Gitz Bits 2010: Week 47

Monday, November 22, 2010

Riley does whatever he can to get between me and anything that takes my attention away from him.

Even if it requires him cuddling up on the thing he despises most...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My neighbor, Dave, stores stuff in my garage, and since I didn't want to have anyone rooting around in his stuff, I asked him bring in my Christmas decorations for me. And all of those things he kindly put in my kitchen?

They are still sitting right there in my kitchen. :)

I think decorating is going to come in incremental spurts this year... but I am going to make sure it looks FESTIVE because the Shan Clan is coming for Christmas and I want to make sure it looks both holly and jolly.

The first order of business will be getting new lights since all of my trees burned out by the end of last year. Nothing sadder than a dark Christmas tree.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Nothing says Thanksgiving like hand turkeys, I always say. :) Those turkeys are about as cute as the turkeys who made them...

Thursday, November 25, 2010

When Mrs. Marchesani's classroom made my Thanksgiving cards I carefully went through and admired every single one of them. But this one is going to go down in history as my all time favorite note EVER. The first part of it reads:

Dear Sara,
So, how are you? I am fine. How is your day? Mine is not so good. But I am trying to make it fun. But no.

Sigh. Oh, Maya... I hear you, girl.

Friday, November 26, 2010

I did find that one of my trees had working lights, so I promptly put it up in the red room for a little Christmas cheer. I thought if I got one lit, it might get me in the mood to get the rest of the house decorated.

In the words of Maya above: But no.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Knowing that the Shan Clan is coming, I've been trying to find another place to sit comfortably so they don't have to spend all their time laying in bed with me... and this is the concoction I came up with for the red room.

Think I need another pillow or two??? ;) Riley just wants to make sure there is room for him after all is said and done...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

This is my favorite part of Sunday... it's a screen shot of my friends Tam and Brent in Oregon leading worship at their church. And that girl on the left? The one with the guitar? That's their 16-year-old daughter, Kass.

You guys, she is the most amazing singer. She writes her own music, she covers other people's songs and makes them better than the original, and [most importantly] she has a heart that matches her talent.

As soon as I get her permission, I'm going to post her singing on here. You will LOVE her.

Thanks for once again sharing my week with me! Click on the button below if you want to go to Jessica’s site and check out the other participants showing off their weekly photos as well:

Blog Peep Questions: Round 14

What movie can you watch over and over?

Oh, I am so guilty of this. You know how little kids can watch a movie and then turn around and begin immediately watching it again?

And again.

And again.

[Like the Barney movie when you wanted to pull your hair out if you heard "I Love You, You Love Me..." one more unbearable time.]

Yeah, that's how I am with movies. And books for that matter. And, if I'm honest, food. I can eat the exact same thing every day for months on end... which has come in quite handy since there are so few foods that: a) I'm not allergic to, and b) my stomach can handle without getting sick. My mom can attest to the fact that for an entire year before afternoon kindergarten I would eat a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich every day for lunch before getting on the bus.

And not because she wouldn't make me anything else. I was just happy with  my routine.

As for movies, I've been known to repetitiously watch Steel Magnolias, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Notebook, The Proposal, The Holiday, etc. etc. etc. It's ridiculous. Now that Christmas is coming, I can guarantee you I'll watch Bing Crosby's White Christmas multiple times every week.

The only way I can explain it is to liken it to comfort food.

Other people find their familiar – their comfort – in chocolate or their favorite dessert or whatever carb makes them feel full and warm and at ease.

For me, it's the familiar story, the sounds of the conversations, the music and the scenery that feels like coming home. Last year when the pain from the Spondylitis and Cushing's had me completely immobilized, the only thing I could stand was watching back to back episodes of Alias. It was ok if I closed my eyes, if I fell asleep, if I paid attention or not – because I knew what had just happened, what was coming next and what was being said in every single scene. It was familiar and soothing and required no effort from me when no effort could be given.

Since this summer, my comfort food has been the six Harry Potter movies.

Yes, I'm basically a 12-year-old.

But since Dad died, I can't seem to get into television shows that I would normally be chomping at the bit to see. It seems to take more effort for me to concentrate, I think partially because of the grief, partially because my pain has risen [and as a result so have my pain meds] and I've barely had a minute when I haven't been sick, which means I've been more tired. So comfort movies have been my saving grace.

Why Harry Potter? Because the movies are familiar, the music is mostly soft and soothing, and those English accents are a bit melodic, aren't they? It's like old friends stopping by for a visit, only I don't have to sit up and carry on a conversation, or worry about whether or not they are bringing germs in with them. :)

And the movies take me back to a time when my nephew Thomas, niece Anna and I would have Harry Potter weekends. We would watch them in a marathon, sometimes until three in the morning, while eating ice cream and candy and all the things adults should say no to. We would re-read the books during the day and throw about our theories and just spend time.

Wasting days on movies and books turned out to be days that weren't wasted at all. They are ones I treasure, and getting lost in them again is so much better to me than all the comfort foods I'm now allergic to.

Although I do still miss frozen Oreos.

Blessed.

I started this list last Friday, and I thought it was worth repeating – along with a few additions – as we all head into our Thanksgiving holidays tomorrow. Whether we are with family and friends or celebrating by ourselves, whether we live and die by tradition or love to mix it up in our holiday, the central theme is the same – that in more ways than we can count, we are blessed.

I'm thankful for those I love who are near. My friends who call on their way home from work, who drop me off a Sonic slush for no reason other than they know it makes me smile, who would walk through my door if their health let them, and who would stand outside my window just to wave if they thought I needed to see a friendly face.

I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for those I love who are far. My friends and family who call when I've been quiet, who text and email and Skype to keep me a part of their lives. For those who send me pictures of sunsets and videos while on walks or while simply sitting at their desk at work – just to give me a glimpse of the world outside my walls. They love me as I am, where I am.

I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for my pesky pup. The one who lays with me for hours on end and would rather snuggle under covers than retrieve a ball or romp outside. I'm also thankful he pesters me now and then for fresh water and makes me get up out of bed even when it hurts, because I count him as my physical therapist for pushing me beyond my comfort. :) And I count him as my counselor, too, as he lets me cry and makes me laugh and keeps me sane.

I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for my faith. I'm thankful for the deepest knowledge that there is a God and He loves me. I am so very grateful that He came to earth and saved the world so we can all be together someday for eternity. Without knowing that, I couldn't do what He needs of me in the here and now.

I am so very blessed.

I'm so very thankful for all of you. You, who are the dessert at the end of a very filling meal. You who show up here, who found me sitting by myself on the other end of this computer screen and decided to stick around and keep me company. You who remind me, every single day, that I am not doing this life alone.

I am so very blessed.

Mostly, this year, I'm thankful for the 37 years I got to spend sharing this life with my dad. I am thankful for his laugh, the twinkle in his eye, the whistle on his lips, the dance in his step, his booming whistle, his big soft hands and ornery personality. I'm thankful he lived big, he played big, he worked hard and loved even harder. I'm thankful I got to hear his jokes – the ones that were funny and the ones that weren't – I'm thankful that he lightened the atmosphere of any room he walked into simply by being his joyful self and he brightened my world simply by loving me so well.

I have been so very blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

I am thankful for you every day.

Gitz Bits 2010: Week 46

Monday, November 15, 2010

Did you know that Silly Bandz on paper is like the emoticon in an email?

I didn't either until I got this adorable letter in the mail from Nie Nie and Yodi. This is so something I would have come up with when I was little. Those sweet little chicks make my day on a regular basis.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

This is Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, receiving the medal of honor from President Obama. He's from Hiawatha, a small town not far from here, and it was so moving to watch him receive this honor.

I was trying to imagine what he must be feeling... the honor of the occasion, the memory of the soldiers he fought with in battle who died that fateful day, the men who he continued to serve with through his tour of duty, his wife and parents and family looking on.

If you look at his face, look into his eyes, you can see all those things wrapped up into a proud young man. It's breathtaking.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

I will admit, I did a poor, poor job when giving Riley his last haircut. He has uneven spots all over the place. But you would never know that if I didn't have all my ceiling fans on high, constantly blowing his fur in every direction imaginable.

I think that poor dog believes we live in a wind tunnel. I should be more concerned about whether or not he's cold, but really I'm just annoyed I can't take a good photo without his hair looking all out of place. :)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I know I said I'd stop taking photos of the sky... but then I look out at the crazy mess of clouds and I can't help it.

This is the way it looks so often lately. Like it can't decide if it's going to clear off or storm or just be a cloudy day. It mixes all three together and chooses each moment on its whim.

Friday, November 19, 2010

I'm a saver of sentimental things, which means I have stacks of cards from people I love. I've decided it's high time I find a way to organize them, so I was sitting in bed sifting through them when this one caught my eye.

Can you think of anything better in the world than getting a handmade card from your niece that says you're her BFF?

I didn't think so.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

My friend Robin and I were talking on Twitter about how cold our houses were, when I admitted I was typing on my iPad in fingerless gloves.

It's true. It's that cold. I took a cheap pair of those stretchy gloves and cut the fingertips off, because God knows I won't give up being able to type! I have looked for a cute pair, but it's crazy how few gloves are made without wool. So I resorted to taking a scissors and improvising. :)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

My sweet friend Gail gave me this adorable pumpkin to make my condo "fall festive." It's my only Thanksgiving decoration so it's prominently placed and I absolutely love it.

And as I'm typing this I'm panicking trying to remember if I sent her a thank you note.

Gail: In case I forgot, I am SO THANKFUL for you!!!

Thanks for once again sharing my week with me! Click on the button below if you want to go to Jessica’s site and check out the other participants showing off their weekly photos as well:

Blog Peep Questions: Round 13

What's the most rebellious thing you've ever done?

Oh, people.

I was not what you'd call a rebellious child. We've had this conversation before, and Mother has confirmed that whatever word describes the polar opposite of mischievous is the word that would best describe me. Catholic guilt was my most consistent emotion.

But as I was on Facebook tonight chatting back and forth with Goi, one of my dearest friends from high school, I remembered a time when we tried really hard to be rebellious.

Tried being the operative word here.

We were sophomores in high school and the guys in our class were rebellious enough for all of us. If they could find a way to get into trouble, they jumped in with both feet.

One day, a bunch of us were sitting in the cafeteria during study hall when the boys started bragging about stealing some random road sign. And some of us girls [Goi and I included] were trying to tell them it wasn't that big of a deal. That it wasn't the amazing feat they were claiming it to be.

And then we decided to put our money where our mouth was.

[Dear Mother: you may want to stop reading now...]

Of course, we were girls and that meant that we were more logical than our male counterparts. So we decided we would only steal a stop sign from a country road where there was little traffic and less chance anyone would get hurt from our actions. [Thoughtful, weren't we?] We also decided to focus our efforts out by the acreage where I lived because it was fairly secluded so there was less chance of getting caught – and if anyone happened upon us out there we could get in the car quick and say we were just headed to my house.

We were totally thinking ahead.

We were so prepared with tools and cover stories and oodles of logic.

What we weren't prepared for were the bolts on the sign being so dang tight.

Seriously, people. I have a hard time believing the wimpy 15 year old boys in the sophomore class had enough muscle on their own to get those bolts loosened. I'm convinced to this day that they took some sort of power tool out there with them.

Although, showing my age here, I'm not entirely sure battery powered tools were as readily available 20 years ago.

Regardless, it was insane. At one point, Goi and I were both holding onto the wrench [totally not even sure it was a wrench... I'm not tool savvy] and pulling on that sucker with all of our might when the wrench flew out of our hands and into the overgrown ditch. Goi jumped in to retrieve it, only to start yelling about getting bit and her face burning and swearing she jumped right into a mad swarm of something.

Turns out she did.

We gave up on the sign entirely [and probably lost the wrench-like tool in the process] and when I showed up in study hall the next day, Goi was there with one eye almost swollen shut and red bites on her face.

Seriously. Poor girl. I don't remember how she explained that one to her parents, but I'm sure it was a doozy.

All this to say... I have succeeded at a great many things in my life.

Being rebellious was not one of them.

Friday Five: thanksgiving

First thing first... random.org selected the winner of yesterday’s canvas:

Teri322: Would it be a shameless display to boast here that I know the fabulous Ms. Sigwarth (through work). Will that help me win? tee hee
Love the canvas. As always. :)

Congratulations, Teri! It didn't help you win – that was all on random.org – but I will say you are one lucky girl for knowing my Susie! :) Email me your mailing address and I’ll get the canvas sent off to you [or I may just send it with Suz]!

Can you guys believe it's almost Thanksgiving?

Seriously. Some part of me really believes it's still September. But the holidays rolling around makes me wish I was still at family gatherings, pestering everyone by putting my camera in front of them and snapping endlessly away.

Which sends me dreaming about what I might use to decorate a Thanksgiving themed scrapbook page... so I made a few little word art doodles in case you need them in your scrapbooks. ;)

This week, with each doodle, I'm going to list something I'm thankful for – I'm linking up to Shan's post and she has had a Thanksgiving theme leading up to the holidays – she says that one can never be too thankful.

I think she's right.

I'm thankful for those I love who are near. My friends who call on their way home from work, who drop me off a Sonic slush for no reason other than they know it makes me smile, who would walk through my door if their health let them, and who would stand outside my window just to wave if they thought I needed to see a friendly face. I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for those I love who are far. My friends and family who call when I've been quiet, who text and email and Skype to keep me a part of their lives. For those who send me pictures of sunsets and videos while on walks or while simply sitting at their desk at work – just to give me a glimpse of the world outside my walls. They love me as I am, where I am. I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for my pesky pup. The one who lays with me for hours on end and would rather snuggle under covers than retrieve a ball or romp outside. I'm also thankful he pesters me now and then for fresh water and makes me get up out of bed even when it hurts, because I count him as my physical therapist for pushing me beyond my comfort. :) And I count him as my counselor, too, as he lets me cry and makes me laugh and keeps me sane. I am so very blessed.

I'm thankful for my faith. I'm thankful for the deepest knowledge that there is a God and He loves me. I am so very grateful that He came to earth and saved the world so we can all be together someday for eternity. Without knowing that, I couldn't do what He needs of me in the here and now. I am so very blessed.

And I am so very, very thankful for all of you. You, who are the dessert at the end of a very filling meal. You who show up here, who found me sitting by myself on the other end of this computer screen and decided to stick around and keep me company. You who remind me, every single day, that I am not doing this life alone. I am so very blessed.

Now, if any of you would like some of these doodles to remind yourselves of all you are grateful for today, all you have to do is click on that download button and it will take you to the download page.

Hope you enjoy!

I’m going to be linking my post to Shannon’s Take Five entry [she takes 5 minutes to write 5 things about her week]. Head on over if you want to participate and link up. :)

Have a great weekend, friends, and enjoy the people you love!

YOU:create ... week 17

I asked a friend of mine to choose, off the top of her head, a quote I should use for a canvas this week.

Without missing a beat, she said:

Hope is the thing with feathers which perches in the soul.
                                              ~Emily Dickinson

I think she read my posts this week and thought I might need a reminder. :) The truth is, even though I have hope at the tip of my soul, it is always good to see it in writing and take it to heart...

Do you need a little reminder of hope in your life? If so, you can have this little canvas for free. Maybe. If random.org is kind to you. :) Just leave me a comment below telling me any old thing you like. Leave the comment before midnight CST, and I'll announce the winner in Friday's post [only one comment per person, please].

I can’t wait to see what you guys came up with this week! Just click below and follow the instructions to link to your project. When it asks you to choose the web or a file for your thumbnail, choose web. Then it will take you to a list of the images on the page you are linking to and you’ll be able to choose a photo to represent your project.