Play It Again or Maybe Don't

Groundhog Day falls on Superbowl Sunday this year, and who can stand all the excitement? Ha!Actually I don't pay much attention to what the groundhog 'says' because when you live in the Northeast there is no such thing as a true early spring. Oh, we'll have a gorgeous spring-like day here and there, maybe even as early as March, but March is cruel and just when you think spring is here, BAM-snow. That's how mother nature rolls in our neck of the woods.

Hearing the radio DJ's talk about Groundhog Day this morning did get me thinking about the movie, the one with Bill Murray where he lives the same day over and over until he gets it right.  And in the spirit of Friday Fragments, and 5 on Friday, I thought it might be fun today to think about what days I'd like to live over.

My immediate thought was the two days my girls were born, and while those were two of the happiest days of my life, there's really no need to experience childbirth again, right? As I thought about it some more I realized the days I'd like to live over were ordinary days.  They were cozy slices of life as opposed to grand occasions, and they were filled with love and laughter and family.

I'd love to relive a Thanksgiving dinner with my dad at the head of the dining room table. I'd be about nine years old and he'd be carving the turkey in that elaborate way he liked to carve a turkey, and there would be a shrimp cocktail in a fancy glass on my china plate.

I'd be seated beside my brother and across the table from my sisters, and we'd all be dressed in church clothes, because Thanksgiving meant no play clothes at the table. My mom would be in her chair, closest to the kitchen because moms since time began are assigned that seat. She would light candles and have 1969 bouffant hair and a soft smile.

I'd love to relive the magical space between day and night, that after dinner early evening ritual we established with our golden haired toddlers. Where mom and dad would sit on the floor beside the tub, and listen to the sounds of sisterhood cementing itself into the fabric of our family.

We wrapped chubby legs and wet hair in hooded towels, and snuggled their squirmy selves in close to warm up. To breathe deeply the scent of baby shampoo-ed curls, as we maneuvered them into PJs with extravagant ruffles across the bum, and then we squeezed in tight for Stellaluna, There's a Moose in the Garden, and Goodnight Moon. To feel the weight of a sleeping three year old pressed against my chest as I carried her up the stairs. To kiss a soft sweet forehead, and feel the hope and glorious wonder of young motherhood.

I'd love to relive a day on our boat. A sunny day where we fly like the wind, then slow time and ease into our cove. Where we raft up with friends, and kids who are all arms and legs and laughter, leap into the water with purple noodles and carefree abandon.

Where even the blue heron stands captivated by the perfection of a Saturday afternoon. James Taylor wafts through a speaker, the sun sparkles like diamonds on a blue black river,  and God signs His masterpiece with the flourish of a pinky orange paintbrush.

I'd love to relive an afternoon in our English garden. Doors thrown open wide to the beauty of iris on the patio and poppies with their heads turned toward the sun.

The scent of lilac in the air, the Sunday Times, an ice cold glass of Pimms, teenage daughters whispering, dreaming in the wide expanse of grass. The other side of the pond. Redefining home. Feeling like the whole wide world was within reach.

I'd love to relive one tender Tennessee Smoky Mountain Christmas, before life tilted. The hodgepodge of family by birth and by marriage.

Snow up to the window sills and baked ham in the kitchen. Grandparents flanked by their children's children.

Innocence.

I ask myself, if I were really given the chance, would I go back? Relive something that has been safely tucked away in the quiet corners of my heart and mind?  Actually I don't think I would.  Memory is a very precious thing...moments that were savored in the living are cherished there.

I think that's how it should be, how I want it to be.
What about you...do you have a 'Groundhog Day' somewhere in your heart?

Alice's Adventures in the Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! I'm always glad to see you here, and please know newcomers are always welcome to join the party. Answer the questions on your own blog, then hop back and link up with all your friends and neighbors. Be sure to add a link to this post on your blog so people reading know how to play along too. The code for the Hodgepodge button is on my sidebar.

Now for my answers, which are not short this week.
Any week actually, but this one especially.

1. It's been said that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day?  Do you think that's true? Do you find that an easy exercise most mornings? What's something positive you told yourself this morning? If you missed that boat, what's something positive you could tell yourself tomorrow?

Positive is pretty much my modus operandi, so I find it fairly easy to think happy at the start of a new day. Chalk it up to years spent at summer camp, but quite often my first thought in the morning is, 'This is the day that the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it.'  I sing it, but only to myself. See #2. 

2. There will be karaoke at the next party you attend...are you in? Or will you be faking a sore throat?

I can take it or leave it.  I like it with the right crowd, which would typically be my family since they are all well acquainted with my less than stellar singing voice. Remember Cameron Diaz's performance in the karaoke bar in My Best Friend's Wedding? I'm almost that good. I wouldn't fake a sore throat, but I wouldn't perform solo. Nor would you ask me too-ha!

3. January 29th is National Puzzle Day...what's something you've found puzzling lately?

Hmmm...people dressed in shorts in sub zero temperatures. 

4. Jigsaw, crossword, acrostic, logic, sudoku, word search...what's your favorite, and when did you last work one?

I like them all, but crosswords are my favorite. I try to work a crossword puzzle every day. I'm over 50 40, and every little bit of brain power I can accumulate helps.  

5. Recently a writer by the name of Amy Glass ruffled feathers with a post she wrote saying she looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she's not sorry. Among other things she says women will be equal with men when we stop saying housework and real work are equally important.  You can read the whole piece by clicking here.

What say you? Do you think men and women are equal in the 21st century? Why or why not?

What say me? I say Amy Glass wanted some traffic on her site and her wish came true. Not sure if this is truly the way she feels, or if it was put out there because she knew it would generate controversy and buzz, and most of all traffic aka revenue. Either way, I'm not gonna get all riled up about something a self-described feminist blogger says, other than to say this-It is the year two thousand and fourteen. Why do women continue to beat each other up about the way we choose to work and parent?  
Are men and women equal? No. Thank goodness!

Here's the thing...there is no way in the universe to accurately capture in words the dizzying heights and terrifying depths into which you are plunged when you become a parent. I've worked off and on during my adult life, but primarily I've been a mother and homemaker. I feel zero need to explain, apologize for, or justify that role.  
My husband has always worked, and worked hard, yet I bet if you asked him he would likely say his role as parent is on a mental and emotional plane unlike anything he experiences at work.  I don't think you can compare parenting and 'real work'.  Like apples and bicycles...the comparison just isn't there. 

I read something a while back that Glennon, who blogs at Momastery, wrote in a post on criticism vs. cruelty, and it was this, 'If you're not kind on the internet you're not kind.'

Let's all be kind, k? You too Ms. Glass. 

6. What's a product you've noticed in the grocery store that you'd like to try, but haven't yet?

Some friends mentioned the Campbells Slow Cooker Sauces, and said the Sweet Korean Barbecue was really good. I tend to stay away from packaged stuff, but might give this one a try. 

7. The author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was born this week back in 1832 (January 27th). Which character from his celebrated novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, would you most like to meet, and why? Here's a link to the character list if you need help on this one.

Before I answer I'm going to indulge in some Alice related trivia...

When Daughter2 turned 6 years old she had an Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party. I found adorable straw bags at The Disney Store with the Cheshire Cat on front, and we used those as goodie bags. The girls painted tea cups, played croquet and dined on petit fours eaten on fine china. 

When Daughter2 was 13 years old I snapped her picture outside of Alice's Shoppe in Oxford. Once upon a time, Charles Dodgson was a math tutor at Oxford, and we spent a lot of time in that fair city since hubs also worked there. 

Not at Christ Church College, but in an office complex on the outskirts of town. 
Close enough. 

 photo courtesy of our friend Nigel, 2009

If you ever visit the UK,  put Oxford on your list. 

What was the question again?  Who would I most want to meet...Charles Dodgson! Wait, the question asked for a character so I'm going with Alice, a girl with unending curiosity about the world.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

For those of you who might be interested, the A-Z Blog Challenge registration is up and running.  Go here to add your name to the list. 

A few things about the A-Z-

In case you don't know, the A-Z is a blog challenge started by a wonderful blogger named Arlee Bird. He blogs over at Tossing It Out, and on Sundays at  A Few Words which I especially like. Hop over and say hello.  

The challenge has grown and expanded and morphed into something big, with well over 1000 bloggers participating now.  The way it works is this...you blog every day (Monday-Saturday) for the month of April. Sundays are a day of rest. That means there are 26 days of posting, and conveniently there are also 26 letters in the alphabet. So....a letter a day, in alphabetical order, beginning with A on April 1, B on April 2nd, etc. I like to put the letters on my calendar to help me stay on track. 

You don't need to have a theme to your posts, but I personally wouldn't participate without one. I like to think I excel at random, but I still need a theme to work with when I'm posting six days a week for a solid month.  If you're able, it also helps to get a head start on writing the first few posts and scheduling them to auto publish. I try to work at least two or three letters ahead, so if something unexpected comes up I won't crack under pressure. 

Actually there's no pressure. 

Well, there's a little pressure.

If you decide to participate let me know, so I can be sure and follow along. 

Go Broncos!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 160

Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the world wide websters. See you there!

1. It's  been said that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Do you think that's true? Do you find that an easy exercise most mornings? What's something positive you told yourself today? If you missed that boat, what's something positive you could tell yourself tomorrow?

2. There will be karaoke at the next party you attend...are you in? Or will you be faking a sore throat?

3. January 29th is National Puzzle Day...what's something you've found puzzling recently?

4.  Jigsaw, crossword, acrostic, logic, sudoku, word search...what's your favorite kind of puzzle, and when did you last work one?

5. Recently a writer by the name of Amy Glass ruffled feathers with a post she wrote saying she looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she's not sorry. Among other things, she says women will be equal with men when we stop saying house work and real work are equally important. You can read the whole piece by clicking here.

What say you? Do you think men and women are equal in the 21st century? Why or why not?

6. What's a product you've noticed in the grocery store that you'd like to try, but haven't yet?

7. The author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was born this week in 1832 (January 27th).  Which character from his celebrated novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, would you most like to meet, and why? Here's a link to a character list if you need help on this one.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

True Tales from Inside the Vortex

So it's Monday, and not a whole lot has happened round here since Friday. Such is a winter weekend lived on the front lines of a polar vortex.

Is that a new term? Because I'm pretty sure we had some super cold weather when I was a kid, but we just called it cold. I think not having the vocabulary made it a lot less scary.

Is a polar vortex scary?

It sounds like something you should pay attention to, but perhaps it's just another way of saying super cold weather. Either way we've got it, and it's not leaving anytime soon.

It snowed here all day long on Saturday. Hubs suggested we go out to lunch, to the movies, anywhere...he wanted to get out of the house. I looked at the falling snow, the icy road, and the thermometer, and declared I would be staying put.

One thing I love about snow on the yard is seeing where the animals have been. There are three deer in our yard on a regular basis and I like to see where they roam.

Super close to the house it would seem.

We also have bird city happening in our back hedge. I don't know what it is about these bare branches, but the birds love them. Hmmm...they must not be completely bare. The big fat cardinal hung around all weekend too, and I love him. He doesn't appear to be having any trouble at all finding food this winter.  Look at that belly!

Hubs just throws seed on the ground below the hedge, and they find it. We used to have a bird feeder there, but after hubs came almost face to face with a bear on a mission to get to the seed inside the feeder, we had to rethink the whole bird feeder thing.

In hubs defense, it was dark.
In the bear's defense, he was hungry!

I finished my book club book this weekend, Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune, by Bill Dedman. Really interesting! A true story about not only Huguette, but the whole Clark family. Her father was at one time the wealthiest man in America, and made his money mostly in copper and the railroads. He also helped establish the city of Los Angeles, owned land that became what is now Las Vegas, and some pretty significant real estate on Fifth Avenue too. Huguette died under somewhat mysterious circumstances in 2011.

I made a big pot of chicken soup on Saturday, because it felt like a homemade chicken soup kind of day. I will just add here that the smell of chicken soup simmering has to be one of the best smells in the entire world. Maybe the entire universe.

We ended up going to a movie Sunday afternoon, still cold but not snowing. We saw Lone Survivor, and a whole day later I'm still not sure I have words.  I left the movie with a proud, grateful, aching heart. That old adage 'war is hell' is brought to life in this film, and it matters not whether you're a highly trained Navy Seal, or a young Afghan child living in a remote desert village. While there is unimaginable brutality and horror in the middle of the nightmare, there is also extraordinary kindness, and courage on a level that truly defies description.

I honestly couldn't watch some of the scenes...it's a picture of war we don't really like to think about in living color. We prefer to keep war 'over there', but these men were somebody's husband, father, brother, son and the film helps us remember that.

I do think there are things in this world worth fighting for, and I'm grateful there are men and women willing to do just that. I'm in awe of the bravery of our military men and women, particularly our special forces.

Hard to segue from that, but it's Monday and I've got a Monday morning kind of to do list here in front of me, so I best get to gettin'. Enjoy your day everyone!

Slice Of Life

So here it is Friday again, another quiet week. Even quiet weeks have fragments worth capturing. In the middle of a polar vortex it's important to enjoy the small things.

First...this cardinal-

Is there anything more lovely on a hum drum January day than a bright red cardinal posed against the naked forest? Add a bright blue sky and a snowy backdrop and it's very near perfection. There's a female lurking too, but her camo prevents me from capturing her at a distance.

I was at a distance.
It was 3 degrees so shooting from my kitchen window was good enough.

When I see a cardinal this time of year, the red so vibrant against a leafless branch, it's as if God is reminding me not to be a worrier. I watch this gorgeous bird from the warmth of my kitchen and think of the verse in Matthew 6 that says, 'Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you more valuable to Him than they are?"  (NLT)

I'm glad there are seasons... in nature and in life.

Daughter1 was home last weekend, and we had such a nice day on Monday. We enjoyed a long leisurely lunch, and solved all manner of the world's problems. Long leisurely lunches with grown up girls makes my list of favorite things.

Tuesday we had us a little snow, somewhere around 6-8 inches. My bible study was cancelled, and although hubs did make it to the office, he came home early to get ahead of the worst of it. The snow was the super soft variety and so pretty!  Still not tired of it.

Wednesday hubs worked from home, which is another way of saying he set himself up in the middle of the kitchen island, and proceeded to conduct one conference call after another. Not inconvenient at all-ha!

Actually I didn't really mind. It was the push I needed to tackle the great office file clean out of 2013, which somehow was overlooked in 2013, so in reality is now the great office file clean out of 2014. Still not done, but close. I'm easily distracted.

Yesterday I had my hair cut and highlighted which pretty much means this week was awesome.

And here we are, back to Friday. My gourmet group met for lunch today, and our theme was 'eating by number'. All the recipes had a number in their name, and everything was delish, most especially the 5-ingredient no bake peanut butter bars. Oh my! I probably should not have tasted those.

I made a five-spice green bean recipe which was just okay. The 5-spice seasoning is really strong, a little heavy on the anise flavor which isn't my favorite. On the bright side though, my house smells a lot like Christmas.

Now on to the weekend, where once again we have snow heading our way. I heard one weatherman say, "...we won't even mention the Superbowl forecast just yet..."

Ruh-roh.

I don't think you needed to be a weatherman to predict a February Superbowl played in New Jersey as a risky proposition.  

And yes, the Superbowl is in fact being played in New Jersey, not New York. As a resident of The Garden State I feel it's my duty to insert that piece of sports trivia here, because apparently the lack of respect our little state is getting is annoying a whole lotta people. I say this is what happens when sports teams with one state name in their moniker play all their games in a stadium that sits in a whole 'nother state.

New York? New Jersey? Either way it's gonna be a cold one!

For more Friday Fragments hop over to Half Past Kissin' Time.  Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Ten Pin Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge! We're tucked in under a blanket of fallen snow and frigid temps, perfect weather for hodgepodging.  Add your link at the bottom of my post and then go a-visiting.  Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. It was decided on Sunday the Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in this year's Superbowl.  So, when was the last time you bowled?  Not where you thought this question was going is it? Do you like to bowl? Are you any good?

Go Broncos! I do like to bowl, but it's not something I do very often, nor am I very good at it. Unless of course we're talking Wii bowling, because I rock the Wii bowling.  I'm not terrible at 'real' bowling, but I think its one of those things you need to do on a regular basis if you want to excel.  

2. Should sports stars be role models?

Hmmm...should Miley Cyrus or the Kardashians, or any celebrity for that matter? Regardless of whether they should be role models, people who choose to be in the public eye are role models. Children (adults too!) admire and look up to sports figures, and often aspire to be like them in some way.  

I hope sports figures recognize the power they have to set a good example in terms of fair play, hard work, kindness, generosity, compassion, etc, but they're only human, and we humans let ourselves down on a regular basis. Sadly in today's world, if you're in the spotlight and you stumble, the media will eat you alive. 

3. January is National Oatmeal month...are you a fan?  How do you like your oats?

I'm a fan, and I like mine with sliced bananas and dried cherries stirred into the pot, topped with a splash of cold skim milk. I don't like warm milk on my oatmeal. I also have a really good recipe for crockpot oatmeal made with diced apples. The apples get all gooey and delicious.  I will dig it out and share.  

4. What is one book on your reading list for 2014?

I have a long list of books to read in 2014. Are you on Goodreads?  If so let me know and we can be friends there. It's a great place to find new titles, see what your friends are reading, and keep track of books you want to read in the future. 

One title on my 2014 list is this-

In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton

5. What would you like your future self to say to your present self?

You did it! 

6. When scrolling through the TV guide, what is one movie title that makes you want to stop, grab the popcorn, and watch for a while?

The Rookie (the baseball movie with Dennis Quaid, not the police drama with Clint Eastwood) and Sweet Home Alabama.  I'm a sucker for Sweet Home Alabama.  Hubs would say The Patriot, The Hunt for Red October, and Dances with Wolves.  He was the inspiration for this question. 

7. What are two style trends you hope never come back into fashion?

High waisted jeans and track suits. 
Can you tell I lived through the 90's? 

We were looking at some old pictures recently and my girls commented on how everyone was in track suits. In case you're wondering, we were not running track. I guess they were kind of the yoga pants of the late 80's/early 90's only they swished when you walked. Yikes! 

I wore high waisted jeans, belted no less, back in that same time period too.  Never mind that I was skinny...I don't think that's a good look on anyone. I think women of all sizes look better with trousers just below the waist as opposed to right on the waist.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Crockpot Apple Oatmeal

2 cups milk (you can sub almond or coconut milk if you prefer)
2 T honey
1 T butter (no substitute)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dry old-fashioned oats
1 cup apples (peeled and sliced or cubed)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 T brown sugar (I omitted this, and it was plenty sweet)

Mix together all ingredients and place in a greased crock pot (or use a liner). Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.  If you have a newer crock pot with a warm setting, use that instead of low, and cook 7-9 hours. 

I've looked at similar recipes,and you can add a bit more liquid if you're going to need to leave it longer than the 5 -6 hours, but don't have a warm setting on your crockpot.  I've also done this recipe on the stove, but cooked the apples down a bit before adding to the pot. Enjoy!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 159

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. It was decided on Sunday the Denver Broncos will meet the Seattle Seahawks in this year's  Superbowl. So when was the last time you bowled? Not where you thought this question was going is it?  Do you like to bowl? Are you any good?

2.   Should sports stars be role models?

3. January is National Oatmeal month...are you a fan? How do you like your oats?

4. What is one book on your reading list for 2014?

5. What would you like your future self to say to your present self?

6. When scrolling through the TV guide, what is one movie title that makes you want to stop, grab the popcorn, and watch for a while?

7. What are two style trends you hope never come back into fashion?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Mondaysaturday

Technically I'm still in weekend mode. It's Monday, a federal holiday, and Daughter1 is sleeping sweetly in her bedroom upstairs.  That all adds up to 'still-the-weekend'. Technically every day is a federal holiday when you're me, but even when you're not working outside your home its fun to mark days off.

Hubs is working today because holiday schmaliday, but Daughter1 and I have plans that include manicures, shopping, and a nice long lunch before I take her to the train station. She spent a large chunk of yesterday giving my blog a little face lift, so the least I can do is treat her to lunch.

Sometimes I get a little abnormally attached to things, and my yellow background might have been one of those things. I felt like it was time for something fresh, a new way of seeing things here in 2014, and and I love the transformation. It's a new look yet one that feels familiar. As Daughter1 would say, my 'brand' is still recognizable.

I have a brand.
Who knew?

Anyway, if you're looking for a blog face lift or redesign or new header or any other little graphic related project, hop over and visit Daughter1, click on Design Services, and she'll be happy to help you too.

Saturday morning we woke up to snow falling, and it was beautiful. I'm not at all tired of the snow yet, but I do acknowledge it's only mid-January. I pulled out the waffle iron and made homemade blueberry waffles, which were delish. I haven't had a waffle in ages, so it was nice to have an excuse to make some, and yes I use my children as an excuse to bake, doesn't everyone?

The roads were fine so we headed out to an afternoon movie. We were going to see Lone Survivor, but Daughter1 wants to see that with her boyfriend next week so we opted for Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Oh my word I think I burned off every single waffle calorie watching that movie. Wow it was tense!  My hubs is a huge fan of the Tom Clancy series of books made into movies.  If he's scrolling through the TV guide, and sees Patriot Games or Hunt for Red October rest assured that's what we'll be watching. I don't think this one was a book, but I might be wrong. Regardless, the movie was really well done and we all liked it.

I have never been someone who 'sleeps in', but two weekends in a row now I've been a little slow getting up and 'attem.  Is that a word?  Hmmm...anyway, hubs brought me coffee before my feet hit the floor Sunday morning, and thought it was hilarious to deliver it in this cup.

Sunday afternoon Daughter1 and I worked a little bit on the jigsaw puzzle I had started with Daughter2 a couple of weeks ago.  It's been sitting partially finished on my dining room table, and I would love to put it away, but I can't until it's completely worked. Apparently my pup wanted in on the action, because suddenly we realize she's chewing on something, and sadly it was this-

Now there's going to be a super annoying space somewhere in the finished product. Bother.

Sunday evening I roasted a turkey breast tenderloin, wrapped in bacon because that's the only way to go with a turkey breast tenderloin, and we settled in to watch football. So happy for Peyton and the Broncos, but especially Peyton because he's the reason we root for Denver. Happy for the Seahawks too, but Go Broncos!  The Superbowl is being played in our corner of the world, but we'll be watching from home, on our comfy and most importantly warm, couch.

As we like to say here, it's Mondaysaturday, and I'm off to enjoy...hope you do the same!

Five Things Friday. Maybe.

Do I have five things to mention here? It's January (that doesn't count) and it seems like life quiets down in January. It's winter (that doesn't count either) so we tend to have more white space in the calendar which if I'm honest, and I always am, we need. December was full. In a good way but full nonetheless, so a little bit of breathing space is welcome.

Okay, five things.

1. Are you watching the new season of American Idol? I didn't watch last year, or much the year before that, because judging had reached the point of absurd. It's a new combination this year, and I think it just might work. I love that they're not showing a lot of the really terrible auditions, those poor people you feel embarrassed for, who insist they can sing because everyone has told them so, or at least that's how they interpreted it.  Keith Urban is back this year, and I have no complaints about Keith Urban. Plus they've added Harry Connick Jr and he's got wit and style and actual musical knowledge, so it could be good.

2. Wednesday I went on a little outing with friends to a nearby glass studio. We got our craft on. Well some of us did, and some of us tried. The projects were fused glass, so a little bit like mosaic or a stained glass piece. You laid out bits of glass into whatever design you wanted, then cut and glued before handing over to the studio for firing in their kiln.

I am not talented when it comes to stuff like this. I'm good at copying something, but not as good at envisioning something myself. Also, I'm a little bit messy, ahem, and the glue on my fingers took me back to my days as a kindergarten teacher...."Just a little dot boys and girls."

I decided to make coasters, and to keep it simple went with Christmas colors.  A lot of the glass choices were pinks and light blues which don't go with my decor, but Christmas colors work. In keeping with a familiar motto here, my design was a bit of a hodgepodge. In other words, abstract art-ha!

Shhh! Don't tell my hubs, but I had to actually cut glass. With a tool! Rest assured no one was injured in the making of these coasters. We won't get them back for another week, so I'll post an after picture then. Supposedly this all melts down into something beautiful. We shall see.

3. My women's Bible Study group started back up this past week and I'm always glad to get back into the routine there.

So. Remember my word for 2014? Yeah. Guess what Bible Study we're doing?

Walking By Faith. 

I'm not even kidding. It's a study by Jennifer Rothschild, and I'm really looking forward to it. Unafraid. Walking by Faith. Pretty sure those two things go hand in hand.

4.  One of the last things I un-do after Christmas is my Christmas card display. I have a holder in my kitchen for regular cards, and then I hang all the photo cards on our back stairs. I absolutely love walking by there several times a day during the month of December, seeing all the familiar faces from around the globe looking back at me....makes me so sad to take it down in January.

So what do you do with your Christmas cards at the end of the season? I know they can be sent to St. Jude's, or I could put them into an album of some sort, but let's not kid ourselves with that one. I'm still trying to catch up on scrapbooks from the 1990's!

This year I'm stealing an idea from a blogger I follow, Stephanie at The Honey Pot. She's adorable and wise, and you should hop over and visit, because she also has a pretty amazing story. Anyway, she posted this idea on Instagram and I knew I wanted to do the same. Here's the deal...each week in 2014 you select someone's card and pray for that person/family every day of that one week.

We received about 100 cards, so I've added two names per week, but you can do whatever works for you. It's not a challenge or a link up, it's just an idea, but it's one I'm excited about. Our friends and family really are scattered far and wide. Praying for them by name is a way of keeping them close in heart.

5.  In other happy news, Daughter1 is coming home for the weekend. She has the day off work on Monday, which makes it all just a little bit sweeter. No real plans, but I'm sure we'll get into something.

Okay, that's five. I don't know why I spend any time wondering if I can meet a particular number. If someone wanted to do a 500 on Friday link up, I could probably manage that too. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Linking up with 5 on Friday-

And Friday Fragments too, because that's a nice place to be on a Friday in blogland.

Schussing Through the Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge! Add the link to your answers at the end of my answers, then go see what everyone else had to say.

1. Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?

That phrase tends to strike me as a negative right off the bat. When I hear it used my mind goes immediately to Maleficent or Ursula or some real life figure who swoops in, takes over, and is overbearing or mean. The more I think about it though, there's also a positive side to the phrase, and I like to think I fall on that side of the reckoning fence.  

My temperament is pretty mild and it takes an awful lot to make me angry. I live life wearing rose colored glasses most of the time.  But...if someone is being treated unfairly, and I can help remedy the situation, in that instance I might be a force. 

2. What are two things you love about the wintertime. Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you like about winter?

Christmas, hot cocoa in a favorite mug, the first few flakes in a snowfall, the staggering beauty of an untouched snowy canvas, the moon, trees dressed like fairies, deer tracks across the front lawn, chili and cornbread, a fire in the fireplace, the guy who plows our driveway, an excuse to wear my furry boots, snowdrops peeking up out of the ground, my fur collar, the hushed silence of snow falling from a moonlit sky...wait, you said two? 

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months.  Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven't tried?

I've never met a fruit I didn't like. Some I do like more than others, but there's nothing on this list I haven't tried and enjoyed. Of the ones mentioned kiwi and pomegranate are my favorite, although I did have a most amazing dessert made with guava when we were in Florida last year.  I guess when they talk about fruit being healthy they don't mean this-

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their sign, "When all else fails, do the right thing." Your thoughts?

I've passed this sign a few times now, and it always makes me scratch my head. Something about the wording feels off. I'm certain the intent was good, and I'm all about giving the benefit of the doubt, but in my head I keep thinking, 'when all else fails??' Maybe it's directed at people who are not inclined to do the right thing from the get-go, and they're advising them to now try doing the right thing? Let's go with that. 

5. Do you ski? According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland. Of the five listed which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer.

I can ski, but honestly I am not a gifted skier. I've said it here before that I love ski towns, ski clothes, family winter holidays, but the skiing? Not so much. Remember last week when I asked if you were clumsy? Yeah.  

That being said, if you've never vacationed in a ski town you're missing out. Some of my favorite holidays have been spent in ski towns.  Of the ones listed above I'm going to surprise you and say Whistler. I know you were expecting Italy here, but Whistler is on my list of places to see, so Whistler it is.  Course I wouldn't say no to any of the top 5. 

6. What's the last thing you looked for online? (besides my blog!)

I looked at a website showing the Best and Worst Dressed from the Golden Globes. I didn't watch the whole show, and I like to get a closer look at the clothes. Naomi Watts was my favorite.  I'd love to have somewhere to go in that fabulous sparkly gown!

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto, have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?

Slightly awkward transition from #6-#7 but....

'The sea was not meant to be controlled. The sea was meant to be sailed."  

Jon Acuff

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Who's getting excited for the Olympics?  I love this ad...



Moms rock! 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 158

Here are the questions for this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Ski back here tomorrow to link answers with all your friends and neighbors-

1.  Are you a force to be reckoned with? In what way?

2. What are two things you love about the wintertime? Or, if love feels like too strong a word, what are two things you 'like' about winter?

3. Pomegranate, kumquat, persimmon, kiwi, and guava are all fruits said to have health benefits, particularly during the winter months. Do you have a favorite on the list? Are there any on the list you haven't tried?

4. I passed a local church yesterday and noticed they had this on their outdoor sign- 'When all else fails, do the right thing.' Your thoughts?

5. Do you ski? According to one list I've seen, the top 5 ski destinations for 2014 are-St. Anton Austria, Whistler Canada, Cortina Italy, Tahoe USA, and Zermatt Switzerland.  Of the five listed, which would you most like to visit? We can make skiing optional if that helps the non-skiers with their answer.

6.  What's the last thing you looked for online? (Besides my blog!)

7. What saying, slogan, quote, or motto have you seen lately that inspires you for the new year?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Pajama Party

We had a low key weekend, and I was just sitting here debating whether its worth mentioning or not.  Of course it is.  Low key weekends should be marked and remembered because they're awesome.  When my girls are the age I am now I want them to know they should feel no shame in spending an occasional rainy Saturday in their pjs. 20-somethings know this without anyone telling them, but 50-somethings sometimes need reminding.

See, even when there's nothing to say I manage to fill a lot of blank paper.

We met friends for dinner on Friday night, a local spot that has live music which we usually enjoy, but yowza! The band was LOUD!! My girls will tell you I like my music played loud, so if I say this was LOUD!! rest assured it was LOUD!! We didn't stick around after we'd finished our meal.

Hubs and I had discussed all week our plan to stay in our pjs all day on Saturday. Yes we made a plan, because we are not typically stay in your pjs kind of people. In fact, no one in my family thought I could do it because I'm an early riser, and normally get up and into stuff at the crack of dawn but...I did it. Hubs and I watched a couple of old movies, Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, and Move Over Darling with Doris Day and James Garner. I don't think Audrey Hepburn is a particularly great actress, but she is so stunning you can't help but enjoy watching anything she's in. Cary Grant is also very easy on the eyes, and I think he's actually a good actor too. We napped off and on, and hubs made us one of his famous omelets about 1 o'clock. When we go lazy we go all in.

I read a lot, finished my book Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, which I really liked a lot. The book is fiction, but loosely based on the Orphan Train Movement, a welfare program that took orphaned and homeless children from the East Coast to foster homes mostly in the rural Midwest. The trains ran from 1853-1929 and relocated about a quarter of a million children.

We had seriously crazy rain here on Saturday, the sun didn't peek out for so much as a minute, and we even had some weird thunder and lightning. All those factors combined made it pretty easy to stay in my pjs.  Saturday night we did leave the house to meet some of our favorite old friends for Thai food. FYI-in case you're concerned, we did put on real clothes for dinner. These friends are such great company, and so easy to be around. They live a few towns over, so we don't see them as much as we'd like, but we always enjoy spending time with them when we can line up our calendars.

The weekend wasn't a total do-nothing experience. We managed to get every last bit of Christmas taken down to the basement. I've been packing and boxing and undecorating all week, and hubs hauled the trees downstairs Sunday afternoon.  We moved furniture back into place, and he vacuumed while I dusted so that's something.

We watched a little football (love us some Peyton Manning!), and a very little bit of the Golden Globes.  I enjoy the fashion, but the speeches send me over the edge so we switched over to the new episode of Downton Abbey. I can see where this Anna storyline is going from a mile away, and I'm not going to like it.

That's it. And yet, I've managed per usual, a too-wordy post describing a weekend where we essentially did nothing. Sometimes I amaze even myself.

Friday Fragments

Linking up over at Half Past Kissin' Time today, a nice way to usher in the weekend.

It was spitting snow when I went to boot camp this morning. Supposed to be in the mid-50's tomorrow. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but January is meant to get cold and stay cold. Isn't that somewhat necessary to kill off all the germy germs?

I googled that and apparently not true, but still...January should be cold.

My hawk is back, and guess what? She's got a mate. Technically she's not my hawk, and in fact I don't know if she's a she or a he, but whatever, she's back and she's not alone. Hubs read that Red Tailed Hawks mate for life, which makes me happy. We're celebrating 30 years of marriage ourselves this year, so I'd say a metaphor of sorts is happening in our treetops.

Something so majestic about these birds.
That sky is au natur-al, btw.

Wednesday night hubs walked in the door carrying an absolutely ginormous and stunning bouquet of flowers. And just like that, I felt my heart grow lighter. I've had a bit of a week, and fresh flowers make the world seem a kinder, gentler place.

Are you following the NFL playoffs? Our loyalties lie with a number of teams which I have carefully ranked in my head.  When you move a lot you're pretty much guaranteed at least one of your teams will be in contention.  Hmmm...Philadelphia Eagles? New York Jets? New York Giants? Baltimore Ravens? Denver Broncos? Go Broncos! And since the Superbowl is being played in our neck of the woods, I suppose temps in the mid-50s the first week of February would be awesome.

Also unlikely.  ahem.

I really dislike the speaker feature on a phone. How's that for random?  Hubs looooooves the speaker phone option, and I always protest when he suggests putting a call on speaker so I can join in too. Whyyyy?

This is the first weekend in a long while we have no real set plans, other than dinner with friends. Looking forward to a walk, a nap, a little football and whatever else strikes our fancy.

Does anyone still use that expression?

I guess I do.
Here's hoping your weekend is full of whatever strikes your fancy!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. And Me.

We went to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last weekend, billed as a comedy, but which left me gobsmacked. The film's message, if you want to call it that, has been rolling around my brain all week long, and I need to write it down in order to make sense of it.

I hadn't heard a lot about the movie prior to seeing it, but my daughter said she'd heard it was funny, plus I like Ben Stiller, so whatever. The film started out a little 'campy' and I thought eh, not my thing, but very quickly, as the story began unfolding and the tone shifting, I found myself caught up inside Walter Mitty's head.

It looks an awful lot like the inside of my own head.
He's fiction by the way.

In a nutshell, Walter Mitty has these big dreams and sees himself living a brave life filled with all sorts of experiences. In the real world he works a 9-5 office job in the basement of Life Magazine.  I don't want to give away the whole movie, but suffice it to say, one thing leads to another and he finds just enough courage and inspiration to take a first step, which leads to a second, and before you know it he is becoming the person he imagined himself to be.

I want that.

Before we moved overseas I didn't do a lot of traveling or 'out of my comfort' zone stuff. Don't get me wrong, I loved my life. I absolutely adored mothering daughters, and found the paid work I was doing supremely satisfying. But then we moved. Life shifted. And in the process, I shifted.  Living in another country opened up a whole world of opportunity I vaguely knew was out there, but didn't think a whole lot about because I was living my happy comfortable life. Nothing wrong with that, but once the lid on a box has been lifted it's hard to cram it back down.

When you're living an ocean away from what you've always known, and you're traveling a lot, experiencing new things on an almost daily basis, interacting with all sorts of people, pushing yourself to do things that are outside the realm of what you ever thought you'd be comfortable or capable of doing, it changes you.  And one of the ways it changed me was it made me a little bit brave.

I've always been what we call in our family 'fraidy scared' of so many things in life. Not just stuff that might fall under the category of adventure, but also things like dealing with uncomfortable situations, speaking up, anything that might be dubbed remotely confrontational.

I've never been a person who dives head first in to new things. I've always been thoughtful, and I like to consider all the possible 'what might go wrong' scenarios in my head, before gingerly putting my big toe in the water. My husband learned early on in our married life that when something takes me out of my comfort zone, I'm gonna be needing a pep talk. Even then it's likely I'll still have to be grabbed by the hand and pulled along much of the time. Or pushed, depending on what we're talking about.

I've always been a confident person in terms of what I believe, my ability to parent, my work, etc but in terms of stepping outside those areas? Not so much. Six years in another country though, built my confidence, made me not only less fearful of new, but actually found me loving it.

Insert a shift back to this side of the pond. A few years go by, and here I am, back in my comfort zone, living life with the familiar, and I think I've forgotten how to be brave. Forgotten that I am brave.  

As I watched the movie I kept thinking about how God works in mysterious ways. It was only a day or two earlier I'd written here about my word for this year. How it was a word that chose me, and in all honesty I was still sort of questioning the wisdom of choosing that particular word.  As I sat in that theatre it felt like my word was everywhere.  Unafraid.  That word, my word, was woven through the film in a way I couldn't miss. It might as well have been painted across the screen.

We're less than two weeks into 2014, but I've already been out of my comfort zone in dealing with some things I've committed to this year.  Then there's this-hubs and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage in June. We know we want to take a trip somewhere, but haven't been able to pin down the destination, mostly because he wants exotic and I want safe. He wants far and I want familiar.  He wants large and I want comfortable.

As soon as the movie ended I looked at hubs and said "I can do exotic...far...large."
Thanks Walter Mitty for the inspiration.

Most of all, I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows me better than I know myself. Who wants more for me than I can ask or imagine. Who puts people and opportunity and situations in my path, and courage and conviction in my heart.

Who created a big-small, wide, wonderful, sometimes scary world, and wants me out there in it. Who walks beside the fearful and says be brave.

Ain't Nothin' But a Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Come in, thaw out, and join the party!  Here are my answers to this week's questions-

1.  Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English.  Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen).  Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2014-

selfie, twerk/twerking, hashtag, Twittersphere, Mr. Mom, T-bone, _______on steroids, the suffixes-ageddon and -pocalypse added to anything and everything, from the world of politics the words-intellectually/morally bankrupt and Obamacare, and from the world of sports the words-adversity and fan base

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why?  Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

Twerk/twerking. Or we could just ban news people from 'reporting' it's occurrence. That works for me too.

2. What one unfinished project nags at you begging to be completed in this new year?

I WILL get my VHS and old school 'tapes' into DVD format this year. Probably just in time for the DVD to become obsolete but still, I'm making this happen.  

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup?  What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup?

I made Tortilla Soup for dinner Monday night.  I was a little overly enthusiastic with the chillies, and wow it was spicy!  Even hubs said so, and he never ever thinks anything is too spicy. I love soup, especially in the fall and winter months.  Not sure I have a favorite, but my homemade chicken and rice recipe is definitely a contender.  

4. Snowed in, snowed under, snow job...which one most applies to your life in recent days, figuratively speaking?

I've been a little snowed under with some volunteer commitments. 
I'll leave it at that. 

5. What's the funniest movie you've ever seen, or at least one of the funniest?

A little hard to answer because some movies are laugh out loud funny, and some are smart funny where you're smiling on the inside, but not necessarily laughing out loud.  A Christmas Story, Napoleon Dynamite, and Four Weddings and a Funeral all make my list for one reason or another.

6. In general, would you say you're clumsy?

A little. My family might disagree, but I'm going with 'a little' since it's my blog.  Let's just say hubs doesn't like to see me within five feet of a ladder or anything with a blade.  

7. Elvis Presley was born on Hodgepodge Day (January 8th) back in 1935.  Are you an Elvis fan?  What's your favorite Elvis tune?  If that's too hard, which Elvis tune do you dislike the least?  Click here for a list of his songs.

Not a crazy fan, but not a hater either.  My favorite Elvis song? This one...it's beautiful. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We saw a couple of movies over the break, one I'm going to mention in its own post, but the other was Saving Mr. Banks.  Loved it!  We all did. I purchased the tickets through Fandango, and they sent me a present- a free download of the book Mary Poppins. I haven't read the book since I was a little girl, but the movie made me want to re-visit the story again.

Stuff

I had a really extended extended Christmas break, and in fact should be deep into the the un-decorating at this very moment, but I'm blogging instead.

I did manage to clean out my poor refrigerator this morning, and what a job! For some reason I have three full containers of sour cream?  I don't even eat sour cream, and that's the problem with a too full-neglected-I'll deal with it after the holiday-attitude towards refrigeration. You don't know what you have so you keep buying more.  I have to make a stop at our nearby soup kitchen today, and the lady who runs it is very creative, so I'll take it with me and see if she can incorporate sour cream into her January menus. It is most definitely not on mine!

Daughter2 returned to her home in SC late Sunday, which in my mind signaled the official end to the holiday. She was excited to have some snow while visiting the Garden State, and we had fun playing in it on Saturday. We wanted to make a snowlady, but the texture was too soft and it wouldn't roll. We made a snow girl which was only a little bit pitiful, but the best we could do.

Congratulating ourselves.

She's adorable.

Also you should know this picture makes my heart lurch.
That face!!

It launches me back to this face-

Take heart mothers of littles!
Your girl will always be there, underneath her very grown up life.

In other news, here's something I learned over the holidays-

It's impossible to pass by a container of William Sonoma's Peppermint Bark without sneaking a piece.

Also-

It's impossible to 'sneak' a piece because the container refuses to open in silence. 

Ask me how I know.

Speaking of bad habits...my pup may have taken advantage of the icy cold temps, a houseful of company, a relaxed schedule, and a husband who's a softie when it comes to his beloved dog, to develop some habits that now need breaking.  Hmmm. In reading that last sentence I realize the same could be said of me-ha!

So who's watching Downton Abbey? I think the folks who produce the show were wise to delay the new season start-up. That last little 'incident' in Season 3? The one that left us all slack-jawed? Just a distant memory now.  Did anyone else need a minute to re-connect all the people names and places? Does anyone else wish they lived in the English countryside?

In other news suddenly I have a Google+ account. Not sure how that happened, but there it is. I don't understand Google+?  When I visit a blogger and get redirected to their Google+ site I find it hard to navigate. Does anybody out there love it, and if so can you tell me why?  Pretty sure I have enough to manage online, but apparently the Internet doesn't think so.

I guess that's enough stuff for a Tuesday afternoon.  It's not much, nor is it anything you couldn't have lived without knowing, but if I don't occasionally dump the little stuff from my brain, there's no room left for grabbing hold of big ideas and deep thoughts.

I need room in 2014 people.  Lots of room.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 157

I have a few things I want to mention on my blog, but yesterday was a day, so that didn't happen.  Yesterday happened obviously...me writing did not.  Now here it is Tuesday, and  I always post the Hodgepodge questions on Tuesday, because that's the law, so what's a blogger to do?  I see a little space in my calendar for writing later this morning (the house has been decorated for Christmas since the first of December, what's one more day, right?) so I'm thinking it will be a two post kind of day.   Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here are the questions for this week's Hodgepodge.  Answer on your own blog, then slide on back here Wednesday to link answers with all your friends and neighbors.  See you then.  Wait...see you later today.  You're coming back for a second helping of words, remember?

It's possible I've been in holiday mode a smidge too long.

Ahem, The Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 157

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English.  Words may be banished due to misuse, overuse or just general uselessness (go here to read more about how the words were chosen).  Here are the words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2014-

selfie, twerk/twerking, hashtag, Twittersphere, Mr. Mom, T-bone, ____on steroids, the suffixes-ageddon, and -pocalypse added to anything and everything, from the world of politics the words-intellectually/morally bankrupt and Obamacare, and from the world of sports the words-adversity and fan base

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you'd like to add?

2. What one unfinished project nags at you begging to be completed in this new year?

3. When did you last have a bowl of soup? What kind? Homemade or from a can? What's your favorite soup?

4. Snowed in, snowed under, snow job...which one most applies to your life in recent days, figuratively speaking.

5. What's the funniest movie you've ever seen, or at least one of the funniest?

6.  In general, would you say you're clumsy?

7. Elvis Presley was born on Hodgepodge Day (January 8th) back in 1935.  Are you an Elvis fan?  What's your favorite Elvis tune? If that's too hard, which Elvis tune do you dislike the least?  Click here for a list of his songs.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Five Minutes of Fight

Linking up with Five Minute Friday on this first Friday in a brand new year.  Here's the deal...Lisa Jo gives us a one word writing prompt and then you write. Five minutes, no editing, no overthinking, no fear! All she asks is that you visit the blogger who links above you. This little exercise is a great way to stretch your writing muscle...why not join the party?

Today's word-fight

I don't know if history reveals that people have always chosen a word to focus on in the New Year, but it's certainly a 'band wagon' we've jumped on in recent times. In January of 2012 I chose a word.-joy. As it turned out joy was hard to find that year. It felt like something I needed to chase down and grab hold of with arms held tight, so I did.

Looking back at year's end I could so clearly see how God used that word to carry me through a hard place. Finding joy in circumstances that screamed something very different helped me discover it sometimes lies quietly waiting in the most unexpected places of our lives. This three letter word riding atop my shoulders amidst deep sorrow was not just happenstance...it was His grace poured out on me.

Last year my word was love. Sounds easy, doesn't it?  Well it's not, but again in hindsight I see the many people and the many ways I've been challenged to love and love well. I'll admit when I chose the word I kind of expected that, but in looking back at the year I see the unexpected too. I see  how I was loved...over and over again in ways large and small, in gestures, in words spoken and unspoken, in the Word read. In 2013 I was reminded on an almost daily basis of the very great love the Father has for his children.

So it's 2014 and I've been toying with a new word, not wanting to choose it, but unable to escape it either. It had been percolating on my brain for some time, and as the new year approached I started to see a 'slogan' in all sorts of places that said 'no fear new year'.  I decided the word has my name on it.

Unafraid.

Why does that word feel like a dare? Am I the only one who thinks when you put these words out there God will throw all kinds of hard things in your path to make it really hit home? You're gonna live unafraid?  Let's just test that! I'm pretty certain He doesn't work that way, after all joy is always within our reach, and the hard to love cross our paths pretty regularly whether we make those our words or not.

It's the same with living unafraid. Not acknowledging our fears doesn't make them disappear. Bad things can happen whether I've purposed to be brave or not. Opportunities to be bold, to live unafraid, will cross my path all year long whether I choose this word or another.

I like having a word to consider and focus on each year. It helps me to act, and reminds me God is near.  At year's end I'm always slightly in awe of the way the word has been woven into my life over the course of 365 measly days.

So 2014 is the year I fight my natural inclination to not think about things I fear, and instead face them with confidence. To be bold. Unafraid. I have a God who knows me and loves me and wants for me more than I want or can even imagine for myself.  What is there to fear?