Greetings 2011

The scene this morning looking out my window - a light dusting of snow covers the ground and is in the air.

I woke up this morning feeling very happy.  No reason particularly except that I am starting fresh - a new year so maybe I am leaving last year's challenges behind,  a new condo to settle into which pleases me a lot and more importantly, I am settling back into a familiar and comforting routine. This week was back to work and getting back into the groove.  Busy yes, but also comforting.  The world moves on.

I woke this morning to the sounds of Molly Johnson's voice on CBC Radio 2 Morning Show and Elvis singing his song "Are you lonely tonight".  This is my Saturday morning routine at its best.  A lazy few hours in bed with a coffee listening to music and writing a blog.

Molly reminds me that it is Elvis' 76th Birthday today!   I love the lyrics to that song and hearing Elvis singing reminded me of some good times with the people and places that I think of when I hear Elvis and particularly that song.  It also reminded me that I have blogged about "Are You Lonesome Tonight" - in my last year's "Happy Birthday Elvis" blog.

This is my first blog of 2011 and I hope the start of a more regular routine of blogging as I get back to basics.  A lot has happened in this last year and I do have cause to be grateful and happy.

I hosted a family Thanksgiving Dinner this year, just before my Father fell ill.

• I managed through a critical period in my Dad's terminal illness.   It might be that we have him with us for maybe only  another year or two, but whatever happens at least he didn't die last November, as we feared.  He is responding to the treatments and although they leave him feeling ill and tired we have faith that he is going to manage for a while.

My Dad will be 80 on January 26th

• I have acquired a new role "Parent to my Parents" - another challenge which I am managing.  I had not realized how much my Mom's memory was failing and how much they both needed me until Dad fell ill.   Sadly, both parents need me to help them deal with organizing life's little things, however that has given me an opportunity to spend more time with them and get to know them much better. 

I get my sense of humour from my Mom

• We had not been particularly close over the years - partly because they have gone south from Oct through April every year for at least the last 25 years and partly because our lives and interests are so vastly different. It is good that I have this opportunity to give back to them what they gave to me in my growing up years.

Christmas Dinner 2010

• My youngest daughter, Tegan has reached the turning point I had been waiting for and I am so proud to say is on track now to start University next fall. I am holding my breath to see what wonderful things she gets up to.  Good thing that she will be going to University here in the city so she can still keep close with her long time BF who is a very nice young man. 

Tegan and Lilly (aka Laura)

• My son Eric has returned to us from Phoenix AZ and I have been so happy to get some quality time with him and so glad to see that he has made his life transition without too much difficulty.  It is funny how each of my children has inherited a different piece of me.  Eric has inherited my writer's bent (as well as my soft heart) and has now gotten involved with producing a syndicated blog and podcast called Comma Error (billed as Toronto's geekiest blog and podcast). He is one of the co-hosts and a contributor.  The blog is mainly gaming reviews and as they put it, geekish things.  I was so pleased when Eric left a message on my Facebook that he had booked two  tickets to go see Alejandra Ribera (who I have blogged about many times) at Hugh's Room on Feb 5th - "and they are awesome seats!".  I get choked up when I think of the closeness he and I have been able to recapture in this last year.

Eric and I celebrate our birthdays at the Brazilian BBQ Copa Cabana

• My daughter Lilly had a health crisis this year which was cause for concern, but we are confident that it is behind us and all will be just fine.  I am so happy that she is happily planning to  move in with her young man, MYB  (note that this is not my abbreviation but how she refers to him in print).   I wonder if he is going to be the one who manages to keep her heart. I hope so. 

• My youngest son Ryan continues to take deep gulps of life with his long time girlfriend.  As much as I am impatient for him to take a more serious view about cultivating the habits which will allow him to enjoy financial independence, I celebrate his joie de vivre.  

Ryan and Brooke

• Jeff continues to do well in his career and has allowed me to enjoy vicariously  his travels (this year Africa) which has also fuelled my desire to begin my own travels.  He too has inherited my writer's bent and is part of the consortium of authors producing The Scotch Blog.  It has garnered a following sufficient that they were given press passes to Whiskey Live this last fall.  The lads even have distillers inviting them to scotch tastings and sending them bottles of single malt under promotion in hopes that Scotch Blog will feature it.   Jeff has also moved forward this year in area of romance and has now a sweet  young thing for company who has my seal of approval.  I remind myself that I have always liked the girls (and now women) that Jeff brought home.  Jeff continues to make things move in the right direction for himself by himself.  He for sure has inherited my independence.

Erica and Jeff

• I landed a fabulous new contract that is allowing me to grow career wise and also earn more money.  My new boss was wonderfully understanding with the time off work I needed when my Dad was hospitalized.  The job is just the right amount of challenge for me - on the edge of too much challenge, mentally tiring and exercising my brain a lot but this is  a good thing no doubt. 

No more sunrise views from Battery Park

• I have sold my Battery Park condo, moved into my new Liberty Towers condo and also bought another in the to be built Liberty Place Condo Building by 2016.  I am very happy in my new digs and look forward to feathering my nest over the year to come.
 

No more sunset views reflecting from my east view either :(

My new view looking directly west into the sunset

 

• My retirement fund gained 20% in value last year and is now providing me dividends of 9% per annum and well on its way to generating sufficient income to finance some extended travel in a year or two.  Financially, things are just where they need to be.

• I bought my dream car, a 2007 VW EOS hard top convertible.  I LOVE MY CAR!

• My Collingwood Shangri-La is continuing to bring me solace and serve well to recharge my soul.  I have been able to rent it during ski season to the same family for the third year running and so owning it is not so draining on finances.  I bought a kayak and now enjoy jaunts out into Georgian Bay while I get a bit of exercise.  I am also developing a great circle of friends up there and was able to go on a Manitoulin Island camping weekend to the  Pow Wow with a GF.

Kayaking on Georgian Bay

• I went from being in love to remembering love, as I have been pretty much a singlet for the whole year.  That behind me, I have renewed faith that my Prince Charming will come by and swoop me up onto his horse.  If not, I have planned lots of adventures for the coming year and have plenty of friends to keep me busy.  I am setting myself up for some extensive travel on my own - maybe Prince Charming is waiting for me in a foreign country.

In the time it has taken me to write this blog it has become quite snowy.  Suits my mood today. Let it Snow!

I will close with a quote from Elvis which will explain why one of my resolutions for the coming year is to find more time to get out to my Liberty Bistro Tues/Wed evenings.  If anything, they were the other casualty of my busy fall (aside from my blogs) and I am sad to say I can't remember the last time I had a night of music at the bistro.  That has got to change!

Happy 2011 New Year to my friends in the Blogsphere - Hope it is a great year for all of us!

“When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times...I learned very early in life that: ‘Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain’t got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song.' So I keep singing a song. Goodnight. Thank you.”
-From his acceptance speech for the 1970 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Award. Given at a ceremony on January 16, 1971. (Elvis quotes from copyrighted material with lines from the song “Without a Song”.)