So a year ago I had a list of worries related to my surgery. I was worried about money, leave, and all sorts of other things. They all proved to be much less important than I thought they would be. And in the end, I have actually learned to worry less about all sorts of things. So what’s on my mind today? Smoke in the air, the upcoming Labor Day weekend, when will my boyfriend want to open his 13th anniversary gift, and my roses. Yep, nothing very consequential.

So let’s start with the smoke. The Yosemite (known as the Rim FIre) has been raging for over a week now and we have had horrible air quality for close to a week. Imagine thick fog, but add a smoky smell and no moisture. That’s what we have. Today it reached the Very Unhealthy range for a while. That means that everyone can expect to experience symptoms related to exposure to smoke. In addition, for those of us who are fond of sunlight, this has meant nearly a week without sun. Not uncommon for those who live in rainy climates, but we have well over 250 days of sun each year here (on average). At this point, most of us would welcome rain, even if we did not have sun. The rain would clean the air.

Labor Day weekend – something I have been looking forward to for several weeks. My boyfriend paid for my daughter and grandson to fly out for a visit and we are going to a lake for the weekend. I can barely wait. This has been a hard year. I have used all of my time off and all but two days have been for illness or surgery recovery. This will be my first real vacation days in over a year. I plan to relax, read, play in the lake, have a few glasses of wine, and enjoy the company of some of my most favorite people. And on Monday, celebrate our 13th anniversary.

Which leads us to the gift. The gift is in a very big box and is quite heavy. It is not going to the lake with us. No, I am not going to tell you what it is until after he opens it. Suffice to say, it should bring a big smile to his face and enjoyment for many years. The neighbors may even enjoy this gift!

Do I really need to worry about the roses. Nah. I am just a new rosarian and want to do right by my 19 babies!

So the difference a year makes today is…huge! Rather than facing surgery and uncertainty, I am excitedly looking forward to a massage after work and then picking up my daughter and grandson at the airport. Next stop…a chair on a balcony at the lake.