Out With The Old . . .

A few of my friends have had really terrible years and can’t wait for 2009 to arrive and kick 2008 out on its ass. Buh-bye, 2008! Don’t let the ball hit you on your ass on your way out!

Me, though? I had a great year.

And I had Mistah Schleckah with me every step of the way. Taking photos for my blog posterity. And since he took them all, he actually gets a say in choosing our favorite photos to match our favorite moments of the year . . .
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In January we rang in 2008 in our Westy amid the Spanish Moss at Gold Head Branch State Park with our friend Ranger Steve.

I really love Spanish Moss.

We headed west through the panhandle of the misunderstood state of Florida, where cypress trees grow in swamps, and no one knows which end is up.

We barreled west in our Westy (natch), and returned to our beloved little town of Fort Davis, Texas.

And in February, while we were living in our little house there, Mom and Dad came to visit. We painted red that one-horse town . . .

. . . and saw a Full Lunar Eclipse, while we were at it.

Fort Davis is High Drama.

We got back in the Westy and made our way to San Diego, and in March, we had a fantastic camping trip at San Elijo State Park with Jacquie and her kids . . .

. . . then headed east again, into the mysterious, other-worldly, yet comforting arms of the Anza-Borrego Desert.

Oh! And while we were out west, we bought a house in New London, Connecticut, which we’d seen briefly the previous November.

In April we broke down and spent 9 days at the Motel 6 in Nogales, Arizona. Not a highlight necessarily, but certainly interesting. And good story material.

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And it was there we all witnessed the Birth of a Blog. And nothing's been the same since.

When we finally busted out of Nogales, and saw the horizon again in Patagonia Arizona, we spent some unexpected, seriously quality time with our coolest, favorite author-friend in the world. In the home of another author-not-quite-yet-friend. Bill was excited about the surrounding books; I was excited about the King Sized Bed.

And then the Westy broke down again. In Daisy, Arkansas. And at that point, we knew we had to take matters into our own hands . . .

Oh, yes. We took matters into our own hands, allright.

We towed ol’ Westy all the way east, and in May, we arrived in New London, at our new/old home.
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Home!

In June, I became gainfully employed, and Bill and I were once again embraced into the bosom of the family of the Tavern.

For which we are eternally grateful.

In July, we had a blast at Sailfest . . .

. . . and saw some great music . . .

. . . and then Jacquie and her kids came to visit, and we had big fun with them in New London.

Oh. And I won miniature golf.

In August . . .

. . . ah August. In August, we spent a lot of time at the beach.

It's pretty spectacular around these parts in the summer. Sigh.

In September, I celebrated my 45th birthday with my some of my birthday girls at Ocean Beach.

In October, Mistah and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary, and unlocked the secret to Cubism.

This photo has been getting around lately.
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It was a spectacular fall around here. And then in November, well, who can ever forget November 4? In November, our man won, and lots of us are feeling Hope and The Big O for the first time in years and years.
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Ol' Ledge Light stoically held her own through a gray, windy and dark November, and graciously posed for our Christmas card photo.

And in December, we rang ol’ 2008 out, and 2009 in, with a bang . . .

Bill and I have had a great run of it for the last 8 years. We've put ourselves out there, into situations where cool things can - and do - happen. But, we also realize that we've been lucky. We've not been faced with illness, or with death, like some of our friends have. So to all our peeps we're throwing out a big fat wish for a fabulous 2009. Full of Peace. Full of Change. Full of Hope.