Miscellaneous Missives

Instead of making a New Year's resolution, I have decided to look back at 2010. What were last year's achievements and mistakes? Who knows? I've decided to rewind the year starting with December using my blog to help in this process. December -- I love reconnecting with friends via the holiday break and Christmas cards. November -- I spent a lovely afternoon with my Uncle Jim. This is the month the blog challenge started making my posts perhaps a bit more interesting. It was also the month of new boots and snow. October -- According to my blog posts, October was stressful especially at work. My brother sent a CD of childhood pictures was delightful and left me wanting more. I'm not sure of the reason, but October had the fewest entries. September -- It seems September was the month I became addicted to Angry Birds. Since I did nothing but play this game, I'm surprised I had time to post. September was also the month when I took the spiritual memoir writi...

Maybe you've forgotten that I have a bit of fascination with OPI nail polish names. Looking at previous posts might be a bit of a reminder . Anyway, when I accomplish all I can in the public school system and have enough money to retire in Zihautenjo, I am going to engage in conversation with the people at OPI. I can send them names for the polish, and they can send me spending money. Last night I found another way to supplement my income upon retirement. I can help make up the word verification one must enter. My favorite of yesterday was BraBottoms. Of course I didn't think to get a screen shot until today, so this example is not as engaging. Many naysayers are thinking, "Hello! They're computer generated. You can't make money with this idea." Perhaps but I tend to think I'm witty to quite witty and could wow them. Of course I would wow myself if I was actually taking care of what needs to be done instead of posting crazy ideas, but posting cr...

from Thesaurus.com Main Entry: sad Part of Speech: adjective Definition: unhappy, depressed Synonyms: bereaved, bitter, blue*, cheerless, dejected, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, dismal, distressed, doleful, down, down in dumps, down in mouth, downcast, forlorn, gloomy, glum, grief-stricken, grieved, heartbroken, heartsick, heavyhearted, hurting, in doldrums, in grief, in the dumps, languishing, low, low-spirited, lugubrious, melancholy, morbid, morose, mournful, out of sorts, pensive, pessimistic, sick at heart, somber, sorrowful, sorry, troubled, weeping, wistful, woebegone Although I'm having a wonderful Christmas break with great friends, today I am feeling sad because: I have returned from visiting a friend in the hospital who is still recovering from a brain tumor surgery she had in August. Everyone gets excited when she can walk three steps or speak a word. This makes me sad and worried. This past weekend I learned of a college friend whose home is being foreclos...

First Snow by Mary Oliver The snow began here this morning and all day continued, its white rhetoric everywhere calling us back to why, how, whence such beauty and what the meaning; such an oracular fever! flowing past windows, an energy it seemed would never ebb, never settle less than lovely! and only now, deep into night, it has finally ended. The silence is immense, and the heavens still hold a million candles, nowhere the familiar things: stars, the moon, the darkness we expect and nightly turn from. Trees glitter like castles of ribbons, the broad fields smolder with light, a passing creek bed lies heaped with shining hills; and though the questions that have assailed us all day remain — not a single answer has been found – walking out now into the silence and the light under the trees, and through the fields, feels like one. I realize it is far from the first snow, but I appreciated this poem. Yesterday I arrived in Okoboji to the most beautiful snow. It almost looked like fa...

Work of Christmas Begins When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with the flocks, then the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal those broken in spirit, to feed the hungry, to release the oppressed, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among all peoples, to make a little music with the heart… And to radiate the Light of Christ, every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say. Then the work of Christmas begins. -- Howard Thurman, adapted Meister Eckhart once asked, "What good is it that Christ was born 2,000 years ago if he is not born now in your heart?" Often I concentrate on the gifts, the sweets, the decorations, the time off work... Although I think the meaning of Christmas is in my mind, it often is not forefront. Then I think of Meister Eckhart's quote. What good is even the meaning of Christmas if I don't choose to live my life...

This morning I walked through the newly fallen snow to Whole Foods for a few items. As I was trying to use the Restore machine to refill my laundry detergent (HEY! It's the holidays. Doesn't there have to be consumerism and product placement?), I could hear a little boy at the front door declaring that he was getting gifts. It was adorable. He was probably three or four, and he had a grin on his face that showed his excitement. Also, he was perched in a type of squat position with his mittened hands waving (I hope he isn't sore as I am today after doing squats with too much weight yesterday.). When it was my turn at the register, I made sure the cashier knew that I, too, was getting gifts!

This afternoon I had my first ever winter pedicure. Typically I save this pampering for the summer when my toes are showing. Life is good. After the pedicure and exchanging of gifts with a dear friend, we had a lovely dinner. Life is good. We followed dinner with more conversation at my house. Life is good. Plus tomorrow I will be sharing dinner and drinks with 15 people at her house. Life is good. To make the evening even better, I turned on Rachel Maddow after my dear friend left to view the lovely embedded video of Pat Robertson calling for the legalization of marijuana... Pat Robertson (hee hee). Life is good.