Little Bit o Christmas

In honor of tomorrow being the first day of December....I thought I would share this that my friend Kari emailed to me.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I wrap everything that I can. If it absolutely cannot be wrapped and I can't find a box to put it in - I bag it. I wrap because I have a theme for every Christmas and the paper is part of the theme.

2. Real tree or artificial? Too scared of fire to deal with real. And too cheap.

3. When do you put up the tree? The Friday/Saturday after Thanksgiving...while all the crazies are out trampling each other for technology and toys.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually a couple of days after Christmas - definitely before New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog? Tried it. Hated it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Daybed - when I was a third grader. We have some festive pictures of that Christmas. I opened my gifts wearing a green and gold school spirit sweatshirt, light pink sweat pants, and white ballerina style dress shoes. What a babe.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? I have a one piece ceramic holy family that my Mom painted for my great grandma years ago (I inherited it after she died) - and baby Jesus has one arm intact and one arm amputated and snuggled up next to the good arm. I also have a small frosted glass nativity from when I was a kid. My dream is to own a Willow Tree complete Nativity.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My Dad. He only wants gift cards, so I always have to come up with a creative way to offer them. One year I bought a bunch of popcorn boxes, filled them with popcorn, and hid the gift cards throughout the boxes.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My Mom because she likes anything or my brother-in-law Jeff because I usually like everything he wants. (We have similar tastes in coffee, books, and music.)

10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received? I love all gifts - so I can't think of a worst.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I make them all by hand and spend about 6 months on them from start to finish. I'm in an annual competition with my dad to see who receives the most cards. So far I have won every year, but a couple of years have been close.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don't think I have a fave - but I love the marathons that Hallmark and ABC Family and Lifetime run. I like the mushy love stories. HATE the movie with Ralphie.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually do 90% of mine in one day - which is usually in early December. This year it was before Thanksgiving.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's homemade chocolates. They are the BEST.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear - except on the hodge podge tree, and I use colored lights on that.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh boy - there are many. I think O Holy Night is my favorite "anthem" song and Welcome To Our World (sung by my friend Julie Crandall) or All is Well (sung by point of Grace) are my favorite "other" songs.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually just traveling to my parents. Not a long trip.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes but only if I sing the song. Kind of like the only way I know the books of the Bible.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Both. I have six trees.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Idiots at Wal Mart blocking the scotch tape aisle with a class reunion.

23. What is the 'corniest' family tradition you do, or miss doing? It's not corny, but it's a tradition I miss. Every year when I wa s little, my Mom would read the children's book "A Certain Small Shepherd" for our family devotions. I have a copy of the book and still read it but it's not the same.

24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? overuse of obnoxious lawn ornaments.

25. Which looks best theme trees or homey trees? Yes.

Hamster Wheels

I've not written this week because my brain feels like its on a hamster wheel. If I can't make coherent thoughts of what is happening...why should I subject you to reading?

This time of year is tough at work. Every job has its hard parts. And I'm sure the same job can have a different effect on different people. In my job, I hate it when I desperately want to help someone and I can't...for whatever reason. This week I've been slowed down by computer problems beyond my control (to the point where it takes me literally twice as much time to do a task as it should). I've had to deliver news that people don't want to hear. And today I was the recipient of a verbal tirade...which isn't really new...but today it happened in front of someone else. (Just to clarify - this wasn't a co-worker or supervisor who let me have it. Just one of the people I was trying to help.) I don't like being made to look stupid in front of another person. I kept my composure during the event but the moment the door closed, I had to hide in the next door office and have a little meltdown while the workers over there brought me peace offerings of the chocolate variety. It helped.

So anyway, with work being as it is, and with evenings being filled with Christmas prep...my mind feels like it's on a hamster wheel.

Maybe it will make sense tomorrow?

The Halls are Decked...and I am Pooped

I have one minor task left to do on the Christmas decorating, but if I have to look at one more piece of evergreen right now, I will absolutely scream. So it's still curled up on my bed waiting for much later, and I'm sitting here catching a moment of rest before one of my "nieces" arrives for a few hours of QT with Aunt Bekah. I know once she gets here there will be no rest - since she's two and energetic. I'll have her and two angry cats who will be glaring at me for letting someone under four feet tall in the front door.

But for as exhausted as I am after all the decorating, I'm very pleased with the way it all turned out. I started yesterday and completed three trees before I gave up and called it a night. I had to call it a night on the couch because my bed was buried under plastic tubs that had once held the ornaments and lights and garland and...and...and. I enjoy the occasional slumber party on the couch, but last night I was craving a good stretch in a warm bed, not a curled up half-sleep where I had to wake up every time I wanted to turn over. Even so, it was very nice to fall asleep next to a big tree with Christmas specials playing on TV.

This morning when I woke up, I could feel the raw scratches on my arms where I fought with pine needles and pine needles won. I could still feel the very tender goose egg on my right arm where a ladder fell on me. I thought of the tree yet to assemble and said, "I don't think so." I got up, took a shower, threw on some makeup (a lesson well learned yesterday...more on that in a minute) and drove to Big Lots for a mostly assembled tree. I found a skinny little hinged tree that came in a box about a yard long, and $19.08 later, I walked out the door. I came home and had it assembled, fluffed, and lit in about 25 minutes flat. Sure beats the four or so hours it would have taken to mess with the big tree. And it fits the room much better too. I am pleased.

About the makeup...yesterday I didn't put much effort into getting ready because I planned to stay home all day and work on the house. But halfway through the day I ventured out for a coffee drink and the new Christmas CD that David Phelps released this year. When I purchased the CD, I paid by check, and the lady at the register looked at my name and asked who my parents were. I told her and said "Do you know them?" She said yes and then she said, "I think you were a year behind me in school." I need to say this carefully because I could get myself in a whole lotta trouble right before the holidays, but let me just say that I could tell that we were not in the same...class. I said, "Um, maybe you're thinking of my sister?" She said, "Oh yes, the one in Kansas...she was ahead of me. I said, "Well I have another sister too." After a few more explanations, we clarified that I was BORN the year before she graduated, not actually in the class behind her. Clearly some makeup was necessary and I won't be making that mistake again.

Silliness

I've gone a little picture crazy lately. Tis the season, I suppose. :) Here's some of the silly ones.

Last weekend I went to the wedding shower of our secretary's daughter. Part of the table decorations were crystal prism "thingies." During the gift opening time, I started playing with them, and the lady next to me told me to hang them from my earrings for an extra special look. I did - and then I realized they went well with my obnoxious black ring that I bought when I went to Brown County last month. So I was kind of a little Joan Rivers jewelry special going on - right during the presents.


Here are a couple of rejects from the Christmas card photo shoot. I think this facial expression mirrored the one my Mom wanted to wear - the "can we just be done with this?" look.


This one I liked - but I figured I should probably actually look AT the camera for the card picture.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful day! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope you've enjoyed a day of...well...whatever you enjoy most!

I slept in this morning (until my Dad called at 9:15 and I had to figure out what the ringy sound was and how to stop it) and had a perfect morning of watching TV from bed. Matt and Meredith may have had ringside seats to the Thanksgiving Day parade, but I definitely had the warmer end of the deal!

This year, Thanksgiving dinner was at my parents' house, and everyone was there except my Kansas family. The meal was wonderful - WAY too much food. And last night I did something horrible to my jaw, so eating was a pretty significant challenge, but I managed to eat through the pain. I wasn't missing Thanksgiving dinner, no matter how much it hurt!

After lunch, I was entertained by Emma and Wills, my younger cousins. This is the first time I have seen Wills since he could talk, and he had a lot to say! The two of them went outside for a while and when they returned, he was carrying a piece of tree bark. He yelled to all of us, "LOOK!!! I got a piece of ark!" (We were thankful he wasn't around Mr. Noah, or that whole piece of history might have gone sinking into the depths.) Wills' dad asked him if he found it on the ground or yanked it off the tree, and he proudly announced, "I yanked it off the tree." Then he grabbed my hand and said, "Come on, I'll show you!" So with no time to don a coat (and we were getting a bit of snow right then) I followed him out into the yard where he found "the tree" and yanked off a piece of "ark" for me.

After everyone left and the leftovers had been stashed in various corners of Mom's refrigerator, she and I went about conducting the great Christmas card photo shoot of 2007. It was comical, to say the least. This is the first year that I've put a photo in my card since Kaegan's first Christmas, so that's about five years. I was completely OCD about the whole thing - even informing Mom that if my hair day went bad or the zit that sprouted out on my chin two days ago was too crazy, we'd not be taking any pictures. So three locations and thirty four pictures later, I felt I had some decent contenders.

Now I'm home, I've had an iced coffee and a little snack, and it's time to make some serious headway on the Christmas cards.

Have a great Thanksgiving - and to those of you braving the shopping establishments tomorrow - GOOD LUCK!!!

Good Grief

I watched the Bachelor after-show last night and by the end, I was yelling at the TV and beating the air with my fists. I just don't get it.

Here's my take on it, which could be totally off base. I still need to believe that he went into it with honorable intentions and that he did not do it just to get publicity and become a 15 minutes of fame star. I also still need to believe that he really did like (though I'll concede to no love) both Jenni and DeAnna. HOWEVER - I think pretty much everything else he said was an excuse. I think he wants to believe he WASN'T offering excuses, but he still did.

Before I get into what I thought about his speech, let me just say that my opinion of Jenni went up about 50 points for her behavior last night. I liked her before - it wasn't that I didn't. It was just that she seemed kind of giggly all the time. But the fact that she seemed genuinely hurt for DeAnna meant a lot to me. And the fact that when she offered Brad the hypothetical situation of dating just one of them - she offered up dating DeAnna - that was classy. And her dress was cute - but WAY short. When she reached up to hug him, I got a little worried there for a minute.

Now to poor DeAnna. I thought she handled the situation with a whole lot more grace than I would have. I appreciated that she did not hide her anger, because I thought it was more than justified. I felt sorry for her because you could tell they still had that chemistry and they both knew each other well enough to have this totally personal argument in front of so many...and still he let her walk away. I hope she sticks to her statement of that being his last chance.

Brad, Brad, Brad. You lost two really great girls - and one that might have been absolutely perfect for you. YOU ASKED FOR HER DAD TO BE FLOWN TO THE SHOW - HELLO!!!! YOU DO LIKE HER! She doesn't deserve better than you. She deserves a chance to see what she could have WITH you - and you deserve the same with her.

I could NOT believe what he said to DeAnna at the end about how she'd never know how much he would miss her.

So that is my take. Just a hearty "Good Grief."

Nice save on the part of the show for bringing back Ryan, Trista, and cute baby Max to save the day.

Definitely Didn't See That One Coming

I will be the first to admit I'm the girl that never figures out the ending of the movie ahead of time. I'm the girl who actually has to watch until the very end of the crime shows to figure out whodunnit. So with such a record, it really shouldn't shock me that I didn't figure out how the Bachelor was going to end...but I really didn't expect that one.

I know they said it was going to be "the most shocking rose ceremony yet," but aren't they all? I thought he was going to send the first girl away, then send the second girl away and get the first girl back. But I knew by the time he told DeAnna no...there wasn't enough time left before the show ended to get anybody back.

Brad's still my favorite Bachelor - and if he really wasn't in love, then good for him for not proposing just for show. But seriously - he couldn't have kept just one of them to see where it went??? Just to date?? I don't get it.

Bits for Sunday, November 18, 2007

I spent a good portion of my weekend finishing the scrapbook of my baby pictures. I wanted it to be done in time to take it to the family Thanksgiving dinner so I could get the journaling of others included in it. So my fingers are covered in ink and my table is covered in paper scraps, but I successfully made it to a year old.

Last week I gave you a break from the big list of 25 for 2007, but this week my life consisted of stories at work that I do not care to relive, much dealing with leaves in my yard, much working out, and much scrapbooking, so I guess I’m back to the list for writing material.

The fourth area I worked on this year was the area of stewardship. I grew up hearing about stewardship in connection with money – and it is about money. But it’s also about more than just the green stuff. It’s about whatever you have. Luke 12:48 says “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” I began to realize that I’d been entrusted with some things that could stand a little bit more attention from me. So here were my commitments for the things God has given to me.

1. Save monthly. Mom and Dad raised me to understand the value of a savings account, and I appreciate that. But as I sit at my desk every day and pilfer through the files at hand, I listen to Money Matters by Crown Ministries, and I have learned that I have some improving to do in the world of money. It was becoming a little too easy for me to slip some extra into the “spending” part of my paycheck world and not quite as much into the “saving” part of my paycheck world. So I made a goal to save every single month – even if it meant less Hobby Lobby money.

The verdict? It’s been a good discipline for me. I’ve achieved it every month – and the months when money was tight, something extra always came in so I could meet this commitment.

2. Do weekly housecleaning. I also grew up in a home where weekly housecleaning was taught by example – and I learned early how to do my part to pitch in. I usually pitched a fit about it, but I pitched in anyway. I see the wisdom in it now – four year olds are much closer to the floor, so dusting baseboards is really a perfect task for them. But even though I was raised to clean well and clean often, I was slipping in this chore in my own home. My housecleaning became the victim of my “too busy” schedule and if I had to let anything slide, this was cut from the plans. God was nice enough to provide me with a place to live – the least I can do is honor Him by taking care of it – clear down to dusting end tables and scrubbing toilets.

The verdict? This one is still tough – still the one I want to cut corners on each week. But I find it much less of a hassle to clean when I do it on a regular basis.

3. Tune up the car. I am such a girl when it comes to cars. Only recently has my knowledge of them surpassed the level of color identification. But while I’m very dedicated about putting gas in my car (only had to run out once to learn that one!) and getting my oil changed, I hadn’t done a great job of checking up on the rest of my car’s health. My car has been good to me – a reliable little critter – and I decided this was the year to pamper it. Early in the year (thanks to an annoying puncture wound) I wound up replacing the tires, and just a few weeks ago, I sent it to the shop for a little checkup.

The verdict? I’m still such a girl about cars, but I feel good knowing my little car has been given the thumbs up for car health.

4. Work on yard improvement. I’m very fond of working in the kitchen. I’m quite happy when painting and decorating the rooms. I’m not so thrilled about outdoor work. But there’s no reason why I can’t get out the door and do what I can to make the house look presentable from the outside. So this year I got my hands dirty and put in some edger stone in the backyard, worked hard to stay up with the mowing and trimming, and more recently, I dedicated my time to leaf cleanup (a maddening task made much simpler by the new leaf blower/vacuum my Dad bought me).

The verdict? There were weeks when knowing I had to report on this task was the only thing that got me out the door and in the yard. But I’m very happy with the way the yard looks – though I don’t quite keep up with the landscaping neighbors.

5. Get new carpet for the stairs. Oh the carpet on the stairs. It is the color of an interesting diaper deposit (sorry, Dad) and is older than any carpet still in use should be. Last year I went through a rather extensive overhaul of the stairway room – and this was the one final step that I never completed. I don’t want to enter 2008 with that project still unfinished – or rather I’m just anxious to do the scrapbook page with the before and after pictures. So this week I went to the store and scheduled an appointment for the carpet boys to come and measure – and I am finishing the redecorating project.

The verdict? I’m excited to see something neutral instead of the olive color that was great in its day – but its day has long gone. The only thing that makes me sad is that I know no matter how great the carpet is that I get, the lasting power will never match whatever power they put into this carpet!

Only one more area to share with you – that will be next week!

To Be Responsible or to Have Fun

I think it's entirely possible that the week went flying by without me. How'd that happen?

One good thing about it is that work has been so insanely busy that at least the work hours move quickly. Too quickly. Can't get everything done. Our students are trying to register for classes, which means if they need help paying a bill, they need our office. I haven't had anyone cry on me yet - but I imagine it's not far. I need to put a new box of Puffs on my shopping list.

And after work...well...it's the weighing of the "do I have fun tonight or do I do chores?" I've tried to have a good balance of each. Take out the trash...and go to Bible study. Stay after to work late...and go to a ball game. Run to my favorite place on earth for things I need to buy...and watch TV. Work out...and work on the yard. Switch the clothing seasons and do laundry...and assemble Christmas cards.

It's no small wonder that at 2 this morning, I was still tossing in bed (trying valiantly not to disturb the carefree kitties snoozing away beside me) with a racing mind. Thankfully today is Friday, which means extra sleep can be mine this weekend...unless I decide to work on the leaves...and clean the house...and...and....

Good Job, Brad

I know I've admitted on here before that I like to watch The Bachelor. I gave it up a few seasons ago because I got sick of the stupidity. But I wandered back to watching it...and I just have to say that this season has my favorite bachelor.

Yeah, yeah he's good looking. But most seasons, once you got past the looks, you were done. Kudos to Brad for having good sense as well. Tonight when I watched him take the tough questions from the women he sent home, I thought he gave them genuine and meaningful answers - not just beat-around-the-bush quips to save face. I like that.

I am torn on which woman he'll pick. I think either of them would be good for him; it just boils down to what he is looking for most in a life plan. But regardless of how it ends, I'm glad for a season that included real conversation and not just hot tub parties. Good job, Brad.

Bits for Sunday, November 11, 2007

This week I’m taking a break from “list-reporting.” You were probably ready for a break two weeks ago, and I actually had something writing-worthy happen, so for those two reasons, I take a temporary leave from my lists to bring you the following breaking news from Bekah-land.

I went Christmas shopping.

Okay, I promise there’s a little bit more to it than that. Yesterday my Mom and I went on our annual Christmas shopping extravaganza. Normally we go in December when the sales are roaring, the Christmas music plays in the malls, and I am in desperate need of a day off work. This year we went on a Saturday to preserve my vacation days, we played our own Christmas music in the car (I do a rather interesting impersonation of Russ Taff singing “What A Wonderful World,” by the way), and we found sales even before Thanksgiving.

But along the way I made the following observations about holiday shopping, so I thought I would share them with you.

* You should always take a stroller. Not for a baby. For packages. I had quite seriously contemplated calling up some random parent-friend of mine to see if I could borrow the big old travel system for the day, but given that we were shopping on a Saturday, I figured the stroller-owning parents might actually be using their strollers. But I’ve noticed that in the mall, the moms carry the babies and push the presents. It’s ingenious, really. A place to stash the stuff, and cup holders on the side!

* Parking may be the riskiest business of the day. Mom and I had to park a couple of states away from the mall, and halfway through our shopping, we had to trek back to the car for a deposit of the back-breaking sacks. Mom decided to change shoes while we were out there, so I spread my papers out on the trunk, alongside my calculator, to see how I was doing on the old budget and how much more shopping I needed to do for each person. This poor guy parked his truck a few feet away, thinking we were about to leave. He finally got the drift that we were just gearing up for round two and he drove away. As we hiked back into the mall, we nearly saw a four car pileup in aisle six as someone tried to pass someone else (hello, it’s a PARKING LOT, not a FREEWAY) and then another car backed out at the same time. I thought we were all goners. All for the love of a close parking space.

* Never wear rings. When Mom and I were on our way to the car for that mid-shopping deposit, she kept saying to me, “I have a free hand, do you want me to carry a bag for you?” I kept saying “No, my hands won’t move!” As soon as I dumped the bags into the trunk, my still-curled-up fingers resembled candy canes and were so swollen that I don’t think I was in any danger of losing a ring. Usually I forego the jewelry altogether on a shopping trip, but I forgot this time.

* The receipt trail is longer than Santa’s naughty/nice list. Mom and I were in line at Penney’s when the receipt started printing out…and kept going…and kept going…and kept going. Mind you, I had only purchased two things. The receipts could serve as gift wrap for them both. And this is what I’ve learned about holiday shopping. One printout was my notice that if I shop online from now through the end of the month and spend over $49, I can get free shipping. The next one was my actual receipt. The first three inches of it were the logo/address. The next three inches were the actual receipt part. Then there was the message about taking an online survey to receive 15% off my next purchase. Then there was the notice of how I paid…followed by my associate’s number, followed by my holiday portrait offer, followed by the exchange policy, followed by their website information, followed by a bar code. THEN I received the two gift receipts – each printed separately for my gifting convenience. While the lady was gathering and folding my receipt, Mom and I were blessed to hear the story of the man at the next register. He had purchased queen size cream colored sheets, but the pillowcases were too short for his king size pillows, so he bought the pillowcases separately but when he washed it all, the sheets faded to white and now they don’t match the pillowcase and could he just make an even exchange for this sheet set? The lady asked him if he had a receipt. He said no. She did the exchange anyway. SO WHY AM I ACCEPTING SIX FEET OF RECEIPT TAPE???? DOES IT EVEN MATTER? When I came home, I counted fifteen receipts, eight gift receipts, and six supplemental advertisement receipts, which leads me to my next point…

* The after-shopping takes longer than the shopping. If I were to take advantage of all possible offers thrown my way yesterday, then my future holds a busy schedule. I need to drive back to Borders next weekend, spend $10 or more, and get something 30% off (minus anything in the 2 ½ inch list of exceptions). After that I can spend two consecutive nights at a Country Inn and Suites and get a $15 gift card. I can order a delicious turkey feast at Target for just $59.99. Of course don’t forget about the aforementioned free shipping from Penney’s as well as the survey/15% off offer from them. I can go to Kohls online and offer my feedback on a survey – FOR NOTHING. I don’t think so. I can drive back to Kirkland’s (a great store) next weekend for 20% off a single Christmas item. Dicks Sporting Goods offered me $10 off my next purchase of $50 if I rushed home and completed an online survey. For shopping at Sears, I can take a survey and perhaps win a $4000 gift card. I can also “por favor tomate el tiempo para proporcionaros tu informacion y participa…” oh wait. I think that is the same thing. Unfortunately I have dial up internet, so I’d still be completing these surveys at Easter.

* And finally – watch that weight. On the way home, Mom and I stopped for fast food. By this time, my back was breaking from all the carrying of sacks, my feet were screaming, since I dressed for looks over comfort and didn’t wear my best shoes. We’d been gone for almost 12 hours and were getting a little loopy. We stood in line for our burgers at an establishment run by the twin sisters of Frick and Frack of the Wal Mart photo booth. We waited a while before they took our order, and when Frick (or was it Frack?) came over to the register, she said to my Mom, “I’m sorry about your wait.” I rolled my eyes. This woman could have made two and a half of my mother. I wanted to say “Really? Cause I’m not half as sorry about her weight as I am about yours.” Someone please tell these customer service people not to say that!

But all in all – a successful day was had by both of us. And I would tell you more, but I have some surveys to complete.

For Blogger Deb's Mom...

Blogger Deb's Mom taught one of my English classes in college. Knowing that she occasionally stops by always makes me nervous that something I write will end up on the "don't do this" example sheet in her classroom. While I do my very best to make sure my posts follow the rules of the English language, I like for this space to be somewhat casual. I try not to go too crazy with the proofreading.

Last night I was watching TV and saw a commercial for some random prescription medication that everyone should discuss with a doctor. The chipmunk-sounding list of disclaimers at the end included this phrase: "Patients taking aspirin and the elderly should not use this medication." I called my father (a wording guru) and told him he might want to avoid taking aspirin and the elderly at the same time. :)

(At this time you're free to guess how many times I've read this post to hunt for errors...and I just know I've missed something.)

Making the Plan

Mom and I are going Christmas shopping this weekend. I'm stressing (not bad, but a little) because I am not sure when I'm going to formulate "the plan" prior to that trip. Last week when I hid from trick or treaters, I pulled out the budget and made the list of people to buy for and divided up the money appropriately. So I know WHO to buy for and HOW MUCH to spend on them and I have LISTS from most of them...and that's where I'm stuck.

Worst case scenario - I'll ask Mom to drive so I can spread out all the papers in the car and make the plan on the way to shopping. But I'd really like to have it done before then. I don't like to go into these trips and find whatever I find. I want to go after certain purchases and find the best possible deal. That is my goal.

I'm probably too OCD about the shopping trip just like I OCD about every other aspect of this holiday. But I like to have just the perfect gift for everyone. And I like to have 90% of them purchased in one trip flat. Shoot - I might even have everything wrapped before I put up the tree. (Or then again - maybe not. Why be overly ambitious?)

All of this has stemmed from the year I failed to shop for ANYONE until Christmas Eve. Dad was my chauffeur and Mom ran around behind me telling me who was still on the list. They made me promise to NEVER pull that stunt again.

Think I've successfully transformed?

Bits for Sunday, November 4, 2007

Ahh…the world is right again…all the time zones back in their proper places. What a great weekend!

It’s probably a good reminder for me to share the third/fifth of my list this week, because I didn’t have much enthusiasm in this department this week. But it’s too far into the year to give up now, so maybe explaining it to all of you will motivate me to stay on track.

My third area of commitment this year was the area of ministry. Last spring I spoke at a one-day women’s retreat for some of the ladies at my parents’ church, and the key verse for the day was the one that hovered over this area this year. 2 Timothy 1:6 says “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” That day we talked about how each of us has different gifts and how we’re expected to use what we’ve been given, rather than doing what comes more naturally: sitting around wishing we had the same gifts as our neighbors.

Using our own gifts can be scary because the things we’re really good at are often the things we’re most passionate about…and that can bring about a big dose of vulnerability. It’s scary to think about opening up your soul and having people laugh at you – or shrug their shoulders and roll their eyes. But regardless of the reaction, we’re supposed to fan those gifts into flame, so here were my specific covenants to do so this year.

1. Finish writing and seek publication of Advent project. Last year, during December, I started writing about Advent and lives that had been changed after encountering Jesus in the flesh. Though I write all the time, I decided it was time to at least attempt to take something I’d written and move it out of the confines of the journals only I see. This year I picked up that project (I’d somewhat abandoned it as the holidays closed in last year and I became busy) and finished it. I’m in the process of trying to find a way to publish it. That’s a very uncomfortable adventure for me, but I’m forcing myself to stick with it and keep trying until the right door opens.

And even though I’m done with the Advent book (minus the ever-elusive title) – I’ve also started making a small group study out of it. That’s pushing me back into my own words and causing me to learn even more from the study of a year ago.

The verdict? I guess I’ll keep trying until I’m successful – and I have plans for the next ten years to write more book-length works.

2. Habitually (weekly if possible) meet with Olivia. Olivia goes to my church, and probably four years ago, we started meeting for coffee one night a week. We’ve done some Bible studies, we’ve done nights of just girl talk, we’ve gone out for breakfast, we’ve had scrapping days…we’ve had fun. It’s exciting to me to see Olivia run after God’s plan for her, and I’m so thankful for all that I have learned from her.

I noticed last year that I was slipping into a habit of postponing our meeting a day here or a week there because I’d allowed my schedule to become too crowded. So this year, I made the commitment to be available every week if I possibly could. This semester we’ve had to get a little creative and meet before work for breakfast because it is the only time we’re both available at the same time. And though you know me and mornings, I love those mornings. I love spending those minutes with her and just knowing that we’re both learning and growing.

The verdict? As long as she’ll put up with me…or for as long as we live close enough to do so…I would love to continue this tradition. And when the time comes for our meeting together to end, I would love to start up with someone else.

3. Finish spring Bible study with enthusiasm and pray about fall. For the last five years, I taught the Ladies Bible Study at my church, and I noticed that I worked hard to prepare in the September-December months, but from January-May, I started to lose steam. I determined this year I would study hard and do my best even at the end of the season.

At the same time, I started to feel that God was pulling me away from this group. I love these ladies and could not imagine not preparing and teaching each week. But God confirmed to me that it was time to step down – so I did. I’m not 100% sure of all the reasons, but for now I know that releasing that duty has given me more time to write, and it’s allowed me to be involved in a short-term Bible study that I desperately needed right now. So I know it was a good thing.

The verdict? I’d love to lead a small group again…guess I’ll wait on God to say!

4. Entertain once a month. I inherited the hospitality bug from my Mom, and it’s something I really love to do. I love inviting people over for dinner or a game night (well, depending on the games…) or a movie night. But I noticed last year that I did a really lousy job of actually picking up the phone and making the invitation. So this year I made a commitment to have people over at least once a month. Sometimes it’s a full meal, sometimes it’s just snacks, but it’s always a chance to hang out with good friends and have fun.

The verdict? I am hopeful that in the future I will keep up the good habit of inviting people over, even though it won’t be a specific commitment anymore.

5. Do something purposefully encouraging to someone once a week. I realize it’s a little ridiculous to have to make this a priority. But I would think of things to do for someone – a card, a flower, a batch of cookies – and the thought was the end of it. I needed to push myself to actually do it. So every week I’m on the lookout for a little something fun I can do to cheer up someone’s week. The things don’t always take a lot of time or cost much money, but I love seeing (or hearing about) the reactions when the little gifts are discovered.

The verdict? I have something similar to this planned for next year, with a slight twist to it.

Ministries don’t have to be flagrant to be important. Don’t be afraid to use whatever has been ingrained in your heart. God gave it to you for a reason, and He wants you to use it!

We Survived!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a beautiful message up there on the DST ticker - "Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight!" Don't you worry, baby. Don't have to tell me twice.

I celebrated my last day of this ridiculousness by sleeping in until 11. I intended to get up at 9, but it was a rough night, thanks to this stupid cough. Since my list of chores today didn't have any particular time attached, I decided to not stress out about being up at 9 and went back to sleep.

Today was very busy. Starting next weekend, the holiday rush begins, so I enjoyed this one last uninterrupted Saturday to do chores around the house. I used my new toy (thank you Mom and Dad!) of a leaf blower/vac to work on my yard. Best invention EVER. I planted the mum I won at the church dinner a couple of weeks ago. I cleaned out the fridge (nasty job) and took out the trash promptly afterwards. I bought new workout shoes, as my old ones have many miles on them and are starting to get thin on the bottom. I stopped by the bookstore sale and had my free cup of coffee and used my coupon on a new book. Oh - and I enjoyed probably my last exercise outside until spring. It was too beautiful a day to let that pass.

So now I've just had my little dinner and I'm about to clean the house and CHANGE THE CLOCKS!

This is the best weekend EVER.

Ick to Sick

So this is week two of being sick and I'm so over it. Too bad I can't actually be OVER it.

Fortunately, so far I've not had to miss work. I thought about it yesterday because I had this annoying cough that even I was sick of hearing, so I could only imagine how everyone else felt. But unfortunately, I can work with a cough. I wasn't throwing up, so I reported for duty. Had I known our system wasn't going to report for duty for more than five minutes at a time, I might have rethought that coming to work thing. Also unfortunately, I was raised under the teaching that if you're too sick to go to school/work, you're too sick to do anything else after hours, and I had to grocery shop last night. I was completely out of food that didn't require significant hours of preparation. So in the interest of shopping, I came to work.

Never fear though - the weekend is upon me. Surely that will get me at least an hour's rest. (Sometime after I work on the yard, probably.) And if all else fails....at least I get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday! WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Catching Up on the Tornado

It has been a while since I posted a Kansas update, so today I went crazy and you'll find several posts below showing some updates from the land of great wind.

Sunday marks six months since the tornado hit, and although I'm sure it still feels like a massive task ahead to those in the middle of it, so much has been done in these six months! You'll see in the pictures below that new buildings are in progress and temporary housing is in place and functioning.

Just as a note...this month's issue of Guideposts magazine has an article about another minister in Greensburg. Not my brother-in-law, but one of his friends. I think he is/was the Methodist pastor. I've not seen the magazine yet, but Lori said to be sure and look at it!
Secondly - tomorrow night (Halloween night) - the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers episode is supposed to be about the Greensburg tornado. It's an hour long program that runs from 10-11. I was on the Discovery channel website today and saw that if you miss it, you can catch up with it at 2 a.m. the next night or a few other times in the coming days. I'm not sure what all it will entail, but I know it will be on.

And speaking of the Discovery channel - they're preparing a documentary series which I think has 13 segments - about the rebuilding of Greensburg. My brother-in-law had an interview with somebody about that. Don't know if it was a footage interview or just facts that will be relayed. I haven't been able to find anything out about when it will air - probably not for a while. But it's out there in the future.

And to start your little photo tour of the post-tornado Greensburg....a rosebush from in front of the Mennonite church. It came back to life!

The Old Has Gone

Here's what is left of their old house. Once it was determined that the basement would not be reused, they tore out the walls and now it's just a hole in the ground.

And the New Has Come!

TA DAAAAAA!!! The new house! What...you don't see it? :)

Just kidding. But this is the future home of...the future home. In case you didn't know/didn't remember, they will not be living in the same location they were before the tornado.

Every good Kansas home has a basement! This we learned! Here's Lori with her brand new basement.


And after the basement floor, of course, comes the addition of the basement walls as seen here.

And then the floor joists - or as they called them in that one conversation Lori heard, "floor joyces."

Here's Jeff holding some Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). They're apparently the latest and greatest in "building green." I'm sure Leonardo DiCaprio will have something to say about that.

FEMA-ville

There are lots (I forget the exact number, so we'll go with the ever popular "lots") of FEMA trailers in Greensburg. Lori calls it FEMA-ville. Here's a glimpse: