NEW YEARS EVE REFLECTION

Today is another spring like day with temperatures warming quickly this morning after a low 40's night. As I did chores today I recalled what it was like last year at this time with all the snow and cold.

After breakfast hubbie helped me put together a new corner shelf for the computer corner in the living room before he left to go finish work at daughter's. I have shopping for the 2 meals tomorrow and house cleaning to do today so they'll be on their own today.

I sorted through all the things on the old shelf and re-distributed some of them before heading to the grocery store. I got everything on my list for my New Year's Day traditional lunch and our late Christmas party with hubbie's family tomorrow night meal.

I spent the afternoon housecleaning as I haven't done much of that since before Christmas.

I had a few minutes while the floors were drying to sit on the front porch in the warm sunshine  and reflect over this year. It's hard to belive that another year has passed and we are getting ready to start 2012 tomorrow.

As I thought back over the year I realized that this has been a wonderful year and many life changing moments have happened this year to each of my family members as we go through this live together.

Here is my recap of this years events.

January---Dental appointments took up a lot of time this month as I had new dentures and partials made. We had snow all through the first days of the month but on the 10th we got the big one,almost 10 inches and very cold temperatures followed .We stayed cold and snowy for almost the entire month until the last days and they were like spring.

February--- Brought more icey and snowy weather as the temperatures plunged again. #1 son had ankle surgery on the 3rd which went well. After a dusting of snow at the beginning on the month spring and summer like weather took over and the plants were bursting with spring  buds and blooms. Hubbie and I worked outside and cleared the hill in front of our house so we can sit out in the patio and watch the pasture and road below.

March--- Started off with #2 son's birthday memories.G-son made his first trip to the emergency room with a cut under his eye that had to be glued shut. We had near flooding on a couple occasions. Hatched my first batch of eggs under one of my Silkie hens.On the 11th a historic tsunami hit Japan damaging several of their nuclear plants and causing major damge and loss of life.Daughter began to search for her own home during this month. We planted potatoes and more spring vegetables in almost summer like conditions for most of the month. Ended the month with daughter's birthday.

April---G-son was signed up to play baseball and his games were sometimes very trying as he didn't grasp the game plan on most days.We had  some bad storms this month but had little damage at our place thankfully.Easter was on the 24th and it was a fun time.We hauled calves to market .Took our bi-annual flea market trip with daughter and g-son.

May---This month continued the summer weather we've been experiencing the last couple months.
More severe storms raged all around us. I had jury duty but was dismissed because I new the arresting officer. Blogger screwed up some of my post and lost a couple so I decided to turn all my blog post into books. Sold the first of my hatched chicks this month.Planted our garden between the storms and prayed that it be spared. Killer tornadoes became the norm this month around the country and even here we were constantly under warnings. This month ended with a heat wave.

                                                                June's view from here !!

June---Started off the month with temperatures in the 90's,whew ! Heat produces storms and hail. Started my "the view form here" project, where I take a picture the first of each month from the same spot in my outside patio to campare as the months go by. Had our spring old timey day at Curb Market and did pretty well in sales. G-son spent the weekend with us while his mom and dad went with their church group on a marriage retreat. Got his first trip of the year to play in the cool waters of the creek. #1 son repeated his knee surgery on the anniversary of the accident and this time it was very successful. Daughter made an offer on a house in fore-closure and it got accepted. Market busy season started this month along with the canning season. We made blackberry jam and started drying herbs.
This June was a historically bad weather month as floods and tornadoes killed and damaged more than ever before.

                                                              July's view from here !!

July---Another very hot month with temperatures in or near 90 each day and little rain. I canned green beans and tomatoes and made pickles with the bountiful crop we had this year.#1 son picked fresh corn from a friends field and hubbie and I froze it for the winter. There were many cooling dips in the creek with g-son and busy market days during this month. The end of the month brought a nasty head cold for me and another year older birthday.

August's view from here!

August---A month of temperature ups and downs as we start out fall like and go back to summer in a hurry.This month started out with a week of Bible School in which I helped daughter with a class of 1st and 2nd graders.  I canned more tomatoes and okra as well as dried more herbs for sale at market.
The silkies are still hatching chicks and I'm selling them as they get old enough.  Hurricane Irene damaged the east coast all the way from NC to NY costing billions and an earth quake struck the east and we felt it here but most of the damage was minor.G-son started pre-kindergarden and daughter had to call the congressman to get help with closing on her house. I became a great aunt again this month to another baby boy from nephew A.

                                                           September's view from here !

September---On the 1st day of this month daughter became a home owner at last. This started a month of busy work tearing out, painting, reflooring and cleaning. #2 son recieved a nasty dog bite on his mail route that sent him to the emergency room. I attended the annual Apple Festival and our church's annual Block Blast this month. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 was celebrated this month. The Curb Market held our fall Old Timey Day on the last Saturday of the month. I made a decision to stop cleaning the church amid a flurry of disrespect from the contemporary church bands that are using the sanctuary. Last but not least daughter adopts Tipper her Airdale cross puppy.

                                                        October's view form here!!

October---A vacation to Holden Beach,NC in the first week of this month turned out to be a good one. The weather was a little cool at the start of the week but warmed nicely during our stay. G-son loves the beach and has more fun than anyone I know while we are there.This is a month of birthdays as #1 son and g-son share the same birthday and one of my great nephews turned 1 on the 11th this year. We dug all our potatoes this month and got them stored away as well as got all the peppers dried and frozen before the first freeze on the 21st.The leaves were very colorful this year and hung on all month long. I had a hatch of late chicks as the hen started sitting while we were on vacation and sis-in-law was afraid to get the eggs from under her. We worked at daughter's house all month in our spare time. The month ended with Halloween trunk or treat at our church.

                                                        November's view from here!!

                                                     Daughter in her kitchen in her new house.

                                                                   Welcome Louie !!!
November---The month began with beautiful leaves still clinging to the trees. Daughter made the move to her new home the second week of the month. I had my yearly mammogram and passed this year.
We had Thanksgiving meals with extended family, church and close family as well as busy market sales this month. We had some large trees cut in front of the house and some limbs taken off some that are close to the house. I bought a new washer and dryer on black Friday and get a really good deal.#1 son got a new calf and g-son named him Louie.
The month ended with Christmas activities at Market with our Old timey Christmas and at church with the hanging of the greens ceremony.

                                                         December's view from here !!!

December---Compared to the last couple of years this December's weather has been very nice with above normal temperatures almost everyday and only a few flakes of snow. This month will go down in history as the abrupt end to the Iraq war as all the soldiers were sent home before the holidays. Our family celebrates 2 anniversaries this month #1 son and-in-love's on the 10th and mine and hubbie's on the 21st. We celebrated a very good Christmas with activities at church and at home as a 5 year old sure makes things merry !! We saw our first snowflakes on the 27th but were gone quickly with the warm temperatures. Hubbie, daughter and I spent the last week of the month clearing her lot. I officially cleaned church for the last time since we built the new sanctuary yesterday evening. It felt kind of bittersweet as all the good memories have been over-shadowed by the abuse I've seen lately.
I still have this burning conviction but hopefully I can get my focus back on God and not worry about anything else.

As the sun dips below the horizon on the last evening of 2011 I thank the Lord for a year full of blessings and grace for my family. And prayfully look forward to what His plans for me are in the new year.
Good Night, God Bless and Happy New Year !