Let's Ring Out the Old.... Tell Us About Your 2007

Wow, what a year! It has been good and bad, mostly good. I left the borg and took my kids with me. My family is now united. We celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, and have a beautiful tree up with gifts under it. I have found wonderful friends and gained more family, who love us no matter what.

My sister left with me, by coincidence. She found herself and a girlfriend. We mourned the anniversary of her husband's death and rejoiced that she's not alone.

I have found strength and wisdom I didn't know I had. I am happier than I have ever been.

I lost my mother to the religion.

I hope in 2008 she will at least welcome my kids into her life. And I hope next year will be as joyful, maybe just not as eventful.

Beautiful idea for a thread.

momz

onacruse

2007 has been a hard year for bikerchic and me (not in an interpersonal way, but circumstantial).

But, keeping the stiff upper lip, I'm reminded of an expression: "Life doesn't ask you if today would be a good day to have a flat tire...it just hands you one, and says 'deal with it.'"

Cicatrix

Hmm, let's just say I swallowed the red pill.

I realized that there is four generations of verbal, physical, and emotional abuse of women in my family.

I realized that my nuclear family has been affected by this and our JW affiliation MUCH more than I ever realized.

I realized that no amount of hoping, analyzing, or compromising will ever make the dream marriage I held in my head a reality-it really was just all in my head

I lost my grandma, who was my best friend in the world, but who's life lessons are in my heart forever

I stood up to my mother and no longer let her dictate my life path to me, nor do I hold creedance in her opinion of me anymore

Ditto my father

I survived nursing school, graduated at the top of my class,passed the NCLEX, and learned that maybe I'm not the serious screw up my parents and husband have always led me to believe I am

I've learned that it's best to let one-way friendships go

I've learned it doesn't pay to try and have a close relationship with your children by compromising everything you believe in to placate them, because you feel guilty for raising them in a stupid cult (doesn't work anyway-they just hate you for being a "hypocrite" or "wishy-washy"). You can love your children and not like their behavior, and they can do the same with you

My Plans for 2008:

Find a nursing position and get comfortable in it (they say it takes at least a year)

Get my credit straightened out now that I no longer am at my husband's "mercy" financially (whoohooo! I can finally pay my overdue bills and buy myself some NEW CLOTHES)

Decide whether I'm going to continue my nursing education, or pursue my advanced degree in another field

Get to better know a woman who has recently expressed interest in becoming friends with me

Continue exploring what I want out of my life for me, and practice being more assertive

READ READ READ

JK666

It sucked. 2008 has to be better!

JK

BrentR

2007 was a bad year for my wife and I with injuries and severe health problems. She had a parathyroid tumor that caused a masive kidney stone attack (26 of them) that put her in the hosp for five days. Then she had the parathyroid removed only to end up with serious gallstones so the gallbladder had to be removed. All the blood work revealed she had hepatitis C which she can trace back to an exposure from a patient she transported.

Last June I had a chunk of wood hit my eye and it required three surgeries to fix. I had to have three steroid injections into my lumbar spine over a five month period.

But my low back is doing great and I finally got 20/20 vision back in my eye. My wife is doing great and is on an experiemental treatment for hep C and is getting some good lab reports back. It was caught early enough that she has alot time to try various treatments and is not having any health problems form it.

So I look forward to 2008 to be a much better and healthier year for us. Right now evreything seems to be going that way.

minu

2008 has got to be better.

I've had to attend 7 family funerals on my mother's side of the family. Mostly my grandma's siblings and a few cousins

I got married after knowing someone for several years but officially dating him for two years. Guess that's not long enough cause he decided to jump in bed with an ex girlfriend, he says it was just a stupid mistake but I'm not buying it. We were trying to get pregnant and after $1,200 of fertility pills that did not take (thank goodness now) I find this out.

2008 has got to be better. . .I have high hopes.

Casper

2007 was the beginning of a lot of changes in our lives.

My youngest daughter graduated High School and is moving on with her life. So, looking down into that "Empty Nest" is soooo hard...

I myself have had two surgeries to contend with, doing better all the time.

We have had several deaths in the family, also some extended family and a few very, very close calls with friends... so a trying time in that area.

We were in the Race Car circuit for 10 years, just this past month we decided to sell out and put all that behind us. There is a huge amount of work and expense to owning and running a Race Car every week. We WILL miss it greatly tho... it was such a Big part of our lives.

We have had to do some Major costly repairs to the house, our a/c and furnace system just up and died..!! Everything had to be replaced. That was finished just last week. We have also remodeled the kitchen..

My Hubby is in the process of retiring after 33 years at the same job...NOW that will be an adjustment... lol

For 2008...

We look forward to having more time together and traveling.

Some where along the line, I hope to find something to fill the "Spiritual" void that hovers over me... always searching... I just don't want to be gullible again.

Cas

Wordly Andre

2007 has been a pretty good year, we went to England & Ireland for our vacation, even though we both had a cold during our vacation we made the best of it, got to see a lot of great places. Summer was pretty fun, took a couple local weekend trips. Had it out with my JW aunt who likes to spread rumors around and act the victim, she is awefully quiet now. Work has also been as good as can be expected after all it is called work, been in court a lot this year, (looking over my calendar). And although my goal was to read as many books as I could this year I did manage to knock out 7, not as great as last year but will do better this year OH I can finish one more before the end of the month. Things went really well this year for Mrs. Worldly and I

Mum

The year is not over, but here's the scoop so far.

In February I retired from a local government job with a pension. I am now working at temporary jobs.

In February again, my college roommate, who I had not seen since 1967, came for a visit with some friends of hers. We went on a ski trip to Mammoth, California! It was my first ski trip, and I actually took a ski lesson. Her friends were delightful company at the ski lodge, and the scenery was breathtaking!

My daughter and son-in-law almost lost their home to foreclosure. I made them a generous loan to bail them out, which is why I am still working instead of doing retirement stuff.

My daughter had surgery on her sinuses in July. She still has debilitating headaches, but nausea and other symptoms have abated.

My granddaughter entered her senior year of high school. It sounds easy, but it was quite an achievement given things that happened last year.

I went to Las Vegas, but it was to care for my sick daughter (see above).

I started eating more fiber. Now I need to cut down on the sweets.

I joined a fitness club. It has made a difference.

In 2008, I hope to get a full-time job and reduce my debt. I would like to address some health issues, although my health is good overall. I also want to sell my home and purchase an income-producing property in the midwest. I want to travel and meet lots of apostate brethren and sistren(?). I want to read some books I have waiting on my shelves. I want to improve my skills in other languages and get really good at Sudoku. I want to be here for others who are going through what I once did because I do feel their pain (as all of you understand).

I want all of your wishes to come true as well, but only if such wish granting would improve your lives.

Merry Christmas!

Happy 2008 (and remainder of 2007)!

SandraC