New Year's Eve

I've been home for a week, nursing a wretched cold/flu/crud. I missed the "Don't Make Us Count It" Sale at the shop last week (my guess is that Heleen is going to make me count all the inventory in payment for her having to work every day, while I snuffled and slept through the whole week). We had our best month ever in sales in December, increasing more than 50% over November, which was our previous best month ever by 33% over October. I miss the shop when I can't be there. But Heleen said to stay away, as we didn't need Pam-germs all over the yarn.

So here it is the end of the week, end of the month and end of the year 2011. I wish I could think of something profound to say, but it seems as though each year I just hope the world will regain its sanity and that the following year will be "better." I've been thinking this for a few years now, which tells me that things are getting worse, year by year, not better. There are things to be grateful for of course, but in the darkness of the Winter Solstice, tissue-clapped-to-my-face, and head stuffed with illness, it is hard to remember what those blessings are?

We're relatively (barring the latest punkiness), healthy and continue to be most happy with each other and our life together. Our children are healthy, though not necessarily happy, which is always a source of long-distance concern. Juli's visit did us all some good, I think, though her life is not getting any easier yet. Hopefully, we helped her regain some balance and grounding in familial love, while she continues to deal with her losses. We don't hear from Alex much. We hope that no news is good news.

January is shaping up into a month of comings and goings for Bill and me. Next week, we will go up to Illinois for the funeral/interrment of his parents' ashes at Camp Butler in Springfield on the 6th (pausing first in Jacksonville to pick up the last of his father's belongings left in storage). Then Bill goes to Florida on the 8th for a two-week course in firefighting, first aid, and other shipboard certifications, and to Virginia on the 23rd for a week for Maersk training. I leave on the 27th for Florida, where Jeannie and I will debark on a week-long cruise in the Caribbean.

I have never been on a cruise. Bill jokes that for him to go on a cruise, they have to pay him, so I am taking the opportunity to check it out and reward myself for a year's hard work in the amiable company of girlfriend/cousin Jean. We should have a wonderful time, frolicking and resting!