26 February 2010

50 reasons I Love/Hate Winter

... in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18


I have a love-hate relationship with Winter.
Especially in the midst of a 24 hour Winter storm warning.
Early December, I find myself looking forward to the snow
and its fluffy - goodness
Snow is necessary for me to get in the Christmas decorating/shopping/baking mood.
I enjoy it for a couple of months,
then - right around the time
Punxsutawney Phil sticks his head out of the ground
to proclaim how many weeks of winter we'll have
(BTW, Phil isn't very truthful - in Cleveland, we're liable 
to have 8-10-12 weeks of winter left!) 
(shame on you Phil!!)

... Anyway
About that time I begin to get very weary of Winter.
Like a beloved house guest
that has overstayed their welcome
I wish Winter to go away!!!

In the past, I've listed the 50 reasons I have loved a particular season.
For winter, in all fairness
I will list 25 reasons I love it
and
25 reasons I hate it:

25 Reasons I Love Winter

Big fluffy snowflakes
steam heat, bright colored scarves,
Brisk air to awaken my senses
snow-laden tree branches
rabbit tracks in new fallen snow
snowmen
warm mittens
eggnog
my snowman wreath upon my door
freshness in the air
flannel sheets
catching snowflakes on my tongue
curling up under a fleece throw with a good book
sledding
the sound of snowplows
Chrismas lights, carols, presents, etc.
hot chocolate with marshmallows,
Valentines Day
my big wool coat
New Year's resolutions
snowballs
Winter Olympics
icicles
Brand new calendars

25 Reasons I Hate Winter

 neighbors who don't shovel their sidewalks
tracking snow into the apartment
Dirty, gray snow
The greed that Christmas can bring out in people
when 36 degrees is considered a heat wave
1ce-y sidewalks
the extra time it takes bundling up and putting on boots
Just when you think Spring has arrived - a blizzard hits
scraping ice and snow off of the car
16 shades of gray - everyday
it's dark when I leave for work, and dark when I return
dry skin
eyeglasses fogging up when I come inside
Cold, Colder, Brutal
no end in sight
hazardous driving conditions
harsh winds in my face
single digit temperatures for days on end
Being overheated in my coat while shopping indoors
frozen windshield wipers
Punxsutawney Phil lies
Salt on my boots, coat, car, floor
Taxes
Colds and Flu






02 February 2010

The Music of my Soul

I love music.
I REALLY love music.
ALL types of music
Any TIME Any PLACE!

I don't know how or why my taste in music is so passionate and varied.
I can't read music, play an instrument or carry a tune.
I can only figure that the Lord gifts certain people to sing.
And others to transform black dots and lines into melodies
And others, like myself to have an intense appreciation for the music others make.

I grew up in a household where my Dad taught me to Jitterbug
whilst listening to Glen Miller, Cab Calloway, Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington.
And my Mom, nearly 20 years younger than my Dad would turn up
the Hi Fi Radio and listen to
BeBop and Rock and Roll -
Chubby Checker, Elvis, Little Richard and The Supremes.

Growing up during the infancy of racial integration, sometimes the only "hip"
radio stations played Rock and Roll.
And during the seventies the R&B stations.

I have my Mom to thank for my very first record album
when I was 5 or 6 years old.
"A Child's Introduction to the Classics"
where I listened to Peter and the Wolf
and The Sorcerer's Apprentice
musically narrated by Tchaikofsky,
over and over and over,
which gave me a passion for
Classical music
(I remember as a teen,
being brought to tears, sobbing over Boradin's Nocturnes).

So its no wonder I could be found at a Christian Rock Concert
last Friday with my 2 daughters.
... And we had a BLAST rocking praises to the Lord!!

Just take a look!

Tiana and me

Third Day



Cara and Tiana

FireFlight

Jammin'!


Thousand-Foot Crutch




NewSong