GOOD BYE 2010: HELLO 2011!

There is just under one hour left in 2010 here on the East Coast.  Am I sad to see it end?  No not really.  I am looking forward to a new year.  There is always promise with new beginnings and what better a new beginning than a new year and a new decade.  Boy, this last decade flew by.  That in and of itself is somewhat scary.  It seems as if we just celebrated the new millennium and I just turn 50! Suddenly the 21st century is 10% gone and I've turned 60.  Before I know it I may be 70 and the 21st century 20% gone and there is so much I still want to accomplish and see.
Everyone seems to be talking of bucket lists.  I've heard at least four references to them tonight alone.  What's on your bucket list?  What's on my bucket list?  Hmmmm.....not sure I operate with a bucket list.  Maybe I should.  I tend to take things as life throws them at me; which probably contributes to the roller coaster ride I often feel I'm on.  One day up; the net day suddenly down.  Do I know how to live any other way?  I'm not sure.  At least recognizing that I experience life as a roller coaster ride of ups and downs I know that no matter how low I get, tomorrow holds the possibility and often the promise of being a better day. 
So here's to 2011 and what ever it throws at us.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

RUN DOWN ON 2010

January---Start first year trying to learn how to be single
February--SNOW!  And new Daughter-in-Law
March--Start a new decade of life, turned 60 to little fanfare just another birthday.
April--FSQ Quilt show
May--Formal wedding of Nate and Lindsay, and get to met Lindsay's family we are now a truly international family
June--Buy new sewing machine after 23 years, Love it!
July--First solo road trip then joined by mom for AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville, TN.  Missed Germantown earthquake.
August--County fair and all its trappings
September--Wonderful trip to TX for another wedding celebration with sons and DIL. Broke collarbone in a fall, not an activity I would recommend.
October--mainly a month of recovery couldn't do much else.  Learned without a doubt what wonderful friends I have.
November--Attended final wedding of year.  Count was; attended 4 weddings and missed 4 weddings.  For many it was a wonderful year of love and new beginnings.
December--COLD!  A sense of  survival and also gratitude for the many blessings the year did bring.

This is just a short synopsis of 2010.  Mixed in with all the above were multiple Dr. visits relating to collarbone and my RA; work with my many wonderful fellow employees and employers; shoveling of too much snow; beginning to clean out the house of 27 years of accumulation; many challenges and many blessings; and all the daily activities that keep live moving forward.
I have unfortunately developed the bad habit of watching too much TV, but it brings noise and movement into the house and I have read more in the past year than I've read in the past 30 years or so other than children's books read when the kids were little.
Well that's it for 2010.  I have a few more days of work in it and then it will go into the annals of history.

THE STORM THAT WASN'T

Well this was the winter storm that wasn't, at least for those around Montgomery County, MD.  Other parts of the East Coast haven't and aren't faring so well.  Montgomery County, PA for example.  We ended up living to far west to gt any snow other than a few flurries.  South of us, North of us and easpecially to the East of us along the coast are getting blasted however!  What we do have though is wind!  Boy is it ever howling.....I just hope we keep our power as it is also once again very cold.  What a winter this has been already,  Good thing Global Warming has changed to Climate Change.  We could use a bit of warming around here at the moment.  There have been few days above freezing during the month and all nights have been down well into the 20's.  Brrrr....

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

A very Merry Christmas wish to all.  I hope your day was filled with love and family and friends.  Here the celebrations are over and now it is time to get back to the business of daily life.  Winter's daily life in a Mid-Atlantic state, often means will it or won't it???????  Only God knows at this point.
What am I referring to.......SNOW!  For almost a week now the weather gurus have been going back and forth as to a coastal storm.  Will we get hit or not.  As of now Winter Weather Warnings have been posted for our area, still they are not sure how much or where the storm will actually hit.  One thing you need to live around here is the winter is a good dose of "c'est la vie"  What will be will be. 
At least nothing is supposed to start till morning, but then this maorning it was supposed to start around 1pm today.  We did have flurries this morning, but not enough to count as anything.  Maybe it is a "God thing" that son decided to head back home to PA this evening rather then wait till tomorrow.  That may be an omen.  We'll see.  There is no where I must go or anything I must do the next few days so I day BRING IT ON!  Just please don't disrupt our power please.  It is already so cold.

CURRENT AND BLAST FROM THE PAST!

This week on Glee's Christmas show a song was sung that struck a chord with me. It was familiar, but I couldn't place it so of course I Googled it and discovered that it was written by Richard Carpenter and sung first by his sister Karen.  Ah, I remember the Carpenters. What a blast from the past.  I could probably dig through the record albums on the shelf and find at least one of theirs. Their music always could bring a smile to my face and  every once in a while a tear to my eye.  Their music spoke to my heart and I guess it still does.  So, Merry Christmas Darling.....and a Merry Christmas to all!

RANT!

Life could be so much better without technology!!!!  Don't you think so?  Ah yes it has been a bad week with computers, i-Pods, and various software nightmares........oh then there is digital TV, cameras....and cell phones!  I dread ever needing a new cell phone or TV....Well maybe life wouldn't be better, but it would certainly be less stressful and less complicated!

CHRISTMAS & LOVE

This morning a quote popped up on Facebook that stuck me as being an important thing to remember. So I share it here with you:

  

"A baby is born with a need to be loved . . . and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark

 Love is a universal need.  It does not matter what your race, religion, gender, age or economic status.  We all want to be loved.  Christmas is about love.  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and  only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16  The birth of a baby in Bethlehem, the ultimate love gift from God, is celebrated at Christmas.

During this Christmas season my prayer is that love is found by all and that each of us reaches out and shares our love with another.  Love should be the easiest Christmas present to give, but unfortunately sometimes it is the hardest. 

IMAGINE!

30 years ago the world became a little sadder place.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS

What a wonderful afternoon and evening.  I was invited by a friend to go down to the National Cathedral in Washington DC to hear a performance of Handel's Messiah.  The whole thing.  All 3 hours of it!!!  But it was worth sitting that long.  At least we got to stand during the Hallelujah Chorus.  Our seat were in the back balcony which put us a long way away from the musicians, but that was okay the sound was great and the view was fantastic!  This picture doesn't do the view justice, but you can see how far back we were.  The acoustics are not concert hall quality, but it was amazing hearing Handel's music in the Cathedral setting. 

It was dark by the time we left the concert and I love the way the Cathedral is lit at night.  It's really hard to get a picture without a tripod, but I did my best. We were lucky and stumbled upon a parking space right behind the Cathedral that was free.  It would have been warmer parking in the underground garage, but it comes with a price and you do still have to walk outside for a while.  It was much easier walking back to the car after the concert. It was down hill and we were walking with the wind rather than into it.  Boy I hope it is not this cold all winter. 

On our way home we stopped in Bethesda for a quick dinner.  By the time we got there the wind was really blowing and we were very happy we found a restaurant just outside the parking garage! 

Secret Shop, hearing the Messiah, and the cold......despite myself I am getting into the Christmas spirit!  Tomorrow night a holiday party at quilt guild meeting and then a special Christmas luncheon on Weds with girl friends.  Yes it is that season!

LOTS OF WORK & LOTS OF MEMORIES

What a week.....lots of prep and finalizing for the Secret Shop at church today.  Also what a lot of memories of past Secret Shops. 
You might be asking what is a Secret Shop????  It's a special Christmas shopping experience for children.  One where they can shop with the help of their own personal "shopping Elf" for their family and friends.  They do so in secret making their own choices so there are some Christmas surprises they give to those they love.  Of course I'm sure there are some loved ones that are a bit confused by the present they have been given when it was chosen by a 3 year old who really did not want "elfish " advise concerning their choice of a stuffed teddy bear for grandpa.

 Covenant UMC's Secret Shop was begun over 25 years ago. It is one of the few programs that has continued without interruption t the church from its inception.  The kids love it and the money raised goes to help programs related to children both locally and around the world.  Most items available to be purchased have been handmade but crafting elves who work throughout the year.  There's always a panic come the first of November that there will not be enough to satisfy demand, but there always is. 

This year we had just under 100 children shop.  These are children between 3 and 11 and they are all shopping and having their packages wrapped during a 3 hour time period.  Yes it is a bit crazy at times!  While the children shop mom and dad or who ever brought them get to hang out in a "parent's waiting room" and munch on goodies washed down with coffee, tea, orange juice or cider.  This year we had the extra excitement of the new Covenant Cooks II cookbook with literally hot off the presses having arrived the previous day!  Yummy recipes from some great cooks!  Methodists are renowned for their potluck dinners and love of eating!!!!!!!

Yes it was a very busy and very tiring day, but is was also filled with wonderful memories of the preceding 28 or so Secret Shops including those my children took part in.  I shared one memory with Stephanie tonight.  Santa used to visit the Secret Shop and one year after sitting on Santa's lap for a picture Stephanie pulled me aside and very firmly announced that "that was not really Santa, but Mr. Koch"  I don't remember exactly how old she was, but I don;t think it was more that 4 or 5.  As she said tonight she was already incredibly smart and observant at a very early age.....yep that's my GIRL! 

I'm not sure where all the years have gone to, but they have flown by.  Life is not what I expected it to be at this point, but I am so happy that I still have my memories of  wonderful Christmases past.  I hope in time to begin once again making wonderful memories that I will fondly look back on with a smile on my face.