Lots of changes afoot for the new year!

 

Lots more info to follow.  I have been wanting to write here, but I have so many thoughts in my head is it hard to unscramble them into cohesive subjects... To be continued

Ok, I will start with the photos above, just to get the ball rolling.  I received the pictures of Mom & Dale above from Barb Tait after Christmas.  Great to see new/old memories as I have exhausted most of my inventory of old pictures.  Nice to see Mom with a smile on her face as when I close my eyes and think of her, the first image that comes to mind is the oxygen mask and a wheelchair.  There was a time when she was happy and healthy. On January 31 it will be 12 years since she has been gone.

It was probably the first Christmas since Andrew died, that I felt slightly relaxed.  Not Holly & Jolly, but a peaceful relaxing time with the kids.  We slowed down our spending this year and are focusing now mainly on our immediate family (kids and parents) with much less consumerism.  We decorated minimally this year, and have learned to spread Christmas out a bit without jamming it all into one day.  Dad & Joyce came down boxing day for dinner which lessened the pressure on everyone.  Hoping that continues in the coming years.  

Dad surprised me with a painting by Kilby which depicts a tree (Ask me if I'm a tree?  Inside Joke).  I was caught off guard and we hung it at the front door where it brightens the area and is a constant reminder that life is short and we need to live it.  

We had our annual friend group dinner at Merchant Man.  It is so nice to get together especially now that we don't hang out as often.  They will always be a reminder of the people we shared over 25 years of friendship with on various adventures including vacations, parties, guys weekends, girls weekends and various gatherings.  The support of these people helped all of to grow as people.

2026  is going to be a major liminal point for me as I am finally pulling the plug on my government career.  It has been 25+ years and I have burned myself out.  It is time to move on.  It is complicated at the moment as there are various programs to decrease government employees including an early retirement incentive that I am hoping to advantage of.  If things go well, March 17, 2026 will be my last official day of government.  Still waiting for the dust to settle at this point.