Frosty Winter Grey

30 degrees this morning. Still sleeping with the windows open, we are brave, no? Both the man and I sleep so much better when it is cold, even though he probably wouldn't mind waking up with icicles on his nose...I draw the open window line when it gets that cold. The birds are huddled on the feeders, with Sammy Squirrel waiting on the fence. The neigbor's cat is watching Sammy. I like standing outside surveying the neighborhood before it wakes up. Coffee, newspaper, then later,CBS Sunday morning with Charles Osgood. Habits, routine. The things that lives are made of. Wrapping up January, in a warm and fuzzy blanket. Feeling aware of blessings, changes, hope.

Grey skies overhead, I love the bare branch trees


My Chai and I

After Hub leaves for the airport, I have a cup and the last of the Lemonade Girl Scout cookies, we bought just yesterday from the freezing little pink cheeked girls outside the Walgreens store. Well, there weren't that many in the package, really. Got to get off the sugar, somehow...

Heartbreak for Haiti

I really am not one to sit through long award shows, I rarely watch them. The part I do like to see is when the stars are arriving in whatever ridiculous and outrageously expensive costumes someone loaned them to wear. And their overpayed "stylist" convinced them they looked good in. What are some of these peeps thinking, don't they have full length mirrors? At any rate I went to bed at 8 last night but couldn't get to sleep so turned on the telly. To my delight I did get to see my man RDJ (from my previous post) win an award, and give what I thought was the best speech of the night! At least of the few I heard. I love his sense of humor.

Anyhow, the real point of this post is this....It was announced that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave 1 million to the Relief for Haiti, and also Sandra Bullock gave a million. That is very nice, but of course I have to be snarky and ponder how many of those other folks there could easily give that much? And it is really not my place to make a judgement on any of their circumstances. And how many others have given vast amounts of money and it went unmentioned because they wanted it that way? If I had a million dollars I would give it gladly. But I do not, so I will give (gladly) what I can, to the Red Cross and a few other organazitions that I feel can be trusted. So many people will give, and have already given. What really makes me sad is that while the logistics are worked out,of getting aid actually delivered to the people who need it so desperately, many more will die waiting.

I have really not watched the news regarding the disaster because it is just so upsetting. I don't watch NEWS anyhow...so it was a few days before I even knew about it. But I do tune in on Sunday mornings to watch Charles Osgood, and the program was mostly about Haiti, so I got a full dose of it. Sad to say, that was enough. It is very hard to bear. My prayers are with the people of Haiti.

Cocooning at Home

Yesterday at breakfast, Hubster announced he was taking me out to lunch and to a matinee. My first reaction was reluctance, as I have been perfectly content to just stay at home of late. Only going out for the necessary supplies and errands. For some reason I have been leaning towards staying home snuggled up, drinking tea or coffee, having soup and bread for lunch or dinner. I've been sorting art supplies, but not really making any art. Cleaning out drawers and rearranging things. Just fluffing my nest I guess. My life has become really simple and I have been enjoying it a great deal, but I feel I could go overboard and become a real recluse if not careful. Perhaps I am shutting out reality and am in denial. I have found myself avoiding some of the important things that probably should be done, but I feel certain they will get done in good time.

So,anyhow, we went out to lunch and to the movies. Hubster said how could I turn down a chance to see the love of my life on the big screen. Soooo...off we went. We mostly watch movies at home, not at the theatre often. It was a good movie, and RDJ was at his best as he always is. The only problem I have with movies lately, is they all seem so visually dark and I have a hard time seeing what is going on. This was no different. The thing I like about the theatre we go to is we always go to the early show, and we wait till the movie has been out for awhile. There are usually only 6 to 8 people in the theatre, sometimes fewer, so it feels like a private showing. Yes, I am certain that most people who wanted to see this movie did so on opening day, but I decided against that, because I don't like crowded theatres with germs flying about. I wonder if getting more cautious is just a part of old age creeping in?

RDJ is such a good actor, that I will go to see him in any movie he makes. He's pretty darn cute too!

Happy New Year !

A little belated New Year wish for everyone. Here we go, on an exciting new adventure. I feel really positive and good about the next year. I don't always feel that way at the end of a year and beginning of a new one. It's odd, that I would feel more positive this time round, as it has been a weird year. My hubby and I have had a rough one, with lots of challenges. Most centering around a job that was lost and a new venture begun, resulting in a drastic decrease in monetary rewards. We have had to revisit a lot of older lessons we had learned earlier on in our marriage, mainly, how little we really actually NEED to get by. I guess I would have to say that the drugs have helped...LOL I'm not sure I could have made it through the past year without taking something for the anxiety/depression. Even though I hate taking meds, and want to get off them asap...It is an ongoing process, which I hope won't take more than a few months of this new year.

Christmas was spent very simply and laid back, as have been the last few days. As promised, we did go out in the back yard and howl at the moon on New Years Eve... A special Blue Moon, that to me, means good luck any time it occurs, but especially at the beginning of a new year. Whether or not it happened in 2009 or 2010, makes no matter, it was still in the sky when I went to bed and when I woke up.

So, how many calendars have you all hung so far? Here are mine. These are the ones that will get used. When B&N puts theirs on clearance for 75% I will probably grab a few more just to tear up.

Hubby gets me this one every year, by Cavallini. It hangs on the leaf green wall next to my computer desk.


Gift from my friend Pat, this one has gorgeous artwork, and each page is printed on the back with templates to cut into other things. File folders, gift cards, little boxes. Very cool recycling ideas.


Daybook organizer, Polar bear from Half-Price Books, Spiral bound from my insurance agent.


I love the book that my insurance agent gives me every year. On the left is the altered one from 2007, and on the right the new 2010. Now I will make a journal out of the 2008 one.


Close-up of Daybook organizer

Little Silver Circle

I bought a dozen of these at an after Christmas sale several years ago. I had never used them because I had planned to change the red ribbon out for some other color. I would get them out every year and look at them, but never quite get around to altering them. This year when I decided to only get a few boxes of decorations out and only put up one tree, I found them again. This time I took the time to exchange the ribbon for moss green ones, and I hung them on the tree. Now, if you look closely you will see that they are all the same bare branch picture. It's a photo I like, but I think next year I might take the time to cover the words "Restoration Hardware"... LOL It is the photo that came with the frame!! So you've never done this before??? Well, I really hadn't. A few days ago I ran into a friend in the store and we were discussing how hard it is to do "everything" for the holidays. I told her what I had done, and she started laughing so hard she was crying. She then told me about the year she had bought a bunch of picture frame ornaments and had plans to put B&W photos of all the family members in them, but never got it done. Around time to do the tree, she was so tired, she just hung them all on the tree. She said she forgot about it, until some of the family members were looking at them, trying to figure out who the people were in the photos, because they sure didn't look like anyone in the family. She said she has used them every year since, just like that, and they all get a laugh out of the "faux" relatives.

I'm feeling more like Christmas

I have recovered from my little meltdown of last week-end. I ran away for a few days and it seemed to help. Of course a day or two in a nice hotel, drinking lots of creamy coffee and eating chocolate for breakfast will remedy lots of ailments, I'm sure. Add to that a great pal who delivered a big box of books and magazines to the hotel before I even arrived. I definitely had a respite from real life! I'm facing life a little more focused right now. Taking one day at a time instead of letting 3 or 4 attack me all at once. Everything is done around here that is going to get done. I swear I am not going to do one more thing.

This morning I woke up at 4, made tea, and spent a long time sitting snuggled up in a blanket, admiring my Christmas tree. It looked ugly to me last week, but this week it is beautiful, and it didn't have to do a thing, but sit there and wait for me to look again!! I love sitting in a dark room with only the twinkle of the tree lights on. I went out later to World Market for a few food items and a quick stop by Michaels, for a couple of Tim Holtz items to play with later. No pressure, just play.

Notice the round silver frame in this photo? Look at it closely. I will tell you a funny story about it tomorrow.


Close up of clip-on bird


I love these white paper ornaments from Hallmark from I don't even recall how many years ago.




This year I used gold,silver, white and turquoise

I wish I had a river I could skate away on.....

If you listen to the Joni Mitchell song "The River", that describes my Christmas spirit. I swear every year that I will ward off the blues, but my nature, being what it is...well.... I used to be Martha Stewart, with a tree in every room, all perfectly themed and color matched. Tons of baking and entertaining and the whole package. Some years I was so tired on Christmas day that all I wanted to do was crawl under the tree and take a nap while everyone enjoyed the fruits of my labors.

Circumstances change, years pass, we are far away from family. That makes a huge difference. Hubby and I have developed many new and different traditions, so we don't buy into the commercialism, not that we ever did much. As far as gift-giving is concerned, we keep that real simple. Some gift cards, food items, and charity.

I am just really blue this year. Part of it has to do with medication problems that I am working on, so I can't blame it all on the season. Anyhow, since I last posted, I have been moving slowly, dragging my feet, sleeping a lot. This week-end, I finally got the ONE tree decorated. It took me all week. Hung the wreath on the door, and I think I will call it done. And I think I will run away from home. Oh wait, the bird-feeders need filling. Better do that first. Oh, and I should probably tell hubby I am leaving.

Lime and Turquoise, my signature colors


Close up of wreath