state of the union 2008

You can read about why I do this instead of New Year's resolutions right here.

When I look back at where I was a year ago - and one of the miraculous things about writing a blog is that you can do just that! - it seems like I'm reading about the life of an entirely different person. This time last year I was heavily in mourning, having lost my Dad two months before, and since his death was hot on the heels of Mom's death I was simply stunned into inaction. But, at the same time, I could feel the change coming, and I knew instinctively that the worse would pass and I'd be able to get on with it.

But, it would take a few months to get there. In the meantime, I "consoled" myself with food, ballooning up to my heaviest weight ever. Thanks to an intervention from my doctor and the help of a dietitian, I lost twenty pounds last year and I intend to continue with the good habits we learned last year. And I'm here to tell y'all that losing weight will do wonders for your outlook on life. Seriously.

This time last year I was learning how to knit. Now knitting has become such an important outlet for me - not just creatively, but thanks to the internet I can connect with other knitters around the world to learn how to do it better, celebrate beautiful FOs and commiserate when it all goes wrong. I cannot believe that I went from not even knowing how to hold the needles to successfully knitting a sweater for my husband in one year! I've had a lot of friends and family ask me for advice on starting to knit, so I'm going to write about it, hopefully this week. I don't claim to be any kind of expert, but I have been a beginner and I know what it's like!

Of course, we had the ultimate good news in finding out I was pregnant and the worst disappointment when I miscarried in December. I certainly do have a way in making the holidays more challenging! Stéph and I have chosen to see this event in all the positive lights we can - we quit smoking, our healthier lifestyle is certainly helping, and most importantly, it's possible for us to get pregnant! We have high hopes that it's going to happen again soon.

As for 2008, well, Stéph and I have a lot of "maybes" and "if this happens then we can do this" sorts of things in the works. If nothing else, we've learned that life is full of surprises and we can't plan everything down to the last detail. Who knows what's in store for us this year, but like I do every January, I'm ready to turn the page and look towards the future with a positive attitude. Bring it on, 2008!