It has been almost a year since I have written. Some of you may be wondering what I have been up to. It has been a long year without much adventure. I felt I didn’t have anything worth writing for since I worked, slept, and not much else. I have had some growth and become more confident in my job.

I am still at the same job at a flooring company and I enjoy it. There has been a lot of learning, but overall, a good job. I enjoy my boss and co-workers and feel like I have a lot to learn but gain knowledge all the time. The job doesn’t thrill me, but it has been nice to have the money to take care of things. My roommate George is still with me. We have had some rough patches, but we have come to a good place.

My nephew, Igor, lived with us for almost 9 months but has recently moved back to California. It was nice to spend time with him, but it was also challenging. There were good times, which will be cherished. We grew to know each other in a different way than we would have just seeing one another now and again.

During the past year, I have had some car issues. I have figured out and fixed some, but not all. Still, I can not bring myself to buy a new car yet. I haven’t been to Washington since a year ago in February. I miss the girls and grandkids. The grandkids have grown a lot. Dan has been able to spend time with them, which has been difficult to reconcile sometimes. It doesn’t always feel fair. Now I have a bit more money, but little time to travel. Perhaps over the summer.

One of my granddaughters, Shelby, did come for a visit with Dan and we had a really good time. She wasn’t able to spend the night with me, but I did take a couple of days off to spend with her, and she told me she appreciated it. She will be 12 next month.

I am grateful to my friend Deanna, who always reaches out to connect. I have not done much of that with anyone. We have been out a few times, and thanks to her, I connected with others, including Lauri, who reminded me I haven’t blogged in some time. I am so very grateful for all my friendships, and I hope to do better with keeping in touch. I am grateful for all who reach out as I myself have closed myself off a great deal.

I still volunteer as the treasurer with SWEA (Swedish WimenEducational Association). It has been a lot more work than I realized, and keeping up with it has been something I didn’t expect. I also have not been keeping up with my other bookkeeping very well. Lots of things are lacking since I spend all day on the computer, I don’t feel up to it on the weekends, so lots gets left behind.

I rarely go out on the weekends. I have stopped dating. I met some interesting people but one or the other of us wasn’t interested and I got tired of it. I had a fair amount of scammers, too, and that gets tiring. I had a string of them for a while. I am much better at recognizing them now, but it has been difficult to keep going through. So I have been keeping to myself.

Life carries on. It will go on. I have had to replace two air conditioners, which were necessary. I have also done something nice for myself. My boss is giving me the flooring for two bedrooms, my closet and the living room. We are starting with one bedroom, and my master closet and my co-workers will help me install it. I also bought a very comfortable sofa and kitchen table.

My roommate is starting some classes and getting back on his feet after some troubles. He plans to move out in the coming months. My cat, Nala, has a good life. She loves the warm weather. The temperatures are climbing. It has already been over 100 degrees, and I expect it will be a warm summer. I will write again soon.