It is December 31, 2017. Oh how time flies. What a worn out old adage, but truer than true.

The highlights and lowlights of this year are... My husband surprised me with an awesome boom box for my car so now I can feel my music.

I'm still learning to play the guitar which I bought in August 2016, and I can play a chord melody of "Silent Night" although I'm not fast enough for anyone to sing while I play. I paid $50 to join an online group that has a guitar teacher and it's helping a lot. I thought about quitting. I thought about bashing my guitar on the ground outside. But no, I dream of playing a real song with real people singing with me so I need that guitar.

Our dad died at the end of February. He was born again before he died, praise God.

I came undone. I fell ill and seemed I couldn't get well. Then God healed me; heart, mind, and body.

Learned my first husband died in August. And his mom died two months after.

Our mom went into a nursing home.

Our eldest son and his wife bought their first home!

Our youngest son is working mostly in cattle transport and is trucking all across the country. He came home for a Christmas meal and stayed to eat pumpkin pie with us!

I turned down a job for Materials Management Manager. The salary offer was low so I am staying in my job as a Purchasing Tech. Extra pressure, extra hours, supervision and extra work for $5 per hour more? I said no thank you. There will be other opportunities down the road. I don't know what, but I know the Author of All Things holds my future in His hands. Our little hospital is struggling so it just hasn't got the wherewithal to offer more than $18. The woman whom they hired is nice so I got a nice boss out of the deal and my mental health is mightily improved. She's interesting to be around, strongly motivated, and has good connections and communication skills. I predict she will excel in her new role.

I'm looking forward to another year with my husband whom I love so much. He just asked me to make him some toasted onion sour cream dip to go with chips. I said, Dip? Dip! Do you see my stomach sticking out here? And then he said he guessed he wasn't getting any dip tonight. I felt bad so then I said I'll go mix some for him. He said, "I don't want to cause you temptation. I'll make popcorn." I love him so!