- Celebrated my birthday in January teaching Welsh language and dance at the first Wild Welsh Winter Weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. All expenses were paid. I went on from there to Illinois to spend a few days with Becky and family. Bought myself a Native American flute which I just love.
- February - Our branch manager left to take a job with Hennepin County libraries. This would lead to a major restucturing of the whole Carver County library system, with Waconia, Norwood Young America, and Watertown all under one branch manager as the "Western Cluster." There was much stress and uncertainty over the summer and into the fall as this all played out. Also in February, I took a trip to Atlanta where dear friends Kathryn and Joe were hosting a Michael gathering. It was a very special occasion, finally getting to meet many online friends face to face.
- So many events in March! The St. David's Society's annual banquet, the dance group's Festival of Nations review, Becky and family in town for Cash's job interview in St. Cloud, major car repairs, Mayflower Choir singing Robert Ray's Gospel Mass with guest soloist Libby Turner, a free ticket to see one of my Welsh students in a Gilbert and Sullivan production, major "deconstruction" going on at the apartment with holes being torn in my walls, and looking at new places to live.
- MOVING! I started taking carloads of stuff to my new home with every trip to work beginning in early April. There were rooms to be painted, and new carpeting to wait for, and the movers took my furniture on April 21. It took many trips after that to get everything, but I was finally done by May 1.
- May - the Welsh dance group did two separate performances for the Festival of Nations. I did lots of preparation for gardening - mainly removing rocks. All the garden areas around the house were covered with plastic and decorative rocks. There was no budging it except to pick out the rocks by hand, and dump load after load of them on the gravel road.
- June - a trip to Illinois to see Connor in Oliver! He was one of the orphans/ pickpockets. We had our annual St. David's picnic at the end of June, and I gained a new Welsh student.
- July - Becky and family all came to stay for three days on their way to Rapid City. Dawn and Kathy came, too, and I had 8 people plus two cats and two dogs all here. It was grand! We all went to a Saints baseball game while they were here. Oh yes - the kids got to see a calf that was 10 minutes old!
- The short-staffing and stress at work came to a head in July and August. My mid-year review left me feeling completely overwhelmed. I had a chat with the assistant director, which directly or indirectly led to improved communication about the library's plans and goals. I was also gardening like a fiend, putting in my "rummage-sale" perennials, keeping up with the vegetable garden, and mounting problems with my upstairs neighbor and his dogs terrorizing the cats in the front window. And I had a major computer crash, losing everything on it. But what a shame to have to get a new computer. Hee hee.
- Robin Proud came to visit over Labor Day weekend. Church choir resumed, and yes, I am still going to Mayflower Church in Minneapolis. So much for less commuting... The library hired a new full-time teen librarian for the Western cluster, which went a long way toward easing our schedules. My schedule was changed to include one day a week at Norwood Young America. We had the state Gymanfa Ganu in Mankato. And I attended the Minnesota Library Association conference in St. Cloud. Craig mowed down the fence I had put up to keep his dogs away from the front window. He was probably intoxicated. That was the last straw for the landlord, and Craig was asked to leave by October.
- Planted over 150 bulbs in October. The garden is my pride and joy. I don't want to see winter come. Waah! I got to play recorder on a piece with the church choir. And a couple weeks later I played the piano accompaniment with Dorothy on a four-hands piece. I have a wonderful new double bed, which Dawn gave to me after selling her townhouse. A family of field mice moved into my kitchen cupboards. I bought a live trap, and for about a week was catching one or two a day and driving them to a new home some 5 miles away. Ah, the joys of country living. But it worked. After two weeks, all the mice were gone.
- New neighbors Jose and Dorothy have moved in upstairs. I had a Celtic New Year party with folks coming on both Nov. 4 and 5. Used the outdoor firepit and roasted hot dogs and veggie dogs and made S'mores. The barn kitties that Laurie had just brought from their other place were a big hit, entertaining us by trying to steal marshmallows and climbing all over everyone. I worked on a new computer class to teach at the library. Mom and Dad stayed here for Thanksgiving, with Becky and family staying with Dawn. As soon as everyone left, I came down with a horrible cold and missed an entire week of work.
- December - The new computer class was a big hit, and really boosted my morale. I had a very good end-of-year review which boosted it even more, and best of all the library was successful in getting funding to increase my hours from 20 a week to 28 starting in January. Still no health insurance, and I am now getting my prescription drugs from Canada. I have cheered myself up from the lack of gardening by indulging in some outdoor holiday lights, including a snow man which stands grinning where the bird bath was. A new kitten was adopted on Dec. 5. Meant to be a barn kitty, this one had other ideas and made them quite plain. We had the Welsh Christmas tea, special music with harp at Mayflower, and then Christmas with my sisters and families in Illinois. Mom and Dad didn't make it, but will be coming in January.
It is now after midnight, so I will save the looking ahead part for tomorrow........
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