December 28, 2006
December 27, 2006
December 26, 2006
December 24, 2006
Mistletoe
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| From December photos |
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| From December photos |
It's actually a parasite, you know.
I'm just sayin'.
*December Photo Project
December 23, 2006
December 22, 2006
Where Have You Been?
Shamelessly ripped off from The Grand
I’ve day-tripped in other places, but these are the locations I’ve spent the night in this year. How about you? Where ya been?
Monroe, LA
Shreveport, LA
Nacogdoches, TX
Irving, TX
Glendale, AZ
Nashville, TN
Clinton, MS
Niceville, FL
There’s a slight chance I’ll make it to Chattanooga before the end of the year, too.
December 21, 2006
Things I've Learned in 2006
*Wear. Sunscreen.
*It’s better to share your joys and disappointments with friends than to bear them alone
*When it rains, it pours (this has been especially true for me this year)
*The human body is a remarkable thing (I refer mostly to athletic ability: how quickly it can improve and how quickly you can lose it)
*Reading is a lot more fun when you can do it on your own terms instead of as a class assignment
*I may not be able to be anything I want to be, but I can accomplish a lot more than seems possible if I set goals that I think are unattainable
*I still hate moving
*The grass still needs to be mowed in December
*Going for a drive is just as fun now as it was when I first got my driver’s license
*Like most people, I am average in most things (and that’s okay)
*The office Christmas party really isn’t that bad - it’s all in the attitude
*My life may seem boring sometimes, but it’s a lot more fun than many people’s lives
*Sometimes crying about it does make it better
*There may not be much “to do” in Monroe, but going “to do” things is not what life’s about
*I’ve become more of a People Person this year
*Stepping outside the comfort zone is scary, but oh so worth it
*Taking a walk can solve a lot of problems
*I still don’t know what’s worse: doing your own thing or being cool
*If you have the choice to make the trip or stay home and relax: make the trip
*Kids are never convenient, but they’re always worth it (learned by observation rather than experience, of course)
*When your heart starts feeling kinda funny, it may be time to ease off the caffeine
*Pretending to be someone you're not is a waste of everyone's time
*Unplugging the TV is one of the best things I’ve done all year
*It’s better to make yourself be happy than to let yourself be unhappy
*Knowing (logically) that you should Just Get Over It doesn’t necessarily make it easier to Get Over It
*People are weird (present company excepted, of course)
*It never hurts to ask
*When you think things can’t possibly get any worse: they can. But you’ll probably live through that, too
*But trust me on the sunscreen
My Violet
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| From December photos |
This may look like your everyday, average African Violet, but it's not. There are two important things about this particular plant: (1) It's really old. This is an offshoot of an offshoot of an offshoot (etc) of an African Violet that was given to my mother at a baby shower for me (2) I have kept it alive for several years (all by myself), which is significant because I'm not particularly good with plants.
December 20, 2006
December 19, 2006
love/hate
I love my job
I hate that I am not always as ambitious as I should be
I love Christmas shopping
I hate shopping at Walmart
I love people watching
I hate to see people who wear their misery on their face
I love receiving really thoughtful Christmas gifts
I hate that I am not more thoughtful when picking out gifts
I love my church
I hate that I’m gone so often on the weekends
I love a good Christmas party
I hate when I leave earlier than I really want to just so I can get some rest (I can sleep when I’m dead!)
I love that I have such a good life
I hate when I wish my days away without living in the present
I love it when I get to that point where I’m tired of party food and want some normal food (or NO food)
I hate it when my Christmas tree falls over
I love it when I get a Saturday to just hang out around the house
I hate that I procrastinate so much about doing things around the house
I love finding a great author I’ve never read before
I hate that I’m not more well-read
I love laughing so hard I cry
I hate when I really want to cry but I can’t
I love that Christmas brings communities together
I hate all the PC “Happy Holidays” business
I love anticipation of a new year
I hate that I didn’t stick to all of last year’s resolutions and I have to start over
December 18, 2006
Once More, With Feeling
Well, after another incident with the Christmas tree, I got to wrap my presents for the THIRD time.
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| From December photos |
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| From December photos |
December 15, 2006
December 14, 2006
December 13, 2006
Hank & Dave
I just love getting packages in the mail. In addition to the embarrassment of riches already received from my kind aunt and uncle for Christmas, they also sent me a little something from my old friends Harry and David. Wasn't that lovely of them?
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| From December photos |
*December Photo Project
December 12, 2006
-ing
::Hearing – Slim Christmas and two oh oh six (my own mixes)::
::Looking – for something cute to wear to a Christmas party::
::Reading – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (almost done!); The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener & Tanjela Kole; The Murder of Napoleon by Ben Weider & David Hapgood::
::Eating – gumbo (it’s perfect gumbo weather!)::
::Watching – The Holiday. I can’t recommend it to you due to general scandalousness, but I will admit that I laughed, I cried, and it became a part of me (okay, I’m exaggerating a bit)::
::Praying – for grace and mercy::
::Hoping – for things that are WAY beyond my reach::
::Wishing - I could jet off to Paris for a few weeks like one of my friends is doing::
::Worrying - about the future, but trying not to worry at all::
::Planning – those last few Christmas gifts I need to purchase::
::Thinking – about way more than you want to hear about::
::Discovering – that a good attitude can make a world of difference::
::Wondering - what the new year will hold::
December 11, 2006
More December Photos
Birthday Cousins
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| From December photos |
No, You May Not Have My Camera
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| From December photos |
All Grown Up
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| From December photos |
My Siblings Being All Parental
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| From December photos |
Now That's What I Call a Coaster
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| From December photos |
*December Photo Project
I'll try to catch up soon. I've been under the weather, away from my computer, and out having a good time.
December 07, 2006
The Nightmare Before Christmas: A Story in Pictures (and words, too)
Today did not start off too well and while I can imagine much worse things happening, most of the events so far have been less than positive. I haven't been feeling the best this week, but I had scheduled to take today off work to do some Christmas shopping and some things around the house, plus I figured I could get a little extra rest to get over this pesky cold. This was the only day all year I've taken off just to take off. By last night, I was running fever and woke up feeling pretty bad this morning. So much for my productive day off. Well, I got to feeling a bit better and decided to make one last trip to the mall so that I can avoid the crowds next week. So I go to the mall, get what I need, return home, and enter the house when what to my wondering eye did appear but Tragedy. (Cue tragic music).
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| From December photos |
Oh, the horror! Oh, the drama! I stood there in disbelief. For a brief moment, I even wondered if someone had broken into the house, but from all indications, it was an act of God. I hadn't even touched the tree today!
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| From December photos |
Sadly, several ornaments were lost in the accident.
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| From December photos |
But at least The World was spared.
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| From December photos |
If I were into doing mosaics, I would be set.
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| From December photos |
But instead, I'll be into re-wrapping all the wet Christmas presents (From what I can tell so far, none of the gifts themselves were ruined.)
December 06, 2006
When It's Twenty Four Degrees in Louisiana...
...this baby is a life saver.
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| From December photos |
*December Photo Project
December 05, 2006
It's That Time Again
Every December, whether I'm ready for it or not, I am stricken with that panicked feeling of too many things happening at once. 2006 is no exception, though I'm not overburdened with moving and/or wedding festivities this year (not that that wouldn't be terribly exciting). This year, it's the usual cooking, partying, traveling, shopping, sniffling, coughing, wrapping, and decorating (which are all amongst my favorite things other than the sniffling and coughing), plus additional-everyday-confusion. Oh, did I mention freezing??? That, too.
I finally got to catch up with some local friends this past week, which has been long over-due. It's such a blessing that I have friends from all different walks of life to give me some perspective...context makes all the difference. Though it's far from perfection, I love my life! I feel like I have so many extra things going on these days that I'm missing out on some friendships and I hate that. Things will be back to normal again soon.
Even though a lot of socialization can be overwhelming and even though I'm dying for (but restraining myself from the purchase of) new party clothes, I'm excited about all the upcoming parties, except of course, the dang old office party, where I will once again be the unusually-self-conscious-dateless-wonder**. But, naturally, other than diamonds (which I wouldn't know about), parties are a single girl's best friend, so I shouldn't complain.
**I try not to complain too much, but this is the one time of year I feel free to complain about being dateless: stinking obligatory office Christmas party.
Double Boilin'
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| From December photos |
Last night was my annual making-of-the-Christmas-candy. I made pumpkin fudge and Martha Washington bon-bons. You could go straight into sugar shock just by coming near my house. I mean: Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect Two Hundred Dollars. Go Straight To Diabetic Coma.
That's why this is only an annual event.
*This photo brought to you in part by your friends at The December Photo Project.
December 04, 2006
December 03, 2006
TMI Elmo
I will never understand why certain toys get to be the "must have" toys each year. Seriously, Tickle Me Elmo was kind of cute for about 5 minutes, but then they made the Hokey-Pokey Elmo and the Chicken Dance Elmo and now, we have the TMX Elmo - that is: "The Tickle Me Elmo Extreme". Enough already! I'm waiting for them to come out with the "TMI Elmo" which will volunteer personal information you never wanted to know - like tell you all about his messy divorce, his alcoholic sister, that one time he got arrested, or about the itchy rash he has on his foot, oblivious to the fact that everyone in the room is uncomfortable and/or uninterested. I guarantee you someone out there would buy it. Need I remind you of the inexplicable success of the Big Mouth Billy Bass?
December Photo Project
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| From December photos |
I've already missed a few days, but I'm going to try to participate in the December Photo Project.
December 01, 2006
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Because, let's face it: sometimes a blade, a nail file, screwdriver, scissors, a key ring, an LED light, and a ballpoint pen are just not enough. What you really need is a flash drive on your swiss army knife.