Wow. January wears me out and it is just now half over.

Complex matters that I used to handle with little thought and much ease have now become a bit overwhelming to me. I attribute it all to my age and ignore the very important facts that I can no longer see or hear well.

I have a cataract in my left eye that has now begun to interfere with my daily life. Not being able to hear is a whole different problem.

But, I will need to address the cataract soon. It is just a matter of working it into my life.

Lot’s of things go on around here in January. Property taxes are due before month’s end, our vehicle insurance is due this month and I have to remember to put out the new cards that are required by law.

At least one or more credit card or debit card has expired and all of the new info has to be updated on sites or services where a recurring fee is attached. Income tax paperwork starts to arrive and forms must be filled out.

Dear Don has new health insurance and that requires paperwork to be updated at doctor’s offices and pharmacies. Plus this month is the month that all of his prescriptions are due along with a doctor visit. Tax forms need to be uploaded to the Healthcare Marketplace before the month is over.

And to top all of that off we will actually finally lose our DirecTV service at the end of the month as well. We no longer feel comfortable spending any amount monthly for television viewing.

We bought an indoor antenna this week and surprisingly we were able to pick up 11 different channels. The antenna cost $30 and will provide a hefty savings over time.

I calculate that over the 15 years we have paid for TV we have spent somewhere north of $15,000.  for services. It shames me and embarrasses me to put that in writing. And to boot we don’t even have anything concrete to show for that money. We don’t even own the equipment! They want it back.

Of course things will change around here as we are both big TV watchers. But if we have learned anything in the past three years it is that we can live with far less than we ever thought.

Dear Don has even started to read. I mean really read like whole books cover to cover. And the wonderful part of that is he is really enjoying the process. From someone who has had a lifetime love affair with (real) books I am so excited.

Back to Dear Don’s insurance for a moment. His office visit and pharmacy bill was covered 100 percent, but Abbvie, the manufacturer of his Crohn’s drug Humira, dropped him from the patience assistance program because he now has insurance. We had a brief moment of panic but on checking further they issued him a savings card that he can use that will cover most of his drug charges. For that we are both thankful.

So if this month will move on out, we intend to settle into February, reading in front of the fireplace, or playing board games or Rummy.

We were notified by his disability attorney last week that a Federal Appeal hearing for oral arguments has been scheduled for June 19. That is much sooner than we anticipated. The 20-page brief enclosed with the letter was a bit depressing as it always is when you read the facts of his condition in black and white. We hope and pray for a good outcome or maybe even a favorable decision to be made before then.

Lots of folks in our shoes and many of them do not have things as good as we do.

Thank you all so much for all of the support you have shown us this past year. You have called and written and emailed. You have stopped me on the street. You have sent me info that you thought was helpful and you called and cried out in your anguish over our shared bond of losing a child.

You have sent us financial support, you have given us groceries and books and things that make one’s world run a bit smoother. You have prayed for us and cheered us on and we are forever grateful and richly blessed by your generosity and thoughtfulness.

Thank you and stay tuned.

Contact Sherry at swhcsc@widblue.net or 662.563.2525