January 2011

This has been the LONGEST month of my entire life. It feels like it has been January for at least 90 days. I don't know why that is, maybe it's because we've had a full week of snow on the ground, and then yesterday it felt like Spring... even my Easter Lillies are trying to start coming up!
This is just a quick post, but I had a brilliant idea recently. I was putting Christmas card photos that we'd received in a photo album, and I remembered that we didn't send a Christmas card the first Christmas that we were married because we were so busy writing thank you cards from our wedding. Remembering this, I couldn't help but think of an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Next Christmas I could send a picture of us from our first Christmas because there are quite a few good ones to choose from, and 6 years ago we were cuter, thinner, & younger. I wouldn't have to say the picture was taken in 2004, and people that don't get to see us often would think, "Dang, those two must be living in the fountain of youth!" Here are some of the options ;)

A Christmas Carol

My favorite book of all time is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It was originally published in 1843, but somehow this story has stood the test of time with a message that is as vital today as it was when it was first printed. I remember my dad reading this story to my mom, sister, and me when I was young. Since then I've read it at least 5 more times. I've seen most of the movie versions including animated, real, and puppet. They are all really good, but believe it or not I think my favorite version is the Muppet version with Kermit the frog.

My favorite part of the story is when Bob Cratchit has just returned home from church with tiny Tim, and his wife Martha asks him how Tim behaved.

"As good as gold," said Bob, "and better. Somehow he gets thoughtful, sitting by himself so much, and thinks the strangest things you ever heard. He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."

I'm sorry folks, it just doesn't get any better than that. No wonder Scrooge was so touched! How can anyone create a better character that so much embodies what we should be mindful of at Christmas and throughout the year!

Our family had a great Christmas, I hope yours did too.

New Year Rise & Cheer

In the past I have not been a big fan of "New Year's Resolutions" so I don't usually make them. I normally don't get all that pumped about setting some sort of goal that I'll only want to forget about in February. Last year however was different. I decided that I had to do something about re-straightening out my gophers (that's teeth in our family). So I suffered through 9 months of braces on the top & 11 months on the bottom. I also decided that I wanted to get some debts payed off. So I paid & paid & paid some more. I decided to start a blog, and 134 posts later here I am. That's 3 out of 3, so maybe resolutions aren't so bad after all. You just have to make some rules before getting started. #1- Weight loss goals aren't allowed in a New Year's resolution. #2 Exercise goals are not allowed in a New Year's resolution. #3 Anything involving how I do or do not do the laundry is not up for discussion. & #4 Continue to refer back to rules 1, 2, & 3!

3 is a good number of goals for me. 3 is a number that I can remember & not get completely overwhelmed by.

I've been giving it some thought about what I want to do this year.....

1. Finish Cleaning out the back part of Mom & Dad's garage & turn it into an art studio.

2. Now that I've paid off debts, I would like to save up enough so that I won't have to worry about any regular / monthly payments.

3. ___________________________ is still up for discussion. Any suggestions? Remember you have to adhere to the rules. ;)

Hip Hip Horray for Snow Day!

We have been loving this beautiful snow, and I have been enjoying having Jon at home with me & all the pets. We got 7.5 inches of snow yesterday! Yes we were skeptical when we heard the weather forecasters, so no we didn't go all nuts buying groceries. Unfortunately I am the world's worst grocery shopper. Seriously, ask Jon I'm the type of person that ought to live in London because when I do go to the grocery store I don't want to have to get anything other than the BARE Necessities or the exact ingredients of what I'm cooking! Unfortunately this does not make for fun snacks or meals on a snowy day. This morning we were down to yogurt, tomato sauce, cream cheese, and the last of a loaf of banana nut bread so I had no choice but to slip & slide on over to the grocery store. Hope those of you who got snow are staying bundled up & cozy.

Snow

Wow it is still snowing outside. It's been a while since it last snowed here, and I feel like I had forgotten how beautiful it is.
So I have this little delimma called the two extra bedroom closets. Why is it almost impossible to keep a closet that you aren't using clean? When I open the doors and can't walk in I start getting this feeling that I need to do something about it. The problem is I don't want to. I have several rubbermaid containers of "things" you know "things your mom continuously gives you that she says were yours." After five years of being married she's still finding "stuff." I just want to know, "How did I accumulate all that, and why couldn't she have just found it and left it alone, or better yet give it to the Goodwill and just not tell me?" At least I know I'm not the only person whose parents do this. A few weeks ago I went with Mom up to Idabel, Ok to my little cousin Molly's birthday and to see Catherine & T.J.'s new house. They have been married over 10 years, and while we were visiting T.J.'s parents pulled up with several boxes of his stuff that they were bringing and putting on their porch. The only bad news that goes along with this is I'm afraid I may not be anywhere near finished getting boxes full of homecoming mums, nail polish, dry glitter glue, movie stubs, stickers, trophies, and posters. Somebody help me!