We am really quite fortunate in that we have had only two majorly nightmarishly blockbuster bad years in our lives. One was 1998, and the other was 2004. We are still reeling from them both, but we are also realizing that what other people did and do can not continue to hurt us and keep us down unless we allow it. We will no longer allow it. So there. (insert sound of loud raspberries here.) I wanted to be mature about it.

Now, all we have to do is win the lottery and we’ll be set.

This resolution (along with me losing a million pounds) will of course make no difference with our financial problems and our worry over them, but it will make a difference in other areas. It will definitely make a difference.

I sincerely hope that none of you have ever had majorly nightmarishly blockbuster bad years, and that you never will.

I wish for all of you a wonderful new year, full of hope and light and good health. Sing, and laugh, and trust each other. Help each other. Share. Don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t make assumptions. Think positive. Don’t lay your feelings out in the roadway and act surprised when they get hurt. Behave yourselves. Require good behavior from everyone in your home. Welcome guests. Feed people. Respect others. Don’t fear the unknown so much. Branch out. Visit. Explore. Read. Listen to music. MAKE music. Be kind. You might even discover, to your surprise, that you are happy. At least, happier than you thought.

Thank you all for being my friends and neighbors in this awesome still-new neighborhood of the Blogosphere. I appreciate and love you more than you could ever know.