Twelve Things

12

Well, hello there.  It's been a year since I've been in this space.  A busy year.  To try to catch things up properly would take pages and pages of a year in the life essay.  Instead, I thought, let's do a list.  Twelve things for the twelve months that have passed.  Not a month by month sequence of events, but twelve major happenings in our lives.  After we get through that, there will be knitting (and a bit of crocheting) to post about.  But first. . .

1.  The boy finished elementary school.  

2.  The boy started high school.  Yes, we have a high schooler in the house.

3.  Lots of home improvement occurred, especially on the patio where we spend most of the daytime (and quite a bit of the evening) hours during cooperative weather.

After a particularly strong gust of freak wind (that I swear came out of nowhere!), we discovered the tempered glass tabletop shattered into millions of moaning pieces.  We were heartbroken.  That table hosts daily coffee breaks, meals, chat sessions, a spot of reading or knitting, pondering and entertaining.  The table is no longer being manufactured and after numerous phone calls we learned that we would have to take out a small loan to have one custom made.  

Inspiration struck and we designed and constructed our own tile table top.  I think it's beautiful!

4.  We welcomed a grand baby girl into the fold!  A beautiful little girl, who was immediately topped with a flower by this knitting grandma.

5.  My sweet boy Toivo passed away after a long fight with chronic renal failure.  He was a doll and a sweetheart to the end.  I held him as he passed and the last things he heard were my words whispering "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you..."  I miss him every day.  We were together 16 years and two weeks.  His little brother was very lost without him.  The following picture was a daily occurrence with these two, but was taken the day before he passed away.  The picture that follows it, was Heimo the day after he passed away.   

 6.  The boy got his first deer.  Such a proud, young hunter you never saw!

 7.  The boys went off to hunting camp up north with the woodsmen! 

8.  My school got a brand-spanking new building!  It is beautiful AND has air-conditioning.  It is a treat to work in such a lovely building.  There are times I miss the character and flair of the 100+ year old building, but I am truly grateful to be in such a wonderful new school.

9.  My parents celebrated 50 years together.  Unfortunately, their anniversary was one week after another very large event, (#10) and so they were not given the celebration that 50 years deserves.  We, of course, all gathered with them, but given the expenditure of energy and money on #10, our fanfare with low-key.  What a beautiful couple.  They have been and continue to be an inspiration to me as to what a loving, married couple should be.

10.  I married the man of my dreams!

There.  Whew!  Twelve things that happened last year.  It was a year of big things and lots of lovely little things too.  I will be back in this space soon for an update of knitting activities.  Those big things consumed me and left little time and energy for this space, but hopefully I'll be back with some regularity.  Anything big happen for you last year?