There is only one hour left of 2011.  It has been an interesting, and at times challenging, year for me.

2011 began full of frustration and pain.  My mental outlook was very bleak just because it seemed that I just could not get a break, and I’d just improve one physical problem, when out of the blue some other part of me would require medical attention, investigation and a re-adjustment of attitude from me.  I’m still working my way back to full strength, but the last couple of months have been heartening.

As I stated a couple of posts ago, I’ve had the vegetation in my garden removed.  Next step is to have our retaining walls seen to, and maybe re-made.  As it stands, no one in my family can visit us as our garden steps are too steep for them to manage.  I’d like to see them easier to walk up (and wheel the garbage bins down).  After that  we’ll be replanting.  In the front yard will be lots of bird-attracting Australian natives.  In our back yard though, we’re considering going with a tropical feel.  This is mainly because we plan to plant non-clumping bamboo as a screening plant since our yard is overlooked from a higher level – it’s like a goldfish bowl, and as a result we rarely sit on our back deck anymore.

I was rather overwhelmed when the tree removal firm left a huge mess behind, as well as all the roots.  I feel they were deceptive when they quoted….. Anyway, part of the reason for wanting them to clean up and remove the roots was that I “knew” (and they knew as well) that I couldn’t do it.  Since then I have put together a new garden bed at the home of one of my sisters.  She can’t bend very well anymore and so my other sisters, and I, banded together to buy her some raised beds for Christmas.  I provided the labour.  Moving the new soil into the new beds wasn’t actually too hard, and I felt very empowered being able to do it.  However when I went back another day to finish all the fiddly bits I found that harder on my body.  Still, it has shown me that I can do “some” sorts of manual labour – now I just have to work out how hard to push it.  I definitely have to do some work on the strength of my right hand – I won’t be winning any arm wrestles with it! LOL

The weather this year has been very damp.  After a number of years of drought and water usage restrictions this has felt very strange.  The summer so far has been quite cool as well.  That has made it hard on my body.  I started a few projects when the weather warmed up a bit, and then just had to put them to one side when it was necessary to put back on my winter clothes.  I only just packed away my doona this summer – that’s how crazy the weather has been.  Even now I have a shawl around my shoulders to ward off the chill.

Back in 1978 I bravely went to Stanton Library in North Sydney and became a member.  Just a school membership  since I’m just a young slip of a thing.  Recently I went searching to see if any libraries offered e-book loans, since my local libraries didn’t (although they are considering it).  It turned out that Stanton did, so once I found my original membership card (complete with Mum’s signature!!) I emailed them and asked if I could just renew it.  Ummm, biggest problem was that 1978 was pre-computerisation.  So no.  I had to travel down and re-join.  What a pleasant experience it was.  Very helpful librarians.  Now I can borrow e-books.  It might stem the tide of Kindle books I’ve been reading.  All those 99 cents add up after a while.  One of my greatest “finds” this year has been Terry Odell.  Her sister-in-law put me onto her books, and I’ve really enjoyed them.  I suppose you could call them romances, but really, in most of her books the emphasis is on police procedures and detection.

One of the best things to come out of this year was to ditch Bigpond dial-up.  I’ve switched to a different ISP and I’m using a dongle.  OH!!!  THE SPEED!!!  I can see pictures……and videos even!  I’m being dragged into this century!  I’m resisting every new change foisted upon me though.  Just to keep it real.

Happy New Year to you, where ever you are!