Moments in Time

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." - - Benjamin Franklin

Happy New Year! I've given up making resolutions. I never keep them and then it's just one more thing to feel guilty about. I can feel guilty about enough things, I don't need to add anything! ;-) However, I do think I'm going to try this: http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/. I learned about this from my Sept98mom friend, Gwyneth. You make a list of 101 things that you are going to accomplish in 1001 days (approx. 2.75 years). I like this because it's a big enough list that I'm sure to complete a few things here and there which be encouraging (I'm accomplishing things) rather than discouraging (when I don't accomplish that New Year's resolution).

One more sort of New Year's-y thing I'm doing is deciding on a word for the year. Check out Ali Edward's blog for details. I know that I want my next year to be calmer and more organized (which will make it calmer). I'm just not sure of the right word yet...

For you stampers, here's a card sketch in honor of the New Year (click on any of these images to make them larger):

The sketch was inspired by my current foster dog, Chloe. (Isn't she cute?)

One more new thing.... the new Angel Company catalog & idea book is here.

There are lots of new stamp sets and a ton of new accessories and tools! Best of all... we now carry both the Bind It All and the Scor-Pal. Both of those have been on my wish list; I'm so excited! I'll be having a catalog Open House on January 19th to show off the new catalog and some of the great new items. Email me if you'd like details.

Have a great weekend!

Well, it's almost 11 PM and my two "mice" are definitely still stirring (I can hear loud giggling from upstairs), but at least the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. :-) I often wonder if we're the only ones crazy enough to have stockings for our pets, too -- all of them, even the snakes.

Tiger always considers the Christmas tree his own personal little kitty cave. He likes to lay under it:


The girls and I volunteered at the Humane Society today. I figured they'd be short on help, plus it got the girls thinking about something other than themselves and presents. The shelter's had a lot of people bring in puppies this week, so the girls were in heaven! There was one (adult) dog that ... ooh, if I didn't know that DH would have a fit, she would've come home with us. She's a beagle/basset mix (mixed with lab, I think), and her name is Sidney. She was so dejected in that cage, but when you went in with her, she climbed on you, kissed you and whimpered. She definitely a people dog and needs a home - fast. I've already volunteered to foster her if she doesn't do well at the shelter. Hmmmm, if it wasn't Christmas, I'd be willing to deal with a grumpy husband just to give her a home.

By dinner time, the girls were both very hyped up and dying to open their one Christmas Eve gift. Ali chose to open her present from Jessica (Jess made it herself):

Jess opened her present from my friend, Pam (more clothes - she was thrilled!):


After dinner we went out driving to look at Christmas lights. One guy decorates his whole (huge) yard every year and asks for donations for Habitat for Humanity. This is just one part of his display:

Pretty cool!

May you have the gladness of Christmas
which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas
which is peace;
The heart of Christmas
which is love.
- Ada V. Hendricks