The Silver Lining

Wow…December 31 st already. So we’re perched here, teetering at the edge of good-bye to another year. It seems to me that the seasons change quicker, the days are shorter, and the years roll by much faster than they used to. Some years are better, even easier than others. I recall a few years in which I was flat-out delighted to see December 31 finally arrive. Those were the years that brought the pain of difficult decisions, separation and divorce, deaths of loved ones and friends, or just plain “hard times.” They left me eager for a new start, a new beginning, a new year. But 2010--for the most part--has been very good to me. I’ve laughed a lot this year, and that is always good! At our house, 2010 was The Year of the Kitchen and Back Porch . And for a couple of do-it-yourself-ers, I think we did a pretty darn good job! Little by little, we’re seeing this neat old house develop into Home, Sweet Home. David and I traveled a bit, spending a couple of w...

You know, some days you just feel sort of.....well, ordinary. Un-special. Like there's nothing particularly remarkable about yourself or your life. One of those days when you feel like you could just melt into the wallpaper and never be missed. I was having one of those days a couple of weeks ago. It was just one of those "Blah" days when smiles are rare and laughter seems like a foreign language. Since this is the holiday season, I keep a running "to-do" list. With a sigh, I picked up my notebook to see what I needed to accomplish that morning. There were three entries: Elephants Green Beans Super Glue I sat there looking at that list, and a smile spread across my face -- what an outlandishly ridiculous list that was! I seriously doubt that there was anyone else in the country with a to-do list consisting of elephants, green beans, and super glue! God was nudging me in the ribs, saying, "See, Child, you ARE unique and special! Just take a look at...