Ring Out the Old Ring In the New ...

January 1st ... the first day of 2014.   So much to look forward to in the new year.  This last year was so bipolar ... lots of happy highs ... but several heartbreaking lows.

I've gotten beautiful flowers.  We went to see Drive By Truckers and I sang along.  We saw Kevin Smith in St. Louis.  We saw Jason Isbell and I teared up at my favorite song.   We went to Book of Mormon ... played a lot of fun trivia nights ... saw a lot of movies.   I met Stoney's family ... and he met mine.  Well, most of mine.  He meets the girls on Saturday.

So many, many wonderful things ... a year of grilling out and fresh lemonade ... drawing Christmas cards ... working on decks and kitchens ... sewing sock monkeys ... making special cookies for our friends.   It was a year of hugs and kisses and of laughter and love.

I guess my only wish ... is that I wish the lows weren't so low.   I lost my cousin to cancer ... which was, sadly, expected after a long, hard-fought battle. Then a few days later, my best friend suddenly passed ... which no one on Earth expected.   Another good friend of mine passed away from breast cancer in November ... at which point I declared that no one was allowed to die.  We made it through the rest of 2013 without losing anyone.  If we could continue that streak through 2014, I would appreciate it.

I've never made New Year's resolutions because it always felt like an exercise in futility.  But this year ... I think I've changed my attitude.  Why not try to better yourself?  If you slip and fall?  Then you get back up and try again.  So I'm gonna spend today thinking ... putting together a few ideas ... things I can make better.

May 2014 be healthy and happy for every one of us  ...

Ring out the old, ring in the new
Ring out the old, ring in the new
Ring out the false, ring in the true
Ring out the old, ring in the new

George Harrison -
Ding Dong, Ding Dong