Thank You, Nicolas Cage!

Seven years ago The Family Man became my favorite Christmas movie. I have had a lot of favorite Christmas movies -- White Christmas, A Christmas Carol -- including some that I'm a little ashamed to admit: Home Alone (the first, NOT the sequel) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation....it's SO stupid and yet I laugh!

At first glance, The Family Man doesn't seem like a Christmas movie in the traditional sense. Aside from the story beginning on Christmas Eve, there's not a whole lot of "festive" going on. But it has many of the plot characteristics of A Christmas Carol. The main character, played by Nicolas Cage, makes a wonderful modern-day Scrooge. He is slightly less Scrooge-y in the financial sense, but every bit as Scrooge-y in the emotional and relationship sense. The story, in a nutshell, is that he finds out what his life would be like if he had put a relationship as a priority instead of his career development. He comes to realize that his life would have been so much better, so much more satisfying if he had.

Ok, so why does this movie beat out the amazingly wonderful George C. Scott Christmas Carol? It was released at a time in my life when I was very unhappy in my relationship. I hadn't been able to quite put a finger on exactly what was bothering me -- there were lots of little things but none of them were really IT. After watching this movie, I knew with certainty that the person I was with was actually quite scrooge-y when it came to the emotional and relationship world (ours, specifically), and that I would not, repeat NOT, have the kind of emotional union, nor the life partnership, not to mention the basic, everyday collaboration, that I longed for and believe I was designed for.

It's amazing to me that a movie could bring such focus and clarity, but it did. Six months later, after clearly communicating my goals and needs for our relationship (something I had previously been unable to do) and getting rebuffed, I was single again. It wasn't long after that that I meant DH, my ONO, and my life has been so much better, so much more satisfying. I don't know about the other guy.

When "wheeee!" is spelled Wii

My Mom had a fabulous idea for Christmas gifts this year. Now that there are 6 of us, it's hard to know what to get, especially since she's in a different climate and the boys grow so fast and change so quickly.

Instead of trying to find 6 separate gifts, she sent a chunk of change and suggested that we get a Wii. It was nearly a miracle that we found one (thanks to ONO) but we did and opened it today as Carter leaves tomorrow for a visit with Bethany in Venezuela.

It's rare for parents to see a teen aged boy smile like this.

Darkest Day

Today is Winter Solstice. There were 11 hours and 15 minutes of daylight today....if you want to call it that. It looked like this outside most of the day:

Luckily, I was able to run today. It really, really helps. It just might be the cure for my SAD, or at least a significant treatment. I've decided this because when I think about the rest of winter, I think 2 things:

1) The next 6 months brings a daily increase in sunlight.

2) Soon after New Year's I will begin serious training for the coming running season.

Just thinking about those things gives me a boost of positive energy.

Even so, while I'm not a pagan, I can totally understand why the Sun has been worshiped for thousands of years. Right now, in many places in the world, the new solar year is being celebrated.

Yes, it was worth it

I ate 7 of these for breakfast today.....

What's Cookin' Wednesday

Candy Cane Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
• 1/2 cup peppermint candy canes, crushed
• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Divide dough into halves. Color one half red by mixing in the food color. Roll a small amount of each dough into a 2 inch long worm. Roll them together in a twisted rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 1o 10 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed candy cane and remaining white sugar. Roll hot cookies in the sugar mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed candy cane and remaining white sugar. Roll hot cookies in the sugar mixture.

***********************************************************************************

As always, I had lots of help. Maybe he'll be a naked chef?

BIG Snow

While ONO worked on the basement this morning, the mini-muffins and I ventured out into the wintry whiteness.  It was very, very cold and windy, and yet.....kind of fun!  That's how I always feel after the first big snow.  Check with me again in the middle of February.

So I shoveled, and shoveled (and shoveled) and the mini-muffins "helped" me.  Brennan seems to love the cold and snow but Logan 

isn't a fan.  He was done in about 45 minutes, and that was pushing it!  Brennan stayed out twice as long, happy as a clam...or maybe a snowman.  

It's always fascinating to me how two kids from the same parents can be so different.

Winter Running

I know, I know.....I said I was all done with running until Spring.  I just couldn't stay away.  

Part of it was the challenge of running in cold weather.  Could I do it?  Could I stand it?  I wanted to know.  

Another motivator was very 

 fond memories of downhill and cross country skiing as a teen.  Those pushed me to try....there's something about the stillness and softness of snow that is soothing.  Yes, it's cold but it's also wondrous.  It moves the self (my Self) to slow down and be present.

I've run 3 times while it's snowing and right after it has snowed.  A little tricky but very fun.  I decided to try after getting my left calf checked by a sports med. doc here in town.  I was assured that I only had shin splints and not a stress fracture and that they (said shin splints) were caused by the hill running I had done on the U of I campus 

starting in July in preparation for the trail run I did in October.  That trail run definitely exacerbated it.  

Oddly enough, after running in the snow, I haven't had a single twinge in my left calf....maybe it's the extra cushioning from the snow, or I'm landing and stepping off differently to manage the snow, or maybe it was all psychological!

I was a little hesitant to tell ONO that I was going to run again before spring.  I told him and he said something like "Well, I'm not surprised.  I'm well aware of your illness."  It took me a minute and then I said "I don't think of it as an illness."  And he said, "I know.  That's why it is."

I think it's ok if I'm a bit nutty about this running thing.  It's helping me keep the tendrils away!!

Bah Humbug!

Conversation after ONO went through the mail today:

Him: "Are we sending Christmas cards this year?"

Me: "Yeah...."

Him: "Do we have to?"

Me: "Well, we're getting them, mostly from your family so far."

Him: "Just because we get cards doesn't mean we have to send them."

Me: Disapproving look

Me: "Well, I'm not going to participate in your Scrooge-ness."

Him: "It's not about Christmas.....It's about family!"

Grateful

Those of you that live in the area know what a nasty few days we've had weather-wise. The meteorologists called it a "wintry mix" but it sure seemed more like the 9th circle of Dante's hell.

We had hear the ice storm was coming so I planned to get the bulk of the Christmas shopping done on Saturday. It was nasty but not too bad. But then on Sunday I realized that I hadn't paid enough attention to how low the juice supply was so knew I'd have to go out AGAIN and fork out another chunk of moolah to support the mini-muffins' juice habit. AND I decided I should take them because ONO was focused on getting the basement finished and I sure didn't want to interrupt that!

So, grumbling under my breath, I got the boys dressed in coats, hats mittens, shoes, socks, (and for Brennan pants and a shirt) which they protested vehemently, then got myself ready and out we went into the yuck. Very yuck.
(It wasn't this bad at our house.....I just thought the pic was kinda cool.)


We did the shopping, managed to avoid a number of major meltdowns and headed back out to the van. While the boys cried because they were cold and hungry, I put all the stuff into the van, getting cold and wet. Finally, into the car seats they went with more than minimal angry outbursts from yours truly. It was all just SO annoying! (I usually say something much more colorful but it's not appropriate here.)

This outing was really getting the best of me and I could sense the tough, icy tendrils of my SAD creeping up and planning a hijacking. It's a really desperate feeling.....sensing that the THING is almost upon you and feeling nearly defenseless against it. Fortunately (for me) while driving home I noticed two older women standing at a bus stop, with no warm jacket and no head covering. They were soaking wet and looked miserable. The tendrils slunk back just a little when I said to myself "at least you have a warm, dry van and don't have to stand waiting for a bus."

I got home and before dragging in the $100-plus of groceries in the house, I felt another wave of frustration and annoyance wash over me when I saw the inch of ice on our deck. In a huff I started chopping the ice off the deck and stairs so no one would fall and break their necks (namely me!) I'm chopping away and getting pretty ticked off by it, cursing the weather and winter in general and then, I'm not sure why, the truth of what I was actually doing occurred to me -- I'm chopping ice off of our deck, that we OWN, ourselves, and have friends over to enjoy our firepit on, and our kids have little picnics on when the weather is nice. That's attached to your warm, dry, pretty house, filled with your healthy, normal children and your loving, devoted, hard-working husband, filled to the brim with food, that you were able to buy with the money that you earned from your job that brings you personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

Yeah, Lis, you have a hard life. Poor you, having to go out to buy groceries and chop ice off of your deck.

You know, when you're warm, safe, dry and fed, an ice storm is actually kinda interesting and pretty.

Ready for the weather

We got our first "real" snow last night.  The good kind.  The kind you can make snowmen and snowballs out of.  Brennan is very excited about the snow and got dressed for it right after waking up so he could go out and play.

I hope he doesn't want to go to school naked.

Not home

Everyone who reads this expected Bethany to be home by now. She isn't. And as far as I know, she won't be until the official end of her exchange experience.

After the election on December 2 went without any major violence, and the socialist changes proposed in the Referendum failed, Bethany decided that she was safe again and her dad and the Rotary officials agreed. She is staying for now.

Her dad and Carter will be visiting her over the week between Christmas and New Year. Her dad will "assess" the situation and see how things really are. She doesn't want to leave. She still misses us and being home, but she doesn't want to lose out on this opportunity. I understand but.....

I'll say it again.......it's hard being a Mom.

The glow of the season

We put our tree up this past weekend. It's the earliest we've ever done it (that I can remember) and we've all been really enjoying it (except I don't think Carter cares that much).

Logan was especially enthralled with the tree, lights, and sparkly ornaments -- what little kid (including the one in all of us) isn't?!

Befy Update #5

Thanks to everyone who has been thinking about, praying for and asking about Bethany. The last 7-10 days have been very intense, scary and difficult. She was practically frantic by Thursday of last week and asking to come home. Her dad and I had multiple conversations trying to decide what to do and how to do it. We were concerned about how she would handle losing out on this experience, the one that she had planned for and worked hard at adjusting to, and wondering how much of her panic was her (Bethany is just a scooch dramatic at times), and how much was due to real danger. After we heard about U.S. military diverting some ships to the Caribbean because of the election, we decided it was time to pull her out.

Bethany's dad contacted about everyone related to Rotary that he could to get some action. Unfortunately, there wasn't any way to get her out before today, election day, but she'll be on a plane this coming Thursday, December 6. She's currently in a gated community with a family member of her host family's. I chatted with her today and she said she felt safe but is very unhappy about having to come home. That's to be expected. There will be time enough for her to get over her anger and disappointment while she's here for the rest of the year.

For now, I'm breathing a HUGE sigh of relief.