Welcome to the last week of the dumpster fire also known as 2020. We hope you had a blessed and Merry Christmas. Christmas this year marked an extra special occasion, marking the 90th birthday for my mom. My Mom has lived through some pretty horrific times. She survived the bombing of Frankfurt during World War II as child as well as through some pretty intense health issues over the past few years. I wrote a bit about it back in 2016 here, after Angel Sam spent a week on her bed at hospice care following an ER doctor’s prognosis giving her 48 hours to live. Long story short, she “flunked out of hospice” then. In 2017 she ended up back in hospital for 4 weeks, with a number of days in ICU. Another surgery was performed where more of her colon was removed for an obstruction but she managed to eventually bounce back once again. These days we affectionately refer to her as a ‘semi-colon.’ So yeah, this was a very special Christmas birthday. I’m so incredibly grateful to have been able to celebrated it. Happy 90th to my spunky, special Mom who has defied the odds in numerous ways.
Like everyone else, we’re hoping 2021 provides a path toward normalcy. It won’t come overnight (especially if ‘mask holes’ continue to not wear masks and congregating in large groups) and pray the recently approved vaccines provide a way back toward the ‘good ole days.’ The world has so much healing needed to embark upon and pray that 2021 is the beginning of that process.
We look forward to waving goodbye to 2020 while remaining upbeat that 2021 provides more smiles and joy for our COVID weary hearts. To 2020, we say “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Christmas was enjoyable with the boys and the grandchild. We had great fun opening presents and playing with toys with connor. New Year saw just Annabell, me and Benji. John was working and Andrew was on call, so just we few, we happy few, to make sure 2020 made an exit. Looking forward to the hope that 2021 brings with it.
Sounds like nice holidays to us-Christmas with little ones is always joyful. We’re hopeful 2021 is a kinder, gentler year though suspect a lot of patience may be necessary. All the best to you with extra ear scritches for Benji.
That ornament sums up 2020 perfectly!! Happy Happy birthday to your incredible Mom!!! I see where you get YOUR strength from! She is one amazing lady! Love to all!
She is one of the most resilient people I know-I guess when your hometown is bombed during a war you learn to deal with anything life throws at you. Happy New Year to you and Tippy.
Hopefully 2021 will be better, but I hope that some things from this year survive. Firstly, your hilarious Christmas tree decoration. Secondly, ‘maskholes’ I haven’t heard that before and it’s hilarious!
Your Mom is one strong lady – we know her 90th birthday was special for MANY MANY reasons. I wish we could all be that strong. One thing we do all have in common is we’re ready to kick 2020 out the door. We must all hope we see the light at the end of that danged tunnel (again). Here’s wishing you and your family a healthy and happy 2021.
Dumpster fire is a very polite way of describing 2020. It was a very quiet Xmas at The Golden K. All my kids stayed home with their spouses given the afore mentioned dumpster fire. So just me and Holly and the girls. I missed my kids but it was rather nice just being with my bride and our Golden furbabies.
Wow, your mom is one tough chick. God bless her! And love the photo, I had to LOL when I saw that ornament!
Happy belated birthday to your spunky mom, what a great role model for all of us!
Love the Xmas ornament, it pretty well sums up the year!
Wishing you and yours the best in ’21.
Happy Birthday to your Mom. Our Christmas was very peaceful. I think we all will need to be patient in 2021 since improvement will take longer than expected. We are all ready for a return to normal but can’t rush it. Happy New Year to your ane yours, Monika.
Happy Birthday to your mom from me, and my mom, she will be 99 years old in February.
That ornament in the pic tells really what this year has been.
Happy New Year to you!
semi colon… we will never go back to true safety as there are antivaxers and people who believe a grifter is sincerely just trying to help, but it will improve… pretty much only up from here right? Happy to hear your mom is a survivor, and you inherited those genes. Scritches to the pups. Sam is an angel still, in spirit form now, and we miss him still.
Thanks, LeeAnna. Yes, life going forward will look and feel vastly different from the days of ‘innocence’ before the grifting philanderer occupied the highest office in the land. Not a day goes by where I don’t ache at the loss of my sweet Sam.
Miracles do happen, and your Mom seems to be one of them. Please wish her a very happy 90th and a good 2021 from me and my gang.
Would you mind if I borrowed the dog ornament for NYE or Day, with credit and a link to your blog, of course! It really made me laugh, and is so true in so many ways!
Amen to that, and Happy Birthday to your spunky Mom! My sister-in-law gave us a very thoughtful Christmas gift–two handmade cleaning rags. One is to be used during the last days of December to “wash the grime of 2020 away.” We are then to throw away or destroy it (I’m planning to burn it.) And there is a clean rag to start things off again on New Year’s Day. So many people are ready to let this year go….
So happy to hear your mom flunked hospice! After working with a hospice organization for 7 years, I can tell you that doesn’t happen very often. Warmest blessings to you & yours for a better new year! 🌞
Thank you! Yes, having spent 7 years visiting hospice patients I know all too well most families weren’t afforded the same outcome. I always felt like those who worked in palliative care were angels on earth so good on you! Happy 2021!
Oh, wow!
Happy Belated 90th Birthday Greetings to your dear Mom!
I almost spat my coffee on my laptop when I saw that doggy ornament. Too funny, hilarious actually!
I work in a nursing home, and we have had several hospice failures over the almost 10 years I have been working there….those kind of failures are a tribute to the peeps themselves and to the loving care they receive form their caregivers. We just don’t give up, and neither do they! I am so glad your Mom was a ‘failure’ too:)
I was working on Christmas, in the midst of our own covid crisis; and I do hope I was able to bring holiday cheer to my residents, we are their surrogate families now, since no visitors are allowed, other than through zoom and window visits. What kind of peeps with dementia and other ailments of the elderly understand these things. They feel totally cut off, and even the ones who are in the late stages of their illnesses feel it…I have hugged more than a few, when no one was looking…only God was seeing it:)
(And I continue to still test negative on my biweekly tests…PTL!)
Healthcare workers deserve a pair of wings. When Sam and I were doing hospice and hospital visits, I was blown away by the care and compassion we witnessed. Please know you are held in the highest esteem. Stay safe, stay sane and keep smiling now and throughout 2021. 🥰
Happy Happy 90th Birthday to your Mom!!! I do remember you writing about Sam spending that week on her bed. So glad she has refused to believe the doctors so far!! Tell Mrs. Spunky that my Mom is watching over her – she was spunky too!
And as to that Christmas ornament, I LOVE IT!!! Where DID you find it? I’d love to get one just to keep as a reminder that things could always be worse – and we need to be grateful for the good in our lives.
Happy New Year to you and the ranch hands, including Angel Sam!!! ❤️🥂🐾🐾😇
Mazel Tov you your Mother Monika!!! 90 years old is a milestone! Happy belated Birthday to her!
The start of your sentence about 2020 being a dumpster fire made me spit water all down myself! And that dog ornament is hilarious! We sure DO have to keep a sense of humour….
(((hugs))) Sherri-Ellen & **purrss** BellaDharma
A sense of humor has been the only thing keeping my sanity. Yeah, I had the same reaction when I saw that ornament. Here’s to a much improved 2021, Sherri-Ellen and BellaDharma.
I go between humour & Depression…we are in 2nd Lockdown & it is brutal. I went out today & got toiletries & groceries & BellaDharma’s supplies…I bought so much I won’t be shopping for a long time, lol…That way I am not exposed to many people at all 😉
We feel that same way. I just pray there are more days of humor than depression. It helps to deal with the bad stuff. Stay safe, sane and keep smiling.
I LOVE the ornament of the dog pooping out 2020 — so fabulous!! Another of my recent favorites from online is a sweatshirt that reads “End of an Error” and the inauguration date. Let’s hope there are still plenty of things to laugh about in 2021 but they aren’t so bittersweet.
That sentiment had been around since Bush left office. Hard to believe some people thought those times were the worst we’ve faced.
While I have no illusion that 2021 will be a cake walk, I am hopeful that 2021 will be a vast improvement. Have a great last week in 2020 and a better 2021.
I LOVE the semi-colon pun, that’s so cute (and slightly mean, the way family awesome is nice-mean to eachother). Glad to hear she’s in better health now. 90 is IMPRESSIVE.
Happy Newyear!
Happy 90th Birthday to your pawtacular Mom! ✨🎶🎶🎂💫✨🐾💜🐾
Thanks so much for the pawsome birthday wishes!
🐾💜🐾
Christmas was enjoyable with the boys and the grandchild. We had great fun opening presents and playing with toys with connor. New Year saw just Annabell, me and Benji. John was working and Andrew was on call, so just we few, we happy few, to make sure 2020 made an exit. Looking forward to the hope that 2021 brings with it.
Sounds like nice holidays to us-Christmas with little ones is always joyful. We’re hopeful 2021 is a kinder, gentler year though suspect a lot of patience may be necessary. All the best to you with extra ear scritches for Benji.
You’re too kind, Miss Amy. Wishing you, Lucy and Xena a kinder, gentler 2021.
That ornament sums up 2020 perfectly!! Happy Happy birthday to your incredible Mom!!! I see where you get YOUR strength from! She is one amazing lady! Love to all!
Thanks for the kind wishes. She most certainly is. I wish I had half her resiliency! Happy New Year to you and yours. 🍾🎉
Lulu: “Happy belated big nine-oh to your mom! And we are looking forward to kicking 2020 to the curb, too!”
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It’ll be good to begin a fresh new slate. We’re hoping to fur-get 2020 altogether.
Happy Birthday to your mom! She sounds like a tough lady. I love the Christmas ornament.
She is one of the most resilient people I know-I guess when your hometown is bombed during a war you learn to deal with anything life throws at you. Happy New Year to you and Tippy.
Your mama is a tough cookie. And nobody loves cookies better than I do! Happy birthday to her.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Thanks for the birthday wishes. Everyone loves cookies, especially sweet ones like my mum.
A huge Happy Birthday to your Mom!!! Wishing the best for her in 2021! ❤
The ornament cracked me and my husband up! 😄
Thank you for the birthday wishes. Yeah, I thought that ornament aptly depicted 2020 to a tee.
You are very welcome! Parents are so special! My husband really wants that ornament! LOL!
There are several variations on Amazon but think that one came from Etsy.
Thanks. 🙂
👍🏻
That’s quite an ornament! Happy 90th birthday to your mom. Mine *almost* made it to 91 before the virus took her. Cherish your time with her!
I’m so sorry for your loss. Everyday my mom’s on this earth is a gift in my mind. Happy New Year.
Thank you, same to you and yours.
Happy birthday to your mum!
Hopefully 2021 will be better, but I hope that some things from this year survive. Firstly, your hilarious Christmas tree decoration. Secondly, ‘maskholes’ I haven’t heard that before and it’s hilarious!
Hope that you’re all well!
Your Mom is one strong lady – we know her 90th birthday was special for MANY MANY reasons. I wish we could all be that strong. One thing we do all have in common is we’re ready to kick 2020 out the door. We must all hope we see the light at the end of that danged tunnel (again). Here’s wishing you and your family a healthy and happy 2021.
Hugs, Pam and Teddy too
Yup, Mom is remarkable in so many ways and her being around to celebrate 90 years is extra special.
I say we kick 2020 out the door and to the curb! 😍
We say AMEN to that!
Well, happy birthday wishes to your Mom – we hope she has a wonderful year in 2021!!! And yes, that ornament says it all!!!
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Thanks for the birthday wishes. We’re really hoping for a much better 2021. 🤞🏻
Dumpster fire is a very polite way of describing 2020. It was a very quiet Xmas at The Golden K. All my kids stayed home with their spouses given the afore mentioned dumpster fire. So just me and Holly and the girls. I missed my kids but it was rather nice just being with my bride and our Golden furbabies.
Wow, your mom is one tough chick. God bless her! And love the photo, I had to LOL when I saw that ornament!
Take care at The Ranch. Happy and safe new year!
Thanks Michael! I thought that ornament was absolutely a perfect visual metaphor for 2020.
Hopefully you’ll get to visit with your kids soon. Best wishes to you, Holly and the Golden girls for a ‘pawsome’ New Year!
The ornament really does say it all.
But enough of this 2020, I say. Happy Birthday to your tough and special lady. And many, many more.
And here’s to light at the end of this dark tunnel.
I’ll drink to all of those thoughts! 🍺🥃🍷🍹
Here here! Or is it Hear hear!?
You are lucky to have your Mom alive. My parents are gone.
So lucky and extraordinarily grateful.
Happy belated birthday to your spunky mom, what a great role model for all of us!
Love the Xmas ornament, it pretty well sums up the year!
Wishing you and yours the best in ’21.
Yup, that ornament pretty much sums up 2020. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Mom will be thrilled with all the greetings.
Happy birthday to your very special mom!
Why thank you very much.
Happy Birthday to your Mom. Our Christmas was very peaceful. I think we all will need to be patient in 2021 since improvement will take longer than expected. We are all ready for a return to normal but can’t rush it. Happy New Year to your ane yours, Monika.
Thank you. Yes, patience will definitely be the word for 2021.
😊
A very Happy Birthday to your Mom!! Although the pups really enjoyed 2020 with us staying home, I am looking forward to the hope 2021 brings!
Thank you! We’re hoping 2021 is a much better year.
Happy Birthday to your mom from me, and my mom, she will be 99 years old in February.
That ornament in the pic tells really what this year has been.
Happy New Year to you!
Wow, 99!! That’s incredible. We wish her an early “hyvää syntymäpäivää” greeting. 🥰
Kiitos, I will tell her.
🙏🏼
Cheers to Mom on her 90th! And wishes to all Ranch personnel for a 2021 that is not poop worthy.
Thank you! We’re so over the year of the 💩.
The ornament at the end of the post describes 2020 to a tee.
Jean
It sure does!
Happy Birthday to your mom (aka. semi-colon BOL!). We sure hope 2021 ends better than 2020. That ornament cracks us up.
Thanks for the birthday wishes. Yeah, we thought that ornament pretty much said it all for 2020. We hope you have a wagnificent 2021!
semi colon… we will never go back to true safety as there are antivaxers and people who believe a grifter is sincerely just trying to help, but it will improve… pretty much only up from here right? Happy to hear your mom is a survivor, and you inherited those genes. Scritches to the pups. Sam is an angel still, in spirit form now, and we miss him still.
Thanks, LeeAnna. Yes, life going forward will look and feel vastly different from the days of ‘innocence’ before the grifting philanderer occupied the highest office in the land. Not a day goes by where I don’t ache at the loss of my sweet Sam.
Happy 2021 to you, Drew and sweet Milo.
Miracles do happen, and your Mom seems to be one of them. Please wish her a very happy 90th and a good 2021 from me and my gang.
Would you mind if I borrowed the dog ornament for NYE or Day, with credit and a link to your blog, of course! It really made me laugh, and is so true in so many ways!
By all means, use away! That ornament really spoke to me and proved the old saying that ‘one picture is worth 10,000 words.’
Thank you for the birthday wishes; we are all so very grateful she (and my dad for that matter) are still with us.
Amen to that, and Happy Birthday to your spunky Mom! My sister-in-law gave us a very thoughtful Christmas gift–two handmade cleaning rags. One is to be used during the last days of December to “wash the grime of 2020 away.” We are then to throw away or destroy it (I’m planning to burn it.) And there is a clean rag to start things off again on New Year’s Day. So many people are ready to let this year go….
What a terrific and novel gift! While I hate ‘wishing my life away,’ 2020 can’t end fast enough for me. And thanks for the birthday wishes for my mum.
So happy to hear your mom flunked hospice! After working with a hospice organization for 7 years, I can tell you that doesn’t happen very often. Warmest blessings to you & yours for a better new year! 🌞
Thank you! Yes, having spent 7 years visiting hospice patients I know all too well most families weren’t afforded the same outcome. I always felt like those who worked in palliative care were angels on earth so good on you! Happy 2021!
Oh, wow!
Happy Belated 90th Birthday Greetings to your dear Mom!
I almost spat my coffee on my laptop when I saw that doggy ornament. Too funny, hilarious actually!
I work in a nursing home, and we have had several hospice failures over the almost 10 years I have been working there….those kind of failures are a tribute to the peeps themselves and to the loving care they receive form their caregivers. We just don’t give up, and neither do they! I am so glad your Mom was a ‘failure’ too:)
I was working on Christmas, in the midst of our own covid crisis; and I do hope I was able to bring holiday cheer to my residents, we are their surrogate families now, since no visitors are allowed, other than through zoom and window visits. What kind of peeps with dementia and other ailments of the elderly understand these things. They feel totally cut off, and even the ones who are in the late stages of their illnesses feel it…I have hugged more than a few, when no one was looking…only God was seeing it:)
(And I continue to still test negative on my biweekly tests…PTL!)
Praise the lord indeed!! Good for you.
Healthcare workers deserve a pair of wings. When Sam and I were doing hospice and hospital visits, I was blown away by the care and compassion we witnessed. Please know you are held in the highest esteem. Stay safe, stay sane and keep smiling now and throughout 2021. 🥰
How wonderful you were able to celebrate your mother’s 90th. Some good to come out of this year… right?
This year more than ever, I reminded myself that everyday is a good day, some are just better than others.
Yes. That is the proper way to look at things, I believe. It helps keep us sane and not fall into the abyss of dismal thinking!
Which hadn’t always been easy this past year.
Indeed!
Your mother is one tough lady…so very glad she has made it through all her health problems to reach 90 years!
Thank you! They don’t build them like her anymore.
Happy Happy 90th Birthday to your Mom!!! I do remember you writing about Sam spending that week on her bed. So glad she has refused to believe the doctors so far!! Tell Mrs. Spunky that my Mom is watching over her – she was spunky too!
And as to that Christmas ornament, I LOVE IT!!! Where DID you find it? I’d love to get one just to keep as a reminder that things could always be worse – and we need to be grateful for the good in our lives.
Happy New Year to you and the ranch hands, including Angel Sam!!! ❤️🥂🐾🐾😇
Thank you, Sue. Let’s hear it for spunky women!
As for that ornament, it came from a friend but think it came from Etsy but there are assorted varieties of it at Amazon as well.
I REALLY wish I’d seen this Christmas ornament in time to put it on the tree… it’s perfect!
It’s definitely a reminder of how this year went. Happy New Year, Amy!
Mazel Tov you your Mother Monika!!! 90 years old is a milestone! Happy belated Birthday to her!
The start of your sentence about 2020 being a dumpster fire made me spit water all down myself! And that dog ornament is hilarious! We sure DO have to keep a sense of humour….
(((hugs))) Sherri-Ellen & **purrss** BellaDharma
A sense of humor has been the only thing keeping my sanity. Yeah, I had the same reaction when I saw that ornament. Here’s to a much improved 2021, Sherri-Ellen and BellaDharma.
I go between humour & Depression…we are in 2nd Lockdown & it is brutal. I went out today & got toiletries & groceries & BellaDharma’s supplies…I bought so much I won’t be shopping for a long time, lol…That way I am not exposed to many people at all 😉
We feel that same way. I just pray there are more days of humor than depression. It helps to deal with the bad stuff. Stay safe, sane and keep smiling.
Doing my best Monika! Gotta keep as ‘pawsitive’ as ‘pawssible’ 😉
Happy 90th birthday to your mom. Wow she’s overcome a lot of health issues. Good for her.
Have a fabulous day and week, my friend. Scritches to the pups. ♥
Many thanks, Sandee. My mom has lived through stuff most people only read about. She’s truly an inspiration. Have a great week!
I’m glad your mother is still with you. A happy 90th to her!
Thanks, Herr Pit. That makes two of us. Here’s to a better 2021.
Wowza! Happy HAPPY 90th Birthday to your remarkable, inspirational mom!
Thanks, Cristina. Remarkable, indefatigable and most definitely inspirational. Here’s to better times in 2021.
I LOVE the ornament of the dog pooping out 2020 — so fabulous!! Another of my recent favorites from online is a sweatshirt that reads “End of an Error” and the inauguration date. Let’s hope there are still plenty of things to laugh about in 2021 but they aren’t so bittersweet.
That sentiment had been around since Bush left office. Hard to believe some people thought those times were the worst we’ve faced.
While I have no illusion that 2021 will be a cake walk, I am hopeful that 2021 will be a vast improvement. Have a great last week in 2020 and a better 2021.
I LOVE the semi-colon pun, that’s so cute (and slightly mean, the way family awesome is nice-mean to eachother). Glad to hear she’s in better health now. 90 is IMPRESSIVE.
Happy Newyear!