suddenlysinglewomen

2024 – How? I can still remember the IT panic of crossing into the next century and now it’s 24 years later? Wow, where did the time go? Much has changed in my life since that New Year’s Eve heading into 2000. I was in Steamboat Springs, CO with my family – ringing in the New Year, pretty confident that my computer was not going to crash or implode but hey, strange things do happen.

Neither of my son’s were married yet, one in college one in high school. I was still married, things had starting going south but I didn’t know it yet. There were still two new houses ahead of me that I didn’t know about yet, there was the promise of my “first” horse when we got back to TX, honestly? The world was looking pretty durn good though my eyes.

A new year always gives us a chance to “look back” as well as “look ahead”. It’s time to re-right a ship that might be listing. It’s time for attitude adjustments to make this year better than last. Learn from our mistakes by not making them again. Get healthier, get happier and learn to enjoy each day. So from my humble laptop to you:

H – Help someone less fortunate than you

A – Always say please and thank you

P – Pick your battles, they say it’s better to win the war

P – Put your own house in order before you criticize others

Y – Yes, bad things happen but you are made of stronger stuff – keep on

N – Never give up your dreams

E – Eat more healthy and be less wasteful with what you buy, prepare and do put on your plate

W – Wellness, focus on taking care of your body and your mind

Y – Yearly assessments of your life, make adjustments – right that listing ship

E – Every day, love yourself

A – Always check in with friends and family, time goes by too fast to put it off

R – Remember, it can start with you

Wishing my followers the best in 2024, thanks for always being my safety net.

OK – last year was supposed to be THE YEAR!! Ha!! Was coming outta the Covid nightmare and my “move” would go smoothly, and the remodel would be done and the “new” life adventure would get off to a grand start. Weellllllll . . . .

Two vaccines and two boosters later, IT’S still around. My house sale fell apart, I had to change realtors, my remodel wasn’t done yet I moved in on top of it – 2022 was a challenge. But hey – I got this. Don’t I??

So, I’ve had every shot there is to have, my left arm twitches when I go into a clinic or doctor’s office. My new realtor got the house sold in March. I took over the remodel since my contractor disappeared, and got it done in June. (Is it ever truly done??)

2022 saw my football team improve their “win-loss” record from 2021, but expectations were higher. We crushed our nemesis, but then seemed to forget there were still quite a few games left?

2022 saw me fulfill my dream of “one last ride” and I bought my “last” horse. His name is Tango and we’re learning each other. He has quickly become a barn favorite, and his personality is the cutest. (It’s good to be a barn favorite – just sayin’) I have a wonderful new trainer who is patient and gets my goals.

2022 saw me take multiple trips back to Texas and Christmas was spent in California. Grandkids continue to be a highlight and total love fest. They are now 9, 7, 6, 4 and 2. They think I’m fun (who knew??) and they keep me young.

Lastly, as I look back, I took the “Advent of Kindness” (that I previously shared with you all) down off the fridge to see how I did. I failed on #11, tape money on a vending machine – somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to believe someone would actually put it IN the machine?? Is that bad?

I failed at #23, firstly – I don’t have a postal carrier, I have to use a PO BOX up here and the post office was such a nightmare this year, I just wasn’t feeling it?? I sent three identical sized boxes, same contents, to the same address in Houston for my daughter n’laws extended family’s gathering. I used “Click & Ship”. I tracked them. They went from here (Vail) to Grand Junction, Colorado (totally the wrong direction), to Little Rock, Arkansas, to El Paso, Texas, to Amarillo, Texas and then got separated and ended up being delivered on three different days. Their journey took almost two weeks and the last one totally missed the family as they had returned home.

But, I did all the others and it was fun to keep track and give myself a purpose of being kind.

I sincerely hope you all have a wonderful 2023 and just remember to treat people as you wish to be treated. Cheers!!

Closing in on my last boxes from the move. Hey, four months, that isn’t too bad is it??? Have had loads of help from family and friends and my handyman. I am seeing the light at the end of this tunnel!

One of the projects today, and unpacked from the last two boxes, are my scrapbooks. I’ve kept adding to them since the mid 80’s – full of my adventures through non-profit work, fundraising and the family highlights.

Going back through a few of them, I ran across one of my favorite pages – something I’d found quite a while ago, not sure where but . . . I love it and had added it to my keepsakes. No idea where it originated, and there’s no author listed on the page so apologies for not giving full credit. Here goes:

GONNA BE A BEAR

In this life I’m a woman. In my next life, I’d like to come back as a bear. When you’re a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you’re supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When you’re a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you’re sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you’re a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If you’re a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Yup, gonna be a bear!