2013 is dead, long live 2014!

I shall make 2 lists (love them!).  One is the list of good and wonderful things of 2013.  The other is a list of things that provided big challenges to me.  You decide which is which.

List 1

• stopped working at CML
• worked hard to ready the house for sale - after living here 16-17 years, it's a big job!
• living completely alone (with Rosie) in my house most of the time now

List 2

• A dear friend successfully came through a double-transplant procedure and is still doing well a year later!
• participated in a great group called Divorce Care that really allowed me to process more stuff from my divorce.
• got to hear Geoffrey Canada speak in person.
• met Troy - a really great guy and we're still dating after 9 months!
• stopped working at CML
• have received remarkable and heroic support from my parents
• had loads of help and did some great clean-up and work on my house to ready it for sale
• celebrated my son graduating from HS and Career Center - so proud!
• watched a great revised performance of Hamlet done by the Black Box Theater Career Center, Simon as stage manager
• had a boarder for a month
• went to ALA in Chicago, visited Scott and Tony
• had many interviews for a bunch of different libraries over phone, skype and in person
• transported Simon to Kansas City Art Institute - got him settled in  with the help of Mom and drove back - much fun!
• saw Troy perform a couple of times, even provided rides as the chief driver - much fun!
• Troy took me to Hawaii!
• Many good times with my friends  - so supportive, loving, compassionate.
• Great visits with my folks and renewed friendships from college days up in that area - really wonderful
• Great times with my son, mostly watching movies or talking about movies
• Miraculously able to keep afloat and make ends meet, with help from my parents and support from friends (not to mention support and encouragement from Troy)

I love how these lists all worked out.  It's been a hard, challenging year in some very crucial ways but overall it's been fine.  I'm still here, I'm still afloat.  My unemployment may have ended (unless Congress does something to change that) but I somehow have this feeling that everything is going to work out.  I don't know what it comes from except possibly God.  I haven't been doing much of those godly things that one is supposed to do, but somehow He is still with me.  Go figure.  I still freak out sometimes, get really upset or really worried about things, and those close to me will attest that my emotions are always right under the surface and come bursting out most inconveniently at times (seriously, must I cry so much?).  All in all, though, there are worse things to deal with in this life.  I am fortunate to have so many blessings.  2013, a rocky year but one filled with MANY MORE BLESSINGS than challenges.