Thumbs Up on 2013

I've never really felt good about 2013 because it's such an awkward number.  2014 sounds better; balanced and even.  Nevertheless, I can say without hesitation that 2013 has been a great year for me.  Here are a few highlights of the year - important things that happened each month.

•  January - car accident.  I slid into a car that was parked in my place which turned out to be a $300 mistake.  Not a good thing to happen but it all worked out.
• February - I went to Australia which is so far away that I skipped Feb. 17 and went right from Feb. 16 into the 18th.
• March - still in Australia, swam the Great Barrier Reef three times and visited Kangaroo Island.  Plus I learned that I would soon have a new role in my life - mother-in-law.
• April - I overcame a longtime fear and assisted someone with an insulin injection.  That was huge for me.
• May - my home was broken into and money was stolen but I learned that I live in a tight knit community and my neighbors look out for me which was worth more than the money I lost.
• June - a red fox came by to bother my chickens; the first of many visits.  I went kayaking on June 2nd never dreaming that this would be my one and only kayak trip of the summer.
• July - The fox killed a chicken. I fell down.  I remember saying, "I think I will sit down for a few minutes."  I never dreamed it would take 111 days, 8 prescriptions for antibiotics, a day in the hospital and an outpatient surgery to recover.  More importantly I became a mother-in-law on a day that was so beautiful I felt like I was in a fairy tale.
• August-the fox continues to bother my chickens so they are confined to their quarters.  I spend a day in the hospital.  I travel to South Carolina for a boot camp graduation.
• September - surgery on my shin.  The fox continues to be a problem.  My solution is to buy a slingshot which turns out to be very effective as I never see the fox again.
• October - On Oct. 26 my shin is healed enough to swim again which feels heavenly and is a reason to celebrate.
• November - we have an art contest on Thanksgiving which turns out to be a practical lesson in politics.
• December - I get a rare opportunity to sail on a Navy aircraft carrier and love every minute of it.