Rocked the Move!

Too exhausted to write much, because the Hubs and youngest kidling and I moved my scrapbooking cubes downstairs to my new scrappy place.  If you missed the beginning of this story, you can read it here.  And, I promise to post more pictures of the progress this week.  In the meantime, stay tuned... because as I organize my fun new crafty corner, that giveaway I promised a while back will be coming! 

Oh!  And Nicole K, Christina H and Lori???  Where are you?  I need my organizers!  Helloooooooo Ooooouuuuttt  Ttthhhhheeerrrreee?!

Truly, I do so wish you could all be here to help.  Another friend offered to help with the move, but I declined as we were on top of it today and had almost all of it done when she called.  Little did I realize that it wasn't the MOVE that was going to be a pain... it's the putting everything BACK and organizing!  How is it I moved to quadruple the space and I still feel like I don't have enough room?

PASSION debuts tomorrow (Feb 1st) at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out... check it out.

Oh, and thanks for your patience this week.  I was absent more than usual with all my travel for work and this weekend due to work and the scrappy move.  More fun to come!

Time Passing...

Stock Photo from Stock Xchng

Isn't it odd how time passing is so different depending on the situation you are in?  I often get caught up in this train of thought and wonder at the diversity of time, when in actuality... it is what it is.  A second is a second.  A minute is 60 seconds.  An hour is 60 minutes.  And so on. 

Yes, I understand that every four years we have to 'catch up' to time, and to do so we have an extra day.  A leap year.  I get that there is a whole science behind that, etc.  But that's not what I'm referring to here.

When I was a child... I can't describe how many times in my life I would wish that time would speed up.  Church, school, a boring Sunday afternoon... please let it go fast so I can get to the next, more exciting moment.  How much of my youth was spent wishing for time to go by faster?

Now that I'm older, so much of my "time" is wondering where my time went.  How did it go so fast?  I take great care in reminding myself to not wish it all away.  Even the bad stuff... the days that are just horrible and depressing and out-and-out bad.  Soon enough (too soon) it will be gone and I can't get it back.  My weekends fly by and my weeks drag by... and through it all I try to remember that it isn't really... it's happening at the same pace every day... 1 second at a time, 1 minute at a time, 1 hour at a time. 

Take this week as an example... it's already the last week of January 2010.  Where did this month go?!  On Sunday, this week looked loooong to me, because I'm traveling and attending 3 days of training.  But now it's the end of the day on Thursday, the training is over and tomorrow we're driving back home.  And geez, tomorrow's Friday!  Which means the weekend is already upon me.  There are so many things I want to accomplish over the weekend... but will it go too "fast"?  When I return to work it will be February! 

I even apply this to my scrapbooking.  I make an album for all of my kids to have - showing birth to high school graduation - and a  year or two ago, I decided to take some time off on my last child to do this for.  I wanted to concentrate on other scrapbooking projects.  I figured I'd take a year off and then get caught up so I won't feel stressed toward the end.  That was THREE years ago.  At the end of the school year this year she will be heading into high school.  The time is going so fast!!  And I didn't accomplish all I wanted during my "kid's album break".

Does anyone else feel the same about time?  Any one out there who has mastered time?  I'd love some tips on how to not wish my time away and, more importantly, now not to miss the time as it goes by me.  I hear all the catch phrases of "live in the moment" and I try to do so... but by the time I feel like I am, the moment is gone and several more have gone with it!

It has been a crazy week here... with a lot of learning (for my job) and a lot of things going on my head, which happens when I'm away from the distraction of family issues.  I'd love to hear from you... give me a shout out on what you think about time and your challenges and victories over it.

It's YUCKY!!

Just wanted to share a little tidbit about the Hubs...

He is a man who doesn't eat green foods.  I think there are many men like this out there, but I've never met one So Opposed to green things on his plate.  To the extent that when I add chives to my mashed potatoes, he (at first) questioned it and gingerly picked them out (he eats them now).  To be fair, he will eat a salad... defined as iceburg lettuce, onion, carrots, cucumbers and cheese... slathered in Thousand Island dressing.  Once... maybe twice, I got him to eat broccoli, but it was slathered in cheese sauce.  But, well... that's about it.  There's no "five servings a day" in this man's life.

I often wonder what caused this in him.  Is it because he grew up in the military and never had decent, fresh veggies to taste?  I grew up in a home that was surrounded by gardens. I would run over to my neighbor's very abundant garden and eat raw green beans by the handfuls.  Warmed only by the sun.  YUM!  To this day, I still love eating fresh, raw green beans (or wax/yellow beans).  My husband tried one once and I think his face turned green.

Then I thought, maybe something traumatic happened to him.  Was he trapped in a vegetable cellar surrounded by broccoli, green beans and peas?  Was he the unfortunate victim of a veggie food fight as a child? 

What could it be?

Then I saw it.  I saw The Instance when he became violently opposed to green vegetables.  It had to be him!

Except he's not blonde (he has black hair)...

And he's not little (anymore)...

Oh... and he's not a little girl...



But it's HIM! It really IS!

It's the Little Things...

It’s the little things we do and say

That mean so much as we go our way,

A kindly deed can lift a load

From weary shoulders on the road,

Or a gentle word, like summer rain,

May soothe some heart and banish pain,

What joy or sadness often springs

From just the simple little things.

~ Willa Hoey ~

Sometimes it is all about the little things.  Right?  Often I don't take the time to stop and really think about it... think on it and absorb it and... appreciate it.

Tonight, when I didn't really feel like cooking dinner,  my youngest pouted.  I asked her what time she was going "home" (to her bio-mom's).  She said 5pm.  I truly, honestly, did not want to start dinner at 3:30pm so she could eat before she left.  I wasn't hungry.  I had a lot of things to do.  It's a Sunday and I just sometimes want to do nothing on Sundays. 

And then she said, "But your cooking is always So Good!"

It wasn't manipulative.  It wasn't whiny.  It wasn't pouty.  It almost went straight over my head, but I stopped and took a breath and realized... it was a compliment from a 14-year old.

She got dinner.

My Scrapbook Room - The Beginning

It is a dream of every scrapbooker (I believe) to have their very own "scrapbook room".  A place with space to create and make a mess and just get things done.  I am green with envy for those scrappers who have four walls and a door and S - P - A - C - E. 

Not that I am without my own little corner.  I do have my own little itty bitty creation station.  It's in my bedroom, and it is a little drop-leaf, green formica kitchen table surrounded by Store-in-Style cubes.  Don't get me wrong, I loved my space when I first got it.  It was perfect... and organized.  It looked like this (only better - I can't find my "just set up" photo):

Yes, this photo shows that it is a little disorganized... I'm terrible at putting things away when I buy something new... any tips would be super appreciated, by the way.  After a while, I bought a few more cubes and moved things around and got more and more scrapping supplies, and still didn't learn how to put things away, and now things sorta look like this:

and this:

Yikes!  Anyone want to come over and help me clean this up?  I'll pay you in excess scrapbooking supplies! 

Actually, my solution is that I just need MORE space.  I have too much stuff.  Well, not too much stuff as in I have more than I "need"... but too much stuff as in I have more than what the space I'm using will allow for.

So, early on in summer 2009, the hubs and I started talking about how we are always on separate levels of the house.  He spends much of his free time on his computer playing games, in our computer room downstairs.  I spend much of my time in the bedroom, staring at my scrapbooking mess and wishing I was Samantha from Bewitched and could just wiggle my nose to get it all cleaned up and organized.  But I digress.

We really don't spend a lot of time together now that I have mostly given up computer gaming.  When I did game, I'd be in the same room as he is, our backs facing each other as we played together on the same game (World of Warcraft and before that, Asheron's Call - any closet gamers out there reading this?)  He offered up the suggestion that my scrapbooking stuff could come downstairs into his "man cave" and then we'd be together more.  (Aaaaawwwwww... isn't that sweet?).

So I looked around and almost cried.  Because, you see, his "man cave" is overrun by crap.  Mostly my crap, I will admit, but he has his share.  Take a look see:

The silhouette of the hubs.  He was looking a little grungy that day so I just cut him out...

The walls in this room are unfinished.  When we first moved into the house in 2000, they walls were covered with 1970's-green paisley wallpaper.  One of my sisters and I ripped it down quickly, but it was wallpaper on untreated drywall, so chunks of the wall came out as well.  My dad came out later and 'mudded' the walls for us so that we could paint. 

Uhm.  I'm embarrassed to say that this was in 2002.

But the hubs and I... we tried to gussy it up a little.  We hung beautiful artwork:

I wish I had a close up of this gorgeous artwork so you could you appreciate the talents of the artists.

Aside from the unfinished walls, this room was my computer room, my file room, my pay the bills space, the place where I "stored" projects I would get to later, and also where I kept my candles (I used to sell Partylite and I have a huge addiction to candles... almost as bad as my scrapbook supplies addiction).  On the other hand, my husband kept several computers in various states of repair (or disrepair) among other pieces and parts "just in case".  Oh yeah, and lots and lots of computer game CDs, books and whatnot.  Much of this was in the closet.

Because of the lovely state of constant mess, I didn't take many photos down here (obviously as I'm using the same one over and over to demonstrate the area). 

After my mini meltdown about what needed to happen to move downstairs with all my scrappy goodness, I began to plan... and buy more stuff!  I'd have to fill the space, of course! 

Wait 'til you see the transformation.  It's still "in progress", but I wanted to share the various steps that are completed and then give you a Grand Reveal.  Once I'm downstairs, watch out!  I'll be creating left and right!  I'll finally use my Wishblade!  I'll be able to view all of my stamps!  You won't be able to stop me!  You won't believe how productive I'll be! You'll get sick of the projects I post!

For now, though... until I get the rest of the pictures posted... someone PLEASE come over and help me organize!  Pretty please?  I'll buy you pizza! 

Hello?  Anyone out there?  All I can hear is crickets...

*sigh*

When You Feel Lost...

I have several people in my life at the moment who are struggling.  One is struggling with a series of decisions she made, and very much not liking the result; one is struggling with health issues, PTSD and emotional imbalance; one has been struggling emotionally, physically, professionally and in relationship issues for almost ten years now, without relief in sight; and one is struggling with unexpected health issues.  These are people who pass through my thoughts every hour of every day.  Most of the time, I just don't know what to say. There is little I have within my power to help any of them.  Feeling helpless is SO not a good feeling.  I think they all feel lost as well. 

One of these people, a very good friend, once gave to me a gift.  It is a very colorful framed print that I have hung on the wall above my computer at my office.  I read it almost every day.   I'd like to share the sentiment here and dedicate it to these people.  It's worth really reading... and really absorbing... and really embracing.  And this is not just for them; I think anyone would benefit:

Your Life Is A Sacred Journey

and it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly & deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous risks, embracing challenges at every step along the way...

You Are On The Path

exactly where you are meant to be right now... And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing, of courage, beauty, wisdom, power, dignity & love...

(Caroline Joy Adams)

Possibility...

We would accomplish many more things
if we did not think of them as impossible.
Vince Lombardi

It is a weird, surreal yet oddly very cool day when the VP of your "day job" company suggests your name to an outside company for a free-lance publishing job.  This is not something I would have ever thought possible (the whole VP suggesting you to someone for an outside job).  On top of that, it's a very nicely paying job... and way more than I have ever thought I was worth.  It is a tough sell to my inner critic that I deserve this.  I am afraid.  I do not want to come off as an amateur.  I worry that my "amateur' skills are not worth even half of what I intend to charge which is potentially much less than their budget. 

Once I accepted the possibility that I really, possibly could do this job, the VP of my company remarked to me, "just remember the little people you leave in your wake."  To which I replied that I hardly saw him as a "little person", nor did I ever think I would have a wake to leave  him, or others, in. 

But today, a very exhilerating thought caught a teeny spark and began to glimmer and shimmer in the deepest recesses of my brain.  Why not?  It could happen.  It is possible.

Check out more quotes, music and inspiration on POSSIBILITY at SFTIO.  As always, it is my favorite place to be.  Aside from here.  And bed.  Which is where I'm headed now.

Relinquishing “Good” and “Perfect”

My one little word is “release”. In my quest to live this word, I am trying to start with stopping the feeling that I always need to be the good one, and do what’s correct and responsible 100% of the time. Folding a towel “just so”. Refolding a towel my child or husband folded because it’s not how I would do it. Creatively, not making a mess… coloring inside the lines… being too symmetrical. I want to get creatively dirty and wacky and not feel guilty or self-conscious about it. I don’t want to follow my self-imposed rules, or learned behaviors and monkey-see-monkey-do reactions anymore.

One synonym for release is “relinquish”. I must relinquish my feelings of needing to control, to do the “correct” thing (different from doing the “right” thing) and make things as perfect is possible. As I’ve said before, I KNOW I’m not perfect, but very often I feel the pressure to be perfect or to make things perfect for others, when I know that is simply impossible. I want to let go of that feeling like I need to be perfect. So I’m starting small. I’m starting with a book. A journal, actually, called Wreck This Journal, by Keri Smith. I found this book on Amazon.com when I was Christmas shopping and set it aside as something I wanted to get myself someday. Then, someone else received it and talked about it on Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, which brought it back to the forefront of my mind again.

I knew someday had to come soon, or I’d chicken out, or just plumb forget about it. So… here it is:

I bought it. It was delivered today. This book has all kinds of little tidbits on how to destroy the book. Books are so important to me… it was important as a child that I didn’t color in them, or write in them (even text books! Not if you wanted them to resell)… not to fold down the corners of the pages and not to leave them open, face down, because it would eventually hurt/crack the spine. Keep them looking new. I don’t know if I can change that for “real” books, but I thought… a small step to releasing that “have to keep things perfect” control is working my way through this book. Some things it tells you to do are: “Place sticky things here” (on the page), “Scribble wildly, violently, with reckless abandon”, “poke holes in this page using a pencil”, and “tie a string to the journal, go for a walk, drag it”. All things I would never, ever do to a book…even one of my own journals. Even a coloring book!

I am hoping… hoping, hoping, hoping… that I will be able to stop feeling so “uptight” and needful of doing the “right thing” (like coloring inside the lines). I want to RELEASE myself to be more creative; allowing myself to try things that are just “oddball” and not what I would normally do. I’m hoping that this also helps me explore more on my scrapbook pages.

My first challenge is to NOT set it aside, “perfect”, on a bookshelf. Ready? Here I go…

Untalents & Talents

It's a Sunday.  I don't like Sundays.  I always get a little, sometimes a lot, depressed on Sundays.  So, of course, I tend to fall into bad habits like berating myself for all the things I'm not good at.  But today I started to think of a blog post by Nancy back in December and thought that maybe blogging about my "untalents", and then following it up with some of my talents, would be a good way to end my somewhat bummin' Sunday.  So... THANKS Nancy for posting your untalents and giving me the idea today!

Untalent:  If it isn't business related, I totally suck at talking on the phone when people call me.  I respond in monotone and do very little to keep the conversation going. I think this is because so many of my jobs were phone-intensive, so having a receiver to my ear is one of my least favorite things to do.  That's not to say every phone conversation sucks... but most of the time, I hate talking on the phone.

Talent:  Conversely, I love email and writing (can you tell?) so if you want to talk or to hear a story, send me an email or type me a question and I'll type for a very long time to respond. 

Untalent:  I think I have the absolute LEAST talent at losing weight.  I can honestly say that weight loss has been a #1 priority since I was at least 11 years old, and I've not ever succeeded.  Yeah, this is a big "untalent".

Talent:  I'm a great cheerleader when others are attempting to lose weight (or quit smoking or other bad habit or life situation).  I have a plethora of information on weight loss and what works (supposedly) and what doesn't. 

Untalent:  I have zero rhythm.  I used to go dancing with a friend and always felt like the "do wop" girl in the background, shifting from side-to-side.  I LOVE music.  I wish fervently that I could dance.  But.  I simply can't.  I sometimes can't even tap my foot or fingers to the "correct" beat. 

Talent:  I love all things theatre.  While I may not be able to sing or dance in a musical, I love to act.  I may also not be the next Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie (gasp!  how did I mention both of those two women in one sentence?)... but I enjoyed acting and being involved in theater immensely, when I was.  It's been at least 13 years since I was involved in my last play, but I think I did well in any show I was in.  On stage, or backstage. 

Untalent:  I'm really bad at remembering names.  I'm good at recognizing someone, but really, really bad at placing the right name to that person.

Talent:  I have a HUGE amount of useless information rolling around in my head that, surprisingly, sometimes comes up as useful.  And sometimes, it really irks people when I win bets based on that weird trivia floating around in my head.   And I'm never afraid to stop trying to find stuff out.  I guess I never got past that whole "why" phase, only I also ask a lot of "how", "what", "when", and "who" questions.

Untalent:  Keeping things neat and picked up and orderly.  Whew... I'm REALLY bad at this.

Talent:  I know where everything is.  I can direct people to something that is at the bottom of a pile.  And I'm a finder of lost things, sometimes just by standing in the room.  It was eerie when I was in college.  I was an RA (Resident Assistant) and the gals on my hall would come to me, upset, because they had lost their ID card or room key.  I would walk to their doorway and point at it, or they would find it immediately after I entered the room.  Weird.  But fun!

Okay... I suppose that's enough for now. I may revisit this later.  What are your untalents/talents?

On My Soapbox: Driving in Snow... Rant!

I am not perfect. Sometimes I foolishly try to BE perfect. But I know I am not. Despite that, I find myself in possession of, in my opinion, a higher and stronger than the average human level of common sense. Also, I must confess, I did grow up driving in an area that has a pretty good average of snowfall in the winter.

Since moving to mid-Ohio, I have increasingly become appalled at the lack of common sense when it comes to snow, and vehicles driving IN the snow. So, after a 45-minute drive home… a drive that typically takes me 15 minutes… in very messy snow, I feel the need to share some feelings and observations.

Please bear with me. I promise to never revisit this topic again. Well, I’ll try very hard not to.

Let’s first talk about the snow plows. Snow plows have two jobs:

1. To scrape the snow, slush, sludge and other wet, cold, icy crap off the road.
2. To pour salt, or whatever snow-melting chemical you have, onto the road to help loosen the snow, slush, sludge and other wet, cold, icy crap on the road.

Let me describe EVERY city snow plow I have ever seen, and driven behind.

1. Plows are not down on the road, scraping the snow, slush, sludge and other wet, cold, icy crap. No, really. I kid you not. Instead, they are high up and very well OFF the road. The plow is driving on the same road I’m on, isn’t it? I am sitting here struggling to keep my car in the lane amidst the snow, slush, sludge and other wet, cold, icy crap that is covering the road… at least two inches. Yes… it is on the same road. Let me reiterate… the plow is not down.
2. The spinning salt spreader in the back of the truck is still. Nothing is pouring out of the salt reservoir container on the back of the truck. Is it empty? No. Hmmmm. One must wonder why there is nothing coming out to help aid in the non-freezing of the unplowed snow, slush, sludge and other wet, cold, icy crap that remains on the road.

So. If a snow plow is ON the road, and the person driving the truck is getting paid to plow and salt the road, then… uhm… can someone please tell me WHAT that snow plow/driver was doing? I’ll tell you what… it was driving ahead of me for at least a good 5-6 miles. That’s it. Driving. This is very frustrating to me. Why is a plow on the road not plowing?! This is a common occurrence here. It really irks me!

Next, let’s talk about some common sense rules for driving in snow, shall we? First and foremost, if you are going to live in a place that gets snow, learn to deal with it when you drive. Take a winter driving course. Really, it’s worth the investment. Beyond that, for those drivers on the road, here are my top 10 rules for driving in snow:

1. Brush ALL of the snow off your car. If you do not, you become a hazard to both yourself and others.
   
   a.  If you get into your car and use your windshield wipes to clear your windshield, and start driving, you are looking for trouble. First, sometimes the snow blows off your car which can be a hazard to the person behind you. Second, YOU CAN’T SEE! You can’t see what’s behind you, you can’t see what’s to the side of you. When you merge, you are trusting that no one is there and if there is, that he or she will stop fast enough to let you over. This is stupid. Take the time to brush off all of your car.
   
   b. I mean all of your car. Even the top. If you get in and get going and the top of your car isn’t brushed off, two things are bound to happen: one, the snow will slide down and cover your rear window (see a. above); and two, it will blow off in a white-out condition or in dangerous chunks onto the cars behind you, causing hazards for them.
   
   c. ALL of your car (can I stress this too much?). This means your lights and turn signals too. If you use them and there’s snow on them… they can’t be seen!
2. Scrape your windows to clear the ice. It helps with the visibility factor and your wipers on your windshield.
3. Turn your headlights on. Make sure they are not snow covered (see 1 c.)
4. Make sure your car is fully defrosted from the inside. Don’t drive if you have to scrape the inside windshield at the same time as watching the road. No. Bad person.
5. Drive slow. If you are an impatient person, too bad. Now’s the time to use your secret patience reserves.
6. Leave eeexxxxtttrrraaaa space between you and the car in front of you. Seriously. Like 5-6 car lengths. Trust me, someday you will be glad you did.
7. If someone is tailgating YOU, resist the urge to speed up. Keep your distance from the car in front of you. If you get rear-ended by the idiot behind you, well… I’m sorry. But at least you won’t hit the car in front of you when that happens.
8. When you see a stoplight, take your foot off the gas and allow your car to slow down slowly. Don’t slam on your brakes as soon as you see stopping. Allowing yourself to slow down slowly is another reason for #6. You have the space to do so.
9. When pulling out in front of other cars, make sure you just… don’t. Wait. Don’t make someone else slam on their brakes and go into a skid to avoid you pulling out. Find that patience. See #5.
10. Courtesy, courtesy, courtesy. Seriously… if you have road rage, stay off the road. Or, if you must get on, dig deeeeeeep. Find that itty bitty hiding space where you stuffed your common courtesy and open the cage. Let it out. Let it breathe. Express it. Use your turn signals. If someone else has a turn signal on, slow down and let them in. Blink your headlights to signal that someone can merge in front of you in case they can’t see you well. No tailgating. Smile. Let’s all help each other get home safe.

Because that's what's really important, no?

Rant over.

Thank you for listening.

Releasing the New Year...

Are you a sucker for New Year's resolutions?  I used to be.  And by January 31st of the "new year", all memory of them were erased from my mind.  So, for several years, I just stopped. What was the point? 

But last year, I decided to choose one little word for 2009. Do.  I talked about it here and here.  And after a great deal of thought and deliberation, I have decided to choose another "one little word" for 2010: 

Release.

I want to release all of the horrible thoughts and memories that circle around in my head, poisoning how I think and act today.  I want to release my unrelenting grip on memorabilia that clutter up my home and life.  I want to release myself from self-imposed rules that do me no good. I want to release my healthy inner soul from my overweight, unhealthy prison of a body.  I want to release my emotions more on my layouts in the spirit of Scrapbooking from the Inside Out.  I want to release my cyncism about human nature as a whole.  I want to release myself from feeling that I am responsible to control or guide my husband's and kids' lives.

To help me work toward my one little word, here are six things I am resolving to do:

1. Play the Wii every night that I don't work at my second job - minimum of 4 nights a week.
2. Scrapbook at least 15 minutes (releasing the "need" to finish what I start) at least 4 nights every week.
3. Take more walks outside - with my camera of course!
4. Continue my goal from last year to read one book a month.  I have really enjoyed this "release" from reality and everyday life
5. Be a better correspondent.  Perhaps if I wrote/emailed/talked to my friends and family more, I would not allow old conversations and interactions to echo so loudly in my head and influence current feelings.
6. Continue to work toward getting 8 hours of sleep a night.  I'm up to an average of 7 now, from an average of 4-5.  I'd love to get into a steady pattern of 8 hours of zzzzzz's a night.

How about you?  Do you "do" resolutions?  What do you think about them?  Are they stupid?  Are they your inspiration in the new year?  Have you made any for 2010?  Share... I really am interested.

Oh... and by the way... keep reading.  Someday soon, I'm going to do a fun li'l giveaway.  I haven't gotten my head wrapped around what it is I want to do... but it will be fun scrapbooking/cardmaking stuff when I get to it!

Happy New Year - Welcome 2010

Happy New Year everyone!  It's the "future" now.  2010. How many of you grew up with movies in classrooms touting the technologies of the future?  I know I am still looking for my flying car!  But hey... we've got satellites in space, Google Maps and blogs... that's pretty tech-y.

I know I'm three days late for the New Years wishes, but I came "home" to my childhood stomping ground for New Years.  Computer time is not easy to access in my dad's house... simply because he loves his little games (Chuzzle, Mystic Forest, Maui Wowee) and, well, I havea husband,  two teens (daughter and her friend) and a 20-year old (son) fighting for time on the two computers here as well.  LOL. 

As I said, I came 'home' for the new year.  'Home" is just off of Lake Ontario where a tiny village named Hilton is situated... and it is where I grew up and lived until my mid-twenties. My entire life I could not wait to get OUT of this little po-dunk town.  I detested the fact that my mom and dad knew everyone... by name... no matter where we went.  Of course, we all went to school together, to church together, and it didn't help that my mom worked for the only insurance agency in town and my father was a carpenter/contractor... of course they would know everyone.  Needless to say, I couldn't get away with a whole lot of anything... someone always saw me.  For years and years and years, even after I moved out of state, I could go into the little local bank and never needed to show my I.D.  "Oh, you must be Sandy's daughter," they'd say.  "You look just like her!"  I detested that too, being recognizable because I resembled my mother so much. 

New Year's also marks fifteen years for me living in Ohio.  And in that fifteen years, I have grown more and more disatisfied with the "little" town I live in there.  The little town I live in just outside of Columbus is probably, oh, ten times bigger than my home town in NY.  And I don't like it. Maybe it's the day and age.. maybe it's my generation and those behind me... but no one is neighborly, no one speaks to you, no one helps out, no one even lifts a hand in acknowledgement as you pass.  And I found that I have missed small town life.

And I miss the weather up here.  I'm a weird one, I know, but I love snow.  REAL snow.  Not the "winter storm warnings" we get in mid-Ohio for "1-3 inches".  It has not stopped snowing here since we arrived on Friday night.  Now, on Sunday, we have about two feet of snow on the ground and it's STILL snowing.  A few hours north where one of my sisters lives, just off the east end of Lake Ontario, has gotten twice that. They were supposed to drive down today to visit, but they have had four feet of snow in the past two days.  SNOW!  I'm loving it. 

It's big and fluffy and white.  And it is covering everything. I can't see a single blade of grass through it.  It mutes sounds, and yet, everything this is crisp and clear when you hear it.  It masks the earth in a fluffy white blanket, making everything look cozy and fresh and clean.

What a perfect way for nature to ring in the New Year.