State of the 'Wagon 2025

I wanted to wait until the normal rigumroll of making vows and resolutions for the new year had subsided before unwrapping my mental 2024 and jumping in to 2025.

Last year, I learned a few things.  On one side, I learned to let some things go.  There are things that we simply cannot change.  No matter how hard we try, the universe just won't let us have the W.  That's okay.  That's part of life.  Learn to let things to.  Learn to realize when you're the only one carrying the baggage, and put them down.

I also learned to hold the line.  It's important to have your boundaries, to protect your head from everyone, including your family and friends.  Sometimes they're the worst! But that's what makes them family.  It's okay to draw a firm line on things you don't feel comfortable with.  It's okay to stand up for yourself.

Going into this next year, I'm hoping to temper some kindness and understanding into both of those lessons.  I am trying not to judge people from where I see them, but to understand them from where they are.  It's not going to be easy, but those are my goals.  Simple enough, yet incredibly difficult, as is my tradition.

V, the newest van, is running like a top, though!  I just had the oil changed, and I'm hoping to get the tires rotated soon.  She is a joy to drive, and the 305 gets way better mileage than the old 350.  I love everything about it.

More to come!  Live the dream!

My Tree

I have a laptop now.  After many, many years, I have my first new computer.  It's a small HP laptop, and I just made sure it could match the performance of the desktop I got, oh, fifteen years ago?  Anyway, now I can do fun things again, like post pictures with these updates.

I had to run to the big city the other day to take my puppers up to get stiches.  He hi-fived my living room window on Saturday.  Pretty obnoxious wound, but everyone involved was a consummate professional.

Oh my way home, my daughter encouraged me to stop and get a picture of my favorite tree in the world.  It's a beacon of resiliency, a single tree on a high-mountain, wind-swept plain, standing proud, apart from the other trees, defiant.