Moments along the way

 

I think I've become seriously addicted to Netflix programing. I love the ongoing seasons of television viewing. Series, I've missed, but am now glad, that I've had the opportunity to watch. Two of my fav, to date, are A Gifted Man and Drop Dead Diva.

                                                                               A Gifted Man

                                                                   Drop Dead Diva

After Jeff cruised in to work yesterday morning, I poured myself a cup of coffee then hunkered down in the family room, to catch the beginning of season 2, Drop Dead Diva. Love the dialogue! Afterwards, I felt creative enough to pull together all the ingredients to make a beef/veggie crockpot stew. Setting the crockpot on low, I decided it was time to go out and about, run errands and get inspired about the changes we'll be making in a few weeks to our living room/dining rooms. My vision board for the rooms and their new layout have come together.

I've decided on the shades of gray and white (moldings, trims) I will be using. While browsing about JS West for ideas a coupla weeks ago... I came across a small red table. Out of all the things they have on the floor, this is what stuck with me. Yesterday, I decided that I so loved the red color that I will bring it into the new dining/sitting room by painting our coffee station red. Which will be located close to the foyer. It'll be one of the first things you see when entering. Speaking of which, I had found these wonderful coffee cups at Crate and Barrel that I really loved. White, basic, elegant. While walking through a local thrift shop (yesterday afternoon) I came upon the SAME white coffee cups. At .50 cents each how could I pass up a set of 8? Plus, I discovered a perfect basket to house them on the coffee station. All of these items were under $9. That is what I call VERY cool.

Also, I've selected photography prints from Shutterfly (wonderful, zany, poignant family moments) that will line the walls of our L-shaped hallway. When the kids were little I used to have the hallway lined with our pics.  I would lose people walking down the hallway to the bathroom as they stopped to look at our gallery. Then after the kids were grown and on their own, I've had artwork line the walls. Now with our latest make over, We're back to family walls, now with the addition of grandchildren and pets-- it's going to be a stroll down memory lane, literally.

I start the makeover in a coupla weeks, and am getting excited about it, now that the books, sculptures, artwork, etc., are mostly packed away out of sight. These will be replaced in new areas of the house. It's going to be a wonderful new year; new perspectives, creative challenges. Jeff will finally be putting his art studio back together, I have great ideas in creating my new writing nook, our master bedroom will be re-organised with shelving to go above the built-in credenza. The new color will be French lavender/white. It's been almost 4 years since I've done any room makeovers, and that's a long time for me to have things stay the same. My grandmother's house remained the same for 50 years and that was wonderful. For me, as I grow and evolve, I feel that my house should reflect those same changes. With 2 artists living under the same roof, I am surprised we don't have more changes... I'll be posting pics.

What's in your 2012 wallet?

Zao ching 2012, ola 2013... but first, lets look back at some of the songs that rocked our moments along the way.

2012 Pop  Danthology Mash up

I thought the above mash up of pop tunes were pretty cool and ended on a note (literally) which I wanted to begin my last blog of 2012 with (the lyrics are) "Someone I used to know" this ties in with the blogs title question, "What's in your 2012 wallet?" 

The thought occurred to me late yesterday afternoon, while I was preparing a beef stew in our crockpot, pondering the possibilities of the approaching new year. Epiphanies. Who knows where or when they will strike? We all have these moments. Anyway, as I am standing in the kitchen, letting my mind wander back over the past 12 months, while chopping garlic with a sharp knife... probably not the best of combos... The question materialized, what's in your wallet?  The answer: Our identification. Which in most cases are our drivers licences. But, what do these cards really identify? Our height, weight, eye/hair color and the state we live in. These are all outwardly evident. We don't need to look at a card to get the answers right. What they don't identify are the intangibles that make us who we are... so really, the card in my wallet really doesn't identify who I am. The essence of who I am cannot be visually produced at a moment's notice whenever I write a check, use a credit card or produce an ATM card to purchase something.
 
These thoughts then turned to the journey each of us have undertaken in the past 12 months. We welcome each new year with enthusiastic cheer. We make resolutions that we vow will change us. What we never take into consideration is how the new year will, itself, create changes in us.

I'll use myself as an example... I began the new year anticipating bilateral knee replacement surgery. Before that could be scheduled I had to endure unbelievable excruciatingly pain. It was SO painful, I have literally blocked it from my memory. Following surgery was physical therapy and the return to work. 9 months later am I the same girl as I was then? No. I am absolutely pain free and can out walk my entire family and pets. This was the much hoped for outlook my surgeon and I had planned; it took a lot of mental and physical preparation to arrive at this point. It's a wonderful place to land at the end of the year.

A new year also brings (in addition to things and events we are expecting) the unexpected. There will challenges, joys, unexpected stress, moments of blissful happiness. There will also be losses. We've lost both friends and pets this year. All of these things change us; we may or may not be aware of it, but they do.

So, again... if you were to ask me, if I am the same girl that I was at the beginning of 2012,
I would have to answer. No, she's someone that I used to know. But, I'm taking the best of who she was with me into 2013 and am looking forward with enthusiasm to the wonderfully exciting and unexpected moments that lie ahead. Because ready or not, life and a new year are waiting for us, and in the end, that is what will define who I am...

Post holiday happiness

It's a lovely day to be indoors; rain is falling intermittently. Jeff has tooled off to work while I have the day off and have no plans other than leislurely hours well spent.

I've finished this year's 3rd volumne of family photos (for the most part) just waiting to include Dave's Christmas photos. Selected a vintage Christmas album for our family Sutter Creek get-away pics. And, a new album to begin 2013 family photographs.

Let's see... then I will be making a 2013 goal (to do) list of things I want to accomplish, beginning it anyway. And, working on my vision board/idea book of house design for the new year, that will begin in January w/ us painting the living/dining rooms, foyer and L shaped hallway.

We really don't have any get-away plans scheduled in for 2013 with the exception of Samanda's California Delta wedding in May, but... may squeeze in a late autumn family get-away vacation back to Sutter Creek. Other than that, our plans are centering around our home and garden landscaping. I seriously have to do something new with our patio terrace so that Jeff and I can lounge about this spring and summer outdoors. Jeff will be working on creating his art studio while I am mostly focused on re-creating a writing nook for me.

So, today is going to be spent refocusing on projects that I want to get completed by the end of 2013-- me and my lists (they really do work). Writing always works for me, Jeff left a fresh pot of coffee for me before he left so I'm set. While pouring my coffee earlier, I noticed Sam, our lavender Siamese has lost weight. At 20 lbs (muscle) it's okay, but... I think, he is grieving over his loss of his bff Garfield. Looks like he's going to need some TLC today.
He can come into the den and nap while I write.

We finished watching season 1 of A Gifted Man, which even Jeff got into viewing yesterday. Will have to scope out Netflix later for another series.

Whatever you are doing today, enjoy! I'm off to find Sam, which shouldn't be difficult, I'll just have to follow the sounds of his snoring as the indoor gang is napping....

Sunday holiday bliss

 

Sunday morning has dawned with more winter storm advisories still in effect; rain with howling wind ... two things I happen to love. Plus, I slept in until 9:30 AM. How divine, is that? Jeff was already up. Coffee was waiting which I am having now along with a slice of Covers Ranch mountain high apple pie (warm). Does multi-tasking get any better than this? I think not...

Yesterday was spent blogging and posting our family Christmas letter. Waiting for the crock pot to finish cooking the beef/veggie stew (which turned out fabulous, if I do say so, and I do). It was ready to serve with sweet French dinner rolls when Jeff arrived home cold and wet from work.

And, then I watched Netflix. Which, for me, has the best discovery of 2012. For the longest time Erin and Amanda would ask if I had seen such and such? My answer was always no, tell me all about it... I arrive home from work, some days after stopping to market along the way, or filling up the jeep tank with gas, doing a miscellaneous errand or two. Then it's on to feeding the indoor/outdoor gang(s).Cooking dinner (if it was my turn), washing dinner dishes. Maybe getting in 20 minutes of reading, if I was lucky, before turning into bed (before repeating the process the following day).

I love our DVR expressly because I can't stay up late during the work week to watch the tv series that I like, i.e., The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Scandal, et al. Finally, after month of Amanda nagging me, I caved and joined Netflix and absolutely love it.

This month I caught Parenthood seasons 1-3 finishing yesterday afternoon. So, I am up to date for their 4th season.

 

                                                                              


Before Parenthood it was Hart of Dixie...

And, now I'm watching A Gifted Man...

Meanwhile, I'm hopelessly behind on my reading. Have to go catch up on my journal writing, finish my Shutterfly family album, vol. 3 of 2012, before beginning 2013. It's a good thing I have the next few days off...

Holiday happenings

It's a VERY blustery December morning; icy winds are whipping up the bare tree branches into a crazed frenzy, while the 40 mph wind gusts slam forcefully against the window panes. A hard rain is falling, bouncing up from the glistening wet pavement of the street. Jeff's working and is out and about in the weather, while I've just finished preparing a large pot of soup.The aroma of simmering beef/vegetable soup is filling the house w/ it's wonderful goodness, a perfect day to be indoors blogging my holiday greetings.

While racking my brain over what exactly I wanted to express... a Bob Dylan song w/ lyrics by Joan Baez popped into my head (what can I say? I'm a Bay area girl from the 60's). Plus, it's the theme song of my fav TV series Parenthood. One of the reasons, I'm sure is transference... it's absolutely mind-boggling to me how much Craig T. Nelson looks like my dad when dad was that age. OMG! He even wears the same sunglasses... that aside, however, here is my Christmas wish for each of you:

                                  
                                                                     Forever Young
 
Speaking of Forever Young, looking back, I remember typing my first family Christmas letter (1989), I typed it on my Pentium computer! Gads, isn't that like the T-Rex of computers? And, we thought it was SO very cutting edge and cool. Gack (!)  Back then, David was 9, Tara was 6 and Amanda was 3. We've come aways since then... Dave recently celebrated his 32nd birthday in November while Tara turned 30 in August, and Amanda, 26, is looking forward to receiving her Veterinary Science degree in a few months and is in the early stages of planning her spring wedding.

I thought it would be fun to interject a few family holiday movies from 2010 to see the many changes in ALL of us.

 

                                                                    Christmas Day, 2010



The next family video is of Christmas Eve, 2010. It isn't the best as it's kinda blurry, my camera was checking out and was chucked soon after. Actually, Jeff had a new camera gift wrapped and waiting for me, but hadn't told me it was under the tree. What's up with that? In spite of the blurred edges and somewhat unfocused images it does show Garfield and Boris. Garfield, my yellow tabby who just passed away at 15, and Boris our beautiful Russian blue whom passed away last year at this time. He was 11. They were such camera hoes and were always in what seemed like every family photograph...

                                                                         Christmas Eve, 2010

Our official family Christmas video of 2010

 

 

FF to present. Below are some of the family photographs taken a few weeks ago on my birthday get-away weekend to Sutter Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

  

I've saved my fav photos for last-- it's of me, Jeff, Emma and Flat Stanley (who is the best thing since sliced bread), Landie and Zach. We posed Stanley everywhere in Sutter Creek... taking his  pics for Emma to share w/ her classmates as it was a homework assignment. My birthday weekends are a DO NOT not apply makeup, always dress casually and have the best time with fam and if you don't look your best for the camera, it's okay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having begun our family Christmas letters on a Pentium something- something in 1989 to blogging them on the internet in 2012, with my grandchildren about the same age as my kids back then, I think I've come full circle.

 

From our house to yours we wish you the merriest of Christmas' and a VERY happy New Year!

 

Love,

Carie & Jeffrey