sniffles and sneezes!!! happy new year....

wow…

here it is the eve of a new year and i feel like crap! we had such an awesome Christmas in Texas but from the minute we landed in Columbus i knew i was catching a cold… i briefly thought - hhmmm… i don't think i've been sick all year. in fact i couldn't remember the last time i was ill. when we arrived home i found the vit C and the echinacea and started taking it right away. the next 2 days chuckie made sure i was getting plenty of fluids but i basically just kept right on going… laundry, taking down Christmas stuff etc… after all just a little head cold… by sunday it was clear that chuck was coming down with it too so i broke out the vicam etc.. and reminded him to start with the vitC, echinacea and fluids as well! we had no appetite but would remind each other to eat. of course, he had to go to work on monday but we both were sleeping pretty poorly. each evening we'd come together to compare notes on how we were feeling … and my - the glass is always half full guy would announce that we are over the worst of it and tomorrow we would be on the mend! and the only problem with that wonderfully over- optimistic statement was that it fell flat and every single day this week has been worse then the day before. today i woke up to both of my eyes 'glued' shut with mucus!!! YUCK! … not a big surprise since the one would not stop 'watering' last night. anyway today i didn't even bother to get out of bed. not because i don't have the desire to get better but because maybe that's just what i need to be doing!!! …spending a day or two in bed!
now i am going the long way around not to tell you that i am so ill that i can't get out of bed but to tell you about an epiphany i had this afternoon perusing the world wide web!!! with the new year upon us i have been looking for a direction… for my life. i have been visiting different blogs and trying to widen my world to find my way! it is so easy to find some things you like but to quickly get off track of your original purpose or hunt by further clicking on to the next new blog/page/advice/artist/photographer/life coach/mom/etc…… the information highway is HUGE and a click of the mouse takes you way out of your way most times! …
so anyway, this afternoon, as i was sitting up in my bed i felt an inkling of self-pity … just feeling a little sorry for myself and this minor health and well being set back! after all i'd been so faithful to my daily walks and better eating habits and now i'm doing good to get to the bathroom and back! Luckily i saw a lesson in all of this discomfort! I have found some blogs written by some moms with children that are just fortunate to even be here! and the grace that these women have about these little miracles that they take care of daily… some hourly is unbelievable! how in the heck could i be pouting around for feeling some discomfort in my own blessed life???
i think it was around this time that some of the life-lifting blogs that i've been ear marking for this new year also came to mind!
a lot of those reminded me of the encouragement that i was not only gathering from them but from things i was taught long ago… in another life-time and it was basically just this:
we are to be thankful in ALL things…

yes even this doozie of a cold that is making me so uncomfortable!


i know that might not be a revelation for you but for me-
it's a biggie!

knowing that all happens in perfect time-
with an open heart and head i am looking forward to
the lessons i'm to learn in 2010!

happy new year to you and yours!

oxo




freezing drizzle then snow flurries woo~hoo… then for the next 5+days highs: 20's low's teens!
i love living up here in the tundra…. i love all 4 seasons…. truly i do!




*

... roaming the halls on Christmas eve night

***


First off I want to clearly state that we have very gracious and loving family living in the DFW metroplex that were more than happy to have us stay with them this last night of our Christmas visit!!! But because I knew one of them would have to get up and out pre-dawn in really hazardous conditions to get us to the airport 2-3 hrs in advance that I (not necessarily the airlines ) am comfortable with... I convinced Chuck that either way I was not going to get any good sleep and neither was he... in the comfort of a loved ones home or on a cot @ our gate... so around 11PM we were dropped off and managed to get our selves into our gate area. We made it just in time for the cot delivery but I knew I would not be using one. We camped out in front of a monitor that had CNN going not really to watch but to have it for background noise. Chuck settled in with his book and I tried to see if I could get wireless internet... but to no avail. Beth had sent us off w/ snacks, a puzzle book and our own blanket and travel pillow! I did puzzles for a little until my eyes couldn’t focus, ate some trail mix and cookies then decided to stroll around w/ my camera to see what I could find.... this blog is a sampling of that stroll:





























... you could pay to get internet but I guess I'm too cheap... most people that were on line were on Facebook! Telling their tale of woe to anyone that was up and still listening. ha!










It says free internet but it didn't seem to be set up for wireless!?












PS Did you spot the two Tigers?? I thought those were pretty telling... hhmmm? If you want to see more stillness in the night just click here.






***

"Focus" - my word for 2010!

This is usually a visual blog for me. A place where I've shared my latest images... of things that made me smile... kind of whatever was going on at that particular time. For some reason lately I have been fumbling and stumbling about NOT doing my normal stuff for this time of year. At first I was bothered that I didn't have the desire to do the same old same old until I realized "It's OK ...I'm not breaking any one's rules but my own... self-imposed as they where!" So just because this is normally a blog of photos doesn't mean it always has to be that! Oh I still want to share pictures!!! But thought I would also point to some sites that I find useful in steering me at any given time!

Earlier this week I found an interesting post about the New Years resolutions we all make... and then promptly break! Instead Christine Kane suggests we choose a word! Just one word to sort of set the bar for that year! You can read about that idea here: Resolution revolution a better way to start your year!


I love that idea and thought if I'm going to do things differently ... here's a good place to start with a brand new year! So I am in the process of choosing my word for 2010! It's ironic that the word that keeps calling my name is FOCUS! Now doesn't that make perfect sense?? I keep wanting to put it back but it is just insisting: my word for 2010 IS FOCUS! ...at a time that I feel like I am vacillating all over the place with - my direction to take any of my artistic ventures!! and most especially my photography!!!
I'm going to ponder this just a little more but I'm pretty sure that's it... I told my daughter about this and as I was explaining it to her she said "my word for the year is CALM" She knew it immediately... her 2010 word is calm. OK OK my word for 2010 is focus!

By the way, I look back on some previous years and know I've had years where the word found me and stayed with me all year! Even though a couple of those years were really tough those WORDS helped me get through them! For one such year the word was gratitude! Yep, that year was a doozy!!!

fifteen fun facts...

I've had this blog for a couple

of years and thought it would be fun to do

fifteen fun facts ...

you might or might not know

about ME!

so here goes:

• born and lived ‘up north’ the first 6 yrs of my life.. got my first and only sled that 6th yr for Christmas... then celebrated my 7th b’day in Texas ~ never to use the sled again but I do still have it... ha!! it’s practically an antique!

• now my husband and I live in oHIo and ❤ ❤ ❤ all of the seasons here... in Texas we usually had two: hot and hotter!

• have lived in 21 different houses over my lifetime... the longest time in one house -11 yrs .. the shortest - 3 mo

• absolutely love my NikonD90 and try to never leave home without it - invariably when I do - that is when I see the most perfect shot ever!! photography is my passion... the place I can go and loose all track of time and/or conditions

• my favorite number is 5! ... after that... any odd number divisible by 3

• we have 3 kitties - Phantom - Echo - Tabitha and I occasionally refer to them all as p-e-t ... Phantom is the phat-cat Echo is the scared-y cat and Tabitha (the only female) is the princess

• I'm always early... always!! I would rather be an hour early than 5 min late!

• music is a big part of my day... no talent for any of it - can’t sing, dance, or play an instrument well but OH do I love to listen... also enjoy live music

• but not a big fan of crowds

• the older I get the more afraid of heights I become

• I have a bit of an ocd personaltiy... if I start a project but change gears I have to clean up the first trail before I can even begin to concentrate on the new one

• I am a total a klutz especially on steps (even curbs)

• I adore the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich... they make me laugh and I love love love Ranger!

• did not watch American Idol that first year when Kelly Clarkson from Burleson Texas won but have watched it every year since... not sure they can beat this past ’09 season - it was a close call

• I am finding out that time REALLY does go faster the older you get

There you go...

find out anything you didn't already know?

Let me know!

❤

...decorating for the holidays

... since we live away from family it is really easy to keep the Christmas decorating to a bare minimum... when we hosted it was fun to go all out so it's not the lack of stuff but just the ease to go easy!

this year I picked out some favorites of mine

but still kept it very simple

I love this glass wreath on the front door!

...and yesterday Chuck came home with an early gift he received!

A LIVE WREATH!

It's perfect on our front porch!

mmm smells so good!!!

...these stars hold 'diamonds' and ornaments that reflect the light anytime the front door is open!

..our cards are in this hobby lobby find (I love hobby lobby) sitting on the library table...

...these glass balls sit on candlestick holders on the dining room table

...the buffet table holds wine and ornaments!

two of my very dear...

are these darlings...

given to me from my Mom ❤

aren't they adorable!!

I scattered a few fav ornaments on the mantle...

with our Nativity ...

I really love this... we got it as a wedding gift from Chuck's sister!

(WHAT a GREAT idea!)

Oh and I also put up

a small tree!

wishing you happy decorating!

❤

inspiration lacking??

To inspire others you first have to be inspired...

And I totally ❤ inspiration boards!!

While I loved everything on my board I realized I had added it all from Sept 08 and ...since this is now Dec of 09 I figured it probably was due an update! I have a few irons in the fire (w/ Christmas wrapping standing by- hey at least I'm basically done shopping!) but decided I could spare the afternoon!

I ended up doing the whole wall... it only has a bookcase and the board - which is something... I.. well, I had the idea... Chuck actually put it together for me! I had this big frame and we went to Home Depot and I picked out this sheet of galvanized metal ... I don't really remember how he cut it But WA-LA! There was my inspiration board! All you have to do is add magnets!

If you click on the image it will take you to my flickr site which has 'tags or notes' for these images. Some of it is personal and some of it's just stuff I clipped or kept just for something like this to.... well... INSPIRE ME of course!

anyway... after I did this..which took most of the afternoon I decided to break out the Christmas stuff and do a little holiday decorating!

Woo - Hoo!! I'm on a roll! and I can't believe it's already after midnight!!!

Where does the time go???

Can anybody tell me that?

and I was just getting started:

... oh you can dance for inspiration!

I'm waiting...

❤

there's a crispness in the air...

..do you feel it?
or are you too busy to notice?







We're already into the final stretch to Thanksgiving.... can you believe it? Thanksgiving! I remember as a school girl the time between school starting (which ~ back in the day ~ was always the day after Labor Day) and the Thanksgiving Holiday seemed to take FOREVER!!!


Unfortunately, the minute the leftover turkey iand pumpkin pie is stored safely into the fridge our thoughts immediatly turn to
the next months holidays and the beauty of fall is forgotten. Here are just a few of my favorite images of the season!!!



Take just a few minutes to ENJOY!




❤

Thanksgiving...

is right around the corner!!!

EEEEEEEEKKKKSSS!


.... busy finishing up TG cards!








so I can get them in the mail!!!








Seriously...

I have to be more on top of things! As Chuck likes to say this time of year: "The holidays are fast approaching!" and boy ~ is he right!
Christmas shopping is only about 1/3 of the way done.. but first.. .. the cards! Now, where did I put those?? I'm sure I bought some
right after Christmas last year! You know - when they were on clearance but ?...... hhmmm... NOW where would I have put those??
..something else to rummage through the house for!! Any suggestions??

waiting... and watching... and waiting.

... The birds in our neck of the woods are SO lucky!!! .... every day or so Chuck fills the bird feeders and the bird bath with fresh food and water. He's pretty sure they 'count on him' so he is very faithful to this task. This past weekend he had little helpers.... as he put more seed into the feeders and fresh water in the bath he took the time to explain what he was doing ... and why. Naturally, like most 3 yr olds they both took in this information... and were eager to see some of our fine feathered friends partake in either one or both...

I'm not sure that they ever were able to catch any bird action!!! ... as I'm pretty sure the birds were watching them! ..... and waiting.

☀

special delivery from...

the Lone Star state!

I love being a Mom... I couldn't have asked for 2 more precious daughters than the ones God had selected for me. I've always really taken that task very seriously. The responsiblity I felt (and actually still do!) weighed on every fiber of my being! Sure, mistakes are made but I try to embrace every experience with them to the best of my ability at the time. It is still a constantly shifting role. But I love it! And I learn something new about myself with each situation we encounter.

Now it is so rewarding to see how they rise up to the challenge of that role in both of their lives!

I try to let God show me when and what to say that would be encouraging in whatever the present circumstance might be.

I'll be honest...

it's still hard!

BUT

ahhhh..

the rewards!!!

❤

season of change.....

At one time autumn was my least favorite season. I felt a sense of loss just thinking about the leaves falling to the ground. I'm not sure how much of that was due to where I lived... In the Dallas/Ft Worth area we did experience some mighty fast falls! Like one day the leaves were green (or brown depending on the summer conditions) and the next day they were on the ground! And all the trees were like giant bare sticks coming out of the ground. Or if my appreciation has just come with age... the older I get the more I would just like to slow things down. Time... seasons... years... all just go by way too fast. Living up here in Cincinnati I can't help but take notice at how beautiful this season is!!!

And it is to be savored!!

until that last leaf has fallen...

enjoy!

❤