More Than Expected

2011 was a year of highs and lows.  A year of surprises.  As I look back over my list of resolutions for last year I am surprised at how many I accomplished to some degree, and how many there are where I completely missed my mark.  But considering the year as I whole, I honestly have to say that I am in a much better place personally than I was this time last year.

Looking ahead, I want 2012 to be the year of "MORE".  And with that thought, I make my new list of resolutions, to experience MORE.

In 2012 I will enjoy MORE of every day and every experience.

In 2012 I will continue to make The Man of the House, our marriage, and our family MORE of a priority.

In 2012 I will read MORE.

In 2012 I will blog MORE.

In 2012 I will learn MORE.

In 2012 I will do MORE to improve my health.

That's it.  Short and simple.  MORE in 2012...

Watch THIS

I know I'm not the only one that does this.  Every time the new year approaches I say "this year I am going to lose weight and get healthy".  And by the time the holidays roll around at the end of that year - I have managed not to accomplish that.

This year really is going to be different.  This is the year I have jump started my resolution and joined Weight Watchers.  I'm all signed up, have 3 months paid for in advance, and I am ready to go.  My points are figured, my plan is being managed.  I'm official.

Am I nervous?  A little.  Maybe.

But this is my public declaration...

THIS IS THE YEAR I LOSE WEIGHT AND GET HEALTHY!

It's out there.  I'm accountable now.  And anyone that may happen to read this post is welcome to ask me in about a month how it's going so far.

I am so ready to watch my weight... watch it disappear!!

More Christmas Crafty-ness

I made these crocheted project totes for the crafters in my life.  Besides the red/turquoise/black one you see pictured here; there was also a coral/winter white/brown one, and one with three shades of blue.

The Calm After The Storm

Shhh...  do you hear that?  Yeah, neither do I. 

That, my friends, is the sound of silence.  My house is once again quiet.  After 5 days of endless chatter, laughter, people coming and going, and even a little yelling - silence now hangs heavy in the air.  After the madness and mayhem of Christmas I enjoying taking a few minutes to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and feel it all around me.  It's peaceful.  I can hear my own thoughts again. 

My home still looks as if Christmas walked in and threw up in each and every room.  The fridge is still packed full of leftovers which must be dealt with.  And yes, there are still a few gifts that need to be packaged up and delivered.  But all that can wait for a bit. 

For just now, I revel in the nothingness of the moment. 

Dream A Little Dream

I don't remember my dreams much anymore.  I used to when I was younger.  I used to dream and wake with a vivid recall of my nocturnal imaginings.  Occasionally I would even have the dream where I realized I was dreaming.  Not anymore. 

It's not that I don't dream.  I know I do, because sometimes I wake with a vague feeling left over from the dream.  Or a few fleeting images.  Or I'll catch that feeling of deja vu sometime later.  But I don't remember the dreams themselves.

Christmas Crochet

Finished a few projects today and got them wrapped up.  Thought I'd show off a few of the Christmas presents I have crocheted as gifts for co-workers and friends.

Cowl Scarves

Wrap scarf - made up the pattern for this one as I went along, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!

Made several of these twisty scarves in different yarns.

Three Of Me... And A Maid

Things were sailing along so smoothly.  I couldn't believe how stress free the Christmas preparations seems to be for me this year.  I wasn't stressing.  I didn't feel pressed for time.  All of that has changed. 

I now realize that it was the calm before the storm.  I wasn't stressed because I didn't realize how much still needed to be done.  I thought I had plenty of time.  I was WRONG!!

This week I am stressed.  I feel pressed for time.  To be completely honest - I am freaking out a little bit.  My to-do list keeps getting longer, rather than decreasing in size.  I keep realizing what else needs done.  Projects finished.  Presents wrapped.  Baking done.  Much of it before tomorrow's dueling Christmas gatherings at both my own and The Man of the House's places of work.  Much more of it before Thursday when family starts arriving.

Today I look at that ever growing list and think to myself  "I need about 3 of me, and a maid!" 

And yet, I sit here blogging about it, procrastinating - rather than diving right in.  Apparently I still have not learned my lesson.

A Little Grinch In All Of Us

What ever happened to good will toward man?  The Christmas spirit?  Isn't this time of year supposed to bring out the best in people?  Even the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes at Christmas!  And yet...  I seem to be living in a town full of Scrooges.

I have had more people pull out into traffic right in front of me in the past week than the entire rest of the year.  And the ones that aren't pulling out in front of me, or cutting me off - are the ones riding my bumper.

Then there was the woman in line at the store in front of me who was clearly well over the "20 items or less".   She didn't think that requirement applied to her.  Or maybe she just thought it was more of a suggestion than anything else.  Who knows.  But as if ignoring the 20 item limit wasn't rude enough - she had to also complain about everything involved with her transaction.  How it was being bagged.  Didn't the cashier have a bag for the giant box containing the slow cooker she was purchasing?  Why did she have to sign a receipt for her credit card purchase when she had done the transaction on the little swipe pad thing already? 

And of course the people who stand in line and huff and puff and fidget because things aren't moving fast enough.  Sorry people - but you know it's the holidays.  You know the stores are going to be crowded.  So is the post office. You should well expect that you are going to have to wait in line.  Sighing deeply to yourself over and over isn't going to change that fact.

I'm choosing to try a new tactic in dealing with all the ill-will around me.  I paste on a big ol' smile and kill them with kindness.  Will it change all those around me?  Probably not.  But it can still have a reward all its own.  For as the saying goes -

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” ~ Herm Albright

Monday Morning Brain

I'm pretty sure I set my marbles down around here somewhere.  Now if I could just locate them!

I'm suffering from a pretty serious case of what I have now given the title of "Monday Brain".  Of course, it's not confined to just Monday and can, in fact, occur on any given day of the week.  But today is Monday - so there ya go...

My mind is wandering already today.  I can't seem to stay focused on any one thing for very long.  If I try to think about what I need to accomplish at work today - I start thinking about what I want to pack to eat today

While thinking about which foods to pack - I start thinking that I need to go feed the chickens. 

As I consider that - I realize I also need to feed the cats and dog. 

From there my mind zooms over to what we're eating for Christmas dinner.

And what I need to bake this week.

And how the Little Man only has 2 days of school this week. 

And stocking stuffers.  And cleaning I still need to finish.  And wrapping that needs done.

And all the while, I should be getting dressed for work.

Which brings me right back to what I need to do at work today before the long Christmas weekend.  And the way my mind keeps wandering - I am know pondering how I'm going to manage to accomplish ANY of it!!

Birth

I was born on a cold day in early November when the snow flurries were flying. My mother was alone in the delivery room. Not because it was customary at the time for fathers to pace nervously in the waiting area during the births of their children; but because my father was somewhere in the Mediterranean on a Navy ship. I got hung up in the birth canal, and as a result came out with a head and face so misshapen, I looked like a creature from one of the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

Written in response to a prompt by The One-Minute Writer: Birth -Write what you know about your own birth.

In The White Minority

Perhaps you have heard about the great white Coke can debacle?  Coca-Cola made the mistake of putting out white cans featuring polar bears to raise money as it partnered with the World Wildlife Fund for "Arctic Home"   And Coke consumers across the nation found their proverbial bright red panties in quite a knot! 

White cans?   But white is so close to silver!!  The color of DIET Coke cans!!  How will they ever tell the difference?  I would naturally assume that the lack of the word "diet" could be a a good clue, if not a flat-out give away.  But hey...  why should people have to actually read when selecting a cold beverage?

Some even insisted that the Coke product in the white cans tasted different.  Really?  I mean... really?  C'mon.  I've personally consumed the liquid from several of the white cans - and it tastes like regular ol' Coke to me.

So, I liked the different white cans.  I liked the little polar bears pictured across the bottom of the can.  I liked pretending like I was doing something to save the polar bears when I picked up a white can.  But, I guess I am in the minority.

Soothing The Savage Beast

Yesterday evening, The Man of the House walked in from work and handed me a grocery bag.  As I peeked inside, my heart filled with gratitude and love for this man I married.  Having read yesterday's blog post, he stopped on the way home and picked up a six pack of Coke (in the white cans - more on that later)  and a bag of Hershey's Kisses with almonds! 

Was it simple kindness in him that inspired him to refill my chocolate stash?  Or a sense of self-preservation after reading my rantings?  Either way - he calmed the hormonal, chocolate crazed creature in me.  And for that, I am grateful. 

I do feel compelled to confess that later in the evening, he also found the missing Kisses - which had been moved to a different cabinet from where I had been hiding them.  There weren't actually gone, just misplaced.  Which I fear makes me look even crazier.  And I'm pretty sure there is suspicion amongst the natives that I am just trying to be sneaky and obtain surplus chocolate for the stash.  And while, I assure you that is not the case - it is a bonus. 

But I digress.  The point is simply this:  The Man of the House brought me chocolate.  He tamed the chocolate beastie.  And I am a very, very lucky woman!

Taking A Month Off

Here's what I think...  at least one time each year a woman should just be able to decide that she is not going to deal with her cycle and get the month off. 

Think about that one!  Once a year you just make up your mind - "Nope, not dealing with THAT this month"  And you don't have too!  Wouldn't that be nice?

No more having to pack those extra special supplies when you're going on vacation. (and why oh why does it always seem to show up when we are going on vacation anyway???).

No more anniversaries or romantic getaways interrupted by the extra company.

Or maybe just one less holiday made extra stressful by the raging PMS. 

That's all I'm asking.  Just one month off.  But for now - I must go figure out who ate the last of my Hershey Kisses so that person can PAY.

Sleepy Time

I had a to-do list today.  And it wasn't a short one.  I started out well enough.  Cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry.  Then I attacked the closet downstairs where I have been storing my craft items and the extra blankets.

Working to purge the closet set off my allergies.  Eyes were itching and watering.  Roof of my mouth was itching.  There was much sneezing and running of my nose.  I knew where this was heading, so I took an allergy tablet to curb off the worst of the symptoms.

This was a mistake...

Next thing I knew - I was crashed out on the couch while "Elf" played on the television.  About two hours had passed as I peacefully snoozed the afternoon away.  It must have been a sight.  Me - asleep on the couch.  Piles of folded laundry on the coffee table in front of me.  And empty basket in the floor next to me.  And I'm pretty sure there was snoring involved since my mouth was very dry when I finally woke up.  Just lovely.  I can only hope I wasn't drooling or anything thanks to the allergy medication.

So much for that to-do list.  And I missed "Elf". 

Yell

I'm a yeller.  I yell.  I yell A lot.  I probably yell much too much.  I doubt my family would argue with that.

Most recently the dog was the object of my raised voice.  His boy had gone across the street and he was not happy to have been left behind.  He made this clear by his insistant whining.  Which led me yelling at him to "Stop that NOW!"

**in response to a prompt from The One Minute Writer **

Sounds of the Season

Listening to Christmas music today.  Wanted to share a few favorites...

No one does it like Eartha!

 

LOVE this song!! It's my ring tone for the Christmas season!

Nothing To Show For It

It's frustrating. 
Today was the day I start some serious cleaning.  Getting the house ready for Christmas and all the guests and visitors the holidays bring.  I have been working diligently since 9:00 this morning.  And when I stop to look around, I feel like I can't really tell a difference.  It's enough to make a girl give up.

Oh, I know the truth of the situation.  I am doing a lot of things that don't get done on a regular weekly basis.  Dusting window sills and frames.  Cleaning windows.  Dusting baseboards.  Wiping down walls.  The sort of thing that doesn't really make a huge difference in the appearance of the room until the whole thing comes together.  The stuff that pays off in the end.  But for a while it felt like an exercise in futility.

I am glad to report that now that I am actually getting into things like cleaning off shelves and end tables, dusting them, and putting away items that have migrated to rooms where they don't live - things are looking better.  And my attitude and mood is improving.

Horton Hears A What?

Still being obsessed with all things Grinch at this time of year, I find myself once again pondering this point...

The Grinch lives just north of Who-ville.  We all know that.

Jump over to another Seuss classic - "Horton Hears a Who".    There in the Jungle of Nool is sweet, faithful Horton protecting his speck of dust.  And we find the Who's residing upon that little speck of dust.

Which leads me to wonder... 

Does the Grinch, in fact, live upon Horton's speck of dust as well?

A Two-fer!!

Remember the giant of an egg I collected from the girls a couple of weeks ago?  It was finally cracked and cooked.  And it was a 2 yolk bonus!

A Holiday Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

This Moment" is a ritual I found through Just My Thoughts . By way of Pamanner's Blog, via Life inspired by the Wee Man adopted from SouleMama. Check out their blogs, and if you are moved too, please leave a link to your Moment in the comment box below

I Haven't Even Prepared A Speech!

I have just received my first ever blog award!  How exciting to receive "The Sunshine Award".  Does this make me Little Miss Sunshine?  There are so many people I need to thank!  But I'll keep it short and thank Lalia of Skank, Rattle, and Roll.  I guess this officially makes her "the academy" for bestowing this honor upon me.  It's an honor just to be nominated. (that's what you're supposed to say, right?)

Of course, as with all good things - there is a catch.  As a recipient of The Sunshine award there are certain obligations.  In the event that I am unable to fulfill these duties, I hope there is a first runner up to step into my place and fulfill the obligations to the best of her ability.  What are these duties you ask?  Well...

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and write a post about it. (almost done)


2. Answer the following questions below. (OK, I can handle that)

3. Pass the award on to 10-12 fellow bloggers, link their blog and let them know you gave them an award. (hmm... I don't really follow 10 - 12 blogs, so this might get tricky)

As my first official act as Little Miss Sunshine, here are the answers to my Q&A:

Favorite Color:  Periwinkle Blue

Favorite Animal:  ah... hmm... I'll go with giraffes

Favorite Number:  favorite number?  Do people really have a favorite number?  OK then, 26.  Because that's the number I insist on giving if anyone is ever rude enough to ask how old I am.  Because that's the age I decided to stop aging.

Favorite Drink: coffee, with wine coming in a close second

Facebook or Twitter: neither

Your Passion: reading.  I am absolutely lost if I don't have a book to read. 
Giving or Receiving Gifts:  who doesn't like to receive?  c'mon, really...
Favorite Day:  Halloween, and the day after which is "Celebrate Me Day"
Favorite Flowers:  pink stargazer lilies

And now... your December 2, 2011 "Sunshine Award" winners are (drum roll...)

Kathy at Carano's Cucina:  All things foodie and delish!  And one of the best gal's you'll ever hope to meet!
Cathy at ~Just My Thoughts:  funny, insightful, thought provoking
C. Beth at The One-Minute Writer:  You have 1,440 minutes a day, spend one writing.  I haven't used any of her prompts yet, but I enjoy following and am ready to jump in soon!
JenniLee at Just JenniLee: her blog has been silent for about a year, and I miss her!!

How Is It December Already?

Really?  How did this happen?  How can it be December already?  Wasn't it just Halloween?  Thanksgiving?  Even the 4th of July doesn't seem that long ago.  I feel like I've missed some time somewhere along the way.

Yet, here we are.  December first.  The last month of 2011.  Only twenty-four days until Christmas.  Thirty days until 2012, a whole new year. 

Time is flying past so quickly!  In the words of Ferris Bueller:  "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."