Past, Present and Future

Everybody's doing it whether they're admitting to it or not, whether they're posting about it on Facebook, telling their friends or sitting quietly by themselves. People are reflecting on the year that's gone by and speculating about what the year ahead holds. Some are making new year's resolutions, some are getting their journals out, their new cameras or blogging their thoughts. Some are glad the year is over and are trying to make sense of what happened while others are thankful for the many blessings they enjoyed. Whatever stage on the spectrum you're on, no one can deny that we have no idea how the year 2015 will pan out. We can make plans and hope for good things. We can sing Auld Lang Syne and hug our friends and family, we can cheer, watch fireworks and say that this will be a better year but we don't know what our future holds. 

2014 was a tough year for me but it wasn't all hard, there were great friendships grown, a kind and thoughtful husband walking beside me, beautiful beaches explored, a fun and curious class to teach and a lot of interesting things learned through my university study. There were struggles along the way, heartbreaks when people let me down and the obvious - falling off my horse on November 10th which changed and challenged me physically. Although I am almost fully recovered, it is still taking time to get back to where I was before the fall. Andy keeps reminding me, "One small step at a time" and encourages me to walk a little bit further every day. 

At this time of year, there are people I miss, not just those family and friends who live too far away but also those who have already left this earth, including Dave. When I hear Christmas carols, "Walking in a winter wonderland", when I hear snatches of the commentators of the Rose Bowl parade, it takes me back to my home in Washington State and all what I was able to experience as Dave's wife. It wasn't easy being in a different country to what I was used to, learning a different style of life and sometimes a different way of thinking, but it was part of loving and being married to Dave.

Andy and I are thinking about moving house which means we will have to do some culling of our stuff. Not that either of us have that much since we both have moved around and only moved here a less than two years ago. I thought of the things I have that are associated with my life with Dave and mentioned them to Andy. He reminded me that those things are still important and worth keeping because they're a part of who I am. On the other hand, I know that those things can be gone but I will still have the memories. Both of us don't want the effort, financial cost and time it will take to move again but we know it will be for the best. If we can find somewhere a little bit cheaper and a little bit closer to my work, it will make it easier for us to save in order to buy our own place one day. 

Today we went shopping, just to get out of the house. We went to Officeworks since I haven't been there for quite a few months. I bought a new folder and notebook ready for my uni studies this year which was a little bit exciting. Now that I am more than halfway through, with only 3 subjects to go, I can see the certificate at the end plus, it has been interesting and enjoyable learning even when it's been hard work. I will do one subject in the first half of this year, another in the second half and then the last subject I will do in 2016 and then I will be finished! Andy talks about me doing more study after that, perhaps a doctorate or something, but that's not going to happen, especially not in the near future. I don't know what doors having this extra qualification will open for me but already it has helped me in my understanding of others. 

The other things I did was buy an external hard drive to put all my photos and documents on to so that if this laptop decides to crash and not work anymore, I still have all those other important things. It also might make the laptop last a bit longer and work a bit faster as I deleted what I don't need, off it. I have been concerned that if anything happened to this laptop, I did not want to lose the photos that I've added over the years.

In ten days time, Andy and I will have been married for one year. It's been a good year of marriage. Although, or rather because, Andy has not been married before, he has a desire to learn and do what is right. I had to tell him the other day that if we disagree, that is not always a bad thing and it does not also mean it's his fault either. Sometimes I make mistakes and do the wrong thing. He told friends last week that he has made 'every mistake in the book' and I definitely disagreed with him about that. He has a good heart and loves me. He wants me to be happy and will do what he can to ensure that. He is protective of me and takes time to be with me. He is not perfect but as I remind him, neither am I. 

We're going to go away for a couple nights to the beach and go to a show that we went to on one of our first dates. We have got a special cake for our anniversary as we didn't keep any of our wedding cake. It's spectacular! Of course I will take plenty of photos on this auspicious occasion. 

I am looking forward to the year ahead. We started off the year with good friends, having breakfast with them on the first day of 2015. It was very relaxing and casual. Andy and another friend climbed the hill at the back with Milly and our friend took lovely photos while they were up there. I went outside to show another friend the hill, and we saw them at the top of the hill because Andy was wearing a fluorescent shirt. 

One of the highlights for me, was a dutch friend bringing Oliebollens which is a traditional New Year's treat, that he had freshly baked that morning. It was such a surprise! I had thought of calling and asking him to bring some but then thought that might be a bit presumptuous of me. When he handed me the dish full of them, I was so excited. He said, "I thought you might like these. It might have been a while since you've had them." It brought back good memories of my Aussie-Dutch friends down south and the times I've spent with them. None of my other friends present had known it was a dutch tradition and when John left a few with me, my friend Jane offered to take a couple. As much as she and I are good friends, this was a line I insisted on drawing. 

When our friends had gone home, Andy and I both remarked on what a good morning/afternoon it had been. We are so thankful for the friends God has given us, both here and further away. We look forward to growing the friendships we've been blessed to have, as well as growing in our love and friendship with each other over 2015.

New Year's Eve 2014