What a wonderful year it's been. Never expected it to be as good as it ended up being, but there's no getting around it, it's been the best year that I have had in a very very very long time.

The year started off slow, spring came & I had promised myself to get a few projects done around the farm that I didn't get done except for fixing my garage door roller but while doing that, something else ended up our of adjustment & still can't close my garage door automatically.....but while having the garage door open, I gave my garage to the wrens who had their spring family in the safety of my garage.

Started trail riding with my friends & we spend many wonderful days trailing through the country on horseback.....ah, even with a few falls off the horses, I never had any serious injuries & at my age, that's what we call a miracle. Enjoyed helping with the 4-H kids & their trail riding along with just enjoying the peaceful freedom of going out in the country & just getting lost in all the beauty.

This year, being my third year in my new home, I have several different groups of friends. We have a group of women that just enjoy getting together & riding once a week & having a pot luck lunch....the friendships have grown over the years we have been doing this. We also have another group that includes everyone (not just women) who do riding & also volunteer work in the back country areas of riding. Most of us who are in both groups & the social & horse educational things that we do is absolutely wonderful.

I have another person who loves horses, but because of health issues along with her age (92), isn't able to ride anymore....but we started getting together on Sunday afternoon's & it became my most looked forward day of the week. She would cook one week & I would make dinner & take it to her house the next week. Sharing this time with this friend gives a wonderful meaning to life.

I have another group of friends who are part of a women's Bible study that I belong to. There is one lady who has ended up being a very close friend also. We don't get together as often as we would like because of the distance & I'm always running out of gas by the end of the month thanks to the gas guzzling truck of mine. We enjoy going out after our Bible studies & also enjoy just visiting & having a chance to talk & talk & talk. The joys of finding someone who has the same crazy schedule of a day as I do (meaning NO SCHEDULE at all). Can end up calling or getting a call at midnight because we know each other definitely isn't in bed.

I can also say that this year I have found a wonderful church to attend. It's a small church, but all the people have made me feel so very much at home & it's wonderful to be able to be involved with them in the church activities, the Bible studies at this church & they have a women's group that is also active in helping out in the community. Most of them own farms very close to my farm.

This is the first year where I have felt so accepted by everyone in everything that I am involved with.

My daughter is on facebook & it's been great having more of a chance to chat with her when she finds me or I find her on there. It's drawn us closer just because she's not a "phone call" sort of person.

On top of all of these things, the huge number of hours that I volunteered at the horse park doing the flower decorations for the World Equestrian games brough me in contact with a whole new group of wonderful people who are the core group for decorating for the Rolex 3 day event that goes on at the horse park every April & they definitely invited me back to be a part of that each year. Not only was it so much fun helping with the floral decorations for the World Equestrian games, but the experience of being there around so many awesome horse people throughout the world had to have been the most exciting time of my whole life. It was like being in horse heaven.

It will definitely be hard for any year to be as good as this last year has been, but it's good to know that I can have a wonderful year even through all the crazy hassle things that have hit....like the broken automatic garage door, the leak in the hose going to my toilet, having to buy new tires because I kept getting flats in my old ones & I still have a noise in my truck that seems to be a serious problem that they can't seem to find, go through small claims & get the judgment & still have to fight to get my money.....all the good has so far out shined anything bad that has happened

Life is so good.....even when dealing with things that used to make me angry with my husband (who I left 3 years ago) doesn't make me feel angry anymore.....I have finally been able to distance those emotions....I still feel a disappointment in that he just doesn't get how to be a responsible person.....but it doesn't make me fell angry anymore......nice to shed the one emotion that he used to bring out in me & have it replaced with a peaceful feeling.

Ah, LIFE IS GOOD & God has been a huge part of helping me figure out about life & helping me feel good about my life & bring the wonderful people into my life. The first time in my life where I have had true friends to enjoy life with. This year has been absolutely the most wonderful year I have ever experienced in almost my whole life time.