Reflections at Another Year's End

I started this tradition last New Year's Eve...and found it a perfect way to recap the year. (Click here if you want to see last year's post.) It's hard to remember all that happens in a year -- a mere 365 days -- and this is a great way to keep track.

One of my favorite activities to do when I was young was to buy the Life magazine "Year in Pictures" issue. I would pore over it with great anticipation and interest. It's amazing how much goes on in a year that we forget.

As a shutterbug myself, I find it very difficult to pick only one photo to represent the happenings for that month. Indulge me, if you will, as I try to limit myself.

January:

2007 arrived! Emily donated 12 inches of her hair to "Locks for Love," a group that uses hair donations to make wigs for cancer patients and others who might need one. A week later I joined her.

February:

Edward turned 6 on Valentine's Day. We went to the Air & Space Museum Annex outside of Dulles Airport for his birthday adventure, but we had so much snow it kept getting postponed. I hosted my 12th Annual Valentine's Tea. Earl Grey (Emily's bunny) and his bunny brother Clementine celebrated their 1st birthday with a birthday party in Emily's room.

March:

March followed on the heels of a very snowy February, and we finally started our homeschool learning group 3 weeks late. We had dry weather until a major snow/ice storm hit on March 16th -- the same day Edward ended up in the ER at Reading Hospital with asthmatic bronchitis. Stuart and I travelled to Washington, D.C., to see the end program at the D.C. Independent Film Festival and a Q&A with Kiefer Sutherland et al and another big-screen viewing of the rockumentary I Trust You to Kill Me. Rocco Deluca and the Burden played live after the film. We even saw Jude Cole (though I was too shy to go up and ask for a photo and autograph).

April:

Easter came mid-month. It was warm and sunny. Emily celebrated her half-birthday, and Tax Day was delayed due to the 15th being a Sunday this year. Stuart and I travelled to Philadelphia for our first local Rocco Deluca concert. We saw them along with The Feeling and Mat Kearney.

May:

Stuart's parents came for a visit, and we drove to New York City to pick them up. We enjoyed trips to Philadelphia to ride the DUCKS; Ocean City, N.J., to enjoy the beach (don't be fooled by the above photo -- it was NOT warm *grin*); Strasburg to ride the trains; and through Amish Country for a yummy breakfast. Another friend from the U.K. visited, and we hosted a BBQ for him at our house with both sets of parents. My blog turned 1! Stuart and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss. *grin*

June:

Emily had her dance recital, and we celebrated Father's Day. One of our gifts to Stuart was a book of photographs called Hollywood Dads. The above is the photograph I took to put in the front of it -- that's the "star" in our house!! The bun-girls (Bubble and Squeak) turned 2.

July:

We spent a hot, humid morning watching the annual Wyomissing Independence Day Parade. Edward lost his first tooth. We got to go to Dorney Park (a local theme park) for Stuart's annual company picnic. We said goodbye to our dear cat, Abigail, and Stuart spent two weeks in Brazil, hanging with Kiefer doing a sound survey on several gas platforms.

August:

Our vacation to Nags Head came a month earlier. We rented another beach house and spent the week together as a whole family -- a first in many years. We nearly melted due to record high temps (in the 100s all week) and spent most of the time parked at the edge of the ocean with our feet in the water. We welcomed Chaucer, a new "kitty," into our family. Edward had his half-birthday, and we enjoyed some horse and buggy rides at our 4-H picnic. Stuart and I went to yet another Rocco concert in Philadelphia -- how could we resist seeing this awesome band?

September:

School began on time -- and at home for a change (we're usually at the beach). Stuart celebrated his 37th birthday. Emily started her 8th year of dance class with two classes a week, and Edward began his first season doing a team sport: soccer. He loved it and was a natural! (He's already signed up for the spring season.) We drove up to New York to meet a long-time online friend, Lana, and her family. Our homeschool learning group began, and I started teaching a high school journalism class. We took the kids to their first Rocco concert -- the end of tour concert held outside in Baltimore -- and even met the band members afterwards. It was fun to share the experience with them, and Edward lost his second tooth on the way.

October:

Our birthday brought double-digits to Emily who turned 10. I turned 37. We spent our birthday in New York City so that Emily could use some of her birthday money to buy a "trendy" new outfit. We headed back up there a week later to see the 24 Season 7 trailer live on the big screen in Times Square -- where we met Mary Lynn Rajskub, the actress who plays Chloe on the show. I met Norma, another wonderful online friend/fellow Kiefer fan, who was in R-City for a skating competition. Emily and Edward dressed up as Star Wars characters for Halloween. The Nutcracker Season began. We finished replacing the rest of the windows in our house, and I reached 10,000 visitors on my blog.

November:

Some marvelous school photos were taken. We replaced the floor in our kitchen. Jack and Tony, the two Holland Lop bunnies, joined our menagerie. A fun Thanksgiving feast was held at my aunt's. I started Book #14 in my "bestseller" *wink* manuscript.

December:

I drove the kids solo to New York City to visit our friends and go to Macy's. Originally, we were going to see the "lions" at the public library...but we figured that could wait for another trip. Emily danced as an "angel" in her fourth Nutcracker performance. We enjoyed the annual "Breakfast with Santa" that Stuart's company hosts for the children. Emily finished her 2nd year of 4-H. Stuart was asked to read scripture at our church's Christmas Eve service and discovered that night that the seat of his pants had a huge rip in them. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with my family on Christmas and played games afterwards. Boxing Day came with the usual English feast and some fun company. Pagoda Day brought its usual fun trek up Mt. Penn to get our annual night-time photo (the camera slid off the car and thank God didn't sustain any damage).

* * *

We are so grateful for God's blessings on us, and we stand now at the gate of another year, wondering what adventures lay ahead. In faith, we'll hold tight to God's Hand.

Happy New Year -- Goodbye, 2007! Welcome, 2008!

Sweet Sunday

I saw Handel's Messiah several times while at college and was incredibly moved by it every time.

This is one of my favorite songs from it. It never ceases to amaze me how rich the music is in this piece, each part blending with the others.

Friday Funnies

If Santa had access to a CTU-type facility to help with his deliveries...

On Pagoda Day

The Reading Pagoda, which sits atop Mt. Penn, celebrates 100 years this coming year.

We celebrate it every year on our own family-made holiday called Pagoda Day.

The kids started this silly, little tradition four years ago after they watched the Pagoda light up each night. They fell in love with it and wanted to celebrate that love. They even made up a song that they sang every time we got into the car.

And now, each year on December 27th, we drive up the windy, twisty turns on Mt. Penn to get our nighttime photo outside the Pagoda.

A little tradition with a huge amount of family fun and importance in it...

Making memories...

Happy Pagoda Day 2007!

Boxing Day

Today is Boxing Day in our house.

And, no, it's not a day where we don gloves and get out any aggravations we might be harboring against each other.

It's more of a family day.

While it's not an American holiday, it would have been one for Stuart if he still resided in England, so we began the tradition anew for him a few years ago.

Basically, Boxing Day means another huge meal -- this time with lots of English goodies, including Christmas crackers (see below) and Christmas pudding.

Mmmm....

* * *

A brief history from Wikipedia:

Origins:
Boxing Day is a traditional celebration dating back to the Middle Ages, of which the primary practice is the giving of gifts to employees, the poor, or to people in a lower social class. The name has numerous folk etymologies.

Christmas Box:
A Christmas box is, in English tradition, a clay box used in artisan shops. Apprentices, masters, visitors, customers, and others would put donations of money into the box, like a piggy bank, and then, after Christmas, the box would be shattered and all the contents shared among the workers of the shop. Thus, masters and customers could donate bonuses to the workers without anything direct, and the employees could average their wages. The habit of breaking the Christmas box lent its name to Boxing Day. The term "Christmas box" now refers generally to a gift or pay bonus given to workers.

The Oxford English Dictionary attributes it to the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: "To give a Christmas-box (colloq.); hence the term boxing-day." Outside the Commonwealth, the holiday is sometimes called "St. Stephen's Day."

It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas box to those who had worked for them throughout the year.

In England many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived for their day's work on the day after Christmas. Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.

* * *

From our Christmas crackers:

Q: What has a bed but does not sleep and a mouth but does not speak?
A: A river.

Q: How did the human cannonball lose his job?
A: He got fired.

Q: What does the word minimum mean?
A: A very small mother.

Q:What do you get if you cross a stereo with a refridgerator?
A: Cool music.

Q: Why didn't the skeleton go to the New Year's Eve party?
A: He had no body to go with.

Q: Where should a dressmaker build her house?
A: On the outskirts.

Q: Who is the most famous married woman in America?
A: Mrs. Sippi

Q: How do snails keep their shells shiny?
A: They use snail varnish.

Q: Why don't ducks tell jokes when they are flying?
A: Because they would quack up.

Merry Christmas to YOU!

May you enjoy today and the peace of this joyous season...

Merry Christmas to you...and God bless us, everyone!

Five of Many Happy Things

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• pajamas all day

• Ping-Pong contests

• a city grown quiet

• JOY to the world

• warming up by the fire

Merry (Monday) Christmas Eve

Sweet Sunday

Two of my favorite Christmas songs that make me think of what Mary and Joseph might have felt looking at Baby Jesus. Amazing to think about...

"Mary, Did You Know?"


"Joseph's Song"

A Fable - Part 2

The kids were doing fables in school several months ago, and I decided to try my hand at writing one with a little added meaning. *wink* This is a continuation of it...

The ground was cold and dark to young Kaysay, the once-beautiful, golden Binzu bird. Had he but paid heed to old Poolee's advice...

Now, he was stuck on the floor of the forest with no friends and no safety. His troubles hung heavy on him. He knew he could blame no one but himself, and he felt very sorry for his actions.

He shivered in the darkness around him. What would become of him? Why had he not been careful with his indulgences of the Hollyberry tree?

He missed flying, but he knew he was too heavy for his wings. He missed sitting in the sunshine and drinking the sweet dew, but mostly he missed singing with his friends high in the treetops.

Hanging his head sadly, Kaysay waddled along, all alone, mindful of the fact that food was scarce and his friends no longer could be near him due to his over-indulgence when he lived high in the Hollyberry trees.

Then he heard a sound above him. It was faint and high, high above him.

What was it? Kaysay wondered, tilting his head to one side and straining to hear it.

Was it really...could it be?

It was.

The singing of thousands of birds sounded above him.

Kaysay looked up but saw nothing except darkness and a tangle of leaves and branches above him.

Still, the sweet sound of their singing met his ears, and he knew that his friends were singing for him. His friends -- the ones he thought he had disappointed -- were cheering him on to bring him home.

He really wasn't alone.

Moral: Never doubt true friendships. Birds of a feather stick together.

Copyright 2007

Friday Funnies (Delayed)

I delayed my Friday Funnies in honor of Kiefer's birthday yesterday.

So I bring you classic Mr. Bean doing Christmas...for Saturday...er, um...uh...Satire? Yeah, that works. Saturday Satire.

Enjoy! And have a fun day!

(Please pause the sidebar video player.)

Believe in You to Keep Holding On

Photo thanks to BennyBlog

These two videos are in honor of Kiefer Sutherland's birthday today.

Sadly, he's in jail at the moment, serving a sentence for a DUI probation violation...but he still deserves to have a very happy day.

A friend of mine and fellow Kiefer fan said she's so proud to be his fan, especially at this time. And I couldn't agree more.

With so many Hollywood-types balking when they are caught breaking the law, it's nice to see one of them actually own up to what happened and take the punishment. As hard as it's been to watch (from afar, of course), I've been amazed at how he's handled the whole incident.

No passing the guilt or blaming others...just facing what he did, apologizing, and then doing what has to be done to make it right.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: He's an example of honorable behavior in the face of bearing the consequences of his sin.

All of us "sinners" should take note. Would we behave the same?

Happiest Birthday, Kiefer!

You're on our minds and in our hearts especially today!

(Be sure to pause the sidebar video player.)


Believe In You



Video thanks to Vaniamaria on YouTube

When Life Hands You....

...a chocolate cake...be careful not to drop it.

Okay. Okay. I know the original saying dealt with lemons and making lemonade...but you get the gist.

You know when you make plans to do something and all the pieces are falling into place and you feel really proud of yourself and you're extra-careful to be sure to carry all those pieces so that nothing falls out of place (literally)....and then something happens in a split-second to change everything?

Okay, it's not the end of the world, but it makes you sit up a bit and assess your options.

I bought a little birthday cake for our friend last night. It was a little chocolate cake with a yellow smiley-face in the middle and pastel sprinkles on the top and pretty icing piped around the edge.

I say "was" because it looked that way until about 2.4 milliseconds before I got into the car to take it to her tonight.

I had in my hand a small, wrapped present and a card and the little cake in its packaging.

A step away from the car and....

SPLAT! (Very literally...complete with sound effects.)

The cake landed on the ground, right-side up, I might add....but "slightly" askew.

(Saying slightly is a big exaggeration...but the smiley-face was still there and still smiling.)

I had a choice at that moment: I could cry, or I could laugh. I did both.

My pretty, little birthday surprise was ruined, but it looked so funny I couldn't help myself. In fact, my whole family joined me in a whole-hearted, deep belly laugh at the poor little cake.

Take a look for yourself:



All was not lost since we could replace the little cake and still take it to our friend.

But I reiterate....when Life hands you a cake...for goodness sake, use two hands to hold it!

Wassailing on Wednesday

As a teen, I used to go carolling in my neighborhood with my friends. It was lots of fun for us and seemed to bring Christmas cheer to our neighbors.

Since I couldn't decide which song to use today, I'm making this post like a carolling session...time for a bit of wassailing, eh? *grin*

I hope you enjoy them, and don't forget to pause the sidebar video player.

A classic Christmas carol sung by Bing Crosby and David Bowie in 1982:


Another classic from one of my all-time favorite movies: Meet Me in St. Louis.


This is a fun and talented group of men, singing some of the classics in a new way:


And finally, a beautiful song sung by Josh Groban:

A Comical Christmas

Meandering by with Monday Musings

Christmas 2004
Happy Monday to you...the Monday before Christmas Eve....which can only mean 8 more shopping days until Christmas! Yikes!

So we survived the crazy-busy weekend. Three shows of the Nutcracker and my mom's Christmas concert -- with an ice storm in the middle.

I posted a couple of videos from the dress rehearsal and a slide show of photos from between the Saturday shows. I also moved the video player on my sidebar so that you can access it easier to pause/stop it to watch the other videos I post.

The kids are working hard to finish their lessons before we begin our Christmas break on Thursday -- only a few days earlier than our cyber school planned, but they've been working hard this semester and deserve a few extra days off. *wink*

Our homeschool learning group finished for the first term. The students in my high school journalism class did a good job with the layout of their first newspaper. They couldn't do it all in our hour-long class, but I'll finish it at home for them. Next term, it's all theirs. (Insert "evil laugh" here.) No, I think they'll do a fine job. One student definitely stood out as a leader so I'll choose her to act as "editor" when we start up classes again in February.

Still no letup in the writers' strike out in Hollywood.... It makes us so sad since that means no new season of 24 for awhile. *sniff* Hopefully soon? Otherwise, we're catching up on movies and other shows that we enjoy...but it's just not the same....

On that note...

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• holiday cards in the mail

• a sculpture garden in the snow

• Swedish butter cookies

• a soaring refrain

• lights out except the tree

* * *

Well, now that the Nutcracker is over I feel like Life can start up again....

It reminds me of the scene in the movie Big Fish when the main character talks about how Life stops at special moments and then when it starts up again it goes extra fast to catch up to where it should have been.

That's how I feel at the moment.

It's not September...

And it's not October or November...

It's not even the beginning of December anymore...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Okay. Okay. I guess I can calm down again.

I was sitting in my dining room last night...thinking of all that I have to do...and feeling absolutely no energy to even begin to write it all down.

Still, it's a brandnew day today, and I began my "To-Do List" and I'm checking it twice, but I think I'm making some quick progress. (Good thing, right?)

I've ordered our Christmas photos to pick up later on today....I wrote our Christmas newsletter....I bought wrapping paper to finish wrapping stuff for the kids....I brought in the gifts we'd had stowed in the back of the car to hide them from Edward...along with some boogie boards and sand toys...*grin*

Busy, busy....that's me!

Then I stop and reflect on one part of my list: Christmas cards.

There's something special about getting the mail this time of year. I love the connectedness I feel when I open up the various cards and see the photos or read the newsletters, catching up with friends and loved ones.

It reminds me that we are loved by so many people around the planet...and that once a year we think especially of each other.

We remember each other with fondness.

That, to me, is "Peace on Earth."

Sweet Sunday

We went to watch my mom sing in a Christmas concert at my parents' church tonight, and it was awesome! This is the same woman who has supported our kids in nearly everything they've ever done, so it was such fun to reciprocate and watch her for a change.

The choir director and a choir member sang this song (one of my favorites), but since I couldn't find their version on YouTube, I thought Josh Groban and Charlotte Church would have to do. *wink*

(Remember to pause the sidebar music video.)


The choir also sang this song (another favorite) with the children's choir and a child soloist. Another fantastic rendition I couldn't find on YouTube. This version is also excellent.

Nutcracker Sweethearts -- Part 1

Well, it's over...

*grin*

*sigh*

*sniff*

With a mixture of emotions (happy, sad, tired, excited...), we made it through another Nutcracker season, our fourth one.

And once again the dancers shone on the stage of the Sovereign Performing Arts Centre, dancing to the melodious playing of the Reading Symphony Orchestra.

It's hard to believe it's already over.

Still in all, Emily enjoyed her time as an angel again this year. She's hoping she can try out for another bigger role next year. We'll see how it works out.

But now that it's over, we can finally begin to think about Christmas! *sigh*

Nutcracker Sweethearts -- Part 2

Angelic Performances

Emily performing as an angel in the 2007 Nutcracker Suite.

Friday Funnies

I am shamelessly (or maybe shamefully? *grin*) pinching this from my LYLAS friend, Angel, who posted it on her blog. *grin again*

It's brilliant -- funny and poignant...and perfectly timed! Enjoy!

Weathering the End of Autumn

Well, Winter is trying to push in early...hardly giving Autumn a chance to end with any dignity...

This is for Benny...who enjoys the warmth of living in Brasil. The current weather outside our windows:

Living in 2007

I got this in my email-box and thought it was worth sharing here, especially as we near the end of the year. Enjoy!

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2007 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

...AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.

All Dressed Up...

Our kids' school photos arrived today...and we're so pleased with them -- the photos...oh, and the kids!

It's always amazing how much they change from school photo to school photo...

*sigh*

How come they grow up so fast?

Sneakers and Smarties and Childlike Faith

+

+

What do all of the above have in common? They're all part of a childhood memory of when I got new red Keds sneakers.

When you were a kid, do you remember thinking you could do just about anything?

I do.

I thought that Smarties, the little tart, circular sugar candies, were "power pills." If I ate a pack of them, I could go 100X faster...outrunning any boogie-man or scary creature from the Black Lagoon...or even -- most importantly -- a local bully.

Now add in new sneakers and somehow I could fly around the yard like a Olympic track superstar. I had extra gripping power from new sneaker tread and energy from my candy...I was near super hero status, a veritable "speed demon."

And so were my friends.

Childlike faith. We could run faster simply because we believed...in our imaginations we could do anything!

Yet, as we grew older, some of us lost that "childlike faith" and became "wise" to it all. We knew that new sneakers didn't make us faster...nor did eating sugary candy. People trained to run quickly and set records, and sugar made some people hyperactive. Super heroes were make-believe...and for "babies"...

Sad really....

But if I close my eyes and stretch out my arms and twirl around the yard, I'm 4 years old again...wearing my new red Keds...and eating some Smarties...

...and I can run very fast.

Merrily Musing Along (Late) on Monday

Click on the cartoon to make it bigger
Happy Monday to you!

We're "trucking" quickly toward the holidays. I can't believe it. Only 15 days!

It was an eventful week, as you may have already read on my blog. *sigh*

The weather -- though slightly warmer today -- was decidedly gray. We arrived home from dropping off my hubby after lunch and had to turn on the lights. At 2 p.m. Ugh. Oh, well. When there's time, I find this kind of weather conducive to writing. *grin*

Nothing new TV-wise. The writers' strike continues, 24 is "on ice" at the moment, and Kiefer is serving his time... We've caught a few fun/cool movies, including The Holiday, Maverick, Mr. Bean's Holiday, and Live Free or Die Hard. *sigh again*

Let's see...

We spent last week trying to get over a cold that swept through our foursome. I think we're mostly better, though there's always a residual cough and sniffle.

Stuart spent the first three days of the week in a small town in Illinois. He flew in and out of Indianapolis, getting stuck there overnight on Wednesday when all the flights home were cancelled due to the bad weather. While we were anxious to see him, we wanted him home safe and sound...so the short delay was nothing more than a necessary evil.

We finally got all of our Christmas presents mailed...I think. Now it's time to start the cards/newsletter, cookies, decorations, etc.

Since I've been blogging about our lives for the past nearly two years, I find myself it harder to encapsulate our year in a short letter. (I'm too wordy, I guess.) I always like changing the expression "A Day in the Life" to "The Life in a Day." That's my life sometimes. Busy, busy, busy. Then at other times, it's completely boring and "normal." I'll endeavor to do my best with this year's newsletter.

We spent last Tuesday in New York City with some of dear friends (see the photo slideshow below). It's always such fun to meet up for coffee and then spend time together. It makes the City feel more "homey" to us! We hope to go up again soon. *grin* (You up for another coffee, Lana?)

We managed to travel through Santaland to see Santa Claus himself while we were in the Big Apple. He was very excited to see all the kids, of course, and quite intrigued about Emily's offer of hot wings instead of the traditional milk and cookies. He must need a change. *wink! wink!*

Emily received her 2nd-year pin at the 4-H Christmas banquet on Saturday evening. She was thrilled to realize that she's been in 4-H for two years now...and even happier to receive the club gift to her: a fold-up chair complete with the 4-H emblem and a cup holder. She announced that she can watch Edward's soccer games in style now.

Over the weekend, I usually find a ton of funny musings popping into my brain to include on Monday...but then they're gone by the time I sit down to type. Hmmm... Maybe I'll sit down sooner -- like the moment the ideas come to mind.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• satin toe shoes

• ice floating on the river

• a jolly restaurant scene

• cleaning out the attic

• the smell of sandalwood

* * *

Well, this week promises to be the busiest of our holiday season with two more long practices (technical and dress) on Wednesday and Thursday and then the three Nutcracker shows on Friday and Saturday. The dancers are sure to be pooped by the end of it all.

But something I've noticed throughout Emily's tenure in ballet, no matter how tired the younger dancers feel, having to wait around and then dance on the stage in front of large audiences, they are always invigorated by watching the older dancers spinning around on their toes in satin toe shoes.

The older dancers are their dreams personified.

Emily has dreamt of being Clara since she was 2 years old. She has danced nearly her whole life -- and not always on stage...as the neighbors in our old apartment could attest to.

So when she's an angel again this year...she'll watch the Dew Drop Fairy and Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy and dream....

...because one day that might be her...in her own pair of satin toe shoes.

And her daddy, mommy, and brother will be in the front row, cheering her on!

Sweet Sunday

We sang this in church this morning, and it never ceases to move me. (Remember to pause the sidebar music player to enjoy this one.)

Enjoy!

Friday Funnies

This is dedicated to "My Cheeseburger" -- the love of my life, Stuart.

Friday Funnies is proud to present his favorite silly song from VeggieTales:

Optimal Optimism

I realized I have a fault.

Okay, okay. I realize I have many of them, but this one could cause me to be offensive and might even backfire, causing confusion of my intentions at a given moment.

I realized that I'm the eternal optimist.

While that in and of itself is not really a bad personality trait...I can see how it might be frustrating to others.

Hmmm...

I'm having a hard time understanding the continued sadness about Kiefer's jailtime. Well, I guess I'm not having a hard time with that, per se (it certainly makes me sad for him, too), but I'm in my "get on with it" mode...knowing that he'll be okay and come out a better man...

Then I started to ponder that "mode" and began to see a pattern in my life....

I spent the better part of my childhood moving around the country with my family. Before I was born, my father was in the Navy so he and the rest of the family moved as a result of that. Somehow that became a way of life for him so that even after he wasn't in the Navy anymore, we still moved around.

I hated it. I mean really, truly despised it.

It meant that a very shy and timid little girl had to get to know a whole new group of friends, a whole new house, a whole new school, a whole new area....

As a result I grew very insecure and clung to my mom.

But human nature says we have to look for something good in every situation, right? Find the silver lining in the cloud, so to speak. Or at least try.

So because I couldn't change the situation or stop the move, I'd try to find something good about it instead.

Maybe I'd finally meet a bosom buddy? Maybe my new school would be nicer? Maybe we'd see some fun and exciting places?

And I knew I'd always have my family with me, no matter where we moved.

So when Stuart and I "dated" overseas for over four years and saw each other only a few times a year, I learned how to handle the times in between. I just looked for something positive and clung to that.

After we parted ways, I'd smile a watery smile and begin the countdown again until the next visit. (I think it both annoyed and amazed him.) I learned to keep myself busy and not dwell on the sad part of it all...

It was a God-given knack that later got me through six years of his travelling with his job and countless other trials.

So thinking about it now, I guess it's okay for me to be an optimist. I guess it's what helps me "get by."

But, while it's a survival technique for me, I realize it doesn't work for everyone.

And that's okay, too.

Sometimes you have to be allowed to cry in your beer....

Manhattan Magic

Fun on 34th Street

"Once upon a time, not so long ago, there lived a mommy and her two kids. They got up very early one morning to drive to the Big City far away from their house..."

* * *

Well, I did it.

Okay, okay...it's not like I solved world peace or something as significant as that, but I'd been wanting to go solo with the kids in to New York City.

And I did it!

It's not a hard trip, and I don't know why I doubted myself. (Stuart didn't. Bless his heart! He reminded me that I was always so independent before we had kids.)

So I got the kids up at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, and we left for the Big Apple to see our friends and the lions at the New York Public Library.

Fast-forward to 8:30 a.m., and we're sitting in Starbucks, enjoying a grande eggnog latte and bagels and fruit, talking about going to see the windows at Macy's. My friend, Lana, has two precious little girls...and I have two sweet kids...it's Christmastime...and very windy and cold outside.

Hmmm....

An hour later, we wander around the outside of Macy's on 34th Street and enjoy the various windows and....well, freeze our hands, feet, cheeks, and noses off.

When Macy's opens its doors at 10 a.m., we decide to go inside to warm up and see the Christmas decorations on the 8th and 9th floors.

Wonderful!!

Then we see the sign for the Macy's Puppet Theatre.

Hmmm....

This isn't an adventure we get to enjoy everyday....and it can count as language arts, being a story and all.

Again, wonderful!!

Then we think it might be fun to wander through Santaland, stopping to see the "Big Jolly Man" at the end.

Creme de la creme!

Lunch with Lana and her girls, some playtime, and time to get back on the PATH train to head home.

EXTRA fun!!

The "lions" can wait.

Christmas cannot.

* * *

"...And a very fun day was had by all. The End."