Before I even start writing this resolutions blog, I should step away from the device and go back to bed. You see, I’m still in the throes of some awful respiratory thing since Christmas Day. But, gee whiz, there is only one day that counts if you want to tell your resolutions for the new year with any impact at all….and that would be today.  So here goes.

1. I resolve NOT to dye my hair red.  I really like this watercolor I painted (from my imagination) but red is just not my color. So far brown has worked well, thanks to “Trisha, the Color Genius”, my hairdresser.

“Amber” Watercolor & Graphite Pencil on paper. Artist: Adele Bower

2. I resolve NOT to make even one resolution concerning what I WILL do in 2014. They have never worked before. Why try again now?

3. I resolve NOT to post on Facebook that I will do 30 paintings in the month of January or any month….ever again! How did I know I was coming down with this awful thing?

4. I resolve NOT to commit to anything or sign on the dotted line…ever….unless it agrees with my “all-time favorite dreams I hope come true when I grow up.”

5.  (Getting serious here!) I resolve NOT to send emails to anyone again who never replies. There! I said it.

6.  I resolve NOT to go to the gym and do exercises that make me limp for a week. I’ll go but I don’t even want to break a sweat. Is that asking too much, dear Personal Trainer? I don’t think so.

7.  I resolve NOT to eat anything I don’t like. Period.

8. I resolve NOT to watch any movie or TV that has anything to do with Christmas or New York City…..until very late next December.

9. I resolve NOT to tell even one more person ever again that my name is correctly pronounced  Ah-DAY-la (with the accent on DAY). Those friends who care, know how to pronounce it, don’t they?  So what if it’s an old family name from way back in Germany; for heaven’s sake I’ve had it myself a really LOOOOOONG time.

and finally

10. I resolve NOT to say “NOT” ever again.

Have a Happy New Year!

(Ah-DAY-la)

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful Christmas Eve….and hooray!….. Christmas is just one day away.

I wish you and yours the most blessed Christmas ever.

My very favorite Scriptures in the Holy Bible concerning Christmas are John 1: 1-2 and 1:14.

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God

and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”

John 1:1-2

and

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory,

the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

Now, that’s the Christmas story. Jesus Christ became “flesh” and dwelt with us on earth. Glory!

I  rejoice in what that means to me……..everything.  Then I suddenly remembered

an old hymn we sang long ago.

“Every day with Jesus
Is sweeter than the day before
Every day with Jesus
I love Him more and more.
Jesus saves and keeps me
And He’s the one I’m waiting for
Every day with Jesus
Is sweeter than the day before.”

Hymn by Robert C. Loveless

Make this Christmas and the coming year…..”Sweeter than the day before.”

……..Just stay home!

Yeah, actually those three words  are my best advice about Christmas shopping. Trust me,  I know these things! After sixty-one years of marriage and the age that implies, I have tested all methods of Christmas shopping. Of course, that was before online shopping, which I love. Back to the subject.

I love numbers. After my husband served 6 years in military service; after 5 years of his undergraduate studies; after many years of his graduate studies; after 3 children, (all this time with 0 discretionary funds), I finally began to notice a singular truth about my shopping: If I went out of the house I would spend money! That’s it! It was as simple as that! To  resist the urge to shop, I would make a cup of coffee, grab a cookie, and wait for the urge to pass….and it would pass. Yay! Just think how much money I saved today, I would think. Perhaps the thought of taking three little children along with my shopping trip had something to do with deciding to “…just stay home.” Maybe.

Fast forward to today with the convenience of online shopping at my fingertips. Remember I said that I love it. Well, I’ve learned something about that, too; If I fill out all the necessary information in the Shopping Cart…i.e. the mailing address, credit card number, on and on, I’ll probably make a mistake and have to delete the whole thing. I’m usually so aggravated and bored by that time, I go find something else more fun to do. Yay! Just think how much money I saved today.

Recently while  shopping online at a fancy store website, I came to the final bottom line stating the cost, it was really low….yes LOW! I thought how can that be? I just ordered some expensive items, jackets, sweaters, etc. I pondered this for a while and decided to start over by going back to the home page of the store. Oh! I see it now….in big bold letters it read “EVERYTHING 70% OFF TODAY.”  That answered my question and confirmed my growing suspicion that I am the world’s worst shopper. Yes, I started over and bought all the same things I wanted as before. Oops! I didn’t save any money that day.

You might also find it helpful to know that if you are traveling with all your children and you are on a tight budget……don’t stop the car.…..ever! It will cost you money if you do. I’ve tested that theory before, in fact, we’ve lived it. However, I’ll admit it is a little difficult if you are trying to get to Lubbock, Texas from Houston, Texas in one day. At last count it is almost 600 miles.

So Friends, that is the extent of my shopping advice gleaned through  hard-earned experience and a lot of fun. Get a cup of coffee and a cookie….and wait.

Merry Christmas!

Our tiny kitchen Christmas tree!

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory,

the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14