new year's eve 2022

This is a first for me, writing a post two days in a row...but I wanted to reflect a bit on 2022. As usual at this time of year, I go through my journal and planner and jot down the important happenings, sad events, and highlights of the year. One hearbreaking thing was losing Monkey in February. We had to let him go due to lymphoma in his nasal cavity that came on suddenly. I still miss my big, fluffy "boo" deeply. My heart aches when I see his photos. I miss running my hand gently through that beautiful floof on his belly.

In March, we lost Brian's father. He was in his upper 80's and in poor health, so his death wasn't a surprise, but naturally, it was still upsetting and sad. And one of my best friends lost both of her parents this year ~ her mom in January and her dad in December. 

Of course, 2022 brought plenty of good things, too...a weekend girlfriend's trip; our front yard got some sorely needed professional landscaping; I was able to trap a stray mama kitty and one of her kittens in my back yard ~ and a friend fostered until they were adopted; I had a fantastic 60th birthday; got to spend quality time with my cousin and her 7-year old daughter who flew in this summer from Tacoma, WA; Tim came home for a visit in October; I discovered a (new-to-me) poet's group in a nearby town. 

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but one of the things I would like to do in 2023 is to take weekend trips and visit Tim in California. We haven't been able to take weekend trips or go to California because of Clementine. With her being in stage 4 kidney disease, she needs constant care and subcutaneous fluids, so we can't leave her alone or even have a cat sitter. We know she'll be crossing the Rainbow Bridge in 2023, but of course, we have no idea when. In fact, we're surprised she's made it through the end of this year. When she was diagnosed with kidney disease over five years ago, the vet said she'd probably live only another 1-1/2 years. Then when she lost a fang this past February and we declined major dental surgery for her, the vet dentist said that her gums would get majorly infected from the tooth loss and that at best, she'd probably only live another three months. She not only never got an infection from losing the fang, but she's still with us. Clem definitely has "nine lives"!

Tonight, New Year's Eve, we will be staying home. I haven't been to a New Year's Eve party in about 15 years and I have no desire to go to one again. Not that any of my friends have parties anymore at our age! 😜 A friend invited me and some other girlfriends over for snacks and games and I even declined that invitation. I much prefer to stay safely home in my pajamas, order good food (Thai take-out tonight), have a glass of wine, play some board games, then cuddle up on the couch to watch a movie. Stay up til midnight? Perhaps. I normally go to bed around 11:30 PM, so staying up til midnight would be no big deal. To me, it doesn't hold any appeal and is just another day. How about you?

Thank you for reading my blog in 2022, for your lovely comments, and for your friendship and support. I am thankful for all of you. 

new year's eve 2021

How was your Christmas? Ours was good. Had some family over on Christmas Eve for an array of appetizers, Christmas goodies and mulled wine.

Christmas morning was just us and the kitties. We took an afternoon walk (it was an unseasonably warm Christmas for us), then video-chatted with Tim while opening our presents. I loved the days when the boys were little and they were so excited that Santa had left them gifts under the tree...waking us up way too early and running into the living room in their footed pajamas. Now Tim lives 2200 miles away and Phil has been deceased since 2009. Christmas just isn't the same anymore.

As I do every Christmas, I made a breakfast casserole. This year I deviated from my norm and made a new recipe. This one used English muffins on the bottom. The dish tasted good, but the English muffins were too soggy. Lesson learned: next year I go back to my tried-and-true recipe.

One of the lovely gifts I received from Brian were these brass earrings. Since he's sometimes stumped what to get me for Christmas, I help him out a bit. Last month, we visited a local shop and I pointed out a few things that I liked; giving him hints. I left the store and Brian shopped. 😉

On Christmas evening, we went to a friend's house and were treated to a prime rib roast dinner. 

Those who know me won't be surprised to hear I took down all the Christmas decorations the day after Christmas and had it all packed up and put away by the 27th. To me, Christmas is over. Plus, I'm tired of looking at Christmas decor by then. Christmas decor is beautiful, but I love the clean, more uncluttered look.

New Year's Eve is just another day for us. We met up with a friend for lunch, went back to her house to play our new Boomer board game, and got some groceries on the way home.

Tonight? Take-out pizza, a glass of wine for me, a beer for Brian. We'll be in bed before midnight. 

We're hoping to take our annual hike in the State Park tomorrow morning ~ always a good start to the New Year ~ before a big snowstorm hits. Here's wishing us all good health (especially during this pandemic), supportive and loving relationships, and peace for the hard days. Thank you all for your friendship and support.

xoxo

i wish for you...

Here we are, the last day of 2020. I know we are all glad to bid adieu to this year, so I won't belabor the point.

Looking back over this year, there were some unexpected, painful happenings...health issues (and some scary diagnoses from friends and family), deaths of acquaintances and friends, disappointments and hurts from loved ones. But that is life. We can't expect to go through life unscathed from hurt and pain. We can, however, choose how we deal with these things. Prayer, meditation, journaling, talking with a good friend, therapy ~ whatever it takes to help us through.

Life, of course, is balanced with happy times and there were plenty of those, even in our Covid and nasty election filled year. The best thing that happened in 2020 was our trip to California to see our son, Tim. It was right before Covid really hit the US and any restrictions were in place. When we had made our plans to see Tim in early March, we hadn't realized it was California's rainy season. Nor did we see a pandemic looming on the horizon.

Turns out, the timing on our trip was for the best. By the time we got home, Covid hit the poop-fan. I still remember getting home from the airport and going to the grocery store for needed items. We walked into the store at 10:30 PM and it was packed. The bread section was wiped entirely clean. The produce section didn't even have bananas. There was no toilet paper. We thought people were going crazy, just like they did at the end of 1999. Remember the Y2K panic?

I have been working on end-of-year journaling and setting intentions and goals for the new year. It's been popular the last few years to choose a word to focus on for the year: A word that guides with intention and positive change. Do you choose a word? I did so a couple of years ago and it lost the luster (or maybe I did) after a few months. I might try it again for 2021.

No New Year's Eve celebration here for us. Just another day. When Brian gets home from work, perhaps we'll have a little something to eat, have a glass of wine, relax a little bit, then go to bed at our usual time. 

My wish and prayer for all of you for 2021 is ~

Enough love to sustain you through all your hard days.
Enough kindness that it spills over to those around you.
Enough strength to face whatever comes your way.

Thank you all for your friendship and kind comments.

💓

new year's eve

It'll be a quiet New Year's Eve here, but that's nothing new. We prefer it that way. We'll order Thai food and watch a movie, and then Brian is going to bed early. He has to get up in the middle of the night to go to work. 

Earlier today, I read of typical New Year's Eve celebrations in Sri Lanka and Haiti. In Sri Lanka, the holiday is actually celebrated in April - after the first full moon. It's a three-day celebration spent with family, playing games and cooking together, visiting friends and family, then going to the temple to chant and meditate. It's a time to stop the busyness and focus on what matters most. In Haiti, most people go to church in the evening.

What a difference from how most Americans celebrate New Year's Eve! 

New Year's Eve always makes me think about a family friend. Thirty-two years ago, while driving home from dropping his wife off at work (it was actually very early morning on New Year's Day), he was hit by a drunk driver and killed. I was in the hospital at the time, five months pregnant with Philip and very sick. (I had hyperemesis gravidarum.) I wasn't told the news until I got home. My mom thought it'd be too upsetting to me while I was in the hospital.

There is never an excuse to drive intoxicated, especially these days with Uber and Lyft. Set up a plan ahead of time to have a sober Designated Driver. There's also cabs, buses, and trains. The Metra line here in the Chicago area is giving free rides on New Year's Eve after 6:00 p.m.

Love, peace, good health and happiness to you all in 2020.
💓

 

a whirlwind of holiday activity

Hi there! How was your Christmas or Hanukkah? My celebrations were good, though truthfully, I'm glad it's over for another year. Every year just seems to be too much in every which way. I'm glad I decorated less this year but next year I vow to say no to most party invitations. I am peopled out! Too much socializing for this introvert.

Christmas Eve, we went to my cousin's house. We witnessed the most beautiful sunset on the way. This photo was taken out the car windshield. (No worries, I was the passenger.)

 I didn't take many photos at my cousin's house as I kept my phone mostly put away in my purse, but I did manage to get this one of Hank the dog kissing my mom. The funny thing about this photo was my mom was scared of going to our relative's house because of her two pit bulls. Turns out, they were incredibly sweet and my mom fell in love with Hank.

Christmas morning, it was just the two of us and the kitties. This was the first time in 31 years that we didn't have any children at home with us on Christmas morning. This was our 11th Christmas without Phil and as most of you know, Tim moved to California last month.

 I still made my traditional breakfast casserole. And I poured my coffee into my new thermal Dunkin' Donuts commuter mug. That was one of Brian's presents to me ~ with a DD gift card inside. I love their coffee and it just so happens that our little town just opened a store right up the road from our house. I didn't know until I saw it on social media from someone else, that DD discounts their coffee if you bring in your DD commuter mug to get it filled.

With our temps being almost 60 degrees on Christmas Day (!!), we later took our usual walk around the neighborhood to get a little exercise, then my mom came over for pizza. After she left, we video-chatted with Tim and opened up our gifts to each other.

All over social media, I've seen memes and people talking about how the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is weird...no one is sure what day it is, everyone is tired of heavy foods and cookies, and binging on Netflix seems to be the norm. I can relate to the too much heavy food and sweets, but otherwise I've actually been pretty busy since Christmas: Christmas clearance shopping (we buy our Christmas bags and wrapping paper, and calendars and planners for the next year all at 50% off the day after Christmas); taking photos and listing items to sell on social media; taking down all the Christmas decor and getting it packed away, plus donating a ton of Christmas decor that I no longer felt a need to keep; and deep cleaning and setting the house back to its "rights".

We took a day trip to our favorite antique store where I found this large, awesome jar for only $8 and we also tried Afghan food for the first time. I had the vegetarian platter which was amazingly delicious, especially the baby pumpkin which was cooked with honey and onions. Entrees are served with traditional Afghan basmati rice - topped with raisins and carrots. 

New Year's Eve is coming up in a few days. But that's no big deal for us. We'll most likely just have a quiet night at home. Brian's back to work super early on New Year's day. 

My hope for all of us for 2020 (sounds so futuristic!) is much love, many blessings, peace, and good health. God bless you.

so long, 2018

Here we are again ~ the end of another year. We made it! Through all our tribulations, trials, blessings and victories, we made it. I always like to reflect back on the year and ponder over all the happenings and then set my intentions (not resolutions!) for the new year. 

One thing's for sure: Life is uncertain and heartbreaking. This year alone, two friends passed away from cancer and one from heart disease. Two more friends were newly diagnosed with cancer and are still battling that horrible disease. My aunt had surgery for thyroid cancer. My cousin's little girl was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. A new friend's son committed suicide. An online friend's son was killed in a car accident. 

At the end of last year, I wondered how my cats would do in 2018. Zippo was old and had thyroid and kidney disease, as well as eye problems. Clementine was newly diagnosed with kidney disease. As it turned out, my sweet Zippo passed away this November at the age of 19-1/2. I know he lived a long, good life with us, but it was still one of the most grievous things we've gone through. 

When you're a homeowner, something is always breaking, needing replacing or repairing. This year, our central air conditioning conked out - on one of the hottest days this summer. Our dishwasher also needed replacing; in fact, we got a new one just a few days ago. In May, I came home one day to find half the gutters and soffits on the south side of our house ripped off and hanging on the ground. And in November and December, we had our old, rotting front porch and deck ripped out and replaced with Trex decking. I don't want to show any before and after photos of that right now; I will write a post and post photos in the spring when the landscaping looks better and we're able to put plants on the porch, etc. Right now everything is so muddy.

Not everything is gloom and doom, of course. There were a lot of blessings this year, too. Besides all the times I got together with family and friends, I got to meet up with one of my dearest friends who lives in Canada, when she was in Wisconsin this summer. 

After over a year of searching the house, I found my lost anniversary band. 

For the first time, I did a freelance job as a beta reader ~ and loved it. 

I went to a couple of workshops because there's always room for learning, growth and self-improvement. One of the workshops is a writing one and will continue into the new year.

 I also had some sessions with a life/wellness coach to help with my anxiety. I learned more about practicing mindfulness in those sessions. Did it help? In some ways, yes and in other ways, no. 

The other major event that happened in our family this year was that Tim moved out and into his own apartment. It was a positive move for all of us.

What are you doing tonight for New Year's Eve? Brian and I are staying in. We had takeout Thai food for dinner and will have a glass of wine while watching a Netflix movie. We'll probably be in bed by 11:00 p.m. 

Thank you for reading Comfy House for another year. I am so thankful for all the friendships that I've made through this blog. May 2019 be a year of much love and good health for all of us.

end of year musings

Here we are, the last day of 2017. 

How was this year for you?

 When I went back through my blog, planner and photographs from 2017, there were a lot of things that made me smile, and of course, other things I'd rather forget.

 Finally getting some work done in our house - the pass-thru between the living room and kitchen, the wainscoting torn off the kitchen walls and the kitchen repainted, having a mantle built around the fireplace, and new windows put in the house - were positive changes for Comfy House. Hopefully in 2018, we can have a little work done outside.

As for myself, I went to my first Blackhawk's game, tried my hand at painting on canvas, took a level one Reiki course, and got accepted into the Wayfair Homemaker/Featured Blogger program. I also had knee surgery (menisectomy) in March and then five months of physical therapy, so I'm glad that's behind me.

 I wonder how my fur babies will do in 2018. Zippo's my old guy (darker kitty, in front) who has glaucoma, cataracts and thyroid disease. He's also mostly deaf and a little senile. He'll be 19 in May, so every day with him is especially treasured. Clementine (middle) was recently diagnosed with kidney failure. She's under the care of three different vets - regular, internal medicine, and a dermatologist - so we're doing the best we can with her care. The internal medicine vet said she could live a couple more years. Like with Zippo, we just don't know though. 

Life is uncertain, but it can also be beautiful.

 My exciting New Year's Eve has consisted of my car almost breaking down...

 I left to run a couple of errands. On the way to the stores, I was stopping at a friend's house for a short visit. Half a mile up the road, my car started sputtering, like it was about to die. It was happening while driving and while at a stop. Then the check engine light went on. By the time I got to my friend's house (only a mile away), my car smelled like burning rubber. I was able to drive it a couple more miles to the shop that always works on our cars, while my friend followed behind me and then drove me home. So much for errands! My car is a 2001 Honda Accord, so yes, it's old. I've never had any problems with it until now, so I guess I've been lucky. I'm just glad this didn't happen two days ago when I was out and about, almost an hour away from home and during a snowstorm.

Brian will be home from work soon. We'll have pizza and wine and watch a little TV until Brian falls asleep. He's entitled - he just finished working three 12-hour shifts. And he gets up at 3:15 a.m. I'll probably just go to bed at my usual time - 11:00 -11:30. I'll make sure to warm up my bed with the heated mattress pad beforehand though: our weather has been frigidly cold.Tonight the wind chills are supposed to be anywhere from -20F to -35F. Glad we're staying home.

Thank you for reading my blog, your kind comments, and your friendship. See you in the New Year!

farewell 2016 and taking care of yourself

From what I've seen on social media, it seems a lot of us are glad to see 2016 go. I don't need to rehash world news here, but it was an "interesting" year, to say the least.

I like to reflect on my own life and goals at the end of the year, and also look back at the happenings of the year. There were lots of good times, but some heartbreaking news as well. Though, of course, that's not surprising. It's all part of life.

I find it helpful to journal some thoughts and goals for the New Year instead of making resolutions. Ask yourself what you discovered about yourself in 2016...what surprised you...what held you back? Did anything change for you? How did you handle these challenges?

What are you looking forward to in the New Year - and what are you unsure about? How can you bring more calm into your life, heart and head this New Year? What will you make more time for? 

That's just a few of the many questions you can ask yourself and think about. Two women who really inspire me toward personal growth and self-care are Jennifer Louden and Susannah Conway. If you need inspiration and motivation, I highly recommend you taking a look at these two blogs. 

In the meantime, wishing you all a blessed and safe New Year's Eve. Are you staying in or going out? For the first time in years, we are going out to dinner in Chicago with some friends. We'll be back way before midnight though ~ don't want to be on the roads after midnight celebrations, that's for sure! 

Thank you for your continued friendship and support of my little blog. You all are appreciated and treasured.

xoxo

looking back on 2015

The end of the year and the beginning of a new one is always time for reflection, isn't it? I like to go back over the year's blog posts and my planner to ponder on not just the big things, but all the little moments that make up a life well-lived. 

Unfortunately, it's typical that my new year usually begins with me being sick. I think it's from all the busyness and stress of Christmas and being around so many people that time of year. I get sick a few days after Christmas and it carries into the new year. 2015 started out with me having the creeping crud, and guess what - I have some kind of virus going on right now that looks like it'll carry into 2016. Nothing major - just a sore throat, headache, and feeling foggy-tired. I'm keeping the symptoms at bay with extra vitamin C and D, the herbal supplement Allibiotic, hot herbal tea with fresh lemon and raw honey, lots of water with fresh lemon and raw, organic apple cider vinegar, and essential oils (custom blended oils to make your own Thieves Oil found here) in the diffuser.

January also started out with us having well problems and having to replace some major parts ($$) and being without water for a few days. Not a good start to 2015!

Things perked up in February when I won a giveaway from Connie at Crafty Home Cottage. Connie is so talented and artistic...I don't think there's anything this woman can't make! She sent me a beautiful banner and embroidered dishtowel and pot holder.

In March, I took a class on making your own sourdough starter, from which we made English muffins. Fun!

April brought an awards ceremony where my hard-working hubby was presented and honored with the Employee of the Year award; and in May, my beautiful niece graduated from high school.

"Miss Begonia" came to live with me in May. She was another blog win from Judy at 20 North Ora. Judy adorned her in a lovely lace dress; I adorned her with necklaces.

June was a month of summer fun with a two outdoor art fairs, a ghost tour, and a couple of outdoor concerts. It was also the month that we finally painted our bedroom walls. They had been a light blue and we chose a soft gray. In July, we also got a new mattress. My back feels so much better!

I celebrated another year of life in August, and in September, Brian and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary.

More work was done in the master bedroom - this time, old carpet was ripped out and hardwood floors installed. Found the area rug at IKEA. Still need new bedding, curtains, lamps and a nightstand, but at least the major work is done.

September is also a cruel month for me and my family, as it brings the anniversary date of Phil's passing. See the painting of the woman hugging the shadowy figure? I recently bought that from a local artist (teresacashart) that I met a few years ago at the Midwest Blogging Conference. She calls this piece, "If Only". I thought it was perfect for Phil's memory shelf. 

October was a happy month with an extended family get-together downstate, the birth of a beautiful, healthy baby girl to the young woman in my life who is like my niece...

and the wedding of my best friend's son.

Good things come in threes...I won my third blog giveaway - a gift card from Target - from Jemma at At Home With Jemma in November. Who doesn't love Target? I'm ordering new bedroom curtains from the Target web site, so this gift card is much appreciated.

On a beautiful, sunny day in November, my dad's side of the family had a mini reunion at a golf club. That's me and Brian on the right side in the green jacket and maroon striped shirt. My mom is the redhead in front of me (my hand is on her shoulder), my youngest niece is to the left of me, and my sister is next to my niece/her daughter in the Blackhawks jacket. The rest of the crew are some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, some of who came in from out-of-state. I think my dad would be mighty proud of his beautiful family. He's been gone 17 years now. 

In December, I finally got a new laptop. My old one had been slowly giving up the ghost all year. I chose an Asus Zenbook, which I'm really enjoying. It has a Solid State Drive, meaning no moving parts, no noise, is more reliable, and consumes less power.

(image from Microsoft)

So, here we are on the brink of 2016. What are you doing for New Year's Eve...will you go out and celebrate or are you staying at home? We'll spend a quiet evening at home with takeout pizza and Netflix. I might get dangerous and make us Moscow Mules. We'll most likely be asleep at midnight. ;-) 

Thank you, dear friends for reading my blog. I treasure each one of you and wish you good health, lots of love, and peace in your hearts for 2016.