Saying Goodbye To 2011

Some really wonderful things happened this year. I got engaged and married, for one. We traveled quite a bit and I actually got to meet one of you people in San Diego. ;)


We are almost completely finished with the sunroom/bar, and we love the room so much that we eat exclusively in there. The only thing left to do is have the electrician do some re-wiring and get the bar top sanded and finished.

It was a busy year and it flew by. I made some new friends and cemented some old friendships. I found a really remarkable group of women that I didn't know existed until a year and a half ago whose strength matches their kindness, and isn't that a nice surprise in this day and age. Sometimes I feel isolated living so far from so many friends, and it is a relief to know that I can touch base with so many of you through this blog or on Facebook. JerseyGirl, Prodigal Cheez. Chemgal and TNbelle, I talk to you every day and you are my touchstone and my sisters in spirit and heart,


Leenie, you are wonderful. I know that you couldn't move out here but I will never give up on trying! Leigh, AlisonZ and Cissie, you are always at the ready with a smile and something positive to say. Skatt, Classy Drunk, TrueLifeDiva, April, Iwannabeanarchy, kdfinjpn, and Dane, I always look forward to hearing from you. Your insights and senses of humor are head and shoulders above 99% of commenters anywhere. Kbird, you are my inspiration in all things foodie and tongue-in-cheek. Baler! I missed your crazy ass! We've come a long way from the Y bridge, no? Diatribes and Ovations, it was a really nice bonus this year to find you and your blog. You are a great guy with an even greater moral compass. And Bob. What can I say about Bob? He has, hands down, one of the most excellent blogs out there. If you aren't reading I Should Be Laughing, then get your ass over there right now!


If I left any of you out, I apologise. Comment more! Just kidding. Not really.


I will leave you with some photos from our trip to Maine last month and my wishes for all of you to have a safe, happy and healthy New Year. It's going to be a Dragon, which is my Chinese astrological sign and the harbinger of good luck and fortune. Don't waste it!


Love you all.

Searching for sea glass and clams on the beach.

A beautiful Victorian we passed on our way from Kennebunkport to Portland.

Oysters at J's. Sublime and delicious. The only thing that beat them was the scallops. We are forever spoiled  by the incredible quality you find up there.

A weathered door down by the wharf in Portland. Speaks volumes about the history and character of this place.

Seafood Mecca. I am not joking. If you want Maine lobsters, this is where you buy them. This is also where we got the scallops to die for. I am pretty sure that manna in heaven was patterned after them.

If you needed any proof that the friends we stayed with were awesome, here it is. Their daughter, aged 3, with a chainsaw.

Perhaps the most beautiful lighthouse in the world. 

Words can't express how much I loved it there. I'm hoping that the friend we visited stays healthy enough so that we can go back in the Spring and visit him, and some other friends too. I really do love it there.

Enough about me. What were your highs and lows, and how are you approaching the new year?