2015 in the rearview mirror

The older I get, the faster time flies. I guess that makes sense because one day in my life is an infinitesimally tiny fraction of my life compared with a day in the life of my newest great-grandson, Finley, who turned six months old on Jan. 27. As I look in the rearview mirror at 2015, I’ve decided to focus on all the good and positive in my life and leave the negativity to the professional naysayers (some of whom, sadly, are in my life).

In spite of the fact that some of my activity is limited because of respiratory issues, I still managed to do a fair amount of traveling during the past year. Trips included Rockies spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona at their gorgeous facility, Talking Stick at Salt River Fields; Las Vegas where I got to play a few slots and, most importantly, seeing my grandson, his wife and my two great-grand babies; a family reunion at the family farm near Columbus, Nebraska; and a road trip to the Black Hills (one of my favorite places on earth) with my friend Kathy to visit her 96-year-old mother, Miss Milly, as I call her, and other members of Kathy’s family.

My final trip of 2015 was to the brand-new Arizona Bowl in Tucson. My son-in-law Marty is one of the football coaches at CSU in Fort Collins, so of course I had to go to the game. My son B.J. kindly agreed to come with me and act as my own personal Sherpa … or “schlepper,” as my granddaughter dubbed him.

One would think that going to southern Arizona the end of December would mean lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. Nope. Didn’t happen. It was cold, boys and girls. I knew it would be chilly so I took my winter gear, but it was still very cold. Thankfully, head coach Mike Bobo’s wife, Lainie, said there was room in a suite on the other side of the field that my son and I could use. I’m pretty sure that kind gesture saved my life. At the very least, it made life more palatable.

In spite of the fact that the wrong team won the game, I would make the trip again in a heartbeat. I feel lucky and blessed that I was able to make the trip. Thanks to daughter Suzie for everything she did to make the trip a wonderful experience.

In addition to all the travel, I went to many wonderful theater productions; made several trips to the Denver Botanic Gardens for spectacular exhibits, spent time with my SNCW Singles Social Club friends, and right at the top of my list … I have lovely memories of many special times with my family … kids, grandkids, and now, great-grands. Life is good.

Happy 2016 to each of you.