A TIME FOR INTROSPECTION: Is that actually a word? Does it even mean what I think it does? Maybe. This is a little different type of post for me. One on looking back and making a few comments on what has been, with perhaps a comment on what can be. We will see what happens, as I have no idea what I am about to commit to print. Hang on, if you dare.
Before I start on the year of 2013, I am going to comment on this time 14 years ago. Do you remember what was going on 14 years ago? If my math is correct, and I admit it may be faulty, we were on the verge of Y2K. Remember that. The world was in a tizzy. Especially the world of technology, electronics and all things tech. People were preparing for the worst and expecting it to happen. Predictions of computers crashing as the change was made from the 1900's to the 2000's. Planes would crash, or fly blindly across the skies without guidance and finding a place to land was up to chance. Ships would said endless seas with out a way to navigate, grocery stores were stocking up supplies, not sure when the next shipment would be able to find it's way to them. People were stocking up on food, clothing, and tools of all kinds. Electric generators were being purchased in record numbers, to take care of electric things in homes that would be without electricity after midnight. Birds would not be able to find their way back north in the spring, bears would forget to hibernate, and the snow would forget to fall. OK, I made that last sentence up. But the panic of the people was real. Have you forgot all this in the last 14 years? One group of people that was not predicting doom and gloom was the leaders of the LDS Church, a church to which I have belonged all my life. Why were they not predicting doom and gloom? Because they knew that all would be well. And they have been telling the members for decades to be prepared for what ever may come along.
All that being said, I will now get to the purpose of this post. A review of the past year. As I give this some thought, I really have very little to say. My wife and I ushered in the new year in the same manner we have for the past several years. In bed, sleeping. As we will probably do again this year. We are in the 8th decade of our life and just really don't go out at night if we don't need to. There was an eye dr. visit in Tucson, Arizona followed by a visit to my mother in Mesa, Az. There were Dr. visit's to Dr's in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, New Mexico. We had been looking for over a year for a full size pickup, probably a 4 door Ford F250 4x4. The ones we had found were either well used and wore out, or new and very expensive. Although the last several vehicles we had purchased were new off the lot, we had decided to buy a used pickup. We just couldn't find one. Until the last of March, we saw a vehicle on a Ford lot we were at for another purpose. It was a 2007 F350 Power Stroke with 83,000 miles. In very good shape and at a price $5000.00 below blue book price. Even with the price we paid, it was still $30,000 to $35,000 below a new pickup just like it. During the summer we remodled our bathroom and did some touchup work outside of the house. We also did some work on Property on the ditch bank. Making plans for a possible future move there and taking down an old corral that had been built on the property nearly 40 years past.
In October we made a trip to northern Utah to visit family and attend a LDS Conference session.
Also, a grandson joined the navy and entered flight school, the husband of a granddaughter returned safely from a deployment to Afghanistan and the husband of another granddaughter graduated from Duke University, was commissioned an officer in the Air Force and deployed to Texas. Two other Grandsons are serving in the Marine Reserve and the Army National Guard. I guess that makes us a highly military supportive family. So glad I don't watch football. It may be difficult to know who to root for.
We had a daughter and son in law, two of their dasughters and one of their husbands and a son here for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed the company.
Christmas was quiet. We heard from most of the family by phone or e mail.
Now, we are about to enter a new year. 2014. What will the new year bring. That is a statement, not a question. We will definitely have a repeat of some of the events mentioned for this year. Dr. appointments. No vehicle purchases, though. A continuation of the remodel of the house we live in. Perhaps growing a garden big enough to can from. Hopefully a bountiful crop from the fruit trees. Visits from family, and maybe even a visit to family. And, of course, keeping up with duties in the church.
This is a long post for me, but probably didn't say near any thing of what went on during the past year. Still, this is what you get. I wish each and every one a Happy and Prosperous 2014.
AND THAT'S THE WISH FROM THE DITCH BANK
Happy New Year, Dad.
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