Every year I say that time flies faster every year and 2009 has not been an exception. It seems as if it was yesterday that everyone was wondering what 2009 would bring. It wasn't the greatest year for us. There were a lot of deaths in our family and in the family of our friends. Some were not unexpected. My mother was 96 and we knew that she would not live much longer but it is always a shock when you lose a parent. A lot of our friends also lost a parent and there were also some sudden and unexpected deaths. Two of the deaths were very young people. I sent more sympathy cards out this year than in the rest of my life total.

This was also a year when many of our friends developed cancer. This disease still has the power to strike dread into the hearts of those diagnosed and the ones who love them. Another awful disease is Alzheimer's. We have four friends and two cousins living with this and it is awful. The disease robs you of your memory and the connection you have with friends and family.

On the positive side, we took my sister out to Calgary to visit our grandchildren and the Rockies. This was a real treat since we had been out west in 2008 and usually can't go every year.

We also had some awesome landscaping done in the backyard. Although actually GETTING it done was frustrating, the final product was lovely and should get better every year.

Despite a car accident and having to move unexpectedly, my daughter went back to school and completed the first semester of an 911 emergency response course.

What are my hopes for 2010?

Well, first I would like to do more reading and writing and spend less time on Face Book.

I would like to be more proactive in my community. There are many needs all around and although we do help out now, I think there is more that we can do.

I also want to pursue a new ministry at our church. One of the groups I am involved in has been very challenging this year. I need to talk to one of the "leaders" and see just what is going on. She seems to discount all my ideas and seems to be angry (in a very subdued way) with me all the time. I may be wrong but I feel there is something wrong between us although I have no idea what it could be. If we can't work this out. I may need to move on. I have already put out feelers for a new ministry with a couple of our pastors and they seem to be supportive.

I would like to publish some of my stories, poems and devotions in book form. I know I would have to self-publish but I really want to pursue this idea.

I also am going to work on developing better ways of reacting to events that annoy me. I realize the world does not revolve around me and my needs but sometimes when I am tired or in a lot of pain, I do not react well to unexpected challenges and disappointments.

I guess that's enough food for thought for me!

Christmas Gifts

My overall favourite gift this Christmas was from my husband. He arranged to have this loveseat and chair recovered for me. This is the "Before" shot.

I bought this set several years ago and we moved it to this new house about 8 years ago. I love it. It is very comfortable and I sit on the loveseat every day and watch TV, read or do writing.

The arm on the left side of the seat where I sit was wearing very badly. In fact, the stuffing was beginning to come out of it so it was time to either replace the cushions or buy a new set.

I really didn't want to replace the whole set so we looked for an upholsterer. We found a great one down here who was able to get almost exactly the same patterned material. I hope that the "After" shot appears at the end of this blog so you can see what a close match it is. I really liked the original material and was thrilled that we would not have to repaint the room a different colour or replace the carpet.

The new material has been discontinued but he was able to get just enough fabric to do the job and he did great work. He even was able to replace the material on the little stool.

Christmas memories

Tina wrote about her favourite memories so I thought I would add a few of mine here too.

My dad was the greatest fan of Christmas. Every new invention that came out, he would have. I remember the pink tree, and the blue tree and the white tree. These were not plastic but spray painted. To a youngster like me they were magical. Then he got some candle lights that had liquid in them and bubbles would rise up when they got warm.

Mother knew how to celebrate Christmas, too. We would often have 20 or more people to dinner. She would start in November making her Christmas cakes and puddings. Not many of us really liked Christmas pudding but she would wrap coins in waxed paper before cooking them and so, there was added incentive for us to actually eat some. She made the best shortbread cookies I have ever tasted and I am not the only one. Many people recalled eating these treasures when she died this year. She also made hermits and rum balls and ice box cookies. The turkey was stuffed with sausage dressing which I loved. I remember when I was 4 or 5 telling my aunt that Mother's dressing was MUCH better than her bread stuffing. My poor mother nearly crawled under the table in embarrassment but I was only telling the truth.

Mother was also the very best at filling our stockings. I don't know where she got the stuff she put in them but many years opening our stockings was the best part of the day.

I remember when Jennifer was 2 and my mother-in-law had bought her a teaset for Christmas. Unfortunately Jennifer opened a teaset from a dear neighbour first and wouldn't open any other presents because she wanted to play with it. It was my turn to be embarrassed.

I remember when Jonathan was 6 months old, we bought him a stuffed bear that was bigger than he was. I still have that picture somewhere.

I also remember my husband and mother-in-law staying up until all hours of the night trying to put toys and a huge playhouse together.

I remember the year when it rained so hard for so long that the power went out while the turkey was in the oven. Fortunately it came back on it time to cook the bird OK.

Christmas should always be about making precious family memories. If you are able to be with family this year. appreciate them. As we have found out, they will not be around forever and you will miss them.

Food for thought . . .

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