Another year surrenders

Well, once again we are at the year's close. This one has been full.

Hard to believe Julie's kids are so grown. (And, hard to believe my little Julie is about to turn 42!) Katie will be 17 next month and has her driver's license. She is kind of the benchmark of just how old I really am! I remember when she was just a baby and Julie gave her some tuna salad (she learned HER lesson) and Katie cried most of the night with a tummy ache. She is a gorgeous girl and quite the scholar. Now (gasp) Julie and TJ are looking at colleges. It's just not nice that they grow up so fast. Matt, who is 15 now, is tall and lanky and way too grown up. He's into drama and guitar and all of those other teenage things. He is quite the artist, too. I call Alyssa my little train wreck. She, in turn, calls me Poop Deck. Conversations are interesting, to say the least! She is 11 now and fast approaching the teen years. She has enough kid left in her, though, to make things ok. For example, her fondest Christmas gift wish is a Whoopie cushion (OR a flashlight, she says).

On the other end of the grandkid scale, Heather's kids are still pretty little. Heather, however, will turn 40 in 2010. Whew! Mike, 4, and Chris, 5, are still playing the "Pretend you are Granny and I am calling you" game, which, of course, thrills me no end. They are the most fun in the world. They aren't babies any more, though, which is kind of sad for me. Soon, they will join the others in the grown-up world.

Em's kids are in the middle. Adison is 11. He loves coming to Granny's house in the mountains and tells me, "I am not a city boy; I am a MOUNTAIN boy!" I say, Hurrah! He loves to camp with us and is just a great little visitor. I will hate it when that goes away. Maybe it won't! Haven, almost 14, is more aloof. She is a typical teenage girl who loves her bling. She is for sure a city girl, but lovely anyway. We wish she would visit more. Emily herself will be 38 next year. She is the only daughter who remains in her 30's, but not for too long!

I feel tired at the end of this year. Though the years do fly by ever faster, just like my Grandma Patterson told me they would, the speed at which they pass is somewhat exhausting. It seems like there is no time at all between New Year's Day and the next New Year's Eve. More time to savor the seasons would truly be appreciated. And, with the family history of short life spans, I always wonder if this year will be the last. I am so many years older than my mother ever lived to be and this year even older than HER mother lived, and I think I am still pretty young, all things being considered. But, I am creeping up on being older than either of my grandfathers and before too long at all I might even get to be older than my father did, all while still in my 60's. What a strange idea.

I want to live as long as Grandma Patterson, my longest living relative, at least so far. She was almost 92 when she died. What a world of change she would have experienced. She lived life to the fullest and tried always to look on the bright side. (Still working on that one . . .)

The world is a lovely place!

It is a new year. The sun is shining, the snow is glistening, my spirits are soaring today. At my age (and given the longevity problem in my family), every new year is a gift. Most of my family members don't live to be much older than I am now and many have not lived to be my age, so I appreciate another chance to get my life right.

Christmas was fun this year. The new recumbent exercise bicycle we got has been put to use (by ME!) every single day and I believe this is the year that I am going to get control of everything. I have already lost 10 pounds (the doctor's scale) and my doc was impressed that I actually LOST weight over the holidays. Not much is serious physically wrong with me and, with some hard work and determination, I can get back much of my former stamina. It helps that when I was younger I rode a bicycle to work and back every day, some 8 miles a day, so my legs actually like the exercise.

I love my job. Helping families find their way in this hard world makes my own troubles seem so insignificant. I truly go to work each day with a joy for the tasks ahead. Most of the people I work with appreciate my efforts on their part and most of them are glad to have been involved with the government agency for which I work.

My family is my foundation. It is solid. My husband, whom I have known for 37 years, is a loving, supportive, nurturing man. My children are an affirmation that I did something right. As my middle daughter pointed out to me this morning, they are all pretty much ok. None of them are alcoholics, none of them uses illegal drugs, and three of them have made it to adulthood with most of their sanity intact. The fourth is still a child, so he has some time to get it all straightened out before he is responsible for himself.

My grandchildren are amazing. You often don't have time when you are parenting to look closely at the little people under your care and appreciate how marvelous they are. You're most often trying to keep them safe, fed, housed, and out of mischief. Their loveliness can easily escape you under those circumstances. The eldest will be 16 this month, the youngest will be 4 on Valentine's Day (how appropriate!). The others will be 15, 13, two 11-year-olds, and 5 this year. They have all planted themselves firmly in our hearts.

My home is wonderful. It's flaws are part of what makes it unique and special. The yard is beyond beautiful. Right now, the trees are covered in snow and the paths through the property are hidden underneath winter's blanket. Just yesterday evening, a herd of deer wandered through. We stop what we are doing during their passing, so as not to scare them and so we can simply admire their grace.

My New Year's Resolution this year is to appreciate what I have.