In a Snowy Wood

David coerced me into a winter wonderland frolic when he was home for Christmas. There was no snow at my house this day, but Lynn Run State Park (just 45 minutes away) was transformed into a land of sparkling delight.

This picture shows off David's Photo Shop skills and catches me in a moment when I'm not looking around to see if a bear might come eat us in those quiet, quiet woods.

I have to admit: It was magical. (And not a bear or mountain lion to be seen.)

Epiphany Tree

I'm sorry to report that our beautiful white pine yet sits in the garage.

But there's still a little bit of hope. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas this coming Friday. It's also the Day of Epiphany, to be celebrated at the culmination of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Contemplation of a tree sounds like a good way to have an epiphany.

O New Year's Tree, O New Year's Tree...

Christmas came. Christmas went. The New Year approacheth. And I'm just now getting over Thanksgiving.

I didn't exactly miss Christmas, but I definitely wasn't "prepared" to fully participate in the holiday festivities. From the day after Thanksgiving until around December 20, I got lost. Lost in a family emergency, a two week battle with something akin to the flu, work-related issues and disappointments, and general lethargy.

I generally don't get caught up in that "Are you ready for Christmas?" mentality. I see Christmas not as something to get ready for, but as something to celebrate. But I like a cozy, decorated house and baked goods and those lovely things. So some amount of preparation and work is involved.

I barely bought presents for my loved ones this year. (The whole subject of gift-giving mania is another topic I could rant about. Sometimes it just feels like we might as well all swap money and be done with it. It shouldn't be that way.)

But the real kicker is that we didn't even put up a tree this year. I love Christmas trees. A big, live, piney tree in the middle of my living room. I'm a big believer and proponent of live trees. I have friends that say "Our apartment is too small for a tree." To them I say: Bah! Nonsense! There is always room for a tree. Move a table; put a chair in bedroom. There is always room for a tree.

But James worked a billion hours in the wretched world of retail, and we never made it to the tree place. Plus, we have this crazy cat named Cheska. She just won't stop getting into things. (As I write this she is trying to eat a Santa figurine that I never even took out of the box.) We feared for her life if she had access to a tree. So it all seemed like too much of a hassle and we didn't get one.

But then I felt sad about not getting a tree, so my brother (home from Arizona) and I went to the parking lot next to Ollie's discount store on December 23 to see what was left. We ended up stuffing this giant tree into the backseat of our dad's Cadillac and laughing hysterically. It's one of my best memories of this holiday season. There was no tree lot attendant, so we decided that the leftover trees were free for the taking. Several other people stopped by and wondered if it would be okay just to take a tree. They said that nobody was working there earlier in the day when they'd stopped the first time. So we decided, "I'll take one if you take one." David and I talked about pretending that he was the lot attendant and making some extra cash, but that just seemed wrong.

The plan was to string the tree with lights and put it out on my deck. At least we could see it through the double doors. Christmas Eve came and went. Christmas Day came and went. Boxing Day came and went. I figured we'd put it up on the 27th anyway, so we could use it as a New Year's party accessory. But then James got cold feet about mixing electricity and water and worried that the outdoor outlets aren't ground-fault-interrupted-protected or whatever they need to be not to short out.

We toyed with the idea of putting the tree inside, but here it is December 29, and the free, giant tree sits in my garage, denied its Christmas glory. It died in vain.

Maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and put it up tomorrow. After all, this is my house. I can have a January tree if I want. I'll just have to invest in some bitter apple spray and scat mats to save Cheska from herself. (Side note: When you search for "Christmas trees" on Target.com, the results include scat mats. Apparently I am not alone in my Christmas cat dilemma.

The Zen of 30

I turned 30 two days ago. I meant to write about it on the big day, but I was too busy celebrating and trying not to fall apart.

A big door shut in my face that day. It had nothing to do with turning 30. Basically (and vaguely), I thought I was going down one path professionally, but found out that I had to detour at the last minute. This has happened at least four times in the past six months. Each time I face the disappointment, people like my brother tell me, "Don't be discouraged. This just means that something better will come along." I was not feeling quite so fateful about it. Shit happens.

But now I need to find something to keep me sane and hopeful. So I am surprisingly Zen about this latest letdown. I do believe in the Higher Power, and I do believe that He cares for me. I'm not convinced that everything that happens in this world is exactly what He desires. After all, this is a fallen world. But I do believe that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him.

So I've decided to step back, see the bigger picture, and try to find the next step. Maybe I've been going about this all wrong. Perhaps I need to broaden my scope. I'm not quite sure what that means yet, but thinking it makes me feel better. I will find Plan B. I'll wait on the Lord, but I'll be proactive in doing so.

There's a somewhat smarmy saying that goes: "When God shuts a door, he opens a window." It's a nice sentiment, but sentiment gets on my nerves sometimes. I've watched several doors and windows open and close in rapid succession lately. Am I bitter? I was.

Now, I think I'm just interested to find out what's behind Door Number One.

["Bob, tell her what she's won..."]
["It's a brand new car!"]

Slackers of the World Unite!!!

For about three years now, my mottos have been, “Just Say No!” (when it comes to complicating your life with too many unwanted activities), and “Slackers of the World Unite!” (which I swear I thought up on my own without the influence of Michael Moore).



I have found online affirmation for my slacker attitude in Brendon Connelly's new manifesto, Slacker@Work. Read it on ChangeThis.com (www.changethis.com/sp-4.SlackerAtWork) and find out why being a slacker is not a bad thing.



I am not lazy. I am a slacker. And I'm still good at what I do.