Happy New Year - Welcome 2012!

Just a small brag - my dining room is just about complete - there's only a small amount left to sift through (and a large amount of trash that might take a couple of weeks to get rid of!).  Here's the purchase I made for the room - to hold my mother's china.  It looks like it should have been there all along!

New Year's Eve eve

New Year's Eve eve - and 2011 is winding down.  I, for one, am happy about that - it's been an unusual and stressful year and I'm happy to see it leave.

It's definitely going out with a bang!  I've been cleaning and moving and re-arranging to beat the band!  Bryan has been a huge help (couldn't have done it without him) - and we've managed to move his bedroom to the front room, leaving the one in the back for an office/study area for him.  There's still some things to be swept up/discarded in there but the bedroom is up and running!  Got a new dresser for the front room - looks good and holds the TV and various pieces of equipment.  Boy was it heavy getting it upstairs!

Today I went and picked up a sideboard that I've been eyeing for some time.  Talk about heavy!!  But we got it in the house and in the dining room - after a lot of sorting of assorted papers and "stuff" that mysteriously (!) appeared there!  Now my mother's china is all put away and no longer is any of it in the living room.  The portrait of the boys is hanging above it - looks good!  Still papers and other things to sort through (piled on the dining table right now) and there are three bags/boxes of papers to throw in the recycle bin (luckily it was emptied today!).

Looking forward to having the cleaning and sorting done - and have a list of projects for 2012 - moving forward isn't always easy and often takes me longer than I'd like - but I'm moving and it feels good!

It's Christmas Eve eve and I'm a bit contemplative tonight.  It's been quite a while since it's been just the three of us at Christmas - I'm looking forward to having both sons here for gifts and dinner. There's going to be so much food - glad I can send a lot of it home with S!

I had good news yesterday.  The MRI went well - that medicine worked wonders! - and the results were that I'm fine.  Since it's been a difficult year, I'll take all the good news I can get!

I'm doing well emotionally (for the most part!) and now, physically.  My sons are healthy and doing well and I'm still enjoying my job - it doesn't get much better than that!

The second from the left looks a little like Cleo and the second from the right a bit like Quincy! But neither one would be caught dead in a hat of any kind!

Merry Christmas to all!

Tomorrow I'm having a medical test - one that many people have had - some more than once - but one that frightens me more than most because I'm claustrophobic.  It's an MRI!  I had my first CT scan not long ago and that was ok but this is something else.  I know it will be fine and I'm sure the reason for the MRI isn't serious and the doctor is just being thorough but . . .

So, although I don't normally wish my life away, I wouldn't mind if it was noon tomorrow already - because the test would be over and I'd be back home.  (I have been given some medication to help with the claustrophobia so I can't drive or go back to work.)

Today was the holiday dinner at work . . . lots of good food and got to see some staff who've moved on to other places over the past year.  It was fun . . . although I have to say that I'm having a more difficult time getting into the spirit this year.  I decorated, I've purchased (but not much actually), and I'm trying but it's hard.

But Christmas is coming whether I'm ready or not so it's about time I got ready!  I will have a good day spending time with my sons and I hope to talk with my brother . . . and all of that is good.

Tomorrow is another busy day . . . groceries for sure and laundry definitely . . . . and I HAVE to do some additional shopping . . . SIGH!

"The spaces we live in become filled with memories" - philosophy from a TV show! (NCIS) - that rings true to me.  I have wonderful memories of many people, places and some things too.

Christmas is a time of joy and sorrow - looking forward and reflection on what might have been - it's also a time of "coulda, shoulda, woulda" - and how unproductive THAT is!  So I've decided that it's important for me to focus on the wonderful memories, the great people and positive things in my life now and let the rest go.  To focus on the past only diminishes the promise of the future.

SO. . . here's to a joyful Christmas celebration and an exciting 2012!

My Christmas tree is up, the candles are in the windows and wreaths are on the door and the garage.

The Santa Clauses are out!  I haven't done this much decorating in a while and it feels good!  Still have lots of cleaning and purging to do, but in the meantime I'm going to enjoy the lights, the tree and the Santas!

Tomorrow I'm going to Arlington to place the wreaths on the graves . . . it's always a stressful yet peaceful time - contradictory I know!  The drive up is  usually not too bad although I'll be doing the driving for the first time in a while but a friend is going with me so it will pass quickly.

I've made sure to have all the grave numbers in my phone so I won't lose anyone - I never thought I would but recently (10 years or so) there has been a lot of "fill in" around Harry's that has caused me to hunt more than usual.

I don't usually have trouble finding my Dad (and now my Mom) but I usually have to drive up and down at least once to find my step-father (SIGH).

Anyway, the weather is supposed to be good and I'll have good company!  I always feel good afterwards.