As with any new year these days, it seems that after the first day is over, the hands on the clock speed up too fast, and before you know it, the first month of the year is over. In January my daughter had the honor of being matron of honor in her friend Kim's wedding. Kim is like a daughter to me, and I couldn't believe she was already walking down the aisle! In just a week she and her husband John will be celebrating their one-year anniversary. The next wedding was that of my oldest brother's. Bruce and his new bride Janet were married on August 22 with a reception the next day to celebrate the start of their lives together. My brother found happiness again, and I gained a new sister-in-law. :) The last wedding of the year was that of my niece Nicole's. She and her beloved Bob were married on November 29, the Saturday after Thanksgiving AND also the 39th wedding anniversary of her parents, my brother Mike and his wife Pam! Because of the geographical distance, I regretfully didn't attend. I am SOOO thrilled for her to have found her soulmate in this life. I am happy to have gained a nephew-in-law(that I haven't yet met) as well. I wish them and all the newlyweds many, many years of happiness and laughter. :)
Two people in our family graduated. My nephew Tyler graduated from Cinco Ranch High School with honors! GO TYLER! He is working and plans to join the Navy. My niece Nicole(yes, the newlywed Nicole) graduated with her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from UTPB, University of Texas-Permian Basin. Congratulations to both of the graduates in our family! I am so proud of both of them and their hard work and wish them well with their future endeavors.
I attended two reunions this year. The first was my 25th class high school reunion. I couldn't believe that much time had passed, but I guess it had. Where did the time go? we all asked. I went to my 10th, skipped the 20th, but I was not missing this one! We didn't have a big turnout, but we had a GREAT time! It was sooo much fun seeing everyone and catching up! The band Teazur played at our venue. The lead vocalist(and his beautiful wife) went to high school with us, and he and the band are AWESOME! They play a lot of 80s rock and are so cool! You can catch them on YouTube or on their website: www.teazur.com The next reunion I attended was my family reunion. It is always held at Landa Park in beautiful New Braunfels, TX. Due to my traveling phobia, I hadn't attended one of the family reunions since 2005 so I was due for one and am so glad I was able to make it. I got to see so many family members I haven't seen in several years, especially cousins and my Aunt Tommye. She is 87 years old, in general good health, has her wits about her, and is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life. We are so blessed to still have her with us. Since my mom died, I had possession of several boxes of pictures, many of them family so I took consolidated the boxes into two boxes and took them to the reunion. We had a great time going down memory lane although we missed those that are no longer with us. Thinking of them and seeing them in print made us smile, laugh, and remember them and that they're always in our hearts.
The dream that came true was mine. I became a published children's book author! I had dreamed of it for so long, and when it finally came true....the words stuck in my throat along with some backed up sobs. It was such a thrill to FINALLY see my book published! Nana's Banana was officially released on 9/23/14. What a dream come true! I had worked so hard on the book and to get it published and waited forever it seems for a dream that sometimes I thought would be easier to give up on, but I didn't. I'm so glad I didn't. For a first time author, I'd say sales have been pretty good. I have a LOT of family and friends who are VERY supportive and offer encouragement all the time. Now am I rich and famous over night? HECK NO! Will I be someday? Maybe...if I keep dreaming and working on achieving that goal. Coincidentally, you can order Nana's Banana on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nanas-Banana-Sandra-Biersdorfer/dp/163268652X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420359998&sr=8-1&keywords=nana%27s+banana
In keeping with the author theme, I also went to two awesome book signings. I got to meet Good Morning America's Robin Roberts at the Blue Willow Book Shop in Houston, TX, while Robin was on tour promoting her book, Everybody's Got Something. I am still reading it and love it. She shares her personal experience of her diagnosis and is a very inspiring person for cancer patients as well as all who love and adore her as I do. I wore a pink blouse in her honor for Cancer Awareness, and she thanked me for doing so. We got to hug her and have our picture taken with her. It was an awesome delight to meet her. She is not as tall as she looks on TV, though, and is quite tiny, but sooo sweet. I could talk to her for hours!!!! The second author I got to meet, rather re-meet, was one of my favorite thriller authors, Wendy Corsi Staub! I met her a few years ago in Katy, TX, and she was a dear, sweet person and so personable and answered a lot of my questions kindly and honestly about the publishing world. She offered her encouragement, and trust me I carry it with me every day. She is so down to Earth. I LOVE that she remembered me! This time my daughter Tori got to meet her as well at her book signing and discussion of her newest book, The Perfect Stranger, at Murder By The Book in Houston, TX. The time before my son Trevor was with me and had the pleasure to meet Wendy. I love when she comes to Houston so I can go see her. It's like visiting an old friend.
Another highlight of 2014 is that we gained another kitty. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE CATS!!!! To say that I'm a cat person is a huge understatement as I joke that when I'm old and retire, I will be the crazy cat lady in the neighborhood! haha We lost Lucy, rather she moved from our house to her mommy's house, i.e. she now lives with my daughter Tori in Nacogdoches. However, we gained Raven from one of my pet sitting clients who found her as a stray after a storm but wasn't able to keep her since 1) They already have 3 indoor cats, and 2) Said indoor cats did not care for newest kitten. I took her in but have kind of regretted it. Oh, she's cute...when she's asleep...or still, which most of the time she is NOT! She loves to climb on top of the refrigerator and slide down the front or the side, taking all the papers, magnets, and pictures I have down with her. She loves to turn over the bathroom trash can and scatter its contents about the bathroom floor. Her favorite thing to do, and the one thing that drives the most nuts, is that she claws my shower curtains to shreds, giving her the nickname "Kitty Krueger". I haven't bonded with her yet, but I hope in time she'll calm down and be sweet. Right now she still doesn't like to be held and only lets me pet her when it's convenient for her, you know, a typical cat. It's usually in the wee hours of the morning when she'll come up to me by the couch where I sleep and start purring and meowing. That's my Pavlovian cue to drop my hand down so SHE can walk underneath my hand, petting herself at her pace. That works out great for her until I try to pick her up and cuddle with her. She wants none of that. She's lucky I'm a cat person...
Our family was hit with one major loss this year, and that was of my dad, Marvin Ralph Biersdorfer. He passed away two days before my birthday on October 16. His funeral was in Brownwood, TX, on Sunday, October 19, and he was buried with military honors in the Texas Veterans Cemetery in Abilene, TX, on Monday, October 20. (That's why I traveled from Abilene to Houston on October 20, the day of his burial). He was 81 and lived a long, full life, but it's never easy to say "goodbye" to your daddy. I could write another whole blog(and probably will) about losing him. I was never really a "Daddy's girl". He left when I was 9, almost 10, and we weren't that close when I was growing up although we did get a lot closer as I got older and started my own family. I still have "Daddy" issues and went through a deep depression after he died. I couldn't deal with it all the memories and conflicting grief I was going through. I pretty much stayed on the couch for about two weeks. I didn't shower very often, and I didn't work much either. Thank God for understanding bosses, or I would have lost my job. During the grieving process, or rather the beginning of it, I realized what a thief time is. My dad left when I was 9, almost 10, and I was lucky to see him maybe once a year after that for several years. So much time lost there. When I got older and saw him a little more frequently, geographically we were far apart, and also with my panic and anxiety issues, it was pretty impossible to go visit him. As an adult I did get to spend a couple of Christmases with him, a Thanksgiving, and one of the best times the whole family(or most of the whole family) got to spend with Dad, his 80th birthday celebration in Lago Vista near Austin, TX. The family rented a huge house on Lake Travis that housed up to 20 people I think. We spent the whole weekend as a family eating, talking, laughing, celebrating life, celebrating Dad, and it was WONDERFUL! I'm so glad those of us that could were able to make it. It meant a lot to him, and now it means a lot to me. Time. She's a thief. Don't take one second for granted. Always settle your grievances, and always tell those you love that you love them. Yesterday is gone forever. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today is all we have. Make the best of it.
On the upside, our family celebrated the birth of our newest member, Rudder Seeger Biersdorfer, my newest great nephew. He was born on October 16. Yes, the same day my dad died. It's funny how that "circle of life" stuff works, huh, and how life comes full circle? Rudder was born only hours after my dad died. It gives me chill bumps to think about it. It was such a bittersweet day. At 4:30 a.m. I got the call from my brother Bruce that our dad had passed away to only hear the rejoicing news of Rudder's birth hours later. It saddens me to think Rudder won't ever get to meet his great Grandpa, but then again, how do I know that they didn't meet somewhere in the transition? I like to think of my dad's passing and Rudder's arrival into this life in that way.
Lastly, one other good(or even great) thing happened to me personally in 2014. Besides finding and maintaining a full-time job(I've been there 7 months-yay!), I fell in love for the first time in a very, very long time. While focusing on my kids and becoming an author, I hadn't really dated for a few years, and so I was pleasantly surprised to fall in love. I will not say his name because it's a "complicated" situation, but I will say he and I have been friends for over a decade so I've known him for a long time. I'm not going to give too much else away but will say that it feels good to FEEL again. Feel in love, feel wanted, feel needed, feel like a woman...just feel happy. I have no idea how long this will last. It could end in five minutes, tomorrow, next week, next month....who knows? I'm just going to try to focus on the now and enjoy every sweet second of it. :)
Well, that's a wrap for 2014. Here's what I'm looking forward to in 2015:
I am in the process of publishing my 2nd children's book, The Kitty with the Itty Bitty Tail. This book is about us realizing we are special despite our shortcomings or difference, and even though I didn't really plan for it to be, it kind of turned into an anti-bullying book. I am hoping it comes out this summer and in time for me to take it to the East Texas Book Fest IF I get to go back. I hope I do.
In February I am going to join a GriefShare class at a church where I used to work. I think it's time to deal with a lot of issues surrounding grief. The class or session lasts for 14 or 15 weeks and will be covering the anniversaries of losing my son Tyler(2/20), my mom's death(4/7), and my dad's birthday(3/27). I really hope to gain a lot of insight from this class that will help me truly grieve and grow and move on.
At the end of February on 2/28 I am going to my 2nd book venue for Nana's Banana. It is called the Houston Author's Bash and is being held in Katy at the Harmony Science Academy's West Campus. I'm excited to attend and do more networking.
Probably the most bittersweet milestone coming up for 2015 is my baby boy(baby ha!--He's 18 and much taller than I am!) Trevor is graduating from high school! I am excited for him and proud of him and his accomplishments, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss him. Since Tori moved out and is on her own and living her own life, it's just been the two of us, and I've adjusted to that. What will I do when he's gone? I'll miss him, of course, but I'll adjust again, and then it's time to PARTY! Woo hoo!!!!! We'll see of course. I'm excited to see where his future takes him on the next journey of his life. I can't believe so much time(there's that word again) has passed by so quickly! In addition to Trevor's graduating, I have pretty much decided that I will be moving away from Houston once Trevor graduates. I'm not a city girl and for years have been wanting to move back to the East Texas area. Of course, I may change my mind depending on what's going on in my life at the time, but since time is becoming so preciously running out, I need to make a decision to move or not, and, if so, I need to decide where so I can start looking for another job and another place to live...ya know, get my ducks in a row so to speak.
2014 was a great year with the exception of losing my dad. I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for me and my family. Time will tell...
