Looking Ahead and Behind

It has been a year since we started the moving process and it has been great.  We have met so many new great people in this year, from the builders of the house, to the neighbors, to the people in town, to the installers of our dish, decorative tiles, flooring, cabinets,the people at church to even the people who bought our old house.  We have had a really fun time. All our friends that helped us move were invaluable.  What is the girl scout song....Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. 

We have had a graduation party and then Sam move onto college and he became a full time driver along with having a girlfriend. It has all been a new experience and it's all been good.

Tom and I have been on a whirlwind tour this past month.  We have been to parties every weekend either big social gatherings or just with friends.  Kevin mention that "you and Dad have been really social lately".  I guess we have haven't we? and it's been fun.

Our mail has brought surprises too.  I have heard from friends whom I haven't heard from for awhile.  We have gotten pictures in our cards of families we haven't seen before, and my that was really nice to see. We have gotten surprise gift cards, books, planners, we even sadly heard about an old friend passing away. 

My Dear Friend Colleen in Georgia sent this wonderfully useful, pretty planner for me to start the year out.  It is not only a planner but a journal.  She is as much of a book lover as I am.  She and I exchange good books we have discovered so she also included in my package a book by Elizabeth Berg, titled Open House.

The introduction in the planner says it all about books.

"There is not frigate like a book/To take us lands away," wrote Emily Dickinson.  So true!  How often have you been transported to another place and time, introduced to fascinating characters and caught up in their stories simply by opening the pages of a book?  Books can be informative and transformative, a challenge and a comfort.  They can help us see the big picture and immerse us in minute details.  They can recapture history, give us insights into the present, and offer hints about the future.  In short, books are amazing!

And that my Friends is why I like books!

Tom and I have been working hard to get our Christmas Cards out.  It is the best way to let people know about our new address etc.  We ran out of cards, so I have had to make some.

Here is the one I made last night.

I made 5, they are collectors items, since they are limited editions.  Ha!

Another Dear Friend Leah, we always exchange Lang Calendars and it is always fun to see which one I get this year.  I sent her a Dear Friends one that has cats and dogs as we are mutual animal lovers also. This year I received the Country Sampler calendar, which I love.  In my package she also sent a book she found enjoyable.  Dewey-the Library Cat as she is also a book lover. She likes to be organized too, she needs a journal like I received too!

Lastly I have been thinking about the New Year.  I have started compiling a list of things I am going to try to do.  

The first one.....

Empty out and organize my inbox on the computer.  

When they give me a lot of space, I just don't take the time to empty it.

I have 8600 messages, let alone that doesn't count what I have sent!

If they would only give me a small amount of space I would have to empty it out but they are very generous-those techie people.  

My work computer is just as bad until it tells me I have no space left.

As my Mary at works says, "people are liquid-they fill the space they have".

Ain't that the truth!"

Dumb thing I have done this season.

Had packages delivered to my old house.

I rushed to check out and didn't check the correct address.

Apparently I am not used to living here yet.

Good thing we became friends!