Goodbye to 2005

Well, adios 2005. It's been quite a year, both personally and globally, local, national, and even world-wide.

I started the year out, January 28th, Hilda, my cat, disappeared. She's Quincy's momma, and was such a cool little kitty. She had appeared about four years ago and more or less adopted me than the other way around, and had adjusted quite well into the family. It was her routine to go in and out but always come back in at suppertime - oh, how she loved to eat! She simply never showed up. I looked everywhere for her, put out fliers, notice on southeasttexas.com,
called vets -- Gosh, I still miss her.

On May 3rd, Robert and Ranya had their first child - Sarah Nourya. She is now 7 months old and just had her first Christmas. Unfortunately I haven't been able to see her in person; but that doesn't stop me from being so very proud of her and love her with all my heart.


Throughout the year were horrific weather conditions claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and causing untold misery and pain and suffering all over the world, fires, the results of the tsunami, multiple earthquakes, and of course the rash of hurricanes that devasted the whole Gulf Coast.

In the news was the unbelieveable fight for life and what I considered to be the nightmare of legislated homicide of Teri Schievo. I was gripped with the horror of what our country was doing and still can't understand how the other side doesn't see it as plain and simple murder. I'm nearly always on the left of issues, but this one I was having the uncomfortable aliance with some of the stauchest of the right.

Then there was the dying and death of Pope John Paul, who, to be honest, I had never paid much attention to; but somehow he got my attention and I became enamoured with the love and gentleness of the man and how well loved he was all over the world by all walks of life and realized I almost missed a saint among us. So few people in the public now to look up to, but he certainly was one.

As a backdrop of all this has been a horrible, unjustified war - so much death and suffering. And then there was the glorious witness of the realization that all has not been so well with our current administration. Eyes are finally beginning to open as to what has been happening, late as it is. Are people finally seeing the "Emperor has no clothes"? I was against the war from the beginning. I remember a sickness in the pit of my stomach when we watched them cross over the border out of Kuwait. "Oh, dear God. We have no business there!"

Heck, way before that, I was destraught and depressed over the 2000 election and wish even now that Al Gore would get back in the running. Now that my life has been so preoccupied with recovery from Hurricane Rita, I've wanted to be careful that I didn't miss a moment to relish in the almost self-destruct of the Right and even heard the "I" word (impeachment) on mainstream media!

So many stories this year that the news shows will be coving them all, but these were a few that affected me, personally, though I'm an avid news and politic addict and get interested in them all.

What will 2006 hold for any of us? How can we possibly know! But we can hope and pray that we will face our successes and challenges with dignity and pride and strength.

How did I spend the last day of the year? I was happily in Houston spending some precious time with John and Sheridan. Tonight at the bewitching hour, I'll be in my own home, snug and safe and warm and watch the Big Ball Drop in New York City.

Resolutions -- of course, I always make resolutions. Lose weight, get more exercise, eat healthy, be more tolerant of public officials' and businesses' incompetences, learn to like doing paperwork, never procrastinate or waste time -- right!!

Happy New Year, folks!