Happy New Year

Dear Readers and Followers, This from http://www.dailyom.com (opens in a new window.) I usually do not put much thought into horoscope readings but this one seems so very fitting for the New Year that I wanted to share it with you today. It seems to have hit "my nail on the head!" One of the ways I was able to get through this Christmas and New Year's season, the first after 40 years without Gregory being home with me, was to think about what our life, his and mine, was like last year at this time. To say the least, it was horrible. Gregory was having a harder and harder time coping with his world and I was having more and more difficulty coping with Gregory in his world and trying to provide any sense of "normalcy" and routine for him. It was very difficult trying to live in his world with him while still being part of my own world, and the two were becoming more and more difficult to reconcile. On beginning the new year, we are both in very good places both physically and mentally. Gregory seems to enjoy his new home. his new family, his new community at The Lieberman Center and I have settled into living on my own. Being with him every day gives me great pleasure and he continues to be pleased to see me. Manny provides such wonderful attention to Gregory when I am not there and this provides me with great peace of mind. The Lieberman Center provides respectful, thoughtful, caring attention to all of Gregory's needs. Happy New Year. Thanks for being part of my "reading/sharing public." I do not know who most of you are and that does not matter. What matters is that somehow, what I write helps you keep up with Gregory and my journey and possibly helps you with yours. I appreciate you! Fondly, Michael

December 31, 2014 Settling into Life Aries Daily HoroscopeYour thoughts will likely turn to topics related to health and home today. Any worry you might have felt in the past regarding your professional or personal prospects may disappear as you begin to recognize that you have been blessed with material and emotional security. You may feel particular self-reliant and eager to take on new tasks related to both your survival and your personal growth. Since you likely believe wholeheartedly that you are capable of successfully seeing to your well-being and that of your loved ones, you may spend less time today contemplating potential pitfalls and more time enjoying your ongoing efforts to build a comfortable, nurturing, and serene life. When we feel secure, we are more apt to really immerse ourselves in those little details of our lives that make simply existing more enjoyable and enable us to engender our potential more fully than ever before. Since we can settle in to our lives without fearing that chaos is waiting for us just around the bend, we are able to concentrate on improving our overall level of comfort through the choices we make at home and at work. Mental energy once devoted to worry is redirected and can be applied to any number of more thoughtful recreational and productive pursuits. Our lives become ours once again as we grow to understand that we are the arbiters of our destiny and are not at the mercy of circumstance. The security you feel today will form the foundation upon which you truly thrive.

Holiday Time

(Disclaimer Below Entry)

We always look forward and are excited about the Christmas season. We decorate the house early and take it down late. We throw a large party (this year over 40 attended,) and a number of smaller ones. We bake cookies (this year over 20 dozen,) wrap presents (for family and support service people and just a few for each other,) go to the Christmas Kris Kringle Market downtown, have a few theater engagements, and eat out a little more often than usual. 

On Christmas Eve we cook a special dinner at home and watch the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol, open our presents, have cookies and tea. On Christmas Day we go to friends for dinner. We have friends in for New Year's Eve and look forward to a visit from our niece and nephew for a late Christmas sometime during the middle of January.

Disclaimer: It used to be WE, now it is I because Gregory is no longer able to help with planning, preparation, execution, and/or cleanup of all these events. I do get tired but also get extra sleep. I do get overwhelmed, but also try to keep the details simple. I do have my annual Christmas Cry but cheer up pretty quickly. 

In all, it is well worth while because Gregory still enjoys the festivities and even thrives on them even though it is a little more difficult for me during the down time when he seems a little more confused. But the holidays still work for us so WE (read I) will hold on to them for as long as possible and simplify them as we go along and as necessary. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.