Should Old Acquaintance' be forgot

I wish that my old forgotten acquaintance would be the fat that I put on over this holiday binge season. It is aweful, just aweful. Never comes to mind when I am putting that piece of pie into my mouth for the umpteenth time that this acquaintanceship will be with you for the rest of your life. It should though!
I am as large as ever I was in delivery of my children... A bad example of moderation this season. There ought not to be that much feasting in the world. I am ashamed of myself and I pledge to myself to put off the binge habit for at least another few months.
My new simple pleasure will be sunflower seeds and raisins, to replace Chocolate with almonds. Jello and yogurt instead of ice cream and at least 30 minutes per day on the stationary bike. No excuses! I hope that next years Auld Lang Syne shall find me in better status with my body. I am not a spring chicken anymore...
Happy New Year!

Sunny and 61 degrees again

I am sure that I am used to these pleasant temperatures and wonderful beauty of the landscape around here. My city lights hunger and my chilly coat wearing days have paled into the enjoyment of a walk through University City in the holiday season. My bursitis (nonexistent) doesn't bother me. My lungs can hack the warmth and the air. No pretty snow, but no dirty snow either to clean up. I woke up and put on the heat which we really don't need because the house had chilled to a cold 65 through the night. That make us shiver, now. No chains on our tires to get out of the snow piles. No big snowplows blocking our cars in their spaces on the streets. No icey falling on our bottoms from not walking correctly in the snow. Halleluia, this is the Promised land today. Thank you God for the gracious providence of moderate weather!

Of Springerle and Chocolate kisses

Annise, a delightful scent and a spring on the tongue. My tongue is aglow, but not from mint and not as sweet as chocolate. Someone said try the Springerle. I would not have tried it unless they had. Sundayschool is a time for bible study and fellowship and during the holiday season feasting is rampant. Joy to the world, is always good enough reason to feast. Christ has brought us joy.
Our brethren shared their precious recipe of German delight. Thank God that we live in a place where we are exposed to the pleasures of every culture. Who can beat the taste of a Springerle for the first time delighting the tastebuds.
I took a bunch home, with the blessings of the baker; fully intending to have at least one a day for a long time.
I enjoyed 2 on the way home,the children hadn't grown into the taste yet. Good, I said, more for me. We left them on the side board, while we went to evening service and came home to the sad sight of my dog, Emma having eaten, 5 of them.
I am still planning to indulge in one a day for a while... 5 days fewer now. At least my dog Emma has better taste in food than my children. :)

We all got booties for Christmas!

Today is the day we shake the feeties, to dislodge the huge meal we enjoyed on Christmas day.
I lived so many years with little baby booties, that we affectionately call the day after Christmas, "Shake your "baby" booties Day". The day that we attempt to recoup the lost ground in last years New Years resolution and grow into a new person for the New Year coming. It is our last dieting challenge to go into the New Year at another level of health. It hasn't worked yet. :{ Still we try.
This year my aim and goal is to try to accomplish my very first marathon. There, I said it. I have spent too many Marches under the covers in pain and heart ache. I will take up my brokenness! I have a goal to overcome the broken pieces of my emotions and I think a marathon training, just might help me. I saw one in Concord set for March 21 and I am aiming for it. Not today, of coarse, I must go to work. I will start training in the New Year 2009. "Feeling Fine, in 2009!"

Walking?

Not even the smell of a white Christmas, down here in NC. Not even the hint of a frosty snow covered lawn on Christmas day. It is still the most wonderland Wintery with my family!
I spent the morning walking through the frosty aisles of the supermarket with my most respected woman of God who is in my life. We giggled and pontificated and came up with all sorts of dreams for now and tomorrow and it is truly beyond what we both could've thought or imagined except there is no son in law yet to dote over. We are enjoying the love of wondering and wishing and sour grapes, sometimes:)
My dad would've joked at us that we both are so much like Aunt Lorraine, and she, more than I have never spent more than an hour or so with Aunt Lorraine. So I guess, in heaven, we will, the three of us; sit down and talk about what made us who we are. How could we three be so identical?
Dad would talk about the way she grabbed him by the wrist and the strength that she had and Tony-boy and Abby would have similar stories about me. It is a joy to live with a kindred spirit, sometimes:{.
I came in from my Christmas eve saunter with my Elyse(Suzie homemaker) and Emily and I were doing the shimmy shake and imitating Grandma Ruth in my living room to James Brown. We cannot figure out how Grandma Ruth was able to do that shimmy shake well into her latter years. I am achy from imitating her. I better get into shape to keep up with Ms. Emily. Then, we put on Thriller and my bumble bee big boy taught us how to do the Thriller dance in the living room. We pretended that the sugarplum fairies died and came back as the Thriller dancers and we danced around the living room as the sugarplum fairies reincarnated in a Thriller. What fun!
Ethan, the wolf man came into the room anticipating boredom. He didn't want to join the dance and he hasn't figured out how to incorporate his wolf story into the Christmas pleasantries, so he just barks at us all. Ezra is waiting for us to pull out the baking items to make the linzer tarts. Dad in his cap and I in my kerchief and nothing at all is quiet as a mouse...

We got invited to our neighbor's Christmas Party.

What a great time we had with the neighbors. Tom had set up his train set and I could've spent the entire night there in the room, just looking at the trains. There was an entire room of memories and beauty. Remembering the days when neighborhoods used to be full of little businesses and the people that make those businesses run. I enjoyed the company of neighbors and chatting about fun stuff. They are always great for decorating the neighborhood with life. Thank you so much Tom and Marian. There were a collection of movable Christmas Disney figures in the corner. It is a small world after all!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas my true love...

Gave to me Four Calling Birds.
The four most efficient women I ever met became my sister-in-laws on June 11, 1983. Ever since, they have been calling to me to come up higher. They have little tolerance for inefficiency and ineptitudes. They are practiced and honed by a wonderful mother to be effective and efficient, these are not my best qualities, by any means. Still, I watch them through life and try as I might inculcate as many of the qualities that I can catch or borrow or emulate. They are a wonderful team of women and I am grateful to know them and have them call me to come up higher.
God bless, Gwen and Audrey and Lee and Yvonne!

5 Golden Rings!

On the 5th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me---5 golden rings---

Nobody knows the joy of the 5 or 6 golden rings in my life. I have 4 sisters and 2 precious cousins and that makes 6 ladies that grew up with me and evoke the joys of youth like no one else can.
I got to see Karla-Gail this year and it was delightful to see her newest bundle of joy. I am truly a rich woman with 6 golden rings of love on my heart like Julia, Jacqueline, Joanne, Amy, Allyson, and Karla-Gail! Miss you guys!

Two Turtle Doves!

On my birthday this year, my brother-in-law and my husband gave to me freshly painted rooms. A brand new house with freshly painted walls and a partridge in a pear tree.
My pear tree is still blooming, but the leaves are scarce and I don't know whether it is over watering or the smallness of the pot.
Ben and Eli were my two turtledoves painting and caring for the house things that have caused me distress throughout the year.
Take no thought... Don't worry... God cares... I know he cares but sometimes I do forget that.

I love to spend time on my carpets and today I got some of that luxury. Not with an empty house, but still there are at least 500 square ft of cleaner carpet for my wear. There is only another 2500 to go before I sleep. I think I will quit at the halfway mark. I fell while emptying a batch of water and my bottom is sore, so now I am too tired to go the whole way through. Thank God for the Rug Doctor. With so many footsies trampling a carpet there is hope on earth for some cleaner rugs. Just give me one week and a rug doctor and I will be happy with my carpets again.

Fidelia, L'amore

Good King Wenceslaus, Hark the Herald...This Christmas my little fidelia became a woman. Decked in her skirt and white shirt, she sat erect, like never in church; and put flute to mouth and breathed out beautiful music through the instrumentation of a flute. I wished and wished and wished and wished and music lessons are a privilege and they are beautiful. It is precious to see and precious to experience. She is a part of the band. She is a beautiful girl and learning to breathe in unison.
Thank God!