New Year 2008

We made it through another one.

I remember when I was about 14 or so, on a New Year's Eve spent at home with my parents, my dad let me have a glass of wine. I think it was "Cold Duck" which is really nasty, but my dad seemed to like it. I'm not much of a wine drinker anyway. If I do drink, it's got to be white wine. But anyway...I had a glass, forced it down, and was feeling pretty happy with the world. My dad said that in a few short years it would be 2000, and paused to calculate how old he'd be then. The answer was 69. Not too old, he said to my mom, brightly! We'll still be around! Won't that be something!

He didn't make it. He died in 1999. My mom made it a little while longer, of course, but she died just shy of 2008.

Now, I'm never one to complain about any excuse for a party, so New Year's Eve is generally something I enjoy. I haven't really understood why it's such a big deal, though. January 1 isn't much different from December 31. I asked my parents once, long ago - probably as a young child - why we celebrated New Year's. They told me it was because we made it through another year. I didn't get it, then, but now I do.

It's also a good time to make changes in our lives and take stock of what we've done and want to do. And, by golly, tax season is around the corner! Just one more month and I'll be visiting TurboTax.com and hoping to break even or get a little refund!

Resolutions

On New Year's 2001 I resolved to give up smoking. Not on New Year's Eve, mind you. That night I puffed away with the best of 'em. But I didn't buy any more. I dragged that last pack out for about a week. And then there were no more, and I've stuck to it. Six years have gone by and I am very much a non-smoker.

Sounds like a good idea, hm? If I can do it, so can YOU!

Here are the things I expect to do in 2008:

* Settle my mom's estate
* Sell my mom's condo
* Sell my mom's property in Florida
* Invest my inheritance for the kids' college funds and our retirement
* Start back to college (goal is Spring quarter '08!)
* Go on a nice 6-day family vacation, and at least 4 weekend camping trips
* Work out 3 times a week and lose 20 pounds
* Put up our above-ground swimming pool (it's been sitting in the garage since last May)
* Get the water spigot in the back of our house working
* Remodel and improve the chicken coop and pen
* Install ceiling fan in our entry and cut out a hole for a floor grate in the dining room floor, to improve our wood stove's ability to heat our house
* Paint master bathroom and bedrooms, and maybe more rooms as time allows
* Till the rest of the garden (it's 40' x 40' and only about 1/4 was tilled last year) and use it well
* Plant some fruit trees and berry bushes

That's a lot, but I think it's do-able.

Things I would like to do, but might not:

* Replace our roof
* Convert garage into office/craft studio
* Convert current office into laundry room
* Replace kitchen vinyl floor
* Replace main floor carpet, maybe some of it with hardwood floor or Pergo
* Convert back porch/solarium into a nice utility room

No matter what happens in 2008, it's starting very well. We've had some rocky times in our marriage, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. When you're married for 15 years, you're bound to have some struggles now and then. But I'm feeling very warm and fuzzy about our relationship right now! My husband is a great guy. Whatever the new year - and the future in general - brings, we'll face it together. And with that in place, how bad could it be?

No...don't answer that, I don't want to lose my smile just yet!