My Funny Valentine(s)

I love how the song says You make me smile with my heart. That's totally what I was doing when I saw these:

I sent all my nieces and nephews some Valentine's candy in the mail along with some free printable Valentine's puzzles and games I got online. Nothing fancy, but who doesn't love getting fun stuff in the mail? It's just my way of celebrating the holiday. And this is what I got in return.  :)

I love being an aunt (or ant). All of my kids are so great and I just love them to pieces.

Random stuff

Somebody made a comment to me yesterday and I just wanted to tell him "you don't know me". But then I was thinking about something I like about myself that not many people do know about me. I love to drive and sing along to the radio. It's one of my very favorite things to do. I will sometimes go for a drive with no real destination in mind just so I can drive and sing.
When I'm behind the steering wheel and a favorite song comes on, I'm instantly in my happy place. Of course, I prefer less traffic rather than more, but even when I'm stuck in traffic, it doesn't seem so bad when a good song comes on the radio. I won't make any claims on my singing ability. It really doesn't matter how well I sing, just that it makes me happy.

And in other news...snow, snow, and more snow. I said I wanted a white Christmas, right? Better late than never, I guess. I snapped the picture on Sunday from my front porch. You can't tell from the picture but my snow pile is almost as tall as I am. And it has gotten bigger since Sunday. I need a sled, but I'd either be sledding into the road or into my house.

Life is good!

Books Read in 2012

I finished my last book of 2012 today. All in all, it's been a good year for reading. In order of the date I read them, I think my top 10 books read would be the following:

  Miserere:An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock
  Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
  Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
  Master of Crows by Grace Draven
  Easy by Tammara Webber
  Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
  84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
  For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Looking back at the books I read, it actually does become hard to narrow it down. Mostly, I think about how I felt when I read the book and if the feeling has stayed with me, and then also if I've re-read the book or certain parts more than once.
I read 79 books this year. A few of those are short stories or novellas but I count them since I don't count re-reads or books I didn't finish, some of which I got quite far before quitting.

For 2013 I've set myself a challenge to branch out a little bit more. This will be the year I finally read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I adore the movie and the book has been sitting on my shelf for ages. I think it's time to dust it off. I received the book Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol for Christmas from my Russian sister-in-law so I'm going to give that one a try. And then I'm going to read another non-fiction book, although I'm not sure what that will be right now. It's periodically fun to throw them in the mix, although I very much prefer fiction. As for the rest, I have a large collection of books waiting to be read and a big list of books to borrow from the library. It will be another good year for reading, I think.

Hope

I’ve avoided much of the news this past week. It hurts so much to watch people I don’t know suffering. Then I think about all the people the media isn’t centered on that suffer for unknown reasons. And that hurts too.  

I can’t begin to know what other people may be feeling but I know that as I have been hurting, I have been praying and I have had an increase of hope and I pray that other people can find hope if they aren’t feeling it now.  

I can’t help but think of the Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem:

And in despair I bowed my head; 

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall Fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t really have any answers. But I know who does and that is enough for me.

This is a busy time of year for me and I don’t get much time off work, but I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my family, especially my nieces and nephews.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fog & Pho

I woke up to a foggy morning. I love fog. There’s something so deliciously creepy about it. It really puts me in the mood to read some kind of gothic mystery, or something slightly spooky, or anything by Deanna Raybourn.



I’ve gotten over most of my Christmas funk. My sister and I braved the crowds last Saturday and had a great time shopping and then stopped by the Green Papaya for some pho. I love that stuff.
 

 

I’m still not putting up a tree, but I am quite happy to be able to spend Christmas with my family. I’m still wishing for snow, but the fog will do for now.

 

Scrooge

I might be feeling a little like Scrooge. Before his visitations, of course.  I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday but I just can't seem to work up any enthusiasm for Christmas.

I have no desire to put up my tree and the thought of digging the Christmas decorations out of my closet makes me want to...well, I can't think of what it makes me want to do. I just know I don't want to do it!  I did get out my wreath (I store it in a different closet) and my nativity because it was in easy reach. That may be it for decorating this Christmas.

I have been automatically turning the channel when Christmas music comes on the radio. But I really prefer some of the older, traditional carols to the pop versions of whatever is on the radio.

I've bought most of my Christmas gifts online this year so I don't have to go to the stores.

LOL - I really have felt a little "bah-humbug" lately. Perhaps if we had some snow?

Grateful

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is just around the corner. Time does fly by.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Any day where I get to eat and spend time with my family is fabulous, but it I especially love that day. We shouldn't need a holiday to remind us to be thankful, but I'm glad we have it.  I really love the song in White Christmas that says something about "when you can't sleep, don't count sheep, try counting your blessings..."

Of course I'm so very grateful for my family, my home, and that I have a good job. But there are so many other things. I'm just making this list on the fly so there are many more things I'm grateful for but here it is:

good neighbors, a car that works, my piano, 7 fabulous nieces and nephews, indoor plumbing, heat, electricity, my iPad, all of my wonderful friends and co-workers, my faith, my health, my trials, my bed, my down comforter in the winter, living close enough to family to see them often, books to read, good music to listen to, the beautiful fall weather...

Anyway, I could go on but I'll just say that I have been very blessed by my Heavenly Father and I'm very grateful for those blessings.