Wonderful Christmas

I had a wonderful Christmas this year. Surrounded by family, watching The Present open presents ALL DAY LONG (Christmas in the morning and birthday at night) and being delighted that he wanted to try and read every book that he got (he probably got about 15 books - the kid loves to read) and then sitting down on his own to try to read a book we got for Dimples when everyone else was busy.

Dimples was a force to be reckoned with, and no matter how many girly toys I got her (a baby doll and a pink boat) she just wanted to play with The Present's new cars. That one might be a tomboy, we'll see. She did give the baby a kiss, I think, but maybe she was just trying to put the baby's head in her mouth - she's been doing a lot of that since she started getting teeth.

For the first time in a long time, Curly Girl and I surprised our parents with their big gift. An electric smoker. Dad had been talking about it with her back in October, and she filed that info away and we did some research. Plus we got to benefit the next day when he smoked some ribs. Fantastic, his first try. YUM! In a world where we want to be sure that we get the right thing, our family has gotten in the habit of talking through what we want, and there aren't many surprises on Christmas morning. It was fun.

All in all, it was a wonderful holiday, filled with family and happiness. Hope that yours was amazing too.

Holiday Blogging

Well, I have to say I've missed a lot of my favorite bloggers over the last week or two. All of us seem to be busy, busy, busy. So I think I'll just make a post to give you all something to read, and maybe you'll take pity on me a post a blog about something for me.

I told a good friend about my blog the other day (he actually knew about it, but just never had signed on before) and he said it was interesting how all my blogging friends seemed to know each other. I thought how funny that was, because there are people that only know each other through the blog, like Elastigirl and Jennie, and while they are both important to me, they have never met IRL.

And so I explained to him that blogging is just like that, we find out about others thoughts and lives and learn from each of the blogs we read. I love clicking through the blogs that are interesting to my blogging friends and learn something new or laugh or look at things differently with each click.

So Merry Christmas to all who read this blog. And thanks to all of you who have enlightened me in one way or another during the last year.

Never Go to the Grocery Store Hungry!

One of my key rules to weight loss, but I broke it tonight. I am often weak once the food makes it into my apartment, so I just do not bring it home. Makes the decision what to eat much easier. Not sure why I broke the rule tonight, except I didn't really think I was hungry.

I went to one of my favorite new grocery stores here in the desert, called Fresh & Easy. They are a grocery store that operates on a smaller scale than most of their competitors, so it is eashy to run in and get out usually. The best part about them is that they have amazing store brands. Not only do they cost less most of the time, but they also use only natural ingredients. No artificial flavors or colors, no hormones in their meats, nothing with 16 syllables on the ingredient list. No high fructose corn syrup in their ketchup. Really good products. And they taste great too. The first part of tonight's breakdown. And when they want to get rid of stuff (if it going to expire soon, or if they are overstocked on it) the sell it at HALF price. AWESOME (and part two of tonight's breakdown).

So I went in to look for one thing - I wanted some blue cheese for salad - and came out with a ton of half price stuff that I did not intend to buy. Corn bread, frozen empenadas, green beans and much more. And almost none of it is on the Weight Watchers Core program. So at 35 points a week, it will take a while to consume. My only ray of sunshine is that this week Weight Watchers is unveiling a new program (called Momentum) so maybe I'll be able to have some of it sooner. Yum.

"Christmas is Coming"

Today was the first Sunday in Advent, tomorrow is December 1st, and its beginning to feel like Christmas. Not weatherwise, of course, because when you live in a desert, winter is mostly 75 degrees and sunny, which is not very traditional Christmas weather to me.

So I've been listening to Christmas music in the car (there is a radio station that has been playing it since early November, but I have not listened mostly on principle - there is something wrong with Christmas carols before Thanksgiving!) which always helps me get in the mood. I tend to sing out loud whenever I hear any Christmas music (which was kind of embarrassing at the big orange box today, when I was singing Feliz Navidad - "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas" - when I walked up to one of the cashiers I work with). Ah well.

Anyway, I'm getting in the mood. And I am wondering what Christmas music really makes it feel like Christmas for everyone else. Mine is all of the album from "To Wish You a Merry Christmas" by Harry Belefonte. My mom loves this album, and I associate it with the Christmas season - playing it on the day after Thanksgiving, and then again when we were decorating the Christmas Tree, and again on Christmas Day.

So what about you? Which song do you have to hear in order to be ready to celebrate Christmas?

I'm Thankful

I really don't understand where we got the tradition of calling Thanksgiving "Turkey Day" - I know I do it, and I know lots of others do it without any desire to demean the Thanksgiving holiday, but in preparation for this years Thanksgiving holiday, here are the top 5 things I am thankful for.

• I am learning something new, so that I can do something I love for the rest of my life.
• I have a family who loves and supports me in everything (OK, most everything) I do.
• I am healthier this year than I have been in years, and I am on the way to being the healthiest that I have been in my life.
• I still have friends who can make me laugh so hard it makes my stomach hurt.
• I have a roof over my head and a place to call my own.

So, I am starting a meme. My first ever. I tag Elastigirl, Curly Girl, Mrs. Swizzle, Jennie and Princess Mindy. What are you thankful for this year? Give me a Top 5 List.

Special Thanks to My Weight Watchers Leader!

And not for the reason you might think. For the last 3 days my neck has been hurting, and no amount of rubbing, ibuprofen or corn bags (heated) or anything else has helped me. Everytime I looked over my shoulder, pain.

So where does the Weight Watchers leader come in? A few weeks ago, we started the 12 week challenge at Weight Watchers, a creation (I believe) of my leader, Sharon. It is the final push to make it through the last 12 weeks for the year, which are filled with eating holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas - it is really an eating marathon). So each week we do something to challenge ourselves. Try new recipes, find new information, and even try new vegetables (mine were rutabaga and acorn squash). This week was do 45 minutes of activity that you don't normally do. I decided to use my DVR to record two exercise shows and follow them. One was Wai Lana Yoga. I picked it because I used to do Yoga quite regularly at QB's gym when I lived in the big state, and I have been missing it lately. I was able to do all but one pose (starts out like the picture above, then you stick your legs out sideways in either direction... I'll have to work up to that one, I think) and when I did the spine stretch, it miraculously released my neck! I feel so much better. I do love yoga.

So what 45 minutes of activity would you do if I challenged you to do it?

I'm still here....

OK, so I mentioned before I have a facebook addiction problem, and it might just have affected my postings over the last couple of weeks. I have found some long lost friends, and some not so lost friends, and it has been great fun. But I also miss the blog, so now I decided that no matter what, I am going to make sure that I post at least once a week.

Here's what I can't believe. ONLY 6 1/2 weeks until Christmas. WOW. So much to do between now and then. And I'm heading back to the Midwest for a couple of days to see family and friends. It will be nice, and I really miss everyone. That is happening before Thanksgiving. HOW will everything get done? I do not know. But I will just do my best. That's all I can do.

The First Step is Admitting You Have A Problem

I AM ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK. I just thought it would be a good idea to tell my internet friends. I have found some high school friends that I haven't seen in years. And camp friends. And family. Who knows who will be next. I don't understand all the share a cupcake and winking and other stuff, but I love finding out about people I haven't seen in ages. It's really cool. Any insight to help me kick the addiction? Maybe wean myself off slowly? HELP ME!

The Big 5-0!

No I did not turn 50 this year, nor am I contemplating life at 50 (although according to Oprah, 50 is fabulous!). This big 5-0 is about loss. A good kind of loss. 50 lbs! WOW. As part of my strategic plan I joined Weight Watchers, which I don't even know if I have talked about before here on the blog. I have joined before, but it has never stuck like it has this time, so up until recently I have been afraid to talk about it at all. But this week my cumulative total is 50 lbs, so people are starting to ask what it is I am doing. WOW. I picked up a 50 lb sack of grass seed at the big orange box this week, just so I could see how much that was. A lot, I think. And all since November 15, which means it has been less than a year.

Big thanks to Curly Girl and my mom, who have given me extra support when I needed it. My mom has struggled right along with me (and loss 30 lbs herself) and my sister is teaching me to think like a skinny person. I never have been able to do that before, but I am learning.

R.I.P.

My grandmother passed away this week. I am so sad, but mostly because I talked about calling her with my sister this weekend and just never got around to it. I loved her so much. She was a lovely woman and so sweet. She loved her family very much and always let us know it.

This year she turned 90, and for her birthday we published a cookbook, which I wrote about here. As I said before, she was able to live out her entire life in her own home, for which I know she was grateful.

I hope someday I have as beautiful a spirit as she did. Always kind and generous. I hope someday I am as good a cook as she was. Never measuring, always just knowing the right amount.

I love you grandma. I know you are happy to see Grandpa and your sister again. We will miss you so very much.

Six Unremarkable Things About Me

A tag from Elastigirl . . .

1. I cannot walk around with one sock/shoe on and one sock/shoe off. In 5th grade, I had a teacher (take note teachers of the power of your words) tell me it was bad luck to walk around with one sock on and one sock off. Now it gives me the heebie jeebies when I see someone else walking around like that, and have been known to take off my sock if I need to walk somewhere in the middle of putting a pair on. Curly Girl still makes fun of me for it, saying to her son, "Your driving your Aunt Smarty crazy with your one sock on and one sock off." And she is right.

2. I see all the flaws in the movie The Wizard of Oz when I watch it now (thanks to a summer camp dean - now a deacon - who pointed them out to me one summer when it was well over a hundred degrees so we had rest time in the cafeteria and watched movies because it had AC and the cabins didn't). Some of the magic is gone. I won't ruin it for you, but the problems are there. And I can't watch the movie without thinking about them.

3. I love to put together wooden jigsaw puzzles that were handmade by my great uncle. Regular puzzles don't have the same meaning for me. Our puzzles have pieces in crazy shapes and ones we call "specialty" pieces that are shaped like everything from the liberty bell to animals to one we call "running guy" that looks just like a guy running. Lots of family holidays have been spent doing these puzzles together and it is a great time to catch up. We have all levels of difficulty and we recently started The Gift on some that are 24 pieces. He loves them too.

4. I can say all 50 states in alphabetical order, thanks to a song I learned in the 5th or 6th grade called "Fifty Nifty United States." It has come in handy on more than one occasion, but I can't think of any of those occasions right now.

5. Because I moved so much as a kid (military brat) I do not remember things by the year that they occurred, but by where I lived when they happened. So the reason I said 5th or 6th grade in the last item is because I know where I lived when it happened, and I know I was in 5th or 6th grade then.

6. I like math. I always have, and I guess I always will. The world is filled with patterns and math problems and people ask my advice on "mathy things" (as my mom calls them) all the time. My pet peeve is when people say, "I can't do math" like it is an unnecessary skill. No one ever says proudly, "I can't read!"

I tag curly girl and jennie, two remarkable women.

I Missed My Own Blogiversary!!

Hard to believe that it has been a year that I have been blogging. I've been so sick the past couple weeks, that I haven't much felt like doing anything. It was all I could do to go to work and work on homework. Then sleep, sleep, sleep. And somewhere in there my blogiversary rolled on by. I also lost a brand new credit card for a week under my coffee table. Thank God I found it yesterday, because I was sure that I would have to cancel it before too much longer if I didn't find it. And I hate changing to a new number on everything.

So happy belated blogiversary to me. One year of looking at life through the prism of the world wide web. Hope there are many happy years in my future.

P.S. Thanks for all the well wishers. I am finally feeling better and have climbed out from under the mountain of laundry that needed washing and cleaned off the counters and surfaces, so I am back to the world of blogging again.

I'm SICK

Really and truly sick. What is it you do when you have a cold? For me there is a regimen of day-quil and ny-quil, nose spray and throat lozenges. And on the homeopathic front, I take zicam. I am usually not a big homeopathic remedy person, but I do think it makes me better faster, so I added that to my cold remedy about two years ago. I think it helps.

So today I am doing nothing but drinking lots of liquids, catching up on stuff that I have DVR'ed and napping throughout the day. Hope the combination of drugs and rest works its magic soon. I do not like being sick. At all.

So all you lurkers out there - leave me a message to help cheer me up on my sick-day at home.

What Decade is This Anyway?

I'm not saying I agree with her philosophies (she's pro-life, pro-gun, pro hunting, pro-who knows what else because before last week I had never heard of her....) but this is not the 1950's. Haven't we moved beyond the idea that a mother can't be a good mother with a big job? It is insane to me that these questions are even coming up. And even more so that they are being brought up by those people that I have seen as champions for equal-work-equal-pay idealism.

Her opponent, Joe Biden, when asked about her, said she was "good looking." REALLY?!?!? That's what he could come up with? Nothing about her politics? But what do you expect from a guy who's presidential race came to a grinding halt when he said that Obama was "articulate and bright and clean." He's certainly not PC by any stretch of the imagination. And he was a single father for sometime with small children, so he can't really be the one to throw stones. He had it all, career and children.

So all in all, in a world where I was really excited to know that I will see either an African-American or a woman in one of the top two spots in the nation, where there will be some kind of barrier broken for sure, I couldn't be more disappointed in the world's response to her as an individual. I am excited to see a woman on the ticket. We all should be. No matter what her party. Congratulations Sarah!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

This week conversation has swirled around the topic of respect. What exactly does it mean to be respectful of people? Why do people feel respected (or not)? My conclusions are this: At the beginning of the week, I would have said that there are two types of people in the world, those who really try to respect all others, and those who don't. I put myself in the "trying" side, I think, but I do know that there are people out in this world that I don't respect. So then is it a spectrum? An amount on a scale from 1 to 100? My math brain always tries to quantify things. Right or wrong? Yes or No? True or False? Should we have to earn respect, or is it something that we deserve as human beings? I guess the interesting knowledge for me is that me not respecting someone because they decided to look at the world differently than I do puts me further down on the spectrum, and I had always been more comfortable with the "black and white" option of you do or you don't.

08.08.08

Just two more days and it will be time for the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. I love watching them, each country marching in proudly. I remember it being a big deal with my sister and my parents, seeing all the athletes of the world walking in together. It kind of gives you hope for the world. It inspires me that for just a few minutes people from all (or at least most of) the countries in the world can exist together in one place for one purpose.

China has done some amazing things in preparation for the games. Like I read one place that they removed 500,000 cars from the streets in Beijing. WOW. I guess being a communist country has some advantages. Because I can just see that going over like a lead brick here in the US. "Hey, we are trying to drastically limit pollution, so everyone whose license plate ends in the number 1 has to stop driving for the next month." Or whatever. YEAH RIGHT. It just wouldn't happen. So however they did it, I am amazed.

But you should take some time out of the next few weeks and watch the games. Be inspired. I know I will.

A Curly World

Welcome to the world of blogging Curly Girl! I knew you were jealous that I blogged and you didn't. (is blog a verb now? I'm not sure) Anyway, if you want to know more about my sister Curly Girl or just check up on her family, check out her blog Our Curly World.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Going out of town with Curly Girl, The Gift and Dimples tomorrow. We are going to see our grandmother. After all, she's 90, so we can afford to see her twice in one year. Through a miracle, we were able to get 3 frequent flier tickets and are flying directly into her small town airport (seriously small town - it has 4 gates for ALL the airlines). It is much cooler where we are going. More humid, but I don't think I care yet. Curly Girl is worried a little I think. I am so ready for a vacation.

One Bag At A Time

Out here in the sunny southwest, people seem to be more "save the planet" than other places I've lived as an adult. Grocery stores out here give incentives for carrying your own reusable bags - 5 cents off your bill or entry into drawing when you bring your own bags. I have so many tote bags from various giveaways that I have just started leaving them in my car so they will always be there when I run by the grocery store. I estimate I am saving at least 8 bags a week from grocery shopping. That is over 400 bags a year! Check out the website One Bag At A Time to learn more about how this small change can make a difference. I just feel better when I bring my own bag.

Hot Days Make People CRANKY

I had a wreck of a day today at the big orange box. I have no idea why people think it is OK to yell at me when I am doing my job. Customers complained about other cashiers, and one of the other head cashiers actually yelled "Can't you just be a little bit flexible?" which I really couldn't believe, because I consider myself pretty flexible for the most part. I was trying to help her so she could leave for lunch so she could get back in time for me to leave on schedule. I asked her if she needed anything and that was the response I got. JEEZ. And she just got back from a weeks vacation, so she should have been somewhat easy going. Combined with the fact that our store managers are all cutting hours so I didn't want to be staying over my scheduled hours. I was sort of dumbfounded. Ah well, her problem, not mine. I'll say a prayer for her tonight. That should make me more at peace with the whole thing. That and running the a/c colder than usual.

Historic, REALLY?

Under the label - Now I've Seen Everything.

While driving to work today, I saw a tag like this:

on an El Camino. No kidding. I had to laugh.

It's HOT!

OK, so I know I moved to one of the hottest places in the US, and I know it was entirely my own decision and I have no one to blame but myself. BUT COME ON. It is really hot. Have some sympathy for me. I was just checking the forecast for July and every day except two it is expected to be above 110 degrees. (The two are expected to be a balmy 108). And we've already been above 100 for weeks now.

The dry heat thing has merit - it seems cooler than it sounds - but above 110 is just hard to bear. I actually burned my hand on my car the other day. HOT. And people just go about there lives as if it is completely normal. Which I guess it is. Just not for me.

On the bright side, I have an amazing tan, because the only outside activity that is even remotely desirable is sitting in the pool.

Moving to the Top of the List

I finally got cable installed at my new apartment, and now I have internet access again. More frequent blogging is assured. And I was looking at Elastigirl's blog and realized that her new blog list shows how long its been since the last post on your blog. So I wanted to be sure to move up on the list. I have always been driven to be #1!

I've Been Tagged

AND I've been missing for a month or so. I've got no good excuse, except I have been abstaining from cable in an effort to get settled, so I haven't done any blogging as a result. (That should be fixed in a week or two) But Elastigirl tagged me, and the book I'm reading right now (Jack Canfield's The Success Principles) says that when your mentor tells you to do something, you should do it.

What was I doing ten years ago: Working at a job that made me sad most of the time. Just meeting Elastigirl (I actually got to know her right after her second baby was born). Started meeting with my small group around that time. Made some friends that I still consider some of my closest today.

Five things on today's "to do" list: Today was Saturday, and for the first time in a while, I set all "to do's" aside, and just hung out with my sister, Curly Girl, by the pool with the kids and more kids from the neighborhood. Does work on my tan count as a "to do?"

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire: Set up a charitable foundation that focused on hunger and literacy. I figure if you can eat and read, you can figure most of the rest of the stuff out for yourself. I would not "work" another day in my life, just spend it traveling and enjoying my money working for me.

Three bad habits: Biting my nails, negative self-talk and procrastinating.

Five places I've lived: Near a beach, near the nations capitol, in a cold northern state, in the heartland and now in the desert!

Five jobs I've had: Math Tutor, Bank Vice President, Executive Staff at a YWCA, Consultant, Cashier.

And Elastigirl always takes the five bloggers I know to tag, so still, I have no one to tag.

Two weeks later!

Well, sorry that I haven't posted, but it has been a busy two weeks. I went back to the hometown, packed all of my stuff on a truck, drove it out to the southwest (with the assistance of the parents) unpacked it all off the truck (with the assistance of many) and started setting up the apartment. The parents helped Curly Girl with her last minute nesting and then just a couple of days later her new baby was born. I'm still figuring out her personality, so no nickname for her yet. Went to get the Firecracker, who couldn't wait to see her new sis. New Baby is a BIG baby - 9 lbs, 10 oz and 22 inches long! The Gift thinks she is great, and wants to keep giving her kisses. He's being very gentle with her and is awfully sweet to watch. The QB took a few days off to enjoy the new girl, so the family is resting quietly at home.

My apartment is starting to come together. I hung some things on the walls this weekend, which always makes it feel more like home. And the furniture I brought fits (with only a slight inconvenience of taking the door off it's hinges to get the desk into the office) so everything has worked out great. Of course there is always something that goes kaput in the moving process, and this time it was my DVD player. Since I'm not ready to fork over $300 for a blue-ray disc player, I've been looking at new DVD players and am quite amazed by how small and light they have become. I was a somewhat early adopter on the DVD track, and my last one was big & HEAVY compared to the ones out now.

More unpacking ahead. Here's hoping the rest goes as smoothly as it has so far.

It's All Coming Together

Well, I've sort of got most everything under control for now. Things are already going well at the big orange. My new boss seems to like me, and already asked me if I'd like to supervise - how long have I been there? We'll see. I'm not looking to climb the orange ladder, but it would mean more money and less time outside when it is 110 degrees. I'm making new friends and trading schedules already and fitting in with the new co-workers as best as I can.

Get the keys to my apartment TOMORROW, take off for my hometown the next day and get everything packed up in time to be back here by a week from today. WHEW. The only thing I haven't really changed yet that I'll be changing is my cell phone. Don't want to get a new one until I get back. The biggest pain will be switching everything to the new address. That takes so long and I always forget something.

A Study in Potato....

No work today, so this morning I was hanging out with Curly Girl and the Gift. He wanted to play with the Mr. Potato Head that Aunt Smarty got him for Christmas (not his B'day). I mostly buy him gifts that I liked to play with as a kid. I figure if they've been on the market more than 35 years or so, they'll probably be fun for him. Luckily the QB's sister got him one as well, so we can each have our own potato.

The best thing about playing with Mr. Potato Head with a two year old is that there are NO RULES! For example - I see a mouth where eyes should be and 3 arms - I would have never made these, but I loved his so much that I decided you needed to see them too.

Notice the muscle arms and the flowered hat. I think I saw that guy coming out of the gym last week.

An extra mouth where the arm / ears might belong? NO BIG DEAL. We love it!

The Gift kept insisting that they be photographed together. Like they were friends.

Mustaches are fun, so we needed two on this one. One where it "belongs" and one over the ear that looks suspiciously like a nose.

I guess he has seen Aunt Smarty and Curly Girl with their sunglasses on top of their heads so many times, he wanted the Potato to look cool like us.

The master at work. And a nice side view of the two mustached Potato.

I had so much fun with these, I think there could be an art project for his room somewhere down the line. Next time you play with a Mr. Potato Head - let your mind run wild.

Saved Some BUCKS!

Well, as mentioned before I found a good apartment, but apparently some of the help isn't toooo bright. Exactly one day after I signed a lease, one of the agents called me on behalf of the manager (who had given me the tour) and left a message asking if I wanted to sign a lease, and that they were offering a tremendous special. Hmmm... So I called back to see if I could switch. After a lot of hemming and hawing on their part (uh, it is only on a select few apartments, you might have to change, it's really not that much money, etc.) I switched to a new apartment - with more & better upgrades - and I'm saving about $700 over the next 12 months. YEE HAW! Thank God for stupid people! Of course, she may not be stupid... She may just be busy or tired or who knows what. But whatever the reason, it worked out well for me!

Life in the Sunny Southwest

I moved! Well, sort of anyway. I am here staying at Curly Girl's house with the Gift (my nephew - born on Christmas Day) and QB (my BIL) so called because he played QB at his university and is still very in love with football some 20 years later.


I've spent the week looking at apartments, and I have found one that I like that is about 15-20 minutes away from my sister's house, so we are both really happy, and the one I picked is running a special where for $10 more, I get a 2 bedroom apartment. It will be nice to have an office again, plus good storage. I'll be moving my stuff out here in a couple of weeks.


Surprisingly, the hardest part of this transition is the transfer to a new big orange box store! It seems like there is nothing that facilitates. I have to make the contacts and the arrangements, and that all finally came into place this week, so that is a big load off my mind.


Big differences between my hometown and the urban southwest? Rocks are a primary landscaping tool, and there is very little if any grass in most neighborhoods. Eventually, I'm sure I'll get used to lawns that look like this








and backyards that look like this

Always Have a Friend with a Lake House

As a going away treat my friend Angel invited me and some other friends to the lake this weekend for girls weekend away. Ironically, our weekends at the lake hardly ever involve actually going to the lake. Last time we went it was raining all weekend and we just stayed in our PJ's all day and watched movies and laughed and laughed. Laughter always finds its way into gatherings with my friends.

This weekend I actually walked down to the lake with The Chick - what a good friend she has been to me, I will miss her a whole lot. My learning from our walk together - if you have a hard time walking down a steep hill, you will have a REALLY hard time walking back up it. But the weather was just beautiful, and I couldn't pass up the chance to spend some of the time there outside.

I loved my time at the lake. Nothing more relaxing and entertaining than small town living for the weekend. Thank you to all the girls who spent time with me this weekend.

P.S. On a semi-sad note, Angel is talking about selling her lake house. I was really worried, because I love going to the lake and she was my "lake house connection" - but I still have hope because The Chick wants to buy one - maybe she'll buy Angel's.

Nearest Book Meme

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!) Well it is kind of funny you ask, because I am sitting in the library right now, but the nearest book is one of my own that I was using to do some research. It's called Holy Conversations: Strategic Planning as a Spiritual Practice for Congregations.

Find Page 123 and Find the first 5 sentences: This is Chapter Nine: Reading the Congregation's Culture. The section is Dealing with Culture Clash.

Post the next 3 sentences. In either the "congregational training for planning" or the "internal audit" phases, a congregation may discover that it has two or more cultures competing for dominance. At this particular moment in history, culture clash seems to be the norm rather than the exception. We can identify several reasons congreations are experiencing this clash.

*[In case you wanted to know what they are in a nutshell 1) generational differences 2) demographic changes impacting comfort zones 3) size transition] No big surprise there really...


Tag 5 people. Uh... At this point in time, I am so far down on the meme list, that all my blog pals have already been tagged. Maybe I'll start my own book meme. Maybe I'll be the beginning chain instead of the end.

A New Frontier

I am working on moving to Curly Girl's hometown right now. Looking at apartments and trying to manage a transfer in the Big Orange Box. Why you ask? Why not? Things here aren't moving forward, and the strategic plan I've been working on for myself has led me to make a drastic change. I know it might sound a little crazy, but I have always wanted to be a travel agent. Not really always, but at least since I was about 22 and sitting next to a lady who was a travel agent on my flight back from Hawaii. Her job sounded so cool.

I know things have changed in the travel industry, but that is OK. And I've been talking to some people in the field who say that a big trend is retiring baby boomers who are looking for someone to buy their agency. So that would be my ultimate goal. I have spent some serious time trying to figure out where I want to spend the next 20 years of my career, and I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. So I'm going to school (AGAIN) and I'm going to get certified. And Curly Girl's town has a school, while there isn't one anywhere in my whole state. So the girl who moved 8 times before she turned sixteen is moving again. Maybe it is my destiny to move around a lot. I certainly am good at packing, at any rate.

A Joyous Occasion

This weekend I am in faraway Kalamazoo to spend time with my grandmother for her 90th birthday! It is so very exciting to see her and spend time with her. She is not moving around as well as she has in the past, but she still lives at home and can take care of her own needs from day to day. For that we are all grateful. She has lived here for the last 50 years and really doesn't want to consider moving. We are also really lucky that my dad's sister lives close enough that she can continue to live here and we aren't really worried about her doing so.

Since a woman turning 90 doesn't really need much "stuff" we try to give her stuff free gifts. She has always been a wonderful cook and loves passing on recipes to everyone in her family. Her parents came to the US from Hungary, so there are recipes that I have for food you have probably never seen. Chicken Paprikash and Sekely Goulash are two of my favorites. So we decided to make a cookbook honoring her. I picked up a couple of tips from my cousins from bama on how to publish a book at lulu.com, and now a book has been born! It is kind of awesome, because it looks like a real book, and was done without too much trouble. (I must confess, I needed to ask Elastigirl's ManChild for help with making the cover, because he knows how to use Adobe Photoshop way better than I do).

Anyway, so now I guess I am some sort of editor / publisher. Check out the book here!

I Can't Find Words....

I came down to visit ElastiGirl on a whim. I usually do 2 or 3 times a year for us to catch up and have fun... I hadn't been in town 2 hours when Fr. Rector told her this. I for one cannot believe that anyone who meets her doesn't "perceive a sense of calling." I certainly do. And as one of the very first people to find out she was going down this path, I have supported her in it from the start.

So that is about all I can say about this right now. I for one think that a letter to the PB is on my list of things to do right now. I no longer am a member of this diocese, but I certainly am a member of this church. And it just isn't right. Not at all.

A Recipe For Me

Found this on the ElastiGirl site. What fun! I could use some lightheartedness right now.

The Recipe For Miss Smarty Pants

3 parts Style 2 parts Tease 1 part Rebellion Splash of Recklessness Finish off with whipped cream

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

New Year, New Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! What are your resolutions for 2008? Mine are to get my life back on track. I haven't been blogging enough for one, so I'd like to do that more. And the strategic plan is helping. I feel big changes coming in 2008, if I can just get up the nerve to face them.

I started Weight Watchers back in November, and I have lost 9.8 lbs since the week before Christmas. I want to continue that on, which always seems to be a resolution for me.

Change of career. I can do what I'm doing now and survive doing it, but I just am not where I am supposed to be anymore. I was here with a purpose, and now that the purpose isn't here anymore, I need a new one.

So here's hoping you have a fantastic 2008, and here's hoping I have one too.