Happy 2012

Did you miss me?
I certainly missed you. And my blog. My last post was written just before I left Charlottesville for Paris. All September I was travelling about, visiting friends, seeing new sights and taking pictures to share with you. I came home from my third and final jaunt on September 24th sick as a dog. And, despite the doctor’s best efforts, remained so until nearly the end of October. It was nothing exotic – just a sinus infection. But it gave me new insight into what some of my chronically ill friends go through as they try to lead normal lives without feeling normal. There were days when the way I felt and the number of medications I was taking seemed totally out of proportion to the banality of the diagnosis.


Many of my readers come looking for specific information on somewhere I’ve been or something I’ve done. But some of you are regulars. I thought of you and how you must be wondering if I had just left without saying goodbye. But that was all the energy I could summon.
About the time I was able to resume my regular activities again, it was time to pack and go back to Charlottesville for my last visit of the year. I felt well and yet strangely listless – just going through the motions of my life. After Thanksgiving had come and gone with just a nod of recognition from me and I was trying to gear up for pre-Christmas fun and preparation, I came down with the Charlottesville Virus that has been plaguing the community for several months. I even braved a visit to an American doctor (which deserves a blog post to itself.) Other than that I stayed home, drifted from bed to sofa to Facebook, coughed, wheezed and waited. And waited.
I was fortunate. I was well enough to enjoy Christmas, though still tired. Other friends were mown down much closer to the holiday than I and are still sick. (The average time to recovery is two to three weeks.)
By New Year's Eve life was good again. I was able to volunteer, as usual, at First Night Virginia in the morning.




Afterwards, I strolled to a restaurant on the Downtown Mall to have lunch with a friend. By the time lunch was over, the fun was beginning.











The sun was shining. Excited children were running. I was listless no more. Life was good again.
The next day, at a friend’s annual New Year’s Day brunch



I was sure. There were more adventures to be experienced and written about.
Happy New Year to you. And to me. I’m back.