WARNING: this is a mandatory yearly retrospective.

(you have been warned....)

This year has not been the best or the worst of times.  I'm tempted to say it passed without incident, but not even my life is that boring.  From last December to this December I have been married happily to the man I am still happy to say is the love of my life.  One year down, woo!  Not that I'm counting in misery, just to make that clear.  People keep asking me how married life is.  My general response is that if it's the right person, it's great.  I have the right person.  It's grrreat!  I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond the other day.  It's an episode where Ray has to sit around for hours waiting for a delivery guy to drop off Debra's curtains.  He was aggravated.  His brother Robert came in and he started joking about marriage.  The end result was that Robert broke up with his girlfriend. As the family is crowding around Ray trying to make him fix what he had broken he tells Robert what marriage is.

"Ray: No! I got this! Look, you want to know what marriage is really like? Fine. You wake up- she's there. You come back from work- she's there. You fall asleep- she's there. You eat dinner- she's there. You know? I mean, I know that sounds like a bad thing. But, it's not." (The Lone Barone)

I know it's not the most romantic quote in the world, but... it is, and it's true.  I want to be with my husband all the time.  I like that he's always there.  I feel secure in that.  I like knowing that when I wake up I'm not alone, even if he's at work.  I don't know if marriage is specifically required for this feeling.  I think that if you are living with somebody you can get that too.  Marriage itself is not the point, the commitment is.

Anyway, this year is also the year that I gave up on the idea of being a high school teacher.  It's funny, when I was studying for my MA in education my mother kept asking me if I was sure I wanted to do it. "Mira, it's horrible, why do it?'  Now that I'm not studying for that degree anymore she keeps trying to make me go back.  I have a new plan.  I plan to get a MA in creative writing and hopefully from there get a PhD.  I'd like to teach college courses, run discussions on my student's writing.  I'd also like to work with my husband, so hopefully we'll be able to open a business together in the next 5 years or so.

This was also the year of the Rhiow (our cat).  She has become so cute in the last few months.  Not that her physical appearance has changed, she's always been beautiful.  She's just starting to act more like a cat and less like a kitten.  She's still ridiculously full of energy, but she's starting to calm down enough to be able to sit still for five minutes at a time.  We see the beginnings of a lap cat in the making.  We had both forgotten about this stage and how cute it is.  We're appreciating her in a whole new way.  When I say we, I'm including our other two cats as well.  Danny's happy she stays still long enough to lick (sometimes) and Patchouli is... well I don't really know what Patchouli is.  She seems okay with it though.

This is also the year of resuming lost friendships.  Once lost it's hard to say how long they will stay found, but it seems hopeful.  Friends are an important thing.  Don't lose them.  Family is not a choice, but friends are, pick wisely.

This is also the year my husband earned his professional license.  I am so proud of him.  Hey if you need an apartment or house, call Noam Goldhammer!

As the year comes to a close I can safely say I am ready to leave it behind to see what life has in store for me this coming year.  Welcome to 2016!  Happy New Year!!!