Warm and Toasty

"I like winter because I can stay indoors without feeling guilty." Teressa Skelton

I have no idea who Teressa Skelton is (or was) but I ran across this quote and it summed up my day yesterday. After finishing my elf duties, I headed home in the snow. It was slow going and lots of reckless drivers were sliding around. I was very relieved to walk into the warm house.

Warmth comes in many forms beyond the toasty air from the heater. It's a smile that greets you and a welcoming embrace. It's a look of relief and you realize someone has been concerned about the road conditions. It's snuggling in and knowing you are safe and warm.

I threw beef stew ingredients in the crock pot. Voila! Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Then we put on Christmas music and I watched my mother and sister make candy. I could pretend I participated but truthfully it's their ritual and my joy was watching their teamwork. Then a neighbor and friend came over and we sat in front of the fire and watched two movies.

After dinner, I snuggled with my dog. All in all, it was a day filled with warmth, love and friendship. We should all be so lucky.

Farm Girl

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." Benjamin Franklin

My normal body clock awakens me between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM. I force myself to stay in bed until 5:00. I used to envy people who could sleep late but I've learned to appreciate this quirk. In many ways, it is my favorite part of the day. I relax with coffee and the newspaper. I watch the local news. I relax and plan my day before the hyperactivity kicks in.

I like to go to bed early. My oldies tease me about a curfew and we laugh about how ridiculous this is since I usually go to bed around 9:00 PM. Don't be jealous of my exciting habits!

My sleep cycle is a lot like farmers. I might have made a good farm girl except for that pesky part about working the farm.

Jay Leno

My favorite quote of the month is attributed to Jay Leno:

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"