Does THIS EVER Happen to You?

About an hour and a half ago, I sat down to find photos to print to fill some little stocking stuffers.  Of course, the printer did not want to cooperate and after a while I said, "To HELL with that!"  I'll give them the key rings with a place for photos.  They can deal with their own printers, ha.

In the midst of looking for photos on my Picasa site, I saw so darn many things that made me pause and reflect on the past year.  I certainly didn't start this exercise to elicit any feelings, or to post a blog, but I'll be darned if that is certainly what has happened.

The year did not start out auspiciously.  If you remember, or even if you don't, I had a horrible attack after eating New Year's day lunch which initially was thought to be a heart attack by me.  Never were those words spoken to my son who luckily was here at the time.  Then when the pain subsided and came back on my right side, wrong side for a heart attack and too low to boot, I knew it was my gall bladder.  A doctor in San Miguel confirmed this with an x-ray and scan.

Not my idea of the way to start the first day of a New Year.  Just the week before I had fallen and hit my head and ended up with a black eye.........sheesh.  Out of the mouth of babes, Matilda climbed up on the bed that day and told me lots of old women fall.

WAS I becoming an old woman?  I certainly hoped not.

So fast forward to February and off I went to an unknown surgeon who removed the faulty item and all has been well since!  Yippee.  Those are my memories of January and some of February.  I'm now grateful for my health.  Even the eye operation in September has been probably the greatest gift of the year. 

What all the photos that I paused to reflect on reminded me is that I have a blessed and full life.  With precious grandchildren here and in Texas along with a wonderful son and daughter in those places.

                                       Photos of my family in Mexico - John, Matilda and Sebastian.


Then my life is enhanced my wacky, deliciously kind and fun friends.  Let's see if I can upload a few photos of this year.

I would be remiss if I didn't include a photo of the feral cat who has taken over the ENTIRE house and grounds as her domain.  How did that happen in just seven years?  Velcro is certainly a funny cat, to put it mildly, and takes her job as guard cat and animal to welcome guests, seriously. And me, a dog person.  How did this happen?

Add in the beauty of my surroundings.  The gardens, the canyon and cliffs, the sunsets (I hardly ever see a sunrise any more) and the birds, butterflies and of course, the hummingbirds)- living in nature is good.

Old and new friends came to visit.  Above are my dear friends Sue and Vandy and my friend here in San Miguel, Bill who I met long before I even moved here.  New friends were many people who read the blog.
How cool it was to meet people that seem like old friends! 

Above are friends Barb and Marks from Houston and San Miguel friends Barbara and Howard from San Miguel.

Add to the friends and family all the stuff that goes on in San Miguel..........and Mexico.........what a full, full life I live!  This past year was no exception.  First, one of the many altars to the Virgen of Guadalupe.  This one is near the bus station on Canal.

A Nativity scene, one of many.  This one is at Mama Mia's restaurant.  In the past, when I first moved here, the only Christmas decorations one saw were poinsettias and Nativities. After all Christmas is about the Birth of Jesus, not about trees and presents.  Well, it used to be that way.  Happily, I see many of these Nativities still set up about town.

The year would end perfectly if I could have the Houston Hogan Family, of which three of the six are in this photo.  And, if my grandson Christopher could be here as well.

But, as my Dad used to say, ""Be grateful for what you have and don't wish for what you don't have."

I have a LOT and certainly am grateful for each and every thing.

In closing, does this happen to you?  You start out to do one thing and you end up reminiscing or going in a totally different direction then you started out in?

It's been a fun two hours now.  With all of that, I'm SO looking forward to 2015, just to see what is going to happen..........Stay tuned.