Closing out 2012; Ringing in 2013

Hello...? Hello...? This thing on? *tap, tap, tap*

I would definitely forgive you if you'd thought I'd up and left for good. I am sure no one is left here, reading any of my posts anyway. But regardless, there are a few things going on and I thought I'd write about them now, while I have a moment or two, as the snow falls outside.

November and early December saw me extremely busy. I handled decorating and shopping/wrapping at the office. I organized a Christmas Cookie exchange; it went really well and I hope to do it again next year! I did a bunch of baking in the lead up to the holidays, from cookies for the exchange to cookies and things to give away, and bread/rolls for us for Christmas. We reorganized the living room with the arrival of the furniture from the east coast and we redecorated, painting the walls and fixing up the décor. It looks like the room has been brought from the early 80s into the current century! Quite a change. I did the shopping and shipping of gifts to my sister... mostly stuff for my nephew with a few items for my sister and my BIL. I did the cleaning and tidying, prepping to put up the decorations and the tree for the holidays, which was all done on the first weekend of December. The house was very Christmassy indeed. I love the holidays.

And now, Christmas has come and gone. It was... wow. I don't really have any words. It was a good Christmas I suppose, for the most part. Except for the fact that we were all quite ill. Petite got sick on Christmas Eve, during the afternoon. By evening, she was vomiting and feverish. We finally got her settled around 1 or 2 a.m. and eventually, we got ourselves to bed. Christmas Day, my girlfriend's daughter wasn't feeling well. By Boxing Day (December 26), Hubby and I were miserable, feeling like a truck had run us over. I went to work on December 27, dragging my butt through the day, but two coworkers told me I looked like "week-old codfish" and I took the hint. Friday, December 28, the doctor saw all three of us in her office. Petite was diagnosed with a bad cold, and Hubby and I were diagnosed with the flu. Home to bed for as long as possible. I took three days off work and went back to the office shortly after the new year.

Regardless, we finally came out the other side of it all. Just in time too.

We are going to head off on a holiday in early February. It's a cruise we had planned back in April last year and we've been looking forward to it ever since. My girlfriend, K, and her daughter, K, have asked us for YEARS to go on holiday with them somewhere. We always put it off, because honestly, I rarely go on 'holiday' per se. I just go to see my family, wherever they happen to be. This time though, we set aside some vacation time last year, in preparation for this vacation and we researched times/dates to travel, and where we wanted to go, cost, etc. We booked it last year and we've been counting down the days ever since. (Yes, there's an App for that too!) Petite has been told about our upcoming holiday and she is eager to build sandcastles on the beach with us. We'll be heading to Miami for a couple of days before embarking on the ship (Carnival Victory) and heading to three ports: Nassau, Bahamas; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (a private island); and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. We spend five days on the ship before we disembark and spend one more night in Miami before flying home. We CANNOT wait. Seeing as Christmas sort of passed us by, we are looking forward to having a real holiday at the moment.

We are also hoping to get home to Newfoundland near the end of July. I'm keeping an eye out for seat sales already. My 25th high school reunion will be at that time, and I really loved my high school and friends from there. I hope to catch up with many of them.

Prince of Wales Collegiate, St. John's, Newfoundland 

In fact, one in particular. I had a good friend from home who I had lost touch with. She and I hung around with a few others, but no one knew what had become of "Jan." She was also on the list of lost alumni from our high school; people were invited to post details or send info to the organizing committee regarding how to locate these lost alums. I knew a little about what Jan had done after high school, but not much. I decided to have a go at finding her. Lo and behold, my sleuthing discovered a few things: she is well-known in her field of study, and she had just relocated... to the same city where I currently live!!! A website gave a professional e-mail address for her and I shot her a note, hoping it was indeed the same person I knew from 20+ years ago. She replied... yes indeed! It is her. We made plans to go out a few weeks later to catch up. I recall her family fondly, in particular, her mom. She always made us feel welcome in their home. She's a wonderful lady.

Imagine my shock when I learned, five days before Jan and I were to get together, her mom passed away, suddenly, at home in Newfoundland. Obviously she flew home. I hear she is devastated; I know she and her mom were very close. I sent her an e-mail or two, letting her know that I had heard the news, and I was terribly sorry for her loss. With luck, when she is ready and returns to Ottawa, I may have a chance to see her. I hope so. I actually had a dream about her mom a couple of weeks ago. She was smiling and happy in this dream. She was okay. She told me she was okay. She told me to tell Jan this. She told me she is happy that I found Jan. (I'm not sure how much of this I honestly believe, but there must be a reason for her coming to me that night.) I hope that I get to tell Jan these things... when she is ready. I hope Jan and I can be close again. She always was a great friend. I am sending love and healing vibes to her as she and her family deal with this tragic loss. I had hoped to meet up with Jan's mom next summer when I go home for the reunion. Alas. God had other plans.

On other vacation fronts, we had tentative plans with other friends to rent a house in Orlando, Florida this summer for one week. I don't know if that will go ahead. To be determined I guess. And my whole family hoped to get together next Christmas, but I doubt that will happen either. Well, it may for them, but likely not for us. While I can easily carve out the time, Hubby asked for that time off and there's already absolutely no availability at the moment. He will continue to check throughout the year, but right now, it won't happen. Ugh. I wonder if he can ask now for vacation during Christmas 2014?!

And I've got one or two other things ruminating in my head at the moment. Now that we have decided not to go forward with another IVF for #2, I can focus on me. There are one or two things in particular I am focussing on, but I need to consult with a few professionals before I can make any final decisions and move forward. More info to follow as things are solidified.

For now, I am thinking of my friend Jan as she navigates life without her mom. Thinking of Vee and Boo, as they embark on a new life, moving in with Vee's dad and travelling to Thailand again for a holiday. Thinking of my sis as she and my BIL enjoy their gorgeous little boy and hopefully plan a holiday at home in May with him before he turns 2 (and they will then need to pay for a flight ticket for him!).

I am praying that 2013 will be better than 2012. We lost one wonderful member of our family in 2012; July 29 will always bring us sadness. In time, it may bring a smile of happy memories, but for now, we all ache far too much. It hurts. A LOT. I know it will for a long time to come.

Hugs and love to all in blogland.