Well, 2010 was the year of taking care of people.

My niece was born in February and I was cheerfully out there one day a week helping my sister with her. I helped Msbelle out with Mac which was also a joy. (Seriously, that child is 95% sunshine. The other 5% is so hard but it used to be 10+ and some day it will be nearly none.) There were various other babysitting gigs and, again, so nice to be part of keeping happy families happy.

Then came August and I was off to Florida for what turned out to be four months to look after my aunt Barbara's 91 year old mother Roz while aunt Barbara underwent cancer treatments.

The work its self wasn't so difficult -- cooking, cleaning, keeping the books, getting Roz to her various appointments. Roz's dimentia isn't as traumatic to me as it is to her immediate family because I'm not feeling the loss of her memories so much and she and I were able to enjoy simple things -- clouds, trees, Jewish food, Errol Flynn movies... as well as those days when she was sharp and funny as hell.

Being away from home, missing my friends, being out of my environment, not knowing if this was even going to work -- that was all pretty hard. My uncle John and I bonded quite a bit on that through those long months and he and I have regained the closeness we had when I was a girl.

But it worked. Barbara lived. Roz kept her faculties. We all went home. Just this once, everybody wins.

Maternity and Paternity leave for my sister and her husband have ended and my nannying the niece a few days a week means I'm probably eligible (fingers crossed!) as a part-time worker for NYS's single-payer health insurance. With any luck I'll soon have the foot surgery that got put off three years ago when I lost my job. Maybe 2011 is the year for taking care of Trudy.

I received a lovely present in the mail! My santa gave me a soft, soft, soft (and very warm) red scarf (my tactile happy fingers didn't want to let go), and an ecological calendar, which I'd never seen before, but which is really beautifully illustrated. I've started looking at it, but there's so much to see, I haven't really even begun to figure it out. It's this one: [link] and I can tell it's going to be very useful and interesting already.

Also included, were perfect presents for my punkins, a little book on how to draw dinosaurs for Aidan, with colored pencils and dinosaur stickers, which he has already begun to use (he created a dinosaur zoo this evening), and a 3 bottle set of purple, silver, and black fingernail polish for my infant gothy-girl, who is making plans to paint her nails tomorrow, but hasn't decided which color to start with yet. Both presents were stuck in tiny fuzzy stockings, which made the children very happy, so the Fisher family is feeling the santa love tonight.

My present arrived! I got a lovely assortment of gifts from a Secret Santa with a Baltimore mailing address (hmmm....)

There is (but won't be for much longer) a box of candies from a local Baltimore chocolatier, a gorgeous red pashmina, a New Yorker desk calendar (I needed a day-by-day calendar, so this is perfect!), one of those table-top hooks for holding a handbag (this will come in very very handy), and a set of festive beaded coasters with wee jingle bells around the edges. Because of the jingle bells, the cat believes the coasters are his. It may take me a while to disabuse him of this notion.

Thank you so much, Secret Santa!

one of those table-top hooks for holding a handbag (this will come in very very handy)

I got one of those from my daughter this year! And it is indeed handy.

I have the most amazing collection of gorgeous gifts from Seska! Thank you so very much! There's an absolutely delicious box of decaf Earl Grey and English breakfast from Taylor's of Harrodsgate, by appointment to HRH The Price of Wales. Mmmmm yummy. Not one or two but FOUR articles of jewelry: a lovely wire and spread-out beaded three-strand necklace with pink, lavender, silver, and abalone beads (totes my colors!!), matching silver and abalone-bead earrings, make that two pair of earrings, one pair with a small blue bead and seed beads also; and a really lovely vintage (or reproduction, I can't tell) Edwardian chain and link and green crystal necklace with a small rhinestone-covered ball in the center. Then there's more! Oh my gosh, what a store of riches! A 1000-piece puzzle of the best of Yorkshire, and a book I am really looking forward to reading about Hearing Dog for deaf people. I live in a town where Guide Dogs for the Blind are trained, and just love stories about how animals and people develop loving and helping bonds with each other. Thank you so much Seska!

I'm a wee bit worried about my giftee. My presents were mailed on the Monday before Christmas. Have they been recieved, I wonder?

Oh, yay - I was getting worried that it wouldn't arrive (we had mail-disruptive weather just before Christmas). So glad that you liked it all! I'm really glad some of the jewellery's in your colours, too! No idea if the necklace is reproduction or real, but I saw it in a second-hand store and thought of you.

I live in a town where Guide Dogs for the Blind are trained, and just love stories about how animals and people develop loving and helping bonds with each other.

The author is my father! He's a talented guy. His dog Matt is also very talented.

The author is my father! He's a talented guy. His dog Matt is also very talented.

How cool is that?!

What is the title of the book, may I ask? I'd love to look it up.

It's called 'If It Wasn't for That Dog'. My father's pen-name is Michael Forester.

[link]

No other packages received? I'm beginning to fret about mine getting where it's supposed to be.

Me too, especially since UPS says it was delivered this afternoon--left by the front door.

doom doom doom...