I'm Done

Yeah, my Christmas tree is down with all the ornaments packed away, even the tree is bundled in a zip-up container.  Dropped by Trader Joe's yesterday and picked up a couple of wine boxes with their dividers still intact....voila my ornament containers. Worked perfectly.  

I pluck the dried hydrangeas from my bushes to adorn the Christmas tree, and when Christmas is over I have a huge pile of hydrangeas that are so dry to the touch they break apart instantly.  I never like throwing these away, they have given beauty since they begin their blooms in mid summer and add their continuing beauty all thru the holidays.

Tonight is bookclub, wondering how all liked our book, The Husband's Secret?  It certainly held my interest.  I have started reading Kate Atkinson's Life After Life and was a bit confused for the first few chapters.  I had downloaded the book on my Kindle when it first came out several months ago and forgot about it until I strolled thru and spied it, so I had forgotten the premise of the book.  That's what happens when you download, you don't get that book flap to give you a little start-up as to what the book is all about.  Now that I am in tune as to the gist of the book I am enjoying it, but I will admit a little confusion at the start.  Reading anything good?  I am always up for a good read.  That is on my 14 in 2014...read more.

Gotta go, still a little straightening remaining and my grandgirl is joining me for dinner and bookclub.  I think it's a hoot that Bailey comes to my old ladies (oops I shouldn't say that) book group, but definitely in a different age bracket than my Bailey.

Joining Kim at....

"Books are like imprisoned souls till someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them."  ~  Samual Butler

Until next time....

Beginning With Texture Tuesday

Each month over at my collaborative blog Focusing On Life where I contribute twice a month, we choose a "word" or "theme of the month."  I always start the year and this year my choice was "Beginnings".  In my thought process I imagined that this would be the perfect word for the brand spankin' New Year.  Let's not do resolutions, because you know we all seem to fail miserably at those, but beginnings was a kinda of guilt-free way to think about what kind of new beginnings would I like to do during the year.

Well, I definitely have not been the poster child for "beginnings" as now it is the 14th day into this new year and my Christmas tree, is still fully dressed and still standing proudly, lighting every evening by 4:30.  By this time, and usually by the 1st week of January all the Christmas beauties have been tucked neatly into their bins and put away for another year.  I have been draggin' my feet all year, literally.

About the only new beginning I have done for this year, is make the decision to let my hair grow longer and I started a new book.  Now both of those are truly momentous....wrong.  I will admit to having most every other Christmas pretty packed into boxes, it's just the tree that is still standing. My only excuse is I needed a new ornament box for storage and I dragged my feet about getting to the stores, now they are all sold out.  That procrastination pattern took over again, and now I am stuck with figuring out how to store those beauties.

Oh yawn, this is getting boring.  The above pic was taken with my 50mm and the lovely ranunculus was purchased to brighten my attitude.  I added one of Kim Klassen's lovely textures that she continues to share with us even after the struggles and year that she has had, KK_100 and am now joining her over at her blog for Texture Tuesday.

I hope you have a lovely day....

"The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out the joy." ~  Jim Rohn

Until next time....

Saying Yes

2012 has now come to a close and 2013 is open to new adventures, I am going to learn to say Yes more often. This is my word for 2013.  Saying no places a roadblock to growth, saying yes is an invitation to at least try.  

• Yes!  for eating healthier and staying away from sweets (well not all sweets, but less)

• Yes!  to education, either on-line or a physical campus

• Yes!  to contacting old friends that I haven't seen in awhile

• Yes!  to exercising (oh good Lord, I have to, even taking a walk is better than nothing)

• Yes!  to continuing my photography growth 

• Yes!  to a 365

• Yes!  to a trip abroad (I am bound and determined to get across that big pond and visit a foreign country)

• Yes!  to organization (No details here, the list is far too long)

• Yes!  to walking in the Alzheimer's Walk and raising as much money as I can for continued research to conquer this horrible disease.

• Yes!   to saying yes to opportunities that may come my way. 

• Yes!  to volunteering, it does wonders for my heart & soul.

• Yes!  to praying more and worrying less.

I did take a walk (one of the "yes's" on my list) this afternoon with Toby by my side and camera in hand. The sun was shining and very little wind but the temps were cold and still no snow (drats!).   After the two of us wandered for awhile, me taking pictures and Toby exploring I looked at Toby and realized he had picked up a burr on his little face and had tangled itself so tight that it had totally covered his eye.  With that, we came home to remove the nasty burr.  No pulling would loosen it, so I had to retrieve the scissors and cut. Thank goodness, Toby is a good & patient dog.  After several snips, the burr was finally gone, albeit a lot less facial hair fur on Toby's head, but thank God no damage to the eye.  
 
Day #1 of my 365....

Enjoying the walk before the burr....

And last, thank you, thank you, thank you....for being a part of my little piece of blog land.  I so appreciate your visits, your comments....you keep me going and inspired.  Thank you for a wonderful 2012 and I so look forward to a brilliant 2013.

And to continue with "Live and Learn & Pass It On"

"I've learned that maybe someday I'll be as perfect as I say I am when I fill out a job application."  ~  Age 20

"I've learned that child-proof bottles of medicine are sometimes adult-proof too."  ~  Age 55  

"I've learned that the worst thing in life to be without is love, but toilet paper comes in a close second."  ~  Age 59

"I've learned that you have to reach for the stars.  They're not just gonna land on your front porch."  ~  Age 15

Until next time....