Happy New Year

2010 is about to come to a close.  Like all years, we have wrung every minute out of her and left her limp.  Every moment that has passed is gone forever and can never been recaptured.  Time is funny that way.  A couple of lines from a poem I once wrote go like this:

...you cannot go back to a happier moment
You cannot recapture a day
For time passes by us and then it is over
Relentlessly going its way.

I am too old for resolutions...I know they are but an exercise in futility.  But I am not too old for hope.  My hope for the coming year is that I not squander one moment.  That when 2011 ticks its last moment away, I will have spent each one wisely.  I hope that rather than just wring empty moments from this year, that I explode with moments of joy and love and laughter.  I hope that I realize and accept that I CANNOT fix everything for everybody - some things are just not fixable.  I hope I realize there is a time for me and my husband and that it is okay for that time to take precedence over other concerns.  I hope that life is gentle with my children and grandchildren and that they will accept me with all my foibles, as I accept them.

AND I HOPE THAT OUR MOTOR HOME GETS FINISHED SOON 'CUZ WE ARE READY TO HIT THE ROAD!  I can only imagine the adventure that awaits two old geezers who have the desire and the will to not let 2011 pass them by.  We will not grow old gracefully - we will grow old squeezing all the life and joy we can from each and every moment.

I suppose I am thinking about time not only because we are about to embark upon a new year, but also because in four days, I will be another year older.  My husband ordered a book for my birthday and it was delivered today.  He wanted me to open it RIGHT NOW (he can never keep a secret) and so I did.  Since I opened the book, he also wanted me to open the card.  It was a singing card and really pretty funny.  But there was no writing from him anywhere on the card or envelope.  I asked him why and he explained:  "It's such a funny card, I thought you might want to re-use it."  That's my Russ - but he is awfully sweet.

On a different note...we had a simple New year's supper.  Not only was it filling and warming on a cold winter's day, it also used up most of the left-over Christmas ham.  YUMM!

Good ole navy beans and ham.  Since I was too lazy to make
bread, we had warm flour tortillas with this.  Very tasty.