My niece got her Xmas gift from me yesterday and she loves it!

I'm so happy.

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Gee, in 2005 I got my nuclear family back!

I got to travel to Ohio and spend time with lovely Buffistas, tour the R&R Hall of Fame, see Lake Erie and meet sj, Deena's Spawn1, Spikelet and RaptorGirl, Cashmere and O, and see people I'd first met in '04. I also got to travel to SF to celebrate Perkins' Sail's and Nicole's birthdays, meet Beth (b's) Husband, and spend time with people I'd met Nilly-Q week in '04. I found a new doctor and got a handle on some of my chronic physical problems, so that's looking more and more positive.

DH retired and both our kids' relationships and jobs dissolved. So I've gone from working at home and structuring my day as I pleased, and having years to get used to that, to having three other people underfoot all the time, at least until jobs and apartments and life-having happen for our sons. 2006 is going to be interesting.

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Argh!!! Long post eaten by fatal error. Gah!

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fatal error.

In Soviet Russia, you don't kill the thread, the thread kills you!

[sorry]

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2005 was good corporately (we survived it, lots of kiddos, lots of music) and personally (good relationship, community, roots). 2005 was bad in physical property (Great Sewage Debacle, Water Saga, Spectacularly Bad Vacations). The car wreck that totaled our van will cost us upwards of 25 grand before it's all said and done, and messed pretty severely with our sense of well-being as well. But despite the physical stuff, I think I'd have to rank it as a good year overall.

I did moderately well keeping last year's New Year's Good Intentions, so feel reasonably about working out more for this year.

2006 I expect to be an interesting one, as once again we'll need to work hard to come up with the finances to keep on in 2007. There's lots of potential for change in the traveling music school, so who knows what will happen there. I still think we need to assess our living situation, even though things appear mostly better. I am massively worried about family members' health issues, so I am hoping this year is uneventful on that front. But we'll be able to deal, it'll just be varying degrees of difficult. But we're family. And that's good. Definitely want to improve creatively and spiritually, so we'll be working on that.

2006, you're on notice! Try to stay off my dead-to-me list!

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Dear Slacker Santa,

Canada Post left a notice that a package is waiting for me at the local post office (yay!). I can't pick it up until tomorrow (boo!), but I just wanted to let you know that whatever-it-is has arrived.

Yours in anticipation,

Dani

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And I got it--

Thank you so much for the gorgeous cookie cutters, Hil! The Blue-Eyed Boy is already pestering me to make a batch of gingerbread so that he can try them out. Maybe tomorrow night.

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You're welcome, Dani. I'm glad you like them.

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Yay more Christmas! Thank you, Sean--the package arrived today, and I was prevented from eating the chocolate immediately only by the fact that I, um, was eating a chocolate cookie while opening the package. So. But! Lovely smelly candle, and eye pillow, and a devil duckie of my very own, and paper Futurama dolls! The paper Futurama dolls clearly need to go to work with me tomorrow.

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I just got home from a vacation in Arizona and Mexico (I had never stayed at a resort before. I could seriously get used to that!), and what did I find waiting for me but BOXES! Now, some were items that I had ordered to take with me to said resort, and there may be some discussions with vendors about guaranteed delivery dates, but MUCH more importantly, I had a box from my secret santa. Thanks so much to Stephanie for the Lush gift pack! I have never tried Lush before, and am seriously looking forward to seeing what everyone has been raving about. I think there may be a long, sparkly, bubble bath in my future this evening! Many thanks, again, Stephanie. It seems that each year I get the most generous buffista of all as my very own seekrit santa.

Since I seem to be typing lots today, I guess I'll do my 2005 recap. The best thing about this year is how it has improved in the last few months. With the (big) exception of meeting Bay Areaistas in January (was that only this year?!), this year started out as a difficult continuation of 2004. One of my very best friends went to prison in 2004, leaving me wondering how I could have missed the signs, as well as with his two psycho kitties and his finances to take care of - when I can barely take care of my own. Many changes and uncertainties at work and church kept me further off balance. By the end of 2005, though, his finances have mostly moved to another's much more capable hands, the kitties and I have acclimatized to each other (I like to think that they're less psycho), and the work situation seems to have settled down in a very positive way. Highlights for the year:

• I got to meet Bay Areaistas in January and Seattlistas (plus DebetEsse) in the summer. I was really nervous about it each time, but each time worked out better than I could possibly have imagined. Buffistas really are the very best!

• On the summer trip, I was able to visit my friend in prison, which wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. I also met some of his family members that I had been communicating with on various issues, but hadn't met in person before; and visited some friends that I hadn't seen in years. I have resolved to keep in better touch.

• After temporarily shedding some professional association and church responsibilities, I have had more time to spend with myself...and on being a complete fangeek. Figuring out how to blend the different sides of myself as I take on

some of these responsibilities again will be an interesting challenge this year.

• I have spent more time with some acquaintances who have become real friends. I have grown more distant from some other friends. Whether it's due to guilt by association or different priorities for time, I don't know. It has been hard, but I have come to pretty much accept it and to enjoy the less-involved friendship for what it is. However, I have been truly amazed and encouraged by the church friends who quietly stepped forward to help during difficult times.

• The new rector at my church and his family continue to settle in. I have high hopes that they will be here for a good, long while and that they will be a stabilizing and revitalizing influence on the church and community. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but given where we've been over the last few years, it's huge.

I hate to say this out loud, as it were, but 2006 seems to be starting out wonderfully. I'm really enjoying my job, church and community. I had one of the best vacations ever - and didn't fight with my mom at all during it. At the end of '05 and already this year, I was able to help some others in ways that I wouldn't have been able to before. Being able to do something important for someone else, whether big or small, is one of the most gratifying things ever, especially when you can see the impact and the appreciation.

Through everything, I have learned so much from all of (continued...)

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