Things I really don't like (also in no particular order.)

Since I covered the basics of things I like it is time to adress the dislikes.I really don't like it when people leave the carts at random places in the parking lot. I really don't like banana chips. I really don't like waking up early. I really don't like it when people say mean and hurtful things. I really don't like hearing loss. I really don't like when people swear using "god." I really don't like court tv. I really don't like it when I ask someone to repeat what they said and they say "nevermind." (It's true...I have a hearing problem...I will not always hear you !!) I really don't like yappy dogs. I really don't like incessant snowfall and cold weather. I really don't like japanese beetles. I really don't like black olives. I really don't like dishonesty. I really don't like shopping. I really don't like white walls. I really don't like orange jell-o. I really don't like books with bad endings. I really don't like whining. I really don't like to see people hurt. I really don't like paneling. I really don't like StarTrek. I really don't like dirty fingernails. I really don't like my hair (most days). I really don't like drivers that don't keep their distance. I really don't like it when kids parent parents. I really don't like cleaning the bathroom. I really don't like walnuts.

A girl and her pup.

Several years ago we had a little dog named Tag. He was my best friend. When my brother and sister were at school and my mom would lock me out of the of the warm farm house in the dead of winter Tag would keep me warm.
One day Tag disappeared. Some say he ran away. Some say he died. Some say my mom killed him. I deserve to know the truth. What happened to Tag, Mom?

She brings out the CrAzY in us!

Madison is here for the weekend--hooray! I went and picked her up from school today and she actually stayed awake for all but about 30 minutes of the 2 hr and 45 minute drive. We told jokes for a while, talked about what she is learning in school, and sang a few crazy songs.
Craig had already eaten by the time we got home so Madison and I had some vegetable beef soup that I made yesterday...and decided that she liked okra! Ymmm.
The real excitement started after dinner. Mads got a Hannah Montana game for Christmas and I told her that I would play it with her. Little did I know that if you rolled an odd number it meant that you had to either sing or dance to a HM song. First of all, I don't know ANY of her music. Secondly, I don't sing well. Thirdly, I definitely lack rhythm when dancing. Fourth and finally, my meniere's has left me with horrible balance. I should not have played this game. At one point while "dancing" I lost my balance and nearly fell on Craig. Realizing what was happening, I tried to recover, only to change direction and start falling towards Madison. Criag yelled "you're going to break her neck....what are you doing???" at the last minute I shifted weight and fell flat on my face in the middle of the game board. Nice Missy, Nice. (now you know why I have a dice imprint on my forehead, so don't ask!) Madison thought that I was just being funny, though, so all was well. I wonder how many times I have to biff in front of her before she figures out the truth, though!
Craig rolled an odd number forcing him to dance to the music like Hannah Montana. Craig may seem pretty serious to most people, but at home he is a total nut. He broke out with this off the wall routine that summited with a geronimo move. It was actually pretty good (coming from the rhythmless clutz). This brought the game to a close as he attempted to teach Mads how to do the move. Oh how I wish I could post a video. She basically just drops to the floor...it is hilarious!! I Love family time!!

Things that I really like (in no particular order)

I really like the first snowfall. I really like pickled beets. I really like watching football. I really like good conversations. I really like a fire in the pit. I really like the smell of lilacs. I really like mashed potatoes. I really like sleeping in a chilly room with a warm blanket. I really like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day. I really like hymns. I really like Orange Juice, I really like free nights and weekends on my cell. I really like dessert. I really like primitive camping in Colorado. I really like catching up with old friends. I really like Craig--some may even call that one love! I really like listening to elderly people tell their life stories. I really like the smell of burning leaves. I really like a good bargain. I really like sleeping in. I really like Jesus. I really like simplicity. I really like my family. I really like wireless internet. I really like family reunions. I really like my girlfriends. I really like to laugh. I really like The Farming Game. I really like satin PJ's with brushed lining. I really like veggie pizza. I really like it when my houseplants bloom. I really like colors. I really like Hondas. I really like Madison. I really like donuts. I really like getting mail. I really like thunderstorms. I really like a clean house. I really like vacations. I really like the colors of fall. I really like random roadtrips with Neeter. I really like a nice, long, warm shower. I really like good books. I really like The Biggest Loser.

Blessings galore!

Sometimes I get really frustrated at little things and wonder why things sometimes go the way they do, but then I remember that at the end of the day...

~I get to go home to my family and don't have to stay in the hospital trusting my health to people that I don't even know.
~My home is a place where I am safe, loved, and accepted. My husband is warm and caring, not mean and hurtful like many men.
~I have freedom to wear what I want, say what I want, and worship who I want, unlike so many other women in the world.
~My true friends know and accept the real me. They look past my imperfections and still want to hang out.
~I have a fully stocked pantry and enough meat in my freezer to last for the rest of the year. I never have to go hungry...it is a question of what to fix to eat, not whether or not I will eat today.
~Our home is warm and peaceful.
~Although I may have hearing loss and occasional vertigo, my health is good!
~I don't have to worry and dread the end of the month when all the bills are due--We've been blessed with good jobs providing steady income.
~I've got the love of Jesus in my heart, and no one can take that away.

Yep, I'm pretty blessed.

Things to do.

I feel blah. My Christmas tree is still up. (Yes, I know, it is almost mid-January, but in my defense, the lights on the tree have not been on for weeks, and we just removed the last of the gifts from beneath it last weekend.) My house should undergo a good cleaning. The drive should be shoveled again. The cross trainer should stand to be used. Laundry should be done again. A birthday cake should be baked. A shower should be taken. E-mails should be responded to. Christmas gifts should find a new home...not that they don't look great littered about the family room. The basement should be more organized. The refrigerator should be cleaned out. The rabbit should have some attention paid to it. The plants should get watered. My blog should get updated. Then there's the garage. I don't even want to think about that.
I would love to say that all of these tasks will be checked off by the end of the day, but lets get real. I don't feel like doing any of it and my maidservant (some may refer to her as my alternate personality) has taken an extensive leave of absence.

I actually wrote this yesterday and was feeling quite sorry for myself. Then I realized that this list really wasn't that overwhelming and if I got it all done, or mostly done Craig would be really happy, and since it was his birthday and all, I should really try to please him. When he got home from work let me tell you he WAS impressed. So impressed that he didn't even mind that I attempted to make him a year older by accidently adding an extra candle to his cake (which honestly blew itsself out before making it to the table--a divine act of providence-, so does that really count???).

Don't take my pennies!

You may want to avoid me for the next day or two. There is your warning. I am FURIOUS. It all started on New Years Day when I went to fill a prescription. Instead of the usual $3 copay, they charged $31.09. I thought hmmm, that's wierd, had them double check and eventually paid after expressing my frustration. Of course the blasted insurance company was closed, so I couldn't plead my case to them, but they'll be back on Monday, where I will likely spend hours on hold.
(SIDENOTE) I'm Dutch--75%, and the remaining 25% german/welsh mix in me is tight too. I do not like to part with my pennies. And when you try to take an extra 2,809 of them at once, I will fight. Hard. I may even use my teeth.
Anyway, so tonight I get the mail and see an explanation of benefits summary. I went to the ENT specialist a couple of weeks ago to follow up on my Meniere's, complete with a hearing test. Evidently, insurance decided not to cover this, either! $115. That's 11,500 Abe Lincoln's, friends. This is so not going to fly. We pay top dollar for our plan and aren't asking for anything that isn't supposed to be covered. I hate insurance issues. Yes...so avoid me. I'll understand.

I've thought long and hard about this years New Years resolution. The possibilities are endless, but the successes of years gone by have been few. I've taken many a midnight oath on many an outgoing year to lose weight, exercise daily, limit sweet intake (let's get real. That'd never happen), etc., but I just couldn't seem to settle on the perfect self-improvement goal. I even thought for a short time about letting Craig choose for me...isn't that what any good wife would do??? Luckily I safely regained a rational thought process before damage control needed to be implemented.

Here are some of the finalists (note: they're not numbered, therefore, in no particular order.)

~~Eat more vegetables. I like veggies alot. I just don't fix them often because they take too much effort. You have to take them out of the freezer, put them in the microwave, AND turn it on. Oh. Woe is me. My recent spinich kick is phasing out, too!

~~Watch Less TV. I like TV. Very seldom do I just sit and watch a show from start to finish, but I love having it on. However, it does make me feel lazy. If I were overly zealous, I would limit my computer time, but that is not a realistic option.

~~Quit drinking carbonated beverages. Last year I quit drinking caffeine. I've had a cumulative total of approx 8 ounces of energy in my drinks in the last year, but maybe I should take it one step further and quit the carbonation all together. It really isn't good for me, and neither is aspertame. Plus, a 12 pk of Caffeine free Diet Dew is >$4.00 now. Rediculous. Water is free.

~~Be content. Lately, I have just found myself wanting things I don't have or even need. I've hoped for stuff that I thought would make me happy, only to lead to disappointment...except for my new Bath and Body Works lotion...that really does make me happy (thanks, Craig...did you know you bought that for me??) If I would just wake up each day a little earlier and focus on the blessings and not the yearnings, it would make me a better person.

I don't know. I think that maybe when I wake up in the morning (on time, I might add!) I'll get up, read my devotions, not ask for anything, just graciously give thanks for what I have, pour myself a glass of milk, water, or juice and pack some veggies into my lunch before heading off to work. It will be a good way to start the new year. I can't guarantee that it will last, but it wouldn't stand even a chance if I don't try...