Merry Christmas

i didn't even get around to buying Christmas cards this year. i couldn't find your address if i tried for an hour. please know i think about you and wish you a merry Christmas! happy new year too, while i'm at it.

Why here?

A new family has moved into our little town of about 2,000 people. The husband works with Dave and I am planning on taking some cookies over today or tomorrow. I thought I would make a nice little card on the computer, but the only ones I thought fit were the ones under the label “Sympathy”. I feel this for a two main reasons yet I’m sure others exist. The first reason I want to offer her sympathy is because moving just sucks. I won’t even go into packing, unpacking, extra cleaning and the impossible task of finding the thing you are looking for in the pile of boxes. No, the main reason moving is so horrible is that you leave your friends. It is like a giant bus has crashed and all your friends are gone. It is horrible that the women that can bring you the most comfort in such a hard time can’t really be there for you. Yes, there are people who will one day be your friends, but no one on whose shoulder you can cry right now when you really need to. New jobs, new school for the kids, new neighbors…the whole ordeal is something you need a solid, reliable friend to help you through.
Second reason moving here sucks—well, this town is small. Not like a small town back east, where there is another small town 15 miles away, this small town is an island, 70 miles from anything. This makes shopping crazy difficult. Doctors’, dentists’, orthodontists’ appointments take the whole out of school for the kids. Going to a movie theater means 90 min in the car, sitting for the 2 hour movie then 90 min more in the car. You get the picture. There are many reasons this town is no fun.
But…why here?
A huge reason we live here is summed up on the school calendar in a few phrases such as: Christmas Concert, Christmas Vacation and Easter Vacation. Yes, the music teacher here teaches the children Christ-centered songs for Christmas. They have Christmas parties at school and a Christmas tree. Easter vacation has not been turned into “Spring Break”. It is still Easter Vacation.
My less than coordinated child will be able to do any sport he really wants to do. My neighbor’s daughter is a cheerleader…any of the girls willing to work and go to practice are included. This town nicely spaces it’s sports out so gymnastics began the week after soccer ended. The kids can do all the sports and activities they want to learn. This town is super kid-friendly. We live on this island for our children.
For those with beaches, or shopping or land that grows things I do envy you at times…but not today. I will take cookies and a Sympathy-Welcome card. I will share the great things about our town and encourage her to spend time with her old friends by phone, email and blogs. You will never know how your words helped me when you had no idea I was reading…

Quirk I forgot to add...

my most interesting quirk of late that i forgot to add: i'm a democrat

Quirks...Who Me?

So I was "tagged" again and I decided to actually respond to it this time. I'm supposed to mention a few quirks or weird things about me. But since those weird things I do seem normal to me, I thought I would ask my loving family for help. Here is what they said--kids words in red:

You Call your kids, and our friends, “Pookey-Bear” just to embarrass us. This is true. I will roll the window down and yell “Hi Pookey Bear” at Jake’s friend walking down the street. They laugh and turn red. I just think it’s funny.

The madder you get, the quieter you get. It really gets their attention.

You think failure is an A- They are picking on me for how stressed I get doing my homework.

At this point they are all afraid to speak, sure that they will say something that will be mean and make me mad.

You like watching ‘Tween movies and the Disney Channel sit-coms for kids. Who doesn’t?

They are out of quirks and now just saying anything that comes to their mind. So I will supply the last few

I still have nightmares about not being able to open my high school locker because I just can’t seem to remember the combination.

I'm not embarrassed about my age, nor do I ever intend to be. Who would want to be 29 forvever? Not me--bring on those birthdays!

What are your Quirks?