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.

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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!!