Happy New Year to you, my friends

You may know that I'm a huge Erma Bombeck fan. Loved her.

I don't have anything mushy or inspirational or life-affirming to say regarding the demise of 2010 and the birth of 2011. Only that I wish nothing but the best for my friends, nothing but justice for those who have it coming to them, and nothing but hemorrhoids and maybe a yeast infection or two to those who cause woe.

I wish that the people in my life who are ill find a cure, or at the very least, comfort. I wish that those in my life whom I've hurt can forgive. I wish that those who have hurt me can forgive themselves.

For my kids, I wish them sweet dreams and best friends and warm beds. I hope that this year is better for us, and for everyone who dealt with demons real or imagined in 2010.

I want to close this brief little "Adios, 2010" with what I believe is my favorite thing that Mrs. Bombeck wrote. I remember reading it in an ECFE class a billion years ago, and even though I was a bit too young, a bit too blessed to fully understand it then, it resonates deeply with me now.

Have a Happy New Year. Thank you all for reading my thoughts, for chiming in now and then, and most of all, for your kind and supportive words.

Be safe tonight.

And now, Erma (due to copyright stuff, I can only post the first few lines of this gem, click the link to find not only the rest of the work but also some interesting fact about Erma as well):

If I Had My Life to Live Over

By Erma Bombeck

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

Finish reading here

Aside from the parts about the teased hair and the husband, words for me to live by.

Have a wonderful year, friends.

Love,

Jenny