Well, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! December. The month that brings cold, hard reflection. Have I accomplished all that I set out to do? Did I keep those resolutions? Did I write that book? Did I lose those extra few pounds that have been hanging on like molasses in January. Have I blogged enough to keep people interested?

On that last one. No. It has been a difficult year. One of many transitions. We finished March with the last of six months of unemployment. April brought a job in a new state. We were closer to our dreams of a home at the ranch, our forty acres in northern Arizona. By May we’d found a place to live while deciding how to begin building. Detour!

In June my husband’s 85 year old mother had to come live with us. Once again I’m babysitting. Problem is, when I was a teenager, I would take in laundry to earn money rather than babysit. I couldn’t stand it then, I’m not a fan now. What makes it more difficult is that she doesn’t like us. My husband was the families’ surprise! we’re pregnant son. She’s regretted it since. Her only other son, the perfect one, passed away due to complications from surgery years ago so she is left with us to care for her. Not a day goes by that complaints are heard and sighs are made. I’m glad I have twitter and a few friends to commiserate with for certain.

The ranch, while still a reality, has been set back once again. We are currently in the process of purchasing a home in our teeny tiny town so she can be in town as she says the ranch is too far out of the city for her liking. I actually think it’s more because the neighbors are too far away and she’ll be left with just us for company. So instead we’ll spend money for a home in town.

July was wonderful. I love being in the mountains during the hottest part of the year. It’s so beautiful up here and every day I awaken with a smile on my face for the opportunity to live here.

August was spent running back and forth to California. First for BlogHer, then to wrap up a few things in the old city, then to stay with a daughter while she had surgery. I love driving, so I drove each time. My little Cooper has accumulated miles but still plugs along like the day she was purchased.

September, October, November were spent waiting to hear about the new house. A little cottage right in the middle of town. In fact, we’re here in the middle of December and just found out that it is actually a go. We will be moving in January, about the end of the month into this little place. I can hardly wait. I’ve been dreaming of decorating it. And, guess what? I’ve never even been inside! My husband made an offer while I was away so to say I’ve been dreaming is an understatement. Soon, very soon, I’ll see if it was a good choice on his part. Either way we will make it a lovely little place to live. While we build the house on the ranch that is.

December re-acquainted us with snow. Snow we had buried in our memories since our college days. Not just a beautiful dusting of glimmery white puffs. No, this was a full on 30 inch woolen blanket of thick snow! We were in our driveway at 2:30 a.m. shoveling snow to clear a path for expected visitors. Visitors that only made it to the Walmart parking lot a few blocks away. They called it their Rexburg, Idaho curse from their experience living in the coldest two winters in Rexburg’s recent past. It snowed for two days straight and we decided snow might be on the short list of things we’d gladly wish only came in dreams. Alas, we’ll welcome it into our new lives with open arms just as we have the vastness of the wilderness a few minutes drive away from town. The scenery is just stunning, and we are impressed everyday with the beauty of this area.

Looking on to January brings me to thinking I just may begin this blogging thing again. It’s been far too long and there are so many things I’ve been thinking about writing…

I may begin now in fact.

After several years of hoping and planning and delays, we’ve finally made Arizona our home. As my customized sign says, “Dreams Come True Here”. I believe it. And, we’re going to make them happen.

It all started one day at the food plant I managed. I was un-boxing a bunch of labels in the label room. The labels were packed in boxes that had newspapers to keep the labels from sliding around and getting marred. I had some labels to print so I decided to take a look at the paper. It was the Orange County register. I noticed an ad for 40 acre parcels in Northern Arizona. After that we decided to take a trip to look at the land, vowing not to buy anything on a whim.

I read this as a tweet. “If you have a twitter button on your blog, does it include your name?” No.

I thought about it for a while. Hmmm. Is it necessary? Then I went to my RSS feed and read a few blogs. I love that I can read many of them right in the reader. However, sometimes I like them so much I want to share on twitter with others so I click through to their blog pages. I need the url of the post so I can shrink it down and post it on twitter and share this blogger’s post with everyone. Then the problem arises. I follow them on twitter. But I follow almost 600 people and I don’t have all their twitter handles memorized. So I poke around on their blogs, looking for their twitter button or possibly their twitter name. Rarely do I find their twitter handle, just the button to click to get to their twitter page. I then have two twitter windows open. It gets a bit tedious.

So I’m suggesting adding a name above your buttons. Or like me, add a small paragraph telling who you are. A button is just a button. When clicked one application talks to another application, sometimes opening a new window, sometimes not. When we blog we really want to talk to a person. Person to person. Why not add up in your intro who you are on all those other places. Like I’m @robynski on twitter, or I’m foodchronicles on flickr and even I’m YesRobynski on stumble upon. Now if you are on any of those places you can find me easily when doing a search. Make it easy for everyone to find you too!