Shaky start to 2009

I'm not going to say that 2009 has started out badly, but I haven't found much to be happy about yet...

1. I did connect with someone from the past which felt very good. However, he shared with me that his Grandmother, Adrienne, who at one time I was quite close to, had passed away last month. I found her obituary stating she had passed away on December 12. While searching for her obituary, I found another one from the same family. This was Adrienne's brother-in-law. He passed away just on January 4. So sad... two family members in less than one month.

2. In October I had received an email response from another friend indicating that things were not good in her life as her husband was near death from cancer. I had not heard anything from her since that point so again I went digging. Again, I found the obituary. Her husband passed away on December 19.

3. I've had laryngitis since December 29. A couple of days I had NO VOICE. I have not been sick ... no cold, no aching, no sore throat... just a funny voice. I finally went to the Doctor in January 8. There has been no definitive diagnosis. He gave me a prescription for a steroid for 4 days. If it is not significantly better by Monday, he is going to recommend a visit to an ENT specialist.

4. One of my best friends was laid off from his job on Friday. This is the second layoff since I met him 4 years ago. He's doing ok, but now is not a good time to be looking for a job.

5. The rest of what I'm worried about I'm not going to write, because at this point in time, it's not mine to share.

I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude about the things that can still be changed or improved. There are things to look forward to, but right now it's kind of rough. Just say a few prayers for our country as we head into a new, unknown era.