Changes, Changes, and More Changes

 

Greetings, it’s time to say so long to 2012 and hello to 2013. The year in review has been transitional, to say the least.  I mean, sure, the usual things have occurred, like the aging process, for one, and the economy tanking for another, the latter making it harder and harder to make ends meet. I honestly don’t know how folks who  earn low incomes make it.

 

In October I celebrated two years with the VA working at a local Vet Center, and I love what I do. I’m finally doing what I humped  for ten years in higher education to earn, a way to help families learn to get along better. The hidden gem was being able to support the veterans, who, in my opinion, deserve whatever we can provide for sacrificing themselves for us and our country. The men and women who fought and were injured and seek out help to find  their way back into a civilian lifestyle struggle in ways we cannot understand. The public could use increasing educationally regarding readjustment and war trauma, but I digress.

 

Verona and I will be together four years on January 6, 2013 and she passed her 6^th birthday with flying colors. We did have a hiccup in November. She picked up a sliver of glass in her left front paw and the vet missed it because it was so small , like a needle. Poor girl, she limped around for three weeks, not a complaint or cry, until Guiding Eyes xrayed her leg and found it. I was a mess the whole time, and felt like the weight of the world had been lifted when Dr. Sandler held out the glass vial with the little bugger that caused my baby so much discomfort.  If I hadn’t already had kids and learned to sit with the anxiety, I would have needed Zanax.

 

Hunting season was great this year. I’m happy free range meat has taken up space in our freezer. We added a freezer chest and new dining furniture and I will be changing things a bit, just to beat the hum drum feeling that living in the same place sometimes brings.

 

We also joined an organic food cooperative  last spring and will  once again begin receiving fresh veggies in the spring. It is the best way to make sure you eat nutritionally but it’s expensive.

 

The kids, let’s see, well, they are both growing up and becoming adults. Scary. College is going to happen for both of them this year, too. Maybe I’ll go to school as well so we can get more financial aid. Lol.

Dad is slowly losing the fight with Alzheimer’s and Empazema. Mom is holding her own, but I worry about her, she’s stubborn about the doctor stuff.  Mom, if you’re reading this, you know darn well what I mean.

 

I’m still writing for the Matilda Ziegler Magazine and love it. I am so fortunate to have fallen into it and now I enjoy being part of a group of writers that, like me, live, work, and love while dealing with blindness. Our editor is a great support and the entire experience has been a benefit. I even have fans. <grin>

 

We added a new critter to our household, a tuxedo cat named Titan. He’s six months old now and fits right into our critter happy family.  I grew up with cats along with dogs and missed having one. Now that I don’t have to clean the litter box ( April’s job), I am enjoying the grand kitty. I’ll miss him if and when April ever moves out, but for now I’m having fun.

 

The exam testing legal journey has not been going so well. The first attorney wouldn’t take it on without a large retainer. Now I’m on to finding another one who will take it on contingency. I’m ready to give in and take the damn test with a person reading it to me. I am just so frustrated with being marginalized, discriminated against and ignored by the legal system, and others, who proclaim to want to help people like me,  then turn me down because my case is complicated. It’s bull shit. I have a case and because  certain blindness organizations won’t take on New York State I am being penalized. Maybe something will happen this year. Maybe an attorney who truly believes that making a difference for me will help in making the future better for others will be found.

 

This is what I mean about changes. The more I earn the right to fight the system holding me back, the less progress is made.

 

I’ve shed a horrific volunteer experience with  a guide dog advocacy group called GDUI. I feel like another huge burden was lifted when I resigned, too. I think I’ll concentrate on local volunteering for fulfilling my civic duty.

 

As for the doctoral program, I’m still looking. I may not work on a psychology degree and instead am looking into  other areas of concentration like disability studies, education, and creative writing. I’ll see what’s going on this year and maybe begin a program next year,  that being 2014.

 

Lastly, I started exercising again. I’d been avoiding it for years and now that I am doing it again, I find I am liking it. It’s number one on the stress relief list. I’m hoping to go down one whole size by next year, as concentrating on the weight loss itself will keep my hopes down and I want to stay positive.      I want to firm it up first and this will happen faster than losing the weight.

 

The upcoming year in terms of traveling will include a California trip in early March, some weekend jaunts to Kingston and upstate N.Y. and hopefully  a summer trip to  Oregon  to see my best girlfriend, Myla and her Hubby, Chris.  This, of course, will have to be planned around April’s graduation.

 

I’m sure other things happened I didn’t write about, so I’ll post this and move on to another one soon.

Happy New Year to all.

Annie