Maintenance.

Some of my heroines.

Random positive body image.

Things I've liked for many years.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Also from the 2011 Joy Inventory, this is actually a picture of 2010 Christmas morning.

2013 Christmas things

A lot of my posts are joys I counted in years past, but these are three I thought of just in the last couple days.

I love Starbucks Christmas. Love their decor, love their drinks, love' em.

It's great to see family for the holidays.

12.21.13

12.21.13

• Had a lovely Panera lunch with Aunt Linda.
• We got to sit at a table for two by the windows.
• We updated each other on serious things going on in our lives
• and we made each other laugh a lot, too.
• She let me do a quick video interview of her, which was adorable.
• We ran into some people I used to know when I lived here, including a girl who was 5 last time I saw her. She's 10 now, and it was wild to see how she's grown.
• Once we got home, Linda gave me a copy of some drum and fife Christmas music I really like.
• Ellen and I went thrift shopping together, and even though I didn't find anything I wanted, I still love thrift shops.
• Then I got a good, much-needed hour workout in.
• I went to Eddie's & Elisabeth's for dinner, and we had a nice visit, plus the food was great.
• Then Eddie & I went to Everett's and watched the Blues game and played 5 Crowns with him and Lydia. There was a lot of laughing with that too.
• I also got some cat lovin' from Mr. Tom.
• And I still got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Mr. Tom, who is actually female, is the neighborhood cat that
goes to Everett's apartment to get warm.

It's great to have a good partner.

Holiday nostalgia.

12.20.13

12.20.13

• Took Mom to work. I like dropping her off and picking her up because I get to visit with her on the way there, and I get to think to myself on the way back. I like driving alone on the highway listening to music.
• I was starting to feel overwhelmed with all the things I ought to be getting done this break, but that feeling inspired me to workout harder than normal for an hour, and I was feeling calmer after that.
• I went to Starbucks to work on a speech I have to do.
• While I was there, Andrew called me. We haven't chatted in forever, and even in those few minutes we laughed a lot. I love that.
• I got good work done on the speech (and enjoyed a hot cocoa).
• When I got home, I read the speech to Neil and Ellen and they helped me work on it for 4 hours. I am especially grateful for their work.
• During the last hour or more, Ellen read parts of the speech to me and we tweaked wording and phrasing, all while I baked five spinach sausage loaves.
• Then friends came over and enjoyed spinach sausage loaf and some card games.
• Ellen helped me even more by designing some business cards she and I need to order.
• Then I stayed up until about 4am, and enjoyed not feeling guilty about it.
• I watched House of Cards (I love when I find a show good enough to watch multiple episodes in a row) and worked on some more Christmas projects.

One of Mom's Christmas decorations - a repaired candle holder.

MO Christmas Trip 12.17.13 - 12.19.13

• My flight on the 17th went smoothly and safely.
• I got window seats on both flights
• And didn't have to check my luggage.
• I got to see Everett's redone apartment--lamps and curtains, framed photos, it's much more home-like now, very nice.
• I've only been here a few days and have already spent hours talking one-on-one with Mom, Everett, Ellen, and G&G Benoist. And all of those visits have been great. 
• On the 18th, Mom, Everett, Lydia and I went to Old Town to see all the Christmas decorations and the costumed characters (like Santa's from different time periods, Jack Frost, Charles Dickens-type people). There was even still snow on the ground.
• We got a brownie at a pub, then met Aunt Linda & Uncle Mark at an Italian bakery and had some chocolate covered bacon (weird).
• We also checked out a very cute spice shop with lots of different teas and dipping sauces and such. It smelled wonderful.
• That night I watched Cloud Atlas with Everett & Lydia. Good movie, very interesting.
• Neil & Ellen both got into town safely yesterday.
• Yesterday I was at G&G's for 5 hours, and the visit was especially enjoyable. We also had dinner together. I just really appreciate my time with them.
• It's great how many people around here really get into putting up Christmas lights. 
• I went grocery shopping at Aldi's (which we don't have in my home state). I love their prices, and I love that they don't have any obnoxious People-like magazines in their checkout aisles. In fact they just don't have any magazines at all, and I like that.
• I got to visit with Mom while I drove her back from work, a major reason I don't mind dropping her off or picking her up.
• I played a hilarious game of Monopoly with Ellen and Everett. I don't remember laughing that hard while playing while we were kids.

Tea pots at the spice shop.