Mele Kalikimaka!

Isn't my little tree adorable? Why so small this year? This tree is all we could afford. Thankfully, we found it at the 99cent store. We bought the cute little glass ornaments there too. I think the 99cent store should pay me for the shout out, don't you think?

Christmas isn't the same as the years go by. The sparkle Christmas held in my eyes as a child has turned into a blinding reality that maybe Christmas is just another day. No hoopla. No magic. How sad, eh? But that's how I feel.

BB and I had a fight last night about her sister. I don't know what to believe about her sister's situation. I only hope BB isn't duped into bailing her sister out yet again, only to regret it later.

Yup. This is Christmas at our home.

At least Harper has a very big gift to open! It's his very first Christmas! BB and I yearn to see the sparkle in his eyes as he tears into his gift. In Harper's excitement, we'll hopefully rediscover the magic of Christmas.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

The Audacity

Yay! I completed my latest jigsaw puzzle today! This puzzle irked me so much that I almost gave up. But I stuck with it and saw it through to the final piece. I'm so happy! Now I'm moving on to my next puzzle. BB bought me a 750-piece puzzle of New York City's skyline, which is reflected off the Hudson River. I know it's going to drive me crazy. I just know it. But I will persevere...I hope.

Do you like the Christmas feel of this puzzle?

Now on to more important news.

Your president-elect Obama had the audacity to invite the openly anti-LGBT Reverend Rick Warren to his inauguration and to give Rev. Warren the honor of leading the invocation at this allegedly historical event.

What a blatant slap in the face to Obama's LGBT supporters!

Where's the love, Obama? And what about the promises of hope and change you made to all Americans?

I always knew you were more of the same.

I told you so!

I am not a second-rate citizen! I pay my taxes like every American! EQUALITY FOR ALL!

Let It Snow

It snowed for the most part of the day. Yay! That's twice now! You must be wondering what the big deal is. So it's just snow, you say. I've seen snow before, thanks to my years in the Big Apple. But in all my years living in _____, I've never seen snow fall on my front yard before! So yeah, it's exciting. I'm excited! It's all so amazing! It's gonna be a wonderfully white Christmas! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Even Harper got a chance to enjoy today's snowfall!

Happy Holidays!

Puzzling Snow

Two great things to share with you today.

First, it snowed yesterday! For me and my fellow residents of _____, snow is extremely rare in our part of the country. How exciting that it actually snowed here for almost the entire day! And we're not in the clear just yet! Another storm is predicted to be just around the corner. Snow day!

Second, I started a new puzzle yesterday! It's another 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. As the snow flurried outside, I thought what a great time to keep warm with a cup of peppermint tea and keep busy with an interesting puzzle! Here's what I've completed so far. Can you guess what the puzzle depicts?


Bask in the warmth of a great day!

Resolution

I know it's not that time of the year just yet, but I thought I'd resolve to do something now.

I resolve to discover new things each day, to view things in a different light, to be productive, and to appreciate the truth and beauty in even the small and mundane experiences.

So here's how I've been sticking to my resolution:

I completed a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in less than 3 days! I remember when Quinn, my cousins, and I worked on jigsaw puzzles back when we were kids. My Auntie Isabelle introduced us to this great pastime, which instilled in us patience, among other things. Back then, we worked on 1,000 to 5,000 piece puzzles, if not more. I don't know if I can withstand even a 1,000-piece puzzle on my own. This 500-piece puzzle frustrated me at times as it is! Anyway, I don't remember what we did with the completed puzzles back then. I do know that I intend to glue together my completed puzzle in honor of my accomplishment. Yay!

I also completed The Aeneid by Virgil yesterday. I enjoyed Virgil's epic poem, which was full of adventure and excitement as Aeneas fought to secure his destiny. Poor Dido! The part of the book where Aeneas traveled to the underworld reminded me a lot of Dante's The Divine Comedy. I gather that's why Dante chose Virgil as his guide. I highly recommend The Aeneid, as well as The Odyssey and The Iliad by Homer (great reading!).

I'm thinking about joining an online book club. You see, I've been a bit envious that my friend and co-worker, Bobby, is part of a guild. A guild is a bunch of people who game together in World of Warcraft. A couple of Bobby's guild members/friends drove in from Fresno this weekend. They had a potluck. Most importantly, they had fun. I want to be part of a guild. I'd like to meet new people and to form new friendships with others who have similar interests. I love books, so I thought 'why not join a book club.'

Do something!