2013, don't let the door hit you as you leave.

I suppose I should stay positive:  Rather than remember Cliff's terrible brush with death in April (yes, the surgeon said he could have died), I should celebrate that he lived and recovered fully.  

Rather than mourn two cows, a yearling heifer, and a newborn calf that died this year (half my herd), I should thank God for plenty of meat in the freezer and the four remaining young cows.  

Instead of recalling all the things that have gone wrong with my daughter's procedures this year, I should be thankful she is a cancer survivor. 

Let's not even talk about the move back to the old house.  

The brightest spot in our lives has been Cora, the baby we watch.  She isn't here that much, but we treasure those times when she is in our lives.  I'm thinking I need to find me a five-day-a-week baby to watch next time.  

As for resolutions, the only one I have is similar to the one last year:  I intend to maintain my weight.  Since going for walks hurts too much these days, I need to figure out some other kinds of exercises that don't involve my knees.  I have some weights I could work with a little for upper body strength, and there are plenty of exercises I know I can do.  I just need to push away from the computer and do it.

I have been spending a lot of time at the new computer, partly because I've been going back through those old poems I wrote years ago.  Even the lousy ones often tell a story of something that happened back then, good or bad, and once I get started reading those, I can't seem to stop.  Someone I used to work with asked yesterday, on Facebook, if I had ever written any poems about her.  We worked together in the late 70's, and that was before I got my first word processor, so I told her I really don't recall.  That little conversation reminded me that somewhere, probably stored in the garage at the mobile home, there is a spiral notebook with words to songs I wrote back then.  When the temperatures warm up I'll go digging and see what I can find.  

But I digress.  

I really just want to wish all my readers, Facebook friends, and real-life friends and relatives a Happy New Year.  I survived 2013, and I'm heading into 2014 full throttle.  Won't you join me?       

My blog is messed up.

Yep.  I've somehow damaged it beyond repair.  However, it seems I can still post entries, so as long as I can do that, I'm not leaving.  This little spot on the Internet is where I store my memories and feelings, and I really need it, just for me.  

Over the last few days I have come to realize that I no longer need a dog in my life.  I'm tired of the hair in the house and the needy-ness.  Once Iris is gone, I think I am done with dogs.  In fact, if I could find someone who would treat Iris in the manner to which she is accustomed, they could have her, but I think that is highly unlikely.  I've had one person say he would like to have her, but he was going to keep her outside, in a pen.  

I don't THINK so.  

Cliff and I ventured out to the city today.  I had him make a stop at Kohl's because I wanted some pajamas that fit, and I figured they would be marked down.  I was right, although fifteen bucks seems a little high for after Christmas.  But I've been wearing those old extra-large pajamas for a year now, with them almost falling down when I walked, because, you know, nobody sees me in my pajamas except Cliff.  But I am really tired of holding my pajama bottoms up when I walk.  My new medium-sized ones are a great fit.   

Athletic shoes were marked down, too, probably in anticipation of people making New Year's resolutions to start walking or jogging so they can lose weight.  I've really wanted to try a pair of Asics, but unfortunately, Kohl's never has them in my (huge) size.  So I bought my usual Nikes at a decent price.  

I would love to brag and tell you that this morning I was four pounds lighter than I was four days ago.  It is the truth, but tonight I ran smack-dab into a bag of caramel corn, so I'm not confident that things will look so good in the morning.  

Just keeping it real, that's all.