Breaking radio silence

to wish everyone a very happy new year!

I've hardly blogged at all this year. I've thought about it more than I've actually done it. Around the first of November I toyed with the idea of signing up for another turn at NaBloPoMo, and wrote a long catch-up post, but I was using my iPad, and there was some glitch that prevented me from posting it, or even saving it. And that was that.

So in most ways, it's been an uneventful year...but here are some highlights (if you know me on FB, much of this won't be new.)

~I became a grandmother again in May...Sweet Baby C, sister to J, was born on the day before Mother's Day--a wonderful gift! J still loves being a big sister, and C of course is adorable.

~Came home from a wonderful vacation with family in Maine and Vermont just in time for Irene's arrival, and the loss of our power for 4 days. The Kid and I survived by spending a lot of time in *bux and Barnes and Noble which were open in a neighboring community. I am not meant to be a pioneer woman--I like my conveniences!

~And then we were hit by the freak October snowstorm and we lost our power AGAIN for four and half days. It was so cold! Luckily friends invited us to come stay with them in the city, and we were outta here. I don't think I could've stayed in this cold house all that time. I repeat: I am NOT a pioneer woman!

~My biggest achievement for the year is FINALLY doing something about my weight. I started Weight Watchers for Lent without really saying anything to anyone. By Easter I'd lost about 12 pounds, and I just kept going. As of today, I've lost 60 pounds--about 12 more to go to reach my goal. I've needed to lose weight since the Kid was born (20 years ago!), and I've tried a few times with very little success. I'm not sure why, but it just clicked this time. When I started I didn't have a long-term goal; as suggested by WW I've set several short term goals, but I have to say that now the more I lose the more motivated I am to keep sticking with it.  And trying on new clothes (while BAD for my budget b/c I've had to replace EVERYTHING) is actually fun these days.

~My way of eating, and my attitude about food have completely shifted--once again I didn't set out to do that but it evolved. I never wanted to go on any kind of diet that eliminated whole categories of food, and one of the things I like about WW is that you can eat anything as long as you are intentional and keep track. Even so, these days I eat no bread, no pasta, very very little sugar, and tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've been mostly vegetarian for several years, but  I don't even cheat for bacon any more...a little tuna or salmon or other fish is about it, and I guess technically that's not meat.

~I do love me a skinny peppermint mocha as a treat!

~Perhaps even more remarkable, I've started exercising. My church rents space to a woman who teaches aerobics and Zumba twice a week, and after Thanksgiving I started attending those classes. I feel way too uncoordinated for Zumba (honestly I think I'm kinesthetically dyslexic, if that's possible) but I'm trying to stick it out. And even beginning to think about going to a gym (shudder!)

~People ask me if I feel better; the truth is I didn't feel *bad* before losing weight, but I do feel better now, in ways I didn't expect. My feet don't hurt like they did! I'm stronger. I have more energy. It's good!

~The Kid, who lived in NYC much of the last year and a half moved back in with me in August, and then moved to Vermont to live with WW at Thanksgiving. So my nest is completely empty now--he doesn't have any reason to come back for weekends or breaks like he did before. It's kind of weird. I adjust, and there are things I appreciate about living alone. But it's kind of lonely, too. He was good company. And I miss his music.

~Work is, well, work. It has its ups and downs,  its joys and its unbloggable parts. It is what it is for now. Maybe more about it later.

~I've barely touche my "real" camera this year, relying heavily on my iPhone. I miss photography though, and I'm hoping to make it a habit again this year. We'll see.

~I miss my blogging peeps. I keep up with lots of folks on FB and G+, and I still read blogs, but it's nto quite the same. We had a real community going for a while.

~I have to keep reminding myself that it's Saturday and I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Christmas and New Year's on Sunday make the week feel out of kilter somehow.

~This time last year we had a foot of snow, but tonight it's relatively warm and foggy, and I'm happy to be snug inside my house and not out on the road somewhere.

~Almost midnight...happy new year!  May 2012 be filled with joy and blessings!