Felicia

So this week I wrote a great blog about my best friend from high school. I got to the part where I was proofreading and I accidentally deleted it. The whole thing and no I did not save it while I was writing it. I was really mad and frustrated and did not sign back onto this blog until today. I showed ......well, I am not sure who I showed but I did calm down. Now, I absolutely believe in writing about really cool women and Felicia deserves her turn so I am going to try again.
Feicia was my best friend from about junior high until I graduated from high school. She is probably one of the nicest people I have ever known. We spent tons of time together. I am not sure why our parents let us but we spent the night over at each others houses a lot. When she got her license, she would drive in the opposite direction of the school to pick me up. We had one really odd thing..we always ate weird breakfasts. It was either leftovers from dinner....I vividly remember her mom shocked to find us eating spaghetti and meatballs one morning or we would stop at the B&C and get chips and cokes. Well, she got bbq chips and mountian dew and I got chili cheese fritos and diet coke. For breakfast, many, many mornings.
Our friendship had somewhat of a spiritual component. Her family often took me to church with them. Again, driving out of their way to include me, paying for probably many meals after church, and always making me feel a part of their family. I went to church with my family too but Felicia's church had bible studies and special worship services. My home church was rich in tradition and intelligence but hers was more relevant, practical, and welcoming. I was never pressured, always included.
Fe, her nickname in high school, never spoke a cross word to me, ever. I don't think I ever spoke one to her. She was just sweet. Not sicky, fakey sweet. Just really grounded on good morals. I don't think we ever did anything bad together. No breaking rules, no cigarettes, no drinking. We weren't really risk taking kind of people. The riskiest thing we ever did was not wear sunscreen the first day of band camp. She is a fairskinned blonde and we had to sleep (at her house) with ice packs and fans blowing on our very burnt skin.
I don't remember when but at some point her parents divorced. We spent even more time together and hung out with her mom a lot. Her mom worked so hard back then.
My favorite picture of us is from high school graduation night. After high school we kind of drifted apart. I went away to school and at some point her mom remarried and Fe moved away to California. We lost touch for many years.
I had mentioned once to another really awesome friend (cindi-who deserves her own post too) that I wanted to find a friend. Cindi worked all day and into a night before she called me to tell me she had found Felicia and had just gotten off the phone with Felicia's husband. Of course we reconnected. We both had little ones not too far apart in age. We stil exchange an occasional letter or Christmas card. And would you believe she is still one of the kindest, caring people I've known....She is a great advocate and parent to her kids. She is still a kind and sweet person and I am better for having the honor of being her friend.

Resolutions/Lent/ Other reasons for change

So I have been thinking and praying about doing something to facilitate change in my attitude. Not so much my life but just my outlook. I struggle being the glass is half full kind of gal. I am more of a "oh, your glass is half empty, let me get you a refill" person. You know, a fixer. It sounds noble but really I think its a sin issue. I could go into great detail about how it is disguised but I know I am not a very positive person right now. I am trying to change that about myself. So I had this idea of using this blog as a sort of gratitude journal that all self help books say you have to have if you are going to practice happiness. I thought maybe I could write about people I see doing positive things. Or just people I really admire. I could practice saying nice things about people which may train me not to be constantly "evaluating" others.
Here are some advantages: I get to say nice things about other people. I get to blog instead of farming on facebook. I am doing something different.
Disadvantages: Someone may not want me blogging about them even if its good. I will have to stick with this for a long period of time. It may become one more thing to do and I already feel overwhelmed with things to do.
Maybe I should just try it for Lent. I have already designated something to give up but maybe I should also add something........

Date night with 12 year olds

Had such a good time taking my daughter and her friend to see Bride Wars. It was cute funny and ultimately had a good message. That Kate Hudson was awesome.
the really fun part was seeing my daughter's behavior with a friend. I am so proud of her. She was so nice to me. She had a chance to be a snotty teen to look cool in front of friends and she was so kind and concerned. She didn't want me to sit by myself at the theater. She was shocked to hear that I had gone to movies by myself. She was concerned I had been lonely. How sweet.
Her friend spent the night and about 11:30 a bottle of nail polish spilled on the carpet during a makeover. Actually it was while she was CLEANING UP from a makeover.
She was so apologetic that she had spilled it but also that I stayed up late trying to clean it up. I wasn't mad or anything, isn't it a rite of passage for every girl to spill nail polish on the carpet? She has been in a great mood all day in spite of little sleep. Now this is the sign that she is mature enough to have friends spend the night, hang out, good to the movie theater, etc.
Yeah for God in working in her heart.

Holidays are Over, Yipeeeee

Ok I know this is not a popular or nice thing to say but I really do not enjoy the holidays as much as I think I should. I saw a Dr. Phil show and it was about Christmas grinches. I thought the grinches had some pretty good points. Like why is it at Christmas its demanded that family get together. I hear all kinds of marketing about how Christmas is about getting together with family. I don't mean to be a grinch but really........I thought Christmas was marking the birth of Christ. All the rules of our culture have made this event almost painful. For me, gift giving is not a joyous outpouring of love. It is a stressor to see who I do not offend. Who have I left out? Who is not happy with their gift? How have I broken the unwritten rules that my mom can create? I feel like I am on the defense. And not to gripe but I overindulge my own children to make up for their lack of extended family gifts. Stupid. Oh and guess what I do after Christmas? Return. I return things because I bought stupid stuff that got wrapped up so there was lots to open. Its just sick.
So there, I have confessed my weirdness. There were very few moments I thought really fit the Christmas season. Serving at church as a family. Spending Christmas eve with friends, Going to church on Christmas Eve. Hopefully next year I can do better with prioritizing consumerism vs. spiritual growth. I'd like to keep consumerism to the other 364 days of the year.

Ready for Christmas, always........

Isn't it funny how people always ask this time of year......"are you ready for Christmas?" Its meant to assess if you have shopping, wrapping, card sending, etc completed. But i am thinking these days its a good question to ask often and all through the year. Are we at any time ready to celebrate the birth of Christ? Matt played flag football this year with Upwards. If you ever have a chance to be involved in this organization I cannot say enough good things. One of the lessons they taught the kids was about celebrating. It was strange to see kids in football/cheerleading uniforms with birthday party hats on. A great lesson for the kids to celebrate often. Celebrate birth, Celebrate life and celebrate in death. Now that one is a tough one. I can't celebrate when someone I love dies. I can't celebrate when someone I don't know dies tragically. It is however a beautiful thing when a life that has ended is celebrated. I am awed and amazed by loved ones who even in times of mourning can think of others. Our church family lost a young member tragically this week. Celebration, no, but ready for Christmas, yes. Ready for Christ at any moment, yes. Celebrating Him, yes.

Beautiful snow!

Woke up to a winter wonderland this morning! The outside was frosted white with snow. It was gorgeous. It snowed off and on all day and really amounted to no accumulation. It was cold........... A good day for chilli and Christmas decorating. The kids played outside a little bit. I started planning for what cookies and candy to make for the holiday. Just a perfect way to spend a Saturday in December.

Facebook account

Ok so in my attempt to join this century technologically, I set up a facebook account. My daughter has some friends who have their own accounts and I wanted to check out the security before I allow her to have one. The odd thing is that as old as I am, I still have several friends who have accounts too. I have learned that some of my high school graduating class have accounts to keep up with one another. Its a very odd thing but a great way to stay caught up with a few people that I just don't talk to or even email very often.
So visit me there............not that there is anything better on facebook. I think I like my blog so much better.