Bub-bye 2010--Hello 1/1/11

All in all--not a bad year!   It was a year of change...and a lot of work!  With a little help from my new and old friends, I look forward to a "constructive" new year in 2011, and say a bittersweet goodbye to the "recuperative" year just passed.

In 2009, I did not have a Christmas, and was certainly in no festive mood.  THIS year, in contrast, I went crazy with Christmas!  

I downloaded a lot of Christmas music from YouTube, bought a new lighted tree and decorations, a set of remote-controlled flameless candles on Ebay (you know how I love gadgets!) lighted wreaths and put up solar-powered LED lights on my golf cart!  

I went with friends to see the Singing Christmas Tree in Orlando and also went out for dinner on Christmas Day.  

I participated in the Community Christmas Golf Cart Parade and Christmas Eve luminaria lighting.  

I bought myself a new, fancy-schmancy camera as my gift to myself and went around on my golf cart shooting photos!   It was a very festive and warm Christmas!

This year, I also enjoyed family and friends in San Antonio and Las Vegas.  And, amazingly, family found me by GPS and visited me here in Lake Wales!  This is a photo of my nephew Drew and his wife, Helena (she is creating his "doo").

I enjoyed family members in Cocoa Beach, FL for the Space Coast Marathon.  Here is my nephew, Luke, achieving his best time yet!  He runs for the Lymphoma Foundation.

I participated in my community in various ways and ventured into "video" attempting my first video creation which I posted on YouTube Saddlebag Lake Christmas Dogs     During the making of the video, I photographed many doggies and met lots of people living here.

I have become active in our Community Forum.  I published my second video  Saddlebag Lake NewYear 2011

This year, I bought and renovated my home, making it a convenient, easy-to-maintain and attractive oasis for me and Cassie.  I was able to visit my friends in Cape Coral, Bonita Springs and Estero 4-5 times, and enjoyed several visits with my "Orlando-Family" and a trip to Disney with a pal.

Plans for 2011 are now in process beginning with a planned trip to meet family and friends in Utah in April.  We will have at least 3 RV's in our group and continue to try to interest other friends in joining up with our caravan.  April is the perfect time of year to visit Utah.  I am hoping to stay for an extended time "out west" during the unpleasant Florida summer months and expect to be up in the Pacific Northwest for awhile.  We are also discussing a group cruise to Alaska.

Throughout the year, I experienced many "ups and downs".  Losing Frank and then uprooting myself from the area where I had lived for a decade was a tumultuous life change.   

Finishing Frank's Video Memorium was a major milestone and helped me to, as they say, find closure.   I also found peace in my music--a legacy from my mother who was my inspiration in so many ways and who passed away just before Christmas, forever changing my experience of this joyful season.  

Here is wonderful music with a comforting thought that made me realize that people we love will always be with us. Remember me

Without the support of family and friends, I'm certain I would not feel so "patched together".  I feel stronger now and ready to receive the new joys and inevitable sorrows which life must have in store for me in 2011 and beyond.


So, it is with humility and a grateful heart that I say "Bub-Bye" to 2010.