And so it goes...

2011 is going. It wan't a bad year, as years go. (Could have used more snow...) There were the usual number of bright spots and glitches, successes and failures. There were a couple of epic high points, and a time or two where I wished I could have turned back the clock. I learned some new things to use in my classroom, but not all of them worked as well as I'd hoped. I continued to daydream about owning and maintaining a smaller, cozier house but didn't put my own house on the market because the market is currently really really bad.

For the second year in a row, I kept my New Year's Resolution to read through the Bible. Well, almost kept. I still have about 80 pages to go. I know. Nothing like waiting till the last minute and making it feel like a race against time. Hard to digest the goodness when you go that fast. I was doing great until summer hit. Summer... and Jeremiah. Next time I plan to read through, I will start with the New Testament and then go to the Old. That way, Jeremiah won't ambush me in the lazy days of summer.

For 2012, I plan to discontinue a bad pattern I have set for myself. I currently fall asleep to the TV. I find a rerun show that I have probably seen before and turn the volume down so low that it's difficult to hear distinct words. Then I set the TV timer and I fall asleep to the white noise. It's probably not the best way to fall asleep, but it does accomplish the purpose of masking out the noises in my house. My house creaks and settles and makes all sorts of noises late at night. It's awful to be at that delicious "almost asleep" phase and then have some sound startle me fully awake and I am sure that someone is walking around downstairs until I realize it is just the ice maker in the freezer. It creeps me out. The noises outside my house are almost as bad. There's the wind, the neighbors, and the freeway. (See why I want to move? I need to find a deaf person to buy my house.)

I decided that the "white noise" idea was good, but using the TV was not so good. Music might be nice. Classical, easy listening, etc. My clock radio has a sleep feature on it, but I can't fall asleep to the same radio station that I wake to- the programming just doesn't work out. I would use my iPod with the speakers, but the speakers glow more than the TV does, which makes it hard to sleep. I finally hit on a solution- my old boom box. I could play a CD which would end by the time I was off in dreamland. Operating a CD is fairly quiet- there is no button that clicks off when the CD is done, it just stops spinning. Problem solved.

And what did I choose to hear as I fall asleep? The Bible on CD! This year, I won't do a read through, I'll do a listen through! Always want to engage different parts of the brain in the Word- this seems like a creative option.

So, my New Year's Resolution this year is to listen through the whole Bible- maybe more than once.

What about you? Any resolutions or goals?

Taco Tuesday

On Tuesdays, after 3pm, our local Del Taco sells 3 tacos for $1.17. We always order the soft tacos instead of the crunchy ones, and three per person is plenty. So, for two of us, dinner comes to $2.53. Can't beat that at home- and there are no dishes to clean up!

I love Christmas break. Yesterday we ran errands and I bought new socks. I love buying socks. Today we went to a movie and then to a bookstore and then to Del Taco and then worked on a jigsaw puzzle at home while listening to Christmas carols. I love doing puzzles while listening to Christmas carols.

I could so get used to being a SAHM. If only Publishers Clearing House would agree and let me win the $10,000,000... I could rock the domestic life. I could also buy tacos any day of the week.

Sigh. :->

Merry Christmas!

Peace on earth.

I know where my boxes went!

They went to Peru. I've never been to Peru, but according to Samaritan's Purse, my shoeboxes are there now- waiting to be given to a dozen girls who really could use some Christmas.

Last year, I did a dozen boxes for the older boys. Those boxes went to Indonesia.

This year, I decided to do them for the older girls. I didn't budget it out month by month like last year. This year I figured that since I didn't really need anything for my birthday, I would have a shoebox party. (Hey- If they are going to cut my pay at work, I'll figure out a way to rope everyone else into my charity giving!)

Since I wanted to build seven shoeboxes, I asked people to bring seven items (Because 7 times 7 is my age. I am prime squared.). We had great fun as we passed the boxes around the table and loaded them with goodies.

Combined with the five boxes I did with Ab, this made an even dozen. And now they are in Peru!

Check out the Samaritan's Purse website for more details on this ministry.

Wish List

Remember the days of the big Sears Christmas Toy Catalog? I think they called it a Wish Book.

My brothers and I would stretch out on the floor and gaze at the displays in order to play "What's Your Favorite Thing On This Page?" for every single page.

Oh, the coveting!

Funny. I don't remember if I ever received one thing from the Wish Book. I might have. I got some good presents over the years, but I don't specifically remember anything fulfilling the wishes in that catalog.

My kiddo made a wish list. It's really quite sweet and not nearly as grandiose as the wishes my brothers and I had. Her wish list is for a few books, a few DS games, some footy pajamas, and some time spent with me. She wants to go ice-skating with me, sleep in my bed, drink hot chocolate, play in the snow, and drive around looking at Christmas lights. Simple. Inexpensive. Easy to fulfill.

We started with the light displays. Armed with a list from the local paper, we aimed for the bigger displays so as to get more bang for our gas mileage. Here's a few shots from the west side of town- ending at our house:

I'm saving the east side for when we go ice skating because that is where the rink is.

As for the rest of her list? Check back here in about a week...

I will tell you that I don't go overboard with gifts. Other than a bit of candy stocking stuffers, I keep it to four gifts. I got the idea from a poem that dates from the Victorian era. It suggests you should get:

Something you want,

Something you need,

Something to wear,

Something to read.

With her wish list, the same gift could cover both something to wear and something she wants!

How about you? What's on your wish list?

My artsy kiddo

They held a contest at her school to see who would illustrate the cover of this year's program for the Christmas Sing.

Guess who won?

Yeah.

(I taught her everything she knows. With my left hand...)

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Not even a brand new mouse. This mouse is supposedly ergonomically superior to my former mouse- you know... the flat, sleek, wonderfully modern looking, white Apple mouse. The go-to mouse that was smooth and matched my keyboard. Sigh. I loved that mouse. But the new mouse promises to have advantages and I will give it a try.

Not too much of a try, though. I'm still resting the thumb, taking my meds, doing the exercises, etc. It still hurts. I was hoping to be able to do some digital scrapbooking during Christmas break, but I doubt that will happen. Rats.

I'm trying to use my left hand as much as possible, but it is resisting. Silly left hand. It's been with me my whole life, you would think it would have picked up on a few things by now, but no. It can't use the mouse, can't brush my teeth very well, can't shake hands. It's great at wearing a watch and not too bad at typing or steering the car, but try and get it to put ribbon on a package or write something legible on the whiteboard...? Fugedaboutit. Slacker left hand.

Maybe its my fault. Maybe for forty-nine years I haven't been letting my left hand know what my right hand was doing...

Leftover turkey goes to pot...

Pot pie that is. I found an easy recipe on the internet and I made it even easier. It's so easy, it is almost like cheating.

Oven to 400 F.

Start with 2 cups of chopped up leftover turkey. White meat, dark meat, mix it all.

Add 1 can cream of chicken soup. (10.75 oz.)

Add 1/2 cup milk

The original recipe called for 2 cups of frozen "mixed vegetables", but I changed it a bit because my bag of frozen veg doubles as a flexible ice pack for my thumb, and also I prefer broccoli to carrots.

Add 1 cup frozen chopped broc, and 1 cup frozen potato cubes (Southern style hash browns)

Mix well and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. The original recipe said to saute some onions and then add them to the mix. Too much work for me.

The original recipe also expected me to make the pie crusts. Ha. Recipe writer, meet Mr. Doughboy!

Unroll the refrigerated pie crusts and put one in the bottom of the pie plate. I use a glass pie plate because I think they work better than the metal ones. No research there- just a feeling.

Add the turkey/veg mixture, put the top crust on and crimp the edges with the bottom crust.

Poke a couple of holes in the top crust and put it in the oven for about an hour.

The original recipe said that it serves seven. I think it serves six- it's much easier to cut a pie into six equal pieces than into seven!

So there you have it- cheater turkey pot pie. We had it for dinner tonight and the leftovers might be dinner tomorrow! YUM.