Walking in the Snow, Part 2

On my Facebook status earlier, I put that I thought about going for a walk and then decided not to. Then, I changed my mind and went anyway. I put on some layers, took the camera, and called home and chatted with my brother while I walked. And just to show you how brave I am, this is what weather.com has to say about the weather.

Please be proud that I went outside in this. I am. Proud, that is. Of myself. Now I can't type well because I broke my arm patting myself on the back. Ok, not really. It sounded good though, didn't it? Huh? Huh?

Here are some pictures I snapped randomly while I walked. Isn't the snow pretty? They keep the roads fairly well plowed. I only fell once, and didn't even get hit by a car!

I thought all the little trees covered in snow were pretty.

I LOVE the way the snow forms to the top of stumps. It makes such cool shapes.

I walked down to the lake. See that huge condo building? Those people are rich. Just sayin'. And do you see our white sand on our beaches? People are flocking for all over to sun bathe there. Not. It's cold.

The entrance to someone's private beach. I like.

The Coeur d'Alene Senior Center. I like it too.

Migrating Vegetables

There are some vegetables that I prefer to buy frozen. Among these are peas and broccoli. Since I buy the cheapest brand, the bags aren't reclosable. I usually put both bags inside one gallon size freezer bag to keep them fresh. For some reason, that freezer bag is really hard to keep inside the freezer. I want you to see the migration.

This is the happy (cold) home of the veggie bag.

This is where I discovered the veggie bag a couple of days after I had last used it. I am used to placing stuff up there (notice the abundance of stuff that lives on top of the fridge) so instead of putting the veggies IN the freezer, I put them ON it. Oops. They were quite spoiled by the time I discovered them.

This is where the veggies went next. The trash can was full, and I didn't want to overflow it. They only lived here for a few minutes.

The veggies final home. RIP veggies! I will miss you!

Directions

While studying the scientific method in my 8th grade science class, we did an exercise that involved making a peanut butter sandwich. My teacher had us split into groups and write instructions for making the sandwich. Then he took one set of the instructions and began to make the sandwich. "1. Spread peanut butter on the bread." He tried jamming his knife through the lid of the jar, so he could spread peanut butter on the bread that was still in the bag. We all swiftly revised our instructions to be as meticulous as he wanted them to be.

While I was showering the other day, I happened to read the directions on the back of my body wash. "Directions for use in the shower or bath: Squeeze a small amount of product onto wet puff. Lather and rinse." It made me think of that lesson in science. While the average person would not even read the directions in order to know how to use it, there might be someone out there who needs them. That's why they put them on the bottle, right? Think of poor Amelia Bedelia. She would be so befuddled by them. I think the directions are useless. How is putting body wash on a puff, lathering and rinsing it going to EVER get anyone clean? They should at least add a 'yourself' after the lather. Just sayin'.

Walking in the Snow

On Christmas Eve, Cameron and I bundled up and went for a walk on Tubb's Hill. It was beautiful. There was crusty snow covering the path and we were the only human life forms we saw on our walk. I wanted to share some pictures with you all.

I don't know if you can see it, but someone had drawn a star in the snow on that stump. Pretty!

So I'm a city girl. But I try to pretend I'm an Idaho girl sometimes. "Whoa, that's a really big cat track!" Cameron - "Actually, that is a dog."

My handsome husband.

I had to share my practical, warm, waterproof boots with you all. I love to be cute, but sometimes even I cave to being warm.

Bundled up for our walk!

On the way home, I discovered some profound truths. There were scenes that were only seen when walking back the way we came, much the same as life. There are times in life when we can only realize how beautiful/good/beneficial something is by looking back.

It was starting to get dark so I started walking pretty briskly. I was concentrating on where I would place my feet (didn't want to fall!) and looked up and saw this pretty scene. Truth: Sometimes we need to look up from taking that one step at a time and realize how good life is. It's easy to get wrapped up in day to day living but take a moment today to see the wonder of life.

There are times in life when it is obvious that we are not alone. There are signs all around us of the people taking the same path we are.

Sometimes, though, it's not so obvious. It's starting to get dark and the pathway is obliterated. The footprints are still there, though. You aren't alone in life, no matter what you are facing. There are always people there, willing to take your hand and help you over the slippery places.

About this time, two deer came tearing past us, startling me greatly. It was getting too dark to take any more pictures anyway, so we just concentrated on getting back to the car. I hope you enjoy our walk on Tubb's Hill almost as much as I did!

It's almost Christmas!

I meant to get this post written last night, but didn't get it done. I wanted to share with you all some of the sights of Christmas around here. I know that I have already put up a picture of my tree, but I'm putting another one since it actually has presents under it now! These things have helped me to get back into the Christmas spirit, and I hope they help you!

I had to use the flash, so you can't really see the pretty lights but that is ok. Please ignore the cardboard under my fancy metal buckle tree stand. And the fact that the pile of gifts is rather lopsided. I wasn't trying to arrange them in an aesthetically pleasing way. Thanks.

I made a bunch of Christmas trees out of felt and for a while there was a Christmas tree forest on my window seat. Now, there is a card and Christmas tree forest. I love getting Christmas cards!!!

The other night, we kept hearing a partial siren in our neighborhood. Finally this fire truck came down our street and we figured out why we heard the siren. We followed it and asked for a picture and the nice firefighters were kind enough to take one for us. They were playing Christmas carols over speakers attached to the front. I was quite enchanted. It helped me get back into the Christmas spirit.

Santa was sitting on top and waving to everyone. I really hope that his outfit was warm because it was a VERY chilly night.

The Third Day

I wrote this quite some time ago and posted it online, but I thought I would post it again. At Christmastime, I can only praise my Jesus for life.

At the end of the third day, Father God looked out over the newly created Earth and smiled. He saw the lush green of the plants, the deep blue of the still seas, and reveled in the pristine purity of it all. As his gaze skimmed the land, He saw only one place that was not covered in life. On a hill in the northern country, there was a spot that was remarkable in its barrenness. The crags of the rocks were in stark contrast to the blossoming plants all around the hill. As He looked ahead in time, He knew what He would see on this stony pinnacle.

A small seed, dropped on the rocks by a bird passing overhead, struggled to take root in the few grains of sand that had been blown into a crevice. It reached tentacles further and further, hungry for nutrients found only in soil of deeper depth. As it finally reached the end of its ability to survive, it slowly withered. The few shoots it had put out curled in on themselves, and it shriveled into nothingness.

The Father saw this cycle occur again and again. Life did its best to spring forth in an environment that was only suited to death. The spot continued its legacy of desolation, even while the world around it sang praises to the Creator.

Then the Father looked further to the darkest day on Earth, the day when even the sun covered its face in sorrow. God the Son, the Creator, had left Heaven to dwell among the created. They shunned the life He offered, preferring to continue to try to pull meager spiritual sustenance from the insufficient depth of the Law. Men caused Christ to be nailed to a cross on the hill of death. On that day, it was so clear why the Creator had left that spot bare. No life could spring from the place where God would offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. And yet, as Christ cried, “It is finished,” the earth trembled and the rocks began to break apart. Each place where His precious blood hit the ground, life sprang forth. The last stronghold of death was defeated, covered with new life.

And because God the Father knew that one day death would be given over to life, and because He knew that one day all Creation could bow and worship Him in purity, at the end of the third day, God said, “it is good.”

Teenagers

I get emails from Groupon with new deals for our area. They always have some witty thing at the bottom. I wanted to share today's Groupon saying with you. It made me laugh.

The Groupon Guide to: Raising a Teenager

Everyone in the world knows a teenager, is a teenager, or has seen a teenager in a movie about teenagers. Here are a few tips for those tasked with raising those of teen-agery:

• Teenagers will always want to do the opposite of what you say, so use reverse psychology on them by reciting Freud’s theories backwards.
• Teens are notoriously reckless behind the wheel, so ensure that your teen is a safe driver by forcing them to drive you to work at the age of 5.
• Relate to your teen by dressing exactly like them and writing in their diary when they’re not home.
• Teens like to rebel, so teach them a lesson about the perils of rebellion by showing them Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary.
• Teach your teen a little something about respect by singing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” at them all the time.
• Homeschool your teen to make sure they get the best education possible, then when they graduate, give them a homejob to ensure they have the best career.

The Flu

Cameron has been sick for the past couple of days with flu type symptoms. It made me curious: just how selfish are you allowed to be when hubby is sick???

1. Are you still required to sleep with them? "Hubby, I don't think we had better sleep together tonight. I love you dearly, but if I get sick, who will take care of you? And besides, we really don't want to contaminate the bed with flu germs. Do you know how hard it is to sterilize a mattress? Because I love you, I think you had better sleep on the couch tonight."

2. What about kissing? What faster way is there to pass germs? "Let me blow you a kiss. You know how much I love you, right? I just don't want to get near you."

3. Sharing toothpaste. Another great way to pass germs. We don't do this anyway, so it doesn't change when he is sick.

This is not really the way the last couple of days went. As a newlywed, I wasn't willing to be away from him, even if it means that I get sick too. He is feeling better anyway, so if I get sick, he can take care of me!

OCD

Remember my post about peep-holes? Labeling is something that most of society practices. It helps keep order in our world. The label "OCD" has been used to describe anyone who is overly organized or feels a need to keep routine. I have always thought that I had a touch of OCD, and last night decided that it is getting worse as I grow up. (I'm already "up" though, so where do I grow now?) I decided to look up OCD this morning so I could write an incredibly witty post about how it should be called Obsessive Control Disorder instead of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. News flash people - OCD is quite a bit different than most of society thinks of it. It is about using rituals to control the anxiety brought on by obsessive thoughts. Check out this website. It has a plethora of information about it.

I have discovered that what I have thought of as OCD is worsening. And I guess I can still call it OCD if I am referring to my newly coined Obsessive Control Disorder. You see, I like to plan. I like to have order in my life. I like control. And now that I am married and there is another person living in this house, it is a lot harder to control things. The holidays have worsened my need for control. "This is what I am used to. I don't want it to change." Try squishing a new family into old traditions. It doesn't work. So instead of putting them into my box, I am left floating outside of the box. *insert panic moment here* It only makes me work harder to control the things that I can control. For instance, if the day has been particularly trying and Cameron and I are getting ready to go someplace, I want to drive. The car is something I can control. (Even though some people would say even that is debatable.)

So people, you want to mess with me? Change something that I think is set in stone. It really puts me in a tizzy. I just wonder if my ability to cope will grow as I do. I hope so!

Stats

I was checking my stats the other day and noticed that I have had visitors to my blog from all over the world. One visitor in particular caught my eye. It was someone from Malaysia and I promptly had a flashback to my world before Cameron. You see, I met this guy online. He was a pirate and I just couldn't resist that black patch over his eye. Something about it caused instant chemistry. He reminded me that we had passed each other in the Minneapolis airport and both did a double take. It was like we knew each other even though we had never met. We kept in touch until that one fated day when I met Cameron. Even the black eye patch couldn't compete with a warm body. I promptly changed my internet identity and left my Malay pirate in the dust. When I saw that the visitor from Malaysia had only visited once, I knew instantly what happened. My old flame discovered my blog and searched diligently for a way to get me back, only to realize I was married. It so crushed his heart that he immediately climbed back on his boat and sailed off the end of the world. If I weren't so blissfully happy, I would feel sorry for him. You never know when your past will pop up in unexpected ways!

Note: Please be aware that this is a completely fictional posting.

Thank you cards

I realize that by writing this, I am opening myself up for others' criticism. I considered disabling comments and not posting it to Facebook, but then I realized that I am still putting this out in a very public way. If I leave it for the public to read, I should just be a woman and take any comments that come my way.

For me, thank you cards are a very complex phenomenon. There is a good chance that I have already said thank you to the individuals to whom I will send cards. When I think about all of the thank you cards I have ever received, I cannot remember one that didn't end up in the trash. I appreciated the conformance to societal rules, but inwardly thought, "They didn't have to waste all of this effort. I knew they appreciated the gift I gave them."  I'm sure there is someone out there thinking, "Don't rock the etiquette boat!" I'm not. I'm just wondering when this became part of etiquette. I even Googled it to see if I could find when thank you notes became popular but couldn't find any information. Should that lead me to believe that it has always been a part of civilized society?

I am just now finishing up my thank you cards from the wedding. For one reason and another, they have not been completed before now. Please don't judge me - you all lead busy lives too! Since I know there are people who would be offended by the non-receipt of a thank you card, I am finishing them. The cramps in my hand just caused me to question the reason for them.

What do you guys think about thank you cards? Are they a necessity or do we all worry about that one person who is a stickler for etiquette while inwardly wishing that we didn't have to do them? And please don't get me wrong; I am very grateful for everything we received. I just have a lot of time to think while writing.

Anticipation

Remember the days of anxious anticipation of Christmas gifts? I just read something that reminded me of how I felt about Christmas in my pre-adult years.

It has been tradition in my family to go to my Grandma Chancellor's house to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. There was always a huge pile of gifts when we arrived, and the pile just got larger as more family showed up. We had to eat and dishes had to be done before we could open gifts. Talk about torture. It was hard to shove food down when all I wanted to do was see what was in the packages that had my name. And waiting for dishes to be finished? Excruciating. As I got older, I decided I needed to act more cool about it. After all, it's more blessed to give than to receive, so I shouldn't be so excited about receiving. Deep inside though, I was still a little kid, excited about ripping off wrapping paper to see what was inside. Now that I'm an adult, some of the Christmas anticipation has been overshadowed by adult type activities. Buying, wrapping, decorating, planning, shipping, baking... All of it adds up to being somewhat overwhelmed the closer we get to Christmas. I was reminded a bit of how exciting it all is, though. I like to check the mail and look for the Christmas cards that have been coming from distant family and friends. The UPS guy just knocked on my door, and as soon as I finish this posting, I get to see what has arrived! There is a reason that this is called the "most wonderful time of the year!" Please remember to celebrate the love and family you have around you. Take time to be thankful for the amazing gift God handed to us all of those years ago. And try not to freak out about the fact that somehow 2010 is almost over and time is rushing faster than ever. Merry Christmas (in 18 days!).

A good day.

Cameron's boss's birthday is tomorrow and Cameron is supposed to bring a cake. He is such a good husband. Did he leave me alone in the kitchen to slave away while he sat on the couch and ate bonbons and read a trashy novel? No. He made me hot chocolate and snuggled with me on the couch. Then he coaxed me into the kitchen and helped me make the cake and then helped me wash the dishes. I have such a good husband.

My list of today's blessings:
1. The sun. It shone. I liked it.
2. My husband. iLike him too.
3. Seat warmers on my cold leather seats in my car.
4. Pandora. Yay for a variety of Christmas music!
5. All of you. Thanks for reading!

Christmas Card

With Love Blue Christmas Card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmastime is here...

"Silent night, Holy night, All is calm..."

I love this song. I get the most indescribable sense of peace just listening to it. My Jesus came to earth, and all is well. At least for one night, peace reigned.

Our tree! We have a bucket for a tree stand, but until I can cover up the cardboard the tree is sitting on, you can't see the stand.

One of my favorite ornaments. Mother bought this for me last year, and it's painted/designed by Jim Shore.

Another favorite. I bought this at a craft fair last year.

A fun ornament I found at the end of the season last year. I have several on the tree. This one says, "What do snowmen eat for lunch? Chili!"

Cameron and I went Christmas tree shopping last night. We visited a few tree lots before going to Fred Meyer. I had see trees for a reasonable price there, plus they had a $5 off coupon in their flyer. Earlier that day, Cameron's mom gave me an additional 15% coupon that she had, and so we got a really pretty tree for a very reasonable price. We came home and drank hot chocolate and listened to Christmas music and decorated the tree. I love this season.

Shutterfly Cards

I am working on Christmas cards, and trying to find the cheapest options. Now that I live in the Arctic, I am going to have to mail a lot more cards. I was urged to check out Shutterfly, and wanted to share some of their cool merchandise with you guys.

I love the idea of personalized calendars. Everyone needs a calendar to keep track of their life, so why not get one that lets you see your favorite people every time you look at it? Shutterfly has several options. I think my favorite is the desk calendar. If you want to check them out, click here.

They also have some really awesome Christmas card formats. You can make a traditional Christmas card style with pictures of your family on the front and a message to loved ones inside. Or, you could make a flat photo card that is easy to mail. They have lots of templates for around your pictures. Check them out! You can expect to see one of these designs on a card from me!

Isn't this adorable? Just one of the many awesome options!

Shutterfly has card options for lots of different occasions. They have birthday (here), wedding (here), and thank you cards (here). You could even personalize your gift tags (here). Lots of fun things to check out. Go click through their website when you have a minute. I'm sure you'll find something neat!

Groceries

When encountering a snow-covered parking lot after having given an arm and a leg for groceries, people react different ways. Some power through the snow pushing their baskets, willing to risk getting stuck for the convenience of not having to break the arm they have left under the weight of their purchases. Others load up their arms with their purchases, not wanting to try to push the basket through all of the slush in the parking lot, and instead risk slipping and falling on their newly purchased eggs. Yet others forget where they park and push their basket all the way across the parking lot through a steady snowstorm, wearing 3 inch heels, feeling like a total idiot. I won't mention any names. Please use your imagination with this picture. Paint can only do so much.

You seriously could have followed my tracks across the parking lot from one door to where my car was parked in front of the other door. My basket made nice little tracks in the snow, begging others to follow along on my little adventure. As soon as I stepped into the parking lot, I knew that I was on the wrong side, but refused to turn around and walk back through the store to the other side. I just straightened my back (muttered to myself, "Wow, this is dumb" and then realized that talking to myself would not help my idiot image) and powered across that parking lot like I really meant to take a nice jaunt in my shoes that were killing my feet. No matter that it was snowing (a lot!). Us North Idaho women can handle that snow. It was just like a summer day! Not. You see where I turned in the picture? I was getting tired of looking lost, so I desperately picked a random aisle that I knew had to be getting close to where my car was. The X marks the spot where my basket got stuck and I had to go from pulling it to pushing it. It was delightful. Talk about a sigh of relief when I finally spotted my car.

Elderly people in my life, I apologize for all of my condescending thoughts that I have ever thought about you losing your car. I really didn't think this could happen to me. I think God knew that I really needed to be humbled this week. I will be more understanding in the future. And I will try not to be talking on my phone when I park my car, so that I am not distracted from imprinting in my mind the location of my car. I have a new respect for large parking lots. Tricky things.

*Blush*

Yesterday, I read something that pricked my conscience. It reminded me that I am human too, and I should be just as willing to humble myself to my small audience. You can read about the Pioneer Woman's woes here.

Please brace yourself. This is not pretty.

This chair is on my living room floor, just as you see it in the pictures. The tale of how it ended up there is embarrassing. I must give you some history first.

Several years ago, a bunch of young people were gathered at a friend's house playing games. I got up (I don't remember why now) and then came back to my chair at the table. When I sat down, the back two legs of the chair I plopped onto promptly split from the chair and I ended up in the floor. As you can imagine, EVERYONE laughed, and I was mortified. I never lived it down. People were talking about splinters flying any time they saw me. I considered going on a diet, and then decided I loved food too much.

Last week, I sat down in my chair at the dinner table after fixing something delectable for Cameron and I to consume, and the legs of my chair split from the bottom of the chair. Talk about deja vu. Cameron promptly started laughing, and I must say, I was mortified (again!) and went to the bedroom to compose myself. Cameron didn't even ask me if I was ok! (He said it was because I didn't even fall in the floor. I have acquired the ability to gracefully fall when my chair is breaking. Experience is a doozy of a teacher.) It took me a while to get over my embarrassment enough to post about it. I'm thinking a diet really is in order this time! Until such a time as I have reached a sufficiently low weight that the chairs no longer tremble in fear when they see me coming, I think we will be having dinner on the couch!

Thanksgiving Celebrations

I spent Thanksgiving last year in Idaho with Cameron's family, so I kind of knew what to expect. Or I thought I did. It would be the opposite of what I was used to: no chaos, no large groups of people, no paper plates, no impromtu game of football, no overeating, no Black Friday shopping. I was partially right. I had forgotten about the parts of Thanksgiving that really matter, though. Family. Love. Laughter. Pumpkin Pie. There was definitely an abundance of those. (Except the family. They are a lot fewer in number than my family. But I'm guessing that is probably true of most families.)

Not a very good picture - sorry. Please ignore my sunken cheeks. Dinner helped fatten me up, I assure you.

We left early Thursday morning to drive to Cameron's grandparents house. I took a picture of us on Cameron's phone as we drove so that I could share it with you all, but couldn't get the internet to work very well while we drove through the tall (snow-covered and gorgeous) mountains. That was the only picture we took, even though we also took the camera. Good intentions... Snow fell while we drove, and there were several inches on the ground when we stopped about 30 miles away from his grandparents' house. Thanksgiving in this family is never complete without the guys spending part of the day hunting. Cameron joined his brothers and his dad in their truck and his mom and I took our truck on to his grandparents'. I just want the whole world to know that I drove up a very steep road that was still snow covered. And it has no guard-rail for most of the way. (I probably wasn't as scared as his mom. I couldn't look at how far down it was.) We made it safely and had a good day preparing dinner. Then, we ate lots of good food. I tried pot-liquor. I wasn't brave enough to try it last year. It tastes like tabouli. And it doesn't contain liquor. It just has a weird name.

Friday, I went for a couple of walks in the snow and read a good book (not at the same time!). There are quite a few deer around his grandparents' house and it was fun to watch them.

We left to come home this morning, and I felt like I was coming back to civilization. There is no cell signal out there, and I didn't ask to use their dazzling fast dial-up internet. I couldn't bring myself to be dazzled in that way.

I was worried about the trip before we went. I was worried about driving all that way on slick roads, I was worried about staying the weekend with people I didn't know very well, and I was worried about not eating enough. That is a very serious concern to my emaciated body. I have to eat constantly just to keep up my girlish figure. I had a great time. There were a couple of times when I wanted to break out in wailing sobs because of homesickness, but I managed to ignore them. Yes, I missed my family. And I still do. But I chose to marry my best friend, and chose the sacrifices associated with living in a different state. My sisters sent me lots of pictures and I can pretend like I'm home. I love his family, and I'm learning by God's grace to deal with my homesickness one day at a time. I'm focusing on the positive. (Like the abundance of cinnamon rolls that I somehow ended up bringing home that are begging to be eaten. They are definitely going to help my girlish figure stay well rounded. That's good, right?)

All this to say: God is good. I thought I would be miserable this weekend, and I wasn't. I wasn't sure I'd have a good time, and I did. Change and new things aren't bad; they are just change and new things. (That was profound. Please let me know when you get done pondering my profundity.) I had a great Thanksgiving, and I hope all of you did as well. Now, if someone would please play me the BC Clark commercial, my life would be complete.

Outside My Windows, Part 2

This is normally what I see outside my window. Everything is obscured by the condensation. Cameron told me I could probably wipe it off, but I like it. I can open the blinds and still get natural light, while still not worrying that the people walking down the street can see that I stay in my pjs most of the day.



This is what it looks like outside my window when I stand on the window seat to reach the cleared spot in the window. I was going to open the window to take a picture but I think it is frozen shut. There is a LOT of snow. Ok, so there are only 5 or 6 inches, but that is a lot for this Oklahoma girl.

 I am SO thankful for the sunshine. It's really bright when you look right in it, but who can help gazing adoringly at that huge friend that has been so conspicuously absent the last few days?

Tomorrow, we are headed a few hours south to spend Thanksgiving with Cameron's grandparents. We are planning to stay all weekend, and the guys will be hunting. I will be trying not to freeze. I'm not worried about eating too much, because that is not part of this culture, unless you live in my house. I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving and a great time with family. If you are related to me and you are reading this, I will miss all of the chaos that always surrounds family gatherings. Please talk a little bit louder for me. And someone tall, hit your head on Grandma's light that is above the table, just for old times sake. Thanks!

Snow

I want nothing more at this moment than to be a snowbird. To all of you who are familiar with large amounts of snow and allowed me to move to North Idaho, I simply have one question: WHY????

The initial snowflakes were pretty. The pristine layer covering the drab leafless trees was beautiful. The slick layer of stuff on the road? Not so much. My distaste for the stuff started last night. We were coming home from church, turned into our neighborhood, and promptly slid into a curb. My tire is fine. The rim isn't. Rather than deal with it in the dark and lateness, I got up and went with Cameron to work so that I could have his truck today. (I am thankful for two vehicles.) We got to his work, I got out of the car, shut the door, and slipped and fell. I wrenched my arm, and ended up with a wet, sore bum and bruised ego. I drove very slowly home (I am fairly certain I have never done the suggested 35 mph on our off ramp. I did today.) and now I don't want to go anywhere. I have to work in a few hours. Can someone please turn on a heat lamp and make this stuff go away? Thanks!

I'm sorry that this is a whiny posting. Maybe I'll have something more positive to say later. Until then, you can find me in the kitchen devouring any chocolate we have in the cupboards. I wonder how baking chocolate would taste by itself?

Peeping through my peep-hole

When I am alone in the apartment, I often glance through the peep-hole to make sure no one is outside the door. Even if I am just walking by or sitting across the room, I look to see if there is light coming through because that means no one is there. Yesterday, as I was vacuuming, I glanced out as I went past and thought I saw something. I promptly had to put my eye up to it and see if there was really anything there. There wasn't. Looking through the hole from a distance had skewed what I could see until it looked like something was there.

My overly analytical mind immediately began comparing that to life. We can know our surroundings, and see them clearly, but how clearly do we see the things outside our little world? For instance, on Facebook yesterday, someone posted something like this. "Some woman is whining that her city has made her sick. If you don't like living here, MOVE." Someone put a comment, reminding this person that the city really might have made her sick, and it was her right and responsibility to make sure that people are aware that there is a problem so that the issue can be fixed. They also said that maybe the woman couldn't afford to move, etc, and the answer isn't always that simple. We are all prone to jump to conclusions about things we see in life, skewing them according to the lens that we view them through. I hope that I can learn to be a little less judgmental, and be a little more open to seeing things through other peoples' peepholes.

The sun will come out...

"The sun is up, the sun is yellow. The yellow sun is over the house." - Go Dog Go, by PD Eastman

I like the sun. I was driving home from Bible Story time on Tuesday, and saw the most gorgeous sunset. The fact that the sun was setting at 4 pm was a little disturbing, but the sunset was pretty none-the-less. The sky to the west was golden, surrounded by beautiful shades of pink. Shades of pink also outlined the folds of clouds in the sky above me. I watched the sunset fade as I drove, turning the sky into soft grays with light patches between the clouds. Wow.

Then, this morning I woke up to precipitation. I thought it was rain, but Cameron texted me later that it was snowing. I went to a window that I could actually see out of (the windows collect condensation in the mornings, and are quite hard to see through!) and saw huge flakes of snow drifting down. Shortly thereafter, the sun came out, the clouds are gone, and I had to open a window because the sun was overheating our apartment! I can hear the birds singing, the roads are wet from melted snow, and I think it's a perfect day to do some Christmas shopping! Soak up some of that sunshine, spend money on my favorite people... Some of my favorite activities!

Pay more?

I bought some black boots last year around this time because I wanted something cute that would keep my legs warm. I still had an office job at the time, and so I bought a pair with 3 inch heels. They are super cute and I still like to wear them, but they are not water proof and certainly not very practical for an area that is going to get snow. (Thankfully, it hasn't snowed yet!) Yesterday, I went looking for a pair of black boots that would be waterproof, warm, and still chic. I'm not too proud to admit that the first stop I made was Payless. I am not above shopping in the cheap stores! I looked and they had several pairs of black boots and most of them were even cute. However, they want $50.00 for their black boots. Now, the name Payless would lead you to believe that you are going to pay LESS for their product. However, $50.00 is not much less than boots you can get in most department stores. Payless, what have you done? Are you adjusting your prices for inflation? Are you trying to change your image to a more trendy, exclusive shopping environment? Because if so, you have a long way to go. You are letting down the public. You need to make your products more affordable for us poor newly married folk. Ok? Thanks!

I think I dislocated my shoulder.

1. I know other people have said this, but I am one of those people who would rather carry all of my grocery bags in at one time, even if that means that I have 7 heavy bags on each arm. (And let's not forget the gallon of milk.) Sometimes, however, this is not the best idea. For instance, when you end up with so many bags that you cannot lift your arm to shut the back door of your SUV. And then, when you get to the front door of your apartment building, you cannot figure out how to open the door because you can only get one finger free. As you stand there muttering about how awkward the situation is, the mailman pulls up behind you. You make one last desperate attempt and get another finger free, barely make it up the stairs to the landing where you drop all of the bags and the milk on the floor so you can dig out your front door key, and said mailman comes in and says, "That was almost too hard. If you had given me 30 more seconds, I would have gotten the door for you." You think, "Thanks for being nice when I'm feeling extremely silly," but you just say, "Yeah, it was. Thanks!" You then go back out in the cold to shut the back door of your car, completely defeating the purpose of bringing all of the bags in at one time.

2. When I exit the highway to come home, the first building on my right is a heating company. Behind the heating company there are two tents. I wonder if the people living in the tents think it will be warmer there by osmosis.

3. There is an Italian restaurant opening soon. It has been opening soon for almost as long as I have lived here. They are making rapid progress - they just put up a new sign! Maybe it will open before we move to the sticks and we can sample their wares. I'm not holding my breath.

4. I better go put my groceries away before the ice cream melts all over the carpet where I dropped the bags and moved to the couch, irresistibly drawn to technology.

5. Have a good day!

The Perfect Day

I had the perfect day on Saturday. Cameron had planned to go hunting at some ungodly hour, but ended up turning off his alarm and we both slept in. That alone made the day perfect. Then, I mixed some fajita chicken (and sauted onions and green pepper) with scrambled eggs, corn tortillas, and salsa and we ended up with a super yummy breakfast. There is something fulfilling about creating a tasty meal. Cameron then left to go hunting, and I went shopping with a friend. I almost never have girl time anymore, and I was silly excited about it. We went to Spokane and ate good food, talked (a lot!), and shopped till we were too tired to shop anymore. And the best (and worst!) part of it was, neither one of us spent any money except for what we spent on lunch. That is a rare accomplishment for a couple of females in a huge mall!

I learned something from all of that. I had assumed that it would be hard to make plans with this friend because she lives an hour away. Don't ever make assumptions. It's just as easy to make plans with her. I just had to ask. You never know what sort of fun you are missing out on by making assumptions!

School Days

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.

Remember that? I do (obviously!). I didn't remember that it was called a mnemonic, but you can find pretty much anything with Google.

That saying didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I was probably the only one in the class whose Mother had ever served nine pizzas at one time, and that was even on a special occasion when there were extra people at the house. Besides, now that Pluto isn't a planet, it really won't make sense. So, I decided to come up with my own.

My Very Excellent Man Just Slipped Up (Not!)

Ok, so probably no better than the old mnemonic. What can I say? I have a hard time getting my mind away from the initial one, since it was drummed into my brain at an early age. Does anyone have a better one?

Peanut Gallery

1. Last night, I told Cameron, "No comments from the peanut gallery!" and then promptly realized that I had no idea where that phrase comes from. I asked him, and his response was, "I just thought it was something the Okies made up." Okies say it, but I wasn't convinced that they had made it up. I googled it this morning, and this is what I found on Wikipedia. "A peanut gallery is an audience that heckles the performer. The term originated in the days of vaudeville as a nickname for the cheapest (and ostensibly rowdiest) seats in the theater; the least expensive snack served at the theater would often be peanuts, which the patrons would sometimes throw at the performers on stage to show their disapproval. The phrases "no comments from the peanut gallery" or "quiet in the peanut gallery" are extensions of the name." You learn something new every day!

 2. I know that sometimes I neglect my blog. I have a hard time thinking up what to write about sometimes and don't want to just write meaningless nonsense. Even though that is what it ends up being 75% of the time anyway. So, no comments from the peanut gallery! (Clever, huh? It took me a while to think this up.)

Thankful

Saturday night, we went out to our property and had a fire and a picnic. Did you know that Del Taco has 39 cent tacos right now? No, I did not get my act together enough to do hot dogs and s'mores over the fire. Too bad...

Some of my friends on Facebook are posting one thing they are thankful for every day this month. I haven't done it, but that doesn't mean I'm not thankful for the good things in my life. One of Cameron's coworkers told him he is lucky because of how things are going right now. I don't want to take our blessings for granted.

1. I'm thankful to (finally!) be married to my best friend. It is so awesome to get to spend part of every day with him!

2. I'm thankful for vehicles that are running well.

3. I'm thankful that we both have jobs.

4. I'm thankful that things are working out that we will be able to get into a house soon, and for a really reasonable price!

5. I'm thankful for supportive family and friends. I would not make it without you guys!

There are so many things to be thankful for: our country and freedoms, the men and women who serve to allow us to keep those freedoms, technology that allows us to stay in contact with our family easily...

What are you thankful for today?

Christmas

During church Wednesday night, a verse was read that is a part of the Christmas story. It made me think about what Christmas means to me, and this is what I wrote.

Christmas inspires a great awe in me. It marks the anniversary of an event that set in motion the most remarkable love story of all time. All of heaven turned out to witness God coming to Earth. The star wrapped long arms of light to all corners of humanity. The angels couldn't refrain the joyous song that burst forth to the humble shepherds. The Creator of our incredible planet became one of the Created in order to show the immense love of God to us in a personal way. The love that formed us and the beautiful world we live in caused our Creator to desire to know us intimately. Michelangelo pictured this so accurately in the hand of God reaching out to spark life in Adam, painted in the Sistine Chapel. That same hand reaches down to each of us, itching to instill life. I know there is something in humans that seeks unconditional love; I've felt it. I also know that it possible to have that filled. I have felt the touch of God. Christmas reminds me each year how much I am loved. And that is why I love to give gifts. It is a very small way of showing to others how much I love them.

Random

1. Cameron and I are not currently having a child.

2. On the way home from church, we were talking about names for our future children. I like the name Laney Beth. He thinks there are too many Nees in that name. I will continue working on him. Here are some of the things we learned about my name choosing fetish. (1) The first name cannot be one syllable. There is no flow to that sort of a name. (2) I have weird associations with names. For instance, the name Leann sounds like a middle name to me. If we named our child that, I would feel like she was running around half-clothed at all times. (3) I like the name Elizabeth. That name was Cameron's brain child. But then we couldn't use Beth as Laney's middle name. So I told him that wouldn't work. Him- "What about Eliza Beth?" Me- "No. I don't like it at all." Him- "You're right. Then we would try to call her and say "Eliza Beth!" And then it would sound like just one name. And that would just be weird." (4) Boys names are boring to me, so I have no prospective boys names in mind. (5) Some names have pleasant associations, but I still would never name my child that. (6) We are not naming one of our children Opinion. Cameron said we couldn't. But I have strong ones. He said so. So wouldn't that make a good child?

3. I gave a random child what for earlier. I was leaving the household of the lady to whom I give care, and when I turned the corner there was a 7-years-old-ish girl walking down the street. She deliberately went out to the middle of the street and stopped till I slowed down and then went back to the side of the street. I pulled up to her and said, (less sternly that I would have said it to one of my nieces) "Don't do that again. You need to get out of the street when you see a car coming." WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? I understand watching out for children playing in the street. I do. I DON'T understand a child who deliberately stops in the middle of the street, practically daring the person in the car to run over her. AND WHERE ARE THIS CHILD'S PARENTS? Shouldn't they have TAUGHT her to get out of the way of cars??? My car is bigger that her. I can guarantee it wouldn't end well. Ok, rant over.

4. I'm typing this blog on Wednesday night because I'm working again tomorrow and I probably won't have time to type it in the morning.

5. I love Christmas. And it's coming. I heard a Christmas song yesterday. After my initial thought of, "Already? It's not even Thanksgiving yet!", I had a rush of the warm fuzzy feelings that always accompany Christmas for me. Dear CEOs of the airline industry, would you please consider lowering ticket prices? I want to be with my family for Christmas. Show some Christmas spirit, ok? Yours truly, A Poor Newlywed.

Ode to Oklahoma

Oklahoma,

Your air is not always sweet,
But I like you.
The ground is very flat,
And that's ok.
Please know that I miss you,
And I know you miss me too.

Building progress post

I promised you all building progress pictures. This is the front of our property before anything has been done. It is quite ugly at the front, because the trees don't start till around 100 feet back. We intend to get rid of the weeds at the front and plant grass and eventually trees.

This is the beginning of the house hole. A friend is running the front loader. (I think that is what it is called.)

Graveling our really long driveway. The soil is so rocky up here that we are just scooping dirt off of our property to gravel the driveway. Well, not we. Our good front loading friend is.

We are standing in our home! I don't know if you can read the sign, but it says "Home Sweet Home". Yay for beginning! (And yay for not being able to see my hideous muddy boots in this picture. They are very practical but definitely not chic!)

So basically, at this point, we have a driveway and a basement. What more do we need?? We even have a fire ring. We should just go ahead and rent a truck and move our stuff! Not. It's exciting to have gotten started, but there is a LONG road ahead. Wish us luck!

Fred Meyer Fun

First of all, I want to let you all know that the sun is shining. We haven't seen the sun in several days. I like it.

Last Thursday, I braided my hair, got around, and went to Fred Meyer to do some grocery shopping. As I was busily marking items off of my list, a middle-aged gentleman stopped me.

"I like your pigtail." (News flash - this is a braid, buddy! How young do you think I am, anyway??)
"Thanks!"

He proceeded to ask me if I was a Christian and we had a brief conversation about beliefs. That wasn't completely abnormal, since it's pretty obvious by the way I dress that I am conservative.

What was unusual was that the next day when I ran in Fred Meyer to use the facilities, I was stopped by another middle aged gentleman. He didn't speak English very well, but I could understand him. Our conversation went something like this.

Gentleman - "Congratulations. You look so nice!"
Me - "Thanks!" (I had my hair down and had dressed with care for my date with Cameron.)
Gentleman - "I wish my wife was here to see you."

The conversation went on with him telling me that he has two sons and no daughters and so when he and his wife see nice looking girls they are glad. Or something like that. I wasn't sure it he was telling me about his sons because they could translate or if he thought I might be a potential girlfriend, because the next thing I know, he's inviting me over for dinner. Somehow I managed to work my husband into the conversation, and probably dashed his hopes.

We concluded our conversation and I went to the bathroom. The gentleman was still sitting by the front doors when I went to leave FM, and we ended up chatting again. He called his wife (she was in another part of the store) and she came to see my hair. Eventually, Cameron came in looking for me. By the time we parted ways with the couple, they knew that my brother was marrying a Mexican girl (which made them very happy) and we had given them our contact information so they could have us over for dinner. They said they would fix Mexican food for me, which I simply cannot refuse. :-D

I'm planning to go to Fred Meyer again today. We need some more groceries. I wonder who I will meet!

Date Night

I told Cameron a few weeks ago that I was hoping that we could make up for some of the dates we never got to have in our long distance relationship. He has been working hard to come up with some special times for me.

Last night, he got home from work and sheepishly told me that he forgot to make reservations earlier so our reservations were for 7:15. I said that was fine (and promptly got up and ate a snack!). I had told him that I didn't want to know where we were going the day before, but then asked him last night anyway. I had seen on the Money Saving Queen's blog that Restaurant.com has $25 certificates for $2 right now using the code TREAT. There is a restaurant called Kynrede's Cafe on there that I have been wanting to try. We purchased the certificate, changed our reservation (Cameron was going to take me to Texas Roadhouse, which I love) and headed out.

The first stop on Cameron's date night list was the store every girl hopes her significant other will take her to. *DRUM ROLL* We stopped by Home Depot. Cameron said that actually wasn't in his plan, but his dad called him yesterday and said we are breaking ground today (!!!!!!!!!!!!) and so Cameron needed a gas can to put gas in to power his chain saw. I graciously rushed him through the store, wishing in the deepest part of my heart that we could linger longer. Ha.

Our reservations for Kynrede's were at 7:00, and we got there 10 minutes early. I just want to say that I am proud of us for getting somewhere EARLY. That was a notable occasion in our married life. The minute we walked in the door, I fell in love. It is a house that has been converted into a small restaurant. The atmosphere was very cozy. There were candles on the table, an unlit fireplace which having been lit would have made the place unbearably warm, soft music playing, and an overall intimate aura about the room. The food was excellent. We started out with Coconut Shrimp (and complimentary bread!) and I could have died a happy woman right then. Cameron ordered a Ribeye Steak (which I tasted and pronounced delicious) and I had Salmon with a yummy Garlic sauce. I brought most of it home. Cameron told me he had plans for dessert, and I didn't want to be so full that I couldn't eat anymore. Including tip, tax, and all of that food, we ended up paying around $40. It was so definitely worth it. As much as I love Texas Roadhouse, I would absolutely go back to Kynrede's before I would go there. And did I mention that kynrede is the old English spelling for kindred? *Insert warm fuzzy feeling here*

At the end of the meal, Cameron told me that Nordstrom Rack had opened this week over in Spokane Valley and he was wanting to take me there. Do I have the most thoughtful husband ever, or what? They close at 9:30 and it was 8:15, but it only takes about 30 minutes to get there. We stopped at Fred Meyer to get gas, and he dropped me at the front door so I could run in and use the bathroom. I have a great story about him having to come into Fred Meyer to find me, but I will share that another day.

We made it to Nordstrom Rack with plenty of time to browse (I saw several really cute things, but didn't spend any money!). We stopped at Krispy Kreme for dessert and got some yummy ice cream. Did YOU know that KK had ice cream? I didn't. They also had a dozen donuts for $5, so we picked some up for the guys to munch on out at the property today.

I just want to say that I'm so glad (first of all) that I told my husband what I was needing. He had no way of knowing that I was hoping that we could make up for lost dates after we were married. All it took was me telling him how special I would feel if he would plan some dates for us, and he jumped on it. Second of all, I have the best, most supportive husband ever. He's really sweet too.

I need to get around now. I'm supposed to help get lunch for the guys and need to find out when my m-i-l would like me to be there. I hope you have a great weekend! Pictures of our building progress to come soon!!!

I made the short list!

1. I saw a Crest truck on the way home, and felt like I had seen my best friend. It looked like home to me.

2. One of these days, I'm going to end up with a speeding ticket. I forget to monitor my speed and my lead foot takes me to speeds I shouldn't attain.

3. My husband is coming home to take me on a date. I'm excited.

Good weekends to you all!

See the work of the Lord

I was braiding my hair just now and a card Cameron has displayed on the dresser caught my eye. There is a tranquil mountain scene pictured on the front with the verse "...The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Psalm 33:5) It made me stop and think about the beautiful world all around me.

While Cameron was home at lunch, a ladybug landed on his plate. He picked it up and carried it to the front window where he opened the blinds (and window) to let it out. The opened blinds immediately added another dimension to my otherwise dreary living room. The trees are turning colors with a vengeance and brightened my day.

Those trees demonstrate to me the goodness of the Lord. When God created this incredible planet, He made it both functional and beautiful. Trees serve the purpose of shade on warm summer afternoons. They provide oxygen, which is very necessary for us. Their lush green is the perfect backdrop for many fun-filled days. In the fall, as their leaves start to change colors, the brilliant golds, reds, and oranges provide a cheerful counterpart to the dull, cloudy fall weather. When I look at the infinite care put into each minute detail, I must acknowledge that there is a God. The love put into the world He created as my home helps me to know that He also loves me.

Have you experienced the goodness of the Lord today? Look around, and I'm sure you will see at least one good thing provided by His hand!

I'm back!

I shamelessly neglected my blog while traveling, and really don't feel all that bad about it. I'm back among the blogging now though! Watch out, world!

Some highlights of my Oklahoma trip:

1. Seeing friends and family. I missed those guys.

2. Ted's Cafe Escondido! Ted, I need you in my life on a more regular basis.

3. Sitting in a booth at McAlister's with my mom, Rusty, and Wesley, I overheard this conversation behind me. "Susie, sit down. You just tattle-told on Johnny for turning around like that." Tattle-told? It took me a minute to think through that one. "Wait, she should have said tattled. I guess she is trying to have good grammar, but tattle-told would be the good grammar way of changing the redneck 'tattle-tell' into the past." It made me smile.

4. Cato. I really miss that store. I found the most beautiful summer outfit for only $17.00. Too bad I won't get to wear it for another 6 months.

5. I felt like I had never left. Kind of. There were some things that felt different, but not much.

There had been a chance of snow Monday in our area. There was no snow on the ground when I got back. For this I was thankful.

I have discovered an interesting phenomenon. When I'm referring to things that occur here in Idaho, I don't include myself. "Y'all do weird things like go camping." When I was in Oklahoma, I found myself doing the same thing. "Y'all use brick to build all of your houses. We can't because it is too expensive." Maybe one of these days I'll figure out where I belong. Until then, I have two homes.

Home Sweet Home

First of all, I am typing this on my awesome Kindle. Please excuse any weirdness about the posting. Why am I on my Kindle? I am in Oklahoma! I flew home for the weekend and tried to surprise my family. Most of them figured it out before I got here. Oh well.

Spending some time with strangers yesterday, I noticed some interesting things.

1. There are flight attendants who can make that boring safety speech interesting. "In case you haven't been in a car in the last 50 years, this is a seatbelt. And if you need anything, press the call button above your seat and Harry will answer. He is the junior flight attendant and frankly, he still cares."

2. When you are boarding a plane most people won't catch your eye. It's as if they think that if they don't look at you, then that empty seat beside them will stay that way. Sorry folks, but I'm still in the seat by the window. I'll just climb over you, thanks.

3. The Denver airport doesn't get more interesting the more time you spend there. There are lots of flights that come and go and that is just about it.

4. I can read a whole book in 6 hours.

5. Don't think that you can say a friendly word to a salesperson because you think he has got to be as bored as you are. He's not. He just wants to sell you a credit card. You are better off if you just don't make eye contact with him at all.
6. I'm terrible with small talk. That being said, the flight goes a lot faster if you are able to make conversation with the person beside you.

I was creating this blog post in my head as I fell asleep last night, and had something else witty that I was going to say. I don't remember what it was now. I remember thinking as I fell asleep, "I should write this down. No, I'll remember it in the morning." Fat chance.

I think I will let all of you go and enjoy the rest of your weekend with this parting note. If you ever want to look pregnant to make your mom get a shocked face, I can tell you how to do it. It's great fun. Unless you are male, and then I wouldn't suggest trying it.

Letters from Lars

Un-dearest Linnie,

I need your help. Ever since you left with all of my money, my life has been dreary. I have found more money, and I want your help finding me a new wife. I heard that you have sisters. Perhaps one of them would be interested in a poor banker?

No longer yours, Lars

P.S. I have enclosed my best picture for your matchmaking efforts.

Ladies, who can resist this face? I couldn't. I know that you all will be wanting his contact information, so please just leave me a comment and I will do my best to get back to you with it.

Note: No old men were harmed in the making of this completely fictional post.

Political times of year

The lady I help usually keeps the tv running the entire time I am there. It is the time of year when commercials for and against politicians are frequently aired. It's annoying, and it makes me not want to vote for any of the politicians "advertised". I never understood the mud-slinging. If you have to make someone else look bad to make me vote for you, what are you hiding?

I did get a good laugh from them the other day, though. There were back to back commercials for a particular candidate. One was for her and the next was against her. She unfortunately put the "I'm ____, and I approve this message" right at the end of the commercial when the screen was blank. The next commercial promptly began, and it sounded like she was approving the fact that she wasn't worth voting for! Maybe if they were all that honest, we would have more success with the laws created.

I'm Linnie Sue, and I approve this message.

Remember when?

Remember when it was considered cool to wear fanny packs? I don't. I think that was before my time.

I learned something new on Friday. It was cow elk season this weekend, and so Cameron intended to go hunting most of the day on Saturday. (That isn't the new thing I learned.) Friday night, he wanted to go shopping for a new fanny pack. I had no idea that the general population still used them, much less paid good money for them.

This fanny pack cost $44.99. I have never even paid that much for a stylish purse, much less a FANNY PACK. (Cameron didn't either. He found a cheap backpack that suited his needs.) Apparently, they are a staple for hunters.

Will wonders never cease?