December Is Here! Really Really

Can you believe it? November flew by this year. Wasn't it JUST Halloween a few days ago? Last week I took down all the decorations for fall. I had most of those decorations out since the end of September. I just switch a few Halloween items with some Thanksgiving items on November 1 and continue on til after Thanksgiving. I am always glad to change the decor which is mostly centered around my fireplace mantel. My grandsons are always up for that too. They are really into the holiday fun. Riley is 4 and full of wonder. You would think we just invented Christmas this year. I wonder if he remembers last Christmas at all? I have wonderful childhood memories of Christmas and I want to make sure they do too.

Tonight many holiday events take place around the area. The city where we live is having a city Christmas lighting of the park. They have thousands of lights in the downtown park go on tonight at 5 or 6 pm. Some of the towns have a Christmas Tree lighting. They were putting up Santa's house in front of the movie theater the other day which Riley took note of and has informed me of his wish to go see Santa there. It is in the 30s right now. I think I will let it warm back up to the 40s before we do that! (For those of you in CA, I still think 40 degrees is really cold. I am just more use to it now). It is great having the little guys around. They make Christmas so much more fun!

Next week the holiday events begin at work. We have a holiday (PC word at Christmas time) evening planned for high school counselors on Thursday and the deans are putting on an event for us on Friday. I have a community event on Monday as a rep of the college. What to wear to all these things?

So, let the Reindeer Games begin and everything else! I always try to take many personal moments to reflect on the spiritual side of Christmas too which can be easily swept away in the business of Christmas. Advent starts this Sunday which helps a person in staying focused on the reason Christmas exists in the first place.

Happy December and may I be one of the first to wish you a Merry Christmas this season.

What Are You Doing This Weekend?

That is often the question you hear at work on any Friday. It hasn't snowed yet but the forcast is snow for this weekend. I think Saturday night is when they said it may snow. They are saying 2 inches.;) You know how I feel about that! Then I just heard that a windstorm may come on Monday. Hmmm... I think weather will become a big part of all of our weekend here. It least the snow is polite and does not stay long usually.

I am waiting for 50 high school students as I type this on my blackberry. I work at a community college. The students are coming here to see the programs and have lunch too. They like lunch the best.

Yesterday I had my hair done. I had an inch cut off and layered. My hair is a little longer than my shoulders. It is always a hard decision what to do and I always think I would like to change my hairstyle but I do the same thing. You would think I could be more creative.

How is your Christmas shopping and decorating
Coming along? I have hardly started. Guess I could fit that in on the weekend.

Have a great day.

Snow or No Snow?

It does not snow in the Seattle area very often. Typically it snows once or twice a year. Last year it snowed three times and we had two large wind storms (which manage to leave some of us in the dark for days). Last night there was talk of possible snow showers. This is never good news to me. Snow is pretty etc but, let's face it, for most of my life I lived in CA and never knew the other side of 'snow'. For example, last year I made a wrong choice to try to make it up a hill in the snow in my car. I saw a car go up it before me without any problem so I thought I could do it. There was some pavement showing... But this native Cali girl ended up putting cables on a car in a driveway half way up the hill. It took me over an hour to rescue myself! Most of us don't have that kind of time to spend doing that sort of thing, and I didn't that day. Going down the hill wasn't an option. Picture an icy hill, a skating rink like situation, and a drop off into a creek. Going up was my only option. I usually am very careful driving but that time I learned a big lesson. I have lots of respect for nature and the elements.

I think ice is worse than snow. Sometimes a person doesn't see it and you lose control of your steering. You have to drive really really slow and then it is still iffy. I have seen lots of cars in a ditch when there is ice on the road. So hearing that there maybe snow coming does not thrill me like it once did when I first moved here. I would always check one or two times outside before I knew the truth about life with snow in Seattle. I haven't even looked outside once tonight to see if I will be greeted with a winter wonderland that makes it nearly impossible to get to work. BTW, I wonder where my cables are? Oh well, no matter. I know where the hot chocolate is. Priorities! Seattle is really great in the summer, so it is very little snow for a lot of wonderful summer days (and of course there is the rain). Have a great day.

Flylady here

Organization has always been a tough thing to do sometimes. Especially when one works FT. But if I remember, it was hard when I didn't too. I found this website that offers help called Flylady.com (you'll have to Google it... Not there with adding this stuff yet) it can help or be overwhelming so one would have to choose what fits for each one. I am not a perfectionist about it all so I do alright and it really helps. Today is anti-procrastination day which means to do one thing you've put off. I am counting blogging today.
Love Marie-Go Helio
Have a good one.

November 27th - Look Mom, I'm Blogging!!!

It has been over a year... almost two years that I have been reading my blogger friend's entries daily online. I think of them as friends even though I never have met them. Who would have thought 30 years ago that we would actually meet and have friends online like we do? (Is my age showing?) I must admit that choosing what to write is different than just showing up and reading an entry. I can see there is more to it than I thought such as thinking about "what did I do that was so interesting that so many would like to hear about?" It never mattered to me what Darylynn, Denise, or Susan wrote about... it is nice to hear from them every day. "Every day" does matter... it matters a lot because that is from what our lives are made; don't you agree?

I had a terrible time just creating a name for this blog. I found out that "data" meant facts which conclusions can be drawn. I will supply some thoughts and facts... and you can come to some conclusions. Hopefully one will be that you come visit me.