Defeat

Oh, and before any of you feel proud of me- I gave in to the addiction yesterday.
I made Keith go to the mall with me before we saw a movie. Got 2 shirts.
Guess my small personal victory didn't last too long!

Reruns

So, yesterday I mentioned one of my addictions- shopping. I figure I might as well go with this theme. Another one of my addictions- reruns.

I don't understand it, but there are certain shows that I can watch over and over and over again. Shows such as Friends (yes, I own all 10 seasons on DVD), Seinfeld (yep, got those on DVD too), Sex and the City (don't have any of those seasons... yet), oh and one of my newer obsessions and I am embarrassed to admit this- The Girls Next Door.

I have no idea why I can watch these shows 1,000 times. I do know that it drives my husband nuts! Poor Keith, he is so sick of Friends. I take at least one season with me every where we go. When we go back to Decatur for the weekend, Friends and my portable DVD player are packed with me, right in the front seat. I know that I am soon going to ruin Sex and the City for him (yes, he is one of the rare men who will watch that show!).

It is mostly just half hour sitcoms but my two exceptions used to be Beverly Hills 90210 and Felicity. I can't find these reruns on tv anymore. :(

The strange thing is, I never get tired of them......
Since Keith is going out tonight, I think I will fall asleep to Season 10 of Friends!

London Problem Solved

FYI....
Keith and I have decided not to go to London. We went back and forth and back and forth more times than I can count. And, surprisingly, in the end, the logical side won. We just don't want to put all of that trip on our credit card.
So, our compromise is this- we start saving now for our London trip. We will save for at least half of the cost of the trip. We can afford to put half (or less than half!) on our credit card.

We will get to London, just not in March. Who knows, maybe we will be there before the end of 2007.

Shop Till You Drop.....

Ok, I will admit it- I am a total shopaholic!!!

Mostly clothes and shoes, but I do not discriminate against dvds, books, cds, picture frames, candles, blankets, jewelry... you get the picture.
Anyway, this dates back to my high school days. I remember when Tracy and I would get off work at the pool and go to the mall just to buy an outfit to wear out that night. (and I wonder why I didn't start adding to my savings account when I was younger?!)

I have not hit any of the "after Christmas" sales. Well, that is a little untrue. I did go buy my wrapping paper, ribbon, and boxes for next year. I always buy these things the day after Christmas when they are 50% off. (I said I was a shopaholic, I did not say I don't appreciate a good bargain!) But, I usually am shopping for clothes after Christmas. THIS, I have not done yet. Tonight I came so close. I was driving to the gym, talking myself in and out of going to the mall afterwards. My mission was going to be a "New Years Eve" shirt. Those of you fellow shopaholics will know what I mean by this. My husband did not know.

When I do go, I will admit, I am usually looking for myself. I am always afraid my husband is going to say "why do you spend so much money?", so I justify this by making sure I bring him home a shirt or two. That way I can say that not all of the money was spent on me..... I know, I know, this is awful.

Back to tonight~ I didn't go. This is a small personal victory! I almost always go to the mall once I get that seed planted. Now, not to say that I won't go tomorrow after work, but I am enjoying my small victory tonight!

Oh, I have a trip to North Carolina planned for next week to visit my dear friend Tracy. We always shop when we are together. Yes, same Tracy I used to shop with after work- nothing has changed in the past 10 years! If I can just hold out until then.........

Merry Christmas to all......

I just wanted to take a moment this Christmas Eve to wish each of you who read this blog a very Merry Christmas.

My hope is that you have a safe, warm, love filled holiday.
I hope you all have your shopping done, so no one has to fight the crowds at the stores. And, if you do have to still fight the crowds, I hope you do so with patience and a cheerful mood.
I hope everyone is blessed with good family and friends to spend this time of year with. May you all have good food, great laughter and make wonderful memories to cherish in the years to come.
I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday- the birth of Jesus Christ. I am striving to really reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and just thanking God for giving us His Son.

There is just something about Christmas- I still get that "giving" feeling. I am a little less crabby at the checkout lane, I do a little more for others who can't do for themselves, I don't have quite as much road rage..... I hope I can take the feeling of "Christmas" and apply it to the rest of the year. I have been talking to people this month and the idea of cynicism keeps coming up. I am not a cynic and pray that I can hold onto whatever it is that keeps me from becoming one.

Ok, I think I am starting to get off on an entirely different subject. The main point of this entry is to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Love you all!

"Salutations"

I don't have children of my own, yet... so, I get my "kid fixes" from my niece, nephew and my friend's children.

This is a conversation between me and my 7 year old niece, Riley, with my sister playing the middle man.

I was talking to my sister, Dottie, on the phone. She was driving home from the gym, kids in the back seat. I could hear my lil niece in the background, so I told Dot to tell her "hi" from me. This is how the rest of the conversation goes:

Dot: "Riley, Aunt Cor says hi."
Riley: "Tell her I said salutations."
Dot: "Corie, Riley says salutations."
Me: (amazed that my niece, even as intelligent as she is, knows this word) "Has she been watching Charlotte's Web?"
Dot: "Riley, have you been watching Charlotte's Web?"
Riley: "no."
Dot: "Then why did you say salutations?"
Riley: "I don't know. It means greetings."

I LOVE how her little brain works. I LOVE that she is learning new things each and every day. She has been shocking me with her vocabulary since she learned how to talk. When she was very little her big word used to be 'actually'. Just imagine a two year old walking around saying "Actually, I was wearing my purple shorts" or "Actually, the girl's name was Katie" or whatever....

I can't wait for Tucker to start talking too!

5 Things about me.....

Val tagged me in one of her last posts. She listed 5 things about herself that we probably wouldn't know and has tagged me to do the same.

This may take me awhile to think about......
5 Things You May or May Not Know About Me.....
1. I hate getting gas. No joke, can't stand it. One of my least favorite moments in life is when I hear that lil "beep" of my low fuel signal. I always let it get to that "beeping point" and I always fill up to the max.... cause I hate getting gas. Oh, do I need to specify that this is gas for my car?

2. I alphabetize my movies and cds. (Should I be admitting this?) All of my DVDs/VHS movies and all or our cds are in alphabetical order. Some people call this anal, but I just say that it is easier to find the one you are looking for! Oh, the clothes in my closet go from tanks, to short sleeves to long sleeves in my closet, and then separated by color-white to gray to black to blue to green, you get the picture.....

3. I cannot cook something in the microwave and type in the time for an even amount... for example, when I cook my oatmeal in the morning, I cannot set the time for 1:00, I have to set it for 1:03 or 1:13. Same thing goes with my alarm clock. (don't ask me.....)

4. I have glaucoma. Was diagnosed in 8th grade. I know, I know, I'm like the only person under the age of 65.....

5. I'm left handed and I love it! I married a leftie too! I really hope our kids (future kids) will also grow up to be left handed. Although Keith says I am not a "true leftie" because I write with my left hand and eat with my left hand, but throw a ball and bat right handed.... I still consider myself a leftie through and through!

Um... I would tag people, but none of my other friends have started blogs yet! C'mon guys, start your own blogs! I love reading them!!!!!

Christmas Carols

I LOVE Christmas carols!!! I am so glad that we have a radio station (102.5) that plays Christmas songs 24 hours a day during the Christmas season. I will listen to the Christmas station all week long at work this week while I wait for Christmas Day. I sing along, even though I am in the office. There is just something about those tunes! But, as annoying as some people find Christmas carols, I think they lighten the spirit and bring smiles to most people's faces. I know my co-workers are getting a kick out of my love of Christmas music.

My 3 favorite Christmas songs:

• O Holy Night
• O Come All Ye Faithful
• Silent Night

My boss knows two of my favorite songs in German and he sang a lil bit for me today. They sound better in English. The German language didn't do much for "O Come All Ye Faithful".

So, I hope that each of you sing a lil song this season. Try it, I know it will brighten your day.

Napping......

I am not a fan of naps. I quit liking naps after my sophmore year in college. (back then I LOVED to sleep, no matter what time of day) I like to get up early (I even set my alarm on the weekends) because I have become a morning person. If I sleep late I feel like I have lost my morning. I am productive in the mornings. I like to get out of bed, drink my coffee and start the day. I definitely do not like to put my day on hold for a nap. I usually wake up feeling more tired than before and a little angry that I wasted an hour.

Well, this past Saturday I gave into the "nap". I had gotten up early, around 6:00am, worked out, hit Wal-Mart and then the mall for Christmas shopping. Around 2:00 I started to feel a lil sleepy. I laid in bed with my husband while he watched a movie and I fell asleep. I slept for about 2 hours. When I woke up- it wasn't so bad. I almost felt rejuvenated and I wasn't the least bit upset that I was lazy for 2 hours.

I found this lil short "story" on napping on the back of one of my tea boxes....

On Napping
"When we were young, the 'tall' ones told us when to slow down. When the demands of the world became too great, their powers of reasoning proved maddeningly accurate. 'I think someone's tired', they observed. And off for a nap we went. Ten minutes later, our dreaming faces had put us back in good favor with our exasperated parents. When we woke, the world somehow made sense again. What kind of truth might a napping child impart to us? Now we are the tall ones, living in a complicated world with no one to tell us when to slow down. The slumbering little one knows the value of not having the last word, of accepting a minor defeat. It's so simple. Miss out on something. Put yourself back in your own good favor. The world will wait."
David Jacoby

So, I will try to remember this- the world will wait.
I am not saying I will nap every weekend, but once in awhile can't hurt.

To travel or not to travel, that is the question

Keith and I have a big decision to make and only a few days to make it.
We are deciding whether or not to take a trip to London in March, with our friend Nicole. There is a sale on flights from Chicago to London for $177 each way. So, that means a flight to London for less than $400. Pretty cheap. We have until December 19th to book the flight.

We have no money saved specifically for this trip. So, the entire flight would have to go on our credit card. We would have 3 months to save for our hotel and "to-do's" while we are in London, but will still end up putting some of the trip on our credit card.

I am struggling with this decision. I would LOVE to see London! Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, London Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Stonehenge, plus so much more! Oh, and we were thinking about a day trip to Paris while we are there. I think Chunnel tickets from London to Paris are about $100.

So, obviously, there are pros and cons to this decision....

Pros-

• we have no children, so no responsibility in that aspect
• we have the time to take from work
• trip of a lifetime
• Nicole can go with us (and she has been to London)
• IT'S LONDON!
• flights are on sale

Cons-

• we would have to put the trip on credit card
• we are hoping to buy a house in the summer (and this would give us a bit more debt)
• it is really an impulsive trip (is this a pro or con? hmmmm...)

I don't know what to do. We don't have much time to think about it. Sometimes I think "we only live once- go for it!" Other times I think of all the things we want to accomplish here and this would set us back, but not too much. I cannot imagine walking around in London and taking in all the history and culture..... I know it would be amazing!

A friend of mine said that the only thing you should put on your credit card is travel. I keep thinking about that. But, is that just me trying to rationalize a trip?

I'll keep you posted on our decision.

Wrap It Up

I love buying gifts for people. Not just for Christmas or birthdays, but just for any ole' reason. For a new job, a new home, as a thank you... whatever the case may be.
Well, of course, Christmas is a time for giving gifts. Not only do I love buying the gifts for family and friends, I love to WRAP them! I wrapped my first 3 gifts tonight. I like to spread out my gift wrapping. I do not do it all in one night. I will be wrapping a few gifts each night for the rest of the week. Presentation is very important to me. I love to use decorative boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon, and other lil trinkets to add to the package. I rarely use gift bags because that means that my work is already done.

I can remember the first time I learned to curl ribbon. It was such an accomplishment for me! I can remember when my friends used to make fun of my presents because I could never get the corners to lay flat.. I just kinda bunched the wrapping paper up and taped it. (this was probably in 7th grade) But, I like to think I have perfected my wrapping abilities. Each gift looks different and unique. And, for one night (because I wait and wrap some at the very last second), they all sit under the tree and look so pretty.
The kids (my niece, mainly) usually hate it because they have to cut away so much ribbon to get to their actual gift! She must not be old enough yet to appreciate the "look" of the present.
Hopefully someday she will share my love of wrapping and I can teach her how to curl ribbon....

I know, I'm a dork.... :)

A few of my favorite things.....

I don't know why, but I always think of this song during Christmas. So, I thought I would jot down a few of my favorite things......

• when my husband comes home from work
• laughter
• God
• warm laundry fresh from the dryer
• sitting in the living room with only Christmas lights on
• reading a book so good that you don't want to finish it
• my amazing family and friends
• fall and seeing all of the leaves turn colors
• crossing off every to-do on my list
• ice cream
• the smell of freshly baked anything
• taking pictures
• hearing stories from my grandparents
• cooking for friends
• my apartment after I have just cleaned
• seeing the penguins at the zoo
• knowing I have a flight booked
• SHOES!
• facials
• getting new makeup or hair products
• real mail (although I love email too)
• quotes

These are just a few... I have to get going to work, so I may just post a continuation of this in days to come.....

I will end with another one of my favorite quotes,

"you should be the change you wish to see in the world" ~Dalai Lama

Road Rage

I have been realizing lately that I do not like myself when I am driving. I know that I am not a patient person, but for some reason, this lack of patience, as well as a lack of tolerance, really shows when I am driving.

Let's take a normal day. I leave for work around 7:30am. Usually I am running about 5 minutes late for work. I have a lot of 4 way stops on my way to work. One of the most frustrating things to me is sitting at a 4 way while people try to figure out who's turn it is next. (I know I am going to sound completely rude and mean, so I apologize in advance, but it's the rage) In my head I am thinking "how hard is it? you pull up to the stop sign and if someone was there first, let them go, otherwise it is your turn". I know, I know.... awful of me.
Don't even get me started on people who drive slow in the left lane on the interstate.......

Anyways, I am not sure if living in the city magnifies the road rage or if it is age or some other reason. All I know is, it is definitely getting worse. Keith gets the pleasure of listening to me complain about other drivers when I call him on my way to work. Poor guy. Sometimes I try to think that maybe they have an emergency or maybe they are older, but most of the time I just get mad. Ridiculous isn't it? To let something as trivial as a 4 way stop frustrate me.

So, I think this will be one of my New Year's Resolutions.... to banish the road rage. I am not sure how I will accomplish this, but it needs to be done! :)

Shoe dilemma

Ok, so I have been struggling with something ever since fall began.
I love shoes! In the summer I have no problems finding cute shoes. For some reason, this fall and winter, I am having major shoe problems. I can't find any cute shoes I like!

I am trying to not wear heels all the time. I am short, my pants are usually a little bit long, plus I like the way heels make me look. But, lets face it... heels aren't so great for the tootsies all the time.

I have been looking for flat shoes, but the only shoes I am drawn to are heels. Are there any flats out there for me?!?! I have been looking for months. Ask Nicole. She has been with me on numerous shopping missions looking for the perfect flat winter shoes.

I look at other people to see what shoes they are wearing. I'm trying to get ideas. I have noticed that a lot of people wear tennis shoes. I am not a tennis shoe kinda girl unless I am coming from or going to the gym. What are my other options?

If you have suggestions or links or pictures, please send them! I refuse to believe there are no shoes out there for me!

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

I had an "interesting" day last Friday. Nothing out of the ordinary.... I was at work, riding on the elevator with a coworker. There was a delivery man in the elevator with us. When I went to get off on our floor, I felt a touch on my shoulder. It was the delivery man. He touched my shoulder, I turned around, he waved at me, smiled and said "Bye". (I'm shuddering now as I type, as well as making a mental note to always take the stairs at work) After work, I was crossing the street to my apartment and saw a man standing at the bus stop. I started to cross the street and the man says "hi". I say hi back and I guess he takes this as an opportunity to start a conversation. He says "oh, I didn't think they had pretty women in south St. Louis. I have only been here for a few months. I must not be going out to the right places". I say "um, thanks?" and quickly cross the street.

My point is.. men are SO different from women. (I am not trying to brag in any way during this blog) Men are always honking, yelling, craning their necks to get a look, whistling, anything they can do to let you know that they think you are attractive. Why is this?! If a man thinks a woman is attractive why can he not just think it and leave it at that? (I am not saying this goes for all men all the time, but it does happen probably at least on a daily basis)
Do men think that this makes us feel good about ourselves? Do they think we want this attention? I, for one, can live without it.

I don't think I have ever seen or heard a women yell at a good looking guy walk down the road. I know that I have never honked at a man as he jogs down the street or whistled out my window. Do men do this because it is what they need to feel validated? Is this how they want their self esteem to be boosted, so they assume it works for us too? Or, are they just purposely trying to make us uncomfortable?

Usually I just ignore them, trying not to give them any more reason to talk. Lately I have resorted to rolling my eyes and shaking my head. I think I may post a sign that says "I am not interested in your comments, stares, whistles or winks. Keep them to yourselves".

Again, for all of you men who may be reading this- if you are this man, stop. If you aren't, I thank you and highly recommend you never stoop to this behavior! It's terribly annoying.
(again, not trying to man-bash here!)

Holiday Frenzy

It's that time of year again... time for Christmas trees, garland, nativity scenes (not activity scenes- you know who you are!), caroling, and deciding where and how to spend our Christmas.

It is so difficult having our families 2 and 1/2 hours away from each other. We have 7 Christmas' to go to. My mom, my dad, my 2 sets of grandparents, Keith's mom and dad, and his 2 sets of grandparents. Plus, Keith and I would like to start our own tradition.....
Planning for all of this usually makes for a very hectic holiday season.

I shouldn't complain~ I should be thankful that we are both so close to our families and that we have people to share the holiday with. It's just impossible to be at every family function and who's to say which one we miss? With Christmas, pretty much all 7 of these get togethers happen on the same few days...... When Keith and I have kids it will become even more difficult because we will want to wake up on Christmas morning at our house and just be here! What are we to do?

As you may have read earlier in my blog... this holiday season is particularly hard because it is the first holiday without my Grandpa. We were lucky enough to be able to spend alot of time with my family over Thanksgiving. Keith made the decision to stay with me in Decatur and miss his family's Thanksgivings. So, does that mean that for Christmas we should stay here and miss my family's Christmas'? We try so hard to please everyone when it comes to this, but it is just impossible to do! We adore our families and WANT to be with them during this oh-so-special time of year. But driving here and there usually ends up with us worn out and hardly feeling like we had any days off.

PLEASE don't misunderstand me... I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas. I look forward to every aspect of it. I love being reminded of the birth of Christ. I love the Christmas programs at church. I love the decorations and lights. I love wrapping presents. I love singing Christmas carols while I clean the house. I love this season!

I just don't know how to handle our travel situations. We have discussed starting a new "trend" after this year. We rotate Thanksgivings-one year we are in Decatur for the entire weekend, the next year we are in Breese and so on..... and then for Christmas we go to Keith's parents house the weekend before Christmas, we stay at home for actual Christmas Day and we go to Decatur the weekend after Christmas. This way each family gets EXACTLY the same amount of time and we aren't rushing from one place to the next.
This is not a perfect scenario however..... it means that neither of us gets to see our families on the actual day. The thought of this breaks my heart. Holidays are the only times that both of us get to see our entire families- all the aunts, uncles, cousins- in the same room.

I don't know what to do. The whole thing upsets me very much. I don't know if our families totally understand because most of them do not have to travel for the holidays. I mean, our families are understanding of our situation, but they just aren't in our shoes.....

If anyone has this dilemma and has any insight for me, I am open to suggestions!
Keith and I have such a hard time each year, deciding when and where to go. HELP!!!
At times like this I wish we could just say "Beam me up Scottie" and "poof" we are at our next location!!!! (NO, I am not a Trekkie!)

I know we will figure it out, but we just want to please everyone......



This is kind of a depressing post for me, so I will end it with one of my favorite quotes:

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter"
~ee cummings

Oh, the weather outside is frightful......

Brrrr! That's about all I have to say.

Today is SO cold. The wind just blows right through you. And, in the lovely city of St. Louis, it is ILLEGAL to warm up your car! Illegal! Can you believe that?! Nothing like getting in a freezing car in the morning and have your steering wheel still be cold when you pull into the parking lot at work!

BUT, I shouldn't complain too much..... we were some of the fortunate few to not lose power during last weekend's storm. For those of you who lost power and are still without power (Val, Aunt Gina!), please know that Keith and I are praying for you each and every night!!! Hang in there!

Then I think about my mom and aunt who are mail carriers. They have to work in the weather no matter what! Through wind, rain, sleet, hail.... or however the saying goes.....
My heart just goes out to them. Every time I step outside and my nose instantly freezes-I think of them being outside all day long. They are stronger than I am. I could not handle it for one day, much less every day.

I know this post is pretty much about nothing, but the cold is all that is on my mind right now. I guess it is because my fingers still haven't warmed up from gripping the cold steering wheel on my way home from work.

But, I can look forward to holding a cup of hot tea! Mmmmm.....

Yoga, Yoga, Yoga

I am so excited. The City is offering employees *free* yoga classes this month! Yes, FREE!
Of course, I jumped on the chance for a free class, even if I have to sacrifice my lunch hour for it.(the class is from 12:00-1:00)

The first day of the class was last Wednesday. I went and was the only person who showed up. So, it was just me and the yoga instructor. It was like I had my own personal yoga class, well, not "like"- it was my own personal yoga class.
Today was the second day. Again, I was the only person who showed up. So, just me and the yoga instructor again. I am beginning to think it will be this way for the rest of the month. Why wouldn't every City employee wouldn't take advantage of free yoga?!?!

My favorite part of the class is the end. You lay flat on your mat in the dark, with the soft music playing in the background. The instructor tells you to close your eyes, feel the tension leave your body... blah, blah, blah.. more yoga talk. Then she comes over and stretches your legs and arms for you and does a lil scalp massage. Best 10 minutes of yoga!!!

If you have never tried yoga, I highly recommend you find a studio near you! Most places will let you try your first class at no cost. It is a great workout and stress reliever all in one! I always walk out the door feeling better than when I walked in!

Braggin' Rights

Keith, on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Can I just take time to post an entry about how wonderful my husband is?

Keith and I have been together for just over 9 years. We got married on our 8 year anniversary and just celebrated our first anniversary as husband and wife on Sept. 24. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary today (as a matter of fact, I saw him for literally 2 minutes today), but he doesn't have to do anything out of the ordinary. I am so blessed to be married to this amazing man. He is not like most men. He is open about his feelings- he tells me at least 100 times a day that he loves me. He is very complimentary- not a day goes by that he doesn't tell me I am beautiful or thoughtful or "his little genius". He is considerate- if I am not feeling well, he tends to my every need. He does all of our laundry, he cooks (so do I, but Sunday breakfasts are his meal!), he sleeps on his back so I can have my "spot", and he lets me control the remote (most of the time). I try to tell him that I think the world of him and know I am so lucky to be his wife, but I thought that it might be a nice gesture to tell everyone else how I feel about him.

I know that we have a relationship built on a solid foundation, a lasting foundation. We can talk about life's biggest questions, we can laugh, we can sit in silence- it doesn't really matter what we do as long as we are together. I can totally be myself with Keith and I know that he can totally be himself with me. (I think we are both starting to take on each other's "weirdnesses" as time goes on) I never get tired of hearing him unlock the front door after he has been at work all day. That is my favorite part of the day- hearing him come home to me.

Keith supports me 110%. Anything I want to do, he is behind me, encouraging me, cheering me on. His support helps me in ways he will never know. I KNOW I am incredibly fortunate to have such a husband. I know there are many women out there that do not have supportive husbands. I am SO thankful for Keith!

Sometimes it still blows my mind that I met the man of my dreams at age 18 in a college dorm. But, that was God's plan and it is perfect. Neither one of us can believe that we have already spent 9 years together- time truly does fly when you are having fun. I am not saying there haven't been rough patches, but we appreciate the rough patches because they allow us to grow as a couple.

So, if you have made it through my lil "ode to Keith" entry, thank you. Thanks for reading about how much I love my husband. He deserves for everyone to know just how special he is.

Love you baby!
XOXO

Tea- a drink with jam and bread.......

I have found a new love... hot tea. Coffee has always been my hot beverage of choice. I love my coffee. But, I had a sore throat this week and for some reason, I decided to see if a lil hot tea would sooth it. I had some green tea with honey at home, and figured, why not?! So, brewed myself up a cup 'o tea. One sip was all it took- I was hooked! Now I am drinking the green tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, wild berry zinger.. just about anything I can get my hands on. One day I think I had at least 5 cups of hot tea! I made Keith try some and he is hooked too!! After his first cup he said, "Man, I think you are onto something with this hot tea thing". The best part? No caffeine or calories! How can you beat that?

Don't get my wrong, I will continue to have my cup or two of coffee in the morning, but my afternoons and evenings are reserved for hot tea! I was at the grocery store today, just standing in the tea aisle, looking at all the choices!

So, if you share my new found love for hot tea and you have a favorite type.. send me a comment and let me know.
Writing about tea has made me thirsty... think I will go put on a pot of water!

(Oh, one of the best parts about the tea... the box comes with quotes! One of my favorites is....
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"
Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Winter Wonderland

Just trying to figure out how to post pictures. These are a few of the pictures I took today at Carondolet Park in STL. I had the urge to shop, but spending time at the park taking pictures was better for my soul and pocketbook! Plus, I wanted some pictures of the ice and snow before everything started to melt. A lot of other people had the same idea.... I cannot tell you how many people were out there with their cameras.

World AIDS Day

December 1st is World AIDS Day. We had an ice storm this year, so the whole city was pretty quiet. The History Museum was holding an event, but I don't even know if it took place with the bad weather we were having. (Let me take this minute to say that I am praying for all those who are without power and have storm damage)

I did have the opportunity to watch a lil documentary on Ashley Judd's visit to Latin America. Ashley Judd is the ambassador for Youth AIDS. They documented her trip and the individuals she met with on her journey. I cannot express how sad this disease makes me. The heartbreaking aspect is the fact that HIV is 100% preventable. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that the number of people infected just continues to grow. Watching this documentary last night just makes me realize how fortunate I am. Not only because I do not have this life altering virus, but because I do not have a husband who infected me, then left me with five children, one who is also infected, while I sell my body to provide barely enough food for the children. Seeing these women on tv weighs heavy on my heart. You can see the hopelessness in their eyes.

I wish I could change the course of this disease. I wish everyone would make the choice to protect themselves from this virus. I wish I could find a cure. I wish I could get the message of prevention to each and every person in the world. I wish.......

As World AIDS Day has come and gone, please remember all of the people who are suffering from the virus. Consider writing to our congress men and women for more funding. Consider volunteering with an agency who is fighting this epidemic. And, consider praying for the individuals and families who are impacted by HIV and AIDS.

I realize this is an intense topic. I know that it may even be a touchy subject for some of you. I deal with this directly or indirectly almost every day, due to my job. Sometimes I think we forget about HIV. It has been 25 years since the epidemic began. I write this entry in hopes that we never forget.........