Christmas (2022)

Our Christmas this year was great, especially since we got a few things that Skylar has been wanting. We drove up to Salem in the pouring rain, while Skylar was at work and got him the drone he has been eyeing for awhile. We also created quite a great meal and had a really nice, quiet holiday at home. I enjoy the holidays more when they are calm and quiet and not a lot of people coming and going. Christmas night we spent laying in the front room watching some Christmas classics and talking about what the holidays mean to us. It was perfect.

This plate has always been our Santa cookie plate. I received it as a gift from my Nana in 2003, the year that Skylar was born. I've used it ever since. It's a small piece of her that helps keep her memory alive during the holidays. There are other items that she gave me that I still use to this day. I hope she's looking down on us and proud of the people we've become.

Our house during the day...

Our house during the night...

This year's Christmas tree ornaments we've added to our collection. All four of these ornaments are from Macy's and I just love how their collection changes every year. I get to add some really amazing ones to the tree each December.

This Little Light of Mine (Hanukkah 2022)

 Day One:

(December 18)

Day Two:

(December 19)

Day Three:

(December 20)

Day Four:

(December 21)

Day Five:

(December 22)

Day Six:

(December 23)

Day Seven:

(December 24)

Day Eight:

(December 25)

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Five Simple Things (December 23)

 Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Fog.

I've always loved foggy mornings. I love foggy days no matter what time it is, really. The Willamette Valley gets blanketed in fog a lot, and especially in the winter season. I've taken so many pictures of foggy moments that I created an Instagram account to post them. You can see them all here.

2. This Trackable.

We received another trackable this week from Geocache and we are loving it. We activated it and added it to our own Geocache "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Can't wait to see where it ends up.

3. These Views.

I love how my eye can catch different glimpses throughout the day of different views. It's like positive messages just meant for me at that moment in time.

4. This Kitty.

It's all fun and games until you get tangled in what you're playing with.

5. This Gel.

Since my breast reduction surgery in 2020 I've been using this scar cream daily. Sometimes twice a day I will apply it and it has made such a drastic difference in the surgery scars I have. I have been photographing my chest once a month for my own purposes of seeing the healing and changes. I am quite impressed at how this scar cream and my other self-care to the area has made such a difference. It also works on old scars, too, and I highly recommend it. You can purchase it here, or pick up a container at Whole Foods, or similar stores.

One last thing:

With Twitter going through some odd changes I recently created a profile on Post.News. I post mostly environmental issues on Post, but if you'd like to follow me there you can see my link at the top of my blog with this symbol, or here.

Positive affirmations this week:

At the beginning of each month look over a new plan to start the next 30-31 days to build up a better you. Look at the positive impacts of the month before. Don't focus on the bad. Bad things happen to all of us, but look at all the positive things that happened over the bad to begin a new start. Focus on what you want to get done for the month, what manifestations you are looking for in the month to come, and don't forget self-care. Always incorporate self-care into your plans. Never neglect yourself. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.

Ice Storm (2023)

Instead of a white Christmas it seems we are having an icy holiday. The rain first came and happened to keep falling all day, but as it stopped towards the end of the evening, the temperatures dropped and dropped hard. All the rain that was on the streets immediately froze. It was almost incredible how quickly everything froze solid in a matter of two hours. We were wide awake due to hearing branches cracking and hitting our house. At around 5:00 a.m. we got into the car and decided to have a look around town. Being so early in the morning, and the weather, not a lot of people were out and about. We helped one man that was stuck against the curb, and he was grateful for the help, but other than that, most people were avoiding the roads. It was a beautiful sight.