There is no denying it....

...it really is 2009. I know, we are five days deep into this new year; but, somehow today it hit me - "HEY, it IS a NEW YEAR!"

Perhaps what set this 'revelation' in motion was when I drove up to my house I realized how different it looks now, compared to a few short months ago, back in 2008. It's not just another house, or the house I inherited from my mother and father - it is indeed MY house, and I have and continue to put my personal stamp on it...it really is home. It struck me that this place now really is inviting, and has taken on that 'English cottage' look I've been trying to cultivate - and I like it, and am happy it's my home.

As I looked back on 2008 I have to say it was a fairly good year. First no close or extended family members died, was diagnosed with a dreadful disease, or struck with some other catastrophe. This past year I think I've 'come to terms' with this autoimmune disease I have - I've learned to live with it, instead of in spite of it....though I really think this is going to be a life long challenge - I don't particularly like anything (or anyone) dictating what I am able or unable to do. Quality time in the hospital has actually been pretty minimal...take away January and February and the very first of March - and I was hospital free...I take that as a victory. Yes, I still have to build my life around infusions every 28 days, and will continue to have to do this for the rest of my life - but in the big picture, it's not a Mother Theresa sacrifice!

In 2008 I was able to travel quite a bit. March was a great trip to Disney World with Tabitha and her family - more specifically, my three granddaughters....my first time there! There were several trips to Texas to spend time with Tabitha and her family - the last time in November when I got to meet my new grandson, Maverick - he's a kid who doesn't like to ride in the car, and he's part of a family that is on the go, go, go....God has a wicked sense of humor!!! In June I went to Texas, and came home with my oldest granddaughter Isabel who spent almost three weeks with me...her visit included a long weekend in Chicago and a day in the city seeing the sites - Isabel is an awesome little girl!

My big venture of 2008 was a 2 week European vacation - most of the time spent on a cruise ship sailing the Baltic Sea. Yes, I visited The Little Mermaid and Tivoli Garden - and several castles and shopped the shops of the city. Our ports took us to Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Estonia, and Germany. Russia and Germany were real highlights - we spent two days in Russia, and you could spend weeks there, taking it all in - the history of the country is fascinating, the people were kind (except the pickpockets who swiped my camera from my fanny pack...they almost got my passport, before I realized what was going on!), and REAL beef stroganoff is fabulous! We went to Berlin, Germany - and again, the history of the place is just incredible...to be able to walk through the Brandenburg Gate, touch the Berlin Wall, and walk freely through Checkpoint Charlie were powerful, powerful experiences. Perhaps my favorite place to visit, and somewhere I would go back to in a heartbeat is Estonia - exactly how you picture picturesque Europe - and they have great woolens!

My other 'big' news is all the renovations here, at my home. Currently the attic is turning into a master suite - and it is really beginning to take shape - you can 'see' where the actual living areas are going to be, where the loo is....it is really going to be an amazing space when they get done.

Since late fall my sister and her family have been living here with me - their house, next door really is uninhabitable. We all have our moments - my brother-in-law and I tend to put my sister "in the middle", and that is something I'm really working on, it makes her justifiably crazy! Sometimes this house gets a little small for three strong willed adults none of whom are short on opinion - and then you throw the cutest, smartest three year old there is in the mix....well, all bets are off! But really, it's great that they are here, and I'm sure I'll miss the company once they can go home to there both restored and new home, sometime this spring.

So, here we are 2009, and who knows what this year will hold. There is an exciting inevitability about a new year - it's here, ready or not!