Saturday, December 31, 2005

Ring in the New Year 2006



It seems like only days ago that I was looking forward to 2005 and now the year has come and gone. 365 days is like a long time but with each passing year the time moves more quickly. It might have something to do with getting older but it just might be the pace of our lives.

Looking back this has been a good year. There were many achievements personally and for my family. My daughter successfully made the transition to college and is anxious to start her second semester at Marquette. She has many new friends and one very special one. At work we've acheived some great accomplishments and now are moving forward more strategically with plans for the future. Personally this has been a year of growth, in learning to care and to be patient to wait for the good things that are to come. I have made many good friendships in my short time here and feel that this is truly where I belong.

What's ahead? Well, last year for the first time I tried resolutions and most of them never happened, not for want of trying. So this year I'm going back to my tried and true approach to the new year and just be open to the possibilities. Not trying to make anything happen but celebrate and embrace it when it does. 2005 was a good year and 2006 will be an even better one.

Good wishes to all who stop by to read my bog....Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Christmas is coming soon


With winter coming to northern Illinois a little sooner than I expected everyone is getting into the Christmas and holiday spirit in a big way. Its a busy time of year but also a lot of fun shopping and preparing for good holiday times. My tree is up but yet undecorated and I hosted the first of the season's holiday parties last night that was attended by 20 or so friends. We enjoyed lots of good wine, champagne, and many delicious things to eat.

Last Sunday I was at Marquette visiting Jourdan when we got her new boyfriend Jeff to take our holiday picture. The recent snows in Mke provided a perfect backdrop on a chilly late afternoon. Christmas is always a magical time. When I was a kid it was the lure of Santa, all the presents, decorating the tree, and enjoying family. Many of those same things remain part of each year for me with the added benefits of having wonderful friends and many good memories of past Christmases as well as hopes and wishes for Christmas times to come.

Happy Christmas!