Bad Blogger!

This is always a time of year for me that I tend to do a lot of deep thinking and taking stock of myself. I enter into this season of giving thanks, preparing my soul for another Christmas season and letting go of mistakes made in the old year and goals set for the upcoming new year.

This year I have had a few months reflect on my shortcomings, loves, hates and basic seasonal nostalgia. Here are a few of my ramblings:

• I am a bad blogger (sorry you few, but hearty followers...thank you though for hanging in there).

• I still write in cursive (my kids hardly know what cursive is).

• I love real fires and hate gas ones.


• I love tacky colored Christmas tree lights.

• I love full on Half and Half and not milk in my coffee.


• I love kissing and hugging my kids until they push me away.

• I miss the Sears Wish Book.


• I wish there were Christmas carolers coming by my neighborhood, and that my kids wouldn't be too embarrassed to have me go out and carol.


• I miss believing in Santa.


• I miss my Grandma giving me new PJ's every Christmas. I miss my Grandma and Grandpa.


• I love being woken up by my girls every Christmas morning and wonder what I'll do when that stops happening.


• I love making handbags with the patients at the Children's Hospital every year at this time and am worried that without a staff that I won't have anyone to help me do it this year.


• I love that my 14 and 12 year old still want me to read them Christmas stories for the twelve nights before Christmas.


• I hate the phrase X-mas.


• I vow to go to the sing along of Handle's Messiah this year (even if it is alone)...hold me to it followers!


• I love wrapping gifts beautifully.


• I love having our annual Christmas tree picking family arguement, only to discover that each year we have picked the perfect tree.


• I love the girls fighting over who gets to put the angel on top of the tree.


• I wish we could get a new puppy every year for Christmas.
  
• Even without having a job I will be late on my Christmas cards (whatever, I'm a looser)


• I always ask for cardigan sweaters for Christmas and everyone thinks that I am just being nice for asking for them, but I really do want them.


• I wish it would snow here in Charleston on Christmas this year.


• I refuse to listen to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving and get mad that the radio stations play it before then.


• I hate Charlie Brown's Christmas (don't hate me).


• I miss having only three network stations and waiting for the Christmas specials to come on like Rudolph, Frosty, White Christmas and Wonderful Life.


• My favorite Christmas song is "O Holy Night".


• If I had one Christmas wish: it would be to ease my husband's worries....and if I got an extra wish it would be: to make my girls not have to go through the torture of being teenagers (ha-ha...well I believe in miracles)!!

For us, as with so many others, we have much less than in years past. Having less has made me see the absolute beauty and perfection of what we do have. I am indeed blessed with abundance of grace, love, memories, friends and family. I hope whomever may read my silly little musings has a joyous holiday season and that your treasure is as abundant as mine.

My Marvelous Micah

Today is the 14th birthday of our oldest daughter Micah.

One of her teachers has assigned a project on doing a coat of arms for each student to do with pictures, shapes, and symbols that represent who they are as a person. I was so awestruck by the characteristics that our daughter chose to describe herself, the greatest obstacle that she had overcome, the gift she would like to give the world, and the symbols she chose to tell her story.

Micah had insight into herself as a person that I as a forty-something year old don't even have now: She described herself as a wise, curious person with her best trait being her sense of humor which pervaded everything she did. She felt it was this balance that gave her a unique style of leadership and a joyful style of living.

She gave specific examples to above, most movingly to me was in regards to her wisdom.

It was this summer, when my company was in the last throes of bankruptcy and I was an utter emotional mess. Micah reminded me that our family was my treasure and that we could get by with very little as long as we had each other. Her great mix of humor and wisdom also also helped me keep perspective when she told me that I should be happy "at least I was not an obese dwarf without a face" having just been on one of her Discovery Health marathon kicks!

I asked Micah what the black dot surrounded by groupings of red dots meant on her coat of arms. She told me that had been her greatest obstacle overcome. Last year was a very lonely year for her....it was the year of not having a place or fitting in anywhere with anyone. It, as we all know, was the year of character building and deciding if you will be a clique girl or not. Micah is the oldest in her class so she may have gone through this self discovery period earlier than many others in her grade. I'd imagine this year, some of the other girls may have a black dot year. Perhaps Micah will remember and at least turn it into a brown dot year for them. Yikes the teen years were tough!

Lastly the gift her give the world...Micah is a physician in the making. Between Discovery Health, requests for parts and pieces from the butcher to dissect at home, to wanting to dress her sister's wounds, I think Joe and I may have someone to care for us in our old age....yeah! My poor mom will only get a bag out of the deal. Micah would like to find cures for as many diseases as possible as her gift to the world.

Okay now, don't let this all fool you. My darling angel has just gotten off of restriction for leaving her sister at the pool on her very first babysitting gig, throws typical teenage fits, can be truly selfish and awful at times, hates almost anything I touch and say "isn't this cute", and is constantly texting God knows who.

However, in getting a glimpse of the woman my little girl is becoming I am humbled to think that she will put me to shame as a far better human being than I can ever imagine having been. I am truly in love with my children and have been given the greatest gift by having been given a few years with them before they fly away.

From Appalachia to the Big Apple

Let it never be said that I am a boring gal! I have spent the last week at Moonshine Creek Campground near Waynesville, NC in a pop-up tent trailer with my daughters, best friends and their families. I hauled the camper myself and even set it up solo. My husband Joe is proud but nervous about what other endeavours I will take on now...trust me he shouldn't worry too much.

After the last few months of loosing my business, which in many ways had become my life, the simplicity of living out of a tent trailer, no blackberry (okay I cheated a few times), going to the bath house, watching the kids play manhunt all night, laughing by the campfire, white water rafting, and getting lost on country roads helped me to remember what it was like to laugh and have fun again.

Now with a clearer head and a happier heart I am off to the Big Apple on Wednesday to see what the next chapter in my life as a designer may be. Moo Roo began with a difficult period in my life and was an answer to prayers. I did not even know that I was creating a business, let alone becoming a designer. Mary Norton Inc., taught me to really trust myself as a strong woman, talented designer and an innovative brand builder. Although Mary Norton, Inc. closing was a very sad time for me, as a woman of great faith and believer in life changing miracles....I am waiting with great anticipation to see what the Big Guy has in mind now....God only knows (ha-ha)!!

So for all of you out there who have lost jobs, lost faith, lost laughter try a little camping for the soul...or at least a walk or hike with your kids....don't take the Crackberry. Look at the beautiful last days of summer and remember to laugh a little. Hell, if I can you can too!

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