What a year this has been!

This year started out sad, with my mom dying in January... but even that was bittersweet, because she had been so unhappy for the previous two years, and it was a relief to see her at peace, finally.  People tell me, "Oh, you'll probably live to be a hundred; look at your mom (she was 91)."  But I don't want to live to be so old I can't make it to the bathroom by myself.  Sorry.

My mother died at the very time I had planned to fly to visit my sister at her winter home in Mission, Texas, with my daughter.  So we postponed that trip to February.  It was Rachel's first commercial airplane flight.  We stayed three days, and had so much fun:  We picnicked in the sand at South Padre Island  and shopped in Mexico, where we bought plenty of junk souvenirs (but also some neat stuff), and just enjoyed the lovely weather in general.

In April I flew to Dallas to gather with long-time Internet friends I met in an old chat room that's now defunct.  In May, Cliff and I went to Branson and had the time of our lives.  In June, I spent a week with a friend, Joanna, near my nation's Capital.  What a thrill to see the Lincoln Memorial first come into view.  In July my Georgia son and his family were here for their yearly visit, and I enjoyed them to the fullest.  Tomorrow my traditional visit to the State Fair begins, with grandchildren in tow.

Cliff and I haven't been to a single tractor show this year, but we have plans to go to the Old Thresher's Reunion at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, on Labor Day weekend.  And I'm hoping our budget can stretch enough to accomadate one more trip to Branson this fall.  Whew!  It makes me tired to just sit here and list all of that.  No wonder life is whizzing by so fast.