Festival of Lights: Day of Contemplation

[paetric]

Oh yea I got my pole in the beginning of this year! :) :)

 

Everyone has had a crazy year! Wow!

 

Your pole???

[alannalynn]

Wow Paetric, you need to invest in a bike, really. And welcome back!

 

*thinks*

 

I knew I forgot something! My great-grandfater turned 100 in September, then he died in November *sadness* I didn't know him very well but I broke down crying at the funeral

Aw! *hugs* Think of all you can do in 100 years though, that's rather amazing. I'd consider myself lucky for that many years, and I'm sure he was a great guy to be blessed with so many.

[Egwene Aes Sedai]

hmmmm 2010 for me well...

 

My parents split up and do not talk.

Joined DM and made lots of good friends and penpals

Completed a French course and joined the libray at work

Became Junior BarStaff manager at the bar on camp

 

and thats about it, I havnt accomplished much this year. Its been a rather quiet year for me. I hope to do more with my life next year.

[poetstorm]

Whew, 2010 was a roller coaster ride for me, both good and bad, and just many changes.

 

First in late 2009 through January my husband becomes acquainted with his 13 year old half brother James who he had never met before. They share a father, who passed away in November 2009 and James came to live with his mother who reached out to us to meet him. (My husband was estranged from his father who left when he was born so he had no idea really) The cops are often at the house, there is a divorce court dispute, and custody issues over another son, plus allegations of drugs etc… so it was a disaster waiting to happen at home.

 

In February, James’ mom called us to say she was kicking James out of the house because she could not handle it. She has had a few children that she has left with other people and never raised anyone to teenage hood. It was a frantic night. We ran over there and ended up taking James in. He’s a great kid but his mother has issues and is always down on him. We took him to school and took care of him until his school district called and said if he is living with us, he needs to be in our school district. We were working to get his mom to agree and to sign papers so we could transfer him but at the last minute she changed her mind and we had to send him back home.

 

But that very night we received a call from him begging us to come and get him because things were BAD at home. We couldn’t legally without the mom’s permission and I tried to explain that. The next few days both he and his mother told us all was fine and dandy but we were suspicious and finally James was able to call us without his mother on the toher line and broke down admitting he had been hit multiple times, that she had been drinking heavily and all was far from alright at the moment. So we took a chance and called the authorities. When they arrived they called us and asked if we could come and get James, and his brother too because she was so drunk as to be incapable of taking care of them that night. So we went, and we called the toher boy’s father to come too and the police released James to us and the other to his dad. It was just a nervewracking rollercoaster, taking him in, then losing him, and then being helpless to get him out of there until we had proof, which meant that he had to be brave and speak out, and endure more from his mom until it came to a head with the police. Everything kept happening so fast my head was spinning.

 

So began our saga of court dates and guardianship hearings. We found out there was some minor sexual abuse that had taken place too. Just as I was adjusting to being an instant mother to a 13 year old boy, when my family was all girls and I had never raised a child before, the next bombshell hit. The other boy, James’ half brother was not released into his father’s guardianship in court and basically he was going to go to a foster home…so we both stepped up and agreed to take him in too. Talk about a panic attack, here we go from having no kids to having two, who have been through a lot. But we couldn’t see the brothers separated by the foster care system. Plus we didn’t have the space or the money to support both children but we managed for two weeks until his father appealed, got a new judge, and was awarded guardianship/

 

After much time off of work, lots of paperwork, visits from CPS and other agencies, and many many court dates later we finally obtained permanent custody of James in August, almost 6 months later! His mother is facing drug and sexual abuse charges, having been found positive for cocaine. It’s been a real ride and I have learned a lot going through it. He’s a great kid and his grades are steadily improving.

 

Other things have changed. I’ve started writing poetry again and I finally had the nerve to apply to join a church choir, though my auditions aren’t til two weeks from now. I joined a gym. And I started reading WOT again and am now up to book 5. Also I was on the Travel Channel this year being interviewed for Most Terrifying Places, and my paranormal group picked up some really good evidence this year.

[Lessa Nikia]

Oh Poet! That made me cry those poor kids. It's a good thing you helped them though. You need a hug!

 

*hugs Poet*

[poetstorm]

Aww thanks Lessa :D *hugs back* I have no regrets. Though it was a transfiguring experience for all of us, and brought a lot of drastic change, I see it as a very positive thing.

 

He’s so smart too. He went from failing last year to being put into special science programs, a student think-tank, and his teachers want him to get into robotics class next year. I so want a bumper sticker that says “My child is in robotics club.” The geek in me is proud, very proud. :D LOL

 

Oops, I also forgot that this is my first year on DM! That too has been a wonderful thing full of interesting people. ^^

[Lessa Nikia]

Nice! Smart kid

[Millon]

wow Poet. I have to say that you and yur family are just some absolutely beautiful people. Thank the Goddess for people like you. I have known many abused families and it is far more rare than anyone really thinks for someone to come out like that and do what needs to be done. Thank you for makin the world a brighter place, okay?

[Little Miss]

*snuggles her beautiful mintee* what a year for you pretty mintee mine. You are a wonderfully strong woman <3

[Reyn]

Hate to clutter the thread, but WOW poet! You are an amazing person. *hugs tight*

[poetstorm]

Huh wow *blushes from head to toe* Well I never really thought about it like that, and it was definitely a group effort but thanks you guys. *hugs*

 

I didn’t mean to monopolize the thread though, so, what has everyone else been up to this year? :D

[Little Miss]

*laughs* don't. Worry pretty you shouldn't worry about that. ^^ we all here to share and comment on each other. Whther that is a hug for a rough year or a praise for doing something amazing for other ^^

 

Of course we would love to hear about others years as well ^^

[charis sedai]

*giggles at her wifey's mobile spelling problems*

 

She's right though!

 

I forgot one thing though: I finally stopped biting my nails this year. I've been biting them since I grew teeth, so that was a major success for me!

[Little Miss]

Lol yes I has a new toy to play with ^^

And that is awesome love!

[Egwene Aes Sedai]

*giggles* I love playing with new phones. It took me 4days to figure out how to call someone on my last phone.

[Little Miss]

Heh I knew mine pretty quick how ever there is this new thing called swipe. Where you don't lift your fingers off the touch screen ^^

[Reyn]

Ooh and on that note this year was the year I became a Mac =P

I got an Iphone as well as a Macbook Pro during this year =D

[Little Miss]

*grins*

 

I am a pc ^^

 

*settles in to about more peoples yearly events*

[alannalynn]

Oh wow! I finally got to read your post Poet! It's all worth it ^.^

 

Limi, you do get the good ones, huh?

 

How's the Mac, Reyn?

I'm a PC, and I just got a new comp for Christmas after a year of mom's computer... *shudder*

 

I digress...

[keyholder21]

I'm a PC, and I just got a new comp for Christmas after a year of mom's computer... *shudder*

 

 

Yay, your own computer!!

 

I'm one of those rare individuals that is both a mac and PC. I have a mac laptop (that is getting old and cranky, so I probably need a new one) and a PC desktop (snazzy one that fiance built).

[Little Miss]

Laine love, that I do that I do ^^

[Onis OLeia]

Too much has happened this year for me to remember it all, but these things are the main events:

 

*Got approved for disability

*Made more friends, both via TV.Net, A'vron Ayende and DM

*Saved up money to go to TV.Net's 10th Anniversary

*Grew a lot personally, and am no longer as closed as I used to be

*Became an Accepted on TV.Net and here, then recently raised to Aes Sedai here

*Joined the Green Ajah both here and on TV.Net

*Went to a physiological rehab center due to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, learnt a lot and came home with good tools to handle the challenges, and later got appointments booked with a specialist (going this coming March) on CFS/ME and at a pain clinic (going this coming February)

*Learnt to ask for help, and am amazed at the response I've gotten from my friends

*Read a lot more books than I did in 2009