Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year !!

2009 has arrived! The new year is filled with the promise of change and a fresh start. It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since we retired from active ministry. It's been a big change for both Dee and me. We're doing well and still feeling our way along regarding what it means to be "retired." From what I read about it, we're in the stage known as "early retirement." We're both still very active and aren't quite ready for senior centers and bingo just yet. Dee works three days a week and has found her work and friendships there as well as the affirmation she gets regarding her work ethic very satisfying.

Our New Years Eve consisted of nice conversations with my mom on the phone about my dad and about her stay at my sister's place for the holidays. (December 31,1999 is the anniversary of his passing into the next life with the Lord.) Dee and I both got to talk with Faye for a long while too. That was nice. Later Dee talked with her sisters Ruth and Donna and then Kathy N. about going to their place on Sunday for dinner. (It seems Dee spends a lot more time talking with friends and family now since we've moved back to Western Pennsylvania.)

We went out to the Longhorn Restaurant for dinner (We decided to go earlier rather than later, and it's good we did (even with call ahead seating) because the place got packed shortly after we arrived and were waiting for a table. We really like the food there and resolved while we were there to eat smaller portions in the new year. (I've started wearing my pedometer again and try to put some time in on the treadmill (if it's cold outside, which it is 16 degrees but feels like 8). I've done about 6600 steps the last two days. I want to get that back up to 10,000 soon. We also played the Wii FIT for our New Year's Eve activity. I learned that some of those activities (soccor ball head butt and slalom skiing exercises are a lot more difficult than they look from the side as a spectator.) When you're on the balance board it's fun, but not easy. But we'll stay with it and try to improve each day. Maybe we can work it into our daily routine.

There's about an inch of show on the sidewalks (added to the two inches we got yesterday). But the roads are clear and just wet and the sun is shining. Happy New Year everybody and thanks for taking the time to read my daily ramblings.

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