better than TV!

Turning 40... yeah something like that!

Steve turned 40 this past week.
40 and fabulous...
40 noses...
40 candles (?)
... nah it's a fire hazard in our tiny house that was filled to capacity with friends to celebrate!

We had a great time with exactly 40 friends (including children) to celebrate...
there were others who were invited...
we had actually considered renting (for a second) a heated tent for the backyard... but we didn't!

There were so many that we didn't take pictures (it would have been rude),
we had to swap the position of the couch and the table, and there was literally standing room only!

YIPES!!!

So this is NOT what you want to see the week before any big party...
and especially what you don't want to see the day before a 40th birthday celebration...

After Steve's handiwork in defrosting and unfreezing the freezer... :-)
Hip hip huzzah... my man comes through again!

Actually - it was a fun time (yes I did say that!) while we worked together all 5 of us cleaning out the fridge and wiping it all down so that we could all hope together that it would run properly again.
It's been almost a week now, and the temp in the fridge has remained the same,
and the ice cubes are still cubing in the freezer! 

Sledding fun... 2009

Having a Pre-Decided Heart!

I am learning that in this life there are somethings that really are non-negotiable.  Surprising that it has taken me this long to figure it out or maybe not figure it out, necessarily, but come to recognize it and call it what it is. 

I heard a conversation about living with a pre-decided heart a few weeks ago... and it has continued to stick with me.  It's something that I am pondering on as I go through my day - the notion of this idea pricks my conscience as I excuse my inability to accomplish the tasks on my list... it challenges me to 'get busy' and do the things that I don't like to do.  I imagine that eventually it will touch on the areas in my life where there is self-discipline lacking. 

So, in this first month of the new year, I am re-writing my thinking processes and beginning to work with my pre-decided heart.  So far, I've finished my part in the bathroom project!  It's now a 'marshmellow' white... and finally all the rooms in our home have been re-painted!  Soon it will have other fabulous touches of color that will make it a happy room to be in!  I have made it a point to start listing things that need to be done in our home to streamline other projects.  I am learning to make choices that will benefit goals that I have set... not to be re-written and changed but to be 'stuck with' so that they can actually get accomplished!  Funny, a pre-decided heart is really energizing! 

A favorite wreath

I love visiting colonial places, this is no secret if you've spent any time wandering around my blog. This year we returned to visit Williamsburg, VA. And, the gardener at Colonial Williamsburg, who happens to be a personal friend taught me how to put fruits and other interesting pieces of nature on wreaths. So, we walked down "DOG" Duke of Glauscter (sp?) street to see some of his art work. He mentioned to me that it wasn't just him... but 4 other ladies that helped him to make up these decorations. I'm not sure if this is one of them, or a privately done one. But I think that it is beautiful just the same. I'll share some others when I get the chance.

Merry Christmas

much better...

Merry Christmas 2009