Many of you will think I’m nuts, but it has been glorious here! We got eleven inches of snow earlier this week! It’s been cold so that snow has stuck around, and I love it! We’re supposed to get some more, but I’m not holding my breath. Those weather forecasters can’t be right twice in a row! Our neighbor came over and plowed out a little area for Jack to do his business. Jack just sniffs around…the neighbor has dogs so I’m sure he’s smelling the dogs on the neighbor’s boots…then hops into the snow to take care of things! Of course, he takes his sweet time so he ends up holding up a cold paw so I’ll feel sorry for him. Nope…not gonna happen…just do what you need to do, Jack, and let’s both get inside where it’s warm!
Is it weird to you that Christmas came and went so quickly? I think it may have been because Thanksgiving (here in the US) was so close to Christmas. My oldest came by and helped get the tubs down in the basement. I am hopeful next year will see the big, big tree up in the house again.
2024 was not a banner year for Haus der Mitte. 2023 wasn’t fab, either, but it ended on a high note. So, here we go! Oh, and I’m doing it monthly so there will be 12 rather than just 10…but, say it with me, “You do you, boo!” And, there’s a link party!
Without further ado…
January – I joined Shelbee and Salazar as a curator for Style Imitating Art. I love coming up with the looks, but it’s difficult finding the art. Salazar has given me tips so that’s helped. I’d say becoming a curator is something I definitely want to remember.
January – my friend asked if I’d want to go to Ireland and Scotland. This is something I will never forget and live over and over again. It is definitely a want to remember.
February – I renewed my passport as did Nigel. I wish he’d been able to use his. This falls into a purgatory level of I’m glad we did it, but I’m regretful Nigel and I didn’t travel at all. So, I’m not sure if I want to remember it or not.
March – Plans were coming together for our trip to Ireland and Scotland. I don’t know if I ever said this on the blog. My travel buddy and I barely knew each other and had certainly never traveled anywhere together. The excitement I felt at finally going somewhere was tempered by not going with Nigel. But, this is definitely something I want to remember.
April – We finally had family photos taken. I still haven’t done anything with them. I really do need to pick a couple out because they are beautiful. Nigel breaks my heart in almost all of them because it’s so obvious he’s in pain. He was barely able to walk at this point. The boys basically carried him from spot to spot. The pain on his face…not something I want to remember. April is such a wonderful month, but this past April was our last month before the world kinda crashed down on us. Again, I want to remember the family photos, but I want to forget the look on Nigel’s face.
May – Ah, May! That was the month I hit up the clearance corner at Lowe’s day after day to fill in the spots on the hump. At this point, everything is snow covered, but I have hopes that it will be awash with color this spring and summer. I am planning to plant some cosmos, zinnias, and other annuals from seed up there. I love my flowers so this is a definitely remember month.
June – Gosh was I optimistic in June! We finally had a diagnosis for Nigel’s walking problems – AVN – avascular necrosis which meant the tops of his femurs were dead. Surgery wasn’t scheduled yet, but I had high hopes. Little did I know. This is going to purgatory, too.
July – My travel documents arrived in July so I was really excited for my trip. On the other hand, Nigel finally had his right hip replaced. We thought he’d be up and walking within the month. Little did we know six months later he still wouldn’t be walking. Another purgatory month.
August – OK, this is where things get complicated. On the one hand, it was an amazing month because I went to Ireland and Scotland. Ireland is the most magical place I’ve ever been. I loved the people, the history, and the experiences. On the other hand, I twisted my knee on the flight over so I was in excruciating pain for most of the trip and really struggled to walk. On the other other hand, Nigel’s surgeon wanted him off his feet as much as possible so all the plans that had been in place for when I was gone were scrapped, and we had to buy a wheelchair…all the day before I was to leave. It left me exhausted, frazzled, and tense. My kids were troopers and made sure Nigel was cared for constantly. It’s not a purgatory month because I never want to forget Ireland and Scotland, but I do want to forget the tensions surrounding the situation around Nigel’s set back.
September – I think this was one of those months where not much happened…just visits to the surgeon and many, many, many trips to the physical therapist. I also had my knee looked at and got a steroid shot which helped immensely. So, it’s not necessarily anything I want to remember.
October – October is my birth month so it should have been one I wanted to remember. It wasn’t because absolutely nothing happened to celebrate my birthday…no cake, no cards, no nothing. I know, I know…I’m 67 years old and should be OK with just having my birthday being another day. I’m not, though. Birthdays are special and should be celebrated. One of these years, I’m going to throw myself my own party. I got so close to ordering my own birthday cake. I’m going to order it extra early next year! So, October is a month I don’t care to remember.
November – We went to Winterlights at Newfields. This has become a tradition for our family and the kickoff to the holiday season. Nigel wasn’t happy about going in a wheelchair, but my daughter convinced him to go. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold. I just wish it had snowed to make the night even more beautiful. Add in Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping, and this was a big “Yes, I want to remember November!”
December – I was officially accepted into the docent training program. Nigel began walking with a cane. I attended my oldest granddaughter’s choir concert which was amazing. And, I attended my youngest granddaughter’s orchestra performance which was breathtaking! Christmas was a fun day of botched food that was ok and lots of laughter. It’s definitely one to remember.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
While 2024 wasn’t a year I’d ever care to repeat, there were glimmer moments and some downright fireworks! I began the year nagging at Nigel to walk straight and ended the year just wanting him to walk. I went to Ireland and Scotland and made a friend for life. I learned that religion can and does create huge barriers and is the reason for so many deaths. I began a new way of eating and have lost a significant amount of weight. Do the pros outnumber the cons? They may outnumber them…I didn’t go back and count…but they definitely stood out more. So, can we talk? How was your 2024? Did you have more pros than cons? Did you face physical challenges? Or, did you travel to an amazing place? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
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Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Don’t have a blog…
Don’t worry! You can always leave all or some of your answers in the comments! If you don’t want to do that, you might discover a new blog! Blog friends, if you’d rather not participate, please share this party with others so we have lots of links!
And, now, it’s your turn!
Please link up your favorite 10 on the 10th posts as well as baking, cooking, decorating, fashion, DIY! If there’s a category I’ve left out and it’s family friendly, please feel free to include it! Please do visit some of the links! If you don’t have a blog, here is your chance to find a new one! You can also drop all or some of your answers in the comments!
I’m very happy for you enjoying your 11 inch of snow. I’m very happy for myself for not having even one inch of snow at the time (although weather forecasters keep threatening me).
I’m sorry that your year has been so hard, but glad for the good experiences you’ve had to at least balance it out a bit. Here’s to a much better and hopefully much healthier 2025 for Nigel and you!
Cat
https://catswire.blogspot.com
Hahaha!!! Cat, you always make me laugh! I love my 11 inches of snow and have been out playing with Jack in it! He gets lots of little snowballs all over his belly and feet.
I’m hoping 2025 is a much better year for both of us. We are in need of a good one!
Thanks, Cat!
Hi Marsha you have 11 inches of snow whilst here in Australia we are having heat waves. A lovely wrap up of your year and such a good idea to document it, isn’t it? I started to do a wrap up post like this but found I was a little overwhelmed in what to include and what to leave out. Have a lovely 2025 with more adventures and fun. x
Thanks, Sue! It has been snowing here all day today. It’s that beautiful sparkly snow you think of on Christmas cards…wait, you probably don’t in Australia, though! It’s supposed to stay cold for several days so the snow will be here for quite a while. Luckily, both of our vehicles do very well in snow, and I’ve driven in it for years. I actually used my monthly posts to help me remember what I’d done that month.
Have a wonderful 2025, Sue!
Marsha, you have lots of memories here. If life was easy it might be boring, but I do understand that there are some things that you could do without.
Thanks, Rosie! I hated sounding like such a whiner, but this has been one of the toughest years of my life. I’m hoping 2025 is much better.
Hi Marsha – I’ve been so pleased to find and enjoy your blog and link parties this year. Thank you for the warm welcome. I hope and pray that this is a better year for you ahead and that Nigel’s health continues to improve.
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
Thank you so much, Pamela, for the prayers and compliments. I am so glad you are here.
Thanks for sharing your year. There was definitely highs and lows but you came through smelling like a rose. I wish you and Nigel heath and happiness in 2025!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you, Kathrine! I remind myself as often as I can that I made it, and that’s what counts! Thank you for your good wishes.
Sounds like you had a difficult year too. I hope all of us injured in 2024 (and everyone else!) will be fully healthy in 2025!
Thanks, Dara! I’m sorry you had a difficult 2024, too. I keep thinking one of these years will be a good one. Let’s hope 2025 is it!
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Oh my – what a year!! Mine was not ideal either but reading other’s recaps does help keep things in perspective. So sorry you twisted your knee but, ah, to go to Ireland is a dream of mine! Surely it will happen one day. I am so glad you were able to make the trip even with all that was going on (and even if your knee was screaming at you the whole time!) Here’s to 2025 being a year of healing for your husband.
Thanks, Jennifer! It has not been the best of years, that’s for sure. If you ever get the chance to go to Ireland, take it! You won’t regret it. Your only regret will be in leaving. I thank you for the well wishes, too.
I was really lucky to travel to SO Many fabulous new places and a few old ones too in 2024. In fact, I think that’s going to be the one thing I remember most about the year; there was a lot of travel. Now that we’re looking at sending the last one off to college soon I think we’ll need to cut back a bit on travel and stay more local but I always try to make sure we have some sort of trip to look forward to. I figure as long as we can travel we should make the most of it. We also had lots of family visiting in 2024 and that was special too!
You had a wonderful year, Joanne! It’s a year I envisioned us having after retirement. I’m hoping we are able to travel again someday. I have begun to urge my younger friends and family not to worry so much about saving as much as living in the present and enjoying it. You are doing a wonderful job of that. I haven’t seen my siblings for a bit. I did spend time with my little brother late last year as his wife had surgery near me. I don’t really have much family beyond my kids and siblings.
Thanks, Joanne!
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Loved hearing about all your memories! Even though everything wasn’t perfect it was still decent and you made it through. Happy New Year to you and I hope this year is 10 times better for you.
Thanks, Kita! I saw your name mentioned on Threads, but I don’t quite have the hang of that yet so I’m not sure what it was about. I did make it through the year, and that’s what I keep telling myself. Every day you wake up is a win, right?
I must have missed that you were accepted to the docent program. Congrats and how fabulous!!!
This is also a great way to remember the year.
XOOX
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! I’m really excited about it and hope I can retain everything they tell us!
It sounds like a year with a bit of both mixed in, as I guess most years are. It’s good you’re looking for the roses amidst the thorns and am glad you found some along the way. Wishing you a bright and healthy 2025!
Thanks, Joyce! I consider myself an optimist, but this has been a year to try that. Thanks for your wishes, and I wish you the very same!
Lots of ups and downs in 2024 but I’m so happy that December was a great month to end the year. Congratulations on your acceptance to the docent program! I’m so excited for you!
Jill – Doused in Pink
So glad that at least 2024 finished on a more optimistic note and I certainly hope that continues in 2025. It was such a shame that your trip to Ireland was under such difficult circumstances. Enjoy your new volunteer role , I am sure you will be brilliant.
May you and your loved ones have health and happiness.
Thank you, Jill! I am glad the year ended on a high note, too. Even though my knee hurt, I didn’t let it stop me too much. There was so much to see that I just plowed right on through. I am thrilled to be a docent (if I pass the training course) and will definitely be blogging about it. I hope you and your family have a brilliant 2025!
You had quite the year – so much with health and Nigel. I truly hope he’s on the mend.
I’m so sorry for your birthday! No one sent you a card?? Or said happy birthday?? That’s so sad!
Our 2024 was full of ups and downs for sure with the biggest ones hitting at the end of the year. It wasn’t our worst year ever at least.
Thanks, Lisa. I really hope this year sees him walking without his cane even. He’s just dying to get out in the yard…well, not right now because it’s covered with snow. But, he’s an outside kinda guy. Oh, I did get a birthday card from my church, and my kids and older sister sang to me. But, that was it. Next year, I’m ordering myself a gorgeous cake…doing it early though!
You definitely had a downer for the end of the year, but I’m confident it will be good soon. Luckily, the good years far outnumber the bad years…I need to remember that!
This was an interesting post to read. I have visited your blog once or twice before from other Linky parties… The background here was good to catch up on. I did do a Yesr in Review this year, which is unusual, and it showed me just how full 2024 was for us! We just booked our flight to Ireland last Friday night…we cannot wait to go! My sister visited several years ago and said, too, that is one of the most beautiful places she has ever been.
It is interesting how our perspectives change in hindsight, as with you, wishing one thing at the beginning of the year and your larger wish being a smaller goal by the end of the year. We cannot judge someone’s challenges based on our own experience, for sure.
I’m glad that you have been able to find a healthier way of eating, I know having a healthy body and feeling good inside really helps us get through “life“. I look forward to visiting your blog more often. I have nothing to linked up because I haven’t blogged much this year (yet!).
Thank you so much and welcome to my blog! I hope you’ll visit often. You will love Ireland! I have done a couple of posts on my trip you might want to check out. Are you doing a tour, or are you going on your own? I would love to go back and take Nigel this time.
Last year was definitely a challenge for me, and I’m sure I bored my regular readers to tears at times. But, when it’s your life, and you’re living it, you have to let some of that out. I am determined to be more positive and hopeful re: Nigel’s recovery. He spoke with a man today who told him it took him a good year to feel better. We had been told a month or so…so maybe we set ourselves up for failure with that expectation. Anyway, thank you so much for coming by and commenting!
Happy New Year, Marsha! Thanks so much for sharing your highlights and lowlights from 2024… I learned a lot more about you! One thing I’ve discovered is that you are an optimist and, despite the challenges you and your hubby have faced, you look for the pros in life! Sometimes that is hard to do. I pray that 2025 brings healing and joy and a lots of moments to remember that bring a smile to your face!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Laura. I’ve always considered myself a glass half full kinda person, but the last few years have certainly tested that. I’m hoping 2025 is a fabulous year for all of us!