Really Random Thursday, 1/3/19

Welcome to the first Thursday of the new year.

Charlotte, Christa and I got ready for the new year by having pedicures together. Per tradition, we always stop at Starbucks to get something to take with us. And when they ask for a name, we always say "Charlotte." The reason? Because we love to see the creative ways baristas come up with the spelling of her name. This time it was "Charolette."  On the rare occasions that her name is spelled correctly, we always figure it is because they actually know someone named Charlotte.

Mark and I spent New Year's Eve the same way we have done for the last few years--dinner at Shanghai restaurant with friends.

Aaron, Christa and the kids spend New Year's Eve overnight with friends. In the past, we have driven out to pick up Gabe and Ella, and then bring them home to spend the night with us, as the rest of the kids are older and able to stay up later.Last year, Gabe informed us that it would be the last time he was coming home with us, as he was old enough to stay up with everyone else. And all year long, every time he thought of it, he reminded us that we would NOT be picking him up. We were wondering how Ella would react to being the only one coming home with us, but she was ready and waiting when we got there. She went right to sleep when we arrived home and slept all night long. I wonder if this was our last year to pick her up as well. They are all growing up so quickly.

Do you remember the days of Blue Mountain online greeting cards? They seemed to be really popular for awhile but I haven't sent or received one in years. Which raised the question of whether Blue Mountain still exists. Of course, Aaron checked into it. And sent me a card.

The end of one year and the beginning of another year always causes me to be a little introspective. The end of 2018 brought changes in my life that I could not have anticipated. So if the start of the new year didn't cause enough introspection, receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer surely did.

I've said this before, that I read my horoscope in the newspaper not because I believe it really affects my life, but sometimes it has a little nugget to think about. This was what mine said yesterday.

I'm focusing my energy on getting healthy, physically and mentally. A cancer diagnosis is so much more than physical. It plays mind games. The treatment of the tumor itself is something that I don't have total control over. But I know that a positive frame of mind will go a long ways toward a good recovery. So if I were to choose a word for 2019, that word would be "focus," focus on physical recovery and focus on healthy thoughts.

The other day I took one of those Facebook "tests"--this one gave me my own personal phrase. I like it.

I'll end with this thought.