THE 2018 ANNUAL REPORT

I don't remember much of 2018.  That makes it hard to write about.

It is worth noting some things that didn't happen this past year.  I didn't have any significant illnesses.  I didn't see my doctor more than once.  I didn't take as much medication as before.  It didn't have as many aches and pains.  I didn't fall.  I didn't run over anyone with my car.  I didn't have my purse stolen or my house ransacked.  We tend to take things like this for granted, but they are great blessings.

I didn't move to Sherwood Park.  Maybe next year.  The possessions I moved out of my home outnumbered the ones I brought in, which is always a sign that I am in recovery.  Letting go of things is extremely difficult for me, and requires a great deal of psychic energy.  Even a baby step is a huge achievement, and will make the move that much easier.  I know I still have more stuff than will comfortably fit into a one-bedroom apartment, but there is hope.

I spent less money on my teeth last year, and more on my car, which needed and alternator assembly, a new battery, and brake pads.  My teeth and my car continue to get older, and will probably need more and more upkeep.  I don't think I can afford them both.

I added fewer kilometers to my car's odometer, partly to save money, and partly because I no longer felt compelled to keep moving in order to combat my depression.  I enjoyed the trips I made to Canmore, Red Deer, Olds, and Sherwood Park.  I visited the wolfdog centre near Cochrane, attended Heritage Days and a mineral and gem show in Edmonton, and enjoyed the 185 acre expanse of the U of Alberta Botanical Gardens in Devon.

My regular activities were essentially unchanged: church, Bible study, Spiritual Pathways group, monthly book club lunches and discussions, Coles auctions, and frequent trips to the post office and library.

I focused on improving my physical stamina by walking further than I was used to.  On my 74th birthday, I walked to the Wheels of Time museum just outside Caroline, and back again, a grand total of 3km.  I repeated that feat three more times before the first snowfall. It still hurts to walk much of the time, but my trusty rehabilitation poles make things easier by taking some weight off my knees and hips, and keeping me upright.  It is very encouraging to me to see some progress in my mobility rather than a relentless downward spiral.

2018 was the year I finally shed my addiction to Bejeweled Blitz, only to be ensnared by a new addiction to Spider solitaire.  My long-term goal is to replace that addiction by blogging and other writing.

I feel a little lost right now, caught between here and there.  I like Caroline, but I am reluctant to invest any more of myself here because I plan to leave in the foreseeable future.

The adventure continues to unfold.  No matter what the calendar says, it is always today -- the tomorrow I was worried about yesterday, and the yesterday I will look back at in the future, provided my brain still has sufficient storage capacity.

Que sera, sera.