How will you spend the last day of 2013? How will I? What’s to come for 2014?

As 2013 comes to a close in the Happy Family Trailer Park, I daringly spend a little time in reflection on but just a few highpoints.

2013 marked the beginning of the end of a temporary relocate for the HFTP to the desert in the Middle East. Why God took us there? Many reasons have yet to reveal themselves. I’m still waiting. Patiently. Said no Trailer Park Woman ever!

But! 2013 wasn’t all bad. There were many good moments, some even great! Numerous opportunities to explore the local region, even if finances dictated the range of those opportunities. Folks in the HFTP are no different from any others, we’re always on a limited travel budget.

Of those opportunities, the primary one is I got to write my first book. Something I had always talked about, wanted to do, but just never could quite find the time or the discipline to do so. First and foremost I want to give God the glory for making it happen and second I want to thank my sweet Baboo, Jose’, for putting up with those 6 months. The man truly deserves a medal, or a really good home cooked meal, for his perseverance. I should make him healthy oven fried chicken and gluten-free waffles and ho-made maple syrup to dip them in! (recipe to follow soon)

The people and friends we met there…while some, can’t go away fast enough; hopefully, many will last a lifetime! The entire staff at the Danat Resort, Gerry, Dionne and Rachel and many others…you know who you are. Rachel…we’ll ALWAYS have Memphis!

And the trip to Barcelona and the 14 day Trans-Atlantic Cruise home was to die for! Such a great way to CLOSE that chapter of life and mark the return to the original HFTP location in Willer Holler. God took us into the desert, and brought us back out as promised. A lifetime of memories and potential stories that I can write about for years to come!

Plans for 2014 include getting said book published, starting my very own writing group and my very own fitness group. And, as in years past, getting better organized, doing more with less, reading more, riding more, writing more, spending more time with family, friends and the HFTP Queens!, and getting myself in better shape physically, mentally and spiritually. Pretty much the usual.

While mantras from the past years have included such tongue in cheek examples as “I’m gonna make 2011 my bee-yach!” to 2012’s “Let it Go!” and then expanded further to 2013’s “Let it Go…or be dragged.”

2014’s mantra will be, until further notice…

A slight twist of my g-maw’s old mantra “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

It’s a nice twist.

BTW…Call me…or a cab or somebody, anybody, if you’ve had one 40 oz. too much to drink and you need a ride home.

Call your father if you need bail money.

Wishing you and yours a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Nadine Bodine

Your Very Best Friend in the Whole Entire World