The Day the Neighbors Came to Visit

Yesterday we had a little visit

from 

"the neighbors".

Here's where the neighbors live, just through

the trees.

Our land is divided by a fence.

 Here is where they ended up - our pasture of Rye grass,

..... that the horses were enjoying.

The neighbors didn't waste any time

helping themselves to the goods.

 But, 

Farmer Dave

was having none of this!

So, he got some lead ropes

with the idea that he would just

lead the neighbors

back to their own yard.

 But, as you can see.....

the neighbors were having

none of that!

 Maybe he's trying to reason with them:)

 It must have worked

because out they came........

and back through the fence

they went.

Well, that was a nice little visit.

It gave us all a good laugh

and some

fun pictures!

Fun For The Whole Family

Look closely......

What you see here is my ticket

to better health

in 2012.

This is what we got for Christmas.

Even though we all got one,

we all have different plans and visions

for what to do with them.

I will be riding up and down our very long dirt drive

for exercise.

Ted will be taking his bike to Sheri's,

where they enjoy riding around her 

neighborhood together.

David and Collin will be

making trips around

the neighborhood here,

and

riding the trails at the local

park.

Occasionally we will

load them all into the back of the truck

and enjoy the park together.

Whatever we're doing,

wherever we're going,

at least we're

off the couch

and

moving.

Here's to a healthy 

2012!

Easy As Pie

Have you ever NOT tried something, for fear that it was too hard?

Ever put off doing something because you

imagined that you would fail

if you tried?

I think we all have things we avoid, just because

we lack confidence in our own abilities.

Then one day

you feel an extra burst of courage

and

you try it!

And you realize.......

that it wasn't so hard 

afterall.

Such was my journey with......

Chicken Pot Pie.

For some reason,

this homemade concoction

eluded me for many years.

I had no idea what all went into the yummy goodness,

but

I imagined that something that tasted so amazing

had to be

time consuming 

and 

difficult.

Then one day

I found the courage

and I went to the kitchen,

put on my big-girl apron,

gathered the ingredients,

and got to work.

And 

what-do-ya know.......

embarrassingly 

simple.

If you're thinking of trying

something new

this next year,

but you

lack the courage......

try it anyway.

You never know!

It might be

easy as pie!

Happy New Year!

Changes are Good

I love that as I look over some of the blogs I follow, people are talking about the new year and all the changes they are planning to make!  This excites me!

I love the New Year!   I love new beginnings and I love the excitement that positive changes can make in our lives.

Every year, I look forward to setting new goals for myself and the family.   Of course, some call these "resolutions" but I'm just setting goals; not making promises!   I know reality all too well, so I try to keep the goals basic and obtainable, so that I don't feel like a total failure if things don't go well.

Although I'm not ready to present my  List of Goals for 2012  just yet, I will share with you, one change we've made:

Meet Oliver (aka Ollie)

He is the first "new thing" or change

for our family, going into the new year.

It's been a few years since our 15 year old cat, Limbaugh, died and we decided not to get another one, due to David trying to keep the cars and screens from being destroyed.  So, over the past 3 years, I've pined away for another kitty, but knew he was right and I didn't want to make more work for him.

However........over the past few weeks, Collin and I visited our Vet Clinic several times; once to get food for Annie and twice more when we had to board her for our trip to see my dad.

Well.......during the few visits, we noticed the staff had strategically placed a "cat for adoption" on the counter (in a cage, of course), so we had to play with him every time we came in.    He had a sweet disposition and seemed very laid back.   After the first time I saw him, I didn't think much about him, but by the 2nd and 3rd visit, and noticing that he was still up for adoption, I started to feel like that was a cat meant for us. 

I went home and told David about him and for some reason - he said he was willing to take a look at him!  

We went to the clinic on Friday before Christmas and much to our disappointment, the cat's foster mom had taken him home for the holidays!  I was crushed!   We had to wait all weekend and hope that she would bring him back on Monday!

So Monday morning (yesterday), I called right away to say we wanted to see him.  Of course, when we got there and David saw him, it was a "done deal".    We paid the fees and voila! We own a cat!

After a pricey trip to PetsMart and a short ride home, we are now the proud owners of Oliver!

It took him about 2 hours of pacing and exploring, to get a sense of belonging, but after that, he became playful and relaxed.

I'm not sure what he did all night while we were sleeping, but I do know he was ready for company at 6:00am this morning!

I've pulled all the blinds up in the livingroom, just enough for him to watch the birds and their morning routines and he is a happy cat.

In reference to having a cat and dog both indoors, Collin said last night "yeah, our life was getting a little boring".   Ahhhh, to be 12 again and not know the stress and strains of adulthood!  

2011 has been anything but "boring", but along with a New Year and a new cat, I look forward to some positive changes in the future.

What about you?   Are you doing anything crazy for the New Year?  Out of the ordinary? 

If so, I would love to hear about it!

Must We Be So Different?

Whoever said that "opposites attract" must have been

thinking of

David and Me.

He wants the fan on at night;

I'm freezing.

He's a talker,

I'm a thinker.

He can't eat sweets without milk,

I could live an entire life

without one sip.

He's tall and lean;

I'm short and squishy.

He likes the outdoors;

I like my desk.

And there are many more examples of the miracle

of this relationship.

But one of the biggest differences of all

is that

I'm sitting here next to the Christmas tree

thinking that I can't wait to start putting the ornaments

back in the boxes and put my house back in order,

and he is already pining away for his favorite holiday.

I absolutely LOVE the anticipation of the NEW YEAR,

while he wants Christmas to go on for another month.

I view New Year's as a fresh start, a time to grow,

a time to dream.

He sees New Year's as an intrusion into his

Christmas vacation.

So, while he was saying to me last night that

we should get up, sit around and watch Christmas favorites today,

I'm thinking

I'm ready to 

write up a new budget,

clean the house,

work on school plans,

organize something;

do anything that

points to the future.

And that is what they mean by

Opposites Attract.

It makes for a fun marriage!

If we were just alike,

I'd be bored.

Merry Christmas everyone

and

Happy New Year too!

Book Review - Softly & Tenderly by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

You know you're reading a great book when you try to prolong the last page.  I mean - you want to get there, yet you know that the last page means the journey is over.  Such were my feelings when I finished the second book,  Softly & Tenderly  by Sara Evans (with Rachel Hauck).

That's right!  Sara Evans - the talented country singer - can not only write songs, but she has given us some beautiful stories in book form, as well.

Softly & Tenderly  is the sequel to The Sweet By and By,  which begins the journey of Jade, the main character.

Jade is one of the several women in a "Southern Soap Opera" (as she says in the book) and the story is about her journey to find her place in a broken world.

I loved Jade from the first novel, right into this one.  She is unique and strong, and yet, has her own very real, battles to fight, which sometimes brings her to her knees. 

As Jade discovers that everyone around her has secrets, she battles her own past, filled with secrets, and what to do with them.

She struggles to forgive the mom who abandoned her over and over again, the husband who let her down, and herself, for things she did at the age of sixteen.

Softly & Tenderly  is a beautiful story of people who seem so real.  Their struggles are real-life struggles that most readers can relate to.   You don't want the book to end because you've grown to love these characters and you want to know how their journey plays out.

Thankfully, Sara (and Rachel) don't leave us hanging for long!  Her third book will be coming out in January 2012!   And you can bet - it's on my wish list!

Merry Christmas everyone!

*I read this book on my iPad, which I love to do!  It takes some time to get used to not holding a real book and flipping pages, but the delivery time (from the download to my hands) is so amazingly quick, that it might be my new "favorite" way of buying books!*


**Thank you to BookSneeze for providing me with this book in exchange for a review.   It is my pleasure to help you in this way!   Merry Christmas BookSneeze!**

Our Christmas Tradition

Every year David and I take one

full day to do our last 

minute shopping.

Today's the day!

I love spending the whole day,

just the two of us.

First we have breakfast,

then hit all the places

on our list.

Then, we'll have coffee in the bookstore

and continue on until

we're done.

When we've exhausted our budget

and our legs,

we'll head home to 

collect the 12 year old 

from the grandparents,

then settle on the couch

with some potato soup

and a Christmas movie.

This is our 

Christmas Tradition.

Merry Christmas

everyone!

A Dr. Pepper Blessing

Blessings come in the strangest of ways.

Sometimes they are big and monumental.   Other times they are small and almost unrecognizable, 

unless you're looking for them.

At the beginning of this week, we went to see my dad. He is on his 3rd month in the hospital

and his 2nd round of pneumonia.

I really didn't know what to expect when I got there, so I prayed that God would prepare my eyes for his very thin frame and prepare my heart for whatever I might encounter while there.

I tried to prepare the boys for the physical appearance, as well as the possibility that PawPaw might be confused at times.

I will not adequately be able to describe the blessing that I feel in my heart about the two days we spent with him in the hospital.   But, if I had to try, the word would be:  overflowing.

Those were two of the sweetest times I've had with him in a long time.   See, my dad has been physically sick and mentally depressed for quiet some time.   Living with Celiac and all the resulting aches and pains from that disease, have had him in a sad, broken state for a few years now.

But, Monday when we walked in, his face lit up!  He was welcoming us into this place that he has learned to accept.   Not that he wants to be there, but it's his room, where he knows he has to be for now.

We talked at times and just sat, at times.   Many times we were ushered out of the room, while medical necessities were attended to and that was ok.   The staff has been amazingly accommodating and attentive.   They've even learned to endure his joking and his sarcastic tone.   I think they know that deep down, he is a kind man.

Toward the end of the first night there, we introduced him to Talking Tom - the cat on the iPad that talks and repeats what you say.    We had the best time!  We told my dad to talk to the cat and then we all cracked up when the cat would talk back.    Dad would just grin and say something else to the cat and we were all rolling with laughter.    It was really special.

I was amazed at all the things he could remember; even knowing exactly what the date was!  He listed all his brothers and sisters, in order (there were 9 kids all together) and when I would show him pictures on the iPad, he just smiled when he saw his grandkids and called them by name.

On the second day, he told Ted that he wanted a Dr. Pepper.   This is one of the things he requested, that day (including fritos).    So, later that day, Ted came back to the room with a bottle of Dr. Pepper for him.    My dad's eyes lit up.  He said "for me?"

Here is the picture I took of him and his Dr. Pepper.   To most, it will look like a picture that is nothing special.   To me, it holds the memory of making a sick man, very happy, with something that we take for granted every day.

My dad Jim and my step-mom Ruby

and

the Dr. Pepper

This Christmas, before you stress over buying that perfect gift or before you get depressed because you can't have what you really want, think about the people that are just happy to be alive.   Think about those who will spend their Christmas laying in a hospital bed or those taking care of those in the hospital beds.

When you get frustrated about all the traffic - praise God that you are free to drive.

When you get stressed over what meal to fix - praise God you have food on the table and that you are well enough to eat it.

When you lament over the perfect outfit for Christmas morning - praise God you're not wearing a hospital gown that day.

Whatever it is that keeps you up at night - praise God that you have two good legs and can kneel by the side of the bed and ask God to take your burdens from you.

Put life in perspective this week.

It's not about gifts.

It's not about food.

It's about love - giving and receiving - love.

And love can be simply handing someone a Dr. Pepper and watching their face light up.    

Merry Christmas everyone

and especially to my dad

Jim.

Christmas Looks Different

 
Ever notice how things look different in childhood than they do as an adult?  Christmas is the perfect example of this.

As a child, Christmas was so magical.   It was anticipated with joy and excitement.  As an adult, it is anticipated with stress and anxiety, sad to say.

I was reading Heather's post over at Spiritbee about un-traditional Christmases, and agreeing with her that it's not what it looks like in the movies, (unless you're imagining a Chevy Chase movie. Then it might be realistic). 

In fact, just last week our pastor talked about what a false vision it is to think our lives will be like the Norman Rockwell pictures.   He reminded us that those are just paintings; an artist's vision of what life should be like - not the real thing.  That goes along with my "Walton's moments" in life, that never happen.

My Norman Rockwell Christmas would look like this:
A cozy house, full of family sitting around the dinner table, eating a delicious meal.  Then everyone moves to the tree to open beautifully wrapped presents.

Relatives would come from far away (everything in Texas is far away!) and we would all stay under the same roof, telling stories and drinking hot chocolate.  Of course, no one would bicker and everyone would know not to over-stay their welcome. 

The relatives would leave, the house would be clean and with the kids all tucked in their nice, warm beds, David and I would settle on the couch and watch an old movie (and I wouldn't fall asleep).

This would be the perfect Christmas to me.

However, reality is that this week, instead of making last minute preparations and figuring out where I will house everyone, we are taking a trip 6 hours away to see my dad who has been in the hospital for exactly 3 months today. 

We will visit him in his small hospital room, hand him a few gifts to open, and hope he has the strength to do so.   David will go to his office during the day, while the kids and I eat restaurant food and make multiple trips back and forth across town to visit my dad.    We will eat alone at night and sleep in a hotel room (which I hate) and get up the next day and do it all again.   Then, time will come when we have to say good-bye, and we will make the 6 hour trip back home, wondering if that will be the last Christmas we spend with my dad.    If so, that will mark the memories my boys will have of their 18th and 12th Christmases. 

This is real life.  


By the end of the week, as Christmas approaches, we will have attended a Christmas Eve service, hopefully visited a Live Nativity Scene, and had plenty of cups of hot cocoa.    The kids will anticipate Christmas morning and I'll cook French Toast.  

That afternoon, Ted will leave us and go spend the rest of the day with Sheri's family, Collin will play with all his new things, David and I will have coffee and talk about what a great day it was.

That night we'll sit on the couch and watch a movie with Collin and I'll fall asleep before both of them.

You know - that doesn't sound too far from ideal, does it?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Living With Musicians

I love the feel of Sunday mornings when we stay home from church.   I know that's not the way it's "supposed" to be, but it's the truth.

There is something beautiful and peaceful about Sundays when they are not rushed and consumed with everyone scrambling around, getting dressed, and running out the door.

Sunday truly does have a different feel about it. 

Looking back over this week, it seems that we have packed so much into 7 days; 

most of it revolving around the musicians living in this house.

There was David's birthday,

where, of course, we added

another guitar to our

wall of instruments.

Then there was Collin's violin recital at the local mall.

(preceded by 2 violin lessons this week).

He did great, by the way!

Ted will be playing in a Christmas program tonight.

 Wednesday he had his regular praise band gig

and he had the Christmas program dress rehearsal yesterday morning.

David played in the church Christmas program

last Sunday,

had two rehearsals this week,

the Remember When Orchestra Christmas concert last night,

and another

Christmas concert tonight.

So, if you add it all up.....

EVERY single day this past week,

one of these men have been

either at practice or a performance,

including tonight.

And, that is what life with a house

full of musicians is like!

Merry Christmas

Everyone!

A Little Love in a Bowl

 

Here in Texas

you can wake up to 75 degrees,

have shorts and flip flops on,

go outside at lunch,

and realize

you need to change

your clothes

because

a cold front just

blew in

and now

it's about

20 degrees colder!

And.....

along with the cold front

you get

the Southeast Texas

CRUD

(allergies galore!)

So MAMA fixes a few bowls of

White Chicken Chili,

turns on a little Christmas music,

and we all feel a little better.

Merry Christmas

Everybody!

You Can't Stop The Learning

Once again, Jen over at Gricefully Homeschooling has inspired me! 

No matter how long we take on this responsibility of teaching our own children, we never reach the place of thinking we have it all together.   In fact, it's usually just the opposite voice, playing over and over in my head:   "you're not doing enough!"

However, sometimes our kiddos bless our socks off by revealing knowledge we didn't even know they had.  Such was the case on December 7th, when I asked David to talk to Collin about Pearl Harbor. 

Actually, I had bugged David a few times that day about making sure Collin knew the significance of that day.   Not unlike other significant days on the calender, Mom had forgotten to prepare any info for that specific historical date, and I was counting on my "I minored in History in college" husband to do the work for me!

So, as it turned out, David and Collin were going somewhere in the car that night and David thought it would be a good time (while Collin was held captive in the car), to use the 10 minute drive to educate our son on the events of that day in History.     Little did he know, he was about to be educated on how much our kids learn, when we're not looking.

When presented with the question "how much do you know about Pearl Harbor?"  Collin preceded to talk David's ears off, for the next 10 minutes, on all the facts about what happened that day, what caused the events, who was involved, etc.     David was shocked!  And when he came home and told me how it all went down, I was shocked too!

Of course, the first and most obvious question was "where did he learn all of that?"  And the answer is..........

Why on Adventure in Odyssey, of course.  Where else?

For those who don't know about Adventure in Odyssey, they are stories created by Focus on the Family, about a town named Odyssey.   My kids have been listening to these stories all their lives and unless we are out of town or spending the night somewhere else, they have never missed a night of going to sleep to the sound of Mr. Whittaker and the gang.   (Well, Ted has moved on, since he's 18, but Collin still listens every single night.)

Sometimes the stories are about historical figures and events, and sometimes just dealing with morals and character issues.   But, they are always about pointing to God and his involvement in our lives.

And, honestly, Collin has learned so much from these tapes (and others such as Jonathan Park), that if they would figure out how to teach math by telling stories, Collin could have graduated by now!

Anyway, the point of this whole thing is that we moms worry too much!

Here I have a 12 year old who can't even take a 5 minute car ride without a book in his hand, and I'm worried that if I'm not sitting at the table with a stack of textbooks in front of us, he's falling behind.  Rubbish!

Kids are like little sponges and even when they aren't aware of learning taking place, it's still going on.

And that puts this mom at ease; even during this crazy Fall, when we've spent more time on the road and at the hospital with my dad, than we have with the books. 

Now, if you need more inspiration and confirmation, hop on over to Jen's blog and read about how her kiddos have been learning without books.   You'll feel better.   I know I do!

Life is Still Real; Even During the Holidays

As much as I would love to have all my posts during the holidays, be filled with great joy and cheery visions of baking and tinsel;  life still happens and you gotta be real.

I'll just start off by saying that this week has not been great.

I've dealt with my dad still being in the hospital and me trying to decide how to visit him and fulfill obligations here, at the same time, being that he is 6 hours away.  I wanted to wait to visit him as close to Christmas as I could, so he would have a good Christmas, with memories of his kids being near.  However, as each day goes by, I'm worried more and more, that he's not going in the right direction for healing.

I'm finally feeling the sting of living so far from my parents.   It's not fun.  It hurts to not be there and to be torn between the duties of being a mom and being a daughter.  

I've also had to deal with a so-called friend, telling me she didn't have time to be my friend anymore and twisting so many of my words around, they in no way, represented anything I even said or felt.  That was fun!  If I would have had Lisa Whelchel's phone number, I would have called her right away, to tell her that one of her real-life scenarios just came true.    In her book Friendship for Grown-ups, she tells her own story of a friendship she thought was valuable, only to have her "friend" call her up and tell her she no longer had the capacity to be her friend.   What the heck is wrong with people?   Who doesn't need friends?    I find that sad on so many levels.  Yet, I feel such a peace about this situation being settled, that I know this has purpose.   Live and learn, I guess.    I've always said that God has a way of weeding people out of your life, who have no business being there.    It's time to move on and shake the dust off my feet.  Done.

My motto for the New Year is this:  I'm not chasing anyone!  The only people I want in my life, are the ones that WANT to be here!  If that only means my husband and my kids, then I'm going to live life to the fullest and celebrate everyday, like it's my birthday.  

I'm sick and tired of trying to make time for people that don't deserve my time.   Either I'm valuable to you or I'm not.   If I'm not - then do us all a favor and move on! 

A very smart little 13 year old had a FB status today that said "Why would you spend time thinking about someone, who never takes a second to think about you?"   And to that I say.......AMEN!


Then, to top it off......I made the worst laundry blunder I've made in 23 years of working this housewife gig.   I managed to shrink one of Ted's brand new, wool sweaters, down to 6 year old size !

The one on the left is the shrunken one - the one on the right is regular size.

Yikes!

Who knew you weren't supposed to wash

"Italian Wool" 

in the washing machine?

 This is what he saw when he walked into his room that night.

The sign says:

"I never claimed to be the perfect mom!

I'm sorry!"

He was so good natured about it.   He tried it on today and we all had a good laugh, although Collin said "That's a picture I won't get out of my head for a week!"   Thanks Ted, for being a good sport!

And that's the reality of life.   

You want it to be all "Walton's" moments, but it's real and sometimes it's rough.

Good news is - God is still God and He's still on his throne and his mercies are new, each and every morning.  

And, that's one promise I can count on!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

**P.S.  I am now having to approve my comments before publishing.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience but it's part of my guard being up, and it will be for a while.**

Things I Remember about Christmas

The Things I Remember About Christmas:

Stockings were my favorite

thing to open.

My stocking always held such

great surprises like

a new watch, earrings,

new "unmentionables"

and socks.

Maybe it was the way my mom

packed them full of goodies.

Whatever it was, stockings

are still my favorite part of

Christmas morning.

I remember handmade ornaments

that were full of jeweled pins,

colorful and beautifully

placed on a round ornament,

truly bewildering because

my mom had made them.

I remember getting two Barbie

Heads that you could

put makeup on and

fix their hair.

Two of the best Christmas gifts ever!

I got two of them

because

my mom asked for a list

and my step mom asked

for a list

and I gave them both

the same list.

It was a win-win situation.

I remember my mom taking us into

Downtown San Antonio

to the Joskes Department Store

to see the Christmas display of toys

and santas.

It was magical.

And then we always found our way

through a Candy Cane Lane, 

where the houses were decorated

with candy canes and lollypops

on the roof, and

all the famous cartoon characters

in the yards.

I remember growing into a teen

and wanting nothing but

clothes;

Jordache  Jeans, Gloria Vanderbilts,

and Polo Shirts.

I remember heading over to my cousin's

house for lunch,

so excited to see what all the teens would be wearing.

We would all have on something new.

Those were good times

and

good memories.

Merry Christmas

and

happy memories!

I Can Feel Myself Slipping!

When the kids were younger we would take the entire month of December off 

from all "official" academics 

and focus on Christmas.   

We would bake and make crafty things.   

We would watch movies and read Christmas stories.  

Where did those days go?  

I want them back!

So, here it is....

a few weeks until Christmas

and we're still doing school.

I'm still cracking the whip every morning

and I'm losing it......

the desire to keep up

this facade of

"academic excellence"

and 

I'm ready to say....

we're done!

I'm ready to watch

Christmas movies in the middle of the afternoon

with my 12 1/2 year old,

who, by this time next

year

may not want to do that with me again.

I'm ready to see Christmas lights

late at night,

without worrying about

getting in bed

because

"we have school in the morning."

I'm ready to drink

hot chocolate

and go shopping

and 

do things that bring simple joys.

I'm ready to call it quits.

It's Friday.

Seems like the perfect day

to do just that.

Merry Christmas

everybody!

Unofficially - Wordless Wednesday

If I were to post a picture for

Wordless Wednesday,

this is what it would be........

soap

in

a

jar.

Love the look,

love the smell

(that's why I unwrap them ALL before putting them in the jar).

And 

then

I 

wouldn't

say

another

word.

 

Another Cowboy Christmas Tree

It's another Cowboy Christmas Tree!

 

Yep! That's right!

If you're gonna live in Texas........

you gotta have a 

few cowboys

on your

Christmas tree!

But

for you City Folks,

we have.......

 

 The 

sweet

little

red

&

white

tree.

 

 

Merry Christmas

Everybody!

Book Review - Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble

Writing this review means that I've finished this book and I feel like I need another one just like it -  right now!

Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble was such a great book!  It had my attention from the first page and made me neglect all other activities, just so I could finish it, in 2 days!

The element of mystery was there, right from the beginning, when the main character Eden,  is forcing herself to tell of her "past and the demons that had driven her to Wabash, Indiana."  Right at that moment, "the sense of a presence behind her made her pause."   And, that is how the story begins.

I loved the Texas setting (being that I'm partial to that great state), with the ranch and all the things that go along with the ranch setting.   I was also entertained by the "city girl" clothes and shoes that Eden tried to make due with, while walking across dirt and cow patties.    I really wanted to yell out to her, to get some jeans and boots!

The mix of characters kept the mysterious nature going; as you never knew who the "bad guy" really was, until the very end.    And, of course, it was an "ah-ha" moment when that character was revealed.
It was delivered with quite a twist, but somehow it all made sense.

This book has you rooting for the two main characters all the way through - for their love that was once lost and for the restoration of their marriage.  You also can't help but fall in love with all the little girls that are a part of the story, and you find yourself wanting to take them all home with you.

Overall, this was a great tale of real life on the Texas/Mexico border, real hurts and trials that people go through and how true love prevails when walls are broken down and we allow ourselves to feel.

It will leave you wanting a sequel or at least one close to it.

This e-book was furnished to me by BookSneeze.com for review purposes only.  Thanks Book Sneeze!

Well Rounded or Not Focused?

 I saw this quote on the Women of Faith page - a few weeks ago, and it was one of those things that made my heart leap (ever have that happen to you?) and I knew I had to share it.

 
“Conventional wisdom tells you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Yet when you study the most successful people you discover that they do something quite different: they push themselves within their strengths zone. They certainly aren’t complacent. It’s more that they realize they will be at their most productive, their most creative, their most generous, their most collaborative if having found their edge, they spend their life sharpening it.” 
Marcus Buckingham, author of StandOut


I want to shout this out to the world! 

Find something you're good at; something God has created you for - and go for IT!

Forget that our society tells you to be "well rounded".    Forget that your competitive spirit tells you to sign your kid up for everything under the sun.    Forget that you get bored easily. 

What has God put inside of you that you're passionate about?   Find that ONE thing and do IT; not 15 other things plus IT.

I've heard parents say they want their kids to be "well rounded".   No wonder kids are suffering from A.D.D.!   For the sake of "well roundedness", the parents are dragging the poor kids around; expanding their little horizons, yet, the kids aren't focused on any one thing.   They grow up not knowing what they want to do with their lives.   They've been exposed and involved, but never focused.   Their lives have consisted of moving from this activity to the next; never having time to just be good at one thing.  

Think about the Olympians we watch on TV:  they have devoted their entire lives to that ONE thing and perfected it to the best of their ability.    Think of musicians - they devote themselves to the music; it's in their blood and they can't NOT play or sing or write.    And artists - they HAVE to create and they spend most of their time thinking on their next creation.

Nine times out of ten - those who focus and succeed in one area, are there because they didn't divide their time up between 5-6 other areas of interest.   They chose the one that held their passion and that's where they stayed and it paid off.

So next time someone says to "step out of your comfort zone" - give it some thought.   Will stepping out help you grow in your IT area or will it take your focus off what you were called to do and set you back?   

Don't let those who live scattered lives, derail your focus.   If God has shown you what He created you for - stay there!  Grow there!  Focus there!  


 In the end - you will find satisfaction in  knowing that you put your all into what you loved, and you did it well.

Blessings,
Debbie

A Christmas Tradition and a Yummy Hostess Gift

Last night we attended our friend's Annual Christmas Dinner, which we go to every year, and have such a great time just eating, laughing and talking, (and usually watching a few brave souls dance to Michael Jackson on the Wii)!

Here's the hostess - Cheryl.

She's an awesome hostess because you can't rattle her.

She always has everything just about ready when we get there, 

and she won't let us clean up a bit when it's all over.

She's all play and no work

when she has company.

So we sit, eat, talk, laugh

and usually watch some crazy

dance moves while

she and a guest play the Wii.

It's very entertaining!

So, this year I made her a little hostess gift

that turned out to be a hit with

the whole party.

Here's the recipe for Cinnamon Pretzels that are so easy to make and a great treat for everyone:

Cinnamon Pretzels 

Here are the ingredients:

Pretzel Twists

Cinnamon

Oil

Sugar

(see recipe for amounts)

Add all ingredients to a big bowl, thoroughly coat pretzels with oil mixture,

and place on a cookie sheet

(or in a roasting pan)

and bake for 20-30 minutes

on 350.

While they are baking

the cinnamon and sugar

bake onto the pretzel

and leave

a sugary coating

that you can actually see

once they are cooked.

Take out of the oven and let cool.

Then place them in a gift tin or container

and you have a great

hostess gift!

And 

there you have it!

All wrapped up and ready to go!

Thanks Cheryl

for a

great meal 

and a fun night!

See ya next year!

My Little Corner of the World

Here's my little corner of the world.

This is where I spend a good

portion of the day:

writing

paying bills

reading God's word

computing

 planning

making lists

checking off "to-do's"

blogging

and anything else that needs to be done

at a desk.

This is my spot and I'm

stingy with it.

Sometimes I sit here for so long

that I have to walk away

to clear my head.

But, it doesn't take long

before I want to go back

and create something else.

Everyone needs

a little corner of the world.

 

Where's yours?

Great Pictures Coming

I've been a little slow on posting this week because I've been having trouble with my camera, but that's all about to change........I hope!

I bribed, uh....made a deal with, uh......threatened, well, let's just say he owed me......a camera.   I'm talking about Ted.   You see, back when he was working at the horrible place called a pawn shop, he found an incredible camera that, sadly, someone had hocked.    He bought it for about $50.00, which was a steal (I still feel bad for the person, though) and thought he was set in the camera department. 

Well........ due to his MACbook being stolen a few weeks ago, which was kind of like a right arm to Mr. Musician, we've been trying to figure out a way to get him a new computer (right before Christmas) and this is where the camera comes into play.

My dinky little digital started going crazy on me over the past few months and I was in the process of looking for an inexpensive replacement.  So......when Ted and I began talking about how to replace the MAC, I had a brilliant idea..........he could give me his camera and that would save me some money, that could be put toward his new computer.    Uhhhh, let's just say I could see he was torn, because he knew if he gave me this camera, he would probably never find another deal like that.  Yet, his need for a new MACbook was so much greater than his need to take pictures.

Reluctantly he agreed and I now have the camera in my hands - well, actually it's been in Collin's hands since we got it!

This 12 year old whiz kid, figured out what every button, every gadget, every type of picture (panaroma being his favorite), can do and I have yet to take even ONE picture!

How do they do that?

So, my goal today is to take some pictures and hopefully, come back here next week with some great visuals. 

I want to show you my new Christmas Binder that I've been putting together (thanks to Courtney at Women Living Well  and UntanglingChristmas.org).

I want to show you my new "Office" sign I bought at Hobby Lobby.    I LOVE it!

And whatever else comes to mind as we put up our tree this weekend, chase down Glen Beck (he'll be in town Saturday morning), and visit with friends Saturday night.

It's going to be a great weekend so I'll catch you back here as soon as I figure out how to turn my new camera on!  (I feel kind of bad for Ted now too.  Oh, well, I'm sure I'll get over it and so will he, as soon as he gets his new computer).

See ya soon!

Debbie