Happy New Year!!!

Whew. Made it to the new year. I used to hate to celebrate New Year. Really. It was just awful to me, depressing, sense of loss and fear of the future. That all changed after 2005. That was a horrible year...what was it Queen Elizabeth said about the year Charles and Diana divorced? "Horribus Annus"? Can't recall exactly and don't want to research it, but you get the drift. Well, 2005 was horrible in many, most, respects. A few wonderful things did happen, such as my youngest daughter and husband being baptized at the same time, seeing my sister after a few years away...the rest was hideous. I had a serious emotional breakdown as a result, so I looked upon New Year's Eve as the doorway to a new beginning, for the first time. I came down with a terrible cold that afternoon, raw throat, the works, but still had to see the old year out and holler to the neighborhood that 2006 was coming home! :D So, from that point on, I love New Year's. I look forward to it. It is one of my most favorite holidays.
This year the 1st day of the new year was spent in our new home. We still aren't totally moved in, but for the most part we're done. I have some issues, but not with the house at all. We're still friends. I kind of feel like I've lived here a long time. So it's still all good.
New Year's Eve brought some very happy news to us in the form of our eldest daughter becoming engaged to a super dooper guy. I'm so happy for them, so excited for their future and their having found each other. There isn't a perfect fit ever, but they fit pretty darn well.
Today is almost the middle of January already, but I have felt spring in the air the past couple of days. Not warm, but that subtle almost imperceptible change that happens. Maybe it's the animal link in me that picks it up, or the gardener, but it's there. Now, I have no doubt that we'll see some wintery weather still, but it'll be different. I'm excited!
My husband has been painting his garage. Yep, HIS garage. I said it. He has this whole color, pattern thing going on. It looks fantastic, and it's been fun to watch him out there fussing and struggling over it. Now that he has his OWN room, to put his computer in and his games and all, does he spend any time in it at all? Nope. Doesn't it just figure? Like the commuter behind you on the freeway, just pushing pushing pushing...the second you move over and give them the free lane, they back off and won't drive ahead. That's Masoud and his room. Good thing I take a little blue pill to help me not care about that stuff!
I started this year, physically, in an interesting way. Had a terrible pain in my back and shoulder on Christmas day, lasted for a few days. I'm thinking, is my stomache exploding? Am I having a heart attack? Is it cancer? I mean, it was one of the worst pains ever. I felt, truly, like someone was jumping up and down on a bunch of nerves. Then it left. And a day or so later, a rash showed up. Harmless looking at first, then WHAMMO! And then on my back, side, chest...crazy insane itching!!! Yep. Shingles. Oh golly. Don't ever go there. Keep your life balanced so that it doesn't happen. I can't believe how awful this has been! Whine whine whine!!! And then, as if I wasn't already hurting enough, my daughter's cat BITES ME! This kitty doesn't like me in the first place, which I have to be honest and say is unusual. Kitties like me, generally. Anyway, she wanted me to pet her, so she said, but when I did she growled and whirled and bit me. Not a graze, like I'm used to, but a deep tooth sinking bite. I had to pull her tooth out of my hand. Man. Now, cat bites are almost always septic, immediately. I scrubbed the thing and held the skin apart and made it bleed and bleed and bleed, and kept that up for an hour or so. Then came days of scrubbing, pulling, soaking. Fortunately I avoided infection. Crazy stuff. I don't recommend that either.
So that's what's going on this year so far. Got a cold virus brewing so I'm downing the cold-eze and fluids to shorten it's life. Can't wait for springtime to happen!!!!!! :D It's coming, days gettin' longer and it's all good.