my jenga-is-like-life analogy

Our New Year's Eve was a simple celebration. It was bring-your-own-steak night at our house. I had plans to make a few niblets for the night, but you know my plans don't always work out. Saturday afternoon, I left the house to pick up LKN and Baby Jus's girlfriend, run by the store to get our steaks, and a quick stop at the pet store for dog food. The plan was that the girls would help with the niblets while I started things for supper. And we were right on schedule until I backed into a car while leaving the pet store. And then I had to find the owner, make my apologies, wait on the police to arrive, and file a report. My truck wasn't harmed at all. For the second time it was saved by my trailer hitch. And for the second time the other vehicle fell victim to said trailer hitch - it didn't just dent the bumper; it went all the way through it. (The first time, someone hit me from behind - totally not my fault.)

I got home just in time to unload the truck, put a bit of marinade on the steaks, and get the mushrooms and onions ready to cook before friends arrived. Carrie brought a black-eyed pea dip from The Pioneer Woman that was so yummy. And she helped with guacamole while I got the potatoes and bread ready ready for the oven. Clay and Lovey handled the steaks. It was a GREAT supper.

The kids played video games, watched movies, and played some cards while we played Jenga between the guys watching the moonshiner show on Discovery. Later, neighbors and friends joined us for the last few hours of 2011.

We played Jenga a few nights ago, and our record was 32 levels high.

Last night we got 36 levels, and it didn't fall - there were no more moves. It was wobbly, but it didn't fall. After admiring our accomplishment for a few minutes, we had no choice but to pull a block, let the pieces fall, pick them up, and start over. And there's my analogy. Sometimes we reach our goals, or we run out of moves. And what to do then?

Make a drastic, purposeful move.

Deal with the chaos that follows. And start to rebuild.

In 2012, may we all have the courage to make that drastic, purposeful move, even if means picking up the pieces and starting fresh.

Happy New Year to you and yours!
Mer

a year in review - well almost

I posted my first blog entry in February of last year. Almost a full year of blogging. Really? I've had months where I posted quite frequently, and months where I posted almost none. I don't have huge numbers of readers, but it is fun to check those stats and see that there are readers from all over the world - thank you for taking time to share a bit of my life.

As I thought about my almost year of blogging, I thought about maybe doing top ten posts list. But then I thought - they read those; maybe I should share something else. So here's my list, in no particular order or category.

I'm a terrible wife, especially before I have coffee and thirty minutes of quiet. I wrote about my morning routine in don't talk to me.

One of my favorite pictures ever of Lovey ends welcome home, a post about Lovey and his boxers.

When I first started blogging, Melissa was hosting a Saturday Confessions linky each week. And I joined her almost every week. Like here, here, and here.

Many of my posts are about the kids that I love. Like lessons learned from on Easter Sunday. They have all learned to just consider themselves blogged when I get out the camera.

And some of my posts are about my job. I've even listed my top 10 reasons for being a teacher. As much as I love my job, I do frequently ask is it Friday yet? And I sometimes get on my soapbox about standardized tests.

And Lucy Mercer makes an appearance quite frequently, sometimes with her socks, sometimes with her secrets,  sometimes she brings a friend,  and always with her partner in crime, Jacob.

When I started blogging, I had no plan, and I've written about a variety of subjects. I can jabber on and on about the funny, the bizarre, the strange. I don't frequently bare my soul. But there are a few times when I have gone a little deeper. Sharing my memories of 9/11, getting a little preachy about the predicted rapture last May, even hinting at the difficult relationship with my oldest son.


And I've posted the truth. Us, in all our unmatching, torn, stained wornout glory. Working cows and going to the bank. And even showed the dust bunnies bravely peeping from every corner of my house.


It's been a blessing to share these bits of my family and my life with you. I do enjoy knowing the posts that were your favorites, or the ones that you didn't like at all. Thank you for commenting whether on here, at church, or on Facebook.

Take a few minutes to review your 2011. What do you want to remember? How much have you already forgotten? If you don't journal or blog, think about doing it. It's great to look back and be reminded of the little things that happened throughout the year.