Years End

As the calender marks the up coming end of 2010 I am going to look back at my favorite things.

This year started out horrible with the close of the shop I worked at. Some customers understood and others were so irate. It was not fun and it took me months to get over the deep depression I felt. The thing that started to pull me out of it was getting out and walking my dogs more regularly. It may seem too simple but it really did help. Having pets and a regular routine helped me not to feel useless.

Keeping up with my dogs and chickens helped. Cooking new dishes at home and not asking to go out so much also helped to ease the tension around the house. If I didn't have good cooking skills and always wanted to eat at restaurants we would not have had the money to pay bills.

Also getting rid of some things on eBay helped me to have some spending cash. For pocket money it was taking in the recycling that did the trick. Thanks to that I was able to reward myself with a trip to Starbucks now and then.

Going to warehouse sales and saving some of the t-shirts helped. Last June I bought a lot of new t-shirts. I spilt them in two piles. One to wear right away and feel good about it, the other saved for BBQ invites and other events. That way I could have something new to wear each time. As if I always had new things.

We did have a few cheep and smaller trips this year. I would have loved to go to Europe again and visit my friends. I miss them so much. Instead we went to Vegas twice. Once for the Via Las Vegas car show and the other on a free two night stay we got for listening to a time share pitch. It was not easy and they tried to get out of giving it to us. We were able to see a show and had a two hour massage at a great spa.

The next highlight of the year was going to the grand re-opening of the Dior store at South Coast Plaza. I had been talking to one of the sales people a month or so before and he said he would send us an invite. I was still shocked that I got a nice thick paper invite to the opening. It was great and they served my favorite champagne. I met Eva Mendes and Mr. Segerstrom, the owner of South Coast Plaza. It was so much fun and I didn't have to spend a dime.

Then there was a short trip to see friends up North. That was a nice relaxing weekend and we brought up home made goodies. It was hot when we came back but nice to get out of the city for a while.

Of course I loved seeing the wolves howl. Highlight of my year! The Big Bear tiny zoo is well worth checking out.

Why am I doing a year end piece in the middle of November? I won't have too much time coming up. I finally have a job offer for part-time work.

The rewards for all my penny pinching? I was able to buy some nice things at the outlets coming home from Vegas. There was the corset sale in the summer and the vintage clothing sales. I have not suffered and have bought new things, always on a discount. Not to bad for a year with out work and staying home night after night eating my home made foods. I still have some jam I made over the summer. All of this is lessons from my grand mother, who went through the 1st depression.