A pinestraw laden yard lends to a hairy looking snowman!
The more it melted, the hairier it looked...
Hairy The Snowman
February 12- February 16 2010
Thanks for the memories
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
And the snow has begun...
I am delighted!!
About 3:15 it started snowing in earnest . . . Big, bodacious flakes! Within 30 minutes it has begun sticking and I am next to useless for watching it - as if it will stop any second. But the weather channel says it will get heavier and be with us until around 8:00 tonight.
I am dancing!
As I was standing watching the falling and floating flakes, the neighbors across street came home. The mom and the daughter (20 year old daughter) stepped back out of the carport, arms extended, slowly spinning with faces turned upward and mouths open to catch the flakes, stopping long enough to laugh. The joy of a rare snow is impossible to resist!
45 minutes of snow fall and the peaks of the roofs across the street are turning white. Might just have to take a drive to find a hill!
About 3:15 it started snowing in earnest . . . Big, bodacious flakes! Within 30 minutes it has begun sticking and I am next to useless for watching it - as if it will stop any second. But the weather channel says it will get heavier and be with us until around 8:00 tonight.
I am dancing!
As I was standing watching the falling and floating flakes, the neighbors across street came home. The mom and the daughter (20 year old daughter) stepped back out of the carport, arms extended, slowly spinning with faces turned upward and mouths open to catch the flakes, stopping long enough to laugh. The joy of a rare snow is impossible to resist!
45 minutes of snow fall and the peaks of the roofs across the street are turning white. Might just have to take a drive to find a hill!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
1"-4" of white decoration . . .
Snow. That is what they are saying.
I am so excited!!
Someone said to me the other day not to get to excited, because when it did not happen I would be disappointed. That made me think back over the past 20 years of winter in the South. No, I don't get disappointed when the prediction falls short or too far away.
I realized tonight, there is something in the excitement of the anticipation that is satisfying in itself. There has been a buzz around town. The announcing of the closing of schools - just in case. The banter between the optimist and the pessimist (or perhaps realist - we will see).
I am glad they close schools - first, how many bus drivers (let alone myself - not in a bus) are actually safe drivers in snow, should we blessed with a little? Second, how often do we get to see the white fluffy stuff? And how often does it stay on the ground more than 4 hours?
So it should be a local holiday. Take time and enjoy the change of pace, smell the flowers. Well, actually, catch a flake on our tongue or just sit by the window and watch the floating flakes fall...
Ahhh, yes, this is exciting enough I might not be able to sleep tonight!
I am so excited!!
Someone said to me the other day not to get to excited, because when it did not happen I would be disappointed. That made me think back over the past 20 years of winter in the South. No, I don't get disappointed when the prediction falls short or too far away.
I realized tonight, there is something in the excitement of the anticipation that is satisfying in itself. There has been a buzz around town. The announcing of the closing of schools - just in case. The banter between the optimist and the pessimist (or perhaps realist - we will see).
I am glad they close schools - first, how many bus drivers (let alone myself - not in a bus) are actually safe drivers in snow, should we blessed with a little? Second, how often do we get to see the white fluffy stuff? And how often does it stay on the ground more than 4 hours?
So it should be a local holiday. Take time and enjoy the change of pace, smell the flowers. Well, actually, catch a flake on our tongue or just sit by the window and watch the floating flakes fall...
Ahhh, yes, this is exciting enough I might not be able to sleep tonight!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Every day, it's a gettin ....faster?
...Going faster than a roller coaster . . .
Not closer.
Not Love.
But life is SOOOOOOOOO busy. So fast.
I have been running since 8 something this Saturday morning. Will has too. Between Scouts, Church Leaque Basketball, a soup party (cooking a dessert for said party) and work, the day has been packed.
In the middle of all this I receive a call from a client. This client has me preparing Zone Diet meals for her and several friends. Each meal is packaged individually. So there is an individual package for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Two more friends joined this past week.
This has been great. But not. Because it has been handled spur of moment, I have not met individually with all of them yet. So there needs to be some tweaking. This has been a learning process all along.
Not a problem.
What gets me though, is three of these friends I have spoken to directly. Face to face. Have opened conversation for feedback. But no. They in turn do not tell me what I need to know, but tell the other client.
So today, Saturday, in the midst of 1,199.5 things to do, I receive a call because the person did not tell me he did not want turkey bacon anymore (even though seven days ago he said I could prepare a specific dish for him 3 or 4 times last week - I only did 2!) but told the other lady that now he does not like turkey bacon. Or mushrooms.
The solution?
A meeting Monday evening. Yes! I will meet with each one, have them fill out a form, and will prepare an order form for them to fill out weekly. To be emailed - they have to step into the 21st century.
But oh the anxiety this has induced in the middle of a hectic day. I have to get all this typed and printed and ready before Monday morning because I prepare these "packets" all day Monday.
So, why am I adding a post to my list? Because this has been so THERAPEUTIC. I am sure this all made little sense, but thank you for reading. I have been working on a post that will elaborate on this new direction my job has taken. I hope to have it up next week....
Until then, I am accepting calming thoughts and wishes :)
Smiles!
Not closer.
Not Love.
But life is SOOOOOOOOO busy. So fast.
I have been running since 8 something this Saturday morning. Will has too. Between Scouts, Church Leaque Basketball, a soup party (cooking a dessert for said party) and work, the day has been packed.
In the middle of all this I receive a call from a client. This client has me preparing Zone Diet meals for her and several friends. Each meal is packaged individually. So there is an individual package for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Two more friends joined this past week.
This has been great. But not. Because it has been handled spur of moment, I have not met individually with all of them yet. So there needs to be some tweaking. This has been a learning process all along.
Not a problem.
What gets me though, is three of these friends I have spoken to directly. Face to face. Have opened conversation for feedback. But no. They in turn do not tell me what I need to know, but tell the other client.
So today, Saturday, in the midst of 1,199.5 things to do, I receive a call because the person did not tell me he did not want turkey bacon anymore (even though seven days ago he said I could prepare a specific dish for him 3 or 4 times last week - I only did 2!) but told the other lady that now he does not like turkey bacon. Or mushrooms.
The solution?
A meeting Monday evening. Yes! I will meet with each one, have them fill out a form, and will prepare an order form for them to fill out weekly. To be emailed - they have to step into the 21st century.
But oh the anxiety this has induced in the middle of a hectic day. I have to get all this typed and printed and ready before Monday morning because I prepare these "packets" all day Monday.
So, why am I adding a post to my list? Because this has been so THERAPEUTIC. I am sure this all made little sense, but thank you for reading. I have been working on a post that will elaborate on this new direction my job has taken. I hope to have it up next week....
Until then, I am accepting calming thoughts and wishes :)
Smiles!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Common Sense
The Wednesday morning study group, that I joined last fall, has been working our way through C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.
I loved his Chronicles of Narnia. In fact, I read through each book without stopping. Now some of his other writings, I have not been very successful at jumping into and enjoying. The current book would have been no exception. He writes at a much more intellectual level than I read for “mere enjoyment”
But we are really enjoying it. We read a chapter a week and discuss it. At first I would find myself re-reading many of the sentences to fully grasp what he was saying, but now that we are halfway through, his style is more familiar. I am entertained when he adds that certain ideas in “these times” will be considered “old fashioned.” Entertained considering he wrote and aired these thoughts on the radio during World War II. I wonder what he would think now.
A few weeks ago the chapter was on the Cardinal Virtues. I had a wonderful book of stories of virtue when the kids were younger. We would read the stories and prose, sometimes talk about the meaning, but wow, did C.S. take it deeper here.
One of the virtues he named and discussed (just a little) was common sense. Common sense, or reference to it at least, is all around us. I have heard people say “they are so book smart they don’t have any common sense.” I had not ever thought of it as a virtue though. I had, without any decision or thought, figured common sense was something you had or something you did not. But what Lewis said about this is, yes some have more than others, but basically we are to cultivate it. It, like patience and temperance, is something we build on.
I don’t know why this stuck with me and I have thought so much on it, but it has. I think it might have to do with having a 13, 16, 19, and 22 year old all in the house and the various happenings.
The other evening I walked into the kitchen, and there on the table was this laptop (The Man’s laptop). It was plugged into the wall. Not the plug at the end of the table, but the plug that required the cord to hang across the walkway. Instantly I moved it, I could see someone coming through during the night, and crash, the laptop and/or the person landing on the floor.
I explained to The Man that he could not do that and why. Then I thought about the common sense part. Really, how much of what we now know is naturally, instinctively there and how much is there by experience and education that we choose to practice?
Will told the older two no more sleeping past noon on weekdays (no, they do not work night shift ). Well one has chosen to shrug that off. So his tactic has been to obnoxiously wake her up daily. She is somewhat irritated by it. It seems that common sense would enter in and she would have her feet on the floor at 11:59 if nothing else.
Just two of the instances that I have noticed, there have been many more, but those two stood out. So that took me back to do you just have it or not? Is it that simple or is it even simpler than that. Is common sense actually our slowing down and paying attention, thinking something through for at least half a second? Taking wisdom that has been shared and acting on it?
I loved his Chronicles of Narnia. In fact, I read through each book without stopping. Now some of his other writings, I have not been very successful at jumping into and enjoying. The current book would have been no exception. He writes at a much more intellectual level than I read for “mere enjoyment”
But we are really enjoying it. We read a chapter a week and discuss it. At first I would find myself re-reading many of the sentences to fully grasp what he was saying, but now that we are halfway through, his style is more familiar. I am entertained when he adds that certain ideas in “these times” will be considered “old fashioned.” Entertained considering he wrote and aired these thoughts on the radio during World War II. I wonder what he would think now.
A few weeks ago the chapter was on the Cardinal Virtues. I had a wonderful book of stories of virtue when the kids were younger. We would read the stories and prose, sometimes talk about the meaning, but wow, did C.S. take it deeper here.
One of the virtues he named and discussed (just a little) was common sense. Common sense, or reference to it at least, is all around us. I have heard people say “they are so book smart they don’t have any common sense.” I had not ever thought of it as a virtue though. I had, without any decision or thought, figured common sense was something you had or something you did not. But what Lewis said about this is, yes some have more than others, but basically we are to cultivate it. It, like patience and temperance, is something we build on.
I don’t know why this stuck with me and I have thought so much on it, but it has. I think it might have to do with having a 13, 16, 19, and 22 year old all in the house and the various happenings.
The other evening I walked into the kitchen, and there on the table was this laptop (The Man’s laptop). It was plugged into the wall. Not the plug at the end of the table, but the plug that required the cord to hang across the walkway. Instantly I moved it, I could see someone coming through during the night, and crash, the laptop and/or the person landing on the floor.
I explained to The Man that he could not do that and why. Then I thought about the common sense part. Really, how much of what we now know is naturally, instinctively there and how much is there by experience and education that we choose to practice?
Will told the older two no more sleeping past noon on weekdays (no, they do not work night shift ). Well one has chosen to shrug that off. So his tactic has been to obnoxiously wake her up daily. She is somewhat irritated by it. It seems that common sense would enter in and she would have her feet on the floor at 11:59 if nothing else.
Just two of the instances that I have noticed, there have been many more, but those two stood out. So that took me back to do you just have it or not? Is it that simple or is it even simpler than that. Is common sense actually our slowing down and paying attention, thinking something through for at least half a second? Taking wisdom that has been shared and acting on it?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Smell the Roses
I have changed my routine this morning.
Normally, I attend a 7:00 a.m. study group at church, but we did not have it today. So I slept in.
And then I retrieved my son’s laptop, opened the blinds to a beautiful sunny morning. Yes! The sun is shining. I just looked at the forecast: more rain tomorrow. So I am going to enjoy the quiet and beauty of the morning before jumping back into the hustle and bustle of life.
I’ve climbed back in bed to visit with you and enjoy a cup of coffee and breakfast.
Since I had breakfast for dinner last night, I am having dessert for breakfast – a bowl of blackberry cobbler ice cream. Just a small bowl. I promise. It just seemed perfect for such a beautiful morning.
Do you ever take a morning, or an evening and change it all up? Just for some quiet you time? Some time to slough off all the schedules, demands and pressures, just for a few minutes?
I hope you do, I don’t often, but this morning it is great, so I wish for you a few moments of that this week… go ahead, prop those feet up and enjoy a special treat…
Smiles!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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