Thanksgiving

Steven and I had a great Thanksgiving in Hot Springs! It was so nice to see my mother-in-law and to spend time with our friends up there. It was very relaxing and a much needed get away during what has been a very stressful several months. I am now looking forward to my New York birthday trip this week! (Pictures above include: me in my Santa hat - it's pink, of course; the giant gingerbread house at the historic Arlington Hotel; Steven and I in Arlington Park; and Steven and I at a yummy German restaurant, which we really enjoyed!)

Twilight

Just a few quick words on the movie.

I was weary about going to see it after finishing the book this week because I was doubtful that the movie could stand alone and that there was enough substance to it to translate well from book to movie. But it did. I read some reviews on the movie before I went to see it, most of which bashed the acting and proclaimed the flick "just another boring vampire movie." I don't agree with these critiques.

I do think that the movie most likely held a lot more meaning and significance to those who have read the book and/or entire series and have an attachment to it. I really enjoyed the movie mainly, I feel, because I had just finished the book and it was all fresh in my mind and the movie so closely followed the book. I liked the actors who portrayed the characters in the book and I felt the movie was true to the book.

All that said I, much to my surprise, liked and enjoyed the movie and feel that it plunged me further into the pop culture Twilight phenomenon. Heaven help me....I am about to start on the next book in the Twilight series: New Moon.

The photo in this blog is one from Twilight the movie!

Thanksgiving...

... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present--love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure--the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.--Sarah Ban Brethnach

There is no time like Thanksgiving to express our thankfulness and gratitude. With the day to day grind and this economy and gas prices and just the price in general of everything, it is sometimes very hard to feel grateful and thankful these days. When I am trying to come up with my five things that I am thankful for each day, sometimes it is definitely harder than others. But I always manage. And today I am just very thankful that God has blessed me with a thankful heart, as redundant as that may be. I am grateful that God has given me this ability to step back and appreciate the things that really matter in life - not necessarily on a daily basis, but on a consistent basis, at least.

Yes, I have bad days, but as long as I can come up with those five things that I am thankful for each day, then I am okay. While my life is far from perfect and there is one huge aspect that I am currently very unhappy with, the things that I am so thankful for this Thanksgiving week far outweigh the unhappiness.

Five things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1.) My marriage. I've said it before and I'll say it again: my husband is my rock, my best friend, my world. My life would not be complete without his love. God has given me an angel to spend my life with. The photo in this blog is a picture of my sweet hubby and I!

2.) The unconditional love of my parents who have become two of my best friends as the years have gone by. They are always there for me and have been the best role models anyone could ever have.

3.) Good friends who are more like family than friends. Sometimes a girl just needs her girlfriends and no one else will do.

4.) That I can do all things through God who strengthens me. I am so thankful that I know the Lord who gives me the strength I need and who carries me through when I simply don't have the strength to do it myself. I need his strength a lot these days and I am thankful he gives it at the exact time when I think I can't take it anymore.

5.) To steal a line from a Martina McBride song, "This world's gone crazy, and it's hard to believe that tomorrow will be better than today. Believe it anyway. " I am so thankful that I really do believe that tomorrow will be better than today. And today was pretty good...

Dreaming of a "Pink" Christmas...

Okay, so, this may be verging on the obsessive side, but then when have I ever cared about what people thought of my pink obsession?

I absolutely LOVE this Christmas tree, however, my husband has put his foot down on this one. I guess I shall just have to settle for my small, baby pink flamingo tree...for this year.

Pucker Up!

A few weekends ago I went to Mistletoe Market Place where I purchased an amaryllis kissing ball. I love it. Apparently it works the same way as mistletoe - you hang it in a doorway and when two people get caught underneath it, they have to kiss. I have it hanging up between my living room and kitchen. It looks precious. I told my hubby that every time he walk under it, he has to give me a kiss! The one in this picture is white, but mine is read. I love it!

Gratitude

Several years ago I read a book about being grateful and thankful for the good things in your life rather than focusing on the things that were difficult or unpleasant. The book suggested that each and every day, if you can list five things - no matter how big or small - that you can be thankful for, then there is no reason why you should not be a happy person. The book is called Simple Abundance and I highly recommend reading it. So, ever since reading this book, I have - off and on - tried to keep up with what I call my "gratitude journal." So, here are the things I am thankful for today on Sunday, November 23, 2008:

1.) My husband - he is my rock, my best friend, my world, my everything. His mere presence makes me happy and whole. I am so thankful that God put us together.

2.) A week off. Those who know me well, know that the past several months have been...well...nuts. I am thankful for this week off to rest and rejuvenate.

3.) Pink flamingos. I have purchased about three or four pink flamingo Christmas ornaments this year. I plan to have a small flamingo Christmas tree this year displaying my collection of pink flamingo ornaments. They make me so happy.

4.) Traditions, great and small. I love the holiday season. The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is just such a fun time of year. I have little rituals that I have become accustomed to that have to occur every year. For example, it isn't the holidays unless my best friend and I watch Little Women or unless I purchase my Twisted Peppermint Body Wash from Bath and Body Works. I just love it all!

5.) Quality time with family. I have spent most of the weekend with my mother and it has been so much fun!

Welcome and Twilight

Welcome to my brand new blog! I mostly like to write about the books that I read, movies and TV shows that I have watched and places that I have visited.

I have just recently finished reading a pop culture phenomenon book called Twilight. I started reading this book because many of my students bombarded me telling me how great it was and then my best friend demanded that I read it.

Before I began all that I knew was that it was a book about a girl who feel in love with a vampire. "What's new?" I thought to myself. But I purchased it at Target for $8 and began reading anyway. I am not sure if it is all of the hype - the movie came out this past Thursday - or if I actually enjoyed it, but I must say, the book did entertain me. Now, I am actually demanding that my hubby take me to see the movie. I have even borrowed the second book in the series and plan to start reading it on my Thanksgiving trip to Hot Springs this week.