Good Bye 2007

All in all, 2007 has not been a bad year. I played tennis with a woman who believed odd numbered years were designated to be bad years. She only planned fun for even numbered years and sat out the odd numbered years in Houston. She didn't want to be away from her home when the bad happened. I know, none of this makes sense, but then a lot of people I know from tennis who don't make a bit of sense, even or odd years.

I quit making New Year's resolutions years ago, but if I am forced to say some in a small group or in some type of weird small group prayer time, these are the resolutions I say: "To stay up too late, not get enough sleep, care too much about my job, not care enough about my job, spend too much money, eat too many sweets, not exercise enough and forget to drink a lot of water." Now those are resolutions I know I can keep.

What I am most thankful for in 2007.

• In a word, Roy. We have been married 30 years. He takes such great care of me and loves me in the good and the bad, the tough and the easy and in tired and in not tired. He keeps me on the right track. He is a lot of fun, although most wouldn't know that. Most people see serious Roy.
• My Friends, especially my three closest friends, Peggy, Lisa and Dena. I love doing life with them. Different from each other, oh yes, but life is so interesting and far from mundane when anyone of them is around. I love it when the four of us do something together, there are a lot of laughs and stories to be retold and as time goes on embellished.
• My friend Beth in Seattle. She and I have known each other since the 6th grade. We have seen each other through the terrible teenage years, to college, to marriage, family stuff and now in the reflective time of life. She and I still write letters, no emails. We have been friends longer apart than together, yet when we see each other it is as if time has not gone by. Don, her husband, and Roy get along great and enjoy each other, so it is never a drag when we do things as couples.
• Blogging, this has been the most fun for me. When I am worn out and dragging my butt tired, I can sit down and begin to blog. I am refreshed and energized by the time I have finished writing. I love that many of my friends blog and I have learned so much about their hearts and thoughts through their blogs. People I know, but didn't understand have become "must check their blog friends" to see what is going on in their lives. I have blogging friends I have never met, blogging friends that I see almost everyday, friends who comment, and friends who never comment. Lurker friends that I don't even know about and it is through the world of blogging. Several years ago I said to Dena, why would anyone want to blog? Who would want to put stuff out there on the Internet? Well, now I know and I am thankful for you all my blogging friends. Thanks Kelly for inspiring me to blog. Dana thanks for always encouraging me.
• Buddy. I love Buddy. She brings me such joy. She is never very far from me when I am at home. She loves to play and she is finally sleeping through the nights with just a few "nocturnal roaming incidents" that get her banished from the bedroom. She is everything that her name says, she's my Buddy.
• Cheryl. Cheryl is my therapist and it would not be hyperbole to say she has saved my life. I have been seeing her off and on for several years. At first more on than off. She has taught me so much about managing me and my emotions and helped me begin to use the default setting I needed to use. Last month my dad had expressed interest to talk with her. Of course red flags and warning lights were going off inside me. I wanted him to get help, but dang it, not from my therapist. Of course I realize now after being hood winked by his actions in November, that he never has any intentions of he or my mother seeing a therapist. Right after Christmas my dad and I had a conversation and as he kind of made fun of me for having to have some help to keep moving through life's difficulties, I told him therapy doesn't change the other people or circumstances, it changes us in how we manage those things. I remind him that I paid $140.00 an hour for this wisdom and advice and I share it with him for free. What a deal! So, in 2007 and in the years previous, I am so very thankful for the wisdom and encouragement from Cheryl.
• The Word. Yea, I needed to get the spiritual in here. He he... But I love God's Word. Everything that I need for life and godliness is in The Bible. I love that The Word is alive and that passages I have read a million times are fresh. There are things I haven't seen in previous readings. God speaks to me in His Word. I love that I can pray the Word back to God and He hears me. His Word doesn't return void and it accomplishes what He pleases. The Word would also include God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I loves it all!
• Nordstrom. The Nord. What a wonderful place to shop, SPA, and eat. I can have a horrible day and I go to the Nord and peace overcomes my horriblness(a word I once heard used by a man on the news. I know it is not a real word, but it does say a lot) There are days when I take a book and my journal and sit in the Bistro and have a time. A lot of days, I just go sit by the piano man to listen close up and then have a bit of conversation with the pianist. And contrary to what many believe, I can go and leave without buying a thing. Although buying stuff there is a lot of fun.
• My church. Which also is my employer. I love my job. It is only the second job I have ever really loved, the first one being at AstroWorld where I ran rides all through out the park. This job sometimes feels like a ride operator and sometimes it feels like I am on the roller coaster with the ups and downs of work. I experience much more ups than downs. Sometimes it is hard to believe I actually get paid to work with my friends and get to do work that makes an impact for eternity.
• Books. Think you know if you have read my blog for any part of time, that I have a book addiction. I love to read and love to have unread books right at my finger tips. There are so many unread, they are at my toe tips as well.

There are so many more things I could write, but heck you didn't come to read just to be put to sleep. If you have difficulty going to sleep, do what I do, read insurance forms or policies. It will knock you out in no time flat.

Happy New Year! May 2008 be Great. I hear that 2008 is the year of new beginnings, but really every year is that. My theme verses for 2008 are Psalm 84, Luke 5 and John 21.

I don't go back into the office until January 7th, so I probably will be blogging a little more than usual for the next week or so. Cindy R, I will get those time away forms to you when I get back in. Sorry about that!