Happy New Year!

What an astonishing year 2008 has been for me! In all my 66 years on this earth I cannot think of another year more filled with meaningful accomplishments in every aspect of life. I am grateful beyond words and I move into 2009 filled with peace and harmony, joy and hope. My Buddhist persona wishes these same states to all beings, including you as you read these words. May you be filled with love and compassion, peace and harmony, joy and hope, in 2009 and beyond.

2009 looms large, filled with all that joy and hope but not without substantial potential for disruption and drama. You see, it's time for me to retire and move forward into the 'third age' of life and I plan to do it with gusto.This is the time, but Oregon is not the place. I need to return home -- to Georgia. This was my goal when I first began thinking of retirement 5 or 6 years ago, but life interfered and I took a few wrong turns along the way. After my personally transcendent 2008, I've come full circle. The time has come and Georgia is the place. My job now is to make that happen, and you can expect to read much in the way of indecision and turmoil as that process moves forward.

Why Georgia? It's home, yes, but I haven't lived in my hometown of Cedartown since I was 10 years old, and while I'm no doubt related to half the county they are distant relations, unknown to me and likely to stay that way. The original and still primary intention is genealogy research. Seems like half the country is getting into that trendy pursuit, but I've been at the game for about 25 years and I take it somewhat seriously. So much so that if I were not so lazy I'd work to become a licensed genealogist and try to bring in a few bucks that way. Fortunately for me, both sides of my family have a couple of hundred years of residence in the state, and they all migrated south from places like South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, all of which are within easy driving distance for further research. I'm sure you can expect to read the successes and angst of this research on these pages.

A newer, secondary purpose for this move is the discovery that instead of living out my life in some cheap, subsidized apartment, I can actually afford to buy a home of my own! This realization stunned me. A real home, a place that's mine and not dependent upon whims of landlords and neighbors. A place where I can have a garden, a dog and a cat, a genealogy research room. This thought fills me with a sense of permanence never before felt and almost incomprehensible in its fullness. I've done the research, laid the groundwork with loan pre-qualification. Now I just need to find the courage to do it. More stories of angst and joy to add to these pages!

Spirituality is another subject that is always at the forefront of my thoughts, and I hope to share much of this with you as well. No religion -- I rejected religion and spirituality for the vast majority of my life. A little over 4 years ago, when my life was once again falling apart at the seams and I had no direction, I decided to try meditation as a healing avenue. Over the years, I'd tried many methods of fighting my personal demons and none of them had worked for long. Also, I'd never forgotten something a co-worker on Orcas Island, Washington said in passing a few years previously. She said, 'the happiest people I know are Buddhists'. I decided it was time to look inside for answers, rather than outside. I tested meditation methods and practices, read about Buddhism, and most importantly, I put what I learned into practice and here I am today, a happy person about to enter my third age of life filled with joy and hope. Buddhism, by the way, is not a religion. It's a philosophy, a way of living that focuses on goodness and generosity, living in the present, and helps us let go of past conditioning, fears and attachments. Without it, I would not be where I am today, and 2008 would not have been so extraordinary for me. You can be sure to read more on this subject in the future.

I leave this post as I began it, with gratitude and joy.