Snow...

It's been a couple weeks since we had snow and sadly, there isn't enough left to go sledding in the backyard.  Little Miss and E have really been having  a blast in the snow this year and are excited for more.

E has been working hard to master his snowboard.  

Little Miss is very content sledding down the hill.  FYI:  She is not as close to the tree as it appears in this video....no worries.

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? 

J. B. Priestley 

Incognito..

So, my hair is looking more like a short haircut and not newly grown-in peach fuzz.  I've noticed that as I regain my "new normal" appearance, strangers that may have at one time given the kerchief wearing girl a look of empathy, now barely remember their manners.  There was a "kerchief effect".  Why is it that someone's outward appearance must influence how kind we are to one another?   Yes, my situation was quite apparent to the outside world, but others may be experiencing situations that are not as evident...they are incognito.  They may be walking through their life with their own crosses to bear and their own muck to trudge through.  They could be experiencing the loss of a loved one, a health condition, depression, or maybe just a headache or a bad day at work.  This information should not be a necessary component for treating people in a kind manner.  So, can we all just try to be a little more kind...to EVERYONE...not just the "kerchief wearing girls of the world?" 

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. 

-Plato 

Part of the mania...

Back in November, I spoke of my Manic tendencies.  Although I'm not proud of my occasional mania, I do get some things accomplished when it makes its appearances.

In the recent past, I have not been a fan of the light that sits over our kitchen table.  So, on a trip (in November) to Ikea we bought this beauty for $14.99.  Yes, I know, it's not really all that interesting or beautiful.  However, they had one with fabric that was displayed at the store and it was interesting and I WAS a fan.

So, after going through my fabric stash, this...

Became this...

 I cut the fabric into various sized strips.  I tied some and others I just wrapped around the shade.  After I look at it for a couple weeks and decide whether or not I like how it all looks, I'll probably glue it in a few spots to keep it looking all put together.

Sometimes I get a little manic and you can't stop me. I'm all over the place. I have fun. 
Dom DeLuise 

Insta Friday (on Saturday)

A day late...better late than never.

Instagram photos from our holiday.

Happy Weekend!

The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something. 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

That's a wrap...

It seems like I just finished lugging all the Christmas decorations upstairs from the basement and now it's time to put them all away.  

 Here are a few glimpses into our holiday this year. 

Victor's parents house...'

My parents' house...

Our house...

 One of my talented aunts made this beautiful card.  I plan on framing it and using it as part of my decorations each year. 

Some of my treasured decorations...

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with blessings too plentiful to count.  

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. 

Dale Evans 
 

I was here...

Have you seen this?  

Needless to say the events of the past year have caused me to be reflective.  Everything that happens, once seemingly insignificant, I now digest and seek to find a deeper meaner.  Listening to this song the other night on T.V. was one of those moments.  Sometimes it may seem that we as individuals have little to no impact on the world as a whole, but really, it has to start somewhere.  This song seemed to go along with the 26 acts of kindness post from last week.  So, I thought I'd check in and let you know what we've been doing.

The kids and I took a trip to Target on the Friday before Christmas to pick up some things to make bags for homeless people.  This is some of what we put in the bags...toothbrush, toothpaste, tissues, cough drops, snacks, deodorant, first aid kit, gloves, drinks, brush, chocolates, chapstick, soap, gift card to stop and shop...

I attached a kindness quote to each of the 6 bags. 

 On Christmas Eve morning we drove around to where we usually see homeless people and we passed out the bags.  The kids passed them out from the back seat and wished everyone a Merry Christmas. I knew this "act" made an impact when E started to become very quiet from the back seat and then he said, "Mom, can we do this every year?  I like helping people."  

Yesterday we completed act #7 by leaving our waitress at Bertucci's a big tip and today I completed act #8 by making a donation here.  

Remember in high school when you went to the bathroom and it seemed the entire school had written on the walls stating that they were there?  "Justine was here, 11/9/86, Jay was here, 9/4/87"...

I never was one to write on the bathroom walls, but it does seem important to make a difference and do something significant with my life and make it known that "I was here."  By the way, I plan on having 60 more years to leave my mark ;)

I was hereI lived, I lovedI was hereI did, I've done, everything that I wantedAnd it was more than I thought it would beI will leave my mark so everyone will know-Beyonce

Patience...

So I've decided to follow the trend of many other bloggers and choose a word for 2013, a word to reflect on as the next chapter of my life book is written.  The word is Patience....patience with others (especially my children), patience with myself and patience with life and what it brings.  This past year has forced me to slow down and be more patient, especially with my health, but I still have work to do.  

photo by Blue Lily

I liked so many quotes I found today, and I couldn't choose just one, so here are three.

Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity. 

Carl Jung 

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. 

Lao Tzu 

The keys to patience are acceptance and faith. Accept things as they are, and look realistically at the world around you. Have faith in yourself and in the direction you have chosen. 

Ralph Marston