Holidaze...

Wow - not sure how November snuck by... I guess it is due to so much going on these days.  We had a great Thanksgiving at my brother Phil's house. We were joined by Greg's mom and my friend Jess and her fiance Kevin.  Jess asked me to be her maid of honor!  I can't wait - Kleinfled here we come!

My career at Express Scripts/Medco came to an end on 11/22.  All for the best considering I am living in Massachusetts and my office was in Franklin Lakes, NJ.  I am forever indebted to several folks in the Digital Strategy group, namely Amy Foley, Kathy Zaccone and Cathy Pfund.  All three were instrumental to my sanity during the past four, almost five years.  They know why.

On a very sad note, one of my "sisters" is currently losing the battle to the beast; even as I type this she may have departed this world.  My dear ASZ, you battled the beast that is breast cancer more fiercely than anyone I have met; I will see you again one day and we will paddle the fastest, lightest dragon boat and always win gold.  Thank you for your honesty about how much this disease just sucks and I will always remember the love you had for your children in my prayers.

Speaking of the beast, another friend/former co-worker was diagnosed at an age even younger than me.  Seriously - we need do to better here!!!  The propensity of this disease in younger women is just plain scary.

So yes, I am angry and sad.  I have lost a friend and have the knowledge that another has started the battle.  I consider this after refilling my weekly pillbox and thinking to myself, I am now less than a year away from having to be "in treatment".  Yessir, less than three more mail orders fills for me of Tamoxifen- crazy right???

So onto the good things...my upcoming 45th birthday - hooray!  These days I love aging - it is such a gift!  Greg and I made a pledge to celebrate each day of December with something that gives us joy.  We actually started on the last day of November with a holiday performance by the Cape Cod Symphony - thanks to my brother Chris and his wife Irena.  We spent Saturday December 1st enjoying"Brewster for the Holidays" which we capped off with the very first ever Brewster Polar Bear Plunge!  It was cold!  Today we started the day off by putting up our Christmas lights and then we spent the afternoon with my brother Phil and my niece and nephew,  Maia and Gavin, at the 2012 Museum of Natural History open house.  There were games, candy, hot cocoa, cookies, photos with Santa and actually a very nice day weatherwise.  Tomorrow we will be going to see the movie Lincoln which may not seem to be festive but we will spend the hour or so prior to the show shopping for "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" as we have been invited to attend a party in Beantown that requires such wear.

We will be doing something festive each day until the new year - I'll be sure to keep you posted.  Be sure to take some time to enjoy the season and tell those you love that you do!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Oh - the photo...yes, we now have two black labs.  My brother Phil rescued Brandy from the Boston Animal Rescue League but it appears my niece Maia is allergic to her.  An incredibly sweet dog, Greg and I could not bear the thought of her being returned to a cage.  So...Neo now has a friend to play with.  Brandy is a pure breed American lab; she is seven years old and has settled into our family very nicely.  Crazy?  Maybe, but watching Neo and Brady run down the beach, tails wagging and tongues flying free,  reminds us every time of just how great this life can be.