As we enter the uncertainties of 2024, we hope and pray for the best for our country, our family, and our friends. We wish a safe, peaceful, healthy and happy new year to all.

When I was young (any time before 60😊), I felt pretty much invincible, physically. I had no serious health issues. I “ran” (slowly) in multiple marathons, half marathons and shorter races. I was successful in some jobs and a total bust in others. My husband and I did a lot of camping and long-distance canoeing—and even a few races.

I was mostly an honorable person, but I did some things I wish I had done differently. I had a temper in my youth that now (in my seventies) seems like it belonged to a different person. I regret that I fell out of the practice of participating in a church—it’s not too late yet. I will forever regret that we made self-centered choices when both my mother and my husband’s mother needed us to keep them out of nursing homes. We made some terrible financial decisions that significantly reduced the size of the nest egg we might have had now, had we taken some different turns.

I wrote five novels and self-published four of those. Why didn’t I publish the fifth one? I didn’t have the b—- (kahunas) to deal with the controversies. I’ve been working on another for three years and am nowhere near the end. I keep re-writing the same 15 chapters over and over. I haven’t defined the reason for that. I hope it’s not that I haven’t grown beyond the reasons that kept me from publishing the fifth book.

Since 2016, my body has slowly begun to remind me that I’m not invincible, that my age IS a factor in what I can or can’t do. Five bleeding ulcers while training for a marathon and living on ibuprofen.  A heart attack in 2020. Couple of broken bones (dates elude me). Cataracts that miraculously, when removed, left me not requiring glasses for the first time since kindergarten. Another bleeding ulcer last year (and not even consuming ibuprofen this time). And most recently, paralysis of my left fourth optic nerve that results in seeing double and distorted (second image is elevated and angled – pretty fascinating if you’re not trying to walk, drive and negotiate steps safely).  Most scary is the inconsistent memory and concentration challenges – not really a big deal except when you factor in the family history of Alzheimers.

Getting old is NOT for the weak.

But around all the downers, life has been good. My husband and I are both still here, still getting to the gym regularly, eating a decent (not perfect) diet, enjoying friends and our Russell Terrier, Dubby. We aren’t world travelers but enjoy visiting friends and family and spending time in the Adirondacks with our canoe.

As we enter the uncertainties of 2024, we hope and pray for the best for our country, our family, and our friends. We wish a safe, peaceful, healthy and happy new year to all.