We had a nice holiday season. We didn't make our usual trek to Georgia to see family. My husband John just isn't up to that trip any more....
But, our daughter Tammy skyped us on Christmas morning. Grand-daughter Ariel was chomping at the bit to get those presents open! She's 11 now, so it's not quite as exciting as it was those first couple of years. She got all her presents opened without incident. I had knitted her a pair of fair-isle fingerless gloves. She really liked them.
I also knitted a mosaic blanket for Tammy and Rickey, and that was a hit too.
Now I'm crocheting a matching ripple afghan with the yarn leftovers. It's coming out nice. I hope to have it done in the next week.
After the nice skype call, we had a quiet ham dinner with just the 3 of us. John, Josh and I had already decided NOT to buy each other gifts this year. We really didn't have any wants or needs.....
I found a retailer on line who could send 25 pound bags of coal via UPS. It just so happened that I got in touch with them on the 23rd, so they offered to overnight the bags. "No, that's NOT necessary", I told them. "My son wants to learn blacksmithing, and we now have a coal cook stove in the summer kitchen. I just need a source for coal..." They thought the coal was a joke Christmas present! I guess I hadn't considered that when I contacted them. Anyway, the coal came on Monday. The guys haven't even opened the package yet. John's really under the weather with back pain, so Josh is just waiting until John's feeling better.
I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I try to make changes in my life when I realize I need to, not based on the calendar.
I did get a lot of things on my to-do list accomplished this past year. Highlights included:
- enjoying the time I have with my family and friends
- paying off the farm loan (7 YEARS early!!!)
- painting the porch and pump house
- getting the soffets replaced/repaired
- learning to make other kinds of cheese
- surgery on my elbow
- getting John new dentures
- surgery on John's neck to alleviate some of his pain
- having Ariel spend the summer with us again
- putting a roof on the chicken enclosure
- getting a puppy
- teaching some of my skills to others
-knitting hats for Children's Hospital in Little Rock
My goals for the upcoming year include:
- replacing the windows on our house (these are 30+ years old!)
-volunteering with the AARP/IRS program to help with taxes. I'm studying the materials right now and will be taking the required tests this month.
- building a pond
- replacing the flooring in the living room with tile
I'm sure other projects and adventures will crop up as the year progresses. Has ANY year EVER gone as planned? Hum... not that I remember!
I made a lot of changes in my life back in 2005. I'm glad I did. They were the right step for me, in the direction I needed to go. Sometimes I regret, that in order to make the changes that were best for me I had to let go of some of the connections that were important to me. But change is never without consequences. I'm where I am today, who I am today because of those changes. It was the right move to make.
I really enjoy living here in Arkansas. I love my husband, my (step) children, grand child, friends and acquaintances. Life is good.
If you are finding yourself needed to make some changes this year, have to courage to GO FOR IT!
If you're interested in following my knitting and crochet projects through the year, I'm on Ravelry. My user name is: PennyTeem
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