Goodbye 2011...

Don't let the door hit you in the a** on the way out!

Yes, 2011 was a bear in many ways - but as I look back, I'm finding it hard to complain too much. We traveled, we had lots of good food and great times with friends and family and generally enjoyed ourselves quite a bit.  On the flip side, there was more sadness and loss around us than we are used to - both in our lives and the lives of some close friends.   I hope that's not a continuing trend.

A few weeks ago, I saw a quote that really resonated with me:  "Enjoy the little things, for someday you will realize that they were the big things."  Late this summer, I had a mini health scare that gave me just enough pause to see the wisdom in this.  The things that make my life great are the "little" things - like meeting a friend for coffee and a chat on a weekday morning, making and serving a killer dessert,  showing my nieces one of my favorite movies or playing a game with them, reading a book to a two year-old, going to the farmers market or harvesting fresh vegetables from the garden, drinking a great bottle of wine on the patio, putting a vase of gorgeous flowers on the table, roasting a perfect chicken, going to a great yoga class... just being with the people that matter most and enjoying the moments in between the stressful, inevitable realities of life.  These are the things that make life good, even when the big picture isn't so rosy.

Regardless, it still feels like it's time for things to start looking up in 2012, doesn't it?  Let's hope so.  Here's to better times ahead.  Salud!