The Life of Mrs. Miles

FESTIVE WINTER LAMP

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Thanks to you, my readers, for all the times you take time out of your increasingly busy days to leave some appreciation here on my blog. It is busy these days... and with the days being shorter sometimes it feels like I barely get up and look out at the darkness of morning and all of a sudden find the inky depths of night pressing in through the window. It feels like the pages of the calendar are being torn away faster and faster. This reminds me of how precious our time on earth is - how fleeting a time it is in God's measure. What are we meant to accomplish here during our brief stay? Surely our Creator has a plan for each and every one of us, and what a joy to figure out this purpose and fulfill it. He knew the very number of our days before we lived our first one. What seems to us a long life is merely a breath of wind to Him who created us - lets treasure each second He's given us here... contemplate on what our mission is to be fulfilled, instead of wishing away some of our less self-pleasing days. Since we can't know how long we've been given, lets assume tomorrow's our last day... what would you do, today?

Psalm 90:4-6

4 For a thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;

they are like the new grass of the morning-

6 though in the morning it springs up new,

by evening it is dry and withered.

The pictures featured here today are courtesy of my dear friend, Sonya. I was going to feature a beautiful scrapbook layout of hers too, but dont' have it this morning. I will post it up first thing tomorrow - well worth the wait. Sonya is a woman of traditions. Sonya has a tradition to buy a new Christmas Ornament each year for both of her sweet twin boys and her husband as well. Sonya has bought 'couples' ornaments ever since she and her husband first met - and gets special joy from bringing these out yearly. The very first year was pretty skimpy, right down to a little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree... when she tells me about this I can sense a real fondness of those first lean days of 'not much' in their lives. I imagine the reminder in these ornaments each calls up a memory of its own.

Along with the ornaments which are purchased for each family member, each year, Sonya's Mom buys each family member an ornament too. The idea is that one day - long down the road, when the twins are grown and moving out on their own, that they will take their own ornaments with them *choking me just thinking about that*... how very sweet!

This year, Sonya is taking pictures of each ornament. She will make a little scrapbook, 5 x 7 which will have an explaination of each ornament with it - that way everyone will know the history of each ornament. I think, the one that was so sweet that she showed me was an ornament her friend gave her, when Sonya was pregnant with the twins... the ornament is an 'expecting' little mouse...

As Sonya says, giving an ornament itself is a special gift that can say a lot. Ornaments make terrific thank-you gifts if you're invited to someone's home. If you know the person well, you might choose an ornament that says something about that particular person. There are many 'themed' ornaments available. Another good thing to know is that if you shop after Christmas you can purchase many of the Hallmark special ornaments at 1/2 price!

Please let me know if you have a tradition you would like to share here... and thank you Sonya both for the information and the photos... and I look forward to featuring your layouts here tomorrow.

Today's oxymorons:

locks on 7-11 stores which are open 24 hours a day,

long and short of it

long brief (for lawyers)

long recess

long shorts

long sleeve t-shirt

loose knot

loose tights

loquacious librarian

loss prevention specialist

loud librarian

loud whisper

Loud silence

love-hate relationship

lovers' quarrel

low altitude

low insurance rates

low tax

lower inflation

low-fat ice cream

low-intensity conflict

low-rise

loyal opposition

lucky stiff

luke-warm enthusiasm

luxury beer

luxury bus

luxury compact

More Christmas jokes to brighten your day!

Which Is Best?

CONTROVERSY: Should the tree be real or fake?

YUPPIE: Live tree, planted after use

MALE: Fake tree, discarded after use

FEMALE: Grow tree in house, adorned with fruits

REALITY: Fake tree stays up until May, adorned with fur-balls

CONTROVERSY: Should tree lights twinkle or stay constant?

YUPPIE: Each bulb blinks to its own random rhythm

MALE: Bulbs flash logo of football team

FEMALE: Elegant flickering candles

REALITY: Tree bursts into flames, burns house down

CONTROVERSY: Should tree be topped with an angel or a star?

YUPPIE: Gender-neutral angel; no submissive female stereotype

MALE: Attractive blonde angel

FEMALE: Authentic angel explains true meaning of Christmas

REALITY: Hell's Angel steals the tree and the gifts

CONTROVERSY: Do ya fling or hang tinsel?

YUPPIE: Empower each strand with self-determining skills

MALE: Six large clumps of tinsel on front of tree

FEMALE: Each icicle hangs like strand of delicate artwork

REALITY: More icicles on floor than on tree

CONTROVERSY: Do ya open gifts on Christmas Eve or morning?

YUPPIE: Gifts opened on posted, individual schedules so all enjoy surprise

MALE: Anytime, just so it doesn't interfere with football

FEMALE: Anytime the entire family is present

REALITY: Doesn't matter, everyone's peeked anyway

CONTROVERSY: Ham or Turkey for Christmas Dinner?

YUPPIE: Baked Tofu Balls stuffed with wheat germ

MALE: Anything, as long as there's plenty of both it...and beer

FEMALE: A meal the entire family plans and prepares

REALITY: Chinese carry-out or McDonald's

BARB'S HANDY TIP #151

Get Science!

There is a terrific science show which airs every friday on NPR... you will gain some good information from this site. What impresses me is the teacher resources for it and the ability for you to download it in a podcast form as well.

SCIENCE FRIDAY