Tis The Season

in which I reflect on the blessings in my life

2008 started off inauspiciously.

Geo, my love, found himself on the receiving end of pink slip. His studio decided to downsize, and without warning we went from DINKs to SINKs. Unlike other times, however, he received a severance package as well as unemployment. Shocked by the sudden down turn in our fortune and a little depressed, he was still able to restart his free lance business, keep our coffers afloat and spend some quality time with me. We even got to go away to New York for his birthday in the Spring.

He has since been hired by a another graphics firm. I'm happy to say they love him and treat him very well indeed. It's nice to see him get the respect he deserves. His spirit is a lot lighter these days. What was at first perceived as a hardship has turned out to be a huge blessing and the cosmic kick in the ass he needed to move forward.

Our families are healthy and doing well. We had a scare with my brother-in-law this year. At first it looked like he may have a cancerous tumor in his lung, but miraculously the spot disappeared. The kids in our family are thriving in college and growing up nicely. My Mom, Big Mar is still kicking around at the ripe old age of 87. She's slowing a bit, but her mind is still sharp. She and her girlfriends still get together for cards every month. Now if we could only get her to wear her hearing aid....

We got to spend a lot of quality time with our friends this year. Our buds Doug and Bill both turned 50 this year. We were lucky enough to celebrate this milestone with each of them. Doug's wife threw a great party for him in February. 

Bill's was celebrated on the golf course at Seven Springs in September. Apparently 50-year-old white men can still jump :D

Old friends returned from living abroad to settle in as our neighbors. Now most of my favorite people live within walking distance. I even got to reconnect with an old friend, Nancy, who I haven't seen in nearly 30 years. It was as though we were never apart.

Our social life was completely filled with monthly wine tastings, baseball games, hockey games, dinners, weekends away with the gals, Broadway plays, Arts Festivals, neighborhood bar crawls, dinner and cocktails on the deck and lots and lots of music.

We got to spend another memorable evening at a house concert with the incomparable Francis Dunnery...

and cultivated a renewed interest in Old 97's from their free summer concert performance which grew into a full-on obsession (okay, only I obsess) by the time they returned in October (chronicled here, if you care to subject yourself to my frenzy), and capped it off with a spectacular Rhett Miller solo gig in Hoboken (a Christmas present to myself).

And I finally got off my lazy ass and started writing a blog. 

I was kinda nervous about putting my writings out there for public consumption, you know, because I might really, really suck at it. But I have to say I'm enjoying the process immensely. I appreciate all the support from my friends and family who read this daily or just from time to time. And for the two or three readers who have no personal connection to me, thanks. I hope to continue to earn your following. 

But by far my biggest blessing this year (and every other year) is Geo's presence in my life. His irrefutable love, support and encouragement is what propels me forward, keeps me on track and makes life on this crazy blue planet worthwhile. 

May your Christmas be filled with the love and laughter of family and friends.