Still Here!!!

It's getting crazier by the minute!

My apologies, oh patient readers, for not posting for the past month. My new cosmo career has had me working like a dog both mentally and physically - but that's been a really good thing.

But the biggest craziness has been my focus on finishing up my final draft to publishing as an eBook. All of my extra time and energy has been sitting here at my overwrought computer as I slash away unnecessary fodder and add additional hints of information to tie the loose ends of my story together. The effort is sooo going to be worth it!

Yesterday a group of about 25 of us got together to have a meeting for the Indie Writer's Alliance (see us at www.indiewritersalliance.com and www.readersmatrix.com ) to discuss the early experiences of our illustrious leader. He just started a blog tour for his recent work. Since most of us weren't familiar with such an event, he spent several hours giving us the low-down on what it is, how to organize a blog tour, and how the tour progressed at the end of the first week.

I'm exhausted twice over now just thinking of all the additional work still left to do AFTER completing the final draft.

He also informed us that eBook sales have surpassed traditional paper sales on Amazon.com - another important milestone in the rapidly changing publishing industry. Sales of Kindle for last Christmas were huge and are expected to be even bigger this season. Then with all stores closed Christmas Day, where do you think these new Kindle, etc. owners are going to look to populate their new toys?

Exactly!

So our gang is pushing hard to have our eBooks published by September. I'm still pursuing the end of July, but I still want to ensure I put out the best possible work. We'll see where things stand by the end of the month.

So just in case you don't hear from me for awhile, please know that I'm still here plugging away on my handy-dandy computer. Then look for me and my pals on www.readersmatrix.com

Your positive reviews will be most appreciated then. :-)

The Spoiled Surprise

So Tonya spoiled my big secret.

Yes, for the first time in my life I've become a blonde! It was so funny when the lightener was on my hair - the girls all kept asking if I could feel my IQ slipping with each minute. But now that its been a couple of weeks, I already have dark roots coming back.

Onto Christmas - Even though round two hit me, I started fighting back. There's this great stuff called "Oreganol" that is liquid oregano that burns like a dog going down. Someone told me about it last year and when I felt the junk coming on just dribbled a few drops under my tongue a couple of times a day. It was the first year in so long that I didn't end up with a horrible bout of bronchitis.

Well forget it for this year. The moment I felt the stuff coming back, I bit the bullet and ran to Whole Foods to pick up a vial. The stuff is terribly expensive but I couldn't waste anymore time. Christmas Eve services were a week and ahalf away. Singing with swamp lungs would never work.

Made it through both services and Sunday's church services. Once again, not great but at least I made it through it without scratching everyone's ears too badly. Pastor is looking forward to my getting the old voice back a bit more and checking how high I get in both my chest voice and head voice. Haven't had vocal lessons since college so I have no idea what my range is at this point, though it is not as good as it once was. Still, I'm just freaking, flipping, and whatever other "f" word I can come up with (no, not THAT one Gary!) that I'm just able to sing at all again. Cannot tell you how wonderful it has been getting to sing in praise team regularly and being asked to sing for services.

It just frustrates me that I couldn't be at full capacity - but then there's always next Christmas. Just gonna have to make sure I have a ready supply of Oreganol before winter hits.

Now before Tonya figures it out, I'll let you in on my next non-secret.

I'm gonna go vibrant red - but that will still be a couple more weeks. Don't want to go bald now.

Feeling A Little Devious

I've got a secret! I've got a secret!

And I can hardly wait to let my family in on it this coming weekend. Well and some of my friends this Tuesday evening. It will be interesting to see the reactions I get.

You see I've done something I never thought I'd do. Not going to share it with you all, my dear readers, until after my family has had a chance to get in on the secret first.

Then the cat will be out of the bag, so to speak.

So that's all I'm going to say about it right now. Look for my post next Saturday or Sunday after I return home from the family Christmas in Oklahoma. It will be then that I'll share my secret with you - and let you know of the priceless reactions from said family members. I'll treasure them for a lifetime, I'm sure.

Just a little devious that way. :-)

Happy Holy Terror Holidays

A busy weekend is fast approaching.

Today I've taken advantage of the first free weekend we've had in quite a while to get some things accomplished around the house and to relax and rest without being sick or running around sick.

I've also had alot of rehearsing to do.

For the last three plus weeks I've been fighting an extreme cold and laryngitis. During Thanksgiving, for four days I couldn't even talk - at all! Of course, my family was probably most grateful to Heaven above for a relatively quiet and unperturbed holiday. But I digress.

So just at the time I begin to get sick, my choir director asks me to sing a song with the choir for Christmas Eve services. I was also asked to sing praise team for last Sunday, of which I had to switch with someone since my voice was barely functional even then. I was also asked to do a reading again for Sunday the 19th.

Then Wednesday night at rehearsal (where I still could not sing but went anyway to listen and get down more music in my head at least), I discover that the Christmas Eve song I'm supposed to sing has been scheduled for Sunday the 19th. I've been listening to it since receiving the music but have not been able to actually sing it until today, though it is still only somewhat. What's more is that the Sunday I switched out last weekend with the fellow soprano was for the 19th.

So that means on Sunday the 19th for services I am doing a reading, praise team, and singing with the choir a song I have yet to be able to practice with them and the other soloist live and in person. We'll get to do that hopefully for the first time this coming Wednesday night at choir rehearsal.

Then Thursday morning my son informs me that his Christmas choir concert at school is scheduled for next Wednesday night. He's also doing something special for said concert so that means I have to be in two places at once.

Oh Happy Holy Terror Holidays indeed! I wish at the moment human cloning was legal.

So if next weekend isn't packed enough already, we're heading down to Oklahoma that Friday evening for a Christmas Open House for my parents' church and then our all family Christmas gathering on Saturday before heading back up here Saturday night for Sunday services. I pray my voice is fully recovered before then.

It may be a busy weekend, but as I said before I'm not turning aside any opportunities the Lord puts in my path.

There's got to be a reason for it somewhere...I hope. :-)

Ramping Up The Season

Busy weekend as we welcome the season!

Saturday morning my son had to be up and at-'em early for all day rehearsals and an early evening concert for District Choir. While he attended to his business, I had a list a mile long of things I needed to get done.

Decided to finish my book first though. Needed to return it to a friend and I'd been nursing it all week. Only had a couple of chapters left to complete the thing anyway.

So after my son's MOST excellent performance (state choir is next!) we skeedaddled home to finish up my pot of chicken and noodles and made it just in time for my Sunday School class Christmas party. Had an absolute ball, listened to some awesome singing by a good friend of mine in choir, and finished off the night with some Christmas carols and pass the mike moments of Christmas memories. Such an absolute time of fellowship and enjoyment!

So this morning I was supposed to sing in praise team - NOT happening until this crazy junk gets completely gone (which better the heck be real soon). So one of the other sopranos told me she'd sing in my place and swap Sundays with me for the 19th. I'm already doing a Christmas reading that Sunday, so adding praise team to the line-up won't be too difficult to carry off.

As long as my voice returns in full force very soon, that is.

The season is ramping up and running already. Do you realize it is only twenty days until Christmas? Thanksgiving feels like is was eons ago already. This morning it was wonderful to hear the strains of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel", "The First Noel", and "What Child Is This" to mark the first Sunday of Advent.

May the rest of our weekends overflow with comfort and joy until we get back to that most holiest of nights.

That's my other favorite Christmas carol, by the way. Perhaps we'll be singing that one come the 19th. God always has a way of working things out for the best.

And making the season bright.

Christmas Life

The Christmas season has officially begun!

At least around our house anyway. :-)

Mom and Dad brought my son home and spent the rest of the weekend with us as tradition dictates. We've got our tree up and in the water, presents purchased, and I'm getting ready to start doing some decorating around the house.

Now if only I could keep up with the dishes and dusting.

Christmas is typically my favorite time of year (Independence Day a close second), but this year it feels a little more mellowed for some reason. A year ago brought alot of heartache and upset right around this time with my mother's cancer diagnosis followed swiftly by my grandma's passing (mom's mom). Eleven years ago this Christmas Eve was also the time my dear grandpa passed away. There seems to be alot of hurt attached to this time of year anymore.

Back when I was married (sooo many moons ago) I was just starting out in the banking industry and didn't have enough seniority to get time off at Christmas. My husband's family lived in Nebraska and he would take off a week or two and go up to see them. I'd go a couple of hours south and drive back Christmas night.

I remember vividly that first Christmas night driving back home all alone. As I entered the city, it was eerie in its silence and disturbing in its darkness. Nary a car was in sight as I roamed the streets and pulled into the garage. Walking into the empty house brought such pangs of loneliness of which I've rarely experienced since.

My ex and I never spent a single Christmas together.

Which is why after the divorce, Christmas became my favorite holiday once again. I had no good Christmas memories from my marriage to cloud my future happy holidays.

But 1999 muddied the waters for awhile after the loss of my very best friend forever and ever between Thanksgiving and Christmas that year and then the passing of my grandpa that Christmas Eve. It was several hard years after that before Christmas again became a festive time for us.

So even though there's rather a mellowed sense of the season this year, there's also so much life to celebrate in that Mom is doing great and my family continues to draw close to one another through these tough times.

And isn't new life what we're really celebrating at Christmas anyway?

That's what I thought.

A Thanksgiving Remembered

Thanksgiving day is dwindling - it's hard to believe it is almost over, it came so fast.

Drove back from my sister's in Oklahoma tonight all by myself. It's been somewhat of a tradition for the past eighteen years.

Since I've been in banking, I've almost always worked the Friday after Thanksgiving and taken off time at Christmas - a trade-off, if you will. During those early years, I never had a babysitter to watch my son that day, so my mother started coming back with me either Thursday night or would bring my son back and drive up Friday sometime after Thanksgiving. Then we'd spend time that weekend getting our tree, decorating our house, and doing a little shopping if we felt brave enough to tackle the crowds.

So even though my son is grown, my mom still comes back with us for the weekend to help us get ready for our Christmas - this year because I have school. It's become one of our many family traditions now.

Today we had a wonderful time at my sister's, ate a ton, took a nap, watched a movie (An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving) while the guys watched football. One of my nephews was home from Minnesota and a niece and great-niece were there from Arkansas, so I knew my son would want to hang out with them for awhile. So I said goodbye, will see my son and parents tomorrow, and chucked myself home for the night.

Sometimes I love the drive all by myself. The night sky was beautiful tonight and traffic wasn't all that bad amazingly enough. Tonight was a time for thinking. Just another month and it will be a year since our lives fell apart with my mother's cancer. But looking at her today, her hair is thick and getting longer all the time. She's regaining more and more of her health each and every day. Maybe someday soon I'll be able to look at her without worrying anymore or feeling the need to see if she's doing alright. It's really hard to believe it's been almost a year. So much has changed, and yet there is an element of peace in the family once again.

And THAT is something well worth giving thanks for this Thanksgiving.

Riding the Roller Coaster

This past week has been quite a roller coaster - mostly up but a bit down too.

Last Sunday I had an urgent agenda after church. When my music pastor asked me to sing a solo part in the Christmas Eve services, I was pleased and excited. Then reality hit me.

I don't have a dress.

Our Christmas Eve services are huge affairs, with all the bling a girl can ask for. Rarely do I sing Christmas Eve and the few times I have it has been in the loft, where it is mainly important to have bling on the upper half. Black pants or a black skirt usually work fine otherwise.

However, as a soloist, it is imperitive that I have a dress that meets certain criteria.

1. The dress must be long
2. The dress must have plenty of sparkle
3. The dress must be modest (it is in church after all)
4. The dress must have a jacket or sleeves - no bare shoulders or arms

It was a bit daunting to realize that I was going to have to go shopping for a long dress in the midst of the season - meaning it would be highly unlikely that there'd be anything on sale and anything less than $200.

Ouch!

Checked out several stores over the weekend and then shuffled my way to Dillard's Sunday and figured I'd have to bite the bullet eventually.

Came out with a great dress.

#1 - check
#2 - check
#3 - check
#4 - check
Budget - priceless

No seriously, I came out of there spending less than $50 on a beautiful turquoise blue dress on sale in my size. How about them apples?

Then onto the remainder of the week. Previously I mentioned the Salon Fair and taking first place in the hair show. What an incredible surprise! I still can't get over that one.

Wednesday night I came home to an email from the music pastor asking me to do another reading in services this morning. Great scripture reading from Romans 8 - loved it!

Then Thursday I felt it coming on. All day I was just absolutely exhausted. Tried to chalk it up to the let down after all of the stress from the hair show and such, but deep down I knew it was about to catch up to me. Thursday night was critique and it was great seeing everyone there for the first time in awhile (and just before the season gets crazy).

Friday morning brought the worst sore throat I can remember in some time. Made it at school until about 1:30 then I had to pack it in. Spent the majority of the weekend in bed and snoozing away the time. Never do I like getting sick. Typically I always get on my own nerves after laying around the house for a day or two, watching the laundry grow and the dishes pile up on the counter.

Hey, it's hard keeping a good woman down!

Needless to say, I've tried to somewhat enjoy this down time. Read a few books and watched a movie that I haven't seen in years. Made it through services and the reading this morning but hurried home and back to bed.

Feeling a bit better this evening. Fever is down again and I'm hoping to be back in the saddle for school tomorrow. My son has an early morning for tomorrow so he's busy getting ready for it all. I can also be thankful that I'm getting the junk out of the way before Thanksgiving and Christmas this year instead of being down during one of the holidays. That's never fun.

So I'm just about to get off the roller coaster I think. Funny - I always did like the downhill rush better than the uphill clickety-clack ride.

Guess I'll appreciate whatever comes for the remainder of 2010.

Standing Amazed

The blessings just keep coming and coming.

Can't remember if I told you about the schooling exactly that I'm currently participating in. I'm attending a cosmetology school with the plan to work for someone else for a couple of years and then open my own salon and day spa. Those plans seem to be getting a big push of late, but I'm not quite ready to share what's happening in that arena yet.

Needless to say, with my anal tendencies (yes, I am able to admit it) I have been working really hard on some European fringe techniques after watching a special video over and over again. One of my fellow students let me practice the technique on her about a month ago and I've been perfecting it ever since, picking up little nuances and incorporating some of my own little specialties with it.

The last two weeks, I've had three clients come in (one a repeat - made me feel so honored) who were game on letting me try the technique on them. They all loved the final result. Yesterday I had a lady from my church come in for an appointment after seeing my hair at church on Sunday. This lady had severely damaged hair and it looked like the last person to touch it had taken a very dull razor to it.

What a mess!

So first of all I proceeded with a special conditioning treatment to rebond the keratin protein in her hair strands. Then I started in on the cut and style. After all was said and done, she absolutely loved it and wore it with pride and glory to the ladies Holiday Pizzazz last night at the church. When she was up on the stage I couldn't help but sit there in the audience just beaming with amazement - she looked so fresh and funky in her new do, and I'd accomplished it. Several people kept commenting throughout the evening and she gave me alot of credit for "saving" her hair.

This morning at school I received a call from a lady who is friends with this particular client. She was so impressed with the cut I'd given that she wanted something similar and also decided it was time to put some fresh color on her hair.

I could hardly contain my excitement - I have just made a name for myself and have clients now who are walking advertisements for my technique.

Lord, your blessings are on a roll. I stand humbled and amazed!

Hope Comes Once Again

This year may just end on a good note after all.

My son announced to me that he made District Choir and is a high alternate for State Choir. I just about came unglued and pee'd my pants.

Just making sure you're paying attention.

It's going to be alot of work for him in the next few months, but he's so excited. Last year he tried out and unfortunately had a bad cold the weekend of auditions and didn't do very well. He wasn't sure he wanted to try out again but went for it anyway. So glad he did.

District Choir is such an honor but to even make alternate for State is huge. And if he actually ends up getting to participate in State Choir, that's pretty much a guaranteed scholarship for college costs.

I feel giddy!

Then this evening, after arriving home from our church ladies "Holiday Pizzazz" evening of food, fun, and frivolity, I had an email waiting for me from our worship pastor at our church. He's asked me to do a solo part for Christmas Eve services. Typically I don't do Christmas Eve services (it's a rare occasion because I like to enjoy it driving around looking at Christmas lights with my son) but I'm not going to pass it up if this is the direction the Lord is leading.

What with being asked to do readings and participate in praise team for Sunday services the past month, I was thrilled with that. Now to have a chance to do something I haven't done in my church in ten years?????

Is this You, Lord? If it is, I'm not turning it down.

With all that's been lost during 2010, perhaps it has prepared me to be pliable enough for God to use me again.

I just think it is interesting how just in the last few weeks we've felt the hand of God's blessing on our little household. None too soon.

It's a good way to draw an end to a difficult year - hope comes once again.

Tidbits and Timing

So much going on of late I can hardly keep up - but here's a snippet of where we are at present.

Can you believe we've already ordered graduation announcements, cap and gown, etc., etc.????? And right as I'm trying to purchase a few very minimal Christmas gifts.

But that's another story.

Yes, scholarship application deadlines, graduation stuff and a whole slew of other tidbits are being thrown at us at such a rapid pace I'm hardly able to enjoy the fact that my son is a senior. But he's at least enjoying it, which is all that really matters anyway.

This past weekend was really weird too - I left him home while I went back to visit the family for Neewollah (which, if you didn't figure it out yet, is Halloween spelled backward). He had a Halloween party to go to Saturday night and made the decision to hang out with friends instead of go to Neewollah - after all, he's been to it nearly every year of his life. Therefore, I couldn't deny him that option. He'll be making alot more choices throughout this year and into the next, so I figured it was a good time to start making more of those difficult decisions.

With my guidance, none-the-less. :-)

Even so, it was odd and yet kinda nice to have time to myself, though his younger cousin missed him. Have a feeling that time to myself is going to increase substantially very soon.

So if those changes weren't enough to deal with lately, I've had another realization this past week or so. Can't really put my finger on exactly when it really began to solidify in my mind, but it has to do with my schooling and future plans. My brain has been chewing on this and then some things were said this past weekend while with the family that has me thinking even more about it this week. One of my instructors even brought up the subject today and we discussed it at length.

But that's going to have to wait for another entry.

After all, I've got enough going on at present to fill my time. This one is going to be a biggie.

Remembering the Loaves and Fishes

This week I did something I haven't done in years.

I bought a new music accompaniment track.

Years ago, I was very involved in the music ministry of my church, singing solos, acting in our huge Christmas and Easter productions, etc., etc., etc. But then came the difficult years and my voice was striken from me.

Not to mention my heart and soul.

As many of you know, in the last few years I've been on a quest to find my voice again. My doctor put me on some thyroid medication. Then we changed it after it seemed I might have an allergy to the binding agent in that particular brand.

Since then, I've gotten alot of my voice back but not to the capacity, clarity, and dependability that it once was, which has been very difficult for me to accept. Used to I never had to think twice about my voice cracking or just disappearing on me suddenly, but it is something I've had to work on and try to adapt to in order to sing these days (and some days are better than others).

A few years ago I wrote about having participated in a musical Christmas play at my church. Still not the best singing job but better, and it felt so great to be acting again and reaching others. Recently my music pastor has had me do some poems and scripture readings in services - can't tell you how wonderful that has felt. This week he also asked me to participate in the praise team in a couple of weeks.

That's gotten me to thinking.

When you've been used to having a clear and lovely voice, it's hard to accept anything less from yourself. But what if - just what if - God could still use whatever voice I have to reach others? No it isn't perfect, no it isn't what I've grown up being used to, but maybe just my willingness to put myself in the hands of my Lord, He might touch someone through the words of a song. I long to once again be an instrument played beautifully by the hands of God again, have His light shine through me and touch others. It's truly the most incredible feeling in the world.

So even though I expect perfection from myself, perhaps the little I have to give is all He needs to touch a life or two. I'll never know until I make myself available to Him in that way again.

Just can't help but remember what He did with a few loaves and fishes.

Shopping, Soundtracks, and Sixty-six

Christmas shopping has begun enormously, extremely, and terribly late this year in our little household. But because of the tardiness of my annual trek, I've been looking at Amazon for some ideas. I found something absolutely amazing.

The soundtrack to Band of Brothers.

Read the book - watched the HBO series on DVD that a friend of mine had. The one thing about the series that haunted me every time we watched an episode was the music. Incredible!

So call me stunned when I came across it on Amazon. It now sits comfortably on my wish list just waiting for Santa to bring it to me (okay, okay - so I'm Santa - I'm still getting it in my stocking!).

Looks like alot of my Christmas shopping will be through Amazon this year. At the moment, I barely have time to breathe, much less shop. Friday I had neither breakfast nor lunch and squeezed in a little dinner on my way home from work by going through a drive-thru (my son left on a weekend camping trip).

You'd think I'd be losing some weight with all the meals I've missed in the new job - but I digress.

So I've told my sisters (hint, hint AGAIN if you're reading this) that I'll be doing CD's and DVD's for the nieces and nephews this year. Really anything that I can find through Amazon because I don't see myself getting out into the stores anytime soon. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Just think of all the dollars I'll be saving by not driving around and burning up gasoline. Plus on Amazon you get free shipping.

What more could a girl ask for - ah, one of my two favorite four-letter words - FREE!

Anything right now to make the shopping process a little easier. Now if only I could get my son to start making his list and checking it twice. Sixty-six more shopping days left!

How's your Christmas list?

Brainstorming Bonanza

Today there's been alot of back and forth emails flying among choir parents about fundraising ideas for the big New York trip next year. Figure since I'm available at the moment that I can at least assist with the brainstorming.

If there's a noticeable benefit to being unemployed right now it's that I actually have time to participate in my son's school activities. Now he may not see it as so much of a benefit, but while I'm able I'll do everything I can.

That's one thing I'm really good at - brainstorming that is. When the synapses are all firing I can come up with idea after idea. Someone else may have to execute it, but that's what delegating is all about. I know my limits.

But it made me feel good to get a ton of pats on the back from parents at the good and numerous ideas I threw out for fundraising. Feels so good to be a part even if it is only briefly.

Our little town has an annual event each September centered on our history. Usually falls around my son's birthday. We could do a booth and see if Ottaway Amusements would allow us a percentage of proceeds on all-you-can-ride night if we promote it as a fundraiser for the choir.

We also sit just on the other side of a county line - the side that allows for the good fireworks on Independence Day.

I always knew there had to be more perks to living out here than just the schools when we moved all those years ago. But I digress.

So the highway is usually lined with these enormous tents filled with legal explosives of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Figured we could check into the possibility of setting up a fireworks tent for the choir this summer.

When I was a little girl, our school always had a huge carnival in the fall. It was so much fun and garnered the entire town's attention for a night of fun. Perhaps we could do a carnival themed around Halloween.

Then in December our town puts on Christmas in the Park with a chili cook-off, sleigh rides, and the firemen even sponsor the bonfire where you can roast smores. Maybe they'd let the choir do a caroling concert in the park for donations or maybe sponsor the chili cook-off. There's time to think of something, but that would be a great way to support the choir and the community at the same time.

Then there's a golf, baseball, or basketball tournament perhaps. The possibilities are virtually endless. One can only hope participation will be too.

My ideas may be too involved or cumbersome. They may not even be utilized. But I'm just thrilled to take part in the discussion.

At least while it lasts.

It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

But it's almost April - funny thing about spring in Kansas. Rarely do you leave March without the biggest snowstorm of the year. We got a whopper yesterday and today.

It quit snowing about mid-afternoon, much to my chagrin. We didn't quite get the accumulation they predicted, partly because of the back-and-forth between ice and snow. Ended up with more ice than snow, but boy it would have been a mountainous drift if it'd all been snow.

It's something I rarely tire of - snow, that is.

Snow makes me feel like a kid, the rapturous fascination with watching it fall and cover the grass until there's nothing but white. Then when the sunshine comes back out, it's almost like a covering of diamonds.

Hurts the eyes, but oh so pretty.

Shortly after it stopped, I went out to my car to start the process of unburying the encased vehicle. Needed to see if I could eventually get it out and check the main roads. Since it's been two days since I've seen human habitation, I really wanted to try to go to church tomorrow.

A couple of hours later, I was thrilled to see the road crews out and about clearing the mass of ice and snow. They'd already done a great job on the main highways. KUDOS to our road crews. They are always standing by during bad weather for the moment the storm stops. Then they are in their trucks and out on the highways regardless of the day or time.

Give those guys a raise!

So even though Christmas is still several months away, I'm thankful to be getting out of my ice-encased home to head to church tomorrow morning.

Just not looking forward to the freezing temperatures. Be a good morning to wear a pantsuit.

Then give it a couple of days and we'll be back into the sixties. Hello - Kansas!

Headshot

Feeling a bit under the weather tonight, so in lieu of writing about something I'm just going to post the headshot picture from the Christmas play last month. Our music pastor recently sent it to me. The bottom contained my name and character, but for privacy sake I had to crop that off.

It would have been fun to have gotten shots of us in our updo's and costumes too, but I haven't seen any of that from rehearsal night. I think our hair actually got more elaborate as the days went on that week anyway, so dress rehearsal probably wouldn't have done it justice. Plus my friend, Lori, played with my costumes all week too until I had some of the best outfits I could possibly imagine.

So here's to the 1940's, Pearl Harbor, and Christmas. May the memories never die.

Head Shots

Okay, Mom just sent a couple of pictures from the family Christmas. The second is of one of my sister's and myself (see bows on heads). This shows a decent shot of my new haircut if you don't let the black velvet collar fool you into thinking it's part of my hair. The first picture is of most of Mom and Dad's grandkids and great-grandkids.

Family Fun Forever

Like I said - didn't have a chance to commandeer the computer while at the extended family Christmas gathering.

So I'll let you know all about it today!

There were some great shots taken that show my hair, so by popular demand I'll be posting an updated photo with my new updo as soon as my mother emails a few to me or my son gets on our computer and downloads some from his camera.

Speaking of the new digital camera - we apparently got an AWESOME deal! It was something that was available only for the Christmas season and when they sold out they sold out (and they're sold out). It takes incredible pictures and my son has had a great time learning how it works.

By the way, he's actually a pretty good photographer, unbeknownst to me. He was watching scenery on the way down and back and taking some really neat shots with the lengthening shadows and golden sunbeams over the browning landscape. I'm looking forward to having a chance to see them full-size.

There's a couple of me and one of my sisters when we were being silly with our coffee mugs. I'll see if one of those turn out with a good shot of the haircut. Otherwise I'll just grab a few choice shots to share with you of our family fun.

My great-niece, Madison, was in full-walking-swing. She's become quite the little ham for the camera. There'll hopefully be some good photos to show of her too.

It was a busy and full weekend. Wouldn't trade those moments for anything. After all, friends come and go - family stays with us forever.

Wait a minute! Is that a good thing?

Smooth Sailing

In a couple of hours we'll be heading down to Oklahoma to visit the family. I'll probably be out of commission for a few days, unless I'm actually able to commandeer the computer from the kids.

Doubtful.

So our Christmas continues with (thankfully) clear skies and clear roads. Just the wind is present today to tickle our ears and noses.

It's Kansas - what can you expect?

So here's once again wishing you continued blessings with your families and friends as the Christmas season winds down and the New Year approaches.

Hopefully we won't have anymore strange roadway episodes with four new tires. Smooth sailing, you here?

Christmas Evening Observations

The household is winding down this evening from a wonderful and relaxing day. In my finite mind that's the best way to spend it.

When my son was young we used to go down to my parents' home on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas morning opening our gifts with them. Yet somewhere along the way I decided that my son and I needed to establish our own Christmas Day traditions in our home. He needed to see that even just the two of us were a family in our own right.

Those first couple of years were a little difficult. It felt lonely with no one else around. We'd open our gifts, I'd take a million pictures, and then I'd fix this fabulous Christmas dinner that only the two of us ate. Still it was important to me to establish ourselves as a bonafide family.

It was also important to me that we have some time to just relax without running hither and yon and feeling rushed to get this item checked off our list so we could do this and this and that and then leave to go here and there. Feels exhausting even now to think about it.

Over the years we've taken to occasionally inviting any other alone friends to come and eat Christmas dinner with us. Hey, we always have plenty of leftovers, so why not spread it around a little bit? Plus it helped for the day to feel less lonely.

However, now we've come to enjoy the slow and easy pace that has become our Christmas. Yes, we still get up early to open presents (after I fix my coffee). Yes, I still take a million pictures. And yes, I still cook an enormous (and fabulous) Christmas dinner. Sometimes we have friends join us and sometimes not.

This year was once again just the two of us and couldn't have been more wonderfuler (hee, hee). We were a little lighter on the presents but not on the love.

I spent the entire day in my new lavender lounging set (it IS my signature color, after all), cooked and ate Christmas dinner, then settled back for "It's a Wonderful Life" and another Hallmark Channel Christmas show. My son set up his great new stereo, played new games, and enjoyed all of his new stash.

Tomorrow we'll travel and be with others of our extended family. For today we were just our family.

And that was more than enough.