daily 2008 january page

Kay's Daily Journal
January 2008

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2008 Old Farmer's Almanac Predictions for January 2008 in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Temp. 35° (2° above avg)
Precip. 4" (0.5" above avg)
1-4: Sunny, mild.
5-7: Rain, seasonable.
8-11: Sunny, cold.
12-15: Rainy, mild.
16-19: Snow showers, cold.
20-26: Periods of snow, cold.
27-31: Rain, then sunny, seasonable.

Important January Dates

Holidays Etc:	Anniversaries:	Birthdays:	Miscellaneous:
January 1 - New Year's Day		January 19 - David	Birthstone - Garnet
January 21 - Martin Luther King Day			Flower - Carnation or Snowdrop
January 21 - Lee-Jackson-King Day (VA)			National Soup Month
January 28 - Challenger Explosion 1986			National Poverty Awareness Month
			Book Blitz Month
			Bread Machine Baking Month
			Celebration of Life Month
			Family Fit Lifestyle Month
			Finanacial Wellness Month
			Image Improvement Month
			National Cancer Month
			National Clean Up Your Computer Month
			National Glaucoma Awareness Month
			National Hot Tea Month
			National Lose Weight/Feel Great Month
			National Mail Order Gardening Month
			National Mentoring Month
			National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month
			National Radon Action Month
			National Reaching Your Potential Month
			National Yours, Mine and Ours Month
			Oatmeal Month
			Senior Women's Travel Month
			Walk Your Pet Month

January 31, 2008 - Thursday

Besides my routine end of the month stuff, I happened to have a lot of contests that end today, so I spent an hour or so working those for today. The ones that are being mailed have already been mailed...

Accomplishments for January 2008:

Bible Read (NIV-New International Version):
     Ruth
     1st Samuel
     2nd Samuel

Home Studies:
     Online SS Lessons: 2008 - 1st Quarter:
          01/04 - An Overview of Discipleship
          01/11 - Discipleship Now and Then
          01/18 - Called to Discipleship by Jesus
          01/25 - Lessons From Would-be Disciples

Note: Online SS Lessons are available at: Current SS Lessons

Books Read - Non-fiction:
     A Beginner's Guide to Beading - Leisure Arts
     Born to Bead - Katie Hacker
     The Need to Bead - Katie Hacker
     Beading for the First Time - Ann Benson
     Jewelry and Beading for Dummies - Heather Dismore & Tammy Powley
     GreyOwl's Beaded Kennel - Alan GreyOwl
     Earring Designs, Book 3 - Sigrid Wynne-Evans
     Jewelry with Wire - Suzanne McNeill
     Seashell Sensations - Nancy Flodine
     Elegant Earrings, Bead & Button Projects - Easy Does It Series
     Easy Bead-Woven Bracelets, Bead & Button Projects - Easy Does It Series
     Seed Bead Chains, Bead & Button Projects - Easy Does It Series
     More Acrylic Canvas Painting - Sandy Aubuchon
     Birds in My Garden - Barbara Baatz Hillman
     Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake, The by William B. Cronin
     Pirates on the Chesapeake: …History of Pirates…., 1610 - 1807 by Donald G. Shomette
     1812: Rediscovering Chesapeake Bay's Forgotten War by David Healey
     Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay by William W. Warner

Books Read - Fiction:
     Title - author

Audio Books Listened to:
     Cover of Night - Linda Howard

TV Specials:
     Scrubs, Season 1
     Gaither's Jerusalem

TV Movies:
     The Invisible
     The Invasion
     Rush Hour 3

Contests Entries:
     Total Contest Entries for the Month: 2438

Webpage Updates - kayurie.com
     Daily Journals (dailies)
     News Archives (end of month standard)
     Index (end of month standard)

Places Visited & Things Done:
     Isaac's - January 13th

Note:
If you are interested in reading or listening or watching any of the listed items above, please check with your local library. Most of these books, audiobooks, CD's, cassettes or DVD's can be found on their shelves. The household, craft and hobby projects are mostly my own and many can be found on these webpages under the same category. If not my original ideas, then credit is given, if known, where due. For instructions, corrections, additions or comments, please email me at the address listed at the bottom of this webpage. Hope you have enjoyed my entries.

January 30, 2008 - Wednesday

Getting near the end of the month and have a ton of stuff to do. Working on bills and paperwork, sorting and stacking to file. I also keep track of receipts and stuff. Yeah, I like to create extra work for myself whenever I can....

January 29, 2008 - Tuesday

Had a couple errands to be done in town, so took care of those. Picked up a few groceries and got them unloaded and put away. Pretty good accomplishments for the day, huh.

January 28, 2008 - Monday

Very busy today, felt a lot better so got alot accomplished. Well, you know, the routine stuff anyway, like a couple loads of laundry, ironing (13 shirts), contesting and some more sorting and picking up. Yeah, I know, 13 shirts. Well, it's like this. I hate to iron. So I put it off until I have to do it, then it's a marathon to get them all done. But I do, eventually. Now I won't have to worry about it for a couple weeks!

It would be simpler to just bite the bullet and iron a few each week instead, wouldn't it?

January 27, 2008 - Sunday

Well, though I still am working on the total re-vamping thing, I at least have my February & March 2008 Journal pages designed. What? You didn't realize that I have to design those each month also???? Well, I do. Actually have the rough drafts for the rest of 2008. It takes awhile to type in all the Holiday, Birthday, Anniversary and Miscellaneous dates as well as the Almanac info for each month also. Then there's the page background, clip-arts & animations, the lines, the fonts and the emails and stuff on each page. While it's true that alot of the basics I have in a template form which I can now copy-paste and then vary the details according to the monthly theme. But it still takes a little bit of time to organize it all.

January 26, 2008 - Sabbath

Seth is on a journey right now and he will have details on his website next week, I'm sure.

I have not felt good all week, fighting some sort of bug I guess. Last night and this morning was the same, but this evening I actually feel a little better than I have all week. So that's a good thing. Now, the thinking aloud about the webpage revamping..... When I designed the homepage, I didn't list everything that I wanted to, because I had set up the table, which if you know HTML, is a little more complicated than just typing a list. Plus if I need to shift things to add a new line, it's definitely a little more complicated, since everything has to shift individually in that column. Bottomline is it's not that hard, just time consuming, so I didn't allow enough space to add stuff in at a later date. Now I'm considering adding several items, so if I have to shift stuff, I might as well revamp the whole index part of the page. Make sense???

So I'm going to think about it some more, figure out a way to make spaces for future additions this time, and then start designing the changes. I'm sure it will take me a couple months or more to really figure out how to best accomplish this without totally messing up the basic design. Maybe the changes will be transparent to you, my public, except for the new added items. That would probably be the best way. I'll tell you when I add new things, otherwise you won't see the differences.... Yep, right now that sounds reasonable. But I'll have to draw it out on paper first before I decide. I'm a "visual" person. You can explain something until you're blue in the face and I won't get it. But if you show me a diagram or a picture, I'm good.

That's also how I rearrange furniture. I first draw it out a zillion ways on paper, measuring furniture, walls and such. Then, when the moment arrives, viola', deed done, man. Even when we have moved in the past, I take measurements of rooms and when we move in, I know exactly where each piece of furniture should go. Now that doesn't mean I won't change it all around in 6 months, but the fact is, if I can picture it first on paper, then it's just so clear.

This month is getting close to the end, are you thinking about your accomplishments for the month? I don't know that I have accomplished alot this month, but I guess every little thing counts and adds up. I'm a positive person, so think positively about it all. If you think you didn't do what you wanted this month, well, ok, "water under the bridge". Now make your strategy for next month and do better. Always works!

And if you DID accomplish your goals for this month, well, PAT yourself on the BACK and sing Hallelujah! Congratulations! And just think of what you can do NEXT month!!!!! WOW. The sky's the limit!

There. How's that for positive thinkin'?

January 25, 2008 - Friday

Nice to stay inside on the colder days, though I love the cold weather. Just haven't felt right this week, don't really know why. But I'm ok, so don't think you have to be worrying about me. I just take it easier on these days and plan strategies for another day.

Jimmy came over for a visit and we really enjoyed that! Even though he lives close by, we don't get to see him as much as we would like. Course Seth lives WAY TOO FAR AWAY also. Guess that's the lot of all parents, our own included. We don't get to see our own parents enough either!!!!

I'm thinking about re-vamping the webpages. You think I don't have enough to do already, huh? I figure it's like a house. You have to clean it periodically and the best way to do it is to rearrange things. At least, that's the way I like to clean house. I feel it's not clean unless I rearrange furniture. Poor Jim, over the years he has bought heavier and heavier furniture so I can't move it around anymore. You'd be surprised what this ole gal can do when she sets her mind to it!!!!

I'm tired tonight....I'll think outloud in this journal again tomorrow....

January 24, 2008 - Thursday

Busy week, but I'm still not up to par. Blood sugar has been reading alot lower this week, so I'm thinking that may be why I don't have any energy. Still appear to be fighting some sort of cold or flu. Ran to town and did a little shopping but only did what I had to do and just came on back home.

January 23, 2008 - Wednesday

Jim had to work up near Baltimore today and will again tomorrow. It's a longer day but we always appreciate overtime! All is well, just tired again today.

January 22, 2008 - Tuesday

Stayed put and worked on housework. Just not feeling very good today. Must be fighting a cold or something.

January 21, 2008 - Monday

Remembering Lee-Jackson-King Day!!!!

Well, it was cold today. We had 10.6° this morning. Now THAT is cold. It warmed up to a balmy 31° by noon and I think it went above freezing by 2 pm or so. But it's now 22° at 11 pm and we're expecting a dusting of snow tomorrow mid-day. Won't be much, just enough to cause some drivers to panic, cause they'll actually see a snowflake coming down. What is it with the Mid-Atlantic drivers? I guess they aren't old enough to remember the snows we had back in the 50's, 60's and even the 70's. We've even had a couple good ones here in the Commonwealth in the late 90's when we first moved here.

Virginia is a very historic state. I haven't been able to do the sightseeing that I wish I could, but perhaps in the future I'll be able to do so. I was looking at Urie, Wyoming on Google Earth stuff and doing some internet research on the area. It was 9° at the time in Urie. Course it was night time and they are at an elevation of about 6800 feet. It's alot like New Mexico, in that it is a high plains type terrain. What I could see of it in photos online and such, was absolutely cool. Very small, isolated area. It was funny too. I checked for stores in the area. Well, the nearest Wal-Mart is 35 miles away. That's not too bad, the same as here when we first moved here in Virginia. We now have 2 more Walmarts at the 25 mile markers, two different directions and another one (the original one moved) is now located about 32 miles away. So same deal. However, the nearest AC Moore was 1769 miles away in Knoxville, TN. Must be an Eastern chain.... Nowadays you can order most things online anyway so the distances wouldn't bother me at all. In fact, it would be nice to be out away from the cities for astronomy, ham radio and weather stuff anyway! And if you really need to do some shopping, you could always go east to Laramie, Rawlins, or northwest to Jackson Hole or southwest to Salt Lake City UT. That is SO cool.... Yep. Wyoming is a pretty neat state.

I always research areas when my sons are looking at possible schools or jobs in those areas. I look at the terrain, wildlife, history, geology, housing, stores and so forth. It's an adventure in itself...

We ran out to the store for a quick shopping expedition this afternoon, so I won't have to go out again for the next week or so, if I don't want to. We picked up a couple new pots for the stove. I needed new ones for the new stove, so I'm happy, found what I needed and wanted! Now I'll have no excuse not to cook.

I finished 1st Samuel the other night and am currently reading in 2nd Samuel. Those are interesting books all about Saul and now David's reign over Israel. Always brings lots of questions to my mind.....This time through I'm keeping a list.

January 20, 2008 - Sunday

Jim is out to a guy's get together, men he works with, at one of their houses up the road from us. They have a bon-fire and stuff so it's pretty cool. Actually, it's probably downright cold today! Currently the temperatures are hovering in the low 20's with a slight breeze. WOW. Now we're talkin'!!! And there's still a slight dusting of snow coating the ground, cars, rooftops and so on.

I didn't feel good last night, actually was running a fever. Had an earache again in the bad ear, probably why I'm having a fever again. I took some Advil and used some of the ear drop stuff that a friend told me about and this morning it feels a little better. No fever, but I'm still cold. Course it's 23° outside right now also!

I finally got the rest of the Christmas stuff packed away. Jim still has to put it in the basement, but at least it's down, wrapped and packed and ready to go. I don't know why I'm so slow this year. I also worked on my contesting that I'm so far behind on. I still have quite a few to address, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now at least.

I'm narrowing down and re-organizing all my hobbies and crafts. I've decided that I just can't decide on dropping and doing away with any of them. However, the ones that are currently inactive will be "tubbed" and "shelved" for the time being. I tend to hop from craft/hobby to craft/hobby over the months of the year. So instead of trying to have everything at my fingertips, all the time, I'm going to put away all except the one or two that I'm currently working on. Make sense????

I know, I know. You're saying to yourself, "she has ALL of them out at her fingertips?" Yes, I did. Well, I tried to. It doesn't work. You just end up with stacks of things and you 1) can't find what you need, and 2) have no place to work on the ones you could be working on... So I'm slowly learning.

Yeah, yeah, again, I know you're thinking "ain't she old enough to know this already?" Yep. Don't mean I do what I know. I is what I is, not ain't what I ain't...and so on, as Jeff Easter would say.....

January 19, 2008 - Sabbath

Happy Birthday David!!!!

Saw a snowflake or two flurrying down around 1 pm then nothing until late afternoon. We had a dusting of snow just around dusk.

I watched one of my Gaither DVD's that Jim got me for Christmas, this afternoon. Then I watched a couple more on the SkyAngel. I really love watching them! Course, seeing the Isaacs live last week is the ultimate!

January 18, 2008 - Friday

Snow is gone but temps are staying in the low 40's today, much more seasonable. Actually getting colder this evening. Possibility of more snow on Saturday night? We'll see.

Worked on housework and stuff. Jim came home about an hour early today thanks to the gov't letting folks off 59 mins early. So we ran into town and ordered my stove!!!! YEAH!!!! I'll be so happy to get it! I've been cooking on 2 burners for quite awhile now. So I'm really glad we got a tax refund!!!

The other big news this week, as I was looking at my credit card statement for December (it just came in the mail) I realized it seemed quite high. There were 16 fraudulent charges on my card to a company I never heard of, charged several a day starting on the 23rd of December thru the end of the statement. Which probably means there will be more on the next statement also. I called the company phone number that was listed on the credit card statement, but it was just a recording. So I called the credit card company and I didn't even have to tell them the name of the company, they saw it right away. So on this month's statement there was about $750 worth of charges that a criminal had put on my card. The credit card company was real nice and cancelled my card immediately and said they would take those charges off my account. They must have had some other folks with the same problem.

It would be interesting to know if the thief saw my card in a local store or if it was a hacker online.....

Since they ordered downloads online, the police will get them, because there is always a trail that way. But I would still love to know if it was a local job or a online hacker...

January 17, 2008 - Thursday

Started snowing around 9 am and we got around 1½". It was really pretty and we didn't have the wind so bad this time. By mid-afternoon, Jimmy called to say there were cars all in ditches along Route 301 but the roads were just wet. The snow turned to rain and it rained softly most of the afternoon. We still had just a dusting of snow on the ground at dusk.

Predictions are for the temps to be colder the next few days, so we shall see. Another possible snow event on Saturday is also in the mix. Seein' is believin'.

Oh, yes, I added a couple more photos of the Isaacs (January 13th) that include the fiddle player also. Again, they are SO awesome!!!!

January 16, 2008 - Wednesday

Got alot more accomplished today, some laundry, ironing and general housework. Still tons to do, but at least I'm progressing slowly.

January 15, 2008 - Tuesday

Routine housework, trying to catch up. It's a slow process with me behind the "wheel". Tired today.

Jimmy called me mid-morning from school saying it was blowing hard and snowing like a blizzard! Within about 30 minutes it started here also. The wind was gusting around 40 mph and the snow came down sideways!!! We only got about ½" or so and it melted almost by the time it stopped snowing. But it sure was pretty and exciting coming down. Sun came out by late afternoon. Temps was initially in the low 40's and dropped into the low 30's. They went back up to upper 30's after the snow-squalls.

January 14, 2008 - Monday

Did a little shopping and found the small end table/drawers that I wanted. That's the end of my Christmas money and spending for this year! Now I just need to get Jim to put it together for me. I like having a place alongside the sofa to set my soda, book, remote, phone or whatever, while I'm watching TV in the evenings. So I'm really pleased that I found the one I wanted.

Also finished a little grocery shopping of stuff that I forgot the other day. So now we're set. I could stay home most of the winter if I wanted!!! That's hard to do, but with the price of gas, the amount of work I have to do around the house and my hobbies, which I haven't had chance to work on since last summer, well, I SHOULD stay home! I love the winter, the cold, the snow. I love to sit and watch the animals in the woods, the birds and squirrels and deer in the yard this time of year! So relaxing, so entertaining and so soothing to my soul. Also makes the "creative Kay" want to do or make or design something.

January 13, 2008 - Sunday

This evening we went to the Isaac's concert at a local church! OH WOW!!! They are SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's bluegrass gospel at it's best! They even did a medley of old church hymns. Now THAT'S what I'm TALKin' about!!!! That's the way ALL Hymns SHOULD be sung!!!!!! Man, oh, man, do I wish I had a bluegrass gospel group like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you ever get the opportunity to hear them, please do so. They not only give their own concerts but travel with the Gaithers too. I promise you, it is well worth it!

January 12, 2008 - Sabbath

Here it is, almost two weeks into the month and I still haven't changed the webpage like I had planned. So at this point it will just stay as is.

Can't believe the weather we've been having this January. Several days in the upper 70's to 80°!!! Crazy. Guess we'll pay for it before the next six weeks are through. Though everyday that passes is another day closer to summer. That stinking, yucky, hot, humid, hazy, miserable weather. The winters are just TOO short, if you can call this winter?????

January 11, 2008 - Friday

This is one of my favorite nights of religious programing. Jesse Duplantis, followed by Walter Pearson on the Breath of Life. Two excellent preachers which I have expounded upon in my December journal, I think.

Did a little grocery shopping today. I actually went to a store that I had seen a small end table with drawers, to purchase it. I saw it there a week ago and should've gotten it then. Of course, it is gone and no plans to have it in stock. So I'm going to check out some other stores again. Actually, that's why I waited, was to look around and make sure I didn't see a different one that I liked better. I didn't. And now the original is gone. Oh well. Must not have been meant to have it. And the positive pollyanna in me says, I'll find one I like better now. Here's hoping, anyway.

I also checked out another bead store. It's actually a sister store to the one I looked at earlier this week, only closer. Very nice. I'm impressed none-the-less. I still haven't even "scratched the surface" on this hobby. There is no right or wrong way to make things, so that's what makes it more difficult to figure out. Guess you just have to "dive" in and see what works for you.

It's always exciting learning something new, isn't it? Guess that's why I have so many hobbies! I just like to learn new things! Speaking of new, I'm hoping to start listing stuff on eBay in maybe February, March at the latest. I need to photograph and/or scan things that I want to sell. I have a couple tubs full of stuff already! I'll post it here when it's up there!

Did I mention that I designed my own logo for whatever I create? Whether it's quilts, cross-stitch items, rugs, clothing, doll clothing, jewelry, beaded items, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, drawings, ceramics, plastics, woodcarvings, woodburnings, decoupage, various painted objects or whatever, I now have my own logo! Ain't that just the coolest!!!!

January 10, 2008 - Thursday

Housework mainly today. Still trying to catch up. I don't think that it's possible really, but I keep chuggin' on. We took the tree down today. Christmas is truly over now. Boohoo. Next thing you know it will be summer and stinkin' hot, humid weather. Oh well, doesn't matter anyway since I stay indoors as much as possible. Between the allergies, asthma and bugs and stuff, uh-h-h, I'll just work on some of my hobbies!

I used to love the summers, gardening and spring flowers etc when we were in Westminster, and the boys were out of school. It was always something to look forward to, sleeping in a little, though I didn't anymore like when I was younger. And I always wanted to get stuff done so I could work on the chidren's division church work, or outside in the garden and yard or whatever. I was always very busy, as I am now, just different things I suppose.

Even though we had a computer back then (one of the earliest, using home-built computer), I didn't really start fooling with it a whole lot until Windows 95. I did a little with Windows 3.1, but W95 was just such an improvement that it made a difference for me. And that's when we moved to Virginia, so I didn't have a garden or churchwork etc. So I had alot more time to devote to internet and stuff. And here we are today. How much time to I spend on the computer daily? Well, the good news is that I don't watch as much TV as I used to!

January 9, 2008 - Wednesday

Finally did some shopping. Just odds'n ends at Wal-Mart and Staples etc. Actually picked up more stuff for a neighbor than for myself for a change! I did find a bead store and checked it out. Very nice. And I just enjoyed my day.

Come to find out, there are several bead stores in the area, so that is exciting news! And I have SO much to LEARN!!!! It will be interesting to see if I can do this new hobby with my eyes as bad as they are.... But I'm-a gonna try.

January 8, 2008 - Tuesday

Woke up with a headache today which has insisted upon staying with me all day. I don't get headaches very often and this just feels like a sinus headache. I finally took some tylenol around 2 pm but probably should've taken the Excedrin Sinus instead. Tylenol isn't helping much so will take the other when the time period on these is over.

It hit 75° today outside. Crazy January weather. Where is the cold air??? So it's going to cool down next week. Yeah, right down into the 40's. I can live with that but 30's would be better.

Headache has eased quite abit. I still know it's there, lurking, but it's at least not a pounding sledge-hammer on top my head now. So that's good news. AND I haven't taken any more meds, so that's REAL good news. Means it's about gone. She says hopefully.

January 7, 2008 - Monday

Internet has been bad since back in December, but today it was even worse. I didn't think I would be able to do my online contesting. Not only was it extremely slow, but slow enough that the satellite kept timing out on the webpages and giving me the old "page not found" message. On top of that IE crashed 6 times on me, twice after a reboot. So don't know what is going on there either. What a PAIN.

Otherwise all is normal around the household. Seth got home early this morning. They had to stop in Santa Fe to pick up the RV and drive it home also. Weather was not real great either, snow and ice from Colorado south to almost their home. So it was slow and hazardous. But I'm glad to say they made it home safely in time for Seth to return to work and Joey to school. Tired but safe!

We sure enjoyed them visiting us over the holidays! Can't wait until next year!!!! They just live too far away.

Worked on normal housework today for a bright sunny Monday and also a few Winner's Lists mailings to go out. Some contests don't notify you so you end up requesting a copy of the winner's list. Most let you know, but I still like to get the list on some of the contests. Many are now posted online at a website where the contest was originally posted, so that's really nice.

Well, I still haven't taken down my tree or Christmas decorations, few they be. Not going to today either. Maybe tomorrow. Just have lots of other stuff to accomplish that has more priority right now! It will eventually get done, it's not going anywhere. I'm going to be rearranging some more furniture after the tree is gone also, so I've got other things to do before I'm ready to move books and bookcases around!!!!

Finished reading Ruth in the Bible last night and started 1st Samuel. I'm reading a little slower this year, trying to absorb more than just accomplish reading the Bible through like last year. Also, previously started in September and finished in August. This time I also started in September but I'm going to stretch it out to complete in December 2008 to get in sync with the New Year. So that allows me more time to try and understand more of what I'm reading.

I am a very fast reader under normal circumstances so I really have to make myself stop and re-read some sentences to get the comprehension levels to increase. That was an issue I had way back in the school days. I could read any assignment very quickly, but what I remembered was not so great. So that's a New Year's resolution or goal that I have this year. To understand and remember more of what I read.

January 6, 2008 - Sunday

It rained some this morning, but not hard and not long. By noon, the sun came out and we hit 64°. This is January. Where is that cold air that we got a little tease about the other day??? We, in Virginia, call this pneumonia weather. Cold one day, hot the next. Yep. Good description.

Wow. I finally got my 2007 receipts somewhat organized. Now I just have to do 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003...well you get the picture. And when I say I got them organized, well, not really. What I did was FIND all the 2007 receipts and pulled out the ones that I could file separately according to items purchased. You know, like Staples receipts or Wal-Mart receipts. Nice to try and categorize them somehow. Am I creating extra work for myself????

I know that my house doesn't look like it, but truly I love to have things organized. Yeah, I said I KNOW my house doesn't reflect that, but it is true. It frustrates me not to know where things are or to have all the receipts dumped into a little basket or whatever. So I'm working on it. Those are the kinds of projects that I sit in front of me if we watch TV or something. I know it's crazy (and again, I know my house doesn't show it) but I like to keep busy. Hence all the projects and hobbies. Don't ask me why. I just like to be constantly doing things and learning new things (nothing too complicated you understand) but just keeping the old brain cells active.

Even when I go to bed I'm thinking about the things I want to do the next day, the things that need to be done and so on. It's a constant in my life that I've come to expect and I can't sleep until I make at least one list up each night of something. It doesn't matter what the list is about really. Just as long as it's a list. Crazy, huh.

January 5, 2008 - Sabbath

I had a whole couple paragraphs written here about an issue that irks me, but I changed my mind and decided not to publish my thoughts online. Don't worry, it wasn't about anybody that I know personally. Just something that I get wound up about occasionally. I just thought it would cause me less trouble to keep it to myself. So be it.

Now, it warmed up nicely today but clouded up towards evening. They say it's gonna rain the next few days. We shall see.

Isn't it funny how you can go along for years with the same several hobbies then all of a sudden a new craft/hobby sparks your brain and that's all you can think about? JoAnna got me interested in beading over the holidays and I'm researching online and reading everything I can about it. It's SO cool. And I remember friends of ours who used to make the Ming Trees with beads and wire. I thought those were just SO beautiful. I would love to learn to make those, plus pins and jewelry and things that I could sell. I've even designed my own logo and whatever! Cool, huh? So time will tell. My eyes aren't very good like they were when I was younger, so this may be a hobby that I just won't be able to do as well, but I'm gonna give it a try and see what I can do. You can bet that I'll add another webpage to my growing craft & hobby pages here on this website. I'll post here in the journal when the site is online. In fact, there will be several pages on this subject, including one on the Art pages called Beading Art, as well as the various Beading & Wiring categories that I hope to try.

Like I need a new hobby and more storage space and things to make and so on. But, hey. I love learning new things!!!!!

January 4, 2008 - Friday

Lots of my online contests ended today. Housework, laundry, ironing, you know the routine. A normal Friday for me.

The temps this morning sank to 14.3°. That's a bit cold even for me. I can tolerate it if there is no wind but there was a little breeze which made it rather bitter feeling. No worries however, since I didn't leave the house for anything. I like the cold, I like winter. I feel like I can breathe easier and I love being able to see all the animals in the woods. But my favorite temps, less wind, would range in the 28-38° ballpark. If there is wind, I would have to increase the temps abit to a balmy 36-45°. The cold does work on me though the older I get. The achy joints are sometimes troublesome. We have a heat pump which works just fine for Virginia winters. But on the occasional teens temperature dips, it doesn't work as well. Heat pumps only heat the air up so many degrees above whatever the outside temperatures are, so during the cold spells our indoors temps range in the lower 60's. But that's what flannel shirts and blankets are for and I'd still rather be cold than hot. So it suits me just fine!

When we lived in Westminster, up on that hill, in the open field, we would get alot of wind. I mean ALOT. And the temps there were always colder than here but I never minded it even with the wind. I remember one time our low temp hit -14°. Yes, that's a minus sign! I believe that is the coldest temps I remember seeing since I've been paying attention to the weather. (We probably had some of that years ago when I was a child but who kept track in those days?) It was early in the day and the kids wanted to play outside. I only let them go outside (and very bundled up!) for about 15 minutes and then they had to come inside for awhile. If I remember correctly the temps stayed in the single digits all that day! Now THAT was COLD!!!!!

And they call THIS an "artic blast"???? I don't think so. It was a short "toot" maybe. Come on winter, give us a real blast and a little more white stuff would be ok for just a day or two!

January 3, 2008 - Thursday

More housework and back to the old routines today. Worked on catching up with my contest mailings which had fallen behind the last few weeks. Only had a few to catch up so didn't take too long. But new onlines were added today so had to initiate those into my online contesting cycles. Hopefully, one of these days I'll start winning some things, ya think???

So I looked at last years (2006) New Year's Resolutions. Out of 60 resolutions I actually fulfilled 7 of them!!!! Hey, that's a good record for me. Which ones? Well, I did lose some weight. Yeah, I know it doesn't look like it but I did. I read the Bible (NKJV) through and have started the NIV for this year. That covers Resolutions #'s 1 & 5. Number 6 was to declutter the house. I know it doesn't look like it yet, but that too is a work in progress so I'll count that one. Number 27, practicing my songs, duh, that's an easy one that I fulfilled. Numbers 51 (less complaining) and 52 (asking God not for my plans but His for me), I've also been doing that one. More the last 6 months than the first 6 months of the year, but none-the-less, I can count it also. Last of all, number 58, being more optimistic. Honestly, that's not a real hard one for me. I've been an optimistic person for about 35 years now. I always try to look at the bright side of any situation, and not only that but at the humor in a situation. It's not ALWAYS easy and I'm not 100% successful, and there are situations that can't be bright or humorous but it's definitely a work in progress, therefore I will count it also.

I'm working on a page for the various Holidays and New Year's is one of those pages in progress. I've decided to include a link for New Years Resolutions and include some from previous years. Yes, I have the ones I wrote over the years. Funny thing, seems like my resolutions are very similar from year to year. Does that mean I procrastinate? Do I put off the projects that need to be done? Even the ones I want to do??? Hm-m-m-m. I think I see a pattern from year to year. Well, you don't have to read them if you don't want to, nobody is forcing you to read them.

Now, for this years New Year's Resolutions. Well, last year I actually listed them all online in this daily journal, well, most of them. I'm still debating about that for this year. Not today, however. I'll think about it over the next few days.

January 2, 2008 - Wednesday

We had a dusting of snow this morning, it was really pretty coming down. Later in the day the sun came out but temps remained low. First snow, not of the season, but of the New Year!

I'm not totally happy with this month's designs for this journal, so I may change some things in a day or two. Went to town today to pick up just a couple of things. We picked up an electric blanket for Jimmy and Jessica. And HALLELUJAH. Then got electricity this afternoon. So they are really happy about that!

We watched a couple movies on TV this afternoon. Everyone goes back to routines tomorrow so it's back to housework catchup and organizing for me too.

January 1, 2008 - Tuesday

Happy New Year's Day!!!!

Well, don't you think that the National Month thingy has gone a little crazy??? And, I didn't even list them all. Some of them were just nuts and some I didn't have a clue to what they were referring. So, I only included a section of the list. Like I said, Crazy.

As usual, if you didn't get to read the last days of the previous month, you can check out my Archives pages above. Honestly, you didn't miss much. But if you're interested, well, you know the drill.

Other subjects to approach this month, New Year's Resolutions. Did you write yours out before the New Year? I always do mine around Christmas and I'll post the highlights here. I also want to review last years resolutions. How many did I keep? How many did I forget about?

I'll go into more details as the month continues, tired for tonight however....

And of course, let's not forget one very important thing!!!! You need to know this. There's only 359 days left until next Christmas!!!!!!!

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