Happy New Year, Happy New Decade (or is it?)

Out of respect for Dear Husband, I must include my support of his position that 2010 is the end of the current decade, not the beginning of a new one. Here is the exercise to prove the point. Take 10 index cards. Begin counting with one, then two, three, etc. When you get to 10, that's the end of the set. Now, instead of cards constituting the set, imagine that the set is made up of years. Q: What is the first year in the set of ten? A: Year 1. Now, proceed with this exercise until you get to the tenth year in the set. Q: Is that last year, year 9? A: No, it is 10. Point, set, match. Ha! Calendar purists unite, we have nothing to lose but our years.

With that out of the way (it's important in our household to ponder these matters), Happy New Year to all. 2010, we hope, will prove to be a great year. Here are some of my early signs (some more serious than others, BTW) of promise:

1. Our niece has not had a seizure for over a week. This is big news based on the experience of having grand and petite mal seizures a week after her surgery. We are praying this is the beginning of a trend toward eliminating or dramatically reducing her seizures. She is healing well now and her mother has even managed to fashion a hair style that covers her "bare" spot on her head, the result of the surgery.

2. I ushered in the New Year (yesterday) migraine-free, despite feeling that old familiar twitch in my fingers that is a little alarm that one is approaching. After a steady stream of these headaches pretty much since Thanksgiving, I am ready to be done with them for a while.

3. I finished a quilt on New Year's Day. Despite my concerns that I had a migraine lurking in the shadows yesterday, I decided to press on and complete an African-theme quilt for my friend, Bobbie, and her husband, Gary. They went to Africa and loved it, so I offered to make a quilt for them. The fabric is stunning, but I am not completely happy with the end product; the four-patch center is a bit - well - "off center." I was thinking about deconstructing the piece and re-making the center, but, as Dear Jane would say, "Finished is better than perfect." Once quilted, I don't think this problem will be noticeable.

4. I got Dear Husband to eat a yam (well, only a quarter of one) for New Year's Day dinner. This is a big step for a man who I would characterize as practically a ""yam hater."

5. I started to meditate. I am trying this technique to help with my migraines. I am up to a whopping 9 minutes/day. Now that may not seem like much, but if you haven't tried sitting absolutely still and silent for a full 9 minutes, you can't appreciate how difficult it is. I frequently have "monkey mind" with my thoughts jumping from one tree to another. Must work on improving my technique to master this challenge. I intend to meditate every day this year, but I refuse to announce this practice as a resolution.

So, good-bye to '09, hello '10. I'm looking forward to a *fan-tab-u-lous* year with good progress in my skating, quilting and other areas of my busy, rewarding life. As one of my previous co-workers used to say when I asked her if she was stressed, "Nope. I'm too blessed to be stressed." I always thought that was a cute expression and it made me feel appreciative of all I had whenever she would say it.

Onward into a new year with enthusiasm and optimism.