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.