Let’s Do Something New for 2009

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Here’s an idea. Don’t make any resolutions.

Christine Hassler has an alternative to New Year’s Resolutions. She says we should “Ring In The New Year In A New Way“

Most of us start the New Year with the greatest of intentions of
keeping our resolutions, yet by March (or even by the second week in
January) we may not find ourselves so “resolved.” We revert back to old
patterns and our resolutions become as nostalgic as the person we
kissed at midnight. Could there be a different approach to kicking off
2009 that serves us better?

Every year, I take a different approach to resolutions. I resolve
not to make any. I realized focusing on how to make myself or something
in my life more, better, or different was not particularly inspiring.
Instead, I take a new approach to January – the month of new
beginnings.

Read the entire post -Ring In The New Year In A New Way

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End-of-2008-lists: Animal Videos, Darth C. Vader, Political Antics, Forgettable Events

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10 Incredible Animal Videos

25 Reasons Americans Don’t Like Dick Cheney

26+ Most Laughable Political Antics of 2008

40+ Things Arianna Huffington Wants To Forget

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Barack Obama: Person of the Year 2008

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The road is long, but not as long as it was yesterday.

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Sometimes I want to say something, but I’m not sure what to say.

I left a comment, a couple of weeks ago, on a blog I happened across. The writer was lamenting her estranged husband’s lack of love for her and their child, his continued drinking and his constant belittling of her.

She quoted Pink at the end of her post, “It’s going to be a long way to happiness.”

I was not sure what to write, and I almost did not write anything. Finally, I realized what I had to say,

It might be a long way, but you’ve already begun the journey. It’s not as long as it was yesterday, and tomorrow the road to happiness will be shorter than it is tonight. – deb/dhconcerts

I think I’ll tell myself that, too.

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Making My Heart Happy: Feeling Sad and Making My First Night Light

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Exciting Opportunities vs Difficult Situations

In spite of some exciting opportunities and some good time with family, I’ve felt sad and stressed, because of other equally difficult situations. Sometimes, no matter how good the good things are, the bad things just won’t go away.

Are You Feeling Happy Now?

Last night, my nephew asked me, “Are you feeling happy now?”  He had been listening to the adult conversations.  I told him, “Not yet.”

Trying to Make My Heart Happy

Today, there was some resolution to some difficult situations. For that, I was grateful and a little less overwhelmed by stress. But, I still felt so much heaviness, so much sadness, like an overwhelming fatigue.

Maybe If I Make Something In Stained Glass …

I wanted to find something to bring me back to level. I wanted to do something that brings me happiness in order to bring myself back to feeling happy.

Looking Through The Colored Glass

So, I looked at some of the glass I have on the shelf (waiting to be turned into something). I looked at one piece, then another, then another. I decided to take a stack of 12″ x 12″ squares of glass to show the children. They’ve been drawing designs for me, ideas for projects.

I Decided to See If I could Make A Nightlight

I really, really, really wanted to do something that felt good to me, something that would give me a sense of satisfaction. To quote myself, from a quote in my quotes section on the right sidebar, “Creating something is almost always my best solution for finding the good in a bad situation.”

I really do feel that way. Doing something with words or color or sound, ideas or images or some kind of form, just makes me feel better. It helps me find that part of myself that I lose when my life becomes too busy and too energized by negative stress.

I Chose Red Granite Glass and Two Bevels

I wanted to do something easy, something really easy that would not take too long. I just wanted to do something I could start and finish in a short time. I wanted the spark and the joy that come from creating something.

There was very little to do. I marked a pattern on the smooth side of the red granite glass, and scored and broke the glass. I lightly ground the edges of the red piece of cut glass, and wrapped the edges of the two bevels and the red glass with copper foil. I soldered the three pieces together, with the red glass between the two bevels, and rounded the outer edges with solder. I soldered the little metal band to the glass, the band that holds the glass onto the nightlight. Then, I cleaned the glass and the soldered edges to remove the flux. Finally, I secured the metal band around the base of the night light and adjusted the glass to be directly in front of the bulb. The entire process took about an hour and a half.

It Didn’t bring Me To The Top Of The Mountain, But It Brought Me Up

I felt that small stirring inside that bounces around and builds until it creates joy. I’m not back to the joy place yet. I’m still feeling exhausted from having too much going on in my life for too long. (I am a much-too-busy person.) But, I could feel some of that good feeling, and I could smile.  These are steps in the right direction.

This is my first nightlight. I’m telling myself it’s just a test.

The bevels are scratched, because the cats knocked them off the table and they hit the concrete floor (prior to my using them today). And, I’m trying to determine the best size and shape to use for nightlights. But, I did something that gives me happiness. I took a step. I did what I’ve not believed I had time for since mid-summer.

Here are two photos of the night light (glass front) I made this evening. It looks prettier in real life, but this will give an idea of how it looks.

It Is Important To Find (And Do) What Makes You Happy

So much of what I do is motivated by having to be an adult (because I am one). I am an adult, so I must be responsible and work hard and take care of myself. Sometimes, too often, I put off doing the things that are lifegiving. For me, creating something, anything, breathes life into me, heals me, and helps me find rest when I am exhausted. It helps me find a spark of the joy that is so easy to lose when I’m feeling overwhelmed by events in my life.  Creating something helps me make my heart happy.

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Pushing the Boulder Uphill (against stronger and opposite resistance)

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Note: This post is a continuation of the thought presented in my gossip post.

Pushing the boulder up the hill

Trying to recover from “concern” voiced behind one’s back, idle chatter, rumor and malicious lies is very much like trying to push a boulder to the top of a hill. It is endless, exhausting and almost surely impossible.

Ha!  I saw this image, and was reminded of the old story of the endless job of rolling the boulder uphill.  Then, I clicked the ‘larger image’ button and discovered that this drawing takes it a step further. There is someone above the stone pushing down. That is an even better illustration of what a person has to overcome when he or she is the object of gossip.

This drawing is by Barry Blitt. It appeared in

December 28, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/12/28/opinion/28rich.ready.html

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Gossip! There’s Nothing Like it!

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Pecking the weaker chicken until she bleeds to death

I normally would not quote a church that holds the “homosexuality=sin” belief (since I do not share that belief), but other than that, I agree with this article and think it is worth repeating.

If I could draw, I’d draw a chicken yard with chickens pecking one chicken until she bleeds to death. That’s what I think of gossip.

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Here is most of the article:

The Gossip Test

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Eph. 4:29)

Gossip is destructive

Gossip is one of the most destructive forces in the world. It destroys innocent lives and careers; divides families, marriages, businesses, and churches; and it betrays confidence, keeps the embers of a fire stirred until it is out of control, and it is a gross sin … And the worst part of gossip is that most people don’t even recognize when they are doing it. Of course, gossip always hurts the worst when it is directed against us.

Gossip is the antithesis of loving one another

I know many of you have been victims of the loose tongues of others. I know I have. And never once have I ever felt like I benefited from the gossip’s snare … it is the antithesis of loving one another …

Test #1 – “Is it true?”

… there are three tests all repeated words should undergo before they come from our mouths. And I believe those three things are very Scriptural. First, “is it true?” In other words, when we repeat something, will the person we are telling the story about be in complete agreement with it. Nothing untrue about another person should ever come from our lips. I believe that perpetuating a lie is a grievance to both God and the one the lie is told about. And even if the lie is exposed, not everyone who heard the lie will hear the rebuttal. But even those who hear that the lie is just that – a lie – so often they think, “where there is smoke there is fire.”

Test #2 – “Is it useful?”

The second test for repeating words is, “is it useful.” In other words, if it doesn’t meet Paul’s test above – “. . . [is it] helpful for building others up according to their needs, . . .” then it has no place … So often we are quick to criticize others, without finding out the validity of what is spoken. But Scripture is clear, that gossip betrays (Prov. 11:13) and destruction is around the corner … So even if something might be true, will it serve a useful purpose in repeating it?

Test #3 – “Is it kind?”

The third test, akin to the second, “is it kind.” …The words of our mouths should be words which not only build up another person but meets the test of kindness. Mr. Webster defines kindness as the act of being considerate, loving, and generous to another person. Paul says kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit of God, (Gal. 5:22) and an act of love (1 Cor. 13:4).

Gossip is only repeated to a listening ear.

Let me add one more admonition. Gossip is only repeated to a listening ear. If someone comes to you with a choice morsel of news … ask them before they say it, “Does it meet the gossip test?” If it does not, then you have no business even hearing it. And if you do hear it, take the person on a biblical walk. Let them know what Scripture says about gossips and gossip. And it has much to say – none good.

Posted by Zion Church at May 4, 2006 10:46 AM

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Thinking about fresh cut flowers

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I Hope You’re Happy When I Die

drawing by Exploding Dog.

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The Quest For The Perfect Truffle

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Truffle Goals

With the goal of working out another recipe for my “Cooking for the Motivationally Challenged” category AND making Christmas (New Year) gifts for my neighbors and a few other people, I have been on the search for the perfect truffle.

Truffle Recipes

I’ve tried and tried to recreate the truffles I made last Christmas. They were made of Dark Chocolate and Butter!!! Oh My!!! lol. They were good.  They were smooth. They were very nice. (Yes, of course, they were bad for me, bad for you and bad for everyone.)

Four Dinner Plates Filled With Truffles

So, I’ve been trying various truffle recipes for the past few weeks. I’ve just been making them up, trying to come up with something close to what I had last year. This is in spite of the fact that the first day I wrote my truffle post, I received a suggestion from Test Kitchenette and found a very nice truffle post by Naturally Indulgent. I even have a post in the works about that post!

I guess I’m stubborn, or persistent, or I persevere until I find the answer I’m seeking.  The word you use to describe making up a recipe when I have a perfectly good recipe in hand probably depends on what you think of trying to figure something out for oneself. The way I looked at it, I could not go wrong with  any combination of dark chocolate, butter, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, cocoa and cream.   Worse case? I would have to eat all my mistakes. Aw     ….

The end of the truffle making

So, what was the end of all this truffle-making? I used the recipe I found weeks ago on Naturally Indulgent. I gave up on just making up a recipe on my own. What’s the recipe? 1 cup of whipping cream. 3 cups of dark chocolate. I melted the chocolate and stirred in the cream (the reverse of what I should have done). I covered it and let it cool in the refrigerator for a few hours (not the 6-8 hours suggested). I made little balls of chocolate and rolled some in cocoa powder and some in confectioner’s sugar.

Then, I decided they were entirely too small. And, I also wanted a hard shell on them. So, I melted more chocolate and dipped each ball  in the chocolate. After they were firm enough to work with, I rolled 1/3 in cocoa and 1/3 in sugar. For the remaining 1/3, I made a sugary syrup of a little whipping cream and a lot of confectioner’s sugar, and I dribbled it over the tops of the truffles.

Taste-testing the truffles

My brother-in-law has been most kind to help me evaluate each new batch of truffles. He is critiquing each type of center, each powdered exterior and each topping. To him I am extremely grateful.   I told him if he were to stick around, I’d give him over 100 pounds (not talking about English money). It’s good that I only make truffles once a year. I could easily give myself many pounds, too.

[Update: December 23, 2009 Last minute gift: Christmas truffles at Cake or Mistake]

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The Man Who Lies About Gay People Plays The Victim

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I apologize for posting about this on Christmas Day. But, I have no doubt the Christ would not like the lies being told in His Name  by a certain (in)famous preacher.

Yes, I’m talking about Rick Warren. He uses words like “incest” and “pedophelia” when talking about gay people, and then he tries to pretend that gay people are the haters.

Jed Lewison has posted about this on Daily Kos and on his own page. Here are a few lines:

Rick Warren Doubles Down, Accuses Critics Of “Christophobia”

Setting aside Warren’s role as inaugural invocation speaker (for a brief moment), I don’t think there’s any way to defend what he is now saying. I accept the proposition that it’s possible to disagree on the issue of gay marriage without calling someone names.

But there’s really no comparison between gay marriage and incest or pedophilia, and if Warren thinks they are equivalent, he’s either a fan of incest and pedophilia, or he has serious problem with gay people. And calling his critics “Christophobes” just makes matters worse.

A simple apology from Warren for having made the comparison probably would have made this whole controversy go away. But now he’s doubling down, and it’s just making matters worse.

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A Christmas Message From Our President Elect

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Obama Puts Out Holiday Radio Address

Now, more than ever, we must rededicate ourselves to the notion that we share a common destiny as Americans – that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. Now, we must all do our part to serve one another; to seek new ideas and new innovation; and to start a new chapter for our great country.

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Also, on Christmas Eve, Obama Scatters Grandmother’s Ashes In Hawaii

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Looking for Santa

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So many people came looking for Santa on Christmas Eve.  The links to NORAD’s  Santa Tracker videos, tracking Santa’s progress in his Christmas Eve travels around the globe, only work on Christmas Eve. So, if you missed seeing Santa visiting famous spots around the globe, check back next year when he makes his Christmas Eve trip around the world.

I asked the young ones in my family if they’d like to see where Santa was.  One said, “I do,  but I’m too busy right now.” He was  drawing and doing other fun things. When they finally got ready for bed about 10:30pm, they watched the video of  Santa in Brazil, and they heard the voice of the NORAD Santa Tracker saying that Santa had just visited South America and would be in North America soon. They got the message, and the lights were out in a flash!

If you stopped by this page looking for Santa, please stay for awhile and see if there is anything else here that interests you. Please leave a comment, too, if you’re so inclined. I’d love to hear from you, even if you disagree with me, as long as you are polite.

Here were the Christmas Eve stats from Sitemeter (from midnight to midnight on December 24, 2008). It looks like searching for Santa has been as popular as obsessing about certain political figures a few months ago. It’s certainly more rewarding!

Debs House Concerts Site Summary
VISITS
	Total	50,727
	Average Per Day	167
	Average Visit Length	1:35
	Last Hour	21
	Today	264
	This Week	1,169
PAGE VIEWS
	Total	73,620
	Average Per Day	238
	Average Per Visit	1.4
	Last Hour	26
	Today	378
	This Week	1,664

Thanks again for stopping by. And, thanks to the men and women of NORAD, our strategic defense military personnel, who take a night to keep us posted on Santa’s whereabouts.

If you’re curious about previous Santa posts, they’re here:

December 24, 2007

Christmas Eve Fun – Santa Tracker by NORAD

December 24, 2008

SANTA! Norad Santa Tracker 2008

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Here’s are other good posts about the NORAD Santa Trackers:

Santa On YouTube

NORAD Tracks Santa (Wikipedia)

SANTA TRACKER 2008: Military center tracking Santa’s sleigh ride

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SANTA! Norad Santa Tracker 2008

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UPDATE: December 24, 2009  NORAD Santa Tracker 2009

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Santa Tracker 2008

Here is what you’ve been looking for over the past few weeks. Here is the link for the Norad Santa Tracker for 2008.

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Norad Santa 2008

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Irreverent Christmas Post – a joke, a cartoon, a quote

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First the joke, I wish I could say there is no truth in this:

What if there were three wise women instead of three wise men?

Do you know what would have happened if it had been three Wise
Women instead of three Wise Men ?

Women would say:
They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver
the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought
practical gifts.

Here’s Men’s rebuttal…..
Yeah, and do you know what they said would have said when they
left?

“Did you see the sandals Mary was wearing with that gown?”

“That baby doesn’t look anything like Joseph!”

“Can you believe they let all of those disgusting animals in the
house?”

“I heard that Joseph isn’t even working right now!”

“And that donkey that they are riding has seen better days too!”

“Want to bet on how long it will take until you get your casserole
dish back?”

(copied from JokesFunny)

The Cartoon

(from Quit Looking at me Like I’ve Lost My Mind)

The Quote

Christmas is the Dick Cheney of holidays: it purports to be there for noble purposes but blatantly demonstrates wholly unholy ones…

Even though the idea of Christmas can still stir some emotion … I know that it’s based …  on nascent hopes I entertained as a child, susceptible to such sentimental catalysts like A Charlie Brown Christmas or Miracle on 34th Street. Rather than imbue me with an optimism that was applicable in every day life, they resulted in emotions wrung out in response to these and other expertly crafted flickering fairy tales; more manipulation for marketing’s sake…

And yet, there is real sensual enjoyment to be gotten from the rituals associated with this time of year: the sight of a humble but gorgeously bedecked Christmas tree; the sound of snow crunching under foot on the way to midnight mass; the perfect timbre of a chorale—all of which makes your soul feel as though it’s being plucked by a universal luthier. You vibrate sympathetically as though your body were answering an ancient call to participate in something bigger than could ever be imagined by the limits of religious iconography or the Made in Taiwan flimsiness of seasonal bunting.

Since the species seems for the most part to be tumbling headfirst into a cyber abyss … it is sentiment rather than intellect which remains the best hope of defining our humanity in this cold consumer culture. While reason may have failed us… our need to find our way through sweet memories of sights, sounds, tastes, touches and smells formed in our youthful, hopeful stages … may be our way back to a more meaningful observation of the holiday…

So why not wallow in or at least savor—if briefly—the sweetness of simplicity and celebrate Christmas within the sentimental realm of the senses? In times like these, it’s the best gift money could never buy.

(by Steven Webber at Huffington Post)

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MILK – Part 5 (of 5)- POLLDADDY.COM -Please participate in my polls! :)

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Got MILK?

Harvey Milk, the 1970s San Francisco Mayor.

MILK, the movie, with Sean Penn

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Part 5 -

POLLDADDY.COM -Please participate in my polls!

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POLLDADDY.COM -Please participate in my polls!

Please participate in the polls, and let me know what you think. Remember, you can write in an answer under the ‘other’ box. Please be courteous. I want to be able to keep the ‘write in’ section on future polls.

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