Shiny new things

Our landlord came to the apartment and handed me keys to our new mailbox. "Don't get too emotional now, it is just keys to a mailbox. Not sure why they all lock now. But they do."

Me emotional? Over a wonderful new improvement to my home that didn't cost me any money? Oh. He must have remembered the incident where I got a new fridge and was so excited I danced a little. Okay. Maybe I danced a lot.

Our new fridge holds a little bit more food, but the shelves are more conducive to our needs. It is easier to stay organized and find things quickly. The real gem of our new unit is the freezer. It holds at least TWICE what our last one did. The amount of new storage is such a blessing because I freeze everything. This freezer was life changing for me. It really was. That might sound shallow, but I don't mind. I spend a lot of my at home time preparing meals and anything that saves me time and money is a blessing. It doesn't hurt that this new fridge was pretty and shiny.

I am thankful for all of the pretty, new, shiny things in my life. Even if they are functional. Especially since they are functional.

A good gift

After months of thought, saving, and even a little worry - I bought my husband a DSLR camera for Christmas. For those of you that are not photo people (like myself), it is a camera that allows you to change the lenses.

I could list all the reasons why this was a thoughtful and perfect gift for him, but I won't. Not right now anyway. With that being said, that camera has made him so happy. So many Saturday mornings he is at some beautiful spot capturing the perfect light and scenery before I even wake up. He enjoyed last week's roller derby match through the lens of this camera. Him sitting at the computer looking skillfully at the hundreds of shots from his last shutter party (what I like to call it) is now a regular occurrence in our home. His handpicked shots.

My favorite part of this camera is the joy that this has brought him. His spirit needs creative expression the way mine needs a good book. It awakens all his passion and excitement in a way I haven't seen in a while.

Sometimes I wonder if what this world is missing is more passion. What if all of our spirits were overflowing with excitement and contentment?

What a great reminder for myself to take time to do what fills my heart. Knitting. Girl dates. Reading. Napping. A good PBS program.

Valentine's Day

Holidays, much like any day, are what you make of them. Valentine's Day is such a sweet reminder to share a little love.
A lovely, little stack of red envelopes got mailed last week. Today I am handing out little Muppet valentines to coworkers and friends. Why not spread a little love?
It doesn't have to be something big or chocolates or even red. Just a little extra love and kindness.
So, will you be my Valentine?

Shhhhhh...it's a library.

I am one of those people who loves their library. In college, I would spend every Saturday morning I didn't have class in one of the comfortable library chairs. I couldn't help myself. It was relaxing, peaceful, and refreshing.

I appreciated that others felt the same and honored the unwritten rule of quiet in the library (which is rarely enforced these days). Unfortunately, recently I found myself being one of those people. You know the type. They seem to make loud noises at every turn and somehow I caught the bug. Each time I moved, something heavy fell out of my hands/purse/lap/sky and disrupted the entire reading room.

I knew what people were thinking because I've often thought it myself - "Why did that lady bring an anvil to the library and insist on dropping it?"

Maybe next time I will smile graciously at the person a few feet away who is disturbing my quiet time. Maybe.

Muffins

Be adventurous. Be bold. At least with muffins.

I am not a big fan of muffins these days. So often they seem too dry or too sweet. When I was given the opportunity to make muffins for the work Christmas party, I jumped at the chance. I was looking for the Goldielocks version - just right.

There are thousands of recipes online for the 'perfect' muffin. Everyone's tastes are different and therefore, so is their version of perfect. Mine is balanced between sweet and tart. Very moist, but still bread consistency. And addicting!

The fruits of my hours of labor in the kitchen -- a bowl full of lemon blueberry and orange cranberry muffins. Delish!

My only regret is not making extras to freeze. There is always next time.

Warm and Fozzie

What gives you the warm and fuzzies?

My new nail polish is from the OPI Muppets line and called Warm and Fozzie (as in everyone's favorite joke telling bear). Every time I glimpse my sparkling ten little finger nails, I get the warm and fuzzies. My nails feel like such a statement in these gray days.

This is what they speak to me:
Christmas
That I am worth the fifteen minutes of quiet time it takes to paint them
And they remind me of my mother (who LOVES having painted nails)

I was surprised at how much putting a little paint on my nails would make me smile. I often need little reminders like this to see that the world is shiny and bright.

Christmas has arrived

My heart beats wildly when spring bulbs begin to emerge. My mouth waters in anticipation when the first fruits of our garden are ready to harvest. Fall leaves are the perfect back drop to cooling days. But there is something so magical and wonderful about Christmas, nothing compares.

When I was a little girl, most Christmases were spent with my mother, who made each day count. Our birthdays, which are dangerously close to the big day, we're set apart and we were treated like the miracles we were.

I was worried that as I got older, the magic would fade. I've heard so many adults only speak of Christmas as hurdle they dread each year. To-do lists, shopping, and travel complicate their already busy lives. So I made a promise to myself, that I would fight to keep my Christmas joy alive. So far it is working.

Everyone has important holiday traditions, so we honor only the ones dearest to our hearts.

We decorate the house before most people do (a few key pieces went up before Thanksgiving this year). We love that the living spaces glow while we rest at night.

For the first time in my entire life, I am living in a house with lights outside. I grew up in base housing and apartments, so putting up outside lights weren't really a viable option. Thanks to solar panel lights, we have a modest strand on both the upstairs and downstairs porches. Our neighbors are already enjoying them. Apartment living at it's best!

I am a list maker and goal setter. I have been since I was a little girl. But Christmas is the one time of year that I let it all go. We send out a small handful of Christmas cards (last year we sent seven), cookies only get made if we have time (last year they were squirrels, brontosauruses, and stars), and our gift giving is VERY limited. This leaves plenty of time to watch my favorite TV Christmas movies, still go to the gym, and avoid holiday crowds.

Of course there are things I just don't get to -
The newsletter I've been meaning to write for six years.
Handmade bird ornaments for the tree that I started three years ago.
Homemade cookies for everyone that we love.
But these things aren't more important than the feeling of Christmas. Instead of focusing on the things I didn't complete, I try to spend quality time with loved ones and those who need my time. That is what Christmas means to me. Gifts of love, time, and self. After all, that is exactly what Jesus did.

What do you need to take off of your Christmas to-do list in order to find joy?

We wish everyone peace and joy this Christmas.