I wish each and every one of you all of the happiness possible in the new year.

I am not one bit sorry to see 2017 go since I spent much of the year in a sad haze. Apparently, I’m not hard wired to seamlessly cope with the constant barrage of change that comes with my current stage of life.

For over a decade I defined myself as the mother of young children. Well, in the blink of an eye they are not so little. Two are in college, another is a junior in high school and my baby is 14. I knew that sending my kids off to college would be hard, but I was unprepared for how devastating the reality actually is. My heart swells with pride for the independent, mature individuals I have raised, but that same heart hurts as I miss seeing them on a daily basis in their rooms and at the dinner table.

If adjusting to rapid fire change in my own home was all I had to deal with, I might have been able to keep the sad-o-meter in check. However, I am now going on 3 years as the reluctant person in charge of my elderly, demented adoptive father who resides 3 states away. I cannot tell you how stressful, time consuming and emotionally draining this has been for me. My husband offers no support and my children are seemingly oblivious as I have navigated a very painful, lonely and personal journey that has taken a toll on my well being.

I put all this out there so you know why my posting is a lot more sporadic than it was years ago. I love the happy space that I Sing In The Kitchen allows me to crawl into. I love sharing recipes, jokes, and music with you.

Thanks for listening. It helps.

Enough seriousness already! How about some cheesy but awesome Abba to get 2018 started?

Cheers!