Its the time of year when you start thinking about all of the blessings in your life and the child within starts dreaming and wishing. As a child I remember pouring over the Sears catalog, circling doll houses, model horses, and tinkertoys with enthusiasm and writing letters to Santa, assuring him that regardless of what my brother said, I really had been a good girl that year.
I remember school Christmas parties where Santa would make a grand appearance, handing out presents to each girl and boy and then patiently sit through photos with all of the children in attendance. I remember searches for the perfect tree and the styrofoam gingerbread ornaments that I loved to hang on the tree. I remember a pair of elf dolls dressed in red, green and white that my brother and I would carefully tuck onto the tree branches. I remember the sweetness of peppermint sticks in stockings and the orange that would always be tucked in the bottom....and the warmth of the woodstove while snow drifted lazily out of a gray winter sky.
As in my childhood, I find myself these last few days making another Christmas list. Not one for toys and trinkets, but one for peace, love and strength. I would wish these to my friends and family, and one big one to the world at large. I would ask for strength for my family struggling with worry. I would ask for health for those in pain. I would ask for peace for those who have lost and joy for the memories that remain. I would ask that we grow closer as a family and work together on our problems. I wish LOVE. Because long after the wrappings are torn off and tree is emptied of its bounty, love would still be there; an ongoing, eternal reminder of how much we mean to one another and how none of us are truly alone.
Let me close this with a song I love at Christmas....Here is a link to the video by Amy Grant.
My Grown Up Christmas List
Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown-up now
Can you still help somehow?
I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in that blind belief can we ever find the truth
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal our hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list
This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2 minute update
Car: got it back on Friday (thanks for the lift teachinfourth!) and couldn't help being excited to have my wheels again. I was smart enough to wait until after I'd left the dealership to lay a kiss on it seeing as the guys were already laughing at me about running my hands along the car and saying "I am so glad to have you back in one piece" to it. The bumper is new and looks great and the car is, indeed, purring like a kitten. When its really cold out it does lug a little until it warms up more but the guys said that's not an issue and the final story they can come up with was I had ice in my gas line. I've been chastised to keep at least a half tank of gas in the car during the winter and they tossed a bottle of Heet in there for good measure.
Camera: (sigh) I've posted an ad on ksl.com but don't think anything will come of it. I looked around Teach's place last night and its not there either. I have officially declared it good and lost and will start looking around for a new one to buy next year. Ten months wasn't nearly enough time but now I know I would like a camera with manual focus ability. And I did get some really amazing shots from that camera while I had it.....I just wish I still had it. Guess that will teach me to not leave expensive things in my car.
Christmas: hooray! Its nearly here! I've been making several batches of fimo dough "cookies" as ornaments and they turned out darling. I gave a set to my friend Cynthia in a clear bag tied with a ribbon and they looked like the most delicious sugar cookies...I'm happy they've turned out so well. In fact, they turned out so well that I am going to start working on them throughout next year and start selling on Etsy in the fall (when crafters start seriously thinking about Christmas). So far I've made sugar cookie stars (with bright colored bead "sprinkles"), snowflakes in blue and white icing and brown gingerbread men. I need to pick up a tree cookie cutter as well...I thought I had one but I think it was with all of those cookie cutters I gave away when I moved down here. No biggie....at least cookie cutters are cheap.
Winter in general: I've enjoyed the lull we've had in snow and its actually been decently warm in the day so my fleece-lined hoodie is all I've needed. Today is supposed to be a bit of snow and rain mixed but the news last night thinks we may end up with 4-6" here in town. There is a very fine snow just starting outside but it'll be awhile before that accumulates into anything. It may be more of a White Christmas after all...of course, I DO like it when it stays off the roads!
Other in general: I am thinking I seriously am in need of a haircut. It'll probably have to be tomorrow after work though....I have too much I need to get done tonight, and I didn't grab the picture I found for her to style it like. I won't lose much hair, it'll just have some shape to it since its at that mess-stage where you want to grow it out but can't do anything with it. I also want to see James Cameron's Avatar but that will be a treat for Thursday since I believe I have the entire day off.
Oh, and I didn't get around to the Christmas cards in time. I will instead be sending out homemade Valentines cards to everyone, so keep an eye out for yours.
And last but not least I think Stephanie Meyer is now a subject I won't be writing about....I wrote a blog nearly a year ago about her final book "Breaking Dawn" and dang if I am not still getting peeved-off-fangirl comments about it. Todays was particularly scathing about her how dare I berate her beloved Stephanie (equating SM's sales figures as a sign of how exemplary her writing skills are) I can honestly say it was a surprise to see that nasty thing in my inbox and it hardly sets the mood for a good day. Shame on me for giving my critique in the first place on such a cult phenomenon (bad, bad Shawna!) You know what, I admit I have re-read the book recently and still found it to be seriously lacking. Take THAT fangirl! I understand the reason for the huge following and our feminine desires for decent fantasy without a lot of excessive Harlequin-style porn tossed in....but that still doesn't excuse a poor finish to what could have been a decent series. Dream or no dream (and fans are hot over that whole "its based on a dream" thing) I still think she let us down in the end. Yes, that really is MY opinion little fangirl and if YOU don't like it you freaking did not have to read it in the first place. Its not like I held a gun to your little teenybopper head and cram my opinion down your throat. Honestly people, its not as if my opinion really makes a difference in the world of literature anyway.
Camera: (sigh) I've posted an ad on ksl.com but don't think anything will come of it. I looked around Teach's place last night and its not there either. I have officially declared it good and lost and will start looking around for a new one to buy next year. Ten months wasn't nearly enough time but now I know I would like a camera with manual focus ability. And I did get some really amazing shots from that camera while I had it.....I just wish I still had it. Guess that will teach me to not leave expensive things in my car.
Christmas: hooray! Its nearly here! I've been making several batches of fimo dough "cookies" as ornaments and they turned out darling. I gave a set to my friend Cynthia in a clear bag tied with a ribbon and they looked like the most delicious sugar cookies...I'm happy they've turned out so well. In fact, they turned out so well that I am going to start working on them throughout next year and start selling on Etsy in the fall (when crafters start seriously thinking about Christmas). So far I've made sugar cookie stars (with bright colored bead "sprinkles"), snowflakes in blue and white icing and brown gingerbread men. I need to pick up a tree cookie cutter as well...I thought I had one but I think it was with all of those cookie cutters I gave away when I moved down here. No biggie....at least cookie cutters are cheap.
Winter in general: I've enjoyed the lull we've had in snow and its actually been decently warm in the day so my fleece-lined hoodie is all I've needed. Today is supposed to be a bit of snow and rain mixed but the news last night thinks we may end up with 4-6" here in town. There is a very fine snow just starting outside but it'll be awhile before that accumulates into anything. It may be more of a White Christmas after all...of course, I DO like it when it stays off the roads!
Other in general: I am thinking I seriously am in need of a haircut. It'll probably have to be tomorrow after work though....I have too much I need to get done tonight, and I didn't grab the picture I found for her to style it like. I won't lose much hair, it'll just have some shape to it since its at that mess-stage where you want to grow it out but can't do anything with it. I also want to see James Cameron's Avatar but that will be a treat for Thursday since I believe I have the entire day off.
Oh, and I didn't get around to the Christmas cards in time. I will instead be sending out homemade Valentines cards to everyone, so keep an eye out for yours.
And last but not least I think Stephanie Meyer is now a subject I won't be writing about....I wrote a blog nearly a year ago about her final book "Breaking Dawn" and dang if I am not still getting peeved-off-fangirl comments about it. Todays was particularly scathing about her how dare I berate her beloved Stephanie (equating SM's sales figures as a sign of how exemplary her writing skills are) I can honestly say it was a surprise to see that nasty thing in my inbox and it hardly sets the mood for a good day. Shame on me for giving my critique in the first place on such a cult phenomenon (bad, bad Shawna!) You know what, I admit I have re-read the book recently and still found it to be seriously lacking. Take THAT fangirl! I understand the reason for the huge following and our feminine desires for decent fantasy without a lot of excessive Harlequin-style porn tossed in....but that still doesn't excuse a poor finish to what could have been a decent series. Dream or no dream (and fans are hot over that whole "its based on a dream" thing) I still think she let us down in the end. Yes, that really is MY opinion little fangirl and if YOU don't like it you freaking did not have to read it in the first place. Its not like I held a gun to your little teenybopper head and cram my opinion down your throat. Honestly people, its not as if my opinion really makes a difference in the world of literature anyway.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
No, its not the Christmas spirit.
Co-worker called this morning...*cough* *cough* "I won't be in today" croaked out in a horribly raspy voice. "I think it might be strep. I'll see the doctor this morning and get some antibiotics and I'll be in tomorrow. Oh, and I have a present for all of you. I just need to finish up the Christmas candies and cookies I started yesterday and I'll bring them in with me."
Strep...and still baking?
Oh yeah, lets not forget her 2 oldest are coughing so hard she pulled them out of school today and her youngest is running a fever of 103.
Lets also not forget this gal has been to the doctors at least once a week for the last month with different illnesses for herself and her kids...and gotten antibiotics each time. At some point those antibiotics have got to stop working as this is a regular routine for her family. If she's not at home she's usually taking someone to the doctor.
Those aren't Christmas Chocolate balls.....those are balls of disease. So not the way I want to start my new year, thanks just the same.
Co-worker called this morning...*cough* *cough* "I won't be in today" croaked out in a horribly raspy voice. "I think it might be strep. I'll see the doctor this morning and get some antibiotics and I'll be in tomorrow. Oh, and I have a present for all of you. I just need to finish up the Christmas candies and cookies I started yesterday and I'll bring them in with me."
Strep...and still baking?
Oh yeah, lets not forget her 2 oldest are coughing so hard she pulled them out of school today and her youngest is running a fever of 103.
Lets also not forget this gal has been to the doctors at least once a week for the last month with different illnesses for herself and her kids...and gotten antibiotics each time. At some point those antibiotics have got to stop working as this is a regular routine for her family. If she's not at home she's usually taking someone to the doctor.
Those aren't Christmas Chocolate balls.....those are balls of disease. So not the way I want to start my new year, thanks just the same.
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