getting excited

I have to remember some of these inspiring words are speeches – crafted my media consultants.
But darn ---- I am getting more and more excited to the 2012 Road to the White House.

Predictions for Iowa Caucus

1. Romney – most stable of the pack.
2. Paul – most unstable of the pack, but he is likeable in that crazy uncle kind of way.
3. Santorum - solid on the social issues, but right now that is not the issue
4. Gingrich – I know….
5. Perry - a Texan, AF Veteran
6. Bachman – solid -
7. Huntsman – like him – but they say he is a wolf in sheeps clothing.
No matter what - any of these are better than current state.

my favorite gift this year

I am thankful for good friends - and extremely lucky to have a talented and skilled friend that hand carves ornaments and turns beautiful wood bowls! Thank YOU! They are beautiful.

For those that are coming to the Zonta Pikes Peak Glass Slipper Ball on Jan 28th one of his bowls will be in the silent auction.

So proud to have this Michigan craft wood here in Colorado!

If you are interested just let me know and I can make the connection.

my favorite gift this year

I am thankful for good friends - and lucky to have a talented and skilled friend that carves and turns beautiful wood bowls!

last few days of 2011 - actions

Final days to give. They need it and you need the tax deduction.

Here are things that matter to me and could use a second look…

USO = link enough said, right. This is an outstanding organization and is working hard for our veterans.
Indy Give – link Colorado Springs focused and it includes Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado. Give local.
Fisher House – link amazing organization… Providing a "home away from home" for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury
Sloan Kettering – link I have been donating to this organization ever since I read the book by Laura Landro Survivor info on book – and since I lost two people this year to cancer it will always be on my list.
Kiva – website microlending – love this organization, I feel empowered that I can help in my small investment in someone’s life.
Refugees website the more I learn of the plight of a refugee the more I feel I need to act.

While I love hiking, yoga, nature, politics and animals – I feel we just need to focus on people at the moment.

amazing read - recommend

Nothing prepared me for the loss of my mother. Even knowing that she would die did not prepare me. A mother, after all, is your entry into the world. She is the shell in which you divide and become a life. Waking up in a world without her like waking up in world without the sky; unimaginable. And because my mother died relatively young – fifty-five- I feel robbed of twenty years with her I’d always imagined having. (Meghan O’Rourke, p.10)

I did not write these words but I feel as if I have thought them a thousand times.
The Long Goodbye by Meghan O’Rourke is probably the best memoir I have read all year and probably the most insight look on grief I have ever read.

author website

An excerpt The Long Goodbye Excerpt

good reading

Thoroughly enjoyed the entire book
Linda Yellin gives me hope and Randy proves I have a second chance.

check

Baby Shower - complete - thank you for all of the support for Ocean! Chelsea has everything she needs... Pictures to be posted later. But good food and good friends!

Painting - almost complete - thanks to my awesome nephew Paul!
Packed and ready for Buenos Aires.

Taking two book to reads on the plane - plus the Kindle.

Both of them Memoirs... of course

Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut -Jill Kargman (so far very funny) Jill's site
The Last Blind Date - Linda Yellen Linda's site

Opting to leave the TouchPad at home - too much to carry.
If you need anything from BA - let me know.
I actually had a few unique requests...

until then.

THE INVISIBLE WAR - Sundance Trailer (12/02)

I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl: A Memoir

finished reading this weekend

I will be thinking about the author Kelle Groom for awhile.

if you like memoirs... try it.

unnecessary updates

ok it is December 2, 2011 and my short list is long.
I have one more soldier care package to send. – smaller group than years in the past – but technically that is a good thing.
I am adopting a military family here in town – so I will not have to mail any of that – that is for next week!

I am traveling for a week to Argentina – so I need to prep things in advance.

Last night we finished the Angel Tree presents from the tree at work. My daughter said - “mom, she wanted a scarf – you could have made her one.” Feeling slightly guilty about the scarf purchased at Walmart and Made in China – I grabbed the crochet hook and the largest yarn we had. I knitted a scarf in three hours – 40 minutes of it walking very slowly on the treadmill. It is moderately difficult to do both things at once but I did not want to give up either tasks.


Surprisingly, We picked up a few trinkets from the dollar store. Chelsea learned from her internship at the nursing home that toiletries are needed and they like bright shiny things. Dollar stores usually have plenty of the like on hand.

Focus..


I am currently reading Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl: A Memoir
Author website
NY Times review
It is a hard read – emotionally. I am hoping for the best of author


Off to drill for the weekend – the last for year. It has been a rough year in regards to that. Hoping to start 1sg School in Jan and move forward.


I need to wrap my head around the fact I am hosting a baby shower in week.

Also, need to pick up the table top Christmas Tree from Whole Foods and oh... impulsively getting the entire main level of my house painted beginning on Tuesday.