Out with the old, in with the new

So here we are. The last day of the year 2007. As I sit here I am thinking, "This year went by so fast, what did I do during it?"

As to the first, I am told by my elders to expect the years to spin faster as I get older. This sage advice concerns me as I try to answer the second. What did I do this year?

• Traveled to TX to visit family with my mom.
• Helped my grandparents pack for their move from the home they lived in for 30+ years.
• Quit one of my jobs.
• Looked for another job . . . didn't find one.
• Visited the brother in FL.

Those are the highlights anyway. I am hoping that the time in between was filled with worthwhile exploits and a little bit of fun.

All this thinking (besides tiring my brain!) has caused me to contemplate my new year resolutions. I have made resolutions in the past that have been so ridiculous that I could never attain them. So as I continue to contemplate my resolutions I have some goals: 1) Resolutions that are attainable 2) Resolutions that will cause me to grow spiritually, emotionally, and personally.

Back to thinking . . .

5 things I got for Christmas

1. To spend time with my family.
2. To celebrate the birth of my Savior in a wonderful Christmas Eve service.
3. To eat lots of delicious food.
4. Almost everything (which was enough) on my Amazon.com wishlist -- which included many books!
5. Two pairs of the most comfortable dress pants ever!

Christmas Program

Last Sunday we were supposed to have our Christmas Program during the morning service and then during the evening service we were going to have a shortened program and the family Christmas celebration. However, because of the 8 inches of snow, we had one service on Christmas Eve.

I apologize in advance for the poor photo quality. I was nervous (in charge of the children's program) and it is really hard to take pictures in that lighting. heehee

Narrators and Choir

Children in the Nativity

Catch up

Today was a catch up day.

Last night I caught up on my sleep. The brother and the sister are here for Christmas and we stayed up quite late on Christmas Eve.

Today I caught up at work. It always throws me off when we have a holiday. Today seemed to go by so fast and I didn't accomplish half of what I wanted to!

Tonight I am catching up with Cleo. She missed me the past couple days.

It's nice to be missed . . .

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

Deliciousness

So I tried the cinnamon rolls -- I made them for my family to have this weekend and on Chrismas.
So yummy!

Here is the link to the recipe, if you want to try them yourselves. (The Pioneer Woman is going to be getting a printable recipe eventually -- in the meantime the directions are great! Complete with photos!)

Merry Christmas!

5 things

My to do list for this weekend:

1. Finish wrapping presents
2. Finish cleaning house
3. Prepare meal (including setting table) for dinner party
4. Get thank you cards
5. Pack car for Christmas

(I am hoping I will not have to add shovel snow to this list!)

Christmas light tour

I wanted to show some of the Christmas light in my neighborhood . . . sorry about the picture quality, I used the camera on my phone.

This is the house around the corner and two doors down. Just look at the enthusiasm.


And the pretty house next door to the one above.


Another enthusiastic decorator a block over.

And my neighbors.

And me! :-)

A blessing for you

Every once in a while I hear something like this and it reminds me how blessed I am:

Sunny days . . .

Today was one of the nicest days we have had recently. The sun was shining. It was in the 30s. Granted it was the lower 30s but still.

It was warm enough for me to almost dig my car out of its icy shackles. All ice is off the trunk and hood, I can open the doors. Yea!

One entire side of the care is completely clear of ice except . . . for the two inches directly under the tires. This area poses a problem. I haven't quite figured out how to solve this problem yet. But . . . I will overcome!

Christmas Questions . . .

In response to this blog post:

:-)

Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both, really I use whatever I have. Currently, under my tree it is half paper half bags.

Real tree or artificial?
I love real trees. This year I have one. Some years they cost too much or I don't want the hassle. So I have my parents old artificial tree as a backup.

When do you put up the tree?
Weekend after Thanksgiving.

When do you take the tree down?
Sometime during the week after Christmas.

Favorite holiday theme?
I would have to say nativity scenes -- I have three of them up now.

Favorite gift received as a child?
I would have to say the books (surprise!) I got from my Aunt Linda -- they were always fun and different.

Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes, three of them.

Hardest person to buy for?
My dad and the brother.

Easiest person to buy for?
My mom.

Mail or e-mail cards?
I attempt to send out card every Christmas but I have decided it is too depressing to toss them all in a drawer "to save for next year." So e-mail cards.

Favorite Chrismas movie?
It's A Wonderful Life (the siblings are rolling their eyes now . . .)

When do you start shopping for Christmas?
All year, keeps expenses down and less stressful.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Everything.

White lights or colored on the tree?
White.

Favorite Christmas song?
See 5 things Friday.

Travel for Christmas or stay at home?
Well, technically I will be traveling but only about 4 miles. :-)

Angel on top of the tree or a star?
Angel.

Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Christmas Eve.

Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Commercialism/materialism.

What I love most about Christmas?
Celebration of the birth of Jesus and time with family.

5 things . . .

5 of my favorite Christmas songs:

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Silent Night, Holy Night
3. Away in a Manger
4. O Holy Night
5. The Little Drummer Boy

And a little bonus:

Holiday baking

I'm gearing up for a bake fest on Saturday. A holiday bake-fest that is.

After the Christmas program practice on Saturday morning I am planning on taking the rest of the day to do some baking. Cinnamon rolls, peppermint bark, fudge, and some cookies!

Mmmmm . . . I can't wait!

Melancholy

Mmm . . . this is going to be a hard post. But it is something that has been on my heart lately.

Most of my life, through my sophomore year in college, I had been blessed by the fact that I had experienced very little loss in my life. I was one of the few people who knew all four of their grandparents (I am still blessed in that respect) and I even knew both of my great-grandmothers.

Sure, I had had pets die. I particularly remember four kittens that I had played nursemaid to because their mother had died and they hadn't been weened yet. That was a very sad day for me.

When my great-grandmothers died . . . I don't know how to explain it. It seemed distant. I don't know . Maybe it seemed more distant because I was unable to go the funerals and it didn't seem quite as real. Just a kind of fading away.

Not that I didn't love them. Because I did. And I have great memories of them that I drag out of my dusty brain and ponder every once in a while.

It wasn't until a few years ago that a death smacked me in the face and grief made me lose my breath.

It was my first experience of a person truly dear to my heart dying. It was unexpected, even though it occurred during a surgical procedure. All indications were that it would be routine and would have a positive outcome. It was of a young person. A friend who I had graduated from college with, who I had seen months before and had talked to days before.

Still, today, this week, this month, I feel the grief catch hold for a few moments. Until I remember where she is now. Until I remember the bright light she was. Until I remember the bright light she will always be in my life.

Here a sniffle, there a sniffle, everywhere a sniffle, sniffle

Ah, so as I take a deep breath through my nose, I am thankful today to be on the other side of a cold. The side where I don't have to breathe through my mouth or have a kleenex constantly in my hand or don't feel like my brain has turned into a cotton ball.

I woke up on Saturday with a scratchy throat. I wonder if I acted differently at work? I'm not sure but I felt like I avoided conversation and smiling because it irritated my throat. I sniffled and coughed through church on Sunday and dozed most of the afternoon.

Monday I felt well enough to shovel -- it was sunny out so that helped a lot! Of course it snowed again today so I will have to go out again. Gotta love winter!

Today, I was able to breath through my nose, yeah! And I have been able to habitate rooms without boxes of kleenex in them! Making progress!

My goal is to be over this cold by Friday when the sister comes back to Iowa for Christmas. Because 1) I do not want to infect my family 2) having a cold during the holidays is not fun.

Camera Play

I was playing with my camera again. Here are a couple of the better ones. My goal was to get just the right photo of my tree:

I don't know if I really got just the right photo but . . .

The sepia toned one.

The glowy one (the technical term is glowy).

And my favorite (due to the kitty cuteness).

5 things I'm looking forward to this Christmas

1. The brother and the sister being here from FL and NY
2. Family Christmas celebration at church
3. Holiday dinner with friend
4. Mom's cooking
5. The celebration of the birth of our Savior

No pain, no gain

I'm not one for confrontations.

I get all tense inside, worry about what to say and how to say it.

Confrontations are even harder when the one you are confronting is sensitive. You want to make your point without dashing their emotions to pieces.

Today at work I had to have one of these confrontations. I almost let it slide. It's always easier to claim ignorance, right? ::Sigh:: Just not ever right. And that leads to a whole slew of other issues.

Anyway, a situation occurred and I prayed for the right words and timing to address it. Funny thing about prayer, it is usually answered. The right time came and the right words fell out of my mouth. I say fell because until they actually came out, I didn't know I was going to say them.

The result: all parties were satisfied with the least amount of pain . . . I think. :-)

Wednesday

I enjoy Wednesdays.

Not because it the middle of the week and the weekend is almost here.

But because Wednesday evening I get to spend with kids.

Not being a parent, Wednesday nights give me the opportunity and the responsibility to influence the lives of the next generation. I pray that I am able to productively use the gifts and the time that I have.

It is amazing how much kids grow and change in just three months. It is amazing to see the different ways that kids learn and respond to experiences. I have one girl who memorizes like a whiz but has to be in constant motion, one girl who is smart and can memorize but it comes a little harder and needs a little more encouragement, and a boy who loves constant attention.

All the kids seem to be more encouraging to those around them as the year goes on. During our game time there is less "smack talk" and more cheering and advice for teammates.

We have a couple more weeks before Christmas break. I am looking forward to them -- to seeing the spiritual growth.

Dads are the best . . .

So today I took my lunch to work so I wouldn't have to walk home. I was about 5 minutes into my meal (pbj--mmm!) and I hear my purse start singing. My cell phone was ringing. Since it rarely rings I can usually expect to see on of my family members' names on in the caller id. It was my dad . . . he called to ask if I was coming home for lunch because he had just finished plowing out my driveway!

Wasn't that nice!

I got home at three to see my beautifully plowed driveway . . . it was beautiful!

I shoveled off the loose snow and voila!

And . . .

It is snowing the way I like tonight! The gentle kind with no wind or sleet. It was a nice walk to and from work this evening.

Nice and quiet . . . ::sigh::

Did I say that?

On Friday, I mentioned something about liking snow. I was extolling the gentle snow, the quiet it brought.

On Saturday we got the snow I don't particularly care for: the sleeting, no wait snowing, sleeting again? kind.

I was scheduled to work at the library for a couple hours in the afternoon and in the morning I planned to work at church. I knew that if I drove to work I would never get my car back in the driveway. So I packed a lunch and my change of shoes and walked to church to work for a couple hours. Then at 12:30 I walked to the library.

Not the easiest of feats as there was a good three inches of wet snow on the ground. But I did make it there before it started sleeting!

The way home was not so nice. I was walked into the sleety wind (or windy sleet?). Either way it was cold!!

Sunday, I went nowhere -- church was canceled due to the road conditions. So I slept in and did some things around the house (like make cookies -- mmmm). I liked this part. If I never had to go anywhere I would love this weather!

And I am getting exercise walking to and from work -- due to the fact that my car is snowed in.

I did attempt to shovel Sunday -- attempt being the key word as it is very, very difficult to shovel four inches of snow with an inch of ice on top.

Here is my driveway today:


Notice the pits that seem to be covered with snow? Those are my footprints from Saturday. You can't even see where I walked today because I walked on top of the snow/ice. On the left you'll notice the gravel-like substance where tossed ice melt. It kind of worked. I fell through when I walked on it tonight so the ice melt must be doing something.

It's a little sad for me to think about but the brother is experiencing 70s today -- in Florida.

We're supposed to get more snow here tomorrow.

I hope it is the gently falling, quiet kind . . .

5 things . . .

5 things I like about winter:

1. a little bit of snow -- especially when I don't have to go anywhere!
2. Christmas.
3. frost designs on my window panes.
4. seeing all the kids bundled up in all their winter clothing -- with rosy cheeks and noses!
5. cuddling up with hot cocoa (or tea when the occasion calls), a book, and Cleo for a nice evening in!
   

Snowfall silence

I got off of work this evening and as I was getting into my car I thought I saw a snowflake. I slammed my door shut and held very, very still.

It was a snowflake!

After, our "measurable" snowfall last week, all the snow melted and we were back to dreary winter brown. All the leaves have fallen, the grass is no longer green, and everything is, well, brown.

The snow continued to sprinkle down. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home and stock up. When I walked out of the store the snow was coming down harder and my car had a lovely white dusting.

This is my favorite kind of snowfall -- gently falling. And there is a snowfall silence about me.

Bad kitty

This was Cleo's first act after I had finished putting up my nativity scene:

She makes me smile!

And there it is . . .

Back in the swing of things

So I had a great Thanksgiving holiday. The sister was here from NY -- she is back in NY, left this morning. We had a good time. And it is only three weeks until she will be home again--and the brother too!

I am getting back into the Christmas season--after the Thanksgiving break. (In fact, I am listening to Christmas music as I post this!) I put away my fall decorations, sad as they were:


And started putting up my Christmas decorations. All of my nativity scenes (one from my Gramma, one from my Grammy and one I got for Christmas one year from my mom!)

And, I got my Christmas tree and put it up with lights.

BEFORE: It's even beautiful without any decorations!

AFTER: ::Sigh:: Pretty.

Tomorrow, I will be putting up my outdoor lights (hopefully) and decorating my tree. In the mean time I will have to walk around the boxes of decorations! Such trials! :-)

5 things I'm thankful for pt. 4

1. salvation through Jesus Christ
2. music
3. the ability to learn
4. simple pleasures, like clean sheets or hot cocoa
5. creativity
   

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Now consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.

Psalm 50:22-23

Snow!

Ah, the first measurable snow the the year! Yeah! (From today on I will probably be complaining about the snow, but I will try to keep it to a minimum.)


I can't claim my poor camera skills for the poor quality of these photos. It's dark! Blame the darkness, I do!

Isn't it pretty!

Christmas shopping

Tomorrow I am going shopping with my mom and the sister (who is visiting from NY). That will be fun in and of itself -- being with my mom and sis.

But . . .

I'm going to finish my Christmas shopping! Shh . . . don't tell anyone. I just have a couple things left to get and then I'm done! Yeah!

Course, then comes the wrapping, and shipping, and transporting, and organizing. ::Sigh:: It kinda tires me out just talking about it.

But . . . I'M GONNA BE DONE WITH MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! :-D

Tis the season

I'm so excited. It is the season for decorating, hot cocoa, candles, and Christmas. I'm starting to decorate a little bit at a time.

I like to change my desktop and screensavers. Later this week my blog will have a new look. And I am planning my Christmas decorations.

The plan is in my head -- I just have to execute it. That's the tricky part!

I am only going to decorate my front door outside this year. Last year I had this big plan to do both my front and side doors and the front of the house. It seems there is a direct correlation between the largess of my plan and what I actually accomplish.

Last year, I got the garland up around the side door of my house. That's it.

So my plan this year is simple. Front door decorations and a tree.

I can't wait!

Don't worry, I'll take photos!

5 things I'm thankful for pt. 3

1. Sunshine!
2. My family -- I could never be thankful enough for them
3. My cat -- Cleo
4. Books
5. Blessings -- too many to count!
   

Reprieve

Last night was the last night of Awana before Thanksgiving break. Don't get me wrong, I love the kids I am working with -- they challenge me and make me smile -- but everyone needs a break once in a while.

Really, it surprises me how enjoyable these kids are. And smart. I don't remember being half as smart when I was their age.

Kids are by no means perfect. Just like us adults.

And that's the challenge, isn't it? Loving despite the flaws?

Is it windy or are my hands shaking?

So, I decided to play with my camera again today. If you choose to watch the video below you will note that it is windy and my hands are shaking. NOTE: Do not watch if you get motion sickness easily! :-)

I need a little more practice. Well actually, I need a lot more practice as this was my third or fourth attempt.

Today, is a chilling day. One of those days where the cold seeps into your bones. I can't really complain though. I has been a mild fall and it is almost Thanksgiving. Normally, we have had a good sleet and some snow flurries by now.

Still, I wouldn't mind a little sunshine tomorrow!

Short and sweet

It's kind odd how our perception of time can change from day to day. Today is a long day for me.

Nothing particularly out of the ordinary happened, neither bad nor good. Just a long day.

Right now I'm looking forward to crawling into my warm, cozy bed and going to sleep!

Friendship shattering?

One of the t.v. shows I like to watch is about a group of twenty something friends. Tonight the episode revolved around annoying habits. Each of the friends did something that annoyed at least one of the other friends.

For example, one of them chewed food loudly. Very loudly, no matter what kind of food it was, it was chewed loudly.

Until, the habit was pointed out, the rest of the group hadn't really noticed it. Well, then everyone started pointing out everyone else's annoying habits and by the end of the show they were arguing with each other.

But in the end, like all good sitcom's do, they reached a happy conclusion. They realized friends overlook those foibles.

They just do.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

1 Corinthians 13

5 things I'm thankful for pt. 2

1. a clean house :-)
2. flowers
3. pumpkin pie & home-cooked meals
4. miracles
5. memories
   

Dinner party

I am having a one or three friends over for supper on Saturday. Which means dinner party! Yeah!

And . . . inevitably . . . time to clean . . . again.

It's seems as if I just cleaned last year!

(Just kidding, more like last month. Wouldn't it be nice if it could be yearly?) I can't wait till the invent an affordable house that cleans itself!

I think I may have been born with a cleaning disorder. (I can blame an illness, can't I?)

I really dislike cleaning. The ultimate is dishes. Which is why I heart my dishwasher. I do, I really do.

I dislike cleaning so much I plot ways to avoid as much as possible. Like, say, making a list of what I can clean ten minutes each day (cause ten minutes --- tsk--- no problem!) for the next two weeks. Good plan, right? Not only does it give me a good and easy plan to follow but the first day's ten minutes is taken up by making the schedule! Unfortunately, I find ways to put off the rest of the ten minutes but I always have a good excuse. :-)

Yeah.

So if I procrastinate 10 minutes for one week that equals 1 hour of 10 minutes of cleaning I have to catch up on!

And I seem to be procrastinating right now so . . . back to cleaning!

Shuttle Launch

The brother worked the day of the launch so I was planning on driving out to the coast to watch the lift-off from one of the beaches south of Cape Canaveral.

I had my route all planned and knew the area I wanted to stop. Because the brother had never driven out to watch a launch I watched the news the night before to see if they had and idea on what the traffic situation would be.

They did.

They predicted all routes to the coast would be bumper to bumper traffic the morning before the launch. Now, despite my planning, I was not confident enough nor ambitious enough to spend 4 hours in bumper to bumper traffic driving what would normally take 1 1/2.

So I opted to watch on television and hope the sky was clear enough for me to see the launch from the brother's balcony.

The television coverage was great. But I was really glad that I had gone to the Kennedy Space Center two days before. It made the launch so much more interesting.

This launch happened to be historic in that it was the 2nd mission to be commanded by a woman, Pam Melroy. The main purpose of the mission was to transport and install the Harmony module. This would allow docking to International Space Station by Japanese and European labs.

This is my first glimpse of the shuttle after lift-off.































The shuttle is leaving the atmosphere.


And it's gone . . . all that is left is the exhaust plume.


The visible part of the launch only took minutes. The television coverage showed the camera view from a camera attached to the outside of the shuttle. Very cool.

After the launch, I watch the news interviews of people watching the launch from the some of the beaches. One of the beaches had people from six hundred cars.

Yeah, I was glad I had stayed home.

Maybe someday, I will have a chance to experience as well as see it.

KSC

Here's the shuttle (before it blasted into outer space.) :-)

You can't see the the whole shuttle because of the rotating service structure which protects the shuttle from dust and other contaminants from entering it before the launch.

Below is a model of the shuttle and service structures. Before the launch the rotating shuttle structure swings away from the shuttle .

The photo below is of the equipment they used during the launch of a the Saturn V during the Apollo 8 mission. This was a very cool presentation. They basically recreated the launch and we experienced it from inside the control room.


This is the Saturn V rocket. It is huge!

This photo illustrates, how huge . . .

As tall as 40 tour buses, two shuttles, or two Statues of Liberty.


This was back at the KSC visitor center. It is a rocket garden. If I remember correctly, only one of these rockets was manned.

Tomorrow the last of my Florida trip: the shuttle launch!