Monthly Archives: December 2010

The Last Day Of The Year

Chiot's Run 2011 Calendar

Image by Chiot's Run via Flickr

TIME

Seconds to minutes

Minutes to hours

Hours to days

Days to weeks

Weeks to years…

Here I sit on the last day of the year, wondering where all the time went. I contemplate what I’ve done this past year. I analyze the details of my life. I smile at all the things I have accomplished. I fret about all the things I’ve left undone. I believe I could have said more. I wonder about what I should have left unsaid.  Aahh…we all walk a fine line, don’t we?

Each day brings new opportunities. Sometimes I grab the opportunity. Sometimes I let it go. Sometimes I’m glad, other times I have regret.

There are people that are gone from my life. New friendships were made. Some individuals faithfully remain.

I’m one year older and hopefully at least a little wiser.

Tonight is the end of the old and the beginning of the new.

It’s always exciting to think of starting a new year with a clean slate. The possibilities…. The opportunities…. The path less taken.

Happy New Year!

 

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We Are Family!

Kendal

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Over Christmas break I decided to try my hand at figuring out my family tree. I’m using Ancestry.com. It’s really very interesting. So far I’m back to the 1600’s through my paternal grandmother‘s side of the family. I’m finding family from Ireland, England, and Germany so far. It gets a little tricky finding parents of ladies that married into the family.

Things I’ve learned along the way…

1. A lot of young ladies got married at the age of 20.Some younger. Some older. Twenty is the average.

2. As I dig back in time I realize that having 9-13 children was normal. I know this was a common occurrence, but it tires me just thinking about it. If that were me, I’d be the type that would say something like this, ” John, Jacob, Michael, Peter, Robert…… For cryin’ out loud, YOU. Yeah, the one with the blond hair! Thomas. I knew that. Really. Yes I did!!! As long as YOU know who YOU are, I’m okay with it.” Seriously. That would be me.

3. My family had beautiful names… Catherine Eliza (1767), Christina Katrina (1763), Sarah Ann (1827). Also names that showed the times…Mary, Emma, Orpha Maria, Annie, Sophia, Matilda, and Gertrude. You know what’s funny? Several of these “old” names are back in style again. How many Emma’s or Sophia’s do you know? Oh, and one (several greats) grandmother from Germany. Her name was Waldburga Geiger Von Wurttemberg (1705). Try and say that name 5 times, fast. I dare you.

4. Many of the men had Biblical names. James, John, Joseph, Samuel, Philip, Thomas, Benjamin, Daniel, Michael and David. There are also some interesting ones such a Cyrus, Andrew Jackson, Purnell, Raymond, and Johann (es).

5. Most of my mom’s side of the family settled in Pennsylvania after making their way to the “colonies”. Most of my dad’s side of the family settled in North Carolina.

6. I had one of  “those moments”, while sitting researching. If even one of these long line of people had not been born, I would not be sitting here and typing this blog entry right now.

7. Some of my (many great) grandfathers had first wives that died young. The men went on to remarry. I’m thankful for that. Some of my (many great) grandmothers were second wives. Really, if you think about it, they were young women, marrying men somewhat older than they were. In some cases the men already had children with their deceased wives. So the new brides married into already established families–and then added more children. Quite a handful.

8. This is really fun.

9. After I go as far as I can in the family tree—I’m going to start researching places. The one (many greats) grandmother was born in Kendal (or Kendale?) Ireland. I also want to look up Wurttemburg and Mecklenburg, Germany.

10. It makes me wonder about my own legacy. What will my future family learn about me? What history will I leave behind?

I’m thankful for family…

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A New Chapter

Times Square Ball - New Year's Eve 2008

Image by Atomische • Tom Giebel via Flickr

The end of one year, the start of another. The possibilities, the choices, the opportunities.

In my life, I’ve been accused of thinking too much. I take  this declaration with a grain of salt. Too much thinking? How is that possible? What is the result of thinking too much?  Or not enough thinking? Or at all? I like to mull things over. Long after a conversation…I’m still going over the content of what was said.

I like to ponder what this new year will hold. I become contemplative during this time of year.

Each year brings new possibilities. Not because New Years Day is some sort of magic key, but because it is more like a door to the unknown. None of us really knows what will happen to us this year. We can have our plans, but many times life does not go as planned. Sometimes it careens off course. We end up on a road that we never intended to travel.

Sometimes things that seem “bad”, turn out to have lessons that are good for me. Other times I’ve made poor choices and I’ve suffered through the consequences of those choices. Sometimes it is a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, sometimes events happen that are completely out of my control. I could not have changed them even if I desperately wanted to. One just never knows how things will turn out.

We all hope for a good year, abet, even a great one! We all want joy in our lives. Moments that matter. The opportunity to make a positive difference. Fulfillment. Friendships. Love.

I can plan. I can make changes. I can try to be even more organized and productive. Ultimately, God is the one who chooses how this year will proceed. It is He that is sovereign. It is He that makes life interesting and worthwhile…and I can rest in that.

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Everyone Has A Story…

Charles Kuralt, Host from 1979–1994

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My husband gave me the DVD set of the late Charles Kuralt, On The Road series. The series used to air on CBS Sunday. Mr. Kuralt and crew were in an RV, traversing the highways and bi-ways of America. He met people in the big cities and small towns of this country. His key phrase had him wondering what was “up around the bend”. Even though I was a child for most of his years on TV, and don’t really remember watching the series, I am intrigued by his travels, now, as an adult.

One day, I hope to “hit the road” for an extended period of time. Meet people. Write their stories. I long to see America in a way that isn’t shown on the nightly news. There is something to be said for taking time to go down the road less traveled, to sit and listen to stories that  might otherwise never be heard.

I think that is why I love blogging so much…and reading other people’s blogs. I get to meet people in a sense…get to know them. Just like a book can take me to a place I’ve never been…my blog friends show me their lives in parts of the country that I’ve never had opportunity to visit. Yet.

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White Out!

Deep snow during the Blizzard of 2006 Nor'east...

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My husband and I, and our children are visiting family in upstate New York. It has been cold here, but not really any snow (besides what is already on the ground). I’ve been watching the news this morning. Everyone is talking about the blizzard that hit many areas of the east coast. New York City doesn’t look that bad to me, yet it is being called a blizzard. Technically, a blizzard has to do with certain amounts of snow, but a true blizzard also has high winds over 35 m.p.h.

I remember being in 5th grade in Carroll County, Maryland when the blizzard of ’79 struck. Of course, as a child I enjoyed being off school for a week. My sister and I got bundled up like a couple of Arctic explorers and ventured outside to make tunnels in the deep snow.Mom always had hot tea ready for us when we came inside.

I also remember as a young newlywed, the “storm of the century” in March of 1993. The entire east coast got pelted with that monster storm. My husband and I went to bed on Friday night with just a few flurries falling. We made a bet with each other that it wasn’t really going to amount to anything. We woke up on Saturday morning to a snow induced hush over our own, personal winter wonderland!

All this talk of blizzards got me to thinking about snow fall. Look at this site of the Top 10 Worst Blizzards of all time. It makes me cold just reading about them!

What are your coldest, snowiest, most blizzard like memories?  How old were you? Where were you living at the time?

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Wheelchair Dancing

A close-up of a rear wheel of a wheelchair.

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I don’t remember what caused me to think of it… a memory that has been tucked away, for at least twenty years. It’s funny how things just pop back into one’s mind, when least expected.

Everyone wants to be accepted. Everyone wants to feel wanted. Everyone needs a friend. In those ways we are not so very different.

A group of friends. Laughing and dancing. Being silly. Being young.

One friend’s brother sat in a wheelchair. An accident had taken away his ability to walk…ever again.

He wanted to dance.

He didn’t think anyone would want to dance with him…because his legs didn’t work. Because he was different. Because of fear.

He shyly looked at me. Will you dance with me?

“Yes”, I replied in youthful exuberance , “let’s go”.

I sat on his lap, wrapped an arm around his neck and off we went. We rolled, and rocked, and spun in dizzying circles.

We laughed out loud.

After the song, we rolled to a stop. We were out of breath from laughing and spinning.

He thanked me for dancing with him.

And I thanked him for asking.

That night I learned a valuable lesson.

Take a chance. Don’t let fear stop you from asking. Don’t worry about what others might be thinking.

And enjoy the dance.

 

 

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Life On The Road

Tim Hortons in Ottawa, ON, Canada

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I won the alphabet game!! Woo hoo! It’s the small things in life that matter…especially when stuck bonding with family on a 9 hour road trip. Usually, my husband wins the alphabet game on family trips. He said he was busy driving and couldn’t fully concentrate. Excuses. Excuses. I take my wins however I can get them.

We played Crack The Code (a mystery card game), and Twenty Questions which my husband also almost always wins.  My husband and I listened to talk radio, and the kids played on their PSP‘s, and computer.  We listened to our oldest son recite poetry. All in all no one pulled their hair out it was a good trip. Family togetherness. Because between the luggage, Christmas presents, and junk we were crammed in like sardines

I am not a fan of toll roads. A family is pretty much stuck in the matter of where to eat dinner on the road. If one gets off the toll road, one pays. Or if one gets off accidentally, thinking it’s a rest area, one pays. Not that, that happened to us. Arrgh.

We ended up eating at Tim Horton’s. I love Tim Hortons for coffee and hot chocolate, but the food is highway robbery expensive. That’s true of most eating establishments these days.

We survived had a good trip.  Enjoying today. Visiting family. Relaxing. Life is good.

 

 

 

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Zip It!

Stuffed

Image by demandaj via Flickr

Packing a suitcase…. Some people are good at it. Some, not so much.

1. How many underwear do I need to take? Just enough? A few extras? Three pair, thirty, or three hundred? Just sayin’.

2. Packing in the winter months is always more difficult. After all, I like sweaters and sweaters take up more space. A lot more space then T-shirts and capris.

3. Then my husband made a comment about how full my suitcase looked and I explained I have sweaters and he laughed at me. Yes, laughed.

4. For a man I know to be very intelligent, you’d think he’d get it. Don’t mess with a woman and her suitcase.Duh.

5. What do I leave behind? My pants? My sweaters? My skivvies? Going to colder climates…I need my fluffy socks too!

6. Packing is such a dilemma. Do I take just my boots? Or do I take my cute shoes too?

7. I’ve whittled it down…to stuff I can shove in the suitcase.

8. And have the suitcase actually zip!

9. I prefer “flexible” luggage to the hard case. Um….expandable is good.

10. Don’t even get me started on how we’re going to get everything packed in the van.

Over the river and through the woods….

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Classic Films Collection

Cropped screenshot of James Stewart and Margar...

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I watched two classic movies as I wrapped gifts yesterday. I have yet to be able to just sit down and watch a movie without being “productive” with my time.  There is never enough time in a day! The first movie was The Shop Around The Corner. (Margaret Sullivan, Jimmy Stewart). I love the old, black and white movies. I really do. I don’t know if it is the simple scenery, the fact that everyone is dressed so beautifully, or that a movie can be interesting without any offensive language or suggestive situations. Sigh. It was just a different time. The Shop Around The Corner pretty much took place in  the store…so there wasn’t a lot of scenery, but what a great movie! (the movie You’ve Got Mail starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is a take off of this movie)  Speaking of scenery, I have a keen eye for all the props. The old cash registers, cigarette boxes, ladies’ hats, and how store windows used to be “dressed” for the holidays.

Then I watched Christmas In Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck. It is sort of  a comical Good Housekeeping, circa Christmas 1945. Snow, a navy man, sleigh rides, and a farm in Connecticut. Who wouldn’t fall in love?

Today I am working on my laundry. What can I watch in between loads of whites and colors? Maybe It’s A Wonderful Life? (side note: google Jimmy Stewart discussing It’s A Wonderful Life. It was in a 1977 interview. It will give you a new perspective about this movie. Seriously, you should check it out.) Or Miracle On 34th Street–the 1947 version, of course!

Well, I better go. I heard the dryer just buzz. Time for another load.

 

 

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You Know You Are Losing It When…

Mrs. Laura Bush poses with children and Cliffo...

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Those of you that read my blog know I am a Christian, wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. I’m a writer, ponderer (is that a real word?), romantic, nostalgic, and a teacher. I have my blond moments, melt downs, and flip outs. I prefer organization and can lean a little towards being compulsive….but, only about certain things. Believe me on that.

So, today has been crazy for me. I don’t know if I’m coming or going. Or am I here or have I already left the building? You know what I mean? Haven’t we all had those type of days?

You Know You Are Losing It When…

1. You find yourself standing at the kitchen sink, holding the sink strainer, and  are actually wondering what that gunk IS in there? And worse yet, how did it get in there?

2. Your elderly dog takes glucosamine. The meds are orange flavored. You contemplate tasting it to see if it really DOES taste like orange. Like the dog cares. He thinks it’s a treat.

3. You start to watch the news while making dinner. Instead of truly listening to what is going on in the world, you find yourself staring at the news reporter, thinking that he has a huge forehead and he’d look a lot better if he styled his hair differently.

4. While driving into town today, your child mentions that something stinks in the mini-van. You sigh….and then turn up the talk radio station even louder. It helps to drown out the thoughts about what could be rotting in the back cup holders, or under the seat.

5. You “skate” across the kitchen floor in your socks, while holding a spatula, singing Christmas tunes…and your family members don’t even consider that strange.

6. You sprayed way to much Yankee Candle, mistletoe scented spray on the fake Christmas trees. For the love of Pete would someone throw open a window…I think I’m getting a mistletoe buzz.

7. The collie (not the older dog) keeps dumping the entire bowl of dog food in the snow. Then hides the bowl.

8. You start to believe that you actually look pretty sexy in your “Clifford the Big Red Dog” apron, as you fix dinner.

9. You try not to think about the fact that the ground beef you are browning for dinner used to be a cow at some point. Sniff. Sniff.

10. Okay, so maybe I’m not certifiable…..unless you look under the word MOM. Then you realize that  losing one’s mind comes with the territory.

By the way, the cat is staring at me as I type. HE KNOWS.

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