1.03.2009

08*09

this is now at least my third attempt at paying tribute to 2008.
it is a hard thing to do,
saying thank you
and good-bye
to an
entire
year
of
your
life.

it is a hard thing to do.

and maybe it should be.

not so much because you don't want to see it go
or that you don't trust that the next year will continue to care for you,
but how do you sum up a year?
by the events that took place?
the books that were read?
things that were learned?
or unlearned?
or relearned?

how do you thank 365 days
for teaching you
and growing you
and showing you new things?

how do you do this?

i'm not sure.

but here is what i do know . . .
things i know a little more about today than i did last January . . .

* Pillars of the Earth is a great book
* i have a special place in my heart for the Pacific Northwest
* my body is capable of doing very strenuous workouts
* i am ready to be a mamma
* i want to travel to wales
* i have several bulging discs in my spine, which have caused me a decade of pain
* i will be married to herb forever . . . even though it is really hard sometimes
* it is good to say "i am sorry" . . . i said it a lot this year. A LOT. to a lot of people.
* i love my hair when it is cut like victoria beckham's hair
* my parents are never going to be perfect
* my problems are not their fault
* counseling is a hard job for me
* i must stop saying "i am going to write a book someday" and start working on it. hard. or it will never happen.
* i understand why god desires us to participate in community, but i don't understand why we need to attend church. i am going to have to be okay with that for a while.
* our country is in for big change these next four years. i helped make that happen.
* arguing a point in order to be right is not worth the cost of the relationship
* i have good friends
* there are four women in denver that i want to pursue closer friendship with this year
* denver is our home. we will probably always live here.

and i have not made any resolutions,
but i do appreciate the start of a new year,
and i do have a few things that i would like to see happen
in 2009:

* continue to pursue my physical health
* focus on what herb is trying to communicate, rather than trying to be right
* write. write. write. pursue my dreams!
* work towards having a baby this year or next.

that's it folks.

i hope you had a year full of adventure, forgiveness, love, and curiosity.
and here is to another one filled with the same!

christmas around this joint . . .


herb and i made a gingerbread house
a few days before christmas.
isn't it cute?

well, kind of . . .

why don't you take a closer look:


exhibit A:
please note the gingertree on the left.
i decorated this tree with tasteful red gel frosting dots.
festive yet understated.
now, please note the tree on the right.
that would be herb's tree.
it is decorated with dots in various shades of peach.
it is a boob tree.
it is totally a tree made of boobs!
herb says it is "retro-mod".
me?
i say:
boob.tree.

but do not worry, that is the least of it.


exhibit B:
there is a ginger-sniper on our roof.
herb carefully crafted that snow man a sniper rifle.
herb says he is a protector of all things festive and christmas-like.
me?
i say candy-coated-killer!