A New Year

As two thousand eleven comes to a close, it gives us time to reflect on the days of the past, the moments that once were and  gives us time to ponder what the coming days will bring and how we want to embrace all that is new.

The start of anything, be it a new year…

…a new book

…a new friendship

…a new class

…a new outlook

…a new routine

…a new project

brings with it a sense of wonder, a freshness.  It’s like opening up a brand new notebook, without a pencil mark on it.   It can become anything we want it to be.

It can be an art journal

It can be the grocery list

It can be the homework paper

It can be the place to store secret dreams

It can be an empty notebook never to be written upon

As you think about the new year and all that is possible, I hope you will choose to embrace the unexpected, and open your heart to the wonder that is yours for the taking.  I hope that the new year, as it is yet unwritten, will be a story worth retelling.

Take this moment to think of all the possibilities that can be realities for 2012.  Perhaps write them down if that’s what you like to do.  (I’m a list maker anyway, so it’s a must-do for me.)  Read the list often.  Believe the list is possible.  Make the list a reality.  I know you can do it.

I will be spending some time today doing this myself and reflecting on all the possibilities that I so want to become reality.   Perhaps I will share some of them with you in the coming days.

Happy New Year to you and your families.

Here’s to all the wonder and possibilities for 2012.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

May this Christmas season be one of light and peace for you and your family.  

From our home to yours, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Baking Today

Baking up some peppermint brownie and nutella fudge goodness today.  

Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Be Merry and Bright

The week is coming to an end and the loose ends that were sprawled about have almost all been neatly tied up again and put in their place.  It’s amazing what crossing an item off the “to do” list will do for the spirit.  

We’ve had a nice, but busy week of school finals, office parties, cub scout meetings, school parties, friends over, birthdays, choir concerts, shopping, wrapping, and stocking hunting.  Yes, I found the two missing stockings!  

I’m ready for the boys to be out of school so we can enjoy a family movie night and pajama day in the weeks ahead.  We all deserve some down time because before we know it, we’ll be taking the tree and decorations down and filling our heads with goals for 2012.  

For today, however, I’ll put on my Room Mother hat and give instructions on the beaded snowflake craft and make sure everyone gets a candy cane and enjoys the holiday hangman game we have planned.  Tis the season, right?  Gosh, I may have to get out the step-ladder and grab one of the boys’ Santa hats and be merry and bright.  Ho Ho Ho.

(While I was searching my photos for a snapshot to include, I found these from our Christmas card photo shoot from 2006.  We just took a picture a month ago almost like it.  Their order is reversed in the one we just took. They grow so quickly.)

2006

 2011

Staying Inside Today

It’s 7:07 AM.  My eyes are open.  I’ve made breakfast for three of us and sent two on their way to start their day of finals and work.  One is still tucked in his bed, electric blanket on, cat sleeping on his head and a smile on his face.  I’ve crawled back in bed for a few minutes to send out the last party reminder e-mails, read my daily devotionals, and am listening to The Toy Trumpet  by Al Hirt on the Sounds of the Season station.

Christmas is fast approaching and before we know it, our guests will be sipping hot chocolate with the candy stirrers we found, eating cookies shaped like stars and singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer when it comes on.   It will go by quickly and then we’ll be worried about starting another new year. 

I was out and about all day yesterday and so today feel the need to be inside with the Christmas carols on in the background while I thumb through the recipes I’ve collected over the last few weeks, fold another load of laundry (the never ending chore) and tote my children to and from their destinations, oh and look for the missing two stockings.  (How two got separated from their mates eludes me.)  

Here’s to hot tea, matching socks, folding dishtowels, wrapping gifts, Christmas carols playing and maybe if you’re lucky, a flake or two of snow falling from the sky.

Happy Thursday (and happy birthday to my beautiful mother).

Twelve Days of Christmas

Yes, there are only 12 days left until Christmas is really upon us.   That means you only have 12 glorious days to finish (or start - I’m not naming any names here) your holiday shopping.  You only have 12 days left to stock up on groceries for all the delicious goodness you’ll be baking and cooking.  You only have 12 days to mail your packages before you have to pay for overnight delivery charges (which WILL be more than what you paid for the gift, I promise you.)  You only have 12 days left to make the Christmas music cd to listen to on Christmas Eve.  You only have 12 days left to find the stockings (ok, that one just belongs to me.  I can’t, for the life of me, find them!)

There’s not much time left, so, if you’re trying to come up with a great recipe using red hots, or need a craft for the little ones, or you just need some photo ideas during the holidays, I have the answer.

Pinterest.com

Yes, I know this site has been around for quite some time and I’m late to the table, but, I can’t get enough of this site.   You need an invitation to join, so if you need one, let me know in the comments and I’ll send you one.  (I’ll need your email address to send it.)

It is creative heaven for me.  I love all the ideas and beautiful photos.   Such inspiration comes from these simple little pictures.

Basically, the site is a virtual bulletin board for you to “pin” all your ideas that you come across while on the internet. (They have a button you can install onto your toolbar or bookmark bar and when you come across something you love you can “pin” it to your board, where ever you are on the internet.)  Once you join, you can search for anything and I mean anything and hundreds of other people’s “pins” show up.  Click on one you like and it will display the pin and how to get to the site where it was found.  You can also create your own boards with your own ideas and “pin” them for reference later on.  This is the fun part.  You can create a virtual bulletin board of house decorating ideas, or recipes you want to try, or jewelry you want to make and never have to go searching for the bookmark you thought you saved somewhere.    

It’s one of those sites that you just have to try.  It’s very simple.   The concept is genius.

I thought I’d share a few of my favorite items I’ve found through the site.  I hope you enjoy them and again, if you want an invite, just let me know and I’ll send you one.  Be advised however, you WILL become addicted.  I promise you.  The first day or two, you won’t be able to stop browsing all the beautiful ideas.  Not that that happened to me, but it might happen to you.

Red Hot Cider

Beautiful Photo Idea

 Girly Gift Idea

Clever Food Idea

Santa Strawberries

Homemade Body Scrub

Christmas Bars

Snowy Trail Mix

Christmas Table Decor

Ribbon Candy Craft

Christmas Photo Idea

Running Backwards Up the “Up” Escalator

It’s that time of year again….

The time when you feel you’re running a marathon and you just can’t go another step.

 

The time when you feel the laundry continues to multiply like rabbits behind your back.

The time when you feel like you can’t possibly get all 326 errands done in the two hours you’ve set aside.

The time when you feel like a giant black cloud is following you around as you go into yet another store looking for that perfect gift.

We all feel it, including me, at this time of year.  It’s hard not to get caught up in all the running here and there and feeling like you need just one more gift under the tree. 

The last two weeks has been like this for me.   I taught six days out of the last ten school days and now I feel like I’m running backwards up the “up” escalator.   (I give my “gratitude and appreciation” award out to all working mothers today.  I really admire your planning and strength.) 

I know this time will pass and I’ll calm down this week as I tie up the loose ends that are sprawled about.  But, it’s difficult some days to feel like there is an end in sight to the pre-holiday chaos.  I understand what you’re feeling.  I really do.   

Since we’re quickly approaching the last 12 Days of Christmas, I hope that today you will take a few moments to sit down with a cup of something warm and sweet.  Get out your favorite pen and notepad and write down all those items floating around in your head. “Oh, I can’t forget to do this….or that.”

Jot them down and stick them on the fridge with your Christmas magnets that you forgot you had tucked away in the junk drawer and leave the list alone (at least until tomorrow).

Tomorrow you can tackle the list and feel organized, armed and ready to face the day of “to dos”.   I spent time making mine last night and it really made a difference in how I feel this morning…..a little lighter actually.

Sometimes it’s ok to slow down. It’s ok to enjoy the cookies that just came out of the oven.  It’s ok to listen to the holiday music while you fold mismatched socks.  It’s ok to cross off three things on your list because you decide it’s just not that important right now.  Slow down.  Breathe deeply.   Light a candle.   Enjoy this week.  

Eleven

Eleven years I’ve loved this little boy.   

He’s filled our lives with such joy and laughter. He’s not a baby anymore (as much as I try to make him stop growing) and he’s definitely not a little boy either.  He’s grown into such a delightful spirit and quite the young man, even if he’s only eleven.  He makes me laugh every day with that quirky “tying to hide his smile” smile he gives me when I ask if he’s brushed his teeth.  (He always says he has, but then the corners of his mouth turn upward indicating a different answer.) He loves frozen yogurt, chicken nuggets and still comes in each morning for a hug with his bed head and sleepy face.   He listens the first time, does what we ask (ok, most of the time) and he has a creative mind that never stops….always wanting to invent or create a new this or that.  

I can’t believe he’s eleven today and that in a very short time will no longer be in elementary school. And before I now it he’ll be in high school.  How I wish he would stay young and little and want to sit beside me with a coloring book.  I know that growing up is a good thing, but he’s my last one, my baby.  

I hope he knows how very proud we are of all he’s become and the spirit he shines for our family every day.  He’s our goofy, wiggly, candy-eating guy and love him to death.

Happy Birthday my sweet eleven-year-old boy.  I love you from here to the moon and back.

A Bright Blue Weekend

May your weekend bring a bright blue sky and crisp white air.

December Goodness

Last Friday was cold.   The kind of cold that cuts right through you and almost burns.  The wind was blowing so hard.   It was not the kind of day you wanted to be outside.   I felt bad for all the Black Friday shoppers. (Ok, I didn’t really feel bad for them because it was their choice and they could have stayed at home by the fire.  No sympathy from me.)

At about 7:14AM, I opened the garage door and took the trash can out and set it by the curb for pick up (which is from 7:15AM to 5:00PM, but ours inevitably comes at 7:14AM, so had to hurry and get it out there.)  I parked it by the tree and ran back inside to warm up.  I grabbed my cup of tea and headed upstairs to my warm bed and Good Morning America.

Just a few minutes later, I heard the beep of the trash truck in the neighborhood.  Whew!  I barely made it.   I hopped out of bed and walked over to see if the lid was still on and sure enough it was.   As the truck backed up to our driveway, I pulled open the blinds and opened the window and shouted down to the trash man.

“Thank you so much for being out in this cold today and picking up our trash!” I shouted loudly over the truck noise.

“What?” he hollered back.

“I just wanted to say thank you for taking our trash and being out in this cold weather this morning.  I really appreciate you doing that.”

“Why, thank you, ma’am.  Have a good day.”

“You too!” I shouted back to him.

He smiled and hopped up onto the back of the truck as the driver drove off.  

It was a simple gesture, but it made him smile.

Some things require such little effort, but the ripple they create can be astounding.  As December comes with all its expectations of shopping and cooking and traveling, try and be patient with the store clerk, or the car that nabs your parking space or the kids as they get anxious for school to get out.   Simple gestures, simple words can make someone’s day and you could be that someone. 

I hope you will practice some December goodness this week and offer a kind word or a little card on your neighbor’s car to let them know they are worthy and appreciated.  Think how you’d feel if you were on the receiving end of the gesture.  Good, huh?  

Oozing Spirit

I’ve come across people in my life that for one reason or another I’m drawn to.  They have a spirit that oozes from their being and a light that beams straight from their hearts.  I’m sure you’ve come across these people too.   I often wonder, what it is about that person that makes me feel so calm, comfortable or inspired.  Is it that they smile more, or talk slower?  Do they meditate?  Do they have more confidence?  What is it exactly that makes me want to listen to them, to spend time with them?   Are they consciously trying to be this way or are they just born with this aura? 

I’ve been thinking about this lately, and I think they just “get it”.   Maybe that’s simplifying their personalities just a tad, but I really think that’s part of it.  They “get it”.   They don’t put on a separate face when they go to work or when they go to book club or when they’re at the gym or when they’re walking their dog to the mailbox.  They are just 100% completely satisfied and comfortable in their own skin and have an understanding that the world is greater than the bubble that is their life.  They get the fact that life isn’t about buying things or going places but about the relationships they nourish and the people they encounter on a daily basis.  They consistently are in this state of awareness and it shines with their every step, word and deed.  

I am working on this…working on becoming comfortable with life as it comes in all its peacock feather and muddy glory. I want to carry within me a peace that life is what we make it.  I want to “get it” and be mindful every moment of my day.  Yes, it is a huge goal, but I want it.  I want to have a sense of wonderment and thankfulness in my heart each moment.  I want to hold my ever quick tongue or my judgmental thought that surfaces.  I want to change the negative thought to a warm and positive one. I want to live consciously in each moment and be grateful for all it is.   I want to “get it” and have my spirit ooze from my being and share it with those around me.   

Today, I hope you will take the challenge to be mindful each moment of your thoughts and words.  Truly offer what is in your heart to those around you and see if it makes a difference in your day.  Here’s to your spirit oozing today!