Ice Ice Baby

My in-laws live in a town where they have festivals, and art shows, and all kinds of wonderful things.  Why we don't live there I still haven't quite figured out.
Every year, on New Year's Eve, they have a 'festival' called "First Night".  Although, since it's New Year's Eve shouldn't it be called "Last Night"?  When we move to that town I will bring it up with the board.  But, in the meantime, First Night has ice sculptures.  All over the place.  Companies sponsor an ice sculpture and put it in front of their office and there is also a little park where ice sculptures are out to be perused.  It's like a little art show for ice.  Very lovely.  There is also someone selling hot chocolate and hot apple cider and kettle corn...  it's quite quaint.  (say that 3 times fast)

Can you guess which company sponsored this sculpture:

 Yep, the plumber.

Oh, and in the past, there is usually snow on the ground and people are wearing their snow boots and are all bundled up.  This year?  Not so much.  Global warming?  All the ice sculptures were on green grass and causing quite a muddy mess...

This guy was not quite finished his masterpiece

A T-Rex

This guy was busy working on something as well.

 Looks like it's going to be a pair of eskimos in front of an igloo.

Sculpting is amazing.  Any form.  Whether your medium is ice or clay or marble.  It is just amazing to me how someone can see nothing and another person something incredible.  

Deja Vu all over again

I know I have written this post before, it seems so familiar to me.  We've all played this game.  It's (drum roll please...) WHAT'S YOUR WORD?

I haven't posted in so long, it may well have been the last post you read...

I don't do resolutions.  Instead of resolutions I do a word for the year.  I have been doing this for the past few years and I really enjoy it.  I try to think of that word everyday and meditate with it and bring it into my prayers.

This year I am mixing things up a little bit.  My word is a resolution as well.  Say whaaaa??  Gotta pay attention on this here blog.  Didn't I just say that I don't do resolutions?  Well, this year, my word is my resolution.  So there.  Nanny nanny poo poo.

My word is my bond.  What's that from and why did it just pop into my head?

Without further ado, my word for 2012 is

ORGANISE
or,
ORGANIZE

depending on where you live.  The meaning is the same though...get yer shizz in order!

So, I am going to dedicate an hour a day (is that too much?  too little?) to organization.  I need to organize my time, so it may just mean I get an hour to myself some days.  I can sit around and scratch my armpits.  I also need to organize my bedroom and the toy closet, so I see a lot of laundry folding and board game stacking in my future.  Who knows, I may even post a few before and after shots.  I know you all are dying to see a photo of my armpit post scratch.

Huh?  What?

But, whatever the organizational challenge I will accomplish (a previous year's word) it and, in the long run, be able to spend quality time with my family (last year's word).

Here's to you!  Let's organize the shizz out of 2012.

What's the Word?

The word is the bird

Grease is the word


When did you first hear about having a word?  For me it was either whilst reading the book Eat, Pray, Love or whilst watching Oprah.  Maybe it was while I was watching Oprah while she was talking about the book Eat, Pray, Love.

hmm...

Last year my word was ACCOMPLISH.   I love that word.  I love it I love it I love it.  I really wanted to use it again this year.  I just want it to be my word.  Mine.  ALL MINE.  Nobody else's.   However, I decided that I need to come up with a new word.  I can't use the same one year after year.  However, I will allow myself to use it along with a new one.  So, while accomplish will still be part of my daily mantra I do need to come up with a new word for the new year.

Oh, but I just love accomplish.  Please can I keep it?   It can mean so much, or so little.

Actually, the correct definition is:

to bring to its goal or conclusion; carry out; perform; finish:to accomplish one's mission.

I have never been one for setting resolutions.  They seem like a recipe for failure.  People seem to have grandiose ideas of what they would like to achieve for the New Year, but never really make a plan as to how to achieve said goal.  However, I love the idea of a word.  I really think about what my resolutions/goals would be (if I were to 'make' some and then actually stick with them) and then try to think of a word that would help define those resolutions.  And I mean I really put some thought into it.  I sit quietly and pray and meditate.  This is no half-assed word retrieval.  This is the real deal.

I really do use my word as part of a mantra.  When I pray I know to ask God to help me accomplish.  It's really wonderful to have a word.

And, please, do not say your word is balance.  Please.  Are you with me?  Hasn't that word be done to death?  Don't get me wrong--it's wonderful to have balance.  And, I love balance as much as the next person, but if you say your word is balance I know you have put no thought into it.  Think about what balance means to you.  What is it that will make you feel like you have balance in your life?  Really think about it and your word will come to you.  Honest.

And, so, after much thought and consideration my word for the new year will be FAMILY.  When I first thought of family I dismissed it immediately.  But, it kept coming back to me.  The more I thought of it as my word the more I thought it would be the perfect word for me this year.  As my children are getting older it's easy to get stuck in certain ruts, or to let things slip by, and I really don't want to let anything slip by.  So, family it is.  Doing things for my family.  Doing things with my family.  Doing things because of my family.  It will involve doing new things together as well as continuing on tradition.  It will really mean so much: big things and little things.

One of the definitions of family is:

any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents,children, uncles, aunts, and cousins

So, what is your word?  Will you even think of a word, or just set a resolution?
Or neither?
Or both?

Good luck!

Happy New Year!!