I think I can safely speak for most of us when I say - thank goodness 2009 is behind us - and hopefully 2010 will be the rainbow year we've been looking for.

Some of the recent words, phrases or names which I hope we won't be hearing much this year are as follows: foreclosures, modifications, tsunamis, earthquakes, John Edwards, Tiger Woods, Jon, Kate and, well, you get my drift. Oh, and you can throw the name of John Mayer into that mix. Speaking of toxic people, I'm sick of him and his rantings. Don't even get me started on him - I can't decide whether John Mayer is a misogynist or is simply a 10 year old boy trapped in a man's body! Enough of his ridiculousness already. Grow the heck up.

John Edwards didn't really surprise me - he always seemed like a 'pretty boy' to me. It wasn't a stretch to hear the term 'narcissistic' to go along with him and the fallout that has ensued. Selfish and self-centered would be other relative terms to use here. I must say I am still in shock over Tiger, though. I didn't see that one coming. In all of this it is the wives that I empathize with and who are my heroes. They are strong women who will ultimately do what is best for their families. As women, we tend to put our needs and wants at the bottom of the list.

On another note - I celebrated my birthday in December with my sister and her husband flying to meet me at a hotel and casino where I live. It was so much fun to be together. We hadn't seen each other in a while and we had a fabulous dinner together and I even won some money on the slots! I think I can speak for all of us when I say a good time was had by all.

Onto a completely different topic. Some of my goals for the New Year follow.

How are you all doing with your New Year's resolutions? Drop me a line. I am still trying to keep to my same New Year's resolution that I have been making to myself for the past several years. Besides getting in top shape, of course, the next one is not wasting food. I tend to let it sit too long in the refrigerator and wind up having to throw it away. Then I feel so guilty that I not only wasted good food, but also hard-earned money. That is a no-no. It makes me feel so bad when that happens. And, now, of course, with what is going on in Haiti it makes me feel that much worse. So, it has to stop. Even if it is one small tomato - no matter what it is, it is unacceptable to waste it.

I've been trying to get my house organized and somewhat updated these past few months. First, a new exterior. Now we're working on the interior. It's a lot of work but well worth it - especially if I should ever want to sell it. I am enjoying my new wood floors and freshly painted rooms. I wake up each morning to such a different house - it's refreshing to see it coming along as it is an older house which was sorely in need of a lot of updating. There is still a lot to be done which won't happen overnight, but it's a good start. Instead of the expense of new kitchen cabinets, I had my existing ones 'antiqued' a honey gold color with some glazing striations through them. They came out beautiful considering they are twenty years old. The fancy, new knobs on them make them look even snazzier. I stll need a new countertop and sink and I'm dragging my feet over these decisions right now.

I've been getting more feedback on my article(s) on men who cheat on their partners. Some very difficult stories to read. The pain coming across to me is palpable. Betrayal to me, aside from losing a loved one, is about the worst thing that can happen to a person. When you love someone and are true to that person, only to find out they've been sleeping with someone else - while lying and deceiving you - well, the resulting pain is almost too much to bear when the truth finally comes out. And, sooner or later, the truth does come out. I speak from experience. And, again, speaking from my own painful memories, to me it's almost impossible to forgive and forget. I just could never get the trust back again. But, that's me - someone else may feel differently. With counseling, they may be able to put 'humpty dumpty' back together again. They may feel it's worth it - I didn't. "Fool me once shame on you - fool me twice, shame on ME".

On that note, I'll sign off, for now......

Wishing you a Grrreat New Year - with wonderful surprises - and opportunities - and experiences. I love hearing from you. Drop me a line and give me your thoughts for the New Year. Let me hear from you!