December 31, 2021

 The last day of 2021. It has been an unusual year in so many ways. What will be usual on this last day of the year is, we will stay in tonight. No party going, no going out for supper or anything of that nature. That has been our new year celebration for quite sometime. When we lived in Houston we might meet friends for a very early dinner before everyone who wants to party came on the scene. 

There is so much to be thankful for in 2021. God has taken good care of us even through some challenging days. 2021 held such a feeling of loss, well just until recently. 2021 held a lot of good as well, selling our home was a huge item off the to be done list. We lived there nine and a half years. Roy found a condo that was almost just about perfect for him. Close enough to the office to make the commute manageable and comfortable in an area where we had lived for almost eighteen years. No real learning curve of streets. We lost Hector Protector in July and Buddy in September. I spent most of the summer distracted and unable to really focus on too much of anything. We both had a few health scares, no maybe that should be concerns. There has been much prayer yet also much laughter this year. 

With the pandemic still going on not too many came here to visit. My long time friend Beth came for Memorial Day and we had a blast. Doug, Megan and Katie came in August and unfortunately for them it was in the height of my sense of being overwhelmed and distracted. It was fun seeing them and doing the Leicester Studio Tour. 

The biggest change this year, Roy retired. I was thrilled for him to get out of Houston because it just seemed like such a mean place but he confronted meanness in Mobile instead. He is alive and for this I am thankful. Throughout the year I could hear it in his voice, the weariness of managing people. Several times we talked and prayed about could this be the year? Honestly, I was so ready for him to be here and he said this is the first year he knew I was just about done doing most things alone. His flight he had scheduled to return to Houston was a 6:00 am flight, one I wasn't looking that forward to on Monday. Ah, not having to drive that early to the airport, for this I am thankful. After hearing the snow forecast for Monday morning I am very happy to be as snug as a bug in a rug Monday morning. 

2021brought about a simplicity to life. No more blonde highlights, not wearing a lot of make up, eating at home, and really another year of generally sticking close to home. Kind of like 2020 but now I am more used to the simplicity and I am all for that. 

Happy New Year, Friends! Thank you for stopping in and reading the ol Monablog from time to time. This blog has to be the most consistent thing I've ever done as a hobby or interest. It began in 2007. I used to write edgier things, you know more than loving a new grocery store across state lines. More stuff was written back then when I went to my fearless zone much more than I do these days. 

Now we look forward to 2022 and what it holds.