Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

It's another cold morning. Not cold as in snow on the ground, or beautiful images of winter's wonder, but cold as in my joints ache...Why is it so darned cold? Weird me, one hand is freezing, the other is fine. And I guess it's one more sign that I'm getting old...my feet are always cold. I need multiple climate controls just for my body. ;o)

I should crawl back in bed, but I have so many thoughts racing in my head here lately, I thought that I'd try to make sense of them all.

The first is that I feel so blessed. I would say that it's the New Year or the holidays that brings on these thoughts, but I know that's not right. I lie awake at night sometimes thinking how very lucky I was to find the man sleeping next to me. I'm almost afraid to voice it, afraid it will break the spell and he'll disappear, but every morning I wake and there he is. I think I'll live the feeling for now and worry about tomorrow when it gets here.

He bought me the very best gift this year for Christmas. Sometimes for holidays, I wish that he would just pay attention to what I ask for through out the year instead of asking for a list and then buying only the things on the list. It's kinda like shopping for myself and him wrapping the gifts. I'm not really complaining, I know it could be worse, just expressing a desire. Sometimes I wonder if I expect too much from him, expecting him to know my inner most wants and desires. More the desire that he knows my inner wishes, than the actual physical thing he bought. (Does that make sense?) And then, he goes and does something wonderful!

This year he bought me one of those metal fire ring thingys. You know the kind with grate and looks like a big bowl on legs? It wasn't on the list. With money being the way it has been, I would never have asked for such an expensive gift. I wouldn't want to hurt him by making him think he couldn't provide for me. But, there under the tree was one of my heart's desires. When I opened it, he said "I know it wasn't on your list. But, every time we walk past them, I notice that your eyes stray right to them." Is he not the best, most observant sweetie ever? :o)

I was reading a blog post the other day about happiness and how sometimes TV and glossy magazines can undermine our simple lives and happiness. In a way, I agree, but I also feel that if you're basically happy with your lifestyle, it doesn't matter what temptation you're presented with. I love my little house with the big goofy dog, who has such an adoring look that you can't help but feel worshipped. I love my crazy children who leave creative messes for me to clean up. Other people have asked "You're going to LET them do that?" And my response is "Yes, as a matter of fact I am!"

Perfect example....the 11 year old wanted to have her friend over for New Year's Eve. We had decided to pass on the neighborhood party, and she was feeling a bit left out since the 13 year old was going to the party with some friends of ours. She asked her friend over to spend the night and bring the new year in with a creative bang. She had attended a gingerbread making party a couple of years ago, and thought that would be fun. We (me, my daughter and her friend) stopped at a dollar store on the way back to buy stuff for their party. I told the girls to buy anything that they found interesting for the house. My daughter leaned over to her friend and said "I bet you never heard that before, huh?" I wanted to stop and hug her right there in the store. I have officially earned the cool mom status!

I watch the home improvement show, and I hear about people chasing happiness one dollar at a time. If I were given the chance today to trade my life for all the money in the world, "I'd say nahhh, no thanks. I'm good."

I've just noticed that the big goofy dog snores just like the hubs. I guess that's part of the reason I like him sleeping in my room. It sounds like the hubby is still at home tucked away in bed. Funny, the comforting sounds you get used to hearing. We only let the "outside" dogs in when it's really cold outside. Ok, really cold by Texas standards. ;o) Lucky, the big goofy dog, seems to understand that this is the only time he's allowed in. He won't push past you to sneak in, and on cold days he stands at the door with this look, as if he's asking to be allowed in. He also seems to know that he's only allowed in our room when the hubs is gone, otherwise he's content to sleep in his usual spot, right outside our door. I would let him in all of the time, but the hubs thinks he's too much to walk around in our little house. He is a BIG dog!

Well, I do think that I will head to back to bed now. The kids are going to their adopted grandparents' house to finish Christmas, and I'm off on a creative mission. I need to figure out how to bind the youngest's quilt. Any excuse to go to Joann Fabrics. ;o) I'll post about the quilt and what I've learned about making it later. I also think I'll dig back through some of my old photos I've taken and post some of them also.