Goodbye 2009!

What a year...I was on top of the world and I was at rock bottom. There were a lot of ups and downs, but through all that I found the elusive strength everyone kept telling me I had. Was it worth it? Well...I could have done without the car accident and subsequent chiropractor visits (I have the sweetest chiropractor ever...that poor man has witnessed some major meltdowns)...but yes, it was. As cliche as it sounds, I found myself this year. I learned some things along the way that I wish I hadn't learned the hard way, but that seems to be the only way I learn. I'm nothing if not stubborn.

If someone had told me a year ago that I would be buying myself a house I would have laughed...a lot...and up until two months ago I was strongly resisting the idea (again, stubborn). But that was when a very wise person (I'm telling you, those psychologists are good!) asked me what I was putting my life on hold for. I couldn't come up with a good answer, so I started rethinking some things and here I am! 2009 was a crazy rollercoaster, so here's to 2010 being a little less extreme!!

I'm not much for New Year's resolutions, they're too much like rules for me to be able to keep them. But I will be continuing toward my goal of having a better, more positive outlook on life. I like the new and improved me, she seems more fun to talk to now that the complaining has been dialed back a notch...or five... ;-)

"And there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them 'Fear not, for behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

At 8:00am it doesn't take much to impress me

This stuff is worth every penny...when I'm running late in the morning (oh wait, that's always!) and/or:

a) I don't have time to wait for the defroster
b) The biggest thing I have to scrape with is a credit card
c) The wipers are frozen to the windshield
d) The Jiffy Lube guy put the washer fluid that freezes in my truck last time (Seriously! In November!?)

This stuff is a LIFESAVER. It's like magic, the frostiness just melts away!! This has been permanently added to my list of vehicle essentials, it's hanging out with the jump starter/air compressor and assorted bungee cords :-) And socks. I'm not sure why there are socks in my "truck stuff" bin, but should I ever need them, they're there...

Christmas Vacation

I don't hate cats or anything, but this is just too funny...

Just Smile...

Well, today was a little rough...but some new eyeshadow, an afternoon of chick flicks, and yummy lunch and dinner (scrambled hamburgers and pork roast, respectively) went a long way. I need to find something productive to do in my free time since I'm going to be living alone again soon...sitting around is not a recipe for a good attitude. My current project is to finish the quilt I started a loooong time ago because it will look cute in the new house! It's a mix of little calicos, feed sack prints, and vintage children's prints from the 30's. And since it will probably be cold until I get some extra insulation I'll need plenty of blankets :-)

Five Things Friday (A Little Late...)

1) Elf "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear"
2) Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks
3) Green Street Christmas with all of my dad's family
4) Playing boys versus girls Catch Phrase with my cousins...even though the boys won 2 out of 3
5) This scene from Charlie Brown Christmas:

Chapter 3: Healthy People Make Healthy Choices

I am not a "self help" book reader...maybe some organizing books have caught my eye, but dating? Not so much. However, this book came highly recommended (psychologists, they know their stuff), so I decided to go for it. I haven't started it yet, but based on the table of contents it should be good, possibly even entertaining. Hopefully it won't get thrown across the room...this girl doesn't like being told what to do by a book (hence the avoidance of self help books). I'll let you know how it goes :-)