Write it Down
You know what I get to do today? Christmas cards! A big ol' box of 'em awaits, and I'm excited about it. Kevin has appointments all day, so I'm giving myself the day off and I'm going to sit here in this chair, with a stack of Christmas movies, and work my way through precious people in my life, smiling as I see each name and address, and writing wishes to each one. Christmas cards are expensive, to buy and to mail. They take a lot of time, too, but I think they're worth it. Sadly, they've gotten to be viewed as a chore, or another thing to add to the Christmas to-do list. And, like everything else, they've gone techno, with companies offering to print your name, envelopes, and even...
Shine
For several years, my Uncle Lewis gave us a Snow Village house for Christmas. Over time, we had quite the little community, with a couple of houses, a church, a barn and silo, a pet shop, a courthouse, and a one-room school, along with little people, animals, and a singing choir. When we lived in Iowa, I used to set the whole thing up in a deep, broad window sill in my kitchen, covering books stacked in varying heights with cottony snow blankets to create that wintery wonderland. It was lovely. Then we moved to Florida. It was hard to decorate for Christmas in Florida, since it was usually mild enough to throw open the big slider onto the lanai and feel the fresh breeze that rustled...
Silent Night
It's so quiet in my house right now. Save for the ticking of the kitchen clock, and the low hum of the space heater, there is nothing else. I remember when my kids were young, I would come home after dropping them off at school, and sit for a few minutes with a good cup of coffee, savoring the silence more than the rich blend in my cup. The world is noisy. Certainly, there are the physical sounds of life, the honking, zooming traffic, planes jetting overhead, background music in shopping venues, televisions blaring, and the voices of the populace rising in a fever-pitched cacophony. But there is also the constant online chatter of social media, posts and tweets throwing millions of...
Investing Matters (and I ain’t talkin’ money)
We meet people all the time; everywhere we go, really. I met Mia at my granddaughter's 2nd birthday party, over two years ago. She had recommended my daughter to take her position at work because she was moving out of state, and her precious little boy had been invited to the party. I had a nice, but brief, conversation with her; then, while she chased her son around the packed house, I ended up talking longer with her fun, outgoing husband. Shortly after, they moved away to chase their dreams, and that was that. Or so I thought. About 6 months later, I received a private message via Facebook. It was Mia, asking if I would consider chatting with her. She had some questions, and had...
Matters of the Heart
Remember when I told you I'd be back on the 29th? I meant to. Really, I did. But stuff happened. Like a hospital visit, for instance. Before I get into that, however, I want to say that we had an incredible week with the kids. We celebrated Christgiving in grand style, and even though we were disappointed that our two Bobbys (both the II and the III) ended up not coming (canceled flights, and changed tickets, and airline confusion, oh my!), we received the unexpected gift of having a lot of great quality time as our original family of four. It was really precious, and unhurried, and something I won't soon forget. Although we will still be getting together with extended family later...