Tangled

No matter 

how tangled 

things get, 

there is always 

a lesson 

to be learned 

in the untangling 

of those things.” 

― Bethany Brookbank

Life can be funny sometimes - not haha - 

although there are those moments too,

but a weird kind of funny.  

I took this photo and was thinking all 

Christmas-y, and yet here I am, 

these lights and string of beads all tangled up. 

And it seemed a metaphor for what life's become.

With so many things pushing at us, pulling at us,

needing this, wanting that, there doesn't seem to be

an end of the things that direct or demand our attention.

When we have too many things going on, 

life can feel like a tangled mess. 

Lately, I've been sorting things out, and declaring "war"

on the tangled mess of things around me.

Every day off, I've been minimizing my :::stuff:::

Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger, 

and life needs to be simpler now!

Untangle the mess!

Got Lights?

Who's ready for some lights???
















Black Friday has ended, which for my BigBox store

means it started at 6pm on Thursday.  I'm always so

disappointed in the direction Americans have taken.

There is no longer a traditional Thanksgiving.

I know I'm showing my age when I long for a

"simpler time in the past" but it's difficult watching

people's family traditions die off because of corporate

commercialism.  But it is what it is.

Now that it's over, it's time to get back to some of the joy --

which always starts with Christmas lights.  As Sadie and I

took our evening walk, several of our neighbors were starting

the task of hanging lights on the outside.  Can't wait to try

my hand at taking a few photos of them!

For myself, I'll have a small string of lights in my front

window, I'm thinking.  Although that's a bay window and

has become Sadie's favorite spot to wait for me to come home

each day, so we'll have to see if she tolerates the intrusion!

hehehehe

With Trans Siberian Orchestra's "The Lost Christmas Eve"

playing in the background, I'm smiling -- and almost wishing

for a little bit of snow!  (*smh*  ok, maybe not!)

I Choose ...

I choose ...

to live by choice, not by chance;

to make changes, not excuses;

to be motivated, not manipulated;

to be useful, not used;

to excel, not to compete.

I choose self-esteem, not pity.

I choose to listen to my inner voice,

not the random opinion of others."                

-Isabel Bauche            

What do you choose?

I found this quote by random, and it really struck a chord.

How often do we choose the lesser path?

How easy is it to give in to the negative, rather than the positive?

I have had issues in my life and looking back, I can see where

the choices I made didn't reflect this list of choices very well.

As I gain years, and hopefully wisdom too, I choose these things

above the alternatives.  It is my goal for 2017 to live a better life,

doing more and worrying less what others think.

Now's the time to ponder and evaluate the past 12 months,

and to focus on a new me in the next 12 months!


And oh yes, fall is finally here -- time to break out some sleeves!

Throwbacks

A throwback from Nov 2012...  

(because I can't post without a pic!)

Another Monday, and I'm tuckered as all get out.

I took off Thursday morning for a long drive to 

Calif to see my mom.  A wrong turn, a roadside fire,

an accident, smelly cows ..... What's normally an

11 hour drive took 13.5 hours! 

Always SO good to see family - even though it was

too short a visit.  I turned around and headed home

on Sunday ....  A major sporting event let out right as

I was cruising into town, add three separate accidents

and numerous extra bathroom stops (ugh - eating 

foods that are different from the norm really get to me

now that I'm in my "golden years"...)  14 hours to get home.

It took a huge effort to haul my butt back into the car

to head to work this morning - where I found that not 

much of my work that needs doing every day was done.

Which meant I was super busy all day.  Thank goodness,

or it would have been easy to fall into a nap  :) 

Who's ready for the Holidays?  

Seems like once one BigBox store stayed open on

Thanksgiving, now everyone is open as well. 

Not only open, but starting their special deals for Friday

on that Thursday as well.  Lucky me, I'll be working

the 3-midnight shift.  Wonder how that will work, 

considering my normal hours for sleep are 8-4am.

Hmmmm.

Be Yourself

Beauty begins

the moment you decide

to be yourself.

-CoCo Chanel

Bloomin'

“Life doesn’t get easier

or more forgiving,

we get stronger

and more resilient.”

― Steve Maraboli,











A Yucca is known for

being strong and resilient.

Like me.

I've faced challenges,

and know that I'll face

even more for that's life.

But I never give up.



The state flower of

New Mexico, mine is blooming!

The flowers are also known as

"Lamps of the Lord"

And I'm a simple gal - thrilled when

one of my 'ugly' cactus plants bloom!!