Goodbye 2019, Let’s Hope 2020 Brings Us Clear Vision

As with all years 2019 was sometimes good, and sometimes bad, but it felt like it was more bad than good just based on the stress the news causes.

2019 could not have started with more stress for me as I was the at post, guard for my father in the hospital. It was not the 12 days of Christmas I was looking for when he was admitted on Christmas day and stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks where I was with him the whole time. The good news from that start is he got a new valve and is in much better health today because of it.

Carter’s best college friend Olivia went off to London in January and Carter got a terrible replacement roommate. This caused us all enough stress that Carter talked us into letting her get her own apartment starting in September. She found a great one and thankfully Russ was able to accompany us to Boston to assemble the world of IKEA furniture.

In other good Carter news she secured a fabulous Co-op job at Bain Capital that she will begin this January for six months rather than taking classes. Here’s hoping that she loves working there.

During the summer I took on painting my own kitchen cabinets, a job everyone thought I was crazy to do. It was a hot and hard two straight weeks, but I am thrilled I did it. The bad news came in the tile back splash for the kitchen. After I finished painting I found a great tile guy through my best plumbers, the Whaley Brothers. I picked out a tile and he ordered it. I told the clerk that he was going to order it for me. We were both told it would take 12 weeks to arrive.

At the 13 week mark he called the tile supply house to discover the clerk had left her job and no one had checked her orders, or lack of orders as was our case. So I am looking forward to finally having my summer kitchen project finished in January 2020.

I had a great time getting to see my Aunt Edie three times in August and September. First during a trip Carter Russ and I took to the mountains, second two weeks later on a four day visit to her house in Blowing Rock with my mother and then at the wedding of her son.

Russ has had a busy year at work and has not gotten as much time off as I have, but he has the devotion of Shay Shay to keep him happy. I hope for more fun for Russ in 2020 and more travel with me.

Carter and I had two fun mother daughter trips to the Dominican Republic and Asheville. Carter has already scheduled me for a long Boston weekend mother daughter trip in February so 2020 is looking good.

My friends have been wonderful this year with a new needlepoint group, my stalwart Mah Jongg crowd, my Bridge partner, travel friends, my EWS reunion, and those I lunch with regularly. There is nothing bad to say about that aspect of 2019. So at least as much friend time in 2020.

My big wish for 2019 is we have less MAGA and more MASA, (MAKE AMERICA SMART AGAIN). I am hoping for clearer vision by all of us since 2020 should be the year of perfect sight.

So goodbye to 2019, the good and the bad. I don’t think I will miss you. Look forward to “SEEING” you all in 2020.