Good bye 2010. You have been a good year.

While some might say 'good riddance' to the old year and pray for a more peaceful or prosperous 2011, I have been quite content with 2010.

Although I did not win the lottery (you must play to win) or get picked to introduce Neil Diamond at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, or even win the Ipod from an Alma Mater (promised if one made a minimal donation-what a sucker I am, but for a good cause), it has been a good year.

How does one come to that conclusion short of reviewing journals (you have to write them to have them to review) or photo albums (ditto)?

I trust that my memory will never shorten to the place where I can not at least scan the year past and get some sense about how it went. And this year went well.

Generally good health within the family; generally secure job positions for same (which gives me generally secure social security); no job offers that I couldn't refuse; moving closer to degree completion requirements (some of which I should be working on at this moment, but no, writing my blog is much more fun...and much less cerebral); generally good weather (no tornadoes, no flooding); no major house repairs (why borrow trouble from 2011); great friends (past and present).

I think that one can have a very good year in most respects and still count it all a dismal failure of a year if the family is in disarray. Perhaps that is why I count 2010 as a success. I love my family. You can not imagine how much fun it is to be around them: as a group, as individuals, with boyfriends or without. If you know anyone in my family, you know they are uniquely wonderful. How could it be that I would be blessed with so many of these extraordinary individuals?

I have no answers but I am grateful. And that's what I think about it.