Donna’s 2010 LATE Christmas Letter:

2010 was like so many years. I worked, gardened, watched my grandchildren grow, had another birthday. My children are awesome and I am blessed with a job and a home and a wonderful church family and amazing friends. But if that is all that happened, my letter would be rather boring to write and even more boring to read. 2010 was really a year of mountaintop experiences for me.

After working thru every tax season for 23+ years, I actually took two weekends off in February. The first weekend I got to walk the DON OSBORNE LIBRARY MEMORIAL RUN in Oakdale, CA. My father in law died 15 years ago but they still honor him by raising money for the city library. Getting to do this event was something I dreamed about doing for years. The weekend of the run coincided with my first days out of a walking boot (recovering from two different foot surgeries). Being there was amazing. I got to walk the streets where my father in law taught me to run. Running is something that has shaped most of my adult life and though I walk now instead of run, I often think of the many lessons Dad Osborne taught me as we ran. The best part is that I got to touch and hug each of my sister in laws and nieces and nephews (all but one made the trip and I got to hug her and her family in October!). These are kids whose diapers I had changed.. kids I learned to love along with my own kids 30 years ago. It was such a treat for me I am still glowing from that one weekend. I will treasure it for many years. I also got to reconnect with a sister in law that I had not seen for 30 years. She surprised me in so many ways… different but the same. I loved her then..Both my sisters by marriage are amazing women, survivors, women who shaped me and mentored me. I owe them much.

Two weeks later Steph, the kids, and I drove to Bremerton, WA to watch Rachael skate 2 bouts (ROLLER DERBY) with the Central Coast Roller Derby Girls in the Wild West Smackdown. It was awesome and even though no one else came from SLO town to cheer for them, we cheered loud enough to make up for that. We celebrated a hard win by going out to eat with these great ladies in Bremerton and with my nephew, Chris.

In May I broke my ankle while hiking with Rachael in San Luis Obispo and so I got to wear that attractive walking boot a few more weeks. Patience I got to practice alot. My folks visited in June. I always enjoy them. The “girls” got together for a week at the coast in July where we celebrated sisterhood in the most amazing time. Josh’s son, Caleb turned 1 on August 14th. Life was good but it got better.

In September Joshua and Amanda married. It was a beautiful wedding and Amanda was a beautiful bride. They included the family wonderfully with Amber as her maid of honor and Blake as a groomsman. We were blessed with so many wonderful loved ones and friends who came to share this happy event. Almost all of the Osborne clan arrived from California and even my sister in law from Florida came to be there for Josh and Amanda. My family and friends came. My nieces and nephews came and partied the reception down. Josh and Amanda began the journey of their life together with the greatest send off possible. Family is important to both of them and they felt loved by all. My time with my sisters by marriage, Donna and Patt… (sisters, really), was the icing on the cake for me.

In October, Connie and I did the Inaugural Portland Half Marathon in the pouring down rain. We both recovered from surgeries last December and who knows how much physical therapy. We set the goal (paid the money) and got it done. Rain was a bit fitting, I suppose. Life is never the way you plan it. But the question is what do you do when faced with changes you do not like? We walked 13.1 miles in the pouring down pounding rain. And finished.


Later that month, I traveled to Guatemala and stayed with my other friend, Connie (sounds like I have only 2 friends and they are both named Connie!) in Panajachel. We worked with an organization called Mayan Families whose mission it is to serve the Mayan’s in the highlands. We built stoves, delivered food, shoes, & clothing. Seeing hungry people is sobering. We passed out shoes to children, who didn’t just need a NEW pair of shoes; they just needed ANY PAIR of shoes. And we ran out. I had to look in the eyes of little boys who daily walk miles on rocky trails with bare feet to tell them that we had no more shoes. I will carry that forever.

November we celebrated Blake’s 13th birthday on Thanksgiving. Our family talked about the real meaning of the coming Christmas season and vowed to have a different holiday. And we did. We celebrated each other. We celebrated the children and health and great food and love and struggles. We spent very little on gifts and put the emphasis on togetherness.

Let us determine to be agents of change. http://http://muttcats.com/starfish.htm
It is time to start saving starfish even if we can't save them all. It matters! As a very intelligent woman I know suggested, let’s "START A REVOLUTION" to be a light and change the world. Let’s feed the hungry, dig wells for safe drinking water, provide access to medical care, educate children. God has blessed us greatly. Let’s bless others with our bounty in 2011.. lets change the world! DKU

Lull

It seems that it has been awhile since I posted last. That could mean that I am really busy. Which is kind of true. I went on vacation... to sunny Arizona to see my parents. But then I came home and cleaned closets for five days. Lets face it... cleaning closets is not that exciting. But I clearly needed to do it. There is lots of writing for me to do. I have a novel to edit..... so when? When I was writing the novel there was a deadline. Now there is no deadline. I will have to work on it.

But I think the reason why I have been silent is not that I have been overwhelmingly busy or that I am avoiding my computer because it is calling out to me to edit the novel. Or that I have been buried in a good book or 4 or 9. I read Twilight and all the sequels and I doubt very seriously that there will be another great read like that to come along for a long time. I read the nine installments of the First Ladies Detective Agency, which was not passionate like Twilight but certainly great entertainment. No I am now reading some book about a detective that crochets and calls herself a "happy hooker".

The reason I have not posted is that I think I am pondering some changes... I am thinking about my life and who I am and how I interact with the world and the people around me. I am recognizing that the good health and the years and the energy and the muscles and the passion that I have enjoyed in my life are finite and no longer limitless resources. The opportunities for making a change, for doing something that matters are diminishing and I am recognizing that perhaps I am not looking at things correctly. Some days it seems I just focus on the regrets, my weaknesses, my fears. And yet, that is not what my life has been.

One of the things I have thought of is that it seems you work your whole life to acquire the symbols of success --- nice house, some toys, retirement plan, car, vacations,.... and then you realize that you cannot take these things with you. Those are not the symbols of success. It is my children, the love and sense of family that we have, the joy we have in being together.

I look around and see myself surrounded by junk. Stuff. Garbage. Excess. Ignored crap. I do not begrudge the things I have that I see, use, enjoy. It is all the masive amount of stuff that just sits there in closets and the garage, and the attic and on shelves and cubbyholes that I am saving for _______. It is stuff that no one uses and has no reason for being in my house except that I was hoping to take up new pasttimes when I retire or I keep thinking that when I am done with work for the evening I could start doing these new things. But the fact is that as I get older, I find that I am tired at night. End of story. New stuff to do is NOT what I need. So I keep going thru the house and taking loads to Goodwill. And I sincerely hope that I am taking more stuff out than what I bring in.

My job is killing me. Stress, high blood pressure, high sugar in my blood. And I can point at all these things and recognize that they are bad. But what is bad is my priorities. My job should not be the priority. My family, my health, my spiritual life... THOSE ARE THE PRIORITIES. I have to learn to live differently and can that be done at this age?


There is more to it than the stuff. And I am unsure of how to talk about these things. What I am looking at is change - changing me and how I look at the world around me and how I deal with it. Can I? I like the mantra .. YES I CAN. But it is all about teaching an old dog new tricks. Maybe. DKU

This n that

How do you disengage? I have been trying hard to wrap up something I was involved in before I jump in with both feet to do something new, and the ending is dragging out way longer than I want. Is it like breaking up with a relationship? I want to kiss and be done. Some are just dragging their feet! Help!



The other thing that has been on my mind is that I am now older. I am not young. I am not middle... I am on the tail end of life. Maybe that is morbid but it is how I see it. While my skin has lost elasticity and gravity is taking on new meaning that eluded me in grade school... and there are a hundred ways I can tell you that getting old sucks... there are some benefits. One is maturity and poise and self assurance. I know myself. The things that drove me nuts in my younger years, are mere annoyances now. They will pass as do all things that drive me nuts. On the other hand when life is smooth and going so well and I am basking in contentment... that too will pass. :)



But what I have been thinking about is change. As I interact with people it seems that there are two camps. The first camp says... "HERE I AM... take me or leave me. God knows me, loves me, and has forgiven my shortcomings So this is just who I am. I am not changing!"



The other camp seeks change that never comes soon enough or fast enough. It acknowledges that we are each works in progress, being transformed into His likeness. A little arrogant on the surface but the gist of it is that we are fallen, and sinful and NOT OK today. That HE loves us, has forgiven us but He is still working on us. We are works in progress.



What do you think?



One last thing. I have written less about compacting. I am not ignoring it. In fact it is permeating much of my life in other ways. However, I must confess I have consumed. It is books that are a weakness. However, I attempt to buy cheaply if that makes points. I am richer for my summer reading and will update my reading list soon.



We are benefitting from our weekly CSA (community supported agriculture... http:://www.localharvest.org/csa/ ) bags. We find not only local produce but vegetables in their season. I definitely have eaten new veggies I would have never bought in a zillion years (fava beans and raw garbanzo beans). I am learning to like squash ... but never tell my Grandmother. But also, old favorites - strawberries, red potatoes straight from the ground, onions that are crunchly like apples! It has been quite a treat.



OK. This is all. That is all. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to think the ideal husband post was so important that it should stick around too long. DKU