Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Life Bursting At The Seams



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by Isolino via Flickr"]Water Drop[/caption]


Yesterday was my birthday. Today is the first day of my new year. The excitement. The possibilities...are endless.

The old year is gone. Never to return. Each birthday is a sort of rebirth, isn't it?  Try new things. Be creative. Get better. Smile more. Love more. Laugh out loud.

It's a chance to learn more.  Although I love books, I'm not talking about word knowledge.

*There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge

*Sometimes taking a step back from a situation, is really moving forward

*Being a good speaker, is more than just knowing the words to say

*Being able to say "I'm sorry"...two of the most important words in the English language

*Understanding that life is not a dress rehearsal

*Remembering that there is no one like me

*Life isn't an emergency

*Slow down, rushing around just makes me unnecessarily frazzled

*Love people

*Smile a lot

*Don't be afraid to share my heart

*It is not necessary to say everything I'm thinking

*Really understanding, "This too shall pass"

*Believing that God knows and loves me--on a daily basis

*Sometimes life hurts, embrace this without letting it destroy me

*Jesus walks with me

*Life is short, no matter how long I live

*I need to live my life in light of eternity

*Serve with joy

Proverbs 4:6-7
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (NIV)

Psalm 107:43
Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. (NIV)


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Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Time Of My Life



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="144" caption="Image by andrusdevelopment via Flickr"]Hour Glass[/caption]


Time is a blessing.

On most days, we feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We scurry around trying to get all the things checked off on our to do lists. We make appointments, try to squeeze in a few hours of sleep, and work, while we watch the clock. Time doesn't always feel like a blessing. Sometimes time feels like a curse, especially when we feel we don't have enough of it.We are hardly ever satisfied with time.

The other day I was pondering, time. I was thinking about how time has affected me. Changed me. How my whole life is different--and time has played a role in that. On rough, hard days time mercifully brought night and sleep...knowing "this too shall pass".  On other days time brought a beautiful sunrise and the excitement of a new day. There are moments in time that are etched forever in my memory. For good and bad. But time has never stopped.

In 1986, I graduated from high school. I smiled as I walked across the stage to accept my scholarship. I knew that my time in high school was well spent.

In 1990 I graduated from college. I knew my degree would allow me to spend time doing what I loved...teaching.

In 1992 I married in the heat of July in the South. In tons of taffeta and lace. And I wondered to myself, why did I pick this time of year?

In 1994 I found out I was pregnant. Time had a whole new meaning to me...as I waited.

In 1998 when my son was three, I wanted time to slow down. Three years old. It was a great year. I wanted to remember everything. Absolutely everything.

In 1999 my husband was diagnosed with a terminal heart disease. Each moment became important. We began to realize that he would not live to old age. And time seemed cruel.

In 2000, when the emergency doctors and nurses yelled, "Code Blue" time stood still. I felt as if I was caught in a slow motion machine. Unable to move as the medical personnel swarmed my husband.

After the funeral, evenings became long...not sure how to fill my time. A new kind of normal.

Five years of widowhood. I realized time doesn't stop for anyone...and my son and I were going to be okay. Time was therapeutic.

December 2005 . Remarriage. Vows.  A new life. Time seemed promising.

Teenagers in the house...not many years left with them before they move on to their own independence. Time seems to be moving at warp speed.

My husband and I in our 40's. Within the next decade, facing the "empty nest". Time has possibilities.

And here I sit. On January 13, 2011. A new year is just beginning. I have no idea what it will hold for me. It's kind of exciting, and a little scary.

Because time stops for no one.

 

 

 
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Friday, January 7, 2011

The Perfect Moment



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]The Beautiful Life[/caption]


Some days are better than others. Sometimes I feel as if life is flying by and I'm left standing there in the middle of the living room--wondering what in the world just happened. I'm sure you've all had days like that. Right?

On some evenings when everything is going as planned it is a beautiful moment to me. A lull in the storms of life. I have a wonderful dinner in the oven, the snow is falling gently outside, the light from the candles I keep in my front windows spills out onto the snowy ground, the kids are quietly working, my husband and I share a joke, I have everything checked off of my to do list for the day, I finally have time to just sit back and relax.....a beautiful moment in time....when everything is perfect.

If you are anything like me, you love those moments. They might be few and far between, but when they happen...well...they are just beautiful.
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Saturday, January 1, 2011

1-1-11



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]New York Times Square New year celebrations in...[/caption]


Last night, I watched the people in Times Square, New York. That is as close as I ever want to be to NYC on New Years Eve. Seriously. When I was much younger, I enjoyed going out on New Year's Eve and celebrating. Those days are gone. I am now old. I've embraced this fact.

1. First of all, I tend towards claustrophobia. I would start freaking out if I had to stand in that crowd.

2. Number two, and most importantly...where do people go to the bathroom in Times Square? This is a HUGE consideration for me, as God gave me a temperamental bladder.

3. I feel for the poor people that have to clean up all the confetti/ticker tape. Can you imagine the mess from all that?

4. At midnight everyone in Times Square was kissing. I wonder if they were kissing people they knew? Or just whoever was around? Just sayin'. People get caught up in the excitement and might go on a crazy kissing jag. That could be embarrassing. Or not:)

5. Here, back at the ranch, my husband was already in bed...sound asleep. He wished me a happy new year before hitting the sack.  The kids, my father-in-law, and I brought in the new year in the comfort of the living room. After wishing everyone a Happy New Year, I went to bed.

6. I have not made any formal resolutions. I'm very goal oriented anyway, so I will just keep plugging along...and that way I won't break any resolutions. Makes sense, right? Resolutions...yada, yada, yada,

7. I like watching the news on New Year's Day. All the trends from last year...the big news stories... As morbid as it is, I'm always intrigued by who died the previous year.

8. I don't watch the Rose Bowl parade or any football games. Don't hate me.

That's all I've got right now.

The family is going to a New Years get together today. Food, fellowship, and fun. A great way to start 2011.

 
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Friday, December 31, 2010

The Last Day Of The Year



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="173" caption="Image by Chiot's Run via Flickr"]Chiot's Run 2011 Calendar[/caption]


TIME

Seconds to minutes

Minutes to hours

Hours to days

Days to weeks

Weeks to years...

Here I sit on the last day of the year, wondering where all the time went. I contemplate what I've done this past year. I analyze the details of my life. I smile at all the things I have accomplished. I fret about all the things I've left undone. I believe I could have said more. I wonder about what I should have left unsaid.  Aahh...we all walk a fine line, don't we?

Each day brings new opportunities. Sometimes I grab the opportunity. Sometimes I let it go. Sometimes I'm glad, other times I have regret.

There are people that are gone from my life. New friendships were made. Some individuals faithfully remain.

I'm one year older and hopefully at least a little wiser.

Tonight is the end of the old and the beginning of the new.

It's always exciting to think of starting a new year with a clean slate. The possibilities.... The opportunities.... The path less taken.

Happy New Year!

 
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A New Chapter



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by Atomische • Tom Giebel via Flickr"]Times Square Ball - New Year's Eve 2008[/caption]


The end of one year, the start of another. The possibilities, the choices, the opportunities.

In my life, I've been accused of thinking too much. I take  this declaration with a grain of salt. Too much thinking? How is that possible? What is the result of thinking too much?  Or not enough thinking? Or at all? I like to mull things over. Long after a conversation...I'm still going over the content of what was said.

I like to ponder what this new year will hold. I become contemplative during this time of year.

Each year brings new possibilities. Not because New Years Day is some sort of magic key, but because it is more like a door to the unknown. None of us really knows what will happen to us this year. We can have our plans, but many times life does not go as planned. Sometimes it careens off course. We end up on a road that we never intended to travel.

Sometimes things that seem "bad", turn out to have lessons that are good for me. Other times I've made poor choices and I've suffered through the consequences of those choices. Sometimes it is a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, sometimes events happen that are completely out of my control. I could not have changed them even if I desperately wanted to. One just never knows how things will turn out.

We all hope for a good year, abet, even a great one! We all want joy in our lives. Moments that matter. The opportunity to make a positive difference. Fulfillment. Friendships. Love.

I can plan. I can make changes. I can try to be even more organized and productive. Ultimately, God is the one who chooses how this year will proceed. It is He that is sovereign. It is He that makes life interesting and worthwhile...and I can rest in that.
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Friday, December 17, 2010

Are These Gifts For Real?



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="288" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]Film poster for Napoleon Dynamite - Copyright ...[/caption]


First of all I want to say a BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC thank you to all the people that stopped by my blog yesterday. I love being "freshly pressed". Of course, if someone is not in the blogging world and I tell them that I'm excited about being freshly pressed, they get this look in their eyes that says, "God love her heart, but she's as nutty as her Christmas fruitcake." That's okay. I'm used to that, after all variety is the spice of life, right? I have several new readers, and people from all over the world told me that they like my blog. It makes me smile....so yeah, thanks again. My readers are the best.

 

ARE THESE GIFTS FOR REAL?

Have you found yourself at the department store or the mall, staring at gifts that are just down right weird? You wonder to yourself, do people really buy these for their LOVED ones? I will admit I probably stay more on the traditional side when it comes to Christmas presents. I'm all about sticking with a theme for people. I try to tailor the gifts to the person's taste. With that said, there are some gifts that are just over the top. What do you think of these? Would you put these things under your tree?

1. Sudoku Toilet Paper-- I don't know about you but, I don't spend THAT much time in the bathroom. Sudoku problems take me awhile...even then I don't have the patience to finish them. I would be in the bathroom all day. My family would have to send in a search party. On second thought that might not be such a bad idea.

2. Christmas at Ground Zero-- This is a CD by Wierd Al Yankovic .  Really? Um.....I don't think so. A weird Christmas album with the setting of Ground Zero. That is not the site that would put me in a festive spirit. How did he come up with this? I suppose he is weird for a reason. Definitely not a White Christmas moment. Cover your ears, Bing.



3.Tattoo Parlor Kids Playset -- This is for all the kids that are planning a career in the graphic arts field. One can't ever start to soon to learn the art of tattooing. You could be known in the 'hood as the kiddie tattoo parlor. Have friends over so your kids can ply their new trade. Just sayin' this could be big if you work it right.....of course, I think it might be illegal for minors. If anyone asks, deny knowing what in the world is going on.

4. LED Flashing Shoe Laces-- Who wouldn't want to glow in the dark? One could turn all the lights off in the house and amaze their family and friends with their flashy, glowing shoe laces. Plus it would totally freak out the family cat, and the kittie would attack the laces. There would be a lot of rolling around on the floor, fur flying, lace gnawing, and a few screams going on.....but, try to keep the Christmas spirit.Have your story straight for the ER doctor.

5. Napoleon Dynamite Lip Balm-- I loved the Napoleon Dynamite movie. I truly am weird that way. At least I admit it. As long as the lip balm doesn't smell like Tina the llama, from the movie, I could probably deal with it. I wonder if the lip balm would have you talking in a monotone voice with an uncontrollable urge to shoot wolves with your cross bow? Just a thought.

.....A little holiday humor to make you smile today........You may now go back to your regularly scheduled life......



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