New Year's Resolutions Again

It is ridiculous that it is New Year's Eve again. Even more ridiculous, I feel the need to review last year's resolutions to see if I accomplished any. I made a giant and ridiculous list. Are you seeing a theme here? Ridiculous.

Here is the recap:

A: Art book for Christian Women...query to Christian publisher Nope.
B: Bead Soup make it/take it table at craft shows....might be good additional income I did think about it and even applied to a craft show, but apparently craft shows are already really jewelry saturated. I did use this as a way to raise money for a mission trip and that was successful.
C: Choreograph a musical...this has been on my mind a lot lately No, but if the opportunity presented, I would do it!

D: Dance more I danced with my dance team more, not sure that really counts
E: Enlarge Girl World by cleaning up the other side of the basement….hahahahaha, just typing it made me laugh, but it will help with some resolutions farther down the list hahahahahahahaha

F: Fondant cake making...this intrigues me rats, no, I still would like to learn this
G: Glucosamine and Chondroitin every day thanks for reminding me, be right back

H: Hair on Broadway, it opens in March Oh, I so wish
I: Increase my Facebook friends to 200, I am pitiful and don't have many friends Yeah baby, I have 264
J: Junk food reduction hahahahaha
K: Kim’s private spiritual retreat...someplace out of the way, just God and me yes I did this twice and both were amazing weeks....Santa Fe in the spring, and New Smyrna Beach in the fall. I highly recommend this and am praying for that again in 2010.
L: Lumberjack book….I have a good idea, who doesn't want to write a book? still in my head
M: Move it...I seriously need a bit of exercise Minus some of the coldest days in December, I have walked at least 2 miles every day since August

N: Normalgirl.etsy.com….to sell some of the beads and jewelry I make hmmm, yes, I did that but now know that an Etsy shop takes ALOT of marketing, so nothing is happening

O: Office redo….this is desperate not so desperate, I guess, since this is still desperate
P: Pray with more focus I use my morning walks for prayer time and for some reason it helps me to focus when I am walking, so I did make some progress
Q: Quality time listening to God, not just talking hard!
R: Roof leak fixed Oh yeah. After that nasty raccoon fell through the ceiling I realized why I had a roof leak, and since there were giant holes both in the roof and the ceiling, I had them fixed
S: Saturday Crafternoons...income or a ministry, or both?? Nope

T: Teach classes in Girl World... will you come? Nope
U: Use some stuff in my stash before collecting more I did use some of my bead stash this year
V: Very interesting semesters in school… all three of them, not sure if I have control of this, but I am saying it anyway Oh my goodness! Two of the three were the worst semesters of the program. WHY?
W: Widen the focus of Divine Design Yes, we went to Atlanta instead of the usual Grace Centers of Hope project

X: Xtreme torch time Nope
Y: Yahoo! Celebrate the list hahahahaha
Z: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Learn to sleep less, hahaha! How else will I accomplish all this? Well, I definitely slept less this year, but note, it did not help me to accomplish much on the list.

OK, I am not doing that again this year. This year, I really think that following God's direction will really take care of all of it.

Pray for me?

Normal Girl

Elmer Fudd

Maybe my favorite Christmas present......the Elmer Fudd hat, complete with ear flaps. Warmest hat on earth!

No excuses not to walk in the mornings now,

Normal Girl

The Six Purses Continues

Here she is with her six purses. It continues to crack me up.

"Oh, I wish I had known she was going to be in Oscoda."

"Why? You would have asked her to get you a black purse while there?"

"I am not sure what we are doing for New Year's Eve."

" Choosing a black purse?"

Easily entertained,

Normal Girl

This Year's Christmas Joke

Merry Christmas! Most years, we play a little joke on Mom for Christmas. The stupid thing is that she does not usually get it, but we laugh our heads off over it for days. We have always been able to entertain ourselves.

She is the gestapo of Christmas lists. We are each required to send her a long list. She, however, does not reciprocate, and on top of that, she is very difficult to buy for. This year, she gave us one item when asked. A black purse. A black purse that has compartments, a front pocket, shoulder strap, should zip closed, and not have any large compartments where things get buried down in the bottom. I will tell you now, that is not possible to find. So, all three of us were searching for the elusive black purse....but not knowing that the others were shopping for the same thing.

Two days before Christmas, I discovered that two of us had bought a black purse. So, of course, we got to work and managed to wrap six black purses. As Mom opened them, she did not even grow suspicious, she just said thank you for each one. Some of them were hideous, as we bought them for $1 at the thrift store. She offered a nice thank you for the black glitter purse with the big peace sign on the front. We were laughing like crazy people.

She did loosen up a little when we explained it to her, but in the end, the joke was for our entertainment and we enjoyed it very much. Now we have a few black purses to return.

Worth it!

Normal Girl

We Have Been Doing This a Long Time

I have many pictures of us in front of the tree at different ages. This one is circa 1968 or 1969, I think. We have been doing this a long time together. Wish you were all here this year!

I never got the go-go boots I desperately wanted, but we always had many gifts, Christmas cookies, Jesus, and matching jammies,

Normal Girl

A Windfall of Glitter

I have a job for the next couple months making a pile of glitter projects. The glitter arrived yesterday afternoon. Wahoo, can you just imagine what is in the boxes??

Thats some glitter baby!

Normal Girl

Beware of the Bizarre

We have a fairly new JCPenney in the area. I have been in it twice. Both times, I thought I had stepped into bizarro land, or, I was being punked.

The first time I visited the store, I was walking in the front door and a woman coming in behind me asked if she could ask me a question. Sure, no problem.

"Do you think I should get new glasses?"

"What??? How would I know that?"

The conversation covered the difference between seeing a real eye Doctor vs. seeing a doc in the box, and the reason she did not want new glasses, which was because she loved her old glasses (14 years old) and if she gave them to the doctor, he would yell at her. I eventually learned about her social life (no friends she can trust with such an important question), to the medications she was on (I cannot begin to explain that), to some vitamin that she usually takes that has made her vision better, even though she was having a hard time seeing things, even though she could read that sign over there ( she couldn't). I kept looking for a camera crew. She was whispering so no Penney's employees could hear her. After twenty minutes, yes twenty minutes, I finally apologized and said I had to go or I would be late. Late for retrieving my sanity. She left the store. Apparently, she did not come to shop, just to find a vision consultant.

Today, I went to the store again. Walking down a main aisle, a woman jumped out at me and asked if she could ask me a question. HAHAHAHA Deja Vu! She was holding the world's ugliest dress on a hanger. She wanted to know if I thought the dress was pretty. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Seriously, where is the camera crew? Is there a TV show called Stalking Normal Girl in Penneys? I told her that a dress has to be judged according to who you are buying it for, and I could not judge whether it was right or not.

She said, "So, you don't like it."

I am never going back in that store without my own camera crew,

Normal Girl

One More Class

I had to ask my teacher to re-add my assignment scores yesterday, but I ended up with an A. I got through the 2345879878 hours of homework, my own and Mr. Brady's, and not getting any comments on all the papers I wrote until today. Whew, I have had two really bad semesters in a row.

But! I have only one class left before thesis writing. I am registered, have paid, and am REALLY enjoying the semester break before I start again. And am praying for a good class with a good teacher for my last class.

Onward,

Normal Girl

An offering of Love and Encouragement

Our Worship Arts Pastor has had a rough year. There is a division in the congregation regarding music styles and he has taken the brunt of some anger. Wonder Woman and I thought it might be encouraging for him if we redid his office. You can see the need.

He has a lot of stuff! He works way too many hours, and dealing with the stuff takes a back seat.

These are the before shots. Hope you could tell that......

The wallpaper was falling off the walls in places. It took us about half an hour to remove all the wallpaper. It peeled right off.

And, after a day with the amazing Wonder Woman and her organizational skills, and a handful of other worship arts team members, you see the after shots. The wall color turned out more yellow than I wanted. But, with the lights on in the dark, the color is warm and good. We did kind of a stucco effect on one wall that had a lot of imperfections. If you are ever thinking of doing that on a wall, ask me about it first.

Now there is room for practicing and giving lessons.

The room now feels huge! He is probably going to have to ask us where we put things for awhile.....but he is happy! We have offered him the choice of an additional table for a work station, or, a big wicker chair with a cushion, to go on the window wall. He is thinking about it.

And I only fell off the ladder once,

Normal Girl

That's Crazy

Praise in Motion is dancing Sunday morning. I started rounding up costumes this week to find that I have enough to costume exactly two dancers. I used to have enough for seven dancers. Where everything is, I have no idea. All dancers swear they turned everything in to me at the end of last year. They could have.

I wanted to make some new tunics, so I bought some fabric today. Not bad. Then, I needed ribbon for sashes. Good grief, the ribbon costs more than eight yards of fabric! Does that seem wrong?

Does the wash and wax cost more than the car?

Do the flowers cost more than the house and yard?

Does the brooch cost more than the jacket?

Invest in a ribbon company,

Normal Girl

A Miracle for Normal Girl

The furnace stopped working this afternoon. Of course, because winter arrived today. I figured that a big gust of wind blew out the pilot light. It was ridiculously windy today. I can hear things blowing around and bumping into the house.

So, I put the space heater under the table and kept working, hoping it would stay warm enough in the house for the pipes to make it overnight...until I could get the furnace guy over here tomorrow.

Then I came home from choir practice and the furnace came on!! Don't know why or how, but how great is that? God is good and lets me have heat!!

Thinking about people who have no place to sleep tonight,

Normal Girl

Forestation

I spent the whole day building a forest on the stage. Thank goodness I had help, or I would be there till next Tuesday. Thanks Wonder Woman! The original plan was to have a forest of trees and a snow machine that gently sifted snow on them. Hmmmm, the snow machine did not materialize. We lit the trees from the front and the back, but I could not stand the boredom and added the twinkle light stars. I call it Mother Nature Goes Hollywood. Nobody will be shooting Bambi in that forest.

Putting up one Christmas tree is a pain, we put up 8 or 9 today,

Normal (glad I am not on the take-down crew) Girl

Go Mary!

I have been working on some set decorating stuff. We asked people to send us photos that could visually represent the wonder of Christmas. We got beautiful pictures of children on Christmas morning, snowy cottages, glowing candles....exactly what we need. But, this is my favorite photo. Mary is driving a tractor. Forget the donkey. Mary is motoring to Bethlehem!

Normal Girl

Finals Week

The good news is: it's the final week of class.

The bad news is: it's the final week of class.

Feeling a bit over-scheduled this week. Do you think it is taking multi tasking too far to send emails from my phone while on my morning walk?

It's only a week,

Normal Girl

Easing into Thanksgiving

The view was different than my normal city view on my walk this morning. Enjoyed it.

Meet the new member of the family. I hope she peels potatoes and does dishes.

Started cooking today. How did Thanksgiving Day get to be about pigging out?

Normal Girl

Fun Day with the Girls

Spent the day with Niece 1, Niece 3, Smelly and Miss Fit. We started by them cleaning out piles of craft stuff from my office and taking it home. Thank you girls!! Then we went to Panera for lunch. Smelly had never been there, can you imagine? Vermont white cheddar macaroni and cheese was the hit of the day.

Then we went to IKEA. Smelly had never been there either. It was a big day for her.

Long day. The old girls lasted better than the young girls.

Enjoyed them. Wish we all lived closer to each other,

Normal Girl

Boot Jewelry

Yes, you are not cool if your boots don't have their own jewelry. This is what I was doing tonight instead of homework and other more important stuff on my list. Life is too short. LITS!

I believe that now I need some new boots to show off my boot jewelry.

Normal Girl

Nothing Lasts Forever

I went for a walk this morning and my neighborhood was quiet. I came home from that walk to find the house across the street half gone. Nobody has lived there for years. When I first moved into this neighborhood 10 years ago, I met the lady who lived there. She introduced herself as Schultzy. She came over and said how nice it was to see someone young move into the neighborhood. Of course, that made her my favorite. She was 96 years old at the time. She walked her dog around the block every day. She went swimming at the high school a couple times a week. And she still tutored troubled high schoolers in her home in the afternoons.

She told me that she and her husband built the house in 1950. They owned all of the land in the neighborhood. He died shortly after and she sold all of the land except where her house sat. She used the money to go to Europe 8 times.

I wish I had gotten to know her better before she left. Doesn't she sound like someone you want to know more about?

So, her house is being torn down today. It makes me think about how temporary every thing in this world is. The stuff we work so hard to build will be a pile of rubble some day. In 60 years, will my house be rubble? Will anyone notice? Will someone say they wished they had gotten to know me better and reflect on the things I did in my life that are worth remembering?

Heavy,

Normal Girl

Mr. Creepy

I took a trip upstairs at church tonight to look in the storage room for Christmas ornaments. The room is a small flight of stairs above the top row of the balcony. It is as hot as the third level of hell up there. And dark. I opened the door and this guy scared the daylights out of me. Thankfully, I am not prone to screaming. And am able to restart my own heart. How creepy is he? He is life size. I am pretty sure that one of the boys propped him up there for the express purpose of scaring the daylights out of someone.

Wish he could use a rake, I would take him home.

Normal Girl

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Oh hallelujah, tonight I registered for my last class for my Master's Degree. I will have probably two semesters of thesis writing after that, but seeing that is self-paced, I should have fewer irritants with which to contend. I am praying for a good teacher and wonderful classmates with interesting and motivating topic. Is that all too much to ask? My last two classes have been doosies to say the least. And it is not helping that I am on the 2234 year plan and and just getting tired of it.

But, I have faith. Next semester will be a good one. I will learn something I can take home with me, besides how not to teach an online class. I have plenty of that information already.

Three weeks of this final doosie to go before Christmas break. Whee.

Normal Girl

Barbie Footwear - The Homework Substitute

I reached my limit tonight after an hour of homework. I staged a protest. A jewelry protest. So, I watched So You Think You Can Dance and attached 30 Barbie shoes to a charm bracelet. Very un-serious jewelry. It was great therapy.

Back to homework tomorrow,

Normal Girl

My Worldview

I am feeling a kind of desperate, panic induced need for this to be over. If you hear screaming, it is me.

Normal (Yeah, right) Girl

It Lasts a Whole Year

I took my coupon to Border's today for the 2010 calendar hunt. It has to be good because I have to look at it all year, but I appreciate getting a discount. So, I can't decide between The Year of Manliness...

or the Mathematics Calendar 2010.

Seriously,

What's your vote?

Normal Girl

Spring Fashion

These are my new beads for the spring issue of Bead Unique. Editorial direction was soft pink and white florals on wearables. Simple. The simplicity makes it cute. So what if we are raking leaves and stacking wood for the winter?

Spring has sprung,

Normal Girl

Senses du Jour

My brain is on complete overload. But, I did take some time to notice what was happening around me today:

Sound of the day: leaf blowers

Sight of the day: God's children on their knees in church praying

Smell of the day: sweaty middle school girls trying to turn their dance into a prayer

Taste of the day: turkey bacon (weird?)

Touch of the Day: Fingers on Keyboard (50 pages worth)

Back to work,

Normal Girl

THe HUGE group project

I have been working all day, not kidding, all day, on a group project for school with one of my group mates. I spent about 3 hours last night on it too. The other group mate is conspicuously absent. I am not naming names. You know him, you love him. Yes, I am naming names...Mr. Brady. To this group project, he has contributed one small bit, and it is plagiarized so I am not including it. This project is going to be around 40 pages worth of writing. This is what I have learned so far: my group mate's son took 25 pies to the face at the halloween carnival today. My higher education dollars at work!

Wish that was me,

Normal Girl

Spring Beads

I made these yesterday for my Bead Unique column for spring. My editor rejected them. Waaaaa. They are pretty cute, I think. So now, what will I do with them??? So many possibilities....

Funny to be thinking about spring?

Normal Girl

The Coffee Habit

I know this is not a good picture, I took it while on my morning walk with my phone. The woman in the pic is power walking with a cup of coffee. She was seriously walking, my friends. I have seen this trend where I live. I am not judging, but am asking...really? Is the coffee addiction so strong that you have to have it while you are power walking? I don't drink coffee, and I could understand taking water or gatorade with you, but coffee? Someone explain this?

I can barely manage walking. Walking and drinking at the same time???

Normal Girl

Church Bulletin Announcements

I don't know if this speaks to the kind of day I am having, or my third grade sense of humor, or what, but I really did laugh at these. Out loud. Announcements from church bulletins: -------------------------- Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. -------------------------- Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you. -------------------------- Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help. -------------------------- Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again, ' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. -------------------------- For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. -------------------------- Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. -------------------------- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice. -------------------------- Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. -------------------------- Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you will want remembered. -------------------------- The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. -------------------------- Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow. -------------------------- This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. -------------------------- Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done. -------------------------- The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday. -------------------------- The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge so up yours.'

My church bulletin is never this much fun,

Normal Girl

They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore

I got this picture last night from my friend, the VP of Selling Buttons. I made this Christmas dress for her daughter 20 years ago. Why in the world does she still have it? And why is it so huge? Maybe it has grown in 20 years. Anyway, it made me laugh!

Rudolph Rocks,

Normal Girl

Shoe Shopping

Vacuum shoes. I don't know how they work, but I am saying to you Wonder Woman, if everyone in your house had a pair of these, you would never need to use a vacuum cleaner again!

Electricity Generating Shoes. They are advertised to generate electricity while you walk....enough to power your iPod. Really good if you keep losing your charger cord, like I do.

These are apparently the rage with teens in Japan. When you break you ankle walking in them, you will have a handy game boy while you are sitting in a chair waiting for it to heal.

I think your Mom would like these.

MP3 Shoes. Play your music over the speakers or use them wirelessly with your headphones. What happens when you get caught in the rain or the sprinkler?

Not only are these flip flops waterproof, they are booze proof.

GPS Shoes. You have heard of the gift that keeps on giving. This is the gift to which you keep on giving. They will cost you $200 and an additional $10 every month. But, you will never get lost! Well, until you step in a puddle or kick something too hard. Do you think they talk to you like the GPS in your car?

You are probably not going to buy these shoes, but I had to include them. They are made specifically for prostitutes. I wonder how large a market that is. They have an alarm in case you get into trouble. They have hidden compartments for your keys and cash and other small tools of the trade. There is a little computer screen that runs a blog for you. You and your fellow workers can input problem clients, so you always have a running list of them. Kind of like checking ID before you get to work, I guess. And there is a GPS in case you lose your corner.

The Human PinBall is in China right now. If you need any of these for Christmas presents, she can probably find them for you there. Order now!

I love shoes,

Normal Girl