Another year over; a new one just begun

Interesting. I sat down to write an entry and the top of the entry screen disappeared and I couldn’t write anything at all until I saved (as private) and then clicked to edit. Go figure.

2009 was an interesting year for me. I’ve been trying to remember the earlier part of the year, which seems to have passed in a blur, and all I can think of is the massage therapy conference in early May where I learned some excellent new techniques from one of my favourite teachers, Jose Llaguno of Venezuela. Ah…now I remember that in April, my hours at the spa were cut because the spa wasn’t making enough money. Fortunately, I was making a decent enough salary that the cut hours meant I could still survive on what I made. However, it also opened the door for me to begin seeing clients on my own. The spa was sold in mid September, and we (the staff) were cautiously optimistic that it would be better, but our cautious optimism quickly turned to pessimism and then disappointment and disillusionment. No one is very happy there any more. The new owner came to me in November and told me I was being put on commission instead of salary, and gave me the same commission she was paying a new employee on probation–a therapist with a year and a half experience compared to my 18 years. I was not happy about this. In early December, our receptionist brought me news of an opening in the clinic where her mother worked, and three days later I had a new employer, offering a better commission, and who caps the amount she takes in any given month. Much better deal, and a busier place than the spa. I’m now working two days a week at the physiotherapy clinic and on and a half days at the massage therapy clinic, and about two half-days at the spa. I expect not to be at the spa after February 1st.

In late June, early July, I began to volunteer with a local theatre, meeting some new people, and somewhere in early July, I decided to eyeball an online dating site; one that I knew several people had had decent luck with. In fact, R’s former significant other had met someone via this site and got married in October. One profile in particular caught my eye, and I sent a message, which led to getting a phone number for someone who lived within 20 miles (less than 30 km) and we met for lunch. I liked what I saw, and had a distinct feeling that there was something we needed to accomplish together, without knowing exactly WHAT that might be. I mostly thought that I was to be a catalyst, or learning experience for A, and the next few weeks were rife with "come here, go away" signals from A that just about drove me insane. Behind all that was the voice of God or Whomever is in charge of my life that I shouldn’t walk away, and that A needed something from me; my needs be damned. It was confusing and frustrating. I finally reached the point where I decided that *I* was in charge of my life, and instead of waiting for A to decide between me and someone else, I decided to pull out of the relationship race and just be as good a friend as I could be. This decision coincided with A’s realization that the other person wasn’t exactly a perfect mesh and that I had been a good friend to A, while A had not been a good friend in return and needed to rectify that.

The end result is that we have been a couple since the first of September, pretty much (although A was still iffy about what we might have, there was no one else either of us was seeing), and we are looking at the future with an eye to spending it together. This is a huge development in my life, since I have been essentially single since early 1998. It’s odd and I’m still not entirely sure where we’re going or how it will all work out, but I do enjoy time with A, and I spend most of my life here in Windsor, where A lives.

My daughter, who was the reason we moved to Wolfville, spends most of her time with her boyfriend when she’s not at school or work. She’s enjoying her first job, apart from babysitting, working on the cash or in the music/movie section of Future Shop. At 17, she’s much more independent than I or her siblings were at that age. She’s a pretty kick-ass kid and I’m proud of her. We had her here for Christmas supper (also my birthday) and then went to Weymouth and Comeauville to see my other children and grandchildren, one of whom arrived this year. Auron was born on June 1 and is the image of my son. There’s another grandbaby on the way, due mid-March this year. My tribe grows.

So, 2009 was a year of incredible change for me, most of it good. I wonder what 2010 will bring and where I’ll be in a year from now. May this year bring all of us contentment, comfort, love and joy. Blessings, dear friends.