A new year is less than half an hour away here in the Eastern time zone - a whole new year, a new set of days for us to fill with good works and useful activities, a fresh expanse of time that holds mystery and anticipation. It's so exciting to think about what might be coming up this year!
- Take time to be feminine and graceful. I actually have a post in the works about this; but I have found that, during the semester especially, it's easy for me to yank on a pair of weatherproof boots and wad up my hair on the back of my head and "git 'r done" - I feel like I don't have time to think about things like femininity, grace, or romance. Which is, in fact, not true. I want to slow down a little this year and make some room in my life for soft hair, long skirts, flowers, and daydreams.
- Rebuild some friendships I've been neglecting. I am so terrible about maintaining friendships in my real life - I am such an "out of sight, out of mind" person. I have a few friendships that I want to specifically target for reconstruction this year.
- Focus on reality, not imagination. So ... yeah. I already know my imagination works just fine. I've given it plenty of fodder to work with over the last 24 years. This year, I want to work to spend a little less time with Star Trek and Pinterest, and a little more time emailing friends and family, blessing the lives of real people, spending time in God's Word, and working toward my real goals.
- Make a decision on grad school. I can't tell you much about this right now, because it's still in the investigative stages; but I'm doing some research into a grad school option that would radically alter my plans for my career, and life in general. I have a lot of praying, discussing and deciding to do; and I have to make that decision this year.
- Make other plans ... The desire has been growing on me in the last year to travel somewhere. I have never been out of the country, never even been on a plane; and I have decided that, sometime toward the end of my bachelor's degree and before my graduate degree, I am going to travel out of the country. I want to see more of the world and try living somewhere, on my own, in a totally different culture, at least once in my life. This is still a year or two away; but I want to start planning for it this year, so I can really go when the time comes.
- Prioritize. The Internet is a dangerous place for people with short attention spans and low self-discipline ... I want to consciously make the most important things in my life the things I spend the most time on: Bible reading and prayer, church, homework, and relationships. Time is short; it should not be wasted on things that don't last.
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What are your goals for 2013? I pray that each and every one of you would have the greatest year of your lives - let me know if I can pray for you as your work to reach your own goals!!
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope you've been having fun scurrying around with your families, getting everything ready for tomorrow; or if you're working, that you've been able to enjoy some Christmas spirit with your coworkers, customers, or patients!
My family and I are going to be having a big ham for Christmas this year, along with some absolutely beautiful pies and cakes ... I'm sure my mom will be working her magic on some vegetables and breads, too, but I haven't been let into those secrets yet. ;-) I'm beyond excited to see everyone open their presents tomorrow morning! Which are you more excited for, your own presents or the ones you're giving?
Here are a few photos of our Christmas tree and nativity scene - I took them with my new photo-enhancing app, so they turned out a lot more "edited" than I meant for them to, but I promise I didn't steal them from someplace ... my family can vouch for the strange positions I sprawled in to get these!! :-D :-D :-D
And here's my gift to you for Christmas - some of my favorite Christmas songs and videos. I hope they bright a little extra brightness to your preparations tonight!
"Buala Bas" - "Irish Jingle Bells" - sung by the great Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
The story of the first Christmas, as told by John Denver and the Muppets
A medley of classic Christmas songs, sung by John Denver, Julie Andrews, and Placido Domingo
This one will make you cry - "Christmas in the Trenches" by John McCutcheon.
"In the Bleak Midwinter", sung by the King's College Choir of Cambridge, England
Anybody else love this song in childhood? :-D
One of my favorite Christmas songs, "Let It Be Christmas" by Alan Jackson
"Mary, Did You Know?" sung by Donny Osmond
"O Sanctissima" from The Bells of St. Mary's, sung by Christmasman himself, Bing Crosby.
Can't have Christmas without this:
And just for fun, in case you haven't seen it yet:
:-D :-D :-D
Merry Christmas, everybody!! I hope you have a wonderful day with your families and friends, and that you rejoice in the mighty love and redemptive power of the tiny Baby who came to earth on this day so many years ago. May we lift our hearts in song and thanks to Him tonight!
Hey everyone! I'm sooo sorry that it's been so long since I posted ... I think my final exams kind of sapped all my inspiration there for a while. But they're over now, and now it's time to focus on Christmas!! We're supposed to get our first real snow of the winter sometime this night, that big ol' snowstorm that's whacking pretty much everybody in the Midwest. I can hardly wait to get done with work tomorrow and get started on Christmas vacation! :-D :-D :-D
I've been tagged again, this lovely Christmas tag from Alex over at Alex's Corner ... come on in and read a few interesting trivial facts about my family's Christmas celebrations!
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Erase my answers and put yours in another color from the questions!
What's your favorite Christmas song?
"O Holy Night"
Who sings it the best?
Josh Groban, of course!
Do you change your favorite Christmas song every year?
No, it stays pretty consistent ... I love the dramatic melody and chord progressions of "O Holy Night," as well as the triumphant lyrics, so it's always my favorite. :-)
What Christmas song do you hear the most?
Ugh ... either "Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart" or "Simply Havin' A Wonderful Christmas Time" ... both of these songs are utterly pointless.
Does your family mostly agree on what Christmas music to listen to or are you constantly changing the song?
For the most part, we agree ... pretty much only Heather shares my appreciation for Josh Groban and Michael Buble at Christmas, though. :-)
Who's your favorite Christmas movie side character?
I would have to say Bob Cratchit from the 1951 (Alastair Sim) version of A Christmas Carol ... he's very sweet and gentle.
Besides George and Mary Bailey who's your favorite character in It's a Wonderful Life?
I actually don't like that movie much at all ... I know it technically has a happy ending, but it just gets me so depressed during the course of the movie that I have a really hard time cheering up at the end. :-{
Do you like Santa Claus in Miracle On 34th Street?
I've never seen it ... O_o
Vera Ellen or Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas?
Never seen that, either ... O_O
Bing Crosby or Danny Kaye?
Oh goodness, Bing Crosby ... Danny Kaye was insane ...
Besides "White Christmas" what is your favorite song from the movie?
Like I said, haven't seen it ...
What's your favorite (or one of your favorite) lines from a Christmas movie?
*Spoiler alert*
I love David Niven's line at the end of "Bachelor Mother," a sort-of Christmas movie, when he says "I am the father of that baby." He isn't actually the baby's father, but he's surprising everyone by agreeing to marry Ginger Rogers and adopt her baby, which he had resisted throughout the latter half of the movie. It brought a tear to my eyes the first time I saw it. :'-}
Do you own a special ornament?
Yes, but I don't keep it on the tree - it's a little snowman ornament that a good friend of mine gave me before she moved away.
Did you break any ornaments this year?
No, thank goodness! I broke one of my parents' favorite ornaments last year, and I felt like a murderer ...
What's the oldest ornament on your tree and where did it come from?
Probably the ones my parents bought for their first Christmas are the oldest ... they mostly came from JC Penneys, I think.
Do you like pretty trees or fun trees better?
Oh, pretty, definitely - trees dripping in lights and tinsel and garland and old-fashioned ornaments. :-)
Have you ever had a fake tree?
That's all we've ever had ... real trees are too messy. And they don't mix well with cats.
Green tree or a different color?
Green, although they're nice when they're snow-flocked or flecked with gold, too.
Who sweeps up the pine needles and waters the tree?
My sister usually vacuums the floor after we pack the tree back into the box ...
Have you made any Christmas crafts this year?
Regrettably, no ... there's still time yet!
Does your family read a Christmas story every year?
Most years we read the Gospel of Luke together at some point, but there's really no uniformity about it.
If so, which one?
The Gospel of Luke. :-)
What do you do on Christmas Eve?
Wrap all the presents! We wait for the little ones to go to bed, then we put something on the TV (recent years have seen old movies, Christmas mass from the Vatican, and a Star Trek marathon) and wrap presents until about 3AM. It's awesome!
How many Christmas's do you usually have?
Just one, thankfully! :-)
Marshmallows or whipped cream in your hot chocolate?
Oh, marshmallows all the way ...
Do you like the flavor cinnamon or peppermint better?
Cinnamon, I think ... peppermint is nice too, but I think cinnamon.
Have you ever had a white Christmas?
Oh yes! We more often have rain, but it's not uncommon to have white Christmases, and they're definitely the nicest!
Ice skating or driving around looking at Christmas lights?
Unfortunately, I don't know how to skate ... I'm going to learn someday, but for now, I would rather drive around and look at Christmas lights. Once I learn to skate, that activity will become preferred. :-)
Do you like the blow up Christmas decorations people put in their yards?
Naah ... they look kind of tacky. Although this was funny:
What is something you are going to do new this year to celebrate?
Don't know ... as far as I know, this will be a normal Christmas. :-)
Have you ever celebrated Hanukkah?
No, but I would love to stay with a Jewish family and celebrate Hanukkah sometime ... it's so beautiful, and the story of God's providence at the first Hanukkah is so amazing.
How many people are you giving presents to this year?
7 family members + 4 coworkers = 11 people (wow!!)
What's your favorite kind of Christmas card to receive?
I like a card with a personalized note inside!
Do you eat breakfast first or open presents first?
We do eat breakfast first, actually.
Stockings first or last?
We actually don't do stockings anymore ... we thought about resurrecting the tradition this year, but nothing ever came of it.
What present do you REALLY want this year?
I would love a vintage copy of A Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations ... how vintage, I don't care; just not a tacky modern version.
Do you like a star on the top of your tree or an angel?
We have a multicolored lighted star, and I like it!
Do you like the color red or green better?
It depends ... at Christmas, I prefer green. Deep holly green!
Silver or gold?
Silver.
One word to describe Christmas?
Belonging!
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And to promote this festive time of year, I'm tagging the following people:
Hi everyone! Miss Melody Muffin over at The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls has awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you so much, Melody!! :-D
Here are the rules:
1. You must post eleven random facts about yourself.
2. You must
also answer the eleven questions the awarder has given you and make up eleven
questions for your awardees to answer in turn.
3. Tag eleven fellow
bloggers.
4. Notify them that you've awarded them.
5. No tagging
back.
6. The eleven blogs you tag must have less than 200 followers.
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Eleven Random Facts About Myself:
1. I love it when people ask me for random facts.
2. My favorite board games are Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.
The Bob Newhart Show
3. My three favorite TV shows are Star Trek TOS, The Bob Newhart Show, and The Andy Griffith Show.
4. My favorite color is blue, in all its manifestations. Soft heathery gray-blues and bright pool-water blue are the best.
5. Unsurprisingly, my eyes are a soft heathery gray-blue. :-)
6. My favorite kinds of cold cereal are Honey Bunches of Oats, Honey Nut Cheerios, Captain Crunch, and Frosted Flakes.
7. I normally don't eat breakfast until after 10:30AM. And it's usually weird, like chocolate bars or baby carrots or something.
8. I would rather play in an orchestra than a band, but I have played in four bands and only one orchestra.
9. Five randomly selected favorite actors: Robert Walker, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness, William Holden, DeForest Kelley.
10. I have adapted to 21st-century American culture enough now that I like Pepsi, Coke, and some kinds of iced tea; but I still detest coffee, root beer, and hot tea.
11. If I choose one pet, it would be a little green parakeet whom I could train to sit on my shoulder and sing.
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Answers to Melody's Eleven Questions:
1. What is your favorite holiday tea (or drink)?
Hmm ... I would say eggnog, the non-alcoholic kind that you buy in jugs from the grocery store. It tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. :-)
2. Would you rather visit
the mountains or the ocean?
The ocean ... I have only seen it once, when I was very tiny; and I would love to go back now that I'm older, preferably to a shore that's rocky and gray and forbidding, with a red lighthouse nearby ... I'd go on a gray day, when I could walk alone up and down the rocky coast and dream about distant shores and futures.
3. What is your favorite soup?
You know, I really don't like soup very much ... if chili qualifies as a soup, then that is my favorite; if not, then it's my mom's vegetable soup with barley.
4. A mouse runs
out from under a wall and across your bedroom. What do you do?
Gasp and squeal and leap to the top of the bunk bed, but secretly look down and think how adorable it is, and feel very sad when my dad comes to get rid of it ...
Read this. You won't regret it.
5. What was
the last book you read?
*Tragic sob* A Tale of Two Cities ... it was so beautiful ... but so painful to have just enough time to fall completely in love with Sydney Carton before he nobly and bravely sacrified himself to the guillotine ... *Weeping again in anguish*
6. King Kamehameha (the Great), who was he?
King of Hawaii, before it became a state ... I know he was very brave and wise and highly respected by his people, but beyond that, I don't know much.
7.
What is your favorite Christmas song?
"O Holy Night" - especially as sung by Josh Groban!
8. What is your favorite traditional
Thanksgiving food?
Cranberry sauce!! I don't care what else we have for Thanksgiving as long as we've got the cranberry sauce - MMM!!!
9. Have you ever been in an airplane?
Not a flying one ... I've been to airplane museums and walked through some pretty huge ones, but I've never flown.
10.
Housecleaning, do you hate it, not mind it, or actually like it?
*Glances furtively around to see if my future husband is anywhere nearby* Hate it ... hate it hate it hate it ... I would like to be the first to invent a self-cleaning house!
11. Ever
played Ultimate Frisbee?
No, but it looks like fun!
***
Eleven Questions for My Tag-ees:
1. What is your favorite kind of fruit or fruit juice?
2. Did you have a dream when you were a child of what you wanted to be when you grew up, and have you achieved or are you achieving that dream?
3. What is your favorite article of clothing?
4. A random stranger walks up to you and hands you three plane tickets to your dream destination - where is that destination, and whom do you take with you?
5. If you are in college, what is your major? If you are not in college, what is one subject that you are passionate about?
6. What is your favorite kind of weather?
7. If you could attend any one concert of your choosing, whom would you go see?
8. What country/countries do your ancestors come from?
9. Is there any one theological question about the Bible or something in it that has always puzzled you, and if it's not too private, could you share it?
10. How long is your hair?
11. What was the last book that made you cry?
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I Am Tagging the Following Eleven People (Who Have Less than 200 Followers):
Thank you again for the fun tag, Melody, and thanks to you very special eleven ladies for being my friends! I find great encouragement in each of your blogs and each of your sweet, godly spirits. Thank you for taking time to blog and share the Lord's love and how He works in your lives!
