Bits for Sunday, November 22, 2009

Today’s Bits are not intended to make my mother sorry for the question she asked me yesterday…but they might end up accomplishing that purpose. Rather randomly, she asked if I ever journal anymore. Do I ever journal!?!? HA! Only in two books every day!

Why do I journal? (This was not a question she asked. It’s a freebie.) I journal to get stuff out of my head to make room for more. After all, exploding heads are rather unattractive, and I try to avoid that happening to me. I journal to remember things I would otherwise forget (case in point, very shortly). And I journal in case someday I become a famous dead author and some college professor needs to send students to the library to spend hours reading the journals of a dead author. (Oh sorry…was that bitterness from days of yore out loud??)

I did this once before, on a different day, but I thought I’d do it again just for fun. I went through my journals from the last ten years and pulled out the happenings of this fine day over the course of that decade. Some (okay, several) details have been omitted because I’m not dead and therefore don’t want you to know just all of it. I’ve added a few details in italics for clarification. Please do note that not every year could be exciting. For that, I apologize.

2008 – I hit the jackpot at the Hobby Lobby today. 90% off fall stuff! I got a $200 arrangement for $20! How awesome is THAT!?!? I also found a new Christmas tree – a slim one. I’m VERY excited about that. No more sorting branches and moving half my furniture into the garage. This leaves me wondering where exactly I stashed that gorgeous $200 arrangement I purchased for $20. See? This is why I journal! I find lost treasures! Or I hope to, anyway. And by the way – that slim tree was fantastic. Although one of my kiddos did remark later that it was very skinny. Clearly she has not mastered the finer points of HGTV recommendations for decorating a small space. She’ll learn.
2007 – A good Thanksgiving! Mom took 34 pictures tonight – I think we might have some Christmas picture contenders among them. I still have not lived down my photo session with my mother from that year. I’m picky, okay??
2006 – Crashed on the couch because all the Christmas decorations were on the bed. I didn’t journal. My gift to you today is not relaying the rest of that day’s happenings to you…as recalled the next day. Let’s just say it wasn’t one of the more glowing days of my life.

2005 – The day started out rough. Rosters wouldn’t run right…blah blah blah. (The blah blah blah is my edit for other work drama. Again, you’re welcome.) But the day got better. I got a free lunch from Mom and Dad. I almost got the next phase of my Christmas cards done. My goal is to finish tomorrow night. It could be a long night. I need to finish this year’s cards this week…good reminder. 


2004 – Day one of vacation down. I had a slumber party on the couch last night. Woke up at 10 after 8 this morning feeling most pleased that I did not have to report to duty! My highlight (eyeroll) of the day was when I was leaving the Student Center after cashing a check and some student was hurling in the bushes. Gross. I cleaned the whole downstairs today – vacuum attachments, rubber gloves and all. I want to know why I can clearly recall that hurling-in-the-bushes scene – but I still cannot remember where I stashed that Hobby Lobby find!

2003 – I just got back from my date – and once again, I remain confused… I’m plagued with guilt about how much money he has spent on me in a week. Everyone ordered steak for dinner. I ordered a club sandwich. Then we went out for ice cream and I feel guilty about that too. I watched Savannah today and learned how to decorate a porch for Christmas, fry bacon, chop broccoli and teach someone how to stamp while managing her. Yes, that is the DATE word appearing in my journal…actually the first in kind of a mini-series here of Lifetime movie-esque November days in Bekahland. I’m wondering if the one reader who was ON this double date with me will recognize it and remember it. I cracked up just now about that club sandwich part. Totally Bekah. I don’t remember watching Savannah that day, but I am impressed at my multi-tasking.
2002 –Today was fun. I got my book back, and I am ultra excited about that. It looks so nice. I’m glad I went the extra mile and had Susan design the cover. This was the year I wrote a book for my family for Christmas. I worked on it the entire year and have pictures from this day when I picked it up in the print shop. Loved that gift!

2001 – Well, I’ve always wanted a perfect holiday and today came very close. You are, once again, welcome for the details you are not reading here…not because they are bad. They’re just gooshy gross. This was the first year I brought a boy to a family holiday and I was absolutely thrilled. I just knew I’d arrived. At least I appreciated it in the moment. I hate it when people want something for a long time and then fail to appreciate it in the moment. 


2000 – The B-boy never ceases to amaze me with the things he says and does. I just love
talking to him and laughing with him. He’s fun. I can’t wait until Saturday when I can see him. I’ve been so busy tonight. I made that apple cake tonight. It looks good. I set the table and cleaned and cleaned in the kitchen. I’m very tired. I just want to go to bed and sleep until about 11. Can’t do that. Want to do that, but can’t. I hope I don’t oversleep tomorrow. That would be a bad thing. This day was the eve of hosting my first ever major family holiday. And as you can see…also the middle of another luuuuv moment. I should write more about that sometime. It was a fun – and funny – chapter of my life.

1999 – Wow. Today was tough…But God was awesome and provided a chapel that let me regroup a little. And this takes us back to my final year of college – just a few weeks after the great relationship end of 1999. Definitely a rough time, but definitely a time when God showed (again) that HE IS GOOD. And He still is!!