Fingers poised on the keyboard . . . waiting for the thoughts to trickle from my brain, down my arm and into those waiting fingers.
* I used to compare my life with others. You know, the grass is always greener kind of thing. So stupid. It took me awhile, but I realized that nobody has a perfect life, we all struggle with something. So glad I realized that - I now look at my own life and see how blessed I am. Do I have a huge house? No. Do I have a huge bank account? No. Do I have a loving husband? Yes. Do I have three terrific children? Yes. And the love we have grows with each addition to our family. SO much better than the huge house and huge bank account. Lesson learned.
* I really, really like Halloween and the season, and I love things paranormal, but I don't think I can write an entire month of blog posts about it! Is it too early to change my blog template to something Christmasy??? Lesson learned.
* Chocolate goes with anything. Lesson learned (fortunately I learned that one early!!).
* Giving really IS better than receiving. I've really know this for a long time, but this lesson is reinforced everytime I hand a dollar to someone holding a sign on a corner (thank you Shelby). Lesson learned.
Life offers many lessons. We all need to be students and pay attention to the teacher! Lesson learned.
But seriously, guys - - is it too early to do the Christmas background??!!
I just read my sister's blog (she doesn't write very often, but when she does, it always makes me smile). It's been a difficult time for our family these last few months as my dad's health has declined. My mother has been a rock. When I grow up I want to be just like her. My sister was reminiscing about some of her childhood memories - in particular, Christmas memories. We both have a ton of really great Christmas memories. The one, however, that my sister recounted this morning was about date rolls. You see, every year at Christmas my mother would make a delicious date roll. And it was perfection. My sister loves to bake, and tries to recreate this date roll every Christmas, and she says she mostly fails (I don't believe her!). This year, though, I think in honor of our mother, she was determined to make it perfectly. Just like mom did. I don't think it worked out so well.
ODE TO A DATE ROLL (by Emma's daughter, who cannot make a date roll to save her life)
The color's not right, it tastes like a shoe.
I honestly, truly, don't know what to do.
I went to the store, bought all the right stuff,
And yes, I'm pretty sure I bought quite enough.
I carted my groceries out of my car,
Into the house and onto the bar.
I got out the thermometer, the pot, and the spoon.
I knew that the grandsons would both be home soon.
And, oh, they would marvel. They'd oooh and they'd aahh
At this wonderful creation as soon as they saw.
But what did they see when they walked in the door?
My pot and my spoon and myself on the floor.
I give up, I give up I said in a stateYou can all go fishing and use it as bait.
So now I give up, I won't do it again,
At least til next year when, who knows, I might win
My sister can't make a date roll to save her life, I can't write a poem to save my life. So, I stole hers. Cherish your families, with all their imperfections. They are the greatest Christmas gift ever!
Mom - - we love you.
I was looking at someone's blog the other day and noticed a tab for a "bucket list." My daughter told me that she has a bucket list. I've never had a bucket list, although I set goals. I've seen the movie, "Bucket List" and liked it alot. I even cried. But all of this got me thinking . . . why don't I have one and if I did, what would go on it?
(And now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure I need a bucket list. I'm the kind of person who doesn't need to know all the answers to life's greatest questions. I know enough. The rest I take on faith. And I guess the same thing applies to bucket lists - I don't need to DO a lot of things or GO to a lot of places to feel happy. And maybe that's not even the purpose of a bucket list. I don't really know.) But . . .
Before I was married, a friend and I went on a trip across the United States. We quit our jobs, packed our tent, and headed off. We were gone for three months and saw a ton of places and had some great experiences. It was an awesome once-in-a-lifetime trip. I suppose that's something that could go on a bucket list. If I did do a bucket list, I should probably start from now, though - not put a bunch of things that I've already done and then cross them off. That would be cheating. So, I guess something I would like to do is go on a ghost hunt. Sounds kind of dumb, I know. But that would go in my bucket. I don't have many other things to go in it. I probably wouldn't even need a bucket - - I think a little mug would do.
But, for sure, what I would really like to see happen before I die is that all of my children are happily engaged in life (hopefully married and with their own families). That would be my ultimate bucket list wish :)