Happy 2012!

Here it is:  2012.  I say it "two thousand twelve" and it should be a pretty good year.  We have a lot of fun and exciting things coming up for us.  They include:

Winter/Spring

• Continued healing with my foot/ankle.  I have another visit to the doctor in the next two weeks and continued physical therapy.  I'm hoping for a good left shoe sometime soon.
• Trainings for the All Stars Program and District-Wide Trainings for 2012.  I will spend two days in January attending web trainings for the All Stars program that I am facilitating at our middle school.  There are also various district trainings including one next week on behavioral interventions for use in the classroom.  I am excited to learn more techniques to reach the students I work with this spring.
• Out of town conferences for my spouse.  He will be going to Ft. Collins for Theological Conference, Florida for a World Hunger conference and California for another First Call Theological Education.  He will be a nation-wide traveler this spring!
• Lent and Easter.  I am thankful to have Holy Week coincide with my Spring Break from school.  I'm looking forward to Wednesday Soup Suppers at the church and a journey through spring into Easter.
• Birthdays!  We will both celebrate our birthdays in April.  In May we will celebrate Daisy's adoption day.

 Spring/Summer

• In May we are going to see Wicked:  The Musical in Denver.  It will be my third time and his second time.
• My brother is getting married this June to a wonderful woman that I am excited to officially welcome to the family.  Plus, I get to add two nieces to the family at the same time!  Exciting.
• Our 8th wedding anniversary will be on July 31st.

Fall/Winter

• Daisy's 5th birthday will be in September.  She's getting so big!
• We will prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Journey through Advent and be getting ready to celebrate another New Year before we know it!

I hope that the New Year brings us all peace, health and relaxation.  May our journey be filled with challenges, triumphs and celebrations. 

5Q Friday ~ December 30, 2011

Welcome to the final 5QF for 2011!  I am looking forward to a peaceful and healthy 2012.  And now, on with the show...

1. What's the oldest piece of clothing in your closet? The oldest are probably two sweaters that once belonged to my great-grandma.  I do actually wear them and they are some of my faves.  I'm guessing they are from the 90s, so it's not super old.

2. How many random blog readers have you met?  Ummm...no "random" readers as far as I know.

3. Did you get to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve as a child?  As far as I remember my bro and I did.  I am sure I fell asleep many years before midnight (:::cough:::  last year :::cough:::).  Since this year New Year's Eve is a Saturday and our Praise Band is singing on Sunday morning, there will be no midnight for me.

4. What are the gas prices where you live?  $3.06 as we passed the gas station on Thursday.

5. What is one resolution that you know you should do but are too afraid to try?  Regularly put money into savings.  Oh, say once a month.  Maybe I'll try that this year.

Wind

Today we were treated to some nice temps in the morning and a bright clear sky.  However, things got a tad bit windy by mid-morning.  We had gusts around 100 mph.  The church, along with many buildings in town, had roofing tiles blown off.  A local contractor told us tonight that he kept getting calls asking him to come on their roofs and fix them.  In 100 mph winds, he politely declined!

We are thankful that our home is fine, our pup is safe, our church will be fine and no one was hurt.  We survived a 30 minute power outage and all is well.  But 100 mph gusts are quite strong!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Daisy's Christmas

Blanket from "Uncle" Jasper

Trying to catch the squeaker ball from Mom & Dad

Look at all my toys and my blanket!

Cleopatra's Moon

I have taken the last couple of days to rest and recover from Christmas activities.  Joshua says that I have what is going around town right now - the "I did too much" syndrome.  My foot is hurting and it's hard to get around today.

On the plus side, I was able to finish the book I've been reading for the last couple of (busy) weeks.  This is a young adult historical fiction novel by Vicky Alvear Shecter.  Cleopatra's Moon tells the story of the daughter of the famous Cleopatra.  Cleopatra Selene was taken as a political prisoner to Rome after the deaths of Cleopatra and Marc Antony.

Cleopatra Selene goes through her life trying to determine what her destiny is.  Should she struggle to fight against Octavian and return to Egypt?  Or should she submit to the will of those who control her fate and accept her future in Rome?  Or should she follow her heart and accept the proposal of a man that she loves?

I really enjoyed this novel a lot.  Every time I thought the story would stall there was a new twist that urged me to keep reading.  I would recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers and to those readers who enjoy a coming of age tale.

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Enjoy your Danish Meatballs, Christmas Eve Service and It's A Wonderful Life viewing.  Love you!

Mom and I in 2010

Some final thoughts on Advent

As Advent is coming to a close I'm looking back and thinking about the lessons I am working on learning this year.

Things around the house are as clean as they are going to be.  I am not going to have an all out, crazy decorated home, but it will be clean, bright and with the important decorations up.  Our home will be filled with the laughter of our niece, the twinkling of the Christmas tree and the smells of delicious food.  

I can not believe that Christmas is nearly here!  I am not in that frenzied mode that I often feel two days before Christmas.  I am ready to continue with a relaxed winter and do my "Charlie Brown dance" and enjoy the next few days.

Last Days of Advent

As Advent is winding down and we prepare for the celebrations of Christmas, we awoke to snow showers yesterday.  It was a bit nerve-wracking to wake up and see the snow falling on the ground and thinking about our last day of school for the year.  After a grueling and laughter filled morning at PT, I headed into school.  We had a shortened schedule with 30 minute classes.  In the afternoon, we watched Elf as a school.  The students were very well behaved, quiet during the movie and great with each other.

I stood in the bus area after school and got snowed on quite a bit.  I had to change out of my soaked jeans when I got home!  We went out and had soup and service at church and then headed home to relax.  As we went to bed, we had about 1 to 2 inches of snow, but it started snowing again.

I woke up this morning to about 8 inches of snow on the ground.  It was beautiful.  It was cold.  It was wet.  Daisy went outside and the snow goes up to her mid-shoulder.  Yes, the snow is as deep as my dog!  The sun was shining today and the places that had been shoveled have melted.  We ventured out to the store about mid-afternoon and survived.

Tonight we are going to go out to the movies and see The Muppets.  It will be my second time seeing it, but it was so good.  We also like to visit our local businesses and do something fun to celebrate getting through the busy days of Advent.

We have many things planned for tomorrow:  cleaning up some more around the house, getting bulletins folded, finishing up watching the Christmas movies and hanging out with pup.  Family comes to town on Saturday and we have tons of stuff planned then.

Stay safe, have a great end of your week and enjoy the last days of preparation for Christmas! 

Wordless Wednesday ~ Daisy's Christmas Hat

"Really Dad?  Mom is trying to put a Santa hat on me and you are taking pictures?"

Thanks to my Mom & Dad for getting Daisy this early Christmas present.  It made us laugh!

Hybrid

This weekend I finished another book.  Hybrid, by Brian O'Grady is a novel about a biological attack that begins in Colorado Springs.  The book was good.  Pretty good story-line and characters.  I would say that the resolution fell a little flat though.  The best part of the book was the crazy characterization of Colorado Springs as a small, peaceful, mountain town.

5Q Friday ~ December 16, 2011

Here's another 5 Question Friday.  Enjoy!

1. What's the best Christmas present you've ever received?

I really don't know.  For me, Christmas isn't about the gifts, it's memories.  My favorite memories involve sitting around with lots of family and enjoying each others' company.

2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?

The best White Elephant parties were the ones in SF.  There was a talking President figurine one year.  I can't remember which President it was (Clinton?  George W.?), but it was the hot item that year.

3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?

In between.  Colored lights.  Many ornaments that match and a few special ones on the main tree.  On the little tree, which won't get put up this year, we put all the very breakable ones along with the colored lights.

4. What is your favorite Christmas song/carol?

I like "What Child Is This?".  I love the minor Christmas carol.

 

5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must make" items? 

Last year was the first year I did a bunch of baking and I made the cookie favorites:  Martha Washingtons, Pecan Balls, Sugar Cookies.  This year I am thankful for the care package of cookies from Mom & Dad!

And now for your enjoyment...

I'm spoiled!

Circumstantial Evidence

This weekend I finished reading a great true crime book I got from our library book sale.  Circumstantial Evidence, by Pete Earley, is a tale of two murders of young white women in small-town Alabama in the 1980s.  A black man is accused, convicted and sentenced to death for one of the murders despite the many, many inconsistencies, contradictions of testimony and blatant racism by the police and investigators.  The book takes us through the entire drama from the discovery of the body to the investigation to the trial to the many appeals.  I enjoyed this book - it was a great find from our library book sale. 

Random Thoughts

I am sitting here in my chair, relaxing and thinking about lots of random things.  Here are a few of them.

•  We take entirely way too many pictures of Miss Daisy.  Like 5-10 pictures a day.  A DAY.  At least I don't post all of them!
• My foot is achy today.  I am frustrated with my lack of "do everything" ability.  I am having a very hard time learning to take things slow and ask for help.  I still can not put any/much weight on my toes.  I need to remember to tell my physical therapist that tomorrow.
• However, I do think my ankle is getting stronger.  I am continuing to do my exercises and I am pleased with the decrease in pain in the ankle.
• Christmas cookies arrived today!  (Thanks Mom & Dad!)
• Also, apparently during Christmas the post office delivers packages on Sunday.  I have never been anywhere that happens.
• Had a good time with the ladies of the church at our Christmas Tea this afternoon.  Ate way too much cake, hot cocoa and punch.  We laughed and had a great time.

That ends tonight's random thoughts!

5Q Friday ~ December 9, 2011

Welcome to this Christmas themed edition of 5QF.  Here we go...

1. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?  There are so many:  pecan balls, Martha Washington cookies, frosted sugar cookie.  But my absolute favorite are the Belgian New Year's cookies.  They are a lot of work, but delicious.

2. What's your favorite holiday movie & why?  The cartoon version of The Grinch.  It has fun music, lovely rhyme scheme (thanks Dr. Seuss) and very good animation.  It's a classic!

3.  What is your favorite holiday decoration?  I love the Christmas lights.  They must be the little ones and they must be multi-colored.  They really sparkle up the house.

4. What is the messiest room in your house right at this moment?  Right now it's the kitchen.  It's hard for me to get in there to clean and I'm not up to standing for a super long time, so we are only doing the bare minimum.

5. What is the furthest you have traveled for the holidays?  We traveled from Berkeley to Colorado for Christmas.  It was nice to be with our family.

Knowledge is power!

Today I saw the orthopedist for my ankle/foot injury.  He was very friendly, knowledgeable, had reviewed my x-rays and doctor's reports and already conferred with my physical therapist BEFORE my appointment today.  He knew exactly where to push and poke to make me cry out in pain (aka figure out where it hurt). 

Figure courtesy of footeducation.com

My ankle is healing from the sprain that we knew about from the ER and primary care doc.  I also have a mid-foot sprain in the Lisfranc joint.  This is the joint in the middle of the foot.  It was discovered by Dr. Lisfranc during the Napoleonic Wars.  The figure on the left shows a right foot with the Lisfranc joint highlighted.  

The good news is that after reviewing my x-rays he does not believe there are any fractures or breaks in the bones.  The bad news is that while an ankle sprain heals in a number of weeks - I am already noticing some progress and healing - the foot sprain heals in a number of months.  That's right, months.  No easy out for me.  No sir, when I hurt myself, I hurt myself good!

The doctor believes that with continued physical therapy and pain management that I should heal fine.  If I am still experiencing considerable pain in 3 months he wants to see me again to discuss surgery.  However, he doesn't think I will need surgery.


As of today I have made a lot of progress.  The ankle sprain is healing with a minimal amount of swelling and tenderness in the ankle at this time.  My ankle is still weak and I am working on strengthening in physical therapy.  The foot sprain is making progress.  Again he reminded me that this will take months.  He did say I am healing well and am at the point I can begin to weight bear as I am able.  This means I get to use the boot and my left leg now!


So I have some goals for myself (with doctor consultation and pending approval from my PT of course!).

• Beginning tonight and through this first full week in December:  weight bear in the boot as much as I can tolerate.  Continue to use the crutches for stabilization and rest when needed.
• In the second full week of December:  be able to use only one crutch and/or a cane for stabilization as needed.  Begin to walk without the boot in small doses (i.e. to the bathroom in the morning or after a shower).
• In the third week of December:  be able to walk without an aid in the boot.  Start walking without a boot around the house and for longer periods of time. 
• ULTIMATE GOAL:  Wear both matching shoes to Christmas Eve service.

And yes, the shoes I was wearing when I fell are still "grounded".  I will wear shoes that have support for my foot and ankle.
Here is to health, support from medical professionals and goals.  I'll keep you posted!

Advent: Preparing for Christmas

I have spent most of this weekend (and the past couple of weeks) preparing for Christmas.  We have all but one of the gifts wrapped, left some packages at my parents' house, mailed a package to my BFF.  The Christmas cards are written, stamped and mailed, and we got our Advent wreath out and lit the candle for week 1 (we'll light for week 2 tonight).  My Christmas clothes are in the rotation, I've listened to Christmas music and watched Muppet Christmas Carol.

However, there is still so much more to do:  the house isn't decorated (blame crutches on that one), food will need purchased and prepared, more Christmas movies watched, various activities attended.  The list goes on and on...

But I was thinking that this Advent season is one where I am learning about preparing slowly and thoughtfully.  My bum foot is forcing us to make choices:  what is important?  What can wait or even (gasp!) not happen this year?  What do we really want to do?  Who can we ask for help on certain things?  

It is all coming down to priorities.  It's important for me to light the advent wreath.  It is important to get Daisy's stocking ready.  It is a cherished tradition for me to watch all the Christmas specials and movies and listen to Christmas music.  I enjoy wearing my Christmas shirts and socks.

But the tree, the lights, the decorating, the baking?  All of that has to wait right now.  I can't participate in all the decorating and baking the way I normally do.  Advent is a busy time of year for us.  We can't do it all. We  need help.  We need to make decisions.  I need patience.

I wonder if this is how we should always feel during Advent.  There is so much joy and celebrating to do for Christmas - traditions, family, friends.  Sometimes it feels like we skip the anticipation and waiting of the Advent season in order to celebrate the joy of Christmas.  But rather than jumping in head first, running around like crazy doing things, cooking things and buying things, maybe we need to sit down, spend some time in the quiet and stillness of winter and wait.  Wait for help, wait for comfort, wait for peace, wait until we are ready.  

I think the lesson I am learning this Advent is to wait and be patient.  What is most important will get done.  And what is not done...well, maybe I'll appreciate it more next year when I am able to get it all done.  

Or maybe, just maybe, the lesson I am learning is that simplicity allows me to be thankful and joyful and celebrate with all of the small details.  

Semi-Wordless Wednesday: Al Capone Shines My Shoes

I just finished Al Capone Shines My Shoes, by Gennifer Choldenko.  It is a great follow up to Al Capone Does My Shirts.  This installment continues the tale of the "Kids of Alcatraz".  Loved it!
 

Update on my physical therapy

Today I saw my physical therapist, and I am making some slow, painful progress.  At my last appointment I started doing a few movement exercises - pumping the ankle up and down, scrunching the toes and knee extensions.  It has been challenging, but good to do a bit of movement.  

Today I went back and we added some more movements in!  Today I did moving the ankle up toward my head (with and without resistance bands), pointing my toe (with and without resistance bands), moving the ankle to the left (with and without resistance bands), moving the ankle to the right (with and without resistance bands), and my "ABCs" (no resistance).

I'm hurting quite a bit with all the new movement and exercises.  Also, I did a lot over the weekend with shopping and up & down stairs, etc.  I've been having some muscle/tendon spasms in my foot and they are pretty painful.  I am still non-weight-bearing which is exhausting.  I noticed tonight that my left knee is getting a callus from all the scooting around on my scooter and the skin is very dry.

This week I see the orthopedist, so hopefully we'll get some progress and information.  In the meantime, I'll keep hobbling along!

Relaxing Sunday with Daisy

I'm getting spoiled!

We had a really good visit to the family over the holiday.  We spent time hanging out, had dinner with extended family, did all our shopping for Christmas (I know, we are horribly planned ahead this year), ate more food, watched Despicable Me, ate some more, shopped some more and wrapped presents.  Whew!  I am really tired, achy, hurting and sore all over from all of that activity.

Sweet baby pup

Daisy was really good this weekend, and put up with quite a bit of seeing the inside of her kennel.  She played a lot too - some with her Uncle Jasper, some with squeakers and some jumping all over all the furniture at my parents' house - even when she had been told NOT to get on the furniture.  

This is fun.  I stay here always now!

Today was a day for resting up for the week, elevating my foot and relaxing.  I have missed spending time on the floor snuggling my pup-a-lup.  We think she has missed it too since she spent much of her "furniture time" next to her Mom.  So this afternoon, we got her up in my lap for some pets and snuggles.  Here are some pics from the highlight reel! 

Daisy and her Mom...on the chair!

lots of pets...weeeeeeeeeeee!

Thanksgiving 5QF

Welcome to this day after Thanksgiving Five Question Friday!  Here we go...

1. Is there a special dish you prepare that you are famous for?

Things I like to eat from my traditions:  deviled eggs, mashed potatoes & cranberry relish (but I don't make that)

2. Are you (did you) go Black Friday shopping?

We went out Thanksgiving night to Michael's.  The people there were totally nice & told us that they were not forced to work but got to volunteer to work.  They even brought in leftovers to share!

Day after Thanksgiving plans:  Target, PetCo & Dollar Store.

3. What are your strangest holiday traditions?

My family always ate beef stick and cheese with Ritz crackers on Christmas Eve night.  My great-grandma used to send us a nice gift set with summer sausage, cheese & crackers.  After she passed away, my parents kept up the tradition.  Now I continue to have that every Christmas Eve too!

4. Pecan or pumpkin pie?  

Neither.  I like fruit salad or apple pie.

5. When will you put up your Christmas tree?

We usually put it up the day after Thanksgiving.  However, this year being out of town and also on crutches, it won't happen until later in the season.

Amazing Cows: Udder Absurdity for Children

Today while we were out and about we stopped into our local book store.  We stumbled across this book in the children's section and I picked it up.  I started to flip through it while resting and decided it needed to come home with me.

Sandra Boynton's Amazing Cows is an amazingly hilarious book about chickens cows!  I laughed out loud at pretty much every page.  There is a cow myth about "Izzy" who writes a stadium cheer in honor of Zoose.  There is a tale about cows and chickens playing Red Rover.  There are cow jokes, cow poems and a cow comic book.  It was a great buy and a lot of laughs.  

I now leave you with the first few lines of the book.

Much has been written about why cows are so widely admired.  Or maybe nothing at all has been written about that.  We forgot to check.

5Q Friday ~ November 18, 2011

First let me say happy birthday to my bro!  

Now on to 5QF!

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?  Pretty much anything Sugarland.  I like the upbeat stuff (Baby Girl, It Happens, Stuck Like Glue).  Awesome.

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?  Fake one.  That way you can put it up earlier and have it last longer. 

3. What are you thankful for?  Today I am thankful for doctors and technology to help figure out what is wrong with my (painful) foot.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?  Remember, back in the day, when we would wear slouch socks?  But not just one pair.  No we wore two that coordinated with our outfit.  And the opposite color was on the outside of each foot.  Like blue and white, but the left foot had blue on the outside and the right foot had white on the outside.  Yeah.  I wish I could wear that!

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?  I usually try to fill up once I get on the low side of 1/2 a tank.  I do not want to run out of gas.  Sometimes it takes me a while to remember that I need gas.  And basically, I'm paranoid I'll run out of gas and end up stuck on the side of the highway for hours waiting for someone to bring me more gas.

Grateful and Thankful

As I sit here tonight, I am reminded to reflect on the things in my life that I am grateful and thankful for.  I know we should do this year-round, but it comes to mind now because so many people are sharing what they are thankful for.  Here are some of the things I am thinking of tonight...

• The awesome small town we live in.  On top of all of the offers for help people have given us with my injury these last two weeks, I had a chance to experience tonight how the community rallies around those who need it.  We went to a benefit dinner for a man who died of cancer 2 weeks ago.  We were able to be with our community and help support the family of this man financially and emotionally.
• Wonderful family.  My parents were able to come up and visit last Friday to see how I am getting around.  My mother-in-law texts a couple of times a week to check on my foot.  My brother-in-law helps me out with my fantasy football team.  And my brother is celebrating his birthday tomorrow!  Happy Birthday bro!
• Great job.  I get to see young people grow, change, understand and learn.  I get to hear the "ohhh, I get it" and the celebrations.  I get to talk with them and get to know them and be a support for them.  I truly love my job.
• Health care, doctors, physical therapists and techs, radiologists, etc...  The list goes on, but there are so many people to help me get through this ankle/foot problem, give me advice and are available here in town.  I don't have to go out of town to get x-rays done or go to physical therapy.  It's all right here.

There are so many things to be thankful for, but these are the things that are on my mind tonight.

Classics Articles from around the web

One of the "benefits" of a break/sprain is that I have had lots of time to catch up on my web surfing.  I've found a couple of blog posts that are interesting to me and I thought I'd share them with you.

The first comes from Roger Pearse via Rouge Classicism.  In this post, he discusses the dating of the Mithreaum beneath the Church of San Clemente in Rome.  When we were in Italy in 2009, Joshua and I went to the Church of San Clemente to tour the Mithreaum.  We could tour the historic church as well, but I was more excited to go underground and see the rooms of the Mithreaum.  It was a very beautiful space and considering the research and reading I did for my degree on Mithras and the rights of that religion in comparison with early Christian traditions it was very fascinating.

In this blog post, Roger Pearse discusses the dating of Mithraic archaeology and, specifically, the archaeology at the Church of San Clemente.  Reading about this brought fond memories of Rome and college to mind.

The second post I want to share is this post, also via Rouge Classicism, about upcoming changes to the Catholic mass.  The author here discusses the rare change that is going to be made to the Catholic mass to reflect the more literal translation of the Latin texts of Mass.  I want to do some more investigation into this because it is another interest area of mine.  I will post more if I find it. 

Out of Oz

Yesterday I finished my final Wicked Years novel, Out of Oz.  It was really, really good.  

We meet up with all the Oz gang:  Glinda, Liir, Candle, Rain, Dorothy & Toto, Brr - the Cowardly Lion and many others.  The book begins with a brief outline of what has happened in the last three novels and then picks up with action right away.  I kept turning pages and not wanting to stop through all 585 pages!  I won't put any spoilers in here because I know some people want to read it too.

Once again I admire Gregory Maguire's story-telling.  He is so descriptive in his settings and details.  He explains a lot but leaves some to the reader's imagination.  There were a few plot twists I was not expecting and I love those.

I recommend this book, and all the Wicked Years novels to any and all!

The Windy Season

We have entered what I like to call "The Windy Season" here in eastern Wyoming.  You see, for about 6 months from November-May we get these horrible winds.  Today was the first day it was pretty bad.  The gusts were such that they almost knocked me over.  I worry about Daisy getting blown away out of the yard!

As I sit and write this, about 6pm on a Thursday evening, the wind is howling, it is dark outside (thanks Daylight Savings Time) and my pup is waiting for all of us to be home together.  Hopefully the winds will not last all night (yeah right) and I won't wake up with a headache like I seem to have every morning of the windy season.  Happy Fall!

Clumsy

Picture this:  beautiful fall morning, crisp breeze, leaves blowing.  Me, hands full, carrying stuff into work.  I try to open the door using the automatic button.  I move to go inside, but my foot stays where it is.

That's what has happened today!  I didn't even get into the building and I crunched hard on my ankle.  It's been a few hours now and in that time I've:  iced it, got ibuprofin, gotten picked up and went to the ER.  At the ER they did x-rays to decide I was sprained and not broken.  I have an ankle brace, crutches for balance (I'm putting as much weight on it as possible), pain meds and a note to stay home from work for at least two days.

Bright side is:  I get to stay home and watch TV and finish my book!  I'll live, I just feel dumb for falling out of my shoes.

5Q Friday ~ November 4, 2011

Can you believe it's November already?  Me either!  Had a great, positive day at the school with the students and a nice long walk with pup when I got home.  The weekend will have to work hard to beat today!

So, on with 5QF!

1. What movie do you love to quote?

I end up sounding like Bones a lot.  "I don't understand" is a big phrase in my speech patterns and it is usually in reference to pop culture phrases.  I also quote pretty much all of the funny/cheesy movies I like:  Sister Act, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Night at the Museum, Hercules, Toy Story...the list goes on and on and on and on....

2. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?

No.  I don't plan to either.  Well, unless you count those motorcycles at the game places where you "ride" them and race your friends.  Then yes.

3. What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

Curl up and read a good book or watch movies.  Even though it won't rain/snow this weekend (fingers crossed), that's my plan anyway.  I'm about 1/5 of the way through Out of Oz and I have HP6 from Netflix.  Awesome.

4. Do you prefer a bunch of small gifts, or one really big, (expensive) gift?

(Get ready for a lame sounding answer)...I like a bunch of small gifts, but I'd rather them be spread out throughout the year.  I do like to give gifts, notes of encouragement or hello throughout the year (see how cheesy this is) as much as I like to receive them.

5. Do you ever lose track of days and show up somewhere wrong?

Not yet anyway.  I do lose track of the days at school and have to be reminded to do something (a meeting or a show to watch).  For me Monday-Friday are all interchangeable and Saturday and Sunday are interchangeable.

All Saints Day

Today, November 1st, is the celebration of All Saints Day.  In many churches the celebration of All Saints Day, or the Sunday after November 1st, is to "Remember Those Who Have Died" (ELCA Worship News).  

In my modern Lutheran experience, All Saints Day is the day that we remember those who have gone before us and their impact and lasting legacy in our lives.  One of my favorite and most meaningful acts of remembrance on this day is the lighting of a candle for those who have gone before us.

I take a moment on this day in particular to think about those who have gone before me and the impact they have had on my life.  I think about those who have shaped my life through their example, their gifts and their love.  I remember the special times and reminders of them with their actions and words.  I think about what my life would be like without their influence.  I think about how I can live my life to use the lessons they have taught me.  I also remember those who are still with us in this world who influence my life.  And I am grateful.

Halloween

It's Halloween night and we have had a quiet night.  Spent some time relaxing, watching TV and reading.  We are currently watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".  I find myself thinking that these kids would not get away with acting this way at school now.  No, they would be in the office for bullying quite often.  Also Snoopy is pretty moody and spoiled.  I mean, if someone puts on a different song, don't sit there and cry.  Ask politely or go somewhere else and play your own music. 

Daisy has done well with the "Tricks or Treats" as the Peanuts gang says.  She has not tried to bolt out the door.  The first few doorbell rings she actually went running to the wrong door.  She goes and sniffs the outside (and the Trick or Treaters).  Then we come inside and give Daisy her Trick or Treat (a cookie)!  Now she is laying at our feet and sleeping soundly.

I do want to say that our community is good about Trick or Treating.  We have only had 1 person come without an adult/parent.  They all say thank you and a lot of them say that Daisy is a cute pup.  Maybe next year our pup will get a costume!  ;-) 

Lesson from the first year of homeownership

As I was out working in the yard today, I was reflecting on the lessons we have learned in our first year of homeownership.  We have been in our home for a year now (closing anniversary was Saturday).  Things are not exactly perfect.  Nor are they how I envisioned our house would be.  But I love our house...it is perfect for us.

So now, the lessons (in no particular order)...

• Always ask questions.  If you don't know how to do something, chances are someone you know does know how to do it and they are willing to give advice/help/teach you.
• 2 people painting a hot, stuffy bathroom in mid-July is never a good idea.  Your dog will freak out because she can't be in there with you and you will all be stinky, sweaty, paint covered and a little bit crazy from the smell.
• If you've never really painted, ask how to paint in small spaces.  Your toilet may end up with teal paint on the back of the tank if you do not.
• There is always something more to work on, something else that needs done, something you want to do.  At some point, you just say things are comfortable and I am going to enjoy my house!
• You'd be surprised at the things you can live without (live tv, coffee tables, a headboard...).
• You'd be surprised at the things you love (air conditioning, gas fireplace, dishwasher, upstairs laundry...).
• That spare room will not turn into a guest room in one year.  Maybe not ever.  But it sure works good as a storage/wrapping room.
• When you are taking care of the leaves in the fall, do not assume no one has raked leaves in years.  That amount of leaves will be there next fall and they will have come from the entire neighborhood.
• The best broom to sweep the sidewalk is a leaf blower.
• The floor will get scratched, the paint may chip, but those memories you've made (niece's first-ish steps, lasagne on the china, squeaker fetch with the pup) are perfect.
• It's only temporary unless it works!