New Year Wishes

As the first day of 2014 works its way westward, I'd like to wish each of you a Happy New Year! 

We don't know what the year will bring us, but I'm hoping the theme for the year will be that we'll all have too much money to spend (for me, 2012 was the year of car trouble and 2013 has been a year of odd health issues in the family).  Well, forget the money.  May 2014 be a year of good fortune and good health for all of us!

Thank you for spending part of your year with me.  Friendship (in all its forms) is precious.  As someone once sang...

My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came (to my blog)  :D 


PS - We're expecting snow later in the week, so I think I'm going to dust off a few more snow stories this week. 

Christmas Decorations

This tree-topper is a family heirloom--it's the one with real Santa whiskers (my dad got them when he saw Santa getting a haircut). It is really old! It's also my favorite decoration.

 

My favorite way to view the Santa is with the tree lit, the house lights off, a fire in the fireplace, and Christmas carols playing softly in the background. It's a nice atmosphere to think about the true meaning of Christmas.

 

My daughter called these "mishmas mecarations" when she was two (a long time ago).

 

 

The carolers decoration is another oldie, but goodie!

 

This is the last picture of decorations. There's a sleigh and reindeer set missing. Maybe next year!

 

And Bandit...he didn't like snow.  He's really missed!

 

We didn't have snow for Christmas this year, but that's okay.  I'm thankful we didn't get ice like they did in Toronto.  Christmas has passed and the decorations will soon come down, but the feeling of the holiday should stick with us year-round.

PS - I don't like that Christmas music mostly disappears from the radio on Dec. 26th.  Christmas?  What Christmas???  Instead of starting before Thanksgiving, it should play from mid-December through New Year's.  I'd rather hear it at the end of December instead of the end of November.  If you agree with me, your vote counts.  lol!

Belated

My dad's birthday was the 14th. He passed away a few years ago.  I like to celebrate his birthday by sharing some of the things he taught me--some practical and some...weird (and some you've heard before)!

He taught me:

• to work hard and pay attention
• how to tighten a loose wood screw by placing a small, rolled up wad of paper in the hole
• to walk silently (especially important when he was sleeping--this came in really handy when I was a teenager)
• to swim silently (in case I ever needed to take out an enemy machine gun nest by swimming across a river and circling behind it—and also so he wouldn't get splashed)
• not to grab a spark plug wires (there's a story behind this one)
• how to make all sorts of home repairs (and dig ditches, cut down trees, etc., etc.)
• that rabbits run in half-circles when making their escape (he was a hunter)
• how to protect myself from a large, attacking dog (it involved getting the dog to "go for my throat", so I never tried it)
• to always ask for documentation whenever someone (him) tells me I owe them money

He gave me so many lectures--usually on the way home from church, but he could launch into one at any time.  I listened (yes, he really did teach me to pay attention), but I didn't always learn.  I did learn a lot from the lectures and from watching my older siblings make their mistakes.  But, like my dad, some mistakes I had to make on my own to really learn the lesson. 

 

Wisdom comes to each of us (or not) when we're ready.  That's going to be my excuse if it turns out I'm not doing enough to teach my kids what they need to know.  :)

Liebster Award

I actually received a blog award (no, it's not for being interesting)!!!  The Girl in Stiletto gave me the Liebster Award because...we've been friends a long time.  So I got the award for being faithful and hanging around (two of my strengths).  Thank you Stiletto Girl!  :)

The award comes with a set of 11 questions to answer: 

1) What is the sweetest nickname someone ever called you?  Dad!  Although, my performance appraisal went so well this year, I told my family they are to call me "Awesomo" from now on.  :D

2) Who is your current celebrity crush?  Jenna Coleman (Clara on Doctor Who); Man crush:  Perry Mason (from the old black and white episodes)...the coolest guy on television ever. 

3) Name 5 things you can never leave the house without.  Pants, shoes, shirt, keys, wallet...but mainly the pants.

4) Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive, and why?  Sky dive.  I don't think I would like the up and down (like a yo-yo) of bungee jumping.  Plus, sky diving gives you a heck of a view. 

5) What's your favorite month? And why?  October, because I love the fall....the colors, crisp apples, halloween, the Charlie Brown halloween special.

6) Any pet peeve?  How much time do you have to read this???  The general pet peeve categories include: work; home (with sub-categories for kitchen, clutter, bathroom, laundry, cleaning); driving; shopping; the subway; behavior in a public setting; and...I'll think of a few more later.

7) What was the last song you listened to?  Why Don't We Just Dance (it was on the car radio).

8) If you're a color, what color would you be, and why?  Blue...I like blue, it's warm and relaxing.

9) Dog or goldfish?  Dog, for many reasons.  Specifically I'd want to be my family's pet.  What would it even be like to be the most important "person" in the family???

10) What do you get complimented most about?  Well, I don't deserve the compliments, so I'd rather not say.  The strangest one comes from a guy in my office--he frequently comments on my arms.  I totally deserve that one.  lol!

11) And lastly, what's one thing on your Christmas wish list?  Good health for my family and friends.

I'm supposed to tag new recipients and come up with 11 questions.  But I like these questions.  If you've made it all the way through and are still reading this, I tag you as a Liebster Award recipient (yes, especially YOU)!