Merry Day after Christmas...

So someone got the best Christmas gift ever this year... I won't tell you what it was... all I'll say is we picked it up today... and... then... I did this...















And then I took our younger dog outside and did this....




She looks so vicious!


And then we came back inside and did this... 

I love it when she rest her chin on us...


That face is saying "Please leave me be!"


And this face is just precious....

So, have you guessed what my fantastic gift was?

A Very German Christmas

My Mom and I have this tradition... every year for the past, I really don't know how many years, we've gone to Chicago's Christkindlmarkt. Have you heard of this?  It's their very own open air Christmas market.  Oh, we love it... The minute you step into the market, you feel that you've been transported right to a small town in Germany.  You can smell that delicious aroma of roasted nuts, browse through the charming hand-made wooden crafts, gaze at the beautiful glass blown ornaments... sigh... It's such a fun experience.  And this year was no exception. I especially love when we go in the evening and the city is all aglow... it seems almost magical. It makes me want to be German... or maybe to just go travel there for a bit...

It's just always an enjoyable time spent with the Mom... and that is the most precious thing of all.

Eating our delicious potato pancakes... yummy...


Our annual self portrait in front of the large Christmas Tree...

Jane on my brain...

To know me is to know that I am a fan of Jane Austen... huge fan... I've read all her books, own all the movie versions (and I do mean all, well, maybe I'm missing a few), and so on and so on...

All this to say that today I was thinking about her books and trying to decide which novel of hers reflects closest to my life.  Which lovely heroine am I?

And this is what I've decided... I'm afraid I am an Emma... not that I dislike this character at all... It's just that like this character, I think that I can read people and understand them well, and yet... I really can't.  I'm completely oblivious to what's really happening around me.  I think I'm reading a person one way, when really, I'm totally wrong!  Like Emma, I'm a bit of a naive, silly, school-girl, thinking she knows so much of the world and love and how it works, yet really knowing nothing... I read more into little things than is really there... I misunderstand people...  I can be flighty... Like this lovely heroine, I seem to make more of a mess of things by thinking I know it all, by thinking I know what's really going on.  It's a hard lesson to learn, that I don't fully grasp what I think I do.  I often live in a dream world, believing that things are not as they truly are.  And often, I have to tell myself to sap out of it... and look at the reality of life...

Oh, how I wish I was more like Elizabeth Bennet... witty, charming, grounded...

But, it's really confirmed in my mind that I am indeed an Emma... and that's OK... as long as my Mr. Knightley hurries up and gets here to straighten me out!

It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life... I watched it on the big screen tonight, in a fun, old theater... with the rooms... it was fun... it made me cry...  sigh... what a good reminder that our lives are always meaningful and important to those people whose lives we touch.  The ending quote is something I find so beautiful... "Remember no man is a failure who has friends." 

Good Night Dear Friends...

Ode to coffee...

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a little addicted to that sweet nectar of the gods... Yes, you guessed it, coffee...

And once again this morning, I thought of some reasons why... And I decided to write a poem about it... That's just how I roll...

Oh, sweet coffee, how I love thee...
I love the smell of a freshly brewed pot,
I love the taste of that first steaming sip, but it's hot,
I love watching coffee mix with cream,
Swirling and twirling into a mocha-colored stream
I love how each sip warms me right to my soul,
I love sipping you while chatting with friends from of old,
I love you sweet coffee, I cannot deny,
I'm addicted to you, and on that you can rely!

Nostalgia...

Here I sit... passing time until my next activity... eating dinner... Not just any dinner, mind you, Grandma's rice and beans dinner...

And with every bite I'm transported back to that red brick house with the sunny breakfast nook.  I'm sitting at that old, round, formica table, tearing up homemade tortillas and filling them with the best Spanish rice and beans you've ever tasted.  Each bite a bit of heaven in your mouth... 

And I can see my grandparent's faces... and listen to Grandpa laughing and telling stories.... And Grandma is there too with that smile that lights up our world.  We're watching the birds and squirrels quarrel and play outside the window... and we make plans to garden later... but first Grandpa takes a nap in front of the t.v., blaring old westerns that put me to sleep as well.

I miss them... sometimes more than I'm even aware of... It's times like this that I want to go back to those days.  To see my grandparents alive, healthy, and thriving... To hold my grandfather's work-worn hand... To kiss my Grandma's smooth, soft cheek...  To just sit in their presence and feel their love... To tell them one more time that I love them...

Some day, I know I'll see them again... but until that day, a simple meal like rice and beans will be my reminder of the loving people they were and my childhood with them...

Yikes...

There's 11 days until Christmas... I have one, count it, one, present bought... YIKES!!!!

Musical artistry...

I love music... and generally all types... country would not be one of those types though, just so you know.  But I love to listen to music, play music, all of the above... and I'm in musical heaven right now... Have you heard of the show "The Sing-Off"?  If you haven't, boy are you missing out!  I am in LOVE with this show... an a capella singing competition... and it's down to the best 6 groups right now.  And I'm just thoroughly enjoying listening to the sweet blends of those voices!  Oh, the musical artistry that is gracing my t.v. right now.... heavenly!  And guess what I've been doing during the commercial breaks?  I've been doing some musical artistry of my own by playing my flute... that I haven't touched in, oh, about a year... For you see, tomorrow is our office Christmas party... and someone (read me) is playing in a flute trio... and I thought I should probably practice... I need it... So, maybe I'm not really making any musical artistry at this point of time really, but I like to think I am... OK, now go watch the show!  Seriously... scoot.... go... watch... enjoy the musical bliss...

Riddle me this....

Here are just a few things I'm pondering right now...

1. Why do people still run outside in this nasty, cold weather?
2. Why are there still bikers on the streets of Chicago... it's cold, icy, and snowy... this cannot be safe.
3. Why have some of the sidewalks in this city suddenly become ice skating rinks?  Have people not heard of salt?
4. Why do I love it when it snows in this city, turning everything into a white, wintry wonderland? It thrills my soul to see the snow falling on the lighted streets... I do love it...

Funkalicious...

In fair warning, I will be baring a part of my sensitive soul tonight. I feel it must be done... read on, if you dare...

I have been in a funk lately... What has brought this funk on, I don't know.  But it's been hovering over and around me for a while now.  I've found myself withdrawn, moody, tired, and often sad.  And really, I have no reason to be feeling this way.  So what has my problem been?!  Is it the shorter days? The darkness is reason enough for gloominess... Is it the new prescription I've been put on that plays with my hormones (sorry if that's too much info for you tonight), causing my emotions to jump all over the place like a crazy woman?  I honestly wish I could blame it all on drugs, that makes life so much easier.  Perhaps it's the fact that I let myself be content to slowly drift away from daily spending time seeking God, causing me to fill that deep spiritual need with the flighty things of this world that offer no true joy.  Maybe it's a combination of all of the above.  Whatever it is, it's not been good.  I fear that I've hurt myself most of all, and a few others along the way with my withdrawn moodiness.  I've not been enjoying life, but instead moping.  What a bad attitude I've had.  To the friends out there that I may have unintentionally hurt by this needless funk, I apologize.  Know that you have done nothing for me to be cranky, moody, or withdrawn towards you.  It has all been my own doing.  But the good news is, that I've recognized the problem (isn't that the first step? I think there's 11 more) and I'm working on it.  I'm working on seeking the Joy of the Lord to be my strength.  I'm working on not letting my emotions get the best of me.  I'm working on having the desire and motivation to get out there an enjoy life again!  So please, don't give up on me. I need my friends now more than ever as I struggle to best this funk of a beast.  You're all beautiful and wonderful people... thanks for putting up with my funkalicious self...

P.S.  On a completely different note, more jewelry pictures coming... soon... I can't guarantee when exactly, just... soon...

You've got... personality...

I have a confession... I have a huge weakness for personality tests and quizzes of all kinds.  Seriously, I will take any personality quiz, no matter how weird or needless it is... it's like I'm addicted.  I think I just have this need to figure out myself, and others around me.  That's probably why I was a counseling major in college... I needed to satisfy that deep, inner need to analyze and figure out people and their personalities.  Well, today I ran across a cute one... it's "What your favorite Christmas special says about you".  They list several of the classic animated/claymation specials and describe the personalities that correspond.  I thought it was fun, but then again, I'm addicted to these things... So, are you just dying to know what mine was... Come on... I know you are... Well, out of all the specials listed, my absolute favorite was "A Charlie Brown Christmas".  And here's what that means about me...

"You are a romantic and probably practice hot yoga. You bemoan the loss of spirituality and real magic that Christmas had when you were a kid. You may also be prone to wishful thinking, which your friends cruelly call immaturity behind your back. But your conflictedness about the overcommercialism of Christmas and the lack of attention paid to Jesus's birth does honestly disturb you, though you rarely set foot in a church. But there's a real fun streak hidden in all that angst, and you'd like nothing better than to dance and drink your troubles away at the end of a really confusing day."

Well, I don't know if this is any real true insight into the deeper workings of my psyche, but oh well! 

So, go see for yourself which one you might be... It'll be fun!

What your favorite Christmas special says about you

Saturday Silliness...

Folks, Here is definitive proof that I have always loved shoes and purses...

Too bad the shoes are men's shoes... maybe I just didn't know better... we'll go with that...

Happy Saturday!

Pity Party, Table for One...

Pity Parties are miserable... and I threw myself a pity party this morning... and last night...  You see, I was extremely disappointed in myself last night.  The Christmas fair was, well, not what I had hoped and expected.  I was completely unprepared in so many ways.  Maybe I had too high of expectations and the let down was just too much.  Mind you, I didn't fail miserably, but pretty close to it.  And my perfectionistic self couldn't handle it... and so, I decided a pity party was a perfectly reasonable way to deal with the let down of no one buying my jewelry... OK, to be honest, I did sell a few pieces, which normal humans would probably equate with success... Me however, not so much... and I've been beating myself up far too long about it.  Talking with my good co-worker-friend B, I realized that I am not finding a happy medium between the "logical" and "emotional".  I'm afraid I am solely emotional and can not see the logical through my hazy mist of disappointment.  Just tell me to get over myself... that's all I really need to do.  Sigh... someday... maybe... I can see the good and the "logical".  But, sadly, that day was not today...





My first pity party for myself? This was after I fell into a creek while fishing with the 'rents in FL... they told me not to stand so close to the edge... I didn't listen.  Typical.

 

Excuses, excuses

I have no excuses for my recent bloglessness... Well, I do actually have a few excuses, but nothing good... You'll just have to forgive my absentness... It's been for a good cause.  I've been working my fingers to the bone, to the BONE I tell you, on this jewelry stuff.  For you see, tomorrow, that's the big day.  The day that I bare my jewelry making soul to the public.  The day I put my little creations out on a table, hoping that someone, anyone, will like them enough to actually purchase them.  It's a scary thing, this baring of the soul.  I'm nervous.  Scared to death that people will look at my creations and laugh at them.  That they'll shake their heads and say, "Seriously, you're trying to sell that?!"  I'm terrified that I'm no where near as ready as I should be.  And then I start to feel stressed... Oh my... maybe I should just back out of it all.  But I can't.  I must move onward and forward.  No excuses, right?!  Besides, what would I do with all this stuff I've made?  So, if you're in the Chicagoland area tomorrow evening, come stop by Moody and visit me at the Christmas Craft Market (details below).  Just promise me that you won't laugh at me... my timid soul couldn't bare it...

Christmas Craft Market

Moody Bible Institute

Alumni Student Center

7-10 pm