What was good about it?

Church began this morning with the question to our small groups, "What happened that was good last year?"

I said, "The Tories are no longer in power."

Everyone just looked at me so I added, "I think that's a good thing," but gathered that the question was meant at a more personal or community level. That was harder to answer. My first thought was that 2024 was a pretty crappy year. Husband had a cancerous lump on his ear, he was hospitalised with pneumonia, and he's been waiting for months for a heart operation. I didn't say all that.

But then as Monty continued to speak I thought again. Actually the lump was removed and no further treatment needed, Husband was treated in hospital and the pneumonia healed, and we're waiting for the op, it's true, but he's still here, alive and kicking. 

So looking at it like that 2024 was pretty good year. 

I am usually pretty optimistic - Husband would say foolish especially when it comes to disregarding weather forecasts - but the year must have ground me down a bit, but I'm back on the half-full track now. I'm still glad 2024 is over and am looking forward to a much better 2025.

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This is just an example of the style of dresses that are targeted at me on Facebook. They tend to be drab, long, and shapeless. Some women I'm sure can carry them off with panache; I would look like a bag of potatoes.

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This weekend I've watched The Butler. I am ashamed to say that although I was vaguely aware and opposed to racial discrimination in America the depth, the horror, the sheer unfairness, and stupidity of it didn't really sink in. That black staff in the White House didn't get paid the same as their white counterparts? I don't know why I expected better; seems little has changed in many ways, whether it's colour, gender, or religion that causes the problem. No, not causes the problem but is viewed by some as a problem.