2008 is Already Over? Where Did it Go?

Wow. This has been a fast year. It's been one of our better years, and I'm not in a hurry for it to be over. But I don't guess I have any control over that! It's been a busy year. But all in all, it's been a good year. So, here goes:

January

Bill made his camo quilt, which we have used when it's really cold. It's a very warm quilt. I cooked a lot in January, it was cold and I think we had a nesting period.

My sisterfriend Virginia lost her daughter in January. She was only 26 years old and she left 3 precious children, which have now been officially given into Virginia and David's custody. They are probably the only thing that kept Virginia and David sane, the loss of Sara to incurable cancer was devastating to all of us. Her funeral was on her 27th birthday.

This month is also when we had a probable drug deal on the streets behind our house, we called the police when a car just suddenly showed up back there and stayed - with a few other cars showing up for a few minutes. The police was there fast, and eventually there were several cop cars. The local paper showed a drug arrest on that date and street, so we're glad we called!

We also celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. Also, towards the end of the month the city got the huge piles of limbs left from the ice storm in December, 2007.

February

The month started out with the septic tank very nearly overflowing. Which probably wouldn't be a good omen if we were superstitious! :)

We also voted in the presidential primary, Huckabee didn't win but I still am glad we voted for him.

Otter switched the the adult class in karate this month. She was already having asthma problems in class, but nobody expected it to worsen like it did which eventually led to her having to quit when she did. She also got new glasses this month.

Otter and I both had nosebleeds this month, which was a too close for comfort rerun of this time last year! Although they were mild, and niether one of us had to run to the doctor/er about them. But it made me nervous for a while, as last year's medical problems seemed to start with nosebleeds in February!

March

Early in the month, we had 6" of snow. It melted fast, but it was fun while it lasted.

Huckabee pulled out of the race for the presidency. This was not unexpected, but we still weren't happy about it.

Otter started having worse problems with the asthma at karate.

This month is also when Otter was punished at school. FOR DEFENDING HERSELF. I let the teacher know in no uncertain terms that we expect her to defend herself and that we will support her actions. When the teacher was getting on her about it, she also more of less told Otter that she (Otter) should not be so different - apparently, if she follows the rest of the brainless herd she won't be noticed and won't make herself a target. The teacher also heard from me exactly what we thought about that. There were very few problems after that.

My naturalized bluebonnets suddenly sprung up this month. It was such a nice surprise to see them.

Maggie learned to blog this month.

Bill replaced the driver's seat in the van. In hindsight, he probably could have skipped it! He also had to buy a new battery for the van.

Bill was baptised! He had been as a child, but the Baptist church doesn't recognize baptisms unless they are by immersion and not of young children. It was on Easter Sunday and was very special.

The dogs dug one too many holes in the yard, so they got a special area fenced off just for them. They weren't impressed. It took us a while, but the yard was repaired and looked a lot better.

Otter went to the prom at school, although they call it the spring formal. Same thing! She also turned 16, which was a big thing. We gave her the opal ring my parents gave me for my 16th birthday.

April

Nana came to visit! We had a wonderful time, but we wished that she could have stayed longer.

I had jury duty, which looked like it was going to be all week but I was not chosen for the jury after all. But I very nearly was. I think I would have been able to do it, but I'm still glad that I was released.

It rained a lot. A LOT. In fact, school was closed one day because of it.

Otter tripped and sprained her neck. It was kind of a freak accident, but at least it was "only" a muscle sprain and not anything worse, although the doctor was extremely concerned about it.

I had a cold that caused me to lose my voice almost entirely. My younger boss thought it was funny when I would answer the phone, as I was croaking.

Karate still caused asthma problems for Otter, we started letting her skip it a few times this month in the (futile) hope that a break would help her.

We planted 3 new trees, two in front and one (my redbud!) in the back.

May

The hummingbirds started showing up this month. Also a woodpecker.

We got reminded that we do in fact live in Tornado Alley! Close, very close but we were ok. Although Otter was a basket case, as she was not at home when the sirens went off.

We got our tax stimulus check. I immediately called the dermatologist and made an appointment for Bill about skin cancers - one of the excuses he used to not go was that our insurance doesn't cover it. He was not able to say that this time, and I didn't wait to call. He was not amused!

Mother's Day was nice.

We realized this month that we would have problems with the next-door neighbor's dogs.

School ended for the year.

Bill nearly bought a car, but the seller was squirelly about the title and his story kept changing so we backed out of the deal. The car was still sitting in the same spot 3 or 4 months later, we saw it with the top down in the rain one day.

The dentist discovered that Otter's wisdom teeth are basically coming in sideways. We don't have to deal with it yet, and might not have to, but it is something that she will watch when Otter gets her teeth cleaned. IF it does look like we'll have to have them removed, we will take care of it hopefully before they become a problem. I was about 15 when mine had to be removed for the same reason, the dentist thinks that Otter might have a couple of years before they get to the problem stage - and they might not at all.

We discovered that Maggie beagle likes puddles!
Otter learned to embroider.

June

June started out with a very bad wind storm, the kind that uprooted major trees.

Karate asthma troubles continued.
We had another tornado alley reminder!

We put the pool up in the back yard. And then spent quite a bit of the summer in it.

The driver's seat in my car broke. I was getting into the car, I sat down and suddenly was a lot lower in the car. This is when we started discussing replacing it in December and Bill driving it.

Bill's birthday and Father's Day this month.

More wind storms! Tree damage. The trees are still paying for the ice storm damage last December.

Otter saw her allergist, he suggested dropping out of karate. Bill was not in favor of the idea, so we kept her in it with lots of breaks but we probably should have pulled her out then.

Otter and I each got several inches of hair cut off and donated it to Locks of Love. I still have my Texas Big Hair!

Otter went to camp for a week. She enjoyed it, but it was very quiet around the house.

Froggy came to see us! She stayed over the end of June and beginning of July, so her visit covered both month.

July

Froggy was here, so we shopped a lot. A LOT. We went to Hominy, and Woolaroc. And every thrift store we could find, as well as Braum's as many times as we possibly could.

Otter got back from camp, exhaused but happy.

Bill didn't get injured, but he did have a sudden & severe bladder infection that meant a run to the ER as it hit late in the afternoon on July 3.

I found lots and lots of Fenton this month.
Bill started working on his hydrogen generator for the car.

Futurejedimom had an announcement about the size of her troop expanding.

Otter flew to Texas and spent 10 days with Nana. She had a great time.
It rained quite a bit and the pool overflowed. Twice.
I redecorated our bathroom.
Bill got my rain barrel this month.
Otter had driving class, classroom lessons.

August

Otter got her learner's permit!
We watched quite a bit of the Olympics this month.

I had a few pancreatitis type symptoms, I finally realized that I wasn't eating enough carbs. I'm not an Atkins person!

Froggy's youngest child left for college.

We took the pool down towards the end of the month. We enjoyed it so much this summer.

School started, 10th grade!
Otter played the Asthma Game a couple of times.

September

September started with my having a severe cold of flu-type bug. Which Bill then decided he needed to share in.

Virginia and David's first hearing regarding custody. We prayed a lot.
Otter had her actual driving lessons from the driving school she went to.
Electrical problems started in my car.

Serious discussions about letting Otter quit karate. We talked to the office at the gym, they said they would hold her membership open since she is so close to the Black belt.

Bill painted the garage at the rent house. Which then caused a discussion with the tenants - they thought we were fixing the place up and were going to kick them out! Bill explained that we were just painting, that we'd planned it for last summer but his injury and then rain/hot weather/winter prevented it.

Virginia and David got full custody!

October

Paid off the final bill from my surgery last year!
TEXAS BEAT OU!

Otter had a really bad asthma spell at karate, one of the worse she's had. Her lips were BLUE. We made the decision we'd been putting off. No karate. Bill would like this to be a break for a few months, but it's permanent. As far as I'm concerned, she earned the black belt even if it wasn't official.

We celebrated the 25th anniversary of the day we met.

Neighbor's dog came through the fence. First of several times we have had to fix their fence.

Car problems worse.

Otter got a sewing lesson, she helped me make pajama pants that were part of her costume for a party - pirate, of course!

Thought about skinning two dogs for digging part of the redbud tree roots up.

November

Bill finished installing my rain barrel.
Presidential election. We already know where I stand on this one.

We went to a Fenton signing, which was fun. But then just about anything Fenton related is fun.

We saw the B-17 flying! Aluminum Overcast, absolutely beautiful.

Bill looked at a couple of cars at auction, nearly bought one but got outbid.

We finally decided to just replace my car and Bill would get the old one. I'm very happy with my 2008 Impala and not as worried about having to go get Bill because of car trouble! I would have preferred not having a car payment, but that's just one of those unavoidable things. The van went bye-bye!

We managed to get the tulips planted a little earlier this year.

I had to get a filling in one of my few, remaining "real" teeth. Which means that the decalcifying is still continuing, and might still be a problem. We'll deal with it if/when we have to.

Thanksgiving was a quiet day, just the 3 of us. We enjoyed it, we ate too much but it was a nice day.

Bill started two quilts, which he gave to Nana and Sweetie for Christmas presents.

December

Otter saw her allergist. I updated him on the asthma/karate problems and he very strongly recommended that she not continue with it. Which is what Bill was waiting on, although we'd already pulled her out of it.

Also we thought we might lose Frasier, we (and the vet) thought he had cancer. Fortunately, it isn't. But it was a very scary few days in there.

We bought Bill a Christmas present! In the shape of a 1976 El Camino. Then he bought a non-running one to use for parts. I think that means that it will be my turn again for the next new car - not for a few years yet, thank you very much!

Bill got some of the work done on his Impala. The electrical problem is still there, but better. This was a problem that developed suddenly, and is not related to the electrical problem. But it was still a $900 repair.

We had an ice storm. Not bad, but school was closed for 3 days.

I finally joined the texting generation, with my new cell phone. Otter says that there is hope for me yet.

Christmas!
Vacation!

And this morning, Bill saw what is either a small rat or a big mouse running out of our closet to behind the toilet in our bathroom. He tried to get Maggie to go after it, but she apparently thought he was pushing her into the bathroom for a bath so she wouldn't go. I'm buying traps today!