Buh-Bye, 2010. Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

From the title, it's safe to say that I'm not shedding any tears over the departure of 2010. This year was a chastening one, from the three-day-a-month furloughs for California state government employees to the death of two cousins (brothers) to the theft of my car hood.

It wasn't all bad, though. I went to a convention this summer in San Diego. I sang in two choral groups -- the Tony Baldwin Chorale and the Solano Chamber Society, which performed the "Messiah." My mammogram was clear. I saw friends I haven't seen in years (my fault!). And I reaffirmed that some of my best friends are like sisters, and my siblings are among my best friends.

This year taught me hard lessons about tightening my belt and that many state workers have a second gig. I'm starting mine in January -- an editing business focusing on college papers and resumes, then branching out. I have to have more than one source of income to survive these days.

Money permitting, I'm returning to ballroom dancing and more singles activities. I want to have a life in addition to work, church, and visiting my family.

And I will continue writing until I can't form a sentence or my fingers stop working.

May 2011 be much better to everyone than this year.

Writing Diva

Why I'm Not Putting up a Christmas Tree

Readers, before you accuse me of having a "Bah! Humbug!" attitude toward this holiday season, please know that I love Christmas.

It's just that I won't put up a Christmas tree.

That's not to say I've never put up a tree. When I lived in Walnut Creek in the mid-1990s, I put up live Christmas trees. Usually the tree was no more than 5 feet high because I lived alone and had to bring it home by myself. I made the tree my own, with glass ornaments and ornaments of the early 1960s Barbie, teddy bears, and Disney's versions of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. I decorated the tree with miniature colored lights and a tinsel garland. The tree was in a corner of my dining area near the window where others could see it.

When I adopted my first cat Tuff-Punk in 2004, I realized that putting up a Christmas tree was no longer an option. He would bat the ornaments and try to remove the tinsel garland with his teeth. Moreover, he would try to eat the Douglas fir needles. I resigned myself to putting a wreath on my door and letting that be the end of it.

Three years ago, I bought an 18-inch fake tree that looks like a reject from "A Charlie Brown Christmas." But I was proud of having a tree and put it on my piano. I was happy -- until my other cat, Diva, climbed atop the piano and knocked the tree over. She thought knocking over my holiday decoration was a game. Sighing, I put the tree back in the upstairs storage area I call the "Shag Room." (More on that in a future post.)

The new "Simon's Cat" cartoon (http://www.simonscat.com/santaclaws.html) prompted me to write this entry. I remind myself that Christmas isn't always about decorations. It's about the birth of Christ and the love of friends and family, even if your family includes furry friends.

Writing Diva