According to my Timehop today, this is the day of the year I do my end of year wrap up and/or my look ahead to the future. Who am I to break tradition? Time to write this current edition!

2016… well… I think most people would say it was a horrible year. I mean, just the sheer number of celebrity deaths this year was enough to make one rock back on their heels a bit. (Seriously… Glenn Frey?? Merle Haggard!? Carrie Fisher!?? Damn you 2016!)

But ultimately, to me, 2016 was marred by politics. And sadly, it continues to this day.

I don’t mean who won or who lost the Presidency, because ultimately when it comes right down to it… we all lost.

We all lost a lot of friendships. We all lost a lot of respect for people we may have once called dear friends.  I know I’ve started to distance myself from some people due to the sheer hate and intolerance I’ve seen from people… on both sides of the political spectrum.  And for me, THAT is what I will remember about 2016.

My husband and I had a good year in general. Made it out to Oregon to visit family there. My nephew graduated high school. My husband had a steady driving gig. I had my interest in photography re-awakened. We both had family members pull through serious illness.

On the down side of it all, we had a huge set-back on our bar-opening dreams, and we did put it on the back burner hard most of the year while we tried to pay down debts incurred in 2015 with those plans. Oh and I developed bursitis in my hip and it has been an adventure in learning to deal with that.

All in all, though, there was more good than bad for me personally this year.  I choose to focus on that fact.

2017… its perhaps cheesy to say, “I want to be better,” but its a good summary of goals. More photography gigs. Do a better job managing finances and paying down debts.  Grow my local A&M Club. Keep supporting my husband’s job. Take on some personal health goals. Jump back into the dream of opening a bar with both feet. Put a new deck on our house.

You can start fresh any day, any time. Year ending, year beginning is just an easy starting point for everyone, and its one I am embracing. Here’s to a great 2017!