Screenings and Magazines

We had a screening this afternoon. We had someone come in who was suicidal and we were able to get them help. I'm touched to be a tiny part of this process.

After the screening, Julie, Greg and I went to Skaets for a burger. Then they both came over to my house. Julie helped me decorate more on the tree. I think I have one more box of ornaments and then I'll do icicles and it's done. I will try to take some photos and post them.

I got the magazine today that I wrote the article on Food Traditions for. Greg's photos look nice.

I'm now trying to convince myself to drag the trash dumpster out to the back alley. It's 5 degrees here and the ground is covered with snow. I do NOT want to go outside. I was thinking about waiting until in the morning but it's going to be 3 degrees at 8 a.m. So, I either have to keep it another week or get my butt out there.

At times like this I really miss having a man in my life.

Merry Little Christmas

Today was one of those days when I'm so very thankful that I can work from home sometimes. Because today was a day when I wanted to do that. It was frigid all day. It's 4 now. It has snowed almost all day. It's just been a generally unpleasant day to be out and about.

I was supposed to go to the diversity luncheon today but didn't. I spent that time dragging up more boxes of Christmas stuff from the basement and making myself homemade pizza.

Tonight I decorated and made some real progress. I finished the lights on the tree early this morning and started decorating it. Then I did some more tonight.

At one point I snapped a photo of the various boxes of lights I had unpackaged to add to the tree. I buy a supply every year when they get cheap so I'm prepared for the next year. I have almost depleted my supply this year. I went a little crazy with the lights.

People are always asking me how many lights. A few years ago I stopped telling people because they're either one - shocked. Or, two - shocked and disapproving. I just stopped telling people how many - then I don't have to deal with it. This year is my best one ever, I think. I was glad I had a stash of lights from which to draw. I just say there are "thousands" of lights. That's accurate. And vague.

There was an accident on the corner about 5:30 tonight. I heard it and went out on the porch and looked. I'm not sure what happened but there were police vehicles there for more than an hour afterwards. I never saw an ambulance, but there were flashing red and blue lights for a long time. I walked out onto the porch, but that was as far out of the house as I got today.

I truly am thankful I can work from home. This time of year I've got a ton of paper/computer things to do and I generally do those on my home computer anyway as the work computer can't handle too many things. So, I had a productive day without having to go outside.

Greg got home tonight and I'm so glad he's back safe and sound.

It's rare I'm interested in something on television but I wanted to see the White House Christmas special on HGTV tonight. I was a little disappointed in it. The plan this year was to use all natural things - lots of fruit and fresh flowers. I guess I'm old fashioned. I like my red and green and glitter and glow. The other stuff is fine as additions, but I need my basic Santa and tree contingent covered this time of year.

I took some video of the tree with the lights on today - before I started putting ornaments on. I had planned to post it but I'm not sure what format to use and how to get the .mov file my camera took it in into whatever is useful. I found a tool to convert it into an .avi file but those seem really large. Oh well, maybe I'll figure it out.

I have done a couple more podcasts. Those are easy for me since I can just adlib them, and they seem to be striking a cord with some people, so that's good.

Well, time for bed for me. We have a screening tomorrow and I have a lot of things to do before then.

Art of Gracious Living Podcast #3

I love Christmas and one of my favorite parts of it is putting the ornaments on the tree. I have some I've picked up on trips and also ones people have given me. I treasure them as they're tangible reminders of the relationships I'm blessed to have.

Listen to Art of Gracious Living Podcast #3

Snow!

It's a blamy 7 degrees at 4:06 a.m. And we have snow... not a dusting but enough to cover the ground.

I looked outside the second I woke up. I decided to just stay up. I think I'll put some pumpkin bread in the oven, turn on some Christmas carols until Morning Edition comes on, and work on the tree.

Last allied veteran of the Christmas Truce in WW1 Dead

Reuters reported on Monday, November 21, 2005
in a story by Peter Graff

The last known surviving allied veteran of the Christmas Truce that saw German and British soldiers shake hands between the trenches in World War One died Monday at 109, his parish priest said.

Alfred Anderson was the oldest man in Scotland and the last known surviving Scottish veteran of the war.

"I remember the silence, the eerie sound of silence," he was quoted as saying in the Observer newspaper last year, describing the day-long Christmas Truce of 1914, which began spontaneously when German soldiers sang carols in the trenches, and British soldiers responded in English.

"All I'd heard for two months in the trenches was the hissing, cracking and whining of bullets in flight, machinegun fire and distant German voices.

But there was a dead silence that morning across the land as far as you could see.
"We shouted 'Merry Christmas' even though nobody felt merry. The silence ended early in the afternoon and the killing started again."

Troops in the trenches swapped cigarettes, uniform buttons and addresses and even played football in one of the most extraordinary episodes of the war.

Parish priest Neil Gardner of Anderson's Alyth Parish Church in Scotland said he had died in his sleep and was survived by a large family, including 18 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.

"He was a wonderful old man: he was gracious, gentle, he had a great sense of humor and a fine sense of wisdom from his experience spanning three centuries," said Gardner, who also served as chaplain to Anderson's regiment, the Black Watch.

Anderson also served briefly as a member of the household staff of Queen Elizabeth's uncle, Fergus Bowes-Lyon.

With Anderson's death, fewer than 10 British veterans of the war remain alive, of whom only three or four were veterans of trench warfare on the Western Front.

Attention has turned to the last survivors in recent weeks, with filmmakers bringing out documentaries in time for this month's Armistice Day holiday, marking the day the guns fell silent on November 11, 1918.

Don't Get Creative With My Christmas Carols

I've been playing Christmas Carols tonight while I work on things around the house. I have a few CDs that I haven't listened to before. I popped in one and they were doing something I hate - getting creative with old standards.

People - DON'T do that. We just want to hear the pretty song, the way we remember singing it during the nativity play as a kid, we don't want your interpretation.

If you want to interpret something, write it first. Otherwise, just stick to the script. Don't go trying to get fancy. We just want to hear "Away in a Manger" just the way we sang it when we were 10, only we want you to do it pretty. That's why we bought your CD.

OK, if you're Aretha, you can get creative. Otherwise, just stick to the basics.

The Life I Want to Live

Today at lunch this came up in conversation with Trish and I hadn't thought about it in ages. It came up because I was talking about how regardless of what a mess things are in in my world, I always know where my passport is - as if I'm going to need it at the office tomorrow here in the middle of the United States.

I told Trish about reading an Alexandra Stoddard book some years ago - before I even owned a passport - and she was saying that you should never keep your passport in a safety deposit box. Instead, you should always keep it in your home because if someone invited you to leave the country over the weekend on the spur of the moment you wouldn't be able to get your passport.

That stuck with me. I think because it told me the kind of life I wanted to be living - the one where I needed to always have my passport at hand - just in case I needed it for a quick trip to a foreign land.

In the "fake it till you make it" category, I always know where my passport is. So, I'm ready when this spur of the moment invitation arrives.

Droopy Day

I've been a little droopy today. I had a little "episode" overnight so didn't get much sleep. I was exhausted when I got up.

I was thinking about what to have for lunch - thinking I needed some protein and iron - when Trish called and asked if I wanted to go to lunch. I said, "sure" and did feel better after I ate.

Fortunately, I didn't have anything critical for work today as I didn't feel very good. I slept for awhile and did feel better when I got up.

Tonight I've gotten a little bit more done on the tree. I'm approaching having it all together. Well, aside from the few thousand ornaments. But, I love that part.

I do not enjoy the assembly and lights part, but the lights are what make the tree so beautiful. I've only got two more rows and the topper and it will be all together. Then tomorrow I can start the ornaments.

I have a busy, busy, busy work day tomorrow, but hopefully I'll feel like working on it tomorrow night.

I love getting out the ornaments and remembering the stories behind each one.

I used to ask for help to get the tree assembled and lighted, but that gives people the "right" to complain about my "excessiveness" when it comes to the tree. So, I prefer to just do it myself and then I don't have to take anyone's crap.

I've thought about doing a long blog post titled, "Stupid Things People Say to Me at Christmas Time." But, I decided it wasn't a good idea.

I will offer this one tip - if you're invited to my home, don't point out that there is a light burned out on the tree. That would fall into the "oh, really, no shit" category. There are thousands of freaking lights on it - did you not notice - OF COURSE some are not working. I don't take time to replace every burned out bulb when I'm assembling the tree. I'd need to start in May if I did that.

I realize if you put two 100 strands on your tree, that's noticeable. Trust me, if you put a few dozen 100 strands on your tree, it's not that big of a deal. The only one who notices is someone who wants to "catch me" in something that's not perfect. News flash - I already know I'm a long way from perfect - I don't need you to point it out.

Love v. Attachment

I've been thinking a lot lately about my relationships with people. This ended up in my email today and it seems appropriate that it came to me at this time. I thought I'd share....

*********

We confuse attachment with love. Attachment is concerned with my needs, my happiness, while love is an unselfish attitude, concerned with the needs and happiness of others....

A relationship free of unrealistic grasping is free of disappointment, conflict, jealousy, and other problems, and is fertile ground for the growth of love and wisdom.

-Kathleen McDonald, "How to Meditate"

Podcasting

I have figured out more about podcasting today. I think I got the necessary feeds set up. I will see what develops with www.artofgraciousliving.com. I've had a few emails from people who like the bread recipe I posted there.

www.patsyterrell.com/aoglpodcast1.mp3 to hear the podcast

Sunday was Not for Rest

I've been going full tilt all day and here at the end of the day I've not accomplished as much as I would like. And, yet, I've done about as much as I can do in one day. At least some things have gotten done.

I'm working on the tree, and still need to get some more invitations for my Christmas party out - ones I have to look up addresses for.

It is cold here - 19 now - and it was 19 when I first looked this morning. I'm not sure how warm it got, but it was not balmy by any means.

I've been glued to the food network tonight off and on - Paula Deen's Christmas show and the gingerbread competition.

I hope by next year that my life is a bit more "normal." If so I'm going to decorate in early November and start entertaining. There just isn't enough time to entertain all in December.

Planting in the Cold

I've been outside planting spring bulbs. I did some the other day and the problem with that is that I couldn't necessarily remember exactly where I planted them and so I'm clueless what is where now. I'm just not a person who can make charts to scale and draw things out. It will be a surprise in the spring.

I'm planting daffodils and tulips mostly, but also some hyacinths and crocus.

It's cold here - 29 at the moment - but this is going to be one of the warmer days we have for the next week so I thought I'd better try to get some of it done. I still have about 40 daffodils and about 20 tulips and I think I'm out of room in the front flower bed. Well, as best I can tell, anyway.

So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of them. Maybe something will occur to me. The front is the only place that gets enough sun for them, I think. I planted some in the back a few years ago and they bloomed once or twice - kind of late - but never really took off. So, I'm not sure. Maybe I can stash the bulbs until next year so when I see where the holes are I can fill them in.

Podcasting

Today I have entered the world of Podcasting. OK, so, it's a timid entry since at 6:30 this morning I had no clue how to begin. Now, at 11:30 p.m. I have a podcast online.

Good thing I have a broadcasting degree or it might have taken more days.

We'll see how I enjoy doing this. It certainly plays to my skills given my background in radio.

I just adlibbed this one, but may start to actually write them out. Of course, I want it to sound conversational, so maybe not.

Maybe I'm putting too much thought into it since I'm not even sure I want to continue to do it.

I am passionate about the topic of people making connection with one another. I've written about it here at length, particularly in April when I saw Dr. Robert Putnam speech. The new website, www.artofgraciousliving.com is going to be devoted to how to help people make connection.

I am certain this is critical to our well-being and that it's a skill we've lost. My hope is to use the podcasting format, in addition to the written word, to encourage people along these lines.

Check it out at www.artofgraciousliving.com. I'm open to comments, thoughts, suggestions.

Bingo

Although it's not something I could have imagined myself saying a year ago, I played Bingo tonight. Two of the Compeer volunteers planned a get together tonight and bingo was a central feature. Everyone loved it.

I haven't played bingo since I was a kid. I know it's big business in churches and bingo parlors, but it's just something I haven't done since childhood. But, I did.

They did a great job of putting everything together. They had nice gifts and did snacks and everything. It was a lovely gesture on their part to do the Christmas gathering for the group.

Failure

OK... just for fun... go to www.google.com and type in "failure" and hit the "I'm feeling Lucky" button. It takes you straight to George Bush's bio on the White House page.It made me laugh out loud.

Kansas State Library Card

I learned about the coolest thing today - the Kansas State Library card. They probably have a version of it in your state, and maybe even in your city.

I went to the reference department at lunchtime today to get the Consumer Reports information about what kind of exterior paint to use on my house. (Pratt and Lambert Accolade Eggshell, flat finish white, btw) When I talked with the reference librarian, she gave me a Kansas Library Card and a tour of all it gives you access to.

With this handy dandy little card, which is free to Kansas residents, (thank you, legislators!) you have access to magazines, newspapers, books, audio books, and tons of other reference materials. Genealogy information, history, census records and more are as close as your keyboard.

As I understand it, different libraries have different "packages" of materials, so it could vary tremendously. But, you can search historic New York Times editions and then find the latest Consumer Reports information.

Needless to say, I'm quite infatuated with the whole concept. It's designed to give all libraries - even in rural areas - top notch research and reference capabilities.

It's a fabulous idea, well executed, and a great use of tax money. Thank you to everyone involved for doing something worthwhile in a very smart fashion.

I was just thinking I needed to spend more time online...

What Happens in Nicaragua

One of the things I love about Christmas is getting out the ornaments and remembering the people who gave them to me or the events they commemorate or whatever.

I also have a tendency to make things into Christmas ornaments that were never intended as such.

Tonight in putting up the tree, before I even got the ornaments out, an ornament that had gotten packed away with the tree fell out.

It's an umbrella that came out of a drink. I kept it because it reminds me of a very memorable night in Nicaragua. It makes me think of Matthew and the people we met along the way on that trip.

There are lots of travel trinkets on my tree. It reminds me of how much you rely on those you travel with to have your back, to keep your secrets as you keep theirs, to deal with the crises and celebrate the surprises one finds along the path.

Of course, what happens in Nicaragua stays in Nicaragua... or whatever they say...

Productive Day

I had a very productive day today. I managed to get a number of things from my desk into other people's worlds. That's pretty much my goal on a daily basis. I also got two big projects out the door.

After work I laid down for a nap - pretty rare for me, but I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I go through periods where sleep is elusive and I'm in one now. I go to bed exhausted but wake up dozens of times a night. Eventually, exhausted with the cycle, I just get up. That was the case last night. I finally just got up about 5:30, after only about 3 1/2 hours of sleep. I had a couple hours of sleep this afternoon and fortunately I am still going strong. I have a lot I want to do yet tonight.

I've been hauling things up from the basement. I'm obviously going to break my Dec. 1 rule this year. Generally I like to have all of my Christmas things done by Dec. 1 but that just won't happen this year. Oh well... there's always next year to shoot for.

The trick is going to be after taking a break for the holidays to get back on my organizing track and keep at it so by next year at this time I'll be in full swing for the holidays.

I've decided I'm inviting all of the Altrusans to my home one night in December. That will be fun.

Well, I'm going to go back to working on Christmas things. I do love getting everything out and seeing it all again. I've been collecting Christmas things for years so I have quite a bit of stuff.

I change what I put where every year. I know from talking to other people that they tend to do the same thing in the same place every year. I guess I never have things in the same place so that doesn't work for me.

I've always teased Sondra that every time I'm in her house it's different. Now I seem to be the same way.

Monday is for the Dentist

My Monday was devoted to the dentist. I have two temporary crowns and went in today to get the permanent ones. Well, to speed through a dull story, hours later with my mouth numb and one temporary having been chipped off, I got a new temporary.

I was not happy with the color of the crown. So, I'm paying more and getting an all porcelain one. My dentist is splitting the lab costs of them with me so it's only costing an extra $50 per tooth, but these will show if I smile wide and I don't want them to look like crowns.

So, poof, there goes my money. Unfortunately, this took a long time to figure out and I had not taken a book with me - expecting it would be a quick procedure. Oh well, so it goes. It was very kind of the dentist to split the costs with me because caps are expensive enough to begin with. Yikes!

I called Teresa late and asked if she wanted to have dinner. We have gotten out of the habit of spur of the moment suppers and it was good to see her and hear about her Thanksgiving break.

I shared with her the new track I'm on - to look at my skills and talents and figure out what I should be doing with my life. We'll see where that goes. When I look at what I'm good at, I see many possibilities of what one could do with those things.

However, when I look at what I'm not good at, one that I keep coming back to is a central problem. As I summed it up in my journal the other day, "the norm is a mystery to me." And it is. I don't know how I can ever address that. So, I just have to figure out how to make it a positive.

Kansas State Board of Education Prevention

You may recall that a week or two ago I mentioned I was looking for information on the Kansas State Board of Education members. I had emailed to inquire about additional information. As of yet, my email has not been answered.

However, today a friend sent this email to me about an organization that seems to want to address these issues. I'm putting it here for any of you who might also be interested in joining forces. The pertinent information is www.ksalliance.org.

Here's the information:

Dear Friends:

Over the last several months many Kansans have become alarmed by the actions of the six member social conservative majority on the Kansas State Board of Education. These six have been preoccupied with inappropriate science standards and unnecessary opt-in sex education guidelines. Recently they have hired a Kansas Commissioner of Education whose qualifications for the job are woefully inadequate. It is becoming increasingly apparent that they are more concerned with promoting their own narrow agenda than they are with preparing the children of Kansas to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

I want to introduce you to the Kansas Alliance for Education (KAE), a newly formed group of individuals who have come forward to say enough is enough. The KAE does not consist of professional activists or political operatives but rather citizens willing to take a leadership role to ensure high quality education for all students. The KAE is non-partisan and will be involved in all five Kansas State Board of Education races in 2006. Members of KAE come from all over the state, are from both parties, and have diverse backgrounds. Their common interest is making a change in the Kansas State BOE, and the sole focus of KAE will be working for the re-election of the one moderate and replacement of the four social conservative incumbents who are up for re-election in 2006.

The Kansas Alliance for Education has adopted the following principles:

Moderate and informed educational policy best prepares children for the 21st century

Public education must be available for all children residing in the state

Quality public education is the key to social and economic vitality

The group is organized as a Political Action Committee and will be raising money to inform the public about issues pertinent to the State Board of Education. The KAE will also stress the importance of voting in the 2006 Primary and General Elections and provide information about their endorsed candidates. This is going to be true grass roots politics.

Our common interest is to return quality as the focal point of the Kansas State Board of Education decision-making. Our goal is to retain Janet Waugh, the moderate past president of the board, and to return a common sense voice to the board by replacing the other four members up for election in 2006: John Bacon, Iris Van Meter, Ken Willard, and Connie Morris.

The KAE web site www.ksalliance.org is now operational. The web site will contain information about not only the issues you are concerned about but about candidates in the five races and how to contact them. There will also be a link to Pay Pal for those who would prefer to contribute electronically. The information on the web site will change frequently so please visit often so you have the latest �scoop�.

If you share our concerns and have wondered what you can do, I have a few suggestions. The first thing you can do is to make a contribution. You can contribute through the KAE website, www.ksalliance.org. Second, you can share this message by adding your personal comments and forwarding it on to family and friends. If you do so, please cut and paste or use the attached documents. In this way the message stays clean and free of an ever expanding list of email addresses. Third, as the movement picks up steam you can volunteer to man booths and/or hand out literature at county fairs and other community functions. And finally, if you can do nothing else, cast an informed vote for candidates who will put quality first, not ideology, when it comes to our children�s education.

Best regards,

Don Hineman, Chairman
Kansas Alliance for Education
116 S. Longhorn Rd.
Dighton, KS 67839

620-397-2504 (home)
620-397-7552 (fax)

Ramblings on Friendship

I wrote this Saturday night...
***************

I am content with my little life at the moment. And that is something. I have always been driven to live life BIG, soaking it up as fast as I can, and desperately searching for more of it. I have appreciated the little bits of life in the briefest of moments, but have not given them their full due.

This realization has been coming for awhile, two or three years at least.

Tonight as I languished in a tub of hot water, the smell of peppermint still on my hands from the garden, reading a book, I realized that I have arrived at this place. I'm at the point where I can enjoy a little life as much as a big life. I can be in this little moment and be content, without planning for the next big moment.

What are the ramifications of this? I'm not sure. And I certainly do not want to become someone who is complacent and going through the motions of living, without doing any real living, but I am seeing that one can lead a "little" life and be content without being routine.

Also tonight I have begun to wash away the bits of relationships - literally and figuratively. There are thoughts and dreams and people I've been holding on to that I need to let go. I periodically do a mental run through of friendships and weed out ones that are no longer valid. I'm overdue for that process.

It is easy to kid yourself into believing that because people matter to you, and you feel a loyalty to them, that they feel the same way about you. It's an intoxicating lie, and one we all indulge in at times. But, I realize I must look at the realities of all the relationships in my life, and get clear about what they are.

When one considers who you really matter to, the list grows very short. Who makes time for you in their lives? Who comes to your aid without you having to ask? Who rejoices with you when you're madly, crazy, in love and doesn't remind you of that foolishness when you're falling out of love and encourages you to do it with the same abandon the next time around? Who calls you on a Saturday and says, "drop what you're doing, lets take a drive today and have lunch at that cafe we love?" Who invites you into their world, instead of only accepting invitations into yours?

I'm wrestling with this concept these days. Who wants me in their world? Very few people is the cold, hard truth. It's not the same thing as people being willing to be in my world. Those are different. One requires keeping an appointment and one requires giving of yourself.

I have had a very concrete measure of where I stand in people's lives in the last few years as I have worked on the house. I have been overwhelmed at times, and made no secret of it, but very few in my world have offered their assistance - to help move something or paint or clean or whatever.

I can count six people who have helped, from moving to today. Meanwhile I have watched people offer themselves to others for various projects from cleaning basements to moving, but not to me. So, I must come to the logical conclusion about what that means.

Of course, I do not want people to help me out of obligation, so I do not ask. Nor will I. At this point the message is clear that I am not worthy of their time and energy. I am not that important to them. It has been almost 4 years. There has been ample opportunity for people to offer themselves and they have chosen not to.

To ignore such things is foolish. One should always know where one stands. I'm not happy with where I stand in many relationships, but nonetheless it is where I stand. I must accept it and make decisions accordingly.

In the last five years I lost my mother and one of my best friends in the span of less than a month, I left a job I'd had for a long time and started a completely new career, I bought a house for the first time and moved out of an apartment I lived in for a very long time, I fell deeply in love and had that relationship end.

My life has provided multiple opportunities for people to offer themselves willingly on many levels, to forge deeper bonds of friendship. But few have taken that path. Most have remained on the sidelines. A very select few have stepped forward and said, "yes, I want to make this friendship more than it was yesterday by engaging with you at this time." Very few.

If friendships do not have the capacity to deepen, there really isn't any point in being in them. If those major life events did not deepen friendships, there probably is not much hope they can deepen. So, they must be accepted on the level they are at or disbanded. I'm not sure there is much point in maintaining a friendship that doesn't have capacity to grow. Does anyone really need more "acquaintances?" I don't think so. I certainly don't. Unless those can grow into real friendships there is no point in investing energy in them.

So, I find myself at a crossroads of sorts. It seems my life and the relationships in it are in need of some rearranging and revamping. I believe in the spring I will engage in the Gullah tradition of "traveling" and see what emerges from that sacred time.

Christmas Preparation - Organizing

I'm taking a break from working. I woke up this morning about 5:30, four hours after I went to sleep. I tried to sleep some more but it just wasn't meant to be. So, I got up and started working on things around the house.

It's a cloudy day, with occasional sprinkles. Supposedly it's going to turn very cold and snow later today but at the moment I have my front and back doors open, airing out the house.

I just finished cleaning under the cabinets beside my fridge. It was a mess. A can of pop had leaked and made an ugly dried brown puddle that I couldn't see until I got down there to work.

I'm also putting out glue traps all over the house since it's the time of year mice want to get inside. I have a very simple theory on such things - they can be anywhere on the planet except where I live. If they get in my house they're going to die.

I realize some people like to catch them and turn them loose - there's really no point - you might as well just live with them. Taking them out to the country and turning them loose just means they'll be in someone else's house. I just cannot stand the nasty, disease carrying things. So, I try hard to make sure if one gets it he doesn't get far before he runs into a glue trap.

Anyway, I put out fresh traps all over the house every fall so I've been doing that the last couple of weeks. The one I pulled out from under the cabinet - blissfully - had nothing on it but dust. I just don't want to take a chance on having one get in and be running all over my stuff. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em.

I've got the Christmas tree bag drug into the house - as far as the kitchen. Later today I'm going to start bringing things up from the basement. I've got just a bit more tidying up of clutter to do in the living room and I'll be ready to focus my attention on Christmas.

With only a couple of closets and two wardrobes downstairs, I've got everything organized. I just want to enjoy the holidays right now and I'll get back to that afterwards. But, I'm pleased with my progress.

The upstairs is trashed, and what is up there is stuff that requires a very slow process of going through it, as well as what's left downstairs, but it can be done. It's mostly paper stuff and no one can do that except me. I am amazed when I get going on it that I can get through quite a bit of stuff. At this point just getting everything to the room where it belongs would be an accomplishment. I'm getting there. Slowly but surely.

Well... I'm off to go work some more...

Gingerbread Cake for Creative Sisterhood

This is a cake recipe I made for Creative Sisterhood the other night. I love bundt cakes. I'm not sure exactly why, other than I like not having icing interferring with the flavors of the cake itself. I did serve this with lemon curd on the side.

Gingerbread Cake

from Allrecipes, Submitted by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson

2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, softened until easily spreadable
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses

Directions
1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a metal or disposable foil 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk dry ingredients and
spices in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup.
2 Beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then medium, until mixture forms pebble-sized pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into cake pan.
3 Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and turn cake onto rack. Let cool.

Gardening Continues

Today I got outside and cleaned up the flower bed and planted some of the bulbs I bought recently. I planted daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. I still have tons more to plant, but got weary of doing it this afternoon. I may have over purchased. The smell of mint is strong in the flower bed. It hasn't completely died out.

It was a beautiful day today, but we're supposed to get snow tomorrow so thought I'd better take advantage of the day. I cut back some of the perennials, but left a few that haven't quite died out. I figure the snow will take care of that if we really get it.

I also got the Christmas tree base set up and got the tree out of the shed. I drug the bag up to the back door but will probably have to bring it in the house in pieces.

I took a very long bath tonight, and read and thought. I'm in a contemplative mood lately and will be posting more about that here over the next few days and/or weeks. Things are shifting in my life, that's for sure.

It has been a very quiet day for me. I went to Roy's for lunch and they were swamped with people visiting for the holidays. I popped into the hardware store briefly and got home to meet with a gentleman about doing some work on my house. Other than those interactions, I have been alone with myself and my thoughts. I don't think my phone has even rung today.

I did go get groceries after midnight. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow, when everyone realizes we might get a dusting of snow and descends on the stores as if we will never get another shipment of food. I was out of yogurt and apples. That's my signal to go to the grocery store. I bought a pomegranate tonight. For some reason they're very decadent to me, maybe because we only get them for a brief time each year.

Well, I must get some rest. I have a very full day ahead tomorrow. I want to make more progress on Christmas decorating and finish my Christmas letter.

American Chopper

I'm not devoted to anything on television. I never want to arrange life around something being on TV.

However, there are things I like. I missed Oprah on Letterman the other night and I wanted to see that.

One thing I always stop on when I'm flipping channels is American Chopper. I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I do. I'd strangle Paul, and send Mikey to therapy, but I like the show.

I wonder why people like various shows. This has multiple appeal. For people who are in to choppers, or mechanics, it's obvious. But, for people like me who don't know squat about such things, there's the human drama.

Something else I've noticed is that everyone thinks the various characters are right or wrong and can identify with different ones.

My former bf used to say Paulie was lazy. I think Paulie is the misunderstood creative genius. It's all how you relate, I guess.

Black Friday

Well, I went out this morning early to shop in Joplin. It's the first time I've ever done it and it may be the last. I went with Greg to get a computer. I told him I obviously REALLY loved him to get up early and stand in the cold outside.

Because I was up, I went to Office Max and picked up some geneology software they had on sale, and to Michaels to get a great deal on this wire mesh carrier thing that holds those little bottles of paint. I have been wanting one for awhile but just wouldn't spend $25 on a wire rack. I got it for about $11 today and that seemed more reasonable.

From my one experience, I have to say that Office Max was the most organized. They had lots of help and people were assisting you in finding what you wanted. Michaels had the best checkout system going - but they also had fewer people so it may have been easier to manage.

Office Depot flat out lied to us, which I did not appreciate. They made announcements over the loud speaker that there was no rush on two computers they offered that you ordered, that you could buy them anytime today or Saturday. So, I got the form to get one for the non-profit I run but decided to wait until I was in Wichita to get it. I went in to buy it and they told me there were no more available. To top it off, the clerk was a bit rude. No doubt he was weary from a day of people being disappointed about not getting what they wanted. Had I not been specifically told otherwise, I would have accepted it gracefully, but being told something that is not true does not sit well with me. At all. Of course, there's not a thing I can do about it so no point in getting upset over it. But, I do wish they would resist telling lies.

I did not go anywhere else, but understand that Best Buy and Wal-mart were nuts. I was tucked back into bed by 9, for a little extra sleep before driving home.

I arrived home to discover my computer was nuts. I'm still not sure what its problem is, but I had to direct wire it to the cable instead of using the wireless, and make three calls to tech support. It's working at the moment, but - of course - being hard wired is not why people invest in wireless, a fact that is largely lost on tech people.

I'm rearranging things in the house. By the end of the weekend, I want my main tree underway, and it's quite a massive undertaking. Of course, having to move furniture to hardwire the computer didn't speed the process along.

I've got to get my studio somewhat back to normal because I have Christmas presents in a closet off that room that I can't get to at the moment. So, I'll have to deal with that shortly.

Happy Thanksgiving

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, may your day be filled with plenty and your heart grateful. It's a good wish for any day, really.

Thankful

This day has zipped by. I've gotten a ton of things done today but I'm still behind. Is that everyone's story?

Of course at this time of year, it's natural to be thinking about what I'm thankful for and the list is long. I'm thankful for good health - always number one on my list because without that everything else pales.

This has been a difficult year in many ways, but certainly not the ones that are critical. All of my loved ones are well. I have a nice,warm home to be snuggled into tonight. My friends are plentiful, my comforts many.

I often think about Maslow and realize that when I have time to be thinking about the future and what I'm concerned about that life is full and rich.

I have worked more on the house tonight, going through and throwing away more things. This is going to be a very long process, but if I keep at it I can make significant progress. I can tell a difference, although I have a long way to go.

I took a big pile of boxes and such out for trash pick up. I'm not sure when they'll pick up this week since tomorrow is a holiday.

It's hard to believe in only a little over two weeks I'll have guests here. I have so much to do between now and then. Fortunately, much of it is "fun" work. But, of course, it all takes time to accomplish.

It has been a long day. I got up before 6 because the movers were coming and I had to prepare a little bit for them. Once again, I'm reminded just how tired I am of moving things around.

The piano and couch are in the sunporch and I actually have some chairs and a couch sitting in the living room again. I'm a long way from "normal" but I'm closer.

I spent the day fretting over houses for the tour. I have lost two houses for the Christmas tour set for Dec. 4 so am frantic trying to find replacements. Frantic.

I'm also working on a project for national that is taking tons of time and effort. I will be glad when it's off.

Tonight was Altrusa and we did Christmas ornaments. It was our committee's meeting and we thought making something together would be fun. Some people came up with cool trees.

Now it's 10 p.m. and I think I may turn in early tonight. I'm had a busy and very stressful day and it seems I'll have another one tomorrow.

(I realize it may not say 10 p.m. on the posting time, but I can't figure out what in the heck the system is on any of the three sites I post to regularly. I go in and change it and the next day it may be right or it may be 12 hours off or it may be 5 hours off and the next day it may be normal. I don't know what they do, but I've given up on that ever being useful.)

First Graders

This morning Peggy and I went to Avenue A School to read to first graders. Once a month Altrusa goes to read and takes books and treats for all of the kids.


The book today was Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit, and it was cute. Peggy and Gary made puppy chow and had it packaged in a red bowl. It was really cute.

My role was very minimal. All I did was take photos. Peggy read and she did a fabulous job.

Literacy is one of the big projects for Altrusa so this is a perfect thing to do.