D29 -- Year-End Review

Journals:

#58 = "As Long as You Live, Live!" (Jan-Feb 2006; 354pp)
#59 = "Along a Winding Road" (March 2006; 192pp)
#60 = "Found Passions" (March-April 2006; 208pp)
#61 = "Song of Happiness" (April-May-June 2006; 401pp)
#62 = "Metamorphosis" (June-July 2006; 192pp)
#63 = "Dreaming in Reality" (July-August 2006; 300pp)
#64 = "A Deliberate Life" (Sept-Oct 2006; 384pp)
#65 = "Gossamer Strands Everlasting" (Oct 2006; 158pp)
#66 = "Unexpected Opportunities" (Oct-Nov 2006; 272pp)
#67 = "WordCrazy" (Nov-Dec 2006; 160pp)
#68 = "VisionSeeker" (Dec 2006; 240pp)

for a total of 2861 pages, 10 journals (1100 more pages written than 2005!)

Books: I read over 72 books this year.

Nanowrimo: I wrote over 55,000 words and completed my story. :)


2006 was... a year of mostly the sameness. We didn't go anywhere or do anything special. We saw a few movies here and there, most notably, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

DD passed into first grade, and she has learned to read, add, and subtract. She is even writing us letters!

DD & I went to my cousin's wedding in Evansville, IN, in September. I saw my Floridian grandmother, but unfortunately, it was a quick trip. I wish I could have spent more time with her. DD & I also visited one of my college roommates and went to another friend's baby shower. Both my roommate and my friend had babies this year, and I have a (different) cousin who is due at the end of January 2007--all babies are boys.

Healthwise, I had two UTIs (!), probably due to dehydration or possibly stress. (One of my 2007 goals is to drink more water.) Otherwise, except for a few colds, we were all healthy--thankfully.

The weather was HOT all summer long. We never did get around to going to the town pool (I so detest public swimming pools!), but we did go to a newly opened waterpark, which was fun. DD was a little too young to go down the big slide, however.

In June, we had a yard sale, and made about $250. I used the money to buy groceries. Would you believe that here at the end of the year, I still have garage-sale leftovers sitting on the front porch!?

I found my muse again, and spent all of October and November writing. But just as suddenly as the muse had returned, it faded away, and I am now trying to get caught up on blog entries.

I cleared out some stuff that was cluttering my brain; hitting the delete button on old emails and such was more gratifying than I had anticipated, and I don't feel as if getting rid of that stuff was any big loss. I had held onto some of it because at the time, I couldn't bear to part with it, but when I felt I needed to get rid of it all, I hit delete with no hesitation. That surprised me most--that I didn't even hesitate.

DD & I went to the library a lot. I held onto two books until the end of December, renewing them every two weeks. I finally finished reading them and returned them. One of my 2007 goals is to read what I check out in the time period allotted and avoid overdue fines. :)

Time has flown this year. I look back on 2006 and wonder where the time went. It seems like only yesterday that I was castin off 2005, and here I am, casting off 2006. My motto of 2006 was "A New Hope," and I think I lived up to that, pretty much. I did have some bad days, but none of them were as bad as I felt during 2005.

2007 is going to be My Year of Victory.

D28 -- 50 Year-End Questions

(read last year's entry; survey originally from an Yahoo e-list)

> What are your resolutions/good intentions for the New Year?

I have several. I will write about them in a separate entry.

> What happened in your life that you never expected to happen?

My depression seemed to lift.

> What is one thing you did that you have never done before?

I really didn't do anything that I haven't done before, except try to follow through with goals.

> What were your biggest achievements?

Completing NaNoWriMo 2006 with over 55,000 words.

> What were your biggest challenges?

Getting the kid to eat without an argument.

> What is your biggest regret?

Not spending enough time with my kid because I was too drained at the end of the day.

> When were you happiest?

When I was following through on my goals.

> Who was your best friend?

My DH

> Who surprised you this year? In what way?

I'm too cynical to be surprised.

> Who did you admire most this year?

????

> Who were you in love with?

My dogs

> What was the most important lesson you learned?

Time really does heal all wounds.

> What was your favorite TV show?

"Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica"

> What was your favorite film?

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

> What was your favorite book?

There were no really great books I would single out as a favorite this year.

> What was your favorite food?

chocolate Hershey candy bars

> What was your favorite song?

"Breathe (3 a.m.)" by Ana Nalick, I guess

> What were your favorite phrases?

???

> What did you do for your Birthday?

I don't even remember what I did on my birthday.

> Which was your favorite Holiday?

Christmas

> What was the best gift you gave?

PotC: DMC video to DH

> What was the best gift you received?

Postsecret.com's book "My Secret"

> What did someone say to you that surprised you?

????

> What was your hobby?

Keeping a journal

> What new discoveries did you make?

That I am still going to be okay.

> What was your guilty pleasure for the year?

chocolate Hershey bars

> What did you do on an average day?

Work.

> What was your fashion like?

Same stuff I've worn for years

> What was your career/job like?

same

> Did you make more/less/same amount than the previous year?

same

> What new skills did you learn this year?

none

> What do you think was your most valuable contribution?

Helping DD learn to read

> What lesson(s) did you learn about yourself?

That I would change nothing, and that where I am is where I want to be

> What were the most significant events of the past year?

????

> What were you afraid of?

Falling apart.

> What was your most memorable journey?

to Evansville, IN, for my cousin's wedding

> Which did you do more of? Smile or cry?

Neither.

> Did you make any new friends?

No.

> Did you lose any old friends?

No.

> Did you have any births/deaths in your family?

Two of my friends had babies; one of the friends lost her mother in November.

> Did you fall in love/out of love?

No.

> What is your newest tech item?

???

> What was your most extravagant purchase?

I tried not be extravagant this year.

> What should you have done more of?

played with DD

> What should you have done less of?

feeling angry; arguing

> What made the biggest difference in your life?

Realizing where I belong.

> What gave you joy?

Finding my passions again.

> What made you sad?

The monthly Crazies

> What is your motto for the year?

2005: Glad I'm Still Alive (I think)
2006: A New Hope
2007: My Year of Victory

D25 -- Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all my readers. I hope you are enjoying your holidays! Thanks for reading my blog!

Here's what I got from Santa:

Postsecret's book, "My Secret"
buttercream-scented Yankee Candle tea lights
Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion and body wash
the movies "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution"
1 lb. of Jelly Bellys
2 chocolate oranges

Santa must have decided that I was a good little girl this year. DD loved her My Little Pony Crystal Castle and all the clothes she received.

D06 -- Christmas Trees

Back in the day, up until the age of six or seven, my family purchased a real tree to decorate at Christmastime. I remember quite clearly how the chosen tree would have to be propped in a corner, and we were always told, "GET AWAY FROM THERE! YOU'LL KNOCK IT OVER!!!"

I spent my time gazing at the multicolored lights from afar.

I also remember covering the tree in lots of silver tinsel. Mom hated it. She would be picking up tinsel well into the new year.

As we grew up, I suppose that live Christmas trees became more expensive. For many years, we had an artificial tree, about four feet tall. It sat in the living room bay window. On top, there was a lighted star that would blink on and off. (One year, it quit working, and my mom searched everywhere to find another star like it. She complained for days until she found one.) I do remember, however, begging my parents one year to get a real tree. I think I was either in high school or college. They agreed and it was fun to go back to the "good old days."

Now our family has a 6-ft. artificial tree. It's just easier to deal with and we don't have as much to clean up after the holidays. We reuse the tree year after year. DD will probably never know the excitement of having a live tree.

But that's perfectly all right by me. At least I won't have to yell at her constantly: "GET AWAY FROM THERE! YOU'LL KNOCK IT OVER!!!" because she loves to touch and look at all the ornaments.

D05 --My Favorite Holiday Decoration

In the last post, I discussed interior and exterior holiday decorating. But what is my favorite decoration, you ask?

When I was growing up, there were several ornaments I loved to be the one to hang on the tree. For instance, when I was 11 or 12 years old, I bought my parents an ornament; it was two doves with a red heart in between them. The ornament was glass, and something I had purchased with my very own money. I felt honored to be the one to place it on the tree.

My mom always liked the ornaments that we had made in school. One time I wanted to throw away a really ugly wreath thing that my youngest sister had made in kindergarten with her picture on it. It had become rather ratty over the years. But Mom had a cow and would NOT let me touch it. She said it was one of her favorites. I thought she was nuts.

But... now I understand why.

Last year in kindergarten, DD made a Christmas tree out of popsicle sticks with her picture in the center. I had totally forgotten about it. As we were putting on the ornaments on our tree this year, I finally understood why my mom liked that ratty old wreath. A lump rose in my throat and I had to very nearly wipe a tear away. Someday I will look back at that Christmas tree DD made and wonder where the years have gone.

Heck, I look at it now and wondered where the time has gone!

No matter how many Hallmark ornaments I may collect, the little things DD made will always be my favorites.

D04 -- Holiday Decorating

When we first got married, back in the ancient year of 1997, DH and I were excited to be spending our first Christmas together in our first apartment. We went to Wal-Mart and bought a 6-ft. artificial tree. We didn't have any decorations for the tree, so we bought a few ornaments, too. It was fun putting it together, and then putting all the ornaments and lights on it. I also put up my tiny miniature tree that I had used when I was living alone.

It was so amazing to have our first tree. I remember thinking that we had our whole lives together ahead of us, to make many happy holiday memories. On the day after Christmas that year, we went shopping and bought what became two boxes of Hallmark ornaments.

A few years later, in 1999, we were anticipating the birth of DD in January. We had an extremely busy Christmas Day because we were hosting the family gathering. I got sick on Xmas Eve night, but felt better the next day. (I guess I shouldn't have waited until the last minute to do so much cleaning.) I wondered what it would be like to celebrate the following Christmas, our first Christmas with DD.

In 2000, we went all out on the house, putting up lights on the front and back porch, a new stocking for DD (even though she was not quite a year old yet), and gifts galore.

As the years have rolled on, my collection of Father Christmas figures has grown. We don't even bother with those two big boxes of Hallmark ornaments. Last year, DD made some ornaments at school, and those are displayed prominently this year on the tree. We put up minimal decorations this year. Somehow, the holiday season seems to have snuck up on us. But DD was hugely excited to get the tree decorated. DH put the tree together, and DD and I decorated it. We hung the stockings by the chimney with care, and DD is having fun with the Advent calendar, counting down the days to Christmas. She was thrilled today to count that there were only twenty more days until Christmas. Some decorating was easy this year because we never did put away the nutcrackers or the lighted garland on the mantel last year when Christmas was over.

DH also put up some lights along the fence and sidewalk. He plans to put up a few more on the porch sometime this week. Neither of us has felt particularly motivated to decorate this year, viewing it as a chore, but for DD's sake, we managed to muster up some holiday spirit. Like I said, it seems to have snuck up on us somehow.

I love to look at other people's light displays. They always bring a smile to my face. Usually, before Christmas, we take a drive through town to look at all the different decorations. I love doing this. It wakes up my holiday spirit, which is sometimes in short supply.

D03 -- A Favorite Holiday Memory

Once upon a time there was a little girl, about ten or twelve years old. She was so excited that Christmas Eve night that she had a hard time falling asleep. Santa wouldn't come down the chimney until the little girl was asleep. (Yes, I believed in Santa for years and years and years and am STILL disappointed that Santa is part of the Spirit of Christmas.) But anyway, she somehow managed to fall asleep.

Deep in the night, a cold winter's night, the little girl woke up and needed to go to the bathroom. But had Santa been there yet? She got up, and excitedly went to her sister's room. She whispered to her sister to wake up and they both tiptoed through the quiet house. The little girl went to the bathroom while the sister went to the living room, to see if Santa had been there yet. Before the girl could even finish in the bathroom, her sister rushed into the room with a cute red and blue Papa Smurf doll.

"Look! Look what you got!" the sister said.

"Wow. Cool! What else did we get?" the little girl said. She finished using the bathroom and they walked into the living room. A large blue footlocker stood under the tree, along with several other gifts. Santa had been there!!! They excitedly looked through all the presents under the tree, trying to be as quiet as they could.

"What are you kids doing up?" their mother said from the doorway of the living room.

"Uh, nothing. Going to the bathroom..." the little girl tried to say.

"Leave that stuff alone! Get back to bed!" hissed their mother.

The girls returned to their respective bedrooms, and the little girl climbed into bed, finally able to fall asleep quickly, anxious for morning to come.

The following year, Santa started wrapping all the Christmas gifts.

D02 -- Baking

I don't cook. As DH says, I can hardly boil water (which is untrue by the way). But I do like to bake. Around the holidays, I usually choose a new recipe to try out. In the past, I have made gingerbread, mint chocolate layer candy, and oatmeal cookies. This year, I found a recipe in a Taste of Home magazine insert for iced gingerbread cookies.

I decided that it would be fun for DD and I to make these cookies, because they are the kind that you roll out with a rolling pin, cut out shapes with cookie cutters, bake, and frost when cool.

Let's just say I outdid myself. Even I was impressed with how they turned out. :)

Christmas isn't Christmas without some kind of cookie tray. Last year, I exhausted myself making different kinds of goodies for Christmas Day, and no one seemed to appreciate all the hard work I did. After that experience, I made a silent vow to NOT wear myself out for other people again. People don't appreciate it.

So that was another reason I decided to make just a small batch of cookies, something that DD and I could do together that wouldn't take too much effort -- I like to do things that are easy. DD enjoyed helping me -- she got to dump the ingredients into the bowl for the frosting, and she also liked the cookies. She wanted to lick the mixer beaters, so I let her. :) It was cute. I have a lot of happy memories helping my mom make cookies, so I hope DD will remember this fun thing we did together. I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

D01--Holiday Sights and Sounds

This is the first entry for the Holidailies challenge to write a full month of blog entries for December.

Thank Blogger for backdating!

Today, I took a snow day because the roads were awful. Visibility was poor, and in some areas, ice knocked down power lines. It was the first snowstorm of the season.

The first signs of the holiday season are probably the commercials on tv, advertising gifts that you MUST BUY for your loved ones or else they won't love you anymore. The retail stores put up their holiday decorations the week before Hallowe'en (rationalizing that Hallowe'en is basically over anyway). At least those stores usually hold off on playing Christmas music!

A few commercials appear in early November, but once Thanksgiving week hits, there is a free-for-all. All those companies like Staples, Best Buy, and Circuit City want your business, so they promote steep discounts for Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving -- traditionally the first shopping day of the holiday season. People will stand in line overnight just to get certain items advertised in the flyers and some stores have 'secret' items on sale, which you find out about if you're one of the first people in line.

It only takes a week or so for the commercials to ramp up the guilt train. Last year, I fell victim to the "did I buy enough stuff?" We have one child -- ONE. She is six years old. What possibly could she need more than a nice toy and maybe a couple of outfits? I went crazy, buying an expensive Bratz doll and horse, and many other items. I had purchased so much stuff that I held a few items back for her birthday, in January. And she got even more stuff at the family gatherings from the grandparents. There are still a couple of toys we didn't take out of the box yet. (Yeah, a whole year later!) I was so depressed after Christmas last year because I had overspent and the kid had so many toys that she didn't know what to do with any of them. Just a few days later, she was telling me that she was bored and had nothing to play with.

!!!!!!!!!!!

But I am not letting the guilt train steal me away this year. I have a budget and I'm sticking to it. I told my sisters and my sister-in-law that I would only be buying gifts for the kids this year. I have already purchased the gifts for my nieces and nephew, and I've also bought the two gifts we need for a family party. Santa still has to do a few more things for DD. I even told DH that we should each only spend at the maximum $30 on each other this year. Surprisingly, he agreed with all my changes. I think he learned his lesson last year when he and I spent Christmas weekend baking four different kinds of cookies as gifts for the families and no one seemed to care about our gifts to them.

Another sight of the holidays is the catalogues in the mail. I've gotten two LL Bean catalogues. Plus, in email, I get ads for sales for Sears, The Children's Place, and Bass Pro. It's a neverending deluge. However, I haven't gotten any Christmas cards yet. A lot of people I know have quit sending cards, I like to send them out, because I like to get them -- but I never receive nearly as many as I give. I have my list of card recipients, cards, and stamps, but I haven't yet addressed the cards. I used to write letters to all my old friends that I keep in touch with, but these days, I just sign it. Sometimes I might jot a little note. I have a fairly small list, too, only about fifteen people. If someone hasn't responded to my Xmas card in several years, I usually mark the name off the list. If they can't be bothered to drop an Xmas card in the mail, then I guess I don't need to send them one, either.

We had some warm weather before the storm and many people put up their outdoor decorations. So now when I drive through town, I enjoy looking at all the light displays.

It's the most wonderful time of the year....