In no particular order:  A James Joyce stream of consciousness as I ramble through my memories and think of some of the headlines that were part of my 2012.

I survived!  My cancer remains in remission and I am thrilled to celebrate each and every day.

My niece Caitlyn returned to the United States after her exciting studies on the other side of the globe. She graduated from Wofford with honors in May.  Her sister Jasmine has left a most successful position as a manager in the world of retail for a job at ETSU.  She has new responsibilities and better hours to enjoy time with her husband Frank. Currently they are selling their condo and searching for their first house.

My niece Dawn was named Manager of the year.  She does an amazing job of juggling responsibilities at a variety of hotel properties.  Her sister Valarie is incredible, she also juggles.  She juggles being a Mom, wife and job. She is definitely a woman of the millennium.

My nephew Josh has begun his MBA studies at Darden, climbed Machu Picchu and became engaged to the beautiful Annie. Josh's sister, Amber and her husband also named Josh, bought their first house. They sent pictures at Christmas and it looks awesome.

Both my sons reached higher pinnacles in their chosen professions.  Tom received an enormous promotion and Jim's opinions on preventing child abuse and politics were solicited on TV and newspapers.

As for their wives, both are making an amazing difference in the world. Shelia is growing her counseling business helping people find hope and freedom to fulfill God's plans for their lives. She is also making regular trips from Texas to Tennessee to help with her Mom's care as her mom recovers from a stroke. Carol is a pastor at a Methodist Church and is dealing with the many challenges today's economic conditions have created in her community. She helps elevate spirits and works at their food bank and is trying to maintain a church with vital programs when donations are sparse.

As for Grandchildren, 2012 once again was a showcase for how terrific, smart, and multi-talented  they are. Jake began middle school this year.  Jonah began first grade. Hope and Noah moved from home schooling to High School. Hope was able to complete all the credits she needs for graduation before Thanksgiving. Noah did so great on his grades that he was exempt from finals. He also became a member of the Franklin High School Choir. Showcasing still another talent to add to the many sports he plays.  He has even acted in a play in the past so maybe someday he will be on Broadway, American Idol or playing professional sports.

Speaking of Sports, not only are each of my grandchildren avid sports fans, they are talented players. One look at their parent's facebook pages and I burst with pride when I read about the soccer goals Jonah or Jake made or the successes at baseball and basketball. Due to injury Hope has been sidelined from participating in sports however when it comes to being a fan she is intense when it involves the Titans or Lakers. This was an extra special birthday year for her. Hope turned 18 and celebrated with a trip to Los Angeles with her dad where they created lasting memories and went to a Lakers game.

My son Tom and Noah were in an accident this past year.  One of the biggest blessings is that they are okay. Although both are suffering with lingering side-effects and pain. I hope 2013 brings them less discomfort and sees Noah back on the basketball court although he beat me seriously when we played Horse in their backyard.

Our dear friends all seemed to face health challenges this year. Jack had some breathing challenges and Mark broke his leg and Barbara faced more cancer news.  On the other hand each had wonderful moments during 2012. Jack witnessed his youngest grandson marry and Mark used Weight Watchers to lose over 100 pounds and Barbara has had the opportunity to share time and create wonderful memories with family and friends.

My brother Bob and his wife are using their creativity and professional contacts to move forward always mining for new and exciting business opportunities.  My sister Wendy has become involved with a botanical beauty product company that is helping woman find ways to feel better about themselves in a healthy environmentally responsible way. In addition, she has spent much of the year helping the love of her life Alan deal with the health and aging challenges his parents have faced.  My sister Bonnie has developed a community of Facebook friends that have become an extended family for her. She has dared to voice her opinions on everything from the election to gun control and has supporters and objectors.

This year two cousins found us.  It was/is a true blessing to be reconnected with Dick and Stephen Bour.  When we were growing up my Mom and her sister, Aunt Betty would get us altogether for holiday dinners and fun.

Speaking of memories, my brother gave pictures of family times gone by to us for Christmas. Memories are the most special gifts and I was delighted that he included sending the copies to each of my sons. We all miss my parents. They were extraordinary people.

This year I participated in two Color Runs for charity. It was so much fun. I also tried Kayaking and fell in love with the experience.

David Logan worked many, many hours throughout 2012 and missed out on vacations. His choice; however, sometimes when you choose to do what you know is best for the company you sacrifice something important to you. Hopefully going into 2013 things will improve and time needed at work will lessen. It was fun to participate in the Color Rad race with David's brother Stephen and Nora. We also met them in Orlando for a fun weekend thanks to Stephen and Nora's enormous generosity. David's brother Mickey put his house in the market. Mickey and Tanya visited twice and found a house they like in Punta Gorda Florida. Their hope is to sell their home in Tennessee and move to Florida.

My Sales and Marketing book was re-published in e-book format and my cancer book, "My ta-tas were fine. I had cancer down there." was completed and is hopefully going to be published by the American Cancer Society.  Sold off lots of things this year as part of the process of downsizing. I dissolved my company, Ideas Unlimited, LLC. This was hard. It was part of an important dream. Unfortunately, life has detoured me and I needed to recognize that it was necessary that I take this step. It wasn't for someone else to have to take care of.

On a happy note I shared time with my sons and their families this year. It was fantastic. Creating memories with them is my favorite thing in all the world.

As 2012 comes to a close and 2013 is about to begin, I count my blessings. I know that TV will count down the top stories and point out that we all survived the end of the world prediction, the coverage of the Olympics, the good bad and ugly that was the election, the horror stories from Colorado to Connecticut, and the men and women still dying in war. My top stories are personal and I am grateful for every single day. The days do seem to go by at turbo speed but are each special in their own unique way.

I got a calendar for the New Year and there is a great quote for January: " Dare to be wacky. Live a life worth loving.  We all have it in us, a free-spirited, wonderful wacky attitude that makes our lives colorful, exciting and fun. It inspires us to write an upside-down, inside out version of our own wacky fairy tale filled with fascinating characters, plenty of action and plots that twist and turn."  Sounds like my life. If I continue to be blessed, I look forward to more opportunities to dare to be wacky and live my life worth loving.   

I voted for men and women I believed underswtood the importance of negotiation and compromise. I beleived they would be caretakers in my best interest.  Now I second guess the priorities of those elected to public office. They have benefits that last their lifetime. They live a lifestyle that no longer reflects the lifestyle of most of America. They make decisions without realizing the consequences. If only they were as good at compromise as they are at the blame game.

There are no shortcuts. Please step up. Listen to "we the people" at least as much as you do to special interest groups. Your actions are more important than rhetoric. Do you remember what it was like when you walked a mile in our shoes? If you want time away from Washington to gain perspective, may I suggest that instead of heading home or the election trail, you spend time in nursing homes and assisted living to see how many seniors are living. Speak with doctors and hospital personnel who deal with the consequences of cuts in medicare and the red tape of insurance on a daily basis. Spend time in a Veterans Hospital and learn firsthand the challenges our men and women who have served face each day. Speak to head of households and learn what daily life is like for families in today's economy. Learn how it feels to have bought your dream home only to find it now valued less than what you paid. You find yourself upside down.

In the movie Dave the pseudo president brought in an accountant to review the budget. We the people don't know the many line items our budget contains. No doubt it can take pruning. Maybe we need to take a lesson from a movie: "You don't know how much you can do until you stand up and try."



     

 

When it comes to technology, I am definitely a work in progress.

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air
They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"This is heaven." declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same
then He opened His arms and He called them by name
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all the hurt, sorrow, and woe.
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let my power and presence re-enter this land!
May this country be delivered from the hands of fools
I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools."
Then He and the children stood up without a sound
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can
and I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I am still the light."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

Friday the news from Connecticut was too tragic and horrendous to comprehend. It left us all asking why? I can't comprehend what it must be like for the parents and families and the community. To have been one of the first responders and experience seeing such a heart wrenching scene must have been horrible. I prayed for all of them and for the souls lost. I said a prayer of thanksgiving that my sons and their families were safe.  It was my sincere pleasure to work as a teacher's aide and a substitute in an elementary school. No such horror happened in Erwin. I pray it never does.   Like most of our country Friday night was a restless night. The thoughts of those precious children and the adults killed  by such    violence kept creeping into my mind.

An Open Letter To The Men And Women In Power

From: We the people - Not just defined as Democrats and Republicans

Sure you want to get home for the holidays but so would our men and women who are serving around the world. Their families want them home. They are required to stay and do their job.

Please learn to compromise. Please don't fill the airways with scary terms like "about to fall off the fiscal cliff".

Some of us are trying to hang on; we have already experienced the perils of costly health care.

YOU chose to run. We elected you. Accept the responsibility to move forward.

It is easy to be presumed busy and overwhelmed with your committees. Your responsibility is to step up to the hard tasks at hand and replace rhetoric with action in the best interest of We the People.  

I like to clip pages from magazines and write in the margins of books. This morning I was going through some papers and found a page that was torn out of something. It was headed with a quote by Maya Angelou: "Break with Routine. What happened to spontaneity? At what point did you lose the right to do something in your day just because you feel like it at the moment - just because you are alive? Because of our routines we forget that life is an ongoing adventure."

The page goes on and lists various things you might try:
"Escape the treadmill of predictability. Wear colored socks. Re-tune the radio to Beethoven or Mariachi music for awhile. Buy a vegetable or fruit you've never tried before. Write a love letter. Do something brilliant. Play "what if" money was no object."   

The idea is to take yourself by surprise. I think I have fallen into a routine of predictability despite having freedom to do whatever I please with my days. Since I don't have a conventional job and because I currently don't have much of an income, I have self-imposed rules on myself, in order to justify my existence. I do chores and try to validate that I have done things worthwhile during my day while others have had to work long frustrating hours.

Upon reflection not very healthy or much of a tribute to the fact that I am currently a survivor. Celebration is in order. I need to give myself permission to break with routine and to dare to try the new things I often dream about and plan to do "someday". My someday is now. Okay courage take hold - not going to wait until New Years to make a resolution. Intead, I will embrace the gift of today cherish it, give thanks and instead of trying to figure everything out ENJOY. Time to fully become ME. Time to surprise myself. Time to break routine.