Happy New Year!

Well, the cookies are eaten and all the houseguests have left. . .Buehlermas 2008 is history. We had a really good time and lots of laughs, met some new people and played some crazy games of Balderdash and Mexican Dominoes (both Carla and Sarah learned how to play this week, though one of them has been playing for months).

After his Steinmetz-Award-winning Bucket last year, young Jim was given the honor of building the 2009 bucket and he didn't disappoint. While it might not be tagged 'the best bucket ever', the rockets fired and not many went sideways -- always a good thing.

Here's a photo album of the week. E N J O Y!

Happy New Year

Well, the crazyness that is Christmas (and especially Buehlermas that follows) is over. Though the trees are still up -- because I haven't had the energy to take all the decorations down and put them away -- I figured it was time for a recap of the highlights of the season.

Probably the best thing was having all the guys home for extended periods and in pretty relaxed moods. I know that they got bored, which was unavoidable because there isn't much to do here, but it meant so much to me to see them! And an added bonus was that we had *almost* 3 weeks without a fight . . . only one or two notable skirmishes and apologies were actually spoken (or attempted)! Considering how passionate we all are about our faith, politics & our own particular points of view, that was a Christmas Miracle.

Here are the rest of the high(low)lights, with some illustration:

* I had fun decorating this year. It was, perhaps, my best Christmas house ever. I really enjoyed having an extra week to get ready.

* I didn't bake enough kinds of cookies. There will be more next year.

* The divorce-gate (the piece of trash I dragged home -- actually, which I had 3 other people help me drag home -- and which was the evidence that I'd "gone too far" and which put Jim over the edge) was FINALLY up and even decorated in time for Christmas! Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of it until the snow day. The blob to the left of it is a lovely lighted grapevine tree that Kally made for me.

* We all had fun at Grandma's -- holidays have definitely improved now that the littlest little is in 4th grade. Cathy looked stronger and like she felt better than she did at Thanksgiving and that made me very happy.

* I got the stomach flu in the wee hours of Christmas morning and pretty much missed Christmas. I couldn't eat for 3 days, which probably was a good thing.

* Everyone, except Paul, made it here for Buehlersmas. We really missed him & I hope he reads this sometime to know that. It just wasn't complete without him. I felt like this Christmas was especially precious because last year neither he nor Christy & Tom could come and you never know how many more years we'll all be able to be together. It was such a blessing and I had a real sense of cherishing every moment.

* I got to spend time with Lily, which was great. She doesn't know me, except that I look vaguely like other people she does know, but it was fun anyway. She's a real sweetie & did very well, considering that she'd been away from home and living with non-stop stimulation for 3 weeks!

* Danny & Jim got to meet Lily for the first time, which was very cool!

* We had the best Bucket of Doom ever and a great pre-Bucket show. An unknown neighbor even yelled at us to "KNOCK IT OFF". Bethany got to bond with Christy, Tom and everyone else -- and survived!

* Young Jim was awarded his trophy as the winner of the 2007 UncFL. I know all his office mates at U of Maryland will be impressed when they see it.

* Gene fell on their second night here and broke her wrist and Jim and I made a 4:30 am run to the hospital with her. They couldn't set it -- just put a splint and wrap on it -- and she took it like a real trooper for the rest of the visit. She's amazing for 85!

* We all learned how to play Mexican Train Dominoes and it became the game of choice for the week. Gene did fine with that, too, one handed.

* On New Year's Day, we were welcomed with over a foot of snow. It was beautiful!

That's all, and that's enough. Happy New Year, everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We're off to grandmother's house, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy and blessed and truly thank-full Thanksgiving -- not just an eat-turkey-and-plan-tomorrow-morning's-shopping day!

I'll have pictures from our trip to Minnesota when I get back.

Happy New Year!

Today marks the beginning of Chinese New Year -- and 2007 is the year of the pig. According to one site:

"Pig is a Lucky and Mild-tempered Animal
President Ronald Reagan was born in year of Pig. He was very happy to know that Pig is a very lucky animal in the Chinese horoscope. The Chinese see that pigs eat food all the time, enjoy sleeping all day long and worry about nothing during their entire lives. Therefore, pig is a lucky animal.

According to Chinese Five Element astrology, the animal sign Pig contains Water and Wood. Pig doesn't fight with Metal, because Metal, Water and Wood have a Circulating Relationship. Pig doesn't fight with Fire, because Water, Wood and Fire together have a Circulating Relationship as well.

But the Water element will fight with the Earth element. Earth animals are Cow, Dragon, Sheep and Dog. Cow contains Earth, Metal and Water. Cow and Pig don't fight directly, because Earth, Metal, Water and Wood are in a circulating sequence. We can find the similar circulating relationships between other Earth animals with the Pig, so it doesn't have a face-to-face conflict with the other animals.

Snake and Pig have a Fighting Relationship. But Snake contains Fire, Earth and Metal. If we put Snake and Pig together, we can still find Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal in a circulating sequence. This means that the fighting relationship between Snake and Pig is not that serious. The conclusion is that most of people born in year of Pig don't have any unyielding argument with other people. Since Pig-type people have more peaceful lifestyle than others, they are therefore luckier."

I was born in the year of the Snake. According to this site, in an explaination of the Chinese Zodiac, Snake people say little, are very wise, have financial fortune; but also can be vain, selfish & stingy. I'm glad (I guess) that I don't believe in Zodiacal truths.

So HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, everyone!

Thanksgiving

This is my first Thanksgiving as a blogger & I've seen that it's customary for many bloggers to list what they're thankful for. On Thanksgiving (last week) I was in a computer-challenged home and couldn't post. Working on the philisophy that one can (and should) be thankful at any time, here's my list. I'm thankful for:
* My husband -- To be married to the same man for 29 years and still love him is a real accomplishment these days!
* My sons -- They're pleasant, intelligent, have integrity and have the character trait I most desired for each of them: a love for and a close walk with the Lord.
* My extended family -- I have a family I'm close to, as well as in-laws I love. I know so many people who dislike, resent and/or war with their inlaws; what a blessing to get an extra family!
* My salvation & the Lord's steadfast love, support & forgiveness.
* My friends -- the church ladies, stitchers, antiquers and gardeners.
* Unimportant things that add a sparkle to life (in no particular order):
Skyline Chili
Books
Chickens (especially my girls)
Turner the dog
Vegetable plants & Perennials
Antique Malls
Music
NPR
London (in fact, the entire UK!)
Art
History
Fountain Coke & brewed Iced Tea
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beautiful sunny days

If you feel like it, comment with your own list!

Christmas

Christmas is only 39 days away. I know, that seems like alot -- but it's not.

I have always loved Christmas -- from the time I was little all the way into adulthood -- both for spiritual and sentimental reasons. I am so moved by the knowledge that God became flesh and took on all the vulnerability of man. I also really like all things Christmas, and the older (translate: the cheesier), the better.

Cheesy

Today I was showing some people at work a pair of new (old) Paramount electric candles I'd just gotten and one of the Pastors (the youngest one, by the way) walked by and said "cheesy". Yes, they're cheese, but they're great!!

I have boxes and boxes of old 30s, 40s & 50s decorations and always put up 2 trees, though I actually have 4. I usually start decorating on Thanksgiving weekend (it takes a few days) and used to even start my baking in October.

All that is leading up to this: I'm not looking forward to Christmas this year. For the first time I can ever remember, I barely feel like decorating, baking or even (gasp!) listening to a Christmas carol. I don't even care about hearing the King's College Choir "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" -- and it's never Christmas season until I hear "Once in Royal David's City"!

This year, my extended family won't all be together at the holidays, even once, for the first time ever. Also, Charlie's moving to Florida a week before Christmas and we'll officially become empty-nesters. Danny's already told us he doubts that he'll come back home this summer. Jim is vague about his Christmas plans, but sounds like he might not be with us on Christmas Eve (a first) and that translates to probably not Christmas morning. It also sounds like he'll be leaving Michigan at about the time the Ohio family gets here. They're coming up, as usual, but in smaller numbers and only staying 2 days. We haven't had a "normal" Columbus family Christmas in a few years, either -- due to freak ice storms and family illness. I feel like this is a watershed year and the holidays (and life) will look different from now on.

Anyway, I'm not looking forward to any of it with enthusiasm. I'm hopeful that as the holidays get closer I will become more excited. I'll probably do all the things and bake the cookies and send the cards, but I have to admit, my heart's not in it. I'm cheerful, aren't I?

Thoughts, anyone? I'd love to hear them. . .