Hello Everyone!

If there’s one lesson the of the world that I’ve learned it’s that very seldom do things happen as we might want them to. In that light, I would have wished for a calm and serene Holiday Season. Instead, I have had a very busy one, with elements of both good and bad.

My Battle-for-the-Animals still continues, but is thankfully winding down to a much less-than fever pitch. Being that the defendant in the case so adamantly avoided any kind of negotiation, the judge /ordered/ the case to mediation. After a grueling 12-hour day, said defendant, whether realizing it on their own or with the acceptance of advice from their attorney (who was getting extremely frustrated with their client), finally came to some agreement. Most of the case is now settled, as in, we have an agreement in writing. This /is/ of course good, but I’ve worked too long with this person to imagine that it’s anything but far from over. There are still issues to fight. They will not accept things easily; nor do I think will they abide by the agreement, just because they signed their name on the line on a page. Had they been honorable and ethical from the beginning, none of this would have come to the “lawsuit” stage. So many time, they have given their “word” on something, even in writing, and then promptly disregard it. For someone that refuses to be accountable for anything that they do or say, and earnestly believe that the universe revolves around them, I know that there will still be some uphill battles to fight, and I will still retain my attorneys to continue on in the legal arena, as this has become the only solution; there is still much legal leverage that can be brought to bear, and likely will /need/ to be before it is all “over”.

Work is work. Nothing much to say about this one. With any job, there are up times, and down times. Lately, I’ve been in the down times. Of course, I cannot blame that entirely on the job. Again, things don’t always go as planned. Unexpected things happen, and sometimes the “recovery process” can be a challenge. So it’s best to keep the ears perked, the whiskers forward, and plod along smartly and briskly along; things will eventually start looking up again. In truth, much of my real-world problems are weighing on me heavily, which is no doubt a contributing force to my trials in the workplace. I always try to keep work and personal-life separate, but it has been difficult to do as of late. But again, I know that things /will/ improve; I have faith in that.

Overall, it has been a most excellent Holiday Season. My mother is safely into her new house after an 18-month battle to get it built (including a contractor that was robbing her blind), so I am grateful to have been able to spend Christmas with her and help her a bit to get move into her new territory. My family is very well and in good health; my brothers are all fine and still moving forwards in their Journeys-of-Life; even my son is well, though at times struggling with situations of his own, including some very generous ear-boxings from me at all-too-often increments; my close friends are all well. I can’t complain, all things considered.

With the busy-busy-busy life as of late, I have become negligent in so many things. My “to do” list is steadily growing, as more items are being added to it faster than items are getting completed and marked off. One of my goals for this weekend is to knock a lot of those smaller items off that list, and get it back to a more manageable size. There are emails to write, which sometimes take some time, and of course, the postings to FA that I have not done for some time. I did not write my traditional 31-Dec Journal as I have done for many years, and that too needs to be remedied. All of these things are important, and /need/ to be addressed. That is the core of my weekend’s plans, especially that I have a long weekend. Yippee!

To all those watching out there, thank you for being here and taking an interest. I wish you all a sincere - though belated - Best Wishes for this new year. The future is bright; never lose your faith in that. The journey before you is limitless in opportunity, and as always, you have my sincere encouragement in all that you do. If you are in hard times, then accept this digital hug to give you some strength to persevere. If you are in happy times, then accept this smile and laughter to brighten your path. As always, never forget that there /are/ people out there that love you and cherish your friendship; perhaps they do not always have the word they need to tell you, but it does not change the truth. Perhaps they remain at a distance, but it does not mean they are not there for you.

I bid you all a Happy New Year! I will continue my prayers and meditations to the Spirits that they will be with you all in every journey that lies ahead, whether in troubled seas and storms, or fair winds and gentle tides. I hope that the dawning of this new year has brought you blessings and bright hopes and aspirations for a new year and perhaps the beginnings of new journeys to accompany it.

Most Sincerely and With Warmest Regards,
Neon-Hyper-Spasti-Cougar-Kitty (aka ShastaCat)