with that in mind and am enjoying the change.

I realize now that 2006 has been a year of transition all the way around. From changing my surroundings, becoming more creative, stepping outside my comfort zone in every area of my life, standing up for myself, plunging forward. There have been a lot of growing pains and I'm sure there are more to come, but tonight at least I'm feeling capable of weathering the storms.

And, in the meantime, there are pretty lights to photograph.