Year-end Wrap Up

Well, here it is, the end of the year, and the end of the first decade of the 21st century. It has been a good year for WonderMom and I, good, but not particularly exciting or remarkable in any way. I say this as an an excuse for not keeping up with this blog as I should have, and to avoid admitting that I was just too damn lazy to work on it!

The highlight of the year was the visit by all of our children and grand children this past summer. It was the first time in several years that we have all been together. We all had a good time fondly remembering childhood antics and crises, and all the cousins got reacquainted.

We, as most seniors, I think, spent a lot of time watching and listening to the childish scrabbling over the "health care bill" that dominated the airwaves all year, and ended with a whimper!

Mostly we coped with an unusually wet and cool year - the sump pump is running regularly today as it has most of the year!

Our biggest excitement, at least from my point of view, was my trip to the ER in a meat wagon a couple of weeks ago. I had an asthma attack - my first ever - and was having a lot of trouble breathing. I'd had bronchitis problems when I was a little kid, but nothing since then. I started to get a wheeze a few years ago, but it was mostly an annoyance when trying to sleep. I have been using a nasal spray for that and had pretty much conquered it, until this fall. After a few hours of IV steroids, nebulizer treatments, oxygen, a chest X-ray and CT scan in the ER, I was pronounced healthy except for the asthma, and sent home. Can't wait to see the tab for that night! My follow up visit to the Dr. resulted in a Rx for antibiotics, steroids, and Advair until my next Dr. visit in the spring.

Through it all, WonderMom has been just that - a wonder at coping with my needs and taking care of me calmly and efficiently. Thanks honey!

At any rate, I'm feeling really good now, breathing fine and, because of the short steroid course, many of my chronic aches (knees) are gone.

On a happier note, we spent a pleasant Christmas with Cricket and her family in Forgottonia. We had a gleeful gift opening in the morning, a great lasagna dinner, and a fun multiple video chat with Socket in NC and Shimmy in CA at the same time - we are technology hounds! WonderMom and I were able to sneak home on Saturday, shortly before the snow brought travel to a halt!

We are preparing for our annual journey to the Valley of the Sun in a couple of days. As is normal, we stayed here too long, and now our trip is threatened by the elements. Hopefully, we'll be able to leave on time, the 29th, and arrive at the RV park on the 31st. Looking forward to seeing Officecat and NASCARGuy again and spending an enjoyable warm winter with them. As an added treat this year, our friends Duffer and YogaGal will be spending a few weeks in the Valley this winter, so we'll be able to continue with our monthly dinners with them.

Well, that's it for now. I'll try my best to continue with our winter blog, Westward Ho & Back

Have a good winter and stay warm.