More and Less Part Deux

Resolutions, shmezolutions. They are pretty much worthless. I think that I have never carried one out. Does anyone? If so, they are a better person than I. Good for them. My More and Less Christmas list has some checks by it. I received an owl. Is it real?, you ask... maybe, maybe not. I have many things that smell good and depth is on its way. I laughed a lot at our high school friends Christmas breakfast. Check.

I have thought of some More and Less new years wishes. Here are some non-commitments I am not likely to break.

More a.k.a. Hopes Not Yet Set in Stone

• "using the good china" - I am going to make more occasions that are special. Not waiting for "just the right time" to use something. It generally never comes so I am stuck with a lot of random awesome things that could have been just what others or I needed on an ordinary day. So I will be fancy on random days, using the good dishes for pizza and splashing on the Chanel No. 5 before I garden.
• Create.
• Take care of myself as well as I take care of others. This could go one of two ways. Either I will see that I am not as good to others as I fathom and end up worse for it and depressed or I could end up healthier, happier and blessed. I hope for the latter.
• Savoring the moment. Every moment be it special or ordinary will never be replicated or enjoyed if not done in the instant it happens. I really need to relish things more.

Less a.k.a. Things I Will Not Be Doing This Year.

• Letting others' dysfunction make me dysfunction. Misery loves company. Maybe this is why I don't belly laugh like I used to? Self imposed stressing always does that to a person
• Obsess about looks- I am ever reminded that I am closer to 30 than 20. Trying on clothes at stores is usually a reality check. I convince myself that stores are making sizes smaller each year and that my body is absolutely NOT the one changing. Having a full closet and not a thing to wear is a state of mind, I guess. BLAH. It's time to grow up in this area.
• People pleasing- this one is going to be hard. I am finding a lot of people can't be pleased and find anything and everything to be upset about. I cringe at the thought of unrest so most of the time I do what I can (mostly unintentionally- it's a habit) to keep the peace. I am finding peace keeping is harder than letting it ride. I think I am in for a rough ride to a good lesson. Help me, Jesus.I pray this year is one of some maturing and learning, blessing and being blessed. I am severely blessed as it is. Simplifying in certain areas of life will help me enjoy these blessings, love well and bless others in the process I hope.

Happiness is in between too little and too much

More and Less

It's Christmastime. I don't really need more of anything material-wise. Being asked what I want makes me think about what I could use more of, though . This is my list of things I would like. It is an eclectic somewhat mordant list to say the least but you all are asking so here it is:

I would like more :

FUN/ THINGS THAT MAKE ME LAUGH

I would like to laugh until I make the wierd kackle noise in my throat and my guts feel like they may explode. I haven't silent laughed in a while. You know ,the kind where you are sure you may pass out if you don't catch your breath and quit convulsing!? I need more of that.

DEPTH

in friendships, my marriage, family relationships, my thoughts and my motives. Moving so quickly from one thing to another leaves me feeling shallow a lot of the time. The shallow end is not for me. You can do much more in the deep end of life.

THINGS THAT SMELL GOOD

HOUSE PLANTS

real ones...that my cats can lick and not die. I love real plants. My friend Amy had a gaggle of plants in her apartment in college. It was a small place but it was so homey because of the life that was crawling and creeping along the coutnertops and windowsills.. good memories.

ADVENTURES

i.e.: road trips, traveling, surprises, endeavors etc.

FREE TIME

mostly to spend with my husband. We both work and he goes to school. The other nights of the week for us are full ususally. Maybe instead of free time I need to make the most of the time I do have? Check!

CULTURE

PLEASE! help! I need something artsy, classy, foreign (not Tequilas) or refined STAT.

OWLS

MY FREE SPIRIT

amidst all the routine and to-do lists my spirit has gotten a bit lost and regimented along the way. I need to free that puppy up and really live. I would like it back, please.

Things I would like less of:

TO DO LISTS

I am a no-lines on the paper kind of girl. Lately my life has been a bit to college ruled and routine. While I do love a good to do list (the house cleaning type, or the grocery list), I don't like a piece of paper or a outlook calendar telling me what to do all of the time.

COLD TOES

my toes are always like ice. I would like to be able to feel them again.

ILL FITTING PANTS

I have pant issues

.

GREY HAIRS

unless they are on Richard Gere- keep them away from me.

Safe and Secure

Maybe... we will see.
We got broken into over Thanksgiving. Which was really annoying to say the least. a. it's just a mean thing to do especially over the holidays and b. we had to end our time up north of Chicago two days early with people we hardly ever get to see. THAT is what got my goat the most.
I've never been a big freaker outer when it comes to feeling safe in this "interesting town" but I have been pretty cautions about being locked up etc. especially when we leave and go out of town. My theory is this: obviously the people who broke in needed our stuff more than we did. Fine. AND if a robber wants in, they'll find a way even if you have pit bulls and dobermans waiting at your door for them. They may lose a leg or something but nevertheless- they will find a way. Many people felt it was their obligation to tell us what we did wrong home security-wise and other wise. My favorite line from someone was "you were asking for it". Nope. I don't think we were so much. ' Gotta love those encouragers. Then, there were some who just wanted to help in any way possible(I appreciate the latter more). While my privacy was invaded and that definitely isn't OK with me, I feel quite peaceful about it all. Things happen. Life lesson learned. We were taken care of by loved ones while we waited for the insurance (which definitely was worth waiting for) so we had much to be thankful for in spite of the annoyance of being broken into. Some people that we would have never suspected, gave to us selflessly. That was really precious. So see, There is a shiny side to every penny. Even if that penny gets stolen from you!
here are some before and after pics of our door.
This is after our friend, Seth, and his dad Mark temporarily fixed it while we were en route from Chicago.

And our new and improved "no, we aren't 'asking for it' " door.

The Official Christmas Photos

These are the pictures that are included on our Christmas cards this year. One is of us on vacation this past summer, the other is of our entire famil. Yes-our cats. Dante and Lola are a part of our family so why wouldn't they be included? They both hated the posing part (as is easy to see in the picture) but admired the finished product.

Until the day we can afford $500 sitting fees with extraordinary photographers our timed self- portraits will do just fine. My photographic visions of grandeur are feebly attempted by my dying cracked camera along with the help of online photo editing. Still, one day..

Also, the photo Christmas greeting card as a whole is getting a bit overdone, I think. I was going through all of my cards from people last year and most of them were the 4x8 photo greetings. As I had mine made this year I wondered, "how many people are really going to keep a picture of us on vacatation along with a double cat photo up on the fridge all year long?"

I think I may abandon this over used trendy tradtion and do something more "us" next year.

Ideas include: sending a.) snowballs in the mail and/or b.) homemade gfits from the cats.

"Tis the season!

Good Decision, Mis

I had recently thought of getting rid of my Fiestaware because the point in having it is to have all the colors to mix and match. Since I have started a certain class my finances have been going to different things other than pieces of fiestaware. Sad but true. I decided along with the motherly advice of my well, mother, that I would regret it if I did sell them and settle for Target pottery plates. (which I used to have too, but I sold them on e-bay during year 2 of our marriage.)

I wish I would have gone with my instinct when I registered for the stuff. I wanted to register for 12 different colors but someone convinced me I needed to have atleast 8 of the same place setting. Different colors just wouldn't do. ARE YOU SERIOUS! 4 years later I am bored as can be with just Cobalt, the most undemanded color in the Fiesta realm. Always listen to your guts.

I love this stuff.

I don't have a favorite color.

Generally I am a pretty natural and muted color type of person but I geuss the mexican in me craves the brightness of these dishes.

I can't get enough of 'em.

So I will just pretend that the dishes and various pieces below are part of my collection for now.

The brightest and best.

l would call this grouping Pink Lemonade or Citrus Sensation.

My future collection

The Vintage stuff is great but full of lead and therefore, brain cancer.

Super cute.

Hoping to inherit someones vintage collection like this one

Well said

If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature.
-Bruce Barton