This year as Roberta and I were making preparations for the Christmas Season we came to realize this was the 30th time we had celebrated Christmas as husband and wife. It’s been quite a journey; and this year the journey is taking a new path.

In some ways the change is a small one; like the new address for this blog. After two years of contemplating it I have finally registered the domain myriadshadesofgray.com. However, since the registration was done through WordPress those of you who follow this blog, either by WordPress or email, should not experience any interruption. If you’ve subscribed through a reader, such as Google’s, or through Feedburner you may have to re-subscribe, assuming you’ve managed to see this entry at all.

Other changes are more significant. Eighteen months ago Zellers closed the store where Roberta had worked for 30 years. At first it was quite scary for both of us, but Roberta quickly managed to look upon the situation as an opportunity. Since then she has taken courses designed to significantly increase her computer and accounting skills enabling her to start a new career in office administration. Her courses now complete (she finished the last one with an average of 92%), she is now diligently looking for new employment. Wherever she eventually winds up it will be a change for both of us.

Like many people, much of our lives centre around our work schedules. Even in the short time that Roberta has been in school, that schedule has served to define not just her timetable, but mine as well. It is with a sense of both excitement and of trepidation that we start the year 2012.

Roberta and I taken by our friend Laura this Christmas.

There is however, one thing we are both definitely looking forward to this year. If you haven’t figured it out, the fact we have celebrated 30 Christmases together implies that this is indeed our 30th year, and we will be celebrating on July 17th. Traditionally it would have been our Pearl Anniversary, but since so few people ever actually reach their 60th the modern listings call this the Diamond Anniversary. We haven’t decided how we will celebrate it yet, again a lot of that will depend on where Roberta ends up working; however, whether with diamonds, pearls, or just a couple of iced-teas in the back yard, it should be a heck of a year.