Resolutions

It's that time of year when we start resolving to change things in the New Year, to lose weight or finish that novel or spend more time with those we love. Same resolutions every year...same sense of defeat that the year has passed without even one being checked off the list.  The problem is - we are too linear in our resolutions. Now, if I'd written last year that I resolved to find ways to be happier, ways to enjoy the time I DID have with my family and ways to allow the Lord's Grace to shine through me onto those around me, then I'd be looking back over this year as a full success. 


As rushed as the year was, we had so many opportunities to visit with family and friends here and across the country. I wrote, and read, a novel's worth of delightful emails and texts. Taking early retirement dropped an incredible amount of weight from my shoulders and helped me appreciate what is truly important. Every wish going into 2011 fully realized and accomplished. And that is how it should be! 


So consider what you really want in the coming year and set your goals broad enough to encompass all that promises. You may be surprised how your perspective will shift along the way. Remember, every breath you breathe is one more success story in the making!

The Holiest of Christian Holidays

Merry Christmas Morning!

It is Christmas morning. It is also a Sunday morning. The holiest of Christian holidays with the holiest day of the Christian's week. A double-header, so to speak. For me, this Christmas season was very different from so many before, for a number of reasons. Less work stress and more time made it enjoyable to plan and prepare for the more secular spin on the holiday. Time to trim the tree, bake goodies, shop and wrap. Time to spend with friends and family. Even time to reflect on this, and past, Christmases. This was the second year we did Christmas morning stockings with the boys (and Sarah) on Christmas Eve morning. So waking up today, I haven’t figured out whether I am relieved to have the flurry behind me or sad that the season is waning. How can I express letdown that the anticipation is behind me when it all played out to a magnificent crescendo? It couldn't have been better! The icing on it all will be our annual trip to Estes Park with our dear friends for New Year's. That  and our Progressive dinner with them before Christmas is always the highlight of the season!

We've not taken part in church services the past few years, but that doesn't mean that "The Reason for the Season" is not planted firmly in our hearts. Fellowship with our friends and family is very important to us, and I would hope that our actions reflect the love of Christ in our lives every day of the year. It's hard to equate dozens of presents stacked to the ceiling with the humble beginnings of our Savior in a stable 2000 years ago. I learned to separate the distinction years ago. We can enjoy different books, movies and music in the same span of time. We love our children separately, yet equally. So, too, it is possible to enjoy celebrations of winter, Santa and Christ's birth in a single breath. Santa Claus isn't a replacement for Jesus, no more than snow is a replacement for those who winter in Palm Springs. 


Expectations run pretty high this time of year. How can you afford all the lights and the presents you want to put out? How can you bake like Emeril and decorate like Martha Stewart? How can you live up to the ideal of a Christ-like life?  There's pressure to "make" the holidays work, at all cost. If you can't pull off "perfect", then you're a failure. That is where we, as a society, short-change ourselves. The holidays are a time to express ourselves however we want, to celebrate, to reflect, to enjoy.  Break the candy mold, be who you are and love it.

I hope I never forget again how incredible it is to ENJOY the Season. 

May you enjoy yours, as well.

This Year's Ornament

To add to my last post, look at the lovely ornament our dear Sarah made for us. She made one for each of the families who celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Eve. These ceramic ornaments, in the shapes of stars, candy canes and trees, have the names of each family member and a sweet sentiment and date on the back. 


Not only is this a great reminder of family, but also how these families are ever-growing and sharing. From Doug's sister and her husband - the current Matriarch and Patriarch - to the youngest member, little Matthew who's two, each and every person felt very special and very loved.  And even though the presents were piled high and the wrapping paper flew every direction, the closeness of family and the warmth of spirit surrounded us all. May the Lord bless every name written on these family ornaments. We are already blessed to have Sarah a part of our family.

Oh Christmas Tree...

Each night and every early morning during the Christmas season, one of my favorite things to do is gaze at the Christmas tree lights and look at the many bulbs and decorations on the tree. Come take a virtual view of my tree (and many trees past and future) showing some of my ornaments and why they mean so much to me. 

The past couple of years, we've put the noble fir on a table, out of reach of our basset buddies. Under the tree are musical little furry friends. 

My very first ornament, made of cardboard and  glitter. Mom got it for me when I was very young, along with an angel and an elf for my sisters.

In 6th grade (before schools became politically correct) each classmate brought in or made an ornament for the class tree. My friend Sandy Honaker made this delicate egg and gave it to me after Christmas. It has held up well in all my travels these past 43 years.

Momma sent this little Raggety Anne, and the Santa boot, to me at my first military base so that I would have ornaments for the tree my roommate, Jeri, and I set up. The dolly has always reminded me of my niece Bonnie, who was about 4 at the time.

 Jeri's mom made this delightful beaded egg to complement the one I had, and Jeri and I bought the little ornaments below - Precious Moments as Tiny Tim, the Little Drummer Boy, the Lion and Lamb and a Nativity. Our little tree, and that time, in a dorm room in Kokomo, Indiana, was special indeed.

In 1975 I was stationed in Taiwan for two Christmases, and this was the ornament for that time. It is quite delicate, made of silk and thin metal.

My sister, June sent me this Home ornament after Doug and I were married. It is pretty heavy and requires a sturdy branch. Speaking of which, most of my ornaments are tied with little bows. With dogs and small children, this was the best way of keeping the decorations on the tree. The little red, white and green bows add something too.

The little skunk below, peeking out of a stocking, was sent to Doug by my sister Rosa. He is made of coal and is a reminder that my sisters think Doug is crazy because he likes the smell of skunk. (In moderation.)

This lovely parakeet was on Doug's mom's tree. It now is one of many birds that nest in our branches at Christmas.

Lobster Claus here is just one of many ornaments that document something we did each year. We went to Boston in 1989. There is a Disney ornament from 1984, Seattle in 1997, to name a few.

In 1994 Miss Winsome Winifred Grace came to bring us much joy, and in 1996 our Schultzie dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

  In 1990, for a very brief moment, the world was at peace. This ornament is a reminder that peace, though fleeting, is possible.

 Some ornaments are remembrances of people. The beaded star was my oldest sister Mari's and will forever remind me that we lost her too soon, at age 42.  The 

Angel on the left says "Noel" and although meaning Christmastide, for me it reminds me of my brother-in-law Noel (Mari's first husband) who died in September last year. The Angel on the right is one of several made by Gail Stifel at our church and given to the Deacons each year. Joyful decorations for the tree, but also a reminder of our dear Mary Kellogg who was the boys' caregiver (and angel) when they were young. Our paths don't often cross, but she is always in our minds and spirits.

"Christmas for Cowboys" is a John Denver song. This ornament was made by a JD friend from Monterey and given out one Aspen in October.  A reminder of good friends, good times, good music.

There are a number of ornaments on the tree given by friends over the years. My friend LaVon gave this to me at one of our Progressive Dinner gatherings. She found it in Taos and it commemorates the fun we have at the Progressives, the friendship we have and our mutual love of Taos. 

Sometimes it is all about the placement. The Believe ornament I got last year found itself tied with Doug's Broncos ornament this year, as the team struggled to find its place in the NFL. So far, they're hanging steady!


Someone recently mentioned to me that she didn't know what meaning lights on trees and houses had in celebrating Christmas. For me, the lights and ornaments on a Christmas tree are constant reminders - whether celebrating Festivals of Lights, lighting a Menorrah, lighting up a child's eyes with presents or honoring the Light of the World!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Candy Cane Christmas

I don't know why, but I can tell it is going to be a Candy Cane Christmas! They are so simple and yet festive - almost whimsical. They make wonderful decorations for the tree and packages, and I find myself munching on them with great regularity.  They taste so good!

While the peppermint flavor of candy canes is not a popular one with small kids, I've always had a fondness for them. My sister Rosa's birthday is December 26th, and somewhere along the way Mom would make Rosa a white cake with fluffy, white frosting and chopped up pieces of candy cane on it. It set her special day apart from Christmas and the fruit cakes, applesauce cake and other traditional holiday treats.

Dolly Parton wrote a song called "Hard Candy Christmas" a number of years ago. Some people might not have known what she was referring to, but I sure did.  Most years my Mom would have enough sugar to prepare luscious confections - seafoam candy, chocolate and peanut butter fudge, and peanut butter pinwheels that we called Martha Washington for some reason. When money was scarce, though, so were confections. The free Christmas stockings we received in our town had Brach's hard candies in them - crimp ribbons, raspberry drops, orange or peppermint disks - some filled and some not. A six-year-old's sweet tooth must be satisfied, and the hard candies in our stockings, along with an orange, apple, Cracker Jack and some toys, went a long way in doing so.

So while you're out and about this holiday season, pop that candy cane you got when donating or standing in line for Santa, in your mouth and let your tongue experience just a little bit of Christmas Cheer. Then smile as the memories flood back in from more simple (and perhaps festive) Christmases past.

Do-Overs

Have you ever felt like you had the opportunity for a do-over, a chance to change your direction and start over?  Thinking back, there have been several of those in my life.

Yesterday my friend John Adams was singing John Denver's song, "I'm Sorry". Every time I hear that song, I'm jettisoned back 37 years to a phone booth in the hallway of my barracks in Shu Lin Kou, Taiwan. Talking to my fiance` in Indiana, I pointed out to him that it was as if the song had been written for us, that the words in the song where what he should be saying to me, even down to the line, "...I'm sorry for the way things are in China..." He didn't get the symbolism or the fact that he needed to apologize for anything, and right then and there - that microcosm of a moment - I broke up with him. Had we married, had I continued along that path, my life would have been far different. I got a do-over that day and never regretted it.

This morning as I sipped my Earl Grey, snuggled with the doggies and looked out over the very beginnings of daybreak, it struck me that I have, once again, received a do-over.  For I can't remember when I've ever been happier. Since retiring, my days are filled with love and laughter, and there are so many fun opportunities around every corner. Every day on the calendar holds the promise of time with Doug and the boys, visits with friends and family, even time alone (but never lonely). Maybe a do-over is that path along life where you've strayed ever so slightly and the Lord gently (ok, not always so gently) nudges you back in line with His Good Grace. Thank you, Lord, for your nudges in my life.

Thanksgiving 2011

Ah...it has come and gone...my favorite holiday of the year. Another wonderful Thanksgiving with family, enjoying the beautiful fall day, the food, and of course the Macy's Parade. The list of what I'm thankful for is as long as my life.

• Being born into my loving family
• Being in the military and traveling the world for a time
• Finding Doug and being given the gift of our two wonderful sons
• Being guided by God's Grace my whole life

Facebook friends have posted daily what they are thankful for, and that is a very giving gesture for an otherwise "all about me" social network. (Blogging is also "all about me" ) It's good for people to think about how their lives are better because of another person or situation.  And even though you may not always feel you make a difference, someone out there is thankful for you or for something you have done. For we are not alone on this planet, we are interconnected. What a great thought to carry forth into the holiday season. May God bless you today and always.

Virtual Visits

Have you ever had a dream so vivid that when you awoke, you could have sworn you had been with that person, visited that place or done that thing? I had such a visit one early morning last week, when I dreamt that I was about to embark on a train ride with my husband and sisters. We were taking the California Zephyr from Denver to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It is an amazingly beautiful 5-hour train ride through the mountains, especially nice during the winter months - Not only because it has beautiful scenery but because you don't have to fight the traffic or mountain weather taking I-70 west.  I awoke just as the train was pulling out of the station, so unfortunately our virtual visit ended much sooner than I would have liked. But it warmed my heart to spend even a little time with my far-away sisters.

I enjoyed another such visit once with my Grandma Phillips. She was in a nursing facility at the time and wasn't doing well, but in my dream we were in her bedroom at her house and I think I was helping her make the bed. (She always had such beautiful bedspreads!) We laughed and chatted for a short while, in a way we never had as grandma/grandchild. I don't remember if it was weeks or months later that she passed away, but I do remember that last precious "visit". I always like to think that she had that memory too.

Sometimes dreams can fall into the category of nightmares and no matter how hard you try to wake up or to not fall into the dream at all, it can creep up on you. Those are ones I don't speak of, for fear they might return. Suffice it to say, I'll never watch the movie "Rosemary's Baby" again...

Dreams can be quite entertaining. Enjoy them like old Super 8 film and write them down so you can keep that "footage" forever.

Happy Sunday Morning!

We've had some fabulous late-autumn days this week, and yesterday's wind seemed to breathe new life into the city. Leaves still clinging to branches after our recent snow storms were unceremoniously dislodged in swirling billows of color and crunch.  The green grass may be fading, but it has been replaced with a gold auburn carpet of leaves.

November is progressing nicely. In another week, we'll slide into Thanksgiving and from there the roller coaster ride through the holidays.  It's almost time to think about Christmas cards and letters; to consider gift-giving without guilt; and to enjoy the Spirit of the Season in the midst of commercial overload.  Not an easy task!

11/11/11

It's going to be a great day! All those Elevens lined up in a row!

Thoughts and memories go out to all veterans, living and passed, who have done service to their country. Service takes many forms and feelings.  Some are part of the Armed Forces, others have volunteered and worked with health and humanitarian agencies. Whatever you do, make it count! It is written: "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

A reflection on my five years in the Air Force. Military service helped me grow in so many ways. I went in naive and filled with patriotism, and maybe I didn't appreciate my path each day, but the service certainly taught me a multitude of lessons. I hope, in some small way, it contributed to the strength and diversity of this great nation. Don't ever let today's political atmosphere or the bureaucracy make you feel shame for the USA. It is not brainwashing or diatribe to think that we are the greatest nation on earth. We have freedoms of which others can not even conceive, let alone wish for. If there was ever a time we needed to ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE, this is such a day for that. So many have lost their lives protecting the freedoms we enjoy. Whether we believe in this-or any-war, whether we wanted the bail-outs or not, whether we exercise our right to vote, we have the freedom to express ourselves. Don't take that for granted!

A couple pics from a past life...

At Shu Lin Kou Air Base in Taiwan

Desk Sgt duty with my trusted .38

(Those ammo pouches would have made great cell phone holders...)




The Sky is a Miracle

Have you ever seen anything as awesome as the sky? It is like a constant video running above us, with moon and stars and sunshine and clouds. From bright blue skies to dark olive green clouds boiling up a hailstorm, the sky expresses itself over and over. This morning as the sun started to touch over the horizon, bright crimson streaks of cloud stretched all the way across the sky! Those like me who wake early got quite a show. WOW!

Last night I gazed at the full moon from the hot tub. When it's so bright and so big, I imagine it to be the eye of God gazing down upon us. Russell Crowe wrote a song (yes, the same Russell Crowe) about God's Flashlight. He was referring to the sun coming up in the morning catching someone who maybe had not been on his best behavior during the night. Great text - check it out. (The song is called Mickey).

The picture above is from a summer's afternoon storm passing over. That one snapshot depicts the storm, the rainbow giving the promise of bright skies ahead and even a glimpse of those bright skies. The whole Book of Genesis in one split second! WOW!

Have an awesome day and look up at the sky a few times. You'll not be disappointed!

Google is a Verb!

And a postscript to "Words..." below - The Scrabble dictionary does not recognize "google" as a word. How 20th century is that? It is one of the most active transitive verbs in use today. Everyone googles. I googled twice just to write that last post. We're always googling. The online Mirriam Webster is all over it - even offers a pronunciation. I can give concession to my 1994 Webster for not being up with the times, but the online Scrabble dictionary needs to freshen up it's database. I wonder if it recognizes "blog". Since this is one, I'd say it's a word.  My mom's rule was always - "If you can use it in a sentence, then you can play it on the Scrabble board." Made for some fun and interesting games. Thanks, Momma, for introducing Scrabble to your daughters long, long ago.

Fascinating Words!

Aren't words wonderful? What starts off as a very dry read in the dictionary can become a descriptive sea of thoughts and ideas. One can read of a brown dog walking down the street, but can envision that "...[the liver-colored bird dog] was advancing at a snail's pace, but he was not playing or sniffing at foliage: he seemed dedicated to one course and motivated by an invisible force that was inching him toward us. We could see him shiver like a horse shedding flies; his jaw opened and shut; he was alist, but he was being pulled gradually toward us." (Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird) Your mind is just swimming with mental images, isn't it? (And as a side note, To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with them!)

I was reading a Kathy Reichs novel recently and ran across "beaucoup". It stopped me in my tracks. Hmmm... is this the same as the "boo-koo" I'd heard people say all my life - "that cost boo-koo bucks" or "there are boo-koo leaves to pick up"? So off to the dictionary I went to find out that, sure enough, it is the correct spelling of the word, but the pronunciation is actually the French \ˈbō-(ˌ)kü\. Interesting.

Which brings me to the Scrabble Dictionary. How many of us have been defeated by this little monster while playing what we thought was an honest game of online Scrabble? Where do those words COME from? Now I'll admit I have used a few of the suggestions my iPhone Scrabble teacher offers, but then I have to reach for Webster and find out what I just played. One such word, "elision" ended up giving me 70+ points. And had I not stumbled upon it, I would never have known that was what happened to "beaucoup", as an elision is the "omission, assimilation or slurring over of a vowel, syllable, etc., in pronunciation". Who knew?

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!

Welcome to November! This might be my favorite month, although (with the exception of October) I can find many reasons to like every other month of the year. November is when we get a clean slate to vote in who and what we think will make the country great. It has Veteran's Day to honor those who've protected our liberties. Thanksgiving is for giving thanks (thus the name...) for all we have in our country. Many of us (always me!) get the Friday after Thanksgiving off as an extra perk. And much to my husband's chagrin - November ushers in the

HOLIDAY SEASON!!

Today is also 11-1-11. Isn't that awesome? 11 is my favorite number. I don't know why, it just is. Some binary code throwback I guess.

My name in binary: 

01010010 01101001 01110100 01100001

R          i            t             a

When we learned that Phillip would be born early due to my being toxemic, I was counting on 11-11-86 as his birthdate. I'd been in and out of the hospital through the month of October (there's that October thing again...), and in early November there I was, back in again. Things were looking good for the 11th, until Phil decided to make his own entrance...as any who know him can attest he does so well. So he will now and forever have the birthday of 11-10. Still binary!

So with that, I bid you a happy November. Make this month your best ever!

Lady Grey

Have you ever had a cup of Lady Grey tea? From what I can tell, it is only made by Twinings and is a lovely compliment to their well-balanced Earl Grey. It has a hint of orange and lemon along with the bergamot. A delightful aroma enhances the experience. Should you find yourself on a cold winter's day with a desire for a spot of tea, I highly recommend this one.

Putting October to Bed

Those who know me know that I have a long history with disliking (fearing?) October. A more detailed explanation can be found in my October 2009 blog. While this October has had its pitfalls, I must say that I have savored and sensed it more positively than any in a long time.

Has there ever been one more beautiful? I viewed the changing colors from Boulder to Aspen to my front yard, amazed at how we truly can see H-D without a TV screen. The first snow of the season is about to be joined by the first snow of November.

Autumn smells are more vivid than ever as well. I was in the parking lot of an assisted living center last week and smelled leaves and cinnamon - just a spicey aroma emanating from somewhere. As I neared the building, there was a stronger scent that evoked pumpkin pies or apple strudel and memories of youthful autumns flashing through my mind. At that moment I realized that October had not been the cause of my angst these past thirty+ years. Attitude had played a large part in carving the sorrow I've felt for so long.

Time to put a happier face on this ol' pumpkin!  Rejoice in the day the Lord hath made! As I remember the losses of Octobers past, I will blend in the beauty, the experiences, the joys that formed there too. Stir in a little cinnamon, and it's all good!

October Snow

The first real snowstorm of the season in the Denver area. It came in pretty much as scheduled, starting with rain and turning to snow last evening. Three to five inches on the plains, more up north and in the foothills.  It was a picture perfect display - Mother Nature at her best!


Of course, there was the media hype to wade through. Wouldn't it be nice to turn on the news without the "apocolyptic" knee jerk commentary?  Hundreds of plows, five hundred workers standing at the ready for the "worst storm of the year". (When it's the first, that's not a hard benchmark to attain...)  There were Excel Energy crews from the New Mexico to Wyoming borders ready to fix any downed lines and outages.  Yes, some tree limbs broke and there were downed power lines; there was a lot of snow in some areas. We're OK, we're tough. Once you survived the Denver Metro blizzard of '82, all else is sugarplums!


What was left of the flower beds has just taken care of itself. Once the snow thaws, I'll clean out the last pots and call it a season. There is almost as much joy in closing down the gardens as there is setting them up in the spring...almost.





Look how big the little blue spruce has gotten. I have two that were raised from tiny Arbor Day Foundation sprouts. Doug says they wreak havoc on the lawn sprinkler setup (yeah, they do) but they are a delight to watch grow. We need two more strings of lights - each - for them come Thanksgiving  Day! It is so nice to see their holiday glow from the kitchen or hot tub each Christmas.

So happy snow day to you - if you were as lucky as I to sit inside and watch the world turn white around you. And if you weren't, perhaps these shots of my yard will give you a positive feeling about the changing of the seasons and prospects for a bright tomorrow!