Some Things Just Go A Certain Way

I did it! I made it through another year. 2013 is right around the corner. This coming year I’m not making any new resolutions because I figured why set myself up to fail? I’m going to keep the mindset that if I’m very quiet about things needing to be done or changed, there may be a good possibility I can quietly sneak up on them and get them accomplished while not pre-jinxing myself.

Sounds a little adolescent but, hey, I’ll try anything once. I remember last year at this time—and on this very blog—proclaiming that 2012 was going to be the year of Ruby. HA! Things don’t always turn out like you’d like. Last January we made the decision to redo our old bathroom. It was nearing the end of its life. My shabby vanity had seen years of wear from either small children crawling up the side to reach the faucet, spilled nail polish, and the “oops, Ma, I just dropped a hammer on the tile.” It was getting really hard to think of all the cracks, dents, and gunk as simple character marks. Then my husband blew out his shoulder and ended up having surgery, so the project waited.

Then along April we once more put the remodel out on the table. Yup, things were really starting to deteriorate back there in the bathroom. We started to draw plans again…and then in the famous words of Emeril, BAM! I ended up with some medical issues and subsequent surgery the first week of June. So now we’re backed up until the end of August.

Along about September I’m really starting to worry about stepping into the tub only to end up crashing through to the basement. Tiles around the tub began to pop and water started going places it really shouldn’t. So the process proceeded and the money pit began to sap our strength. Because of one thing or the other, actual demolition didn’t start until towards the end of November. And then we discovered that ALL the plumbing had to be replaced, which was probably a smart thing to do. And since we’re anal about doing things ourselves we have now found ourselves on Christmas Eve morning without a second toilet and thirty-three people coming for dinner tomorrow.

But you know? I decided not to sweat it. It is what it is. My kids and grandchildren and family members are all going to be here healthy and happy. The food is going to be substantial and hot, and the drinks are going to be cold and tasty. So what if the house isn’t picture-perfect. The sheetrock dust is gone and the presents are all wrapped and under the tree. I just took out a pecan pie from the oven, the spaghetti sauce is bubbling and I’m off to make my one son his banana cream pie, the other, his chocolate. My brother-in-law’s cherry pie was baked earlier.

So there it is. I’m planning on a great day tomorrow and hoping for health and happiness in 2013. As far as ‘the year of Ruby’? Well, I’ll just take one day at a time. Merry Christmas to all of you and special wishes to 26 families in Connecticut. Keep them in your hearts.

Ruby