Outside My Window ~ 12.27.09

Outside My Window…is a beautiful morning.  Blue skies, sunshine a bit chilly at 42F with a 38F wind chill.  The forecast for today doesn’t change much….a high of 56 with some clouds coming in this afternoon.  We had a lot of rain with a high of 56 on Christmas Day.  It didn’t begin to rain until around 2:00, but it continued throughout the night.  Yesterday we woke up to cloudy skies and fog, but still relatively mild temps.  For the coming week the temps will hover in the low to mid 40’s.  

I am thinking…about what I want to do today.  Now is the time to get rolling on my list of things to get accomplished during this vacation.  Last week was getting ready for Christmas….this week, doing what I want to do.  I have some things in mind, but not sure where I want to start today.

I am thankful for…being able to spend Christmas day with my extended family.  My brothers and sister, along with their families, all gathered at my mother’s house for dinner and gift exchange.  I’m incredibly thankful I was able to wish both of my parents a Merry Christmas, and to hear the same from them.

From the kitchen…is cinnamon hazelnut coffee at the moment.  I owe Cailin some home made waffles at some point during this vacation and I have a feeling today I may be required fulfill that promise.   Later this evening, Christmas day leftovers from my mother’s dinner I think.  Nope, I’m not sick of turkey yet!  🙂

I am creating…my mental list of things I want to accomplish in the coming week.  I have already gotten a few things completed that I wanted to do so I’m off to a good start.

I am going…to make a New Year’s resolution list this year.   There is a twist to my list though, it won’t be things I resolve to do  as much as it will be a list of things I would like to accomplish in the coming new year.  I always felt so pressured if I made a resolution to do this or that and if I didn’t accomplish the resolution, I would feel a bit guilty for my lack of follow through.  This year, I’m taking a little of the pressure off by making it more of a wish list of things I would like to accomplish.

I am reading…the new book I got for Christmas, The Photoshop Elements 7 Book For Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski.  If someone is looking for a book that explains and tells all about the different things in PSE, this book is not for you.  This book offers tips and tricks of the trade for intermediate or advanced PSE 7 users.  It is every bit as good as I had read it would be….I’m having a difficult time putting it down!!   There have been quite a few “oooohhhhh, that’s how they do it” moments.  🙂

I am hoping…that everyone has a safe and Happy New Year’s Eve.  If you do go out to celebrate, please be careful.  I’m also hoping that each and every one of you enjoy a new year of health and happiness.   

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks……and other than the clicking of the keys as I type….beautiful silence.  Sometimes I enjoy a quiet house.

Around the house…some of my daughter’s unwrapped Christmas gifts under the tree….wrapping paper and bows that need to go back up into the attic…..laundry…boxes to be recycled…general house clutter.

Plans for the week include…relaxing…..perhaps some sewing…..soap making…..trying out a few new cream scents and recipes….processing photos and uploading them on my Flickr account…celebrating the New Year ~ at home….basically enjoying the rest of my vacation.

One of my favorite things…having lots of time to do the things I like to do.  Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to work, but truth be known ~ I think I would get bored sooner or later if I didn’t.  I look forward to my Christmas vacation because it gives me a large window of time to do things I enjoy doing. 

A picture I’d like to share with you…there was yet another special day we celebrated this past week.  No, not my birthday ~ I talked about that in this post…….but on the 23rd, Alanna could legally drive without an adult in the car with her.  After she got off work that evening, she took my youngest daughter to my mother’s house for an hour or so and then she went off  to visit some friends.  And believe it or not, I was amazingly calm while she was gone….wonder what’s up with that?   🙂  Here she is leaving for “Her First Solo”……