Lukas and Thoughts for 2015

Lukas graduated from puppy class yesterday.  Well, I say "graduated" but that is putting it kindly.  Lukas hasn't mastered loose leash walking (he still likes to drag me around and I need to get that under control before he gets much bigger) or stay (he has the attention span of a gnat) or leave it (unless I have my foot firmly on the treat and there is no possible way of him digging it out).

He does a great shake a paw or rollover if there is a treat at the end of it!  Here's our graduation picture.

I've been pretty "blog less" in 2014.  It has been a pivotal year for me and lots of things changed.  One of the things was that I stopped taking the time to read your blogs and write mine.   These first couple of weeks of 2015 have been a period of reflection for me and one of my decisions is to spend a couple of hours a day on blogs again.  I've missed you and I've missed taking a few moments every day for reflection too.

My mantra for 2014 was "if it's fun, count me in".  I've probably had the most fun of my life this past year.  I spent a lot of time with my friends...knitting night, rummy cube, girls' lunches, road trips.  It was a blast!

I spent a lot more time with my best friend, Deb; mainly because she was off work sick and around all day.  Being out at her farm so much, reawakened my desire to live in the country.  I seriously considered it and did some house hunting.  I found my dream house but of course, I can't afford it.  In the end, I've decided to do some redecoration at my own little house and really make it mine.

Deb and her husband, Lantz have a horse farm and being brave and taking horseback riding lessons was a big highlight of 2014.  I was always a little afraid of horses but then I met "Playboy". He's a horse that Lantz rescued and he is very skittish.  It took five weeks to get close enough to groom him and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.  I hope to get back at it soon but unfortunately last autumn, I was knocked down with horrible pain in my back and hip.  I'm still struggling with it but have a MRI scheduled for Saturday so hopefully we'll find out what's wrong and be able to fix it.

The year wasn't all sunshine and roses.  You may remember that I've had my Mother living with me since I moved into my house 14 years ago.  I also suffer from bipolar disorder so living together was sometimes difficult.  I asked my sisters for some help and to spend some time with Mom so I could have a break.  Cheryl and Mom were planning on a couple of trips during the summer.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out and I only had one day and night all alone.  Mom is 89 now and getting a little frail.  I was feeling a little trapped and like I didn't have a normal life.  I wanted to do crafts and projects but Mom couldn't stand anything she considered a mess.  It put us at loggerheads a lot and to escape the stress, I started spending more time at the farm.  Just spending quiet time in Playboy's stall seemed to lower my heart rate and stress level.  I could literally feel myself relax as I drove out to the country.  Deb and Lantz and their friends and family are wonderful, loving and fun.  You can sit down and put your feet up.  The coffee is always on and door is always open.

Anyways, I won't get into details but in September, Mom went to live with Cheryl.  It was done by my sisters when I wasn't home and the entire process was extremely hurtful.  I can't ever remember crying so much.  It was one of the most stressful periods of my life and I'm still trying to recover from it.  Nothing will ever be the same but I hold onto the thought that the end result, me having my house to myself, is the best thing.  I guess the only thing you can count on in life is change

Really owning my little house for the first time since I bought it will mean a lot of changes around here.  My watchword this year will be domesticity.  There are big changes ahead.

Two highlights stand out in 2014.  The first is Lukas, my new baby boy and the first time I've had a dog.

The second is my adventures in Internet dating which culminated in meeting my lovely boyfriend, Joe through Match.com.  This is another thing I won't go into details about....mostly to  protect the identity of the guilty ones, lol.  You really do have to be on guard for scammers and players but all's well that ends well.  I wouldn't change a thing because they all led to a wonderful guy.

Stay tuned while I embark on a new adventure to feather a cosy nest, organize my existence, try out new recipes and find my bliss.

Julie