Monday, December 31, 2012
A Single Point of View: The mountains!
A Single Point of View: The mountains!: We went to the mountains over the weekend. My dad was able to get a cabin in North Carolina for the week through his company, and this girl...
The mountains!
We went to the mountains over the weekend.
My dad was able to get a cabin in North Carolina for the week through his company, and this girl takes advantage of every opportunity to go see something different on the cheap. (Can we say free lodging??)
The kids and I spent almost as much time driving as we did actually at the cabin, but it was worth it. They were captive for about 10 hours over two days while we were on the road, which meant they had to listen to me sing! ;)
Okay, I lied. I sang, they blared dubstep in their ears to drown me out. But every now and again I would nudge whoever drew the short straw to be my passenger/navigator to point out something interesting (are those mountains or clouds? They're mountains! No...they're clouds.)
The cabin was beautiful. Two-stories sitting on the top of a small mountain.
We tried convincing the kids that the outhouse behind the cabin was the only bathroom.
Frankly, I'm glad it was just a joke, or that was about to be one helluva long weekend!
I know the cabin had running well water (which the kids declared delicious), electricity and a woodburning stove, but it was still rustic. It didn't even have wifi!
Because she couldn't be on Facebook (lucky for me it DID have 4G ;) ), I have a sneaky suspicion my daughter stayed up too late reading her new book using a new-to-her booklight after I sent her to bed. Luckily we still had cell service or Christopher might have had an apoplexy. As it was he got to talk to Beth until 11-something.
The only thing I wanted to do Saturday morning was curl up in a rocking chair with a blanket and a steaming mug of coffee, and chit chat with my Dad. And I did it! It lasted all of about 15 minutes, because Daddy needed to go in the house for something, it was only about 36 degrees outside and my coffee got cold very much quick.
Then we went for a walk in the woods. When I was growing up we used to do that all the time. Daddy would take us camping at Clark Hill (when it was still Clark Hill and you could go anywhere you wanted to without paying a day-use fee) and we'd all spend hours walking through the woods and running from snakes. I still love it...in winter....when the snakes are safely asleep underground.
We left about noon thirty and my plan had been to mosey on back, stopping wherever we felt like. I did have a mission to stop in Helen and make unfavorable comparisons to the real towns in Germany. Of course, since it's been now 2 1/2 years since I went to Germany, I don't remember anymore! The weather was cold and rainy, and I do remember that. But except for the major cities that look more like Augusta than Helen, I don't ever remember seeing that many people. Well...maybe the Hauptstrasse...
You can't see the people in this picture, but I promise they were there. And here I thought we were the only crazy people to be out walking around in such weather.
The only other stops we made were potty breaks. Too many of them, but you know how that goes. As much as I wanted to stop and see sights, I really wanted to get back into familiar territory by dark. We only got lost twice on the way and I figured that was adventure enough.
Tax time is in a month or two. Time to start planning our next adventure!
My dad was able to get a cabin in North Carolina for the week through his company, and this girl takes advantage of every opportunity to go see something different on the cheap. (Can we say free lodging??)
The kids and I spent almost as much time driving as we did actually at the cabin, but it was worth it. They were captive for about 10 hours over two days while we were on the road, which meant they had to listen to me sing! ;)
Okay, I lied. I sang, they blared dubstep in their ears to drown me out. But every now and again I would nudge whoever drew the short straw to be my passenger/navigator to point out something interesting (are those mountains or clouds? They're mountains! No...they're clouds.)
The cabin was beautiful. Two-stories sitting on the top of a small mountain.
We tried convincing the kids that the outhouse behind the cabin was the only bathroom.
I know the cabin had running well water (which the kids declared delicious), electricity and a woodburning stove, but it was still rustic. It didn't even have wifi!
Because she couldn't be on Facebook (lucky for me it DID have 4G ;) ), I have a sneaky suspicion my daughter stayed up too late reading her new book using a new-to-her booklight after I sent her to bed. Luckily we still had cell service or Christopher might have had an apoplexy. As it was he got to talk to Beth until 11-something.
The only thing I wanted to do Saturday morning was curl up in a rocking chair with a blanket and a steaming mug of coffee, and chit chat with my Dad. And I did it! It lasted all of about 15 minutes, because Daddy needed to go in the house for something, it was only about 36 degrees outside and my coffee got cold very much quick.
Then we went for a walk in the woods. When I was growing up we used to do that all the time. Daddy would take us camping at Clark Hill (when it was still Clark Hill and you could go anywhere you wanted to without paying a day-use fee) and we'd all spend hours walking through the woods and running from snakes. I still love it...in winter....when the snakes are safely asleep underground.
We left about noon thirty and my plan had been to mosey on back, stopping wherever we felt like. I did have a mission to stop in Helen and make unfavorable comparisons to the real towns in Germany. Of course, since it's been now 2 1/2 years since I went to Germany, I don't remember anymore! The weather was cold and rainy, and I do remember that. But except for the major cities that look more like Augusta than Helen, I don't ever remember seeing that many people. Well...maybe the Hauptstrasse...
You can't see the people in this picture, but I promise they were there. And here I thought we were the only crazy people to be out walking around in such weather.
The only other stops we made were potty breaks. Too many of them, but you know how that goes. As much as I wanted to stop and see sights, I really wanted to get back into familiar territory by dark. We only got lost twice on the way and I figured that was adventure enough.
Tax time is in a month or two. Time to start planning our next adventure!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Merry Christmas!
Feeling a little pensive tonight.
Not really. I am sitting here on the night shift hoping the good people of Augusta behave so I can go home at a decent time. (Selfish? Yes! LOL) I got to sneak away from work on my dinner break and drop in on my family's Christmas party. I'm in a pretty good mood.
But I have had a thought this week I feel compelled to share. It will get deep. Change the channel now if you like.
This time last week I was pretty well freaking out. We can all agree Christmas is a stressful time, right? There are all these parties, and shopping, and presents. And if you're like me, that all translates into money.
The rest of the year it's hard to find two nickels to rub together as it is, but at Christmas? We're supposed to show each other how much we love them by spending money on them. So last week I was down because all I could think of were the things I can't do. Mainly the things I can't buy for other people. And that makes me feel bad, like a I'm a failure or somehow don't measure up.
One night last week, as I crawled into my snuggly warm bed (I wish you could hear how many times I thank God for my snuggly warm bed. I love my bed!), I started praying about these things.
"Lord, I want so bad to get _____ for Christopher for Christmas! It feels so awful not to be able to give him this thing that he wants. And I feel so bad that I was only able to get _____ for Catie. Lord, I want to be able to give them whatever they want. I really just want them to have a good Christmas!
And about that time, I think I said something like, "Lord, I know that you keep a roof over our heads and that you keep us from being hungry....."
That's when something inside me said "Lisa, shut up."
I realized that everything I was complaining about was extra stuff. When I started thanking God for the things I do have - a warm bed, a full tummy, heat, a nice house, a job doing what I love that pays for it all, it felt ungrateful to complain because I don't have more for extra stuff. I wasn't asking God for needs. I was asking God for wants. Maybe that's not wrong, exactly. I think God wants to give us more. I like to think that it was good that I was upset because I wanted to give more. But I think maybe it was wrong to ask for it as though it was something I needed, something I'm somehow entitled to.
Believe it or not, God gave me more and I was able to do more. That doesn't make my attitude right, though.
In the past 5 years, since I have been on my own, God has met all of our needs, and quite a few of our wants.
Once I realized that, most of my stress went away. :)
Anyway, I thought I'd share that, in case someone else out there is stressing over what they aren't able to do. That's not what this Christmas thing is about. This is about thanking God first of all for His gift to us. For being thankful for everything He has already given us, for joyfully (not regretfully) giving what we are able, and enjoying spending time with each other.
This really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Merry Christmas, y'all!
Not really. I am sitting here on the night shift hoping the good people of Augusta behave so I can go home at a decent time. (Selfish? Yes! LOL) I got to sneak away from work on my dinner break and drop in on my family's Christmas party. I'm in a pretty good mood.
But I have had a thought this week I feel compelled to share. It will get deep. Change the channel now if you like.
This time last week I was pretty well freaking out. We can all agree Christmas is a stressful time, right? There are all these parties, and shopping, and presents. And if you're like me, that all translates into money.
The rest of the year it's hard to find two nickels to rub together as it is, but at Christmas? We're supposed to show each other how much we love them by spending money on them. So last week I was down because all I could think of were the things I can't do. Mainly the things I can't buy for other people. And that makes me feel bad, like a I'm a failure or somehow don't measure up.
One night last week, as I crawled into my snuggly warm bed (I wish you could hear how many times I thank God for my snuggly warm bed. I love my bed!), I started praying about these things.
"Lord, I want so bad to get _____ for Christopher for Christmas! It feels so awful not to be able to give him this thing that he wants. And I feel so bad that I was only able to get _____ for Catie. Lord, I want to be able to give them whatever they want. I really just want them to have a good Christmas!
And about that time, I think I said something like, "Lord, I know that you keep a roof over our heads and that you keep us from being hungry....."
That's when something inside me said "Lisa, shut up."
I realized that everything I was complaining about was extra stuff. When I started thanking God for the things I do have - a warm bed, a full tummy, heat, a nice house, a job doing what I love that pays for it all, it felt ungrateful to complain because I don't have more for extra stuff. I wasn't asking God for needs. I was asking God for wants. Maybe that's not wrong, exactly. I think God wants to give us more. I like to think that it was good that I was upset because I wanted to give more. But I think maybe it was wrong to ask for it as though it was something I needed, something I'm somehow entitled to.
Believe it or not, God gave me more and I was able to do more. That doesn't make my attitude right, though.
In the past 5 years, since I have been on my own, God has met all of our needs, and quite a few of our wants.
Once I realized that, most of my stress went away. :)
Anyway, I thought I'd share that, in case someone else out there is stressing over what they aren't able to do. That's not what this Christmas thing is about. This is about thanking God first of all for His gift to us. For being thankful for everything He has already given us, for joyfully (not regretfully) giving what we are able, and enjoying spending time with each other.
This really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Merry Christmas, y'all!
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