I love holiday lights.
You can tell by the vast array of holiday inflatables in our front yard, that we take exterior illumination pretty seriously around here. People come from miles around to take family photos in front of our holiday display, (okay, that only happened once, but it was awesome.)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I really think it’s my mom who deserves to be celebrated on my birthday since she’s the one that did all the work. That being said, I’ve been know to try to talk my family, (my husband in particular,) into letting me extend the celebration of my birthday, (primarily in the form of donuts and restaurant breakfasts,) into the week before, and after November 6th.
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I have exciting news for you all – After 42 years on this planet, I have finally achieved my goal in life!
I know what you’re saying to yourself. “Wow, I wish I could achieve my goal in life, maybe I should work harder!” Maybe you should. Because then you could be like me, 42 years old without a single care in the world, living the rest of my life free and easy because I’m no longer burdened by my life long goal of finding the perfect sugar cookie recipe.
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My husband and I aren’t big on giving gifts. We already have a lot of stuff and we’re both really bad about buying things when we want them so not only is there nothing that either one of us really needs, there’s not even usually something that we want that the other could buy.
For a while we tried to make gift buying more interesting by creating gift-giving themes like, “Spend $10 at a Walgreen’s” or “Spend $10 on something that could be featured on Antique Roadshow someday.”
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Do you have a little Toy Story fan in your life?
A post about compassion for The #1000 Speak Campaign? Easy Peasy! I’m so full of compassion that I’ve got compassion coming out of my compassion.
I totally care about the suffering of others….and not even just when their suffering causes my suffering.
Like how I’m so full of compassion about the challenges of being a fourth grader that I don’t come right out and tell my daughter that she’s the reason that mommy starts eyeing the wine bottle from across the room during homework time.
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For the past few weeks, I’ve been enjoying reading all of my friend’s “One Word” New Year’s Resolutions. Most of the words that they have been choosing are emotional, uplifting words like “grace”, “love”, “trust” or “gratitude”. They have shared beautiful and inspiring messages of how they will focus on the meaning of these words to help guide their purpose and energy in the new year. One after another, I find myself reading and nodding along thinking “That’s a good one – I should totally be focusing on that too.”
But instead, the one word that keeps coming back into my head over and over is “Edith”.
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New Year’s Day is the perfect time to reflect back on the past year (while lying hungover on the couch eating stale Christmas cookies.) Many of the bloggers I follow are doing fun ‘Top 20 Posts of 2014’ lists. I thought of doing something similar but seeing as how I have only done around 30 posts since starting The Dusty Parachute a few months ago, that would be like saying “Come to the site & read everything!”
So, instead I’ve categorized some of my 2014 posts to help give you an idea of which ones you will enjoy most based on your interests. Assuming that many of my 2015 posts will fall into these same categories, it also doubles as a “Top 10 Reasons to Visit The Dusty Parachute in 2015”.
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It’s that time of year again: Time to start thinking about Christmas cards (at least according to Shutterfly, Pinterest and all the other services catering to organized, crafty mothers).
Few things fill me with as much simultaneous excitement and dread as Christmas cards.
The ‘excitement’ part goes back to my childhood. My mom used to make a whole day out of preparing her Christmas cards. She would bring out her address book (an actual, padded address book with alphabetical index tabs), flipping through the pages, making edits to entries of those who had moved during the year. She would write a little personal note in each card and address each envelope in her perfect, ‘deserves-her-own-font’, script.
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Dear Elfy –
Next week you’ll be coming back to our house until Christmas, and I’ve got to admit, I’m kind of looking forward to seeing you again.
Sure, you’re a little creepy: I never walk with my back to you in a dark room, and you remind me of the Fantasy Island episode where the ventriloquist dummy comes to life to kill its owner until it’s burned alive.
But three years ago you single handedly replaced Santa. As far as our kids are concerned you ARE Christmas.
I know a lot of people are not looking forward to their Elves coming back: They’re always getting into trouble, making big messes and just causing a lot of extra work for their families.
That’s why I like you, Elfy: You’re different.
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