Home Stretch 2006

Well, here we are in the last throes of 2006. It's been a heck of a year for me, and I know it's been close to the same for some of you, too. Here are just a few items that stand out:

Some good things:

I continue to maintain my 40-lb weight loss, through a combination of the YMCA, changed eating habits, continued support from Jenny Craig, my family, and friends. I just joined the health center at work, so I'll be able to go on my lunch hour -- my quest for health continues!

I've finished 6 of the 10 classes needed for my MBA -- whoo hoo!

Some traveling during the months of March and April - snowed in during my birthday trip to WI; fun times in Bloomington with JK, and a flight to NC to see B before he shipped out -- he's back safely now, yay!

Started and have continued seeing the love of my life -- it's terribly, disgustingly cute -- and I've never been happier! We survived our first long-distance trip (to WI to visit M), his moving into & then buying a house, our first Thanksgiving, getting a PUPPY (who continues to be just SO cute!), and this weekend will have our first Christmas -- he was fabulous enough to install (not just buy, or have someone install, but he did it HIMSELF) a remote starter & keyless entry on my truck - wow!

Some difficult things:

The number one rough thing about this year - Grandpa passed away. I didn't really cry at the memorial service, and pretty much held it in until August when Mom called to say that she & Grams had scattered his ashes in the ocean. It happened again at Thanksgiving, I started thinking about how happy I was to have found someone who loves me as much as I love them, and how Grandpa would have really liked Speed, and . . . well, it just went from there. Both times, Speed just held me until I was done, knowing there's nothing he could do to "fix" it, but being there because I needed him. He's a keeper, I'm telling you.

Lots of sadness with the death of Steve Irwin -- I went to college telling people, "I want to be the Crocodile Hunter when I grow up," and it's sad to know that the world lost a great conservationist -- but I have faith that his family and friends, and those of us who appreciated his work will strive to keep it alive.

But to wrap up on a positive note:
The election wound up almost as well as I could have hoped, and my faith in the system was bolstered.

So here we are, folks -- the end to another year, but more importantly, the start to a new one. Take a moment to look around and remember the reason for whichever holiday you choose to celebrate -- family, love, joy, compassion, peace, harmony -- I wish you all of these and more!