So, what good has happened this year?

I know it’s materialistic. But my mother had a large , gorgeous chrysocolla that was missing for months. I thought about it so much. While looking for one on Ebay I was shocked at how inferior all of theirs were compared with hers and how tiny!!
Yesterday I opened the china cabinet and removed something for dinner and there it was on a wooden stand. I couldn’t believe it. I am still thrilled. It’s worth at least $100 based on the chrysocollas on Ebay. The entire top is solid turquoise and the center is clear quartz – half on top, half on the bottom almost touching like half open teeth on an animal if that makes sense. My favorite gift.

At least I have done a lot in 2016. Lots of things to remember.

- I did my first online purchase on Ebay. It was scary but I got what I wanted.
– I was an interpreter, for one day. There was that Japanese guy who came to my city to do research for his business. He went with a local friend and some other people who I didn’t know. I still don’t know why I was summoned in the first place. The guy’s research only consisted of going around shops and looking at stuff without saying a word, so most of the time I followed him like a babysitter while people looking at us like we were from another planet. In the end I got paid well though.
– In the summer I successfully coached my friends for their exam and I’ve just done coaching some others a week ago.
– Also in the summer break instead of getting wasted I challenged myself to watch a movie every night and analyse it using the help of the internet. After the break end I felt like I had more understanding about movies and I don’t see movies in the same way anymore. Though I watched mosly black-and-white movies and now my eyes are monochrome :p
– I made some new friends both in real life and here including you

So it was only a year? I thought it was forever.

The Cubs…

I’m out…

I would have added The Raiders before Saturday.

I’m settled in my own little adorable house again after 3 years of room mates since being tanked in the great recession. I love my new house, it is so cute and cozy and colorful with my talent for decorating after working in the Int. design/home staging biz for years. Today is also my birthday and I woke up to a card and gift card from my best friend, a picture of an otter and the caption, ” Happy Birthday to someone who is not like all the Otters.” haha

Last night at about 7 p.m. there was a knock on my back door and it was our much loved art student/stable cleaner ” Taylor” who just set up his own pottery studio and he presented me with the most beautiful turquoise glazed Raku pot he made just for me! 2017 is looking good! :-)

My granddaughter was born.

The Cubs FINALLY won the World Series, I bought out my asshole partner, my youngest son was accepted to all the colleges he applied to, hired a lady to be my new Director of our Flooring Division. Stock market is on a rocket ride up into record territory. Life is good.

The fan has been put in motion that will splatter everyone.

Not much.. Counting on new year for something positive to happen..)

You’re still alive and looking forward to ringing in the New Year, right?

the colonies have officially signed their own death warrant.

I retired earlier this year after 53 years of work and I haven’t looked back. I have done a lot of travelling with my girlfriend in Scotland, Europe and China and I have had an amazing time. 2016 has been one of the better years in my life and it was unexpected. Roll on 2017!

We lived through it so thats good I guess.

The Cubs won the series. Thaaaat’s about it. This year has been a massive shit sandwich.

Getting to see my 82 year old father enjoy a Cubs world series victory.

The Cubs won the series !!!!

Lots and lots of good things happened.

I only fired 9 staff this year, a record low.
Trump won the election, the joke that just keeps on giving

I’ve met some incredible people where I live now. I’m totally appreciating people older than me sharing their experiences and wisdom.

The year has been full of warm days with blue skies and sunshine. I never take that for granted.

I’m alive. I’m really starting to feel that fear of getting sick or dying. It’s because of my age, and I have not been eating well. I’m not obsessed about it, but I try to appreciate every day.

Truly happy that the local symphony is so affordable and entertaining.

I love that I can go any night just 15 minutes away and hear music and people are out dancing.

I feel calmer again.

My sister got married… I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Which is understandable after what I did at her first wedding.

I got a fish tank a few months ago and not a single fish has died.

My sister and her twins are sleeping all over my apartment at this very second. They drove down this afternoon and we had take-and-bake pizzas and opened presents. Then we watched movies and they passed out. So today was fun. A decade ago I really hated my sister but now it is all good. And I am learning to like like her children. (that was a joke.. I love her children but one more than the other)

So I have had a good day.

@johnpowell That’s great!

some good news on the conservation forefront this week: President Obama is designating two new national monuments in Utah and Nevada, protecting nearly 2 million acres of threatened, culturally significant land.

@AnonymousAccount8 That’s great, for the wildlife too. I wonder if the Nevada land has any wild horse populations, gotta check it out.

On the other hand, cheetahs are almost extinct, with their global numbers down to 7100.

Good work, stupid humans.

Actually, 2016 has been a pretty significant year for conservation activism. In February this year, Obama created three new national parks in the California desert: Mojave Trails National Monument, Sand to Snow National Monument, and Castle Mountain National Monument. President Obama has designated more acres of public land and water than any president in our history.

It also warmed my heart to learn that Planned Parenthood has received 40 times its usual number of donations since the presidential election…with about 82,000 donations coming from Mike Pence.

@ragingloli on the other other hand, maybe now that there’s awareness about it, there will be a greater interest in preserving cheetah habitat and a greater chance that their populations will be restored. maybe. let me cling to my hope.

The number of tigers has increased, and pandas are officially not endangered anymore. Or so I’ve heard.

@ragingloli Not all humans are stupid, plenty of us that care about the planet and it’s inhabitants.

@Coloma that is true but the stupid ones outnumber the non-stupid ones astronomically .
And the stupid ones get them selves elected to make laws for the non-stupid ones.

From my personal life: the bad things that happened to me resolved without any major long-term consequences. I got laid off, but I got another job really fast, and it affirmed my knowledge that I have marketable skills, so now I know I don’t have to feel too scared about the idea of being unemployed. I got hospitalized and had an emergency surgery, but the surgery went well and my prognosis is good, and it gave me the opportunity to finally see Matt in “crisis mode,” which showed me that he can keep a level head and be supportive in the worst of times. That’s something I’ve always wanted to make sure was true of a partner before I considered marrying him.

That bears repeating. Matt was by my side all year. I can’t express how big of a good thing that is to me.

8 Good things that happened in 2016.

Count your blessings.

Thank you @Pachy.