I don't believe I was anywhere special for New Year's 2011. I think I recorded the Times Square Ball Drop and didn't stay up much longer than that. I had two classes in Winter Quarter, started this blog as an assignment, and got A's in both. I Skyped with my youngest son while he was on a Rotary Youth Exchange to Sweden. The big earthquake hit Japan on March 11th and created a tsunami that crossed the Pacific Ocean. We all watched the scramble to contain the nuclear power plant at Fukashima. Had a fun Spring Break with my oldest son on a trip to the Oregon coast, and at home, we discovered Cinnamon had mammary cancer.
Spring Quarter I took 11 credits, was only working three days a week at the Forest Service and Saturdays with the post office, and was dealing with Cinnamon's surgery, so it's no wonder I don't remember much else. I ended with three A's, but not before Cinnamon passed after having a good romp for 2 1/2 months after her surgery, and a month of quiet. It was very difficult for my son. There was too much snow in the mountains still to bury her up in the forest, and we decided she would rather be close to us, so we had her cremated and gave her a place of honor on a shelf on the living room wall. Not 24 hours after my last final test, looking forward to a fun, carefree summer, I was left a message from a police officer, and have had that hanging over my head ever since. My youngest returned from Sweden to a newly decorated room, and a shopping spree for new clothes.
Started Fall Quarter with two computer classes, making preparations for a vacation to Hawaii with my best friend, and a phone call from a police officer. My van threw a rod and 9 days later my Taurus blew a water pump and croaked. A good friend in town offered me a Ford Tempo to borrow which I eventually decided to buy and paid off. High school football season was great and the team went into the state finals but lost the second round. I went back to working full time hours though still a temporary at the Forest Service because of my boss' pregnancy and a co-worker's sickness. Then I had a fabulous 9 days in Maui with Carol and we covered that island from head to toe! Cannot wait to get back there again! A week later the boys made a 4 layer cake for my birthday, and just as I was posting in FaceBook about a wonderful day, my youngest and his friend came in the front door, soaking wet in 31* weather and told me they had rolled my car! We spent the night talking about "what if" and thanking God they were OK, but the car was totalled. Fell behind with my classes but ended with an A and a B-. I wanted an incomplete, but my teacher said, "Take the B and move on." Had the boys' friend kinda moved in with us when he lost his job and couldn't afford to keep his place heated. Early December we watched the last lunar eclipse until 2014, went to Crater Lake to snowshoe on a Ranger Tour, and celebrated Christmas Eve and Morning on the 21st so the boys could head up to their dad's on the 24th.
Lots of world events happened this year also: Osama bin Laden was finally found and killed, several Middle Eastern countries had uprisings by the people against their governments, Italy and Greece had economic crises which impacted the whole world, Gadahfi was killed in the streets of Libya, and the weather around the country went crazy! Killer tornadoes in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Joplin, Missouri; hundreds of homes destroyed in wildfires in Texas; Hurricane Irene flooded the East Coast; and for us here in Lake County... no snow to speak of at all so far this winter, although it does happen to be dark, gloomy, and raining at this very moment.
So it's been quite the year. It's gone quickly. And here we are, on the brink of 2012! What will it hold for me? Will it be the catastrophic year as predicted?
Making plans to pick up my youngest from the train station on New Year's Eve, while the oldest is staying in Washington to work with his dad at a refinery. School starts again for me on the 9th, and I'll be taking 7, possibly 8 credits.
Life continues to carry on, and we put one foot in front of the other no matter what the circumstance or emotion, knowing that Jesus is walking with us each step of the way! And AMEN, AMEN! to that!!
Sue :)
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