2006 - A Retrospective

2006 hasn't been one of my better years. I set myself some goals last January 1st. and by the first of February I'd stomped all over every single one of them. LOL! So I've learned my lesson there. NO GOALS! I did not finish ONE SINGLE QUILT in 2006. Started a bunch and even got a lot to finished top stage. But nothing to finished quilt stage. Hopefully 2007 will see completed quilts. If not at least more completed tops and less new half-done projects. I joined the UFO challenge on the Stashbusters Yahoo list. I thought I had approx. 80 UFOs. I keep thinking of more and as of tonight my total has grown to 91! And I'm pretty sure there are more. These are all things that have at least had some cutting done all the way up to a quilt that has been quilted for several years except for the border. How sad is that!

Besides the lack of quity progress I've had some health problems this year that continue to plague me. And have indirectly contributed to a significant weight gain this year. :-( So while I'm NOT making any resolutions I am attempting to change my eating habits. I'm going back on low-carb. It worked for me before and I can't even remember why I quit. I just know I felt much better and my bloodwork looked much better when I left sugar and "white" foods alone! And I'm trying to get in as much exersice as my back and hips will allow. Which isn't much but anything is better than what I've been getting. And I know it will get easier the longer I keep at it.

We were robbed in the spring. While they only got an old laptop computer that wasn't worth more than a couple hundred bucks, a bb pistol, and an old pocket knife, still they broke into my home. They violated my space. And hurt 3 of my cats in the process! And that still pissed me off more than anything else they did or could have done.

We had a set back on our building project and have had to change our focus. But that's not exactly a bad thing as our new plan is one that realistically we can build ourselves and save about half the cost over what we had originally planned for. Meaning I probably get my quilting machine by mid summer! (Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no large unexpected expenses between now and then!)

I lost my Dad the day before Thanksgiving. It was past time as he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's with all the health problems that go along with it. Such a sad thing to see my Dad who had been such a vibrant person in his shell of a body and with his lost mind. So I'm truly grateful that he passed and has now joined Mama in Heaven. But I miss him so much. Just like I still miss Mama. And probably will for the rest of my life. But life does go on and I just try to focus on all the lovely memories I have of them both.

And now just to end the year off "right" - my poor Fluffy-boy has been at the vet's since yesterday morning. He couldn't poop or pee! She put in a catheter and got some of his bladder emptied. And then he got it mostly out so she went ahead and removed it. And he's peed twice on his own today so she think that problem is fixed. But even after 2 enemas and 2 days of strong laxatives he still can't poop. So tomorrow she'll have to try more drastic measures to relieve his compacted bowel. In the meantime he's really freaking out being in a cage with strange people around and dogs in nearby cages barking all the time. The poor vet really didn't want to keep him another night cause he's so scared but she didn't want to send him home until he's pooped either. And I don't want to bring him home until he can. Cause once I get him home there's not way I'm getting him back in that cage if he had to go back! LOL! In fact before I bring him home she's supposed to go ahead and give him his shots, etc that he's due in February so I don't have to try to get him back again so soon.

So not a great year like I said. But I don't want to leave you thinking it's been ALL bad. Because it's had a few golden moments. :-) Best of all were several very nice visits with my sister. Which is something we've not had for several years. Then a few very timely Random Acts of Kindness from blogger buddies. A significant raise early in the year that has enabled us to do some things that we've alwasy wanted but never been able to afford. I went on my first quilt retreat. We paid off our credit card debt. We bought David a new car. We paid off MY car a few weeks ago. Almost a year early! We paid off our land. Also a year early. So we only owe for one car (which was only financed for 3 years) and our home (which we're paying double payments and should be paid off in about 4 years instead of 11-1/2). And I got a greenhouse for Christmas. I've wanted one for years but something always came up that we needed the money for. It's a little 6'X 8' but that's all I wanted. It's plenty big enough for me to start plants for my garden and to winter over a tomato plant or two. And not so big I'll try to overplant and then not be able to take care of everything.

And I sure don't want to forget to add to my list of "good things from 2006" the many new friends I've made out in bloggerland. I might not leave many comments lately but I do visit every few days and truly treasure each of you. My wish for you all is for a happy, healty, productive 2007.