Bye Betty, Hello 2022

I want to feel bad about Betty White passing. But you have to admit, 99 7/8 is a pretty good run. And she certainly made the most of it.

Television pioneer. Married the man of her dreams. Animal activist. Emmy Award winner. And she kept her wits right up to the end.

Ya, you have to admit, it was a good life. 

Knowing about someone who did so much good stuff here on this wacky planet makes me reflect on my own life. What, exactly, have I done with my decades-long existence?

Like most of you, I've poked along, trying my best. But too many days were spent with my nose to the grindstone, oblivious of everything else. Sure, I do stop from time to time to pet the cat or look at the stars, but is that enough?

Rather than continuing to gaze at my navel and ranting about the state of our country, I'm going to take a moment and reflect on the good stuff of 2021:

1. New daughter-in-law. Joe and Jill tied the knot by a treehouse in the woods. The kids were beautiful, the venue was lovely and we were thrilled to welcome Jill to the fold.
2. New job. After 2+ years of free range work, I joined the OuterBox team. I love writing, and the folks I work with are the best.   
3. Kept the side gig. Thanks to Axel, I continued helping to preserve memories. In spite of the fact that we drive each other nuts at times, I will forever be grateful to this guy, who was there with a lifeboat and a 12-pack of Stella Artois when I needed it most. 
4. Family: Finally got to celebrate Christmas with my siblings. It was a good thing we gathered before the latest outbreak of you-know-what.
5. Friends: I managed to spend face-to-face time with old friends. Hopefully, we'll all get to do more of that in the coming year.
6. Eyes on the prize: My sight was restored, thanks to a second cataract surgery. This is a cautionary tale for anyone who's had the initial surgery and sometime later experiences reduced sight. Don't wait to get it checked out!
7. Taughannock wedding: Megan and Liam celebrated their newly wedded status with a party by Cayuga Lake. It was a gorgeous day with food and frolic. And I got to practice mispronouncing Native American names.
8. Got shot: I got Mr. and I vaccinated as soon as it was possible to do so. As a result, as far as I know, neither of us got COVID last year.
9. Tree removal: Well, partial removal. It turned out the tree was only half dead. The live part was on the other side of the fence, so we had to leave it alone. But at least we don't have to worry about a limb crashing through our roof.
10. 33 years: Mr. Ginley and I marked 33 years of matrimony without killing each other–a truly remarkable milestone.*

*No, Mr. Ginley, these are not in order of importance, so you needn't be concerned that you're "#10." Maybe I saved the best for last.

Oh, and one more thing. I'm very grateful for having the best Facebook friends. 

And I'm not just saying that because you're reading my stuff...