Well, my last post was welcoming in 2012 and here we are almost ready to welcome in 2013. I was starting a new chapter in my life and wanted to document it but, as it turns out, there really is life after sixty and I got too busy living it to find time to write about it. I'm going to play catch up now and see if we can't finish out 2012 before 2013 arrives!
JANUARY
January was get ready to move month. Got a lot of smaller but vital things moved up to New Bern, ordered new bedroom furniture for Jack's and my new life together, bought airline tickets for California and found a new home for my kitties.
Jack's lease on the townhouse does not allow cats, so my kitties were not going to be able to make the move with me. It was fortunate that I adopted them from a rescue group and was able to return them to the group when I could no longer keep them. I gave them about six weeks notice and they were able to find a foster home for them where they could stay together. Giving them back was a very hard thing for me to do.
Jack had some bouts of cold feet during this time, but worked them out and the move went forward. I didn't know until much later how difficult this commitment was for him. The actual move-in date for furniture got pushed ahead several times and didn't happen until early March, but the last night I spent in my house was about three days before Christmas. To this day, I never quite know what to say when someone asks how long we've lived together!
FEBRUARY & MARCH
February brought only a rather disappointing Valentine's Day...next year's will be better...and some serious health problems for my brother, Glen. He suffered his first attack of Congestive Heart Failure, followed by a second, finally culminating in open heart surgery in March. As this is all catch up rather than real time, I can say that he is now doing fine, but it was a long and difficult road. I spent more time in Greenboro the month of March than I did in New Bern. It was very scary to consider the possibility of losing my brother. It also caused some strained feelings towards baby brother Ken. I know he loves Glen and would have been devastated to lose him, but I was disappointed in the amount of time he was able to allocate to helping Glen during this time. Fortunately, Glen has some very good friends and support at Unity Church who pitched in to help with animal care, visits, food and household chores.
During one of my many visits to Greensboro I ran into an ex-husband - Bud...husband number two. He was at the hospital for a job interview and we had lunch together. It was a nice visit.
Jack and I celebrated an annivarsary at the end of March. One year together as a couple. It was a year full of ups and downs, but ended on an up. Jack came home from work with roses, the first I had ever received from him, and sweet cards. Then we went out for a romantic dinner at Morgan's Tavern, a place we particularly like. It was a great anniversary celebration!
APRIL
April brought my sixty-second birthday, not a milestone, just another birthday. I learned that Jack was not accustomed to giving birthday gifts and he learned that I AM accustomed to getting them. Next year will be a better birthday...he promised! I did have a great birthday celebration with Becca,Davis, Katie and Jackson!
The bedroom furniture I ordered in January finally arrived from High Point at the end of April. It was, and is, beautiful and we are both happy with it. Good thing as it is probably the last bedroom furniture we will ever have! One of the downsides of getting older...realizing that your are approaching "lasts' in your life.
We went to California in April, but I will leave the details of that trip for my next installment. It was a good trip overall, but heralded the start of a summer of medical issues for Jack.
Stay tuned...
