Another Auld Lang Syne

Although I have a family connection to Robert Burns (one of my ancestors published his first collection of poems), this is a favourite too. As far as I can determine, this is one of the last video performances of Dan Fogelberg doing his, not long before he died.

Yet another brilliant songwriter gone too soon.



As mentioned in the previous post, I put up our tree this year: it was hard but not impossible. I remembered where and when we bought it, and why, and all those other silly details that you never think you're going to recall.

I know what I listened to the last time I was putting it up, how we celebrated our anniversary, and what we planned for the spring that never happened. I've cried looking at it, thinking about all of those things as well.

But I'm glad I put it up: it was time.



The best, but also hardest, part was pulling out the ornaments: I still have two glass balls that my parents received as a wedding present, and there are several projects I made as a child. I always wrap them carefully and was glad to see they survived moving and handling more than usual over the last few years.



That being said, this holiday season was also time to make some new traditions: this little fellow and his five friends came as Boxing Day gift from a friend. It spins around madly when you fire up a tealight at the base, and it's both cute and kitschy at the same time. I like it. A lot.



There's another light at the end of my tunnel as well, and a glass that is half-full. I'm as infinitely grateful for the new friends I've made this year as much as the old ones I've been able to let go from my past: perhaps the most important change that has happened this year has been the ability to not only make that choice, but to also be happy in doing so.

For the first time since, there is so much to look forward to in my life.

(And so I finish off my 200th blog post: it will be eight years in March since I began this adventure. I'm not sure I ever thought I'd still be doing this, or have written this many, or have had anything to say: there are people who probably think I haven't said anything useful at all either, but I digress.)