2008 Recap

It has been quite a year ... and was the year this blog was created! Here are some of the highlights of my year:

1. After already selling my house in 2007, I was lucky to move into an apartment right upstairs from my daughter for the winter! It was a fun adventure, grazing through her cupboards and refridgerator(s) anytime I wanted! It was also fun having others to cook for and keep me busy. I enjoyed another tax season at my former job and will really miss my former co-workers and clients!
I also took a great leap of faith and got a roommate for the empty bedroom that was going to waste in my apartment. I couldn't have been luckier than finding Shelley to be that roommate and will never forget her!

2. I also got serious about taking the steps to move South and become the "snow-bird" that I always dreamed of being! After several attempts of purchasing my home in South Carolina, I was finally successful in closing the deal in May!

3. In light of moving South, Jacob and I decided he would move out of his group home and back in with me. I was so afraid he would miss the life and stucture he had there, but he has not had one regret since then, and neither have I!

4. It was a great year of not losing any loved ones and even gaining some friends and one family member (welcome to Ethan, son of Chad and Mandy)!

5. I enjoyed great moments of pride this year too. Michele struggled and fought to get the dream job that she loves and worked so hard for. Aaron finally found a job he loved and became independent with his car on the road with his own insurance and registration too! Jacob has matured to such a responsible and sensible man that I couldn't be prouder of!

6. All my fears and anxiety about driving and moving to South Carolina were, fortunately, unfounded and have turned into a safe and healthy decision. I do miss NY and am looking forward to the summer there.

I sure hope and pray that 2009 will be another year of positive experiences and will also not have any disappointments, regrets or losses. THAT would make for another, consecutive, wonderful year!

Christmas Party

The annual ARC of Horry County Christmas party was held at Studebaker's Bar today. There were about 200 people there for dancing, pizza, and even Santa! Jake and I enjoyed ourselves and he had a few prospective girlfriends too! We posed in the Studebaker that was on display. The first pic is Jake with Lisa, who really likes him... and then Jake and me and last is Jake with the girl he really likes!

Cabin Fever

Even though it is a balmy and breezy 74 degrees here in Myrtle Beach, I still have "sympathy cabin fever" for those back home in Buffalo! The more I hear and read about the severe winter weather that they are experiencing today, the more I go into survival mode. I have been cleaning and thinking about baking and making sure I have enough supplies to hold me over ....haha .... even though I am fortunate to not be affected by bad weather at all! I hope and pray that everyone will be cautious and safe up there ... and ....don't worry ... you can have sympathy for me when it is hurricane season down here!

Another Dose of Christmas Spirit!

Jacob and I took Chris and Kristy to the Alabama Theatre tonight for a Christmas show. We got complimentary tickets from the ARC that we recently joined. It was a musical program with lots of costume changes and sets. The lighting was fantastic, and the comedian who did his monologue during the set changes was hilarious! We could relate to a lot of his humor, since most of it was aimed at the New Yorkers who moved down here to avoid the taxes (which he said they probably also tax the NYers to move OUT of NY....haha). The show itself was too long ... three hours! We enjoyed the long (about 25 miles) ride to the show, since it was an area we had not yet explored! The ride back had 1/4 mile visibility due to heavy fog, but at least it wasn't snow and ice covered roads!!! I am certainly grateful for the safe drive home and for the enjoyable evening with family during this holiday season.

Christmas Spirit

Jacob and I had the pleasure of being invited to a group party for the Grand Strand Down Syndrome Society at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede today! It was an enjoyable time with a live show of ice-skakers, equestrian talent, comedy, live nativity complete with camels, sheep, chickens, pigs, etc! All this while enjoying a four course meal and being able to network with a bunch of very nice people! Thanks to technology, we even experienced snow in the arena!