New Year and Resolutions..blah blah

2013! But can someone please tell me where 2012 went?  I know that the last two months of 2012 are a complete blur. With Thanksgiving, my daughter's birthday, Christmas and New Year's, I completely lose track of time in the last 6-8 weeks of every year.  In the chaos, I have also battled a bad sinus infection that I put up with for 6 weeks before finally deciding I had no choice but to get antibiotics.

Around me everyone is making resolutions. I don't make resolutions anymore.  I think it is a curse. You make resolutions January 1st and by the end of January or certainly by the end of March they are a memory.  I did cut caffeine out of my life. However, I waited until January 3rd to cut it out and have not once called it a resolution. I just decided to do it on the spur of the moment. Here I am, 8 days later and still have had no caffeine. You can call it a New Year's resolution, but I refuse to do that.

Instead of resolutions I have what I call 'hopes'.  My hopes for 2013 are as follows:

1. I hope to blog more often. However, in doing so, those who read my blog may have to put up with occasional posts about nothing in particular because honestly, there really isn't this endless stream of whitty commentary in my brain.

2. I hope someone out there finds our house remotely interesting and buys it. We'll throw in two dogs for you too! LOL.  A 2 1/2 hour commute a day for my husband just isn't funny anymore. 

3. I hope to actually use the degree that took five years of blood, sweat, and tears to receive while working nearly full time and commuting back and forth to see my now husband. 

4. Spend more time with my family even though they are four hours away.  My dad had a scare in the fall and when life throws you a curve ball like that--you realize how fragile life can be.

5. Expand our family. This is a hope we have had for 5 1/2 years.  Health and God's plan are not working in our favor. As I creep toward 35 I know the clock is ticking. Thankful we at least have our little girl. 

6. Enjoy life. Simple. To the point. Do it.

Christmas projects!

Here we are- a few days before Christmas. This is my favorite time of year--usually.  Some years are better than others. This year has been a particularly stress-free holiday season.  I cut my shopping list down considerably.  Feeling like I have to buy for everyone was getting a little ridiculous. This Christmas I made it a point to enjoy the season and not focus on buying "stuff"...because really, that is all it is--stuff. We gave some of my daughter's old baby stuff away to people who needed it.  We also baked cookies, watched Christmas movies together, bundled up and went for a nighttime drive to see Christmas lights, and we enjoyed my husband's office Christmas party.  This is the way the holidays should be.

Although some tragic events have happened in this country lately, it has only solidified that the holidays are NOT about stuff, but rather the moments we create with those we love.  I have seen so many people spend eye popping amounts of money on gifts for people and talk about how much they have to buy or how much they have spent and wear it like a badge of honor.  Honor? I don't think so. 

I also decided to make some personal, cheap gifts for a few people this year. Hopefully I am not spoiling it this close Christmas--but luckily, these particular people do not access the internet! Here is the latest project I had my daughter make (which, of course, I got off of Pinterest):

I bought a simple ceramic type plate from our local grocery store. I have heard that glass type plates do not work with this project.  The plate has to be able to be put into the oven.  The plate cost me $1.75 and I already had the markers.  A gift for under $2.00!

My daughter used colorful Sharpie's to create her own masterpiece on the plate.  We also made sure to write her name and year on the back of the plate. After designing the plate we put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Voila! After cooling off, I did try rubbing off the markers and it stayed on.  I would probably recommend not putting them through the dishwasher or using any abrasives on the plate. I will probably advise our receivers to hang them with plate hangers or use them for light snacks or just to hold something such as jewelry or candy.  They make great keepsakes for special loved ones. 

I have a few more personal gift ideas but the holidays have come so quickly I think I will save those for a couple of birthday's fast approaching.

Cheering on my photo victories

A few months ago I submitted several photos for consideration in our local hospital's 2013 calendar.  This is my third year in a row submitting photos.  The last two years I was lucky enough to have been selected --2011 and 2012 both for the month of July.  This year, however, they did a facebook contest.  They selected 2-3 photos to be finalists and let their facebook followers vote for their favorite. I do admit that all the photos were beautiful.  I knew right off the bat I was not going to win. No, I do not have a low opinion of my photo. I have 100 facebook friends.  Obviously, you have to be a member of facebook to vote. Although I spread the word amongst my 'friends' I knew I couldn't win against a teenager who has probably 1,000 facebook friends (ok, that may be an exaggeration--but probably not by much). 

I became the runner-up.  However, I was delighted to hear that the runner-ups were also going to have their pictures published in the calendar-just in a smaller size.  It is the small victories that make me feel worth something now that I am without my daughter everyday and feel I don't have much of a job anymore. Here is the photo:

A few weeks ago I also got the exciting news that another photo I submitted is going to be framed and displayed in a new physician center in our area. Here is the photo (which is also the photo that was in this year's calendar):

Thank you to my parents for such a wonderful home/garden for which these pictures and most others I take would not be possible! 

Something to call my own: Facebook is like a worn out sit-com

Something to call my own: Facebook is like a worn out sit-com: Facebook. I love it and hate it. Three years ago I was pressured into facebook by emails from friends begging me to join.  I gave in, much...

Facebook is like a worn out sit-com

Facebook. I love it and hate it. Three years ago I was pressured into facebook by emails from friends begging me to join.  I gave in, much to my hesitation.  I admit- I loved it at first.  I am obsessed with my genealogy and I found it to be a great way to track down my long lost relatives (and realize others were too crazy to contact)  and share old family photos. Facebook is also a way for me to keep in touch with my entire family no matter where they are in the country.  Lastly, it was great to catch up with old friends from grade school, high school, and college. 

However, I see facebook as a sit-com or drama depending on the day and posts by your 'friends'.  A sit-com is great at first. You get to know the characters and their story lines.  You like to keep up with their lives.  There is laughter, crying, situations, anger and more.  Then the more years the sit-com is on, it becomes old, tired, and redundant. After years and years of this comedy you may start to wonder when the heck this dated, trying to hard, overly ridiculous story line will just give up and call it good.  I wonder the same thing about facebook. I wonder why other people's lives fascinate us. I wonder why we care what you bought at the store. I wonder why people try to outshine each other.  Maybe I am guilty of this from time to time on facebook--but no longer.

Don't get me wrong, there are great things about facebook---new baby photos, wedding photos, life changing news, giving congratulations, wishing happy birthday.  There is good in this enigma. 
With the good also comes the less desirable... I don't want to hear about your child's bowel movements, what you bought at the store, links to every little video you watch, to see that you 'like' a page about boobs (seriously!) and in my news feed is a picture of a woman's breasts, rants because you are outraged at someone, etc. I could go on and on. I'm all for freedom of speech...but I'm also all for common sense that should go along with free speech.

For me personally, facebook is going the way of "Friends", "Cheers", "Mash"...some of the great ones.  The story lines were great for awhile. There were ups and downs but the time came for those shows when going on even longer would have just made the shows lackluster, lame, and boring.

So facebook---you are boring me. I find you lackluster.  You are becoming lame. There are just some things I don't want to know about everyone. I'd like some mystery in my life. Being an open book is not always good.