The Year in Review

Monday, January 01, 2018

I'll be honest, 2017 sucked.

Of course it wasn't all bad...there were some good things that happened.

Uncommon Threads thrived (we served more than 300 women!) and it brought some amazing new friends my way.  Our volunteers are some of the most caring and compassionate women I know--they are the truly the backbone of the program. It takes a "village of women" to make great things happen.
With the amazing Laury Cote, one of our volunteer stylists.
Our clients amaze me. The women we serve are strong, courageous and kind despite the hardships they've endured.  They are a blessing in my life.
Photo by Annie Rae's Photography
Here's another good thing. Richard and I sold our house (very quickly!) and bought into a new "over 55" development. Our new home will be beautiful and our future neighbors are beyond wonderful.  I can't wait to move in!
My blog has connected me with some incredible companies. In December, Soma flew me to Florida for a photoshoot along with my beautiful daughter Alyssa! We had a blast and made some  mom/daughter memories that will last a life-time.
Yes, there were some good things that happened in 2017. But the bad was really awful. Geez where do I start? So many crazy things have happened! Please don't think I'm whining, but you have to admit that I had more than my fair share of trouble!  Here goes...

WHILE we were packing up our house to put it on the market, I broke my wrist and I was in a cast for 7 weeks).
Richard threw out his back.
I threw out my back.
Richard got tendonitis in both wrists.
On July 1st, we moved into a rental for the summer thinking we'd be in our new home by October.  All of our winter gear went into storage--winter coats, boots, holiday decorations, snow tires, etc. etc. 
A few weeks after the move, we got the news that our new home would be delayed until November.  No big deal as we could stay a bit longer in the rental. 

But in August we were notified that our home had some basement floor joist issues due to a national recall. The fireproof coating on the joists needed to be fixed and the manufacturer was  trying to figure out the best solution to the problem. We soon realized that we would not be in our new place until spring! Although we didn't have to rush to leave the rental, we accepted the fact that another move was imminent. So in November we packed up for the second time in five months, and on December 1st we moved into yet another temporary home.  Now mind you, we were managing all of this chaos on top of working 60+ hour/week jobs and smack in the middle of the holiday season!  

My exhaustion was real. I stayed up late every night trying to balance work, construction issues, packing, unpacking, etc.  And then my health went downhill in a big way. I felt horrible. I went to the doctor and she ordered numerous tests. Everything so far has come back normal, but I'm waiting for the rest of the results this week. Praying to hear good news! 

Social media can be a bit misleading. What you see on the outside isn't always what's real.  Clothes, fashion, hair, and make-up are so much fun and a huge part of my life, but the healthy looking woman you saw in photos wasn't feeling so great.  I burned the candle at both ends, stressed myself, and let my health go.

Getting sick was a wake-up call to pay attention to my body. Without our health, we have nothing. I've realized that working myself into the ground is NOT a good thing. Self-care is on my list of New Year's resolutions...eating healthier, sleeping (what's that??), relaxing, and being with the people I love more often.  I feel like life is throwing me a curve ball as a warning to SLOW DOWN!  

If I could wave a magic wand, I'd wish for good health in 2018. 
Wand from Helen Thomas Andover, MA
Thank you for following along on my blog. I'm grateful for your support...it means a lot to me. Through this blog and Instagram, I have met some truly incredible women and have made wonderful new friends from all over the U.S. and the world!  I'm also incredibly grateful to my amazing family and friends (old and new) that shower me with love every day. I am a lucky woman.

Here's to a happy and most of all HEALTHY New Year.
Love always,
 Susan XO



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