Repost #1

Looking to get my Bloggy-Mojo back, after spending entirely too much time playing games on FB (blush), so here is a very early entry when I started blogging 5 long years ago!

“101 Things About Lil’ Old Me”

1. I arrived in this world April 1963
2. I was born in Austin, Texas
3. My family are long-time Texans; Dad’s family arrived in 1840, Mother’s in 1665
4. My older brother & I are the first generation to be raised outside of Texas
5. My parents divorced when I was a year old
6. Yes, it did effect my relationships with men
7. Mother & I moved to California in 1965
8. Dad & my brother moved to New Mexico
9. I would like to visit Austin, since I have no memory of it
10. The name I answer to is not meg
11. meg is an acronym of my legal name
12. I like my natural name- I just like the anonymity better
13. I have 3 brothers & 2 sisters
14. I’m the second oldest
15. But everyone treats me like the oldest
16. I was always a serious child
17. My dad said I was born an old lady
18. I’ve gotten younger as the years go by
19. I have Chris to thank for that
20. I’m really a shy person
21. People laugh at me when I say that
22. I’ve been known to talk the hind leg off a donkey
23. But only around people I know
24. I have a dry sense of humor
25. I can also be very sarcastic
26. I don’t think this is always a good thing
27. But it is how I’m wired
28. I grew up in Berkeley, with my mom, step-dad & 3 younger siblings
29. No, we were not hippies
30. I do remember the student riots & smell of tear gas
31. We were rather well-to-do
32. We children weren’t aware of this
33. I was the only one of my siblings to go to public school
34. My step-dad & I didn’t get along when I was growing up
35. When I was 16, I moved to Kansas to live with my Dad & brother
36. It was a good thing- I didn’t know my Dad very well
37. I met my first husband 3 months after I moved to Kansas
38. Yes- I’ve been married twice
39. I met both my husbands in the same year- Chris in Feb & the other in Dec
40. I got married when I was 19
41. It wasn’t a bad marriage, just not a good one
42. We had 2 children- Robb & Jessica
43. My first husband is a nice man, but not the right one for me
44. I was divorced a week before I turned 25
45. I married Chris 4 months & 10 days later
46. It was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken
47. It was the best decision I ever made
48. We lived with my mother-in-law for the first 18 months of our marriage
49. Fortunately, I love my mother-in-law
50. I raised my daughter & my ex-husband raised Robb
51. It was the most difficult choice I ever made
52. I still second guess myself about that decision
53. Ultimately, I think it was the right one- Robb is a terrific man
54. It took me 2 years to get pregnant with Sam
55. I had a lot of problems during that pregnancy
56. I gave birth- naturally- to a 10lb 1oz, 23 inch long baby
57. We wanted another child, but the doctor didn’t think it would be a good idea
58. I didn’t think it was such a good idea either
59. I love my children, but sometimes I think I should have stuck to cats
60. I have naturally curly hair
61. It’s short, dark brown & liberally sprinkled w/white
62. I made peace with my hair a long time ago
63. I’m the shortest one in my family
64. I’m the only fat one in my family
65. I’m also the only one in my family without high cholesterol
66. I love to dance
67. I’m a pretty good dancer
68. I love to sing
69. I’m pretty good at that, too
70. I studied French in grade school
71. I studied Spanish in high school & college
72. While I can understand a little French & Spanish, I speak only English
73. This is one of my biggest regrets
74. I have a math brain- I think in numbers & patterns
75. My husband & daughter don’t understand this- they think I’m weird
76. My sons do understand this- they think I’m cool
77. I am intelligent & educated, but I don’t consider myself an intellectual
78. I graduated with a 3.89 GPA
79. I got A’s & B’s without too much effort
80. I have a photographic memory
81. But the lens is getting cloudy
82. I enjoy learning
83. I would like to finish a Bachelor’s degree, but I can wait
84. I’ve always had an active imagination
85. I entertain myself while walking with daydreams, mostly about winning the Lotto
86. Since I rarely remember to play, I can only daydream
87. My favorite color is green, but I rarely wear it
88. My style is rather static- skirts, slacks, loose tops & flats
89. My daughter thinks I look frumpy
90. She’s probably right, but I like being comfortable
91. I need to lose weight
92. My ankles pop & crack every time I walk
93. I have osteoarthritis
94. I mostly ignore it, but it’s getting harder
95. I really want to travel
96. I am a born-again Christian
97. I have been since I was 21
98. I was raised in a family of atheists/agnostics
99. My grandmother taught me about God

100. I’m the black sheep of the family

101. That’s okay with me

Memorial Day 2011

Spring 2011, Part One

Just to show that not everything in accounting is serious business

Our boss' office on April Fool's Day

Months of searching & dithering...

My Mother-of-the-Groom Dress

Easter/Passover/Birthday/Mother's Day Dinner in Berkeley

Grand M and Malia Mei

Rehearsal Day came in with pouring rain (remnants of the May tornadoes)...

that is a 6-inch deep "lake" on Siesta Beach


...and ended looking like Paradise

A year ago today...

...we met for the first time.
It was just an ordinary day, cool and overcast, filled with the usual activities, and ending with another in a long line of interviews~ who knew that love was coming into my life.
I can't say I was won over by stunning good looks~ first impressions said "modest, plain, and dated". After a few minutes getting to know each other, I was able to see beyond the outward appearances into a heart full of welcome, comfort, peace, and friendship.
As I drove away, I knew that we were meant to be together.
A year has passed; I have seen God's grace become manifest, convoluted and treacherous paths made smooth, promises made and fulfilled, dreams and hopes made reality. We are together each day, morning and evening, and I am humbly grateful for the unexpected delight and friendship I have found.
I have found my House of Belonging

Oh, all right *sigh*

Have to give in~ it is Winter.
I am a fan of Winter in theory~ home nesting, snowy landscapes, hot buttered rum all sound wonderful.
In reality? Not so much.
I can never seem to keep warm~ which is surprising, given my ample layer of natural insulation.
It's been well over 2 weeks since I've seen sunshine~ partly because I've been going in extra early to cover vacationing co-workers (yes, that is plural~ whoever approved that should be boiled in oil), but mostly because we've had thick tule (ground) fog & overcast skies.
While we don't often see snow here in the Central Valley, the temperatures get quite nippy~ particularly at 5:30 am, when I'm out walking when I'd much rather be snuggled in bed with the cats.
This morning, it was 27 degrees; thanks to some dimwit who still has their sprinklers on summer timer, I did a passable impression of Scott Hamilton gliding down the sidewalk when I hit a patch of black ice. No injuries, thank goodness~ just a few jarred joints from the energetic windmills I did to keep upright.
One positive aspect of the season~ I can indulge my inner "homebody" without anyone expecting me to be going and doing in the bad weather; when the guys get cabin fever, I can send them off and have the house to myself. Reading, knitting, blog browsing, napping~ all the things that comfort to an overworked spirit.
But I am still counting the days until Spring.

Home Keeping Mission Statement

My goal for today, prompted by a visit to Home Sanctuary (click here, or see the sidebar), was to focus on what I want to accomplish with my homecaring tasks; it's a work in progress, but I'm pleased with how it is coming along.

“To treat my home like the precious Gift that it is

To take care of the little things right away, instead of putting them off until later (which rarely comes)

To make each room an organized, tidy, and peaceful space to truly live in by completing one "small thing" each day.

To clear out items which are no longer useful, and establish a "place" for everything in my home.

To apply gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy to each aspect of my life

To set aside the ideas of perfection, and enjoy the Blessing that is my Home”

Prayer for a New Year

Lord,

There are many uncertainties in our world but what matters most will never change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

We believe You are with us, for us, and surrounding us with Your love. So do not fear, for I am with you... I will strengthen you and help you. Isaiah 41:10

No matter what happens, You will guide us and fulfill Your purposes for us. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Even in hard times we can be confident that we will have victory through you. In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

We trust you will take care of us and bless us in more ways than we can imagine.
God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

We give each moment and every day to You. Most of all, we give ourselves too.
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 5:10
Amen.

--by Holley Gerth

At the end of the day...

Well, that's not quite how we are spending this New Year's Eve~ tonight we're garbed in flannel & sweaters, watching the Marx brothers, & enjoying the delicious dinner my darling hubby made while I was at work~ pork loin, roasted veggies, & mashed potatoes, paired with homemade wine & Greek Fortune bread from our kind neighbors.
~~~
I hope you enjoy a blessed and safe celebration~ I can hardly wait to see what the Good Lord has in store for us in the New Year

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

Joy to the World

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love

~
My mother-in-love is home
My children are home
I am in my own home
God is Good

Prayer Request

My mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital today, with severe bronchitis and congestive heart failure~ please hold her up, along with her sons.