It's Contagious

WARNING……WARNING: ADVENT VIRUS

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

Making Halos

This morning I made 12 little halos to be worn by my preschool dance students in our upcoming Christmas dance concert, "A Christmas Garden." We are looking forward to this weekend's performance, which will benefit the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital and NAMI - a support group for people who have someone in their family with mental ilness.

Tickets are only $5 and I pinky-promise this show will warm even the Grinchiest of hearts into the most loving Christmas spirit! Come!

Oh! Hello, Snow!

And so it's December. What a difference a week makes (compared with the pictures I posted last week)!

This is what 7:15 AM looks like today in my front yard. I greet the first snowfall with mixed emotions. The kid in me wants to blare Christmas music and wrap presents and eat cookies and get the mittens out and drink hot cocoa...! But the ol' grump in me recognizes this scene as one that will be here for a while. A loooooooong, cold, wet while.

PS - No, you're not crazy. Yes, It's snowing on my blog! Get the cool widget here.

That's All, Folks

I snapped a couple of pics of the remaining resilient leaves clinging to my flowering pear tree in our front yard. It's the last hurrah of the fall season, which is slipping away between my fingers too quickly. On Sunday I dumped the last of my flower pots, which were so done blooming. What a party pooper.

The gorgeous landscape color is gone and we're left with a neutral palette of boring browns and grays until spring. It's hard to get excited about that dreary fact. So that leaves me to dream up ways to get excited about the inside. I almost have Brian talked into helping me paint the living room this weekend. Almost.

Pizazz

A sneak peek of the wild, new look for Cami's furniture:

She's really happy with her sweet furniture. I'm pleased with the results too. The zebra stripes were simple and fun to paint. It's rewarding to have an idea that lived in my head come to fruition. I can't wait to get her room put back in order for the full effect.

Little by Little

This weekend we started a project in Cami's room. I'd been been thinking about it for a while...

This so-so-looking bedroom furniture belonged to my sister and me when we were growing up. With some fresh, white paint it's going to look great again.

Our weekend only allowed us enough time to get the pieces sanded and primed. This week Brian has been tackling the painting a little at a time in the evenings. He meticulously put the final coat on last night and I can't wait to see the bunk beds put back together.

Thinking Ahead

It seems that once Halloween passes Christmas is only a quick leap away. I have begun making lists with gift ideas for the girls, who are so easy to buy for, but really have no needs. Just wishes. How blessed we are.

But, let's not rush things. We have November.