hoooray!

one of my dearest and oldest friends got engaged last night!

congrats matt and lara :)

please let me help plan your wedding. k, thanks, bye.

next Christmas

too bad i didn't find this site 3 weeks ago. i would have asked for a thru q for Christmas.

especially this one -

dear Santa, please take note.

hearts and hugs, elle

6.2

i find that snow regresses my age quite significantly. i couldn't sleep past 6 am on the morning of the impending nor'easter. thank the Lord for snow ... in all of it's glittery, powdery, magical goodness.

it's perfect white blanket made me contemplate all the wonderful metaphors for the season, God's love, and His plans for us. it makes the world seem new again. it unifies us. makes everything beautiful in an otherwise dreary and gray world. reminds us of what a great God we serve - one that can show Himself in wondrous ways.

saturday night p.j. and i contemplated what christmas movie to watch (it only seemed right, with snow on the ground and all). we 'discussed' this decision for quite some time, finally ending on 'holiday inn' - a classic. i fell asleep halfway though.

on sunday we went caroling to the elderly from our church that don't normally get to sunday services. they were so thankful and their faces said it all. when we got to a nursing home, my spirit was crushed - so many left behind. just sitting. who's loving them? caring for them? showing them that they are special? it was in those moments that God really smacked me in the face with how blessed i am. how wonderful it is to have someone walk beside you in life. someone to take your hand and help you through it all. and someone to decide what christmas movie to watch on a snowy saturday night.

to quote one of p.j.'s favorite christmas movies (shhh ... don't tell)

'love actually is all around'

i forgot this existed

how i love thee

and quite sad, because i forgot about this song/album until today. how dare i forget an indie christmas.

the sad melodies (and lyrics) of the majority of the songs threaten to put me in a funk. but i shall instead remember all the blessings of the season.

my winter song ...

i was better in college

instead of getting down to business and completing all of the tasks in front of me, i frequently find myself overwhelmed, discouraged, and sitting on the couch. i have so much to do, i can't get myself to do any of it.

i want to decorate our house for christmas (because, let's face it, it IS the most wonderful time of the year) but i can't bring myself to do it. i want to organize our clothes. but i can't. i want to scrub the bathrooms and kitchen til my reflection gleams in their outdated counter tops. but i can't. i want to get rid of everything that we don't need or use. but i can't. i need to finish unpacking and put everything in its place. but i can't.

in college we had deadlines. paper due november 12th. presentation on the 17th. group projects, essays, online assignments, meetings. i would procrastinate til the cows came home, but i was better under pressure and got it done. i didn't always love what i handed it, but i was proud that i waited that long and still pumped it out and got it handed in.

then you graduate and life still has deadlines, but they aren't the same. the consequences don't seem as immediate or terrible. so the living room is dusty. important paperwork in thrown in a drawer. your 'handwashables' don't get handwashed. the extra bedroom is mess and completely not functional. this is not to say that our house is in shambles. but i know i could do a better job ... right now i'm giving myself an F in domesticity.

maybe that's what i need to do - create a schedule of deadlines in my head (or on paper) for everyday tasks. set realistic goals and get things done. GET THINGS DONE. tackle one thing at a time, not 37.

perhaps this wasn't the best time of the year to have this revelation. but maybe it was. i excelled at the end of semesters - when the pressure was on. well, elle, it's crunch time again, are you going to rise or fall?