Happy New Year

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve—and soon it will be 2008, a brand new year to start, with brand new ideas of how it should be and surprises to mess up those ideas. It has become my own tradition to put my journal together on New Year’s Eve. Since the arthritis in my hands made it so that it was painful to write in long hand, I have been using a 3-ring notebook for my journal. There are 11 notebooks—this year’s will be the 12th.

During the year I type entries on the computer, or if I’m visiting someone I bite the bullet and write them out with a pen on whatever paper I can get my hands on. I save emails that seem important, from people that are important to me—my friend, Bookworm, my kids, certain other friends. I put all of these records in a basket in our guest room, along with mementos picked up here and there, on travels or from restaurants of note, or programs from concerts or plays, birthday cards, Mother’s Day cards, etc. On New Year’s Eve day I bring them all out and put them all together in a new notebook—the entire year laid out in front of me. It never fails to surprise me—the things that have happened and how many of them I’ve forgotten—what made me anxious 9 months ago and is just stuff under the thing now.

Since the beginning I have chosen notebooks that have those clear plastic inserts on the cover and the spine, so I can insert cards or pictures in a collage that symbolizes the most important events of the year. The year I accompanied my friend, Sid, to New York, the cover was all about what I saw and ate there. This year there will probably be a lot of new granddaughter and Alaska and Mexican cruise stuff. And a picture from my retirement party!

I’m looking forward to looking backward over the year. It’s been a busy year with great news and awful news and travels and new family members and life changes—a rich year. I wish any of you who read this blog a

Happy New Year

I hope 2008 is a rich year for you.

Ali's Baby Zuzu

This is my Granddaughter practicing a sponge bath on her own "Baby Zuzu" doll, right after she watched her Mama do the same with her new baby sister.

Mama and New Baby, Zuzu

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Originally uploaded by Porkbone

I got my Christmas wish. I arrived in Wisconsin to "be there" just in case the baby, that was due December 22, should arrive early. The baby decided to come very early! She was born December 4 at 3:35 in the afternoon (approximately). I had barely 48 hours of "training" to take over the job of caring for Alison, who is now 30 months old. We call it a Christmas Miracle, because it went so well. We can also posit that Ali is a resilient youngster, smart enough to know that Grandma was there for an important reason and that it would be best to go along with the program.

We played inside and outside in the snow. I read her stories and fed her lunch and played the "pretty rock soup" game many, many times. We learned how to sing Frosty the Snowman and in this process I learned to understand Ali's words well enough so that I only had to fake it a few times--"sure, honey, whatever you say".

Ali was non-plussed by the baby, even after she had been home for 12 days, but she was beginning to be interested in observing her when she had her diaper changed and when she had a sponge bath. She quickly named her doll Baby Zuzu and began to give her sponge baths, too. As I watched her attempting to adjust to this huge change in her life, I felt like I ought to apologize to my first daughter for not being more sensitive to her feelings when her little sister was born. It was clear that Ali knew her world was now different. And maybe not different in a better way!

But I got my Christmas Wish. I was there to help and to hold my newest grandchild when she was brand new and barely awake to the world yet. I was there to see my granddaughter's reaction and, in some small way, to help her through the first days. We got to know each other much better this trip. Maybe when I visit her next she will remember the Grandma that played pretty rocks with her and made "reedy, reedy big houses" with her wooden blocks, and sang Frost the Snow Man with her. I can only hope!