Friday, December 31, 2010

Another year has passed

It's that time of the year again, time to sit down and look back at the year. It's an opportunity to look back, count blessings, think about changes and consider what the new year will bring. Here's an overview of 2010.


The weather was changeable, sometimes rainy, sometimes cold but I had a chance to start planting seeds for the garden. The kids had exams and Yusef had his birthday for the first time in our new house. I went on a shopping trip with my mother-in-law. One special evening, Jenna and I watched in awe as a fireball arched across the sky in front of us - a part of the Coma Berenicid meteor showers.


There weren't many posts in February. I lost a very special friend and mentor to brain cancer. I spent a lot of time contemplating life and just going through the motions. It was like walking through a haze. On top of that I had a car that was misbehaving and a very slow internet connection and was plagued by bad dreams... sigh.


Busy weeks and pleasant weekends, one that included a trip to Tarhouna. 


I went through an 'I hate Libya' phase during the beginning of April. This was sparked by nearly getting my pocket picked, the dog being poisoned, a pervert hanging about near the elementary school and escalating food prices. Some time spent in the garden helped get me through all that. Later I wrote about how Libyan traditions were changing, specifically relating to clothing. I found A&W root beer - which unfortunately I can no longer find...sigh.. but it was good medicine for my soul for a bit.


Exams, changeable weather and intermittent electricity. I commented about the problem with Libyan women (Libyan men are the problem!). 


Long summer days. The kids were bored and we spent time in the garden and on the farm looking at flora and fauna.


This month marked the end of the World Cup and getting ready for Ramadan. My mom spent time in the hospital which left me glued to the internet to keep up with my family on the other side of the world.


Ramadan. The kids took over the cooking this year while I supervised. I reported on the cooks of the Libyan blogoshere. We got a new dog. Long days of fasting in scorching temperatures, and fun nights with friends and family.


Ramadan ended and we celebrated a quiet Eid Al-fitr. The new school year began and we got back into the swing of things. More time was spent in my ever changing garden. The month ended with a guest post about driving in Libya by expatarrivals.com.


Rita, a stray dog, decided to make our house hers. We spent time in the garden where Jenna found a lovely toad - was it Prince Charming in disguise? Most of the month was spent driving kids back and forth and too much time was spent at work (and not enough time was spent having adventures).


I had surgery in this month and counted blessings when all turned out well. We celebrated a quiet Eid Al-adha. Lots of excitement, plenty of rumours, and bumper to bumper traffic during the African Union Summit that was hosted in Tripoli. 


The last month of the year is fairly quiet. I finally got some new wheels - just in time, as the old car had decided it was time to give up. The weather finally started to look like winter as the clouds dumped rain and the streets flooded. It was a good chance to see how my new car handled in wet conditions and concealed potholes. I had a much needed break in the mornings giving me a chance to get caught up. 

Overall, I think I hated 2010! Spending time in my garden helped me ease some stress and get me through some rough spots. Looking back I noticed that I didn't have very many adventures, I spent way too much time working, and not enough time enjoying family, friends and home. Nothing was very good about the year -  I'm glad 2010 is over! I'm looking forward to 2011. 

Best wishes to all for a very Happy New Year!

3 comments:

  1. I too am glad to see the back of 2010 (although it was a very interesting year, since I moved to Libya).

    Wishing you a Happy New Year, and very much enjoying your blog.
    WJ
    http://wispajones.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Found your blog when we were planning a trip to Libya (we spent 2 lovely nights in Tripoli in October). Really enjoyed our trip and love reading your blog.

    Keep it up, best wishes for a happier, better 2011

    Wemley

    ReplyDelete

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