Uphill idealist

Image found at redfinblog . Favorite things Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings These are a few of my favorite things Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes Silver white winters that melt into springs These are a few of my favorite things When the dog bites When the bee stings When I'm feeling sad I simply remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad Sometimes as the holiday season begins to wind down, the gifts have been exchanged, the tree is ready to come down and the decorations need to be packed away; I begin to feel a little blue. I don't think that I'm alone in this phenomenon, in fact another friend was talking to me abo

Image from TLC Cooking . What's so magic about quick spaghetti? Here are the ingredients for quick spaghetti: Tomato sauce, ground meat, various herbs and spices, pasta and a group of hungry people. The magic happens when you gather good friends around the table. That's what make the most common of dinners become so uncommon. Our company was family and people we work with everyday, but we learned something new about each person. We shared stories about family, adventures from when we were young, and concerns for today and tomorrow. We all needed some extra warmth and laughter on that chilly winter night and that spur of the moment meal we shared together delivered. Many times I have ignored opportunities for quick spaghetti nights because of the clutter of daily living and my fear of missing the mark as a hostess. You know what? I don't care about the clutter or mark anymore. Martha Stewart doesn't live with me, but if she wants to come over for quick spaghetti, she'

It's a brand new year. It's a totally new day. The number for this new year 2010, reminds me of many science fiction movies filled with exciting plots and never-ending opportunities. I'm not suggesting that this year will be one filled with flying cars and robots, although that might be cool, but I have this gut feeling that 2010 is a year for forward looking and brave step taking. While I write this note on the Eve of the new year, I find myself in the gear of looking back to what 2009 was. I keep thinking those thoughts like: what if I did this, that or the other thing? Would this last year have turned out different? If permitted to, I suppose I could spend all this upcoming year fussing over what could have been in 2009, but spending my time in this way would not be wise in light of the hope and newness of the year to come. Isaiah 43: 16,18,19 says, "This is what the Lord says, ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it

Just in case you need a little chuckle in the days after Christmas, here is a silly, nice treat for you.

Northern lights image from Redbubble . Throughout this last week, its been a combination of joy and struggle. Joy for the holiday and struggle for ongoing back problems for my husband. We're going on week 3 with the challenges of disk problems all during the busiest time of the year. Thankfully though, there have been flickers of joy and hope in the midst of all this. These may not be visible like the beauty of the Northern Lights pictured above, but they are reminders that all will be well. Flickers like: Family dinners where taking a prepackaged veggie/cheese tray is totally cool as a dish to pass. Opening gifts with my husband and kids after midnight worship leading into Christmas wee-hours. Seeing my husband happily distracted from discomfort by the books and music he received. Enjoying a salon therapy afternoon with my daughter. Play Wii games all week-end long. DJ Hero is the best! Reading a whole novel in a day. Making headway with the specialist, physical therapist, and pla

Image found at Life. The Tate Unveils The Alternative Christmas Tree LONDON - DECEMBER 3: A woman looks at Tate Britain's Christmas tree dressed by sculptor Richard Wentworth on December 3, 2004 in London, England. The traditional Norwegian Spruce tree is decorated with broken halves of plates and strings of dimmed domestic light bulbs also text panels on the base of the tree describe the histories of the tree's four elements: the light bulb, the plate, the Christmas tree and the plinth. There is so much preparation, anticipation and excitement in the days just before Christmas. Even adults become giddy with moments of child-like joy and frivolity, at least I know I do. I feel its effects in the holiday songs I find myself humming, in the flutter of joy in my heart, and in the smile plastered across my face as I sat down to share Christmas Eve dinner with this years entourage. I had been touched and filled with a healthy dose of the Christmas spirit. The faces around my table m