Recapping 2014

Well, here it is, the end of yet another year.  I still have trouble with the speed that time is flying by.  I know that as a kid it seemed like time just crawled... when Christmas was over it was FOREVER before it came again.  Now I am already thinking about gifts for next year because if I don't, I will not be ready.

2014 was a year of rehabilitation, traveling adventures and a new companion.  It was also a winter weather challenge but I also found that all I had to do was ask and I had all kinds of help.

A little over a year ago I was using a walker and canes to walk around the house.  I was having physical therapy at home and preparing to go to therapy at a center that just opened nearby.  I signed up for Rover which provides shared rides for Senior Citizens for $.50 each way.  They gave me rides to therapy until the surgeon released me to drive.  Nice to know that I have an alternative to get from place to place if I am not able to drive.

Even doing that, I still managed to help facilitate the GriefShare program at church.  We did not have the turnout that we had hoped for, but the ones who came really benefited from the program.  It is quite the drain after 14 weeks on me.  I still struggle with my own loss.  I gain each time I do GriefShare and I feel I am making progress, but by the end of the sessions, I am wiped out.

In 2014 I found a beautiful mountain chalet in Fancy Gap, VA that I can afford to rent for a month.  So I headed south with a couple of Marges to rewind and re-center my life.  There was a lot of crafting and sewing that month.  And I loved it so much, that I will be doing it again in 2015.

I also made a delightful trip to Alaska to stay with Rob & Kate.  It was the first time I had gotten to see the home they built.  We shopped and did some sight-seeing.  It was nice to be able do the walking with my new knee.  I still have the left knee that will need replacement, but not quite yet, but it was so much better than in the past several years.

Upon returning from Alaska, I drove to Pikeville, KY to get my new companion, Winston.  He is a 6 year old Schnoodle.  It has been an interesting time with him as we got accustomed to each other.  He has gone from sleeping off in a corner of the couch as far from me as he could get but still able to see me to sleeping on the recliner between my legs as I type this.  He is getting better at going outside... even though he was not too bad to begin with.  He loves to ride in the car and will really enjoy heading to Fancy Gap in the spring.  He has settled in nicely and is a wonderful companion in a house that was so empty after Molly passed.

As if that was not enough, my biggest event was the sewing room in the basement.  Rob had promised to come out and help in September, si I set about clearing out the workroom that Rudy had in the basement.  My dear friend, Danny, was once again my rock.  He came out and removed all of the big tools.  I then went through all the rest of the basement stuff and cleared the room.  I was able to try the Bagster Bag system for junk and construction waste.  It had been advertised and was a perfect solution for smaller jobs than a big dumpster.

Danny and his son, Darren came out just before Rob came and installed a nice floor.  We put down Dri-Core which was an interlocking subfloor system with plastic spacers under particle/plywood to allow for air and dampness under the floor to breathe,  We topped that with underlayment and a lovely laminate.  Really made the room so nice and less like a basement.  I love it so much that I will be doing the same thing in the basement bedroom over the winter.

I still have some little things to do down there, but I have tables, a spare bed and sewing machines all set up.  I have not had time to sew, sew, sew there yet, but now that the holidays are over, I plan to be there quite a bit.

The holidays were equally wonderful.  Brian arrived first, then Rob & Kate followed by my brother, Andy and his wife, Carol.  Good food (thanks Brian) and good times, plus I got my Ugly wall in the dining room F I N A L L Y covered!  Best Christmas present ever.

So tonight I will quietly celebrate the end of a good year.  I am preparing to start another GriefShare series on Tuesday.  I am hoping that we can help those folks who are suffering from the loss of a loved one.  I feel very good about this project this year.  I have been much more involved in the planning this time.

2015 is gearing up to be a wonderful year.  From my month in Fancy Gap I head to Ashland, KY for my 50th High School class reunion.  I have already heard from a couple of my high school friends that I will reconnect with that weekend.  Winston will be traveling with me for both adventures.  I am hoping to drive out to Minneapolis to spend some time with Brian and hope to be able to stop and visit with my cousin either on the way out or on the way back.  And who knows what else I will manage to do.  It will be an exciting year.

So Happy New Year to all of my friends and family.  Wishing you a fun filled and fulfilling New Year in 2015.  May Health and Prosperity be yours.  May you find Joy and Happiness in all that you do!