Blessings To You and Yours

It’s Christmas Eve. We’ll be headed towards a new year soon, and I’ve been reflecting. Remembering the ups and downs of the last year, the tears and thankfully, the laughter. The blessings that have been showered down upon my life - my husband, my sons, my daughter-in-law, our wonderful grandchildren and godchildren, and our crazy dogs. Woven between all those strands of the tapestry that is Mi Vida Loca are each of you, my bloggy friends.

I have laughed with you, travailed for you, and cried with you. I’ve celebrated with you, and for you. I’ve prayed with you, and sometimes, have screamed out your name to the Heavenlies because I didn't know what else to do and thought the good Lord might need a little reminder that you needed a miracle. (I know, He gets a kick out of me, He has to - he designed me!)

And you, my friends? You’ve been with me, every step of the way. Traveling with me on my many trips across this nation, making calls with me. Having adventures beyond compare. Never will I forget the support you showed me when I experienced the layoff way back in the day, or the the way you celebrated when I took another job. How y'all propped us up with your love when we lost our beautiful Zoie the Wonder Pup.  Or how you support me when ThatManILove is working away from town. How you encouraged me to go away with ThatManILove and take much needed time for ourselves - time that changed us and melded us.

I have been greatly blessed by the gifts I’ve received. Never could have I imagined making friends like you - some of you, I’ve not even met in real life - but God, The Lord Almighty, is good. He gives great gifts...and you are a such gift to me.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May you be blessed beyond compare in this next year. As for me? I bless you. I bless you with love, life, health, friends - and laughter.

May you hear the music specifically designed for your life...and dance. Baby, dance!!

Much love. Much much love,

Girl Whine

I’ve had a casualty.

A injury, as it were.

From the cold.  From carrying my computer.  In the freezing cold of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I hit the handle, mistakenly.

And chipped my shellacked nail.

Dang it.  Woe is me.

The Christmas Party is Thursday night.

Hopefully I can get in for a repair before then.

The cold handle plus the super cold temperature in addition to my clumsiness knocked quite a chunk from my fingernail.

This photo is after I filed it.

WahWahWah.  Girl whine.

Okay, whine over!  

Gotta get back to work!  Y'all have a great day!

Snow Is Beautiful

Isn’t snow beautiful?

I think it is.

Especially when the sun is shining on it…

But…

This is not snow.

These…are not moguls, for you to be shwooshing over.

These are clouds.  At 40,000', and 368 m.p.h.  It's gorgeous up here. Gorgeous.

At 40,000', and at 368 mph.  With the sun shining beautifully upon them.  

It’s gorgeous up here.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr, Baby!

Baby, it’s cold outside.

On Wednesday, we left MAF in my boss’ jet for a multiple destination trip.  First, Calgary.  Weather prohibited that stop.  So, off we went to Williston, N.D. for my first trip there!  I was excited, and dressed for cold weather.

Now mind you, in Midland, Texas, it was 80 degrees.

Holy moly.

Cold, much less cold to this girl, was an understatement.  So glad I dressed warmly.

We finished our business there, ate lunch, and headed to Minot, N.D..

People, let me tell you, the weather in Minot made Williston look like a summer at the beach.

That wind is BITING cold.

When we left Minot, the snow was blowing so hard we couldn’t see the runway.  I was so glad when we lifted off and got 30 minutes away from there!

We were landing in Midland in less than 3 hours.  A busy day, for sure, but I got to see some beautiful country.

I woke up yesterday to freezing rain.  Which worsened to sleet and ice.  In our semi-small town, we had 92 wrecks yesterday in between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.  That’s craziness.  We just are not used to icy conditions.

Last night, around 8 p.m.  - 24 ° in Midland, Texas.

Today, it’s worse.  We are all staying in, working from home.  ThatManILove has gone to the store, because our cupboards were bare - we were to be in Dallas this weekend.  And hopefully, he’ll bring home extra hot Starbucks.

Y’all be safe out there, wherever you are.

You’re SO worth it.

4-8-12: Not A Date, But A Commitment - To Hugging

Has anyone given you a hug lately?

More importantly, have you hugged anybody lately?

I’m a firm believer in you have to give to receive - and hugs fall into this category.

I went through Pathways training earlier this year, and this was one of the most profound things I learned.  When I asked our facilitator if she was accustomed to teaching this practice, she said no, that she’d only learned it herself.

We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.

—Virginia Satir, family therapist

Hugging has totally changed how ThatManILove and I relate to each other.  The mere act of hugging has increased our verbal communication.  Our intimacy.  Our friendship.

I’m reminded today I need to step it up a notch - or eleven.

So, go.  Be brave.  Give someone a hug today.  Or ask for a hug from someone!

They’ll feel better...and so will you.

Start a hugging commitment - let me know how it works for you!

Morning Kaboon

I have to start my early morning workouts again.

Just to prove my sanity.

Or to improve my sleep.

Or something.  I figure I’m going to be awake, anyway.

ThatManILove has again started running on a regular* basis. The Piloxing class is at 5 a.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday - and he'll probably be attending on a regular basis.

I’ve done that class once.  I think I died on the mat.  But, I digress...

The alarm goes off at about 4:35 a.m.  ThatManILove gets up, and I’m thinking he’s gone.  Then, he gets back into the bed.  He’s decided he won’t go today.  I sink back into sleep.  And then, I’m awakened again.  He has quietly (ahem) risen and is getting dressed.  He starts wandering the house.  In and out of the bedroom.  I’m really really really trying to stay asleep.

I finally ask him, “What are you looking for?”

He says, “I’m looking for my running hat.  I swear I took it off in here when I went to take my shower.”

I get up.

I might as well.

The hat?  Is nowhere to be found.

He finds another, and goes out the back door.

I? Am writing this post.  Then, maybe, I’m going back to sleep.  For an hour.

Know what’s ironic about today’s wakeup?  ThatManILove always tells me I mess up his morning kaboon/spirit (a term from one of our friends of Korean/Irish descent).   That he needs to rise gently into his day. He swears he can hear my mind whirring into action before I ever wake up.

I think I’m getting what he’s saying.

May you, my gentle readers, rise gently into this day.  Or, if you're ready to jam to a song from the past, click here listen to a wake up call from Wham!  (You knew I had to go there, right?)

*Regular also equals the times per week he wakes me up prior to my alarm. Morning kaboon, my sleeping pillow.

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Winter Color A La Susan

I came home one day to pick up some cleaning, and who was parked in front of my house?

Susan!  Landscape Artiste Extraordinaire.

I'm telling you, this woman paints better than Georgia O'Keefe - and she does it with plants.

Enjoy the first of winter color that Susan has planted for me.  I'll send more pictures over time, as she completes each flowerbed.

I love love love this girl, and her eye for proper plant placement!

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Viewing Cyber Monday In a Whole New Light

Good morning! If you didn't know, it’s Cyber Monday.

And for most people, that means you can buy your Christmas gifts online today, not have to stay in line or fight the crowds.

But for me?  I cyber-shop all the time.  My town doesn’t quite have the selection of clothing, etc. that I need.  It’s easier for me to get it delivered!

So, back to Cyber Monday again...

My bloggy friend Scope came up with the idea of having a Cyber Monday - one in which we all link to each other.

Hopefully, the blog world will take notice and pick up their pens, I mean -  poise their fingers above the keyboard - and write some posts to catch us up on their lives!

As well, I'm hopeful Cyber Monday will provide me a great chance to hook up with blogging friends...you know, those people whose blogs I used to read daily, when they still posted?

Remember that song “Video Killed the Radio Star?”

I think “Facebook Killed the Blogging Star.”  I hope not, but Facebook has surely cut into my posting.  I get that instant gratification when I post on Facebook.  Oh, I may not know all those who “like” me, but I still get the attention, right?  But, oh!  How I miss blogging and reading blogs!  I, at least for most of this year, have tried to post Monday through Friday on my blog...but still will sometimes go for days without posting.  But hey, I’m better than I was - I would go months without posting!

I don't think I'll ever be a blogstar...but I love to write about the happenings around Casa De Crazy.

So, go visit Scope, and you can see all the other bloggers participating in Cyber Monday!

Happy Cyber Monday, my friends and faithful readers!