My 2011 Word

As I mentioned yesterday, my 2010 word (Serenity) wasn't as successful as I'd hoped.  So I did some soul searching on why it was harder for me to embrace and I realized that my life has too much stuff in it. Call it disorganization, call it clutter, call it my past!  But it's time for change. It's time to declutter. It's time to SIMPLIFY.

sim pli fy  verb

a.-  to reduce to basic essentials

b.-  to diminish in scope or complexity

c.-   to make more intelligible; clarify

Yep, that's my word for 2011 - SIMPLIFY. What's so funny is that as I say the word, I experience an AHHHHH moment. Have you ever had one of those? Where just one word fills you with serenity and peace? Where you feel all sorts of gratitude?? Wait, what's this? A connection with ALL of my words??  Hmmmm.... interesting. Maybe that's the way it's suppose to work!

I started to approach my blog buddy/Scrap Cellar Chick Leanne to help me out with creating a visual for my word. Then it dawned on me (don't you just love/hate those "duh" moments?)...KISS! Keep It Simple, Superstar! (yeah, I know it's usually "stupid" and not "superstar" but I'm not about to call myself stupid!!).
And so, this is my first step into SIMPLIFY!  Can't get any simpler, right??

And here's my plan for 2011...There are so many people in this world who need things. And there are so many things in this place I call home that it's time I get the two of those situations to meet up. It's time for me to SIMPLIFY. And it's not just my home. It's my diet, my scrapbooking, my relationships. I don't believe we were put on this earth to lead complicated, cluttered lives. I believe we serve God best by simply being our uncomplicated, uncluttered, simplified selves.

Funny thing about these one little words -- once you pick the word (or it picks you) you start moving in that direction.  You start wanting it in your life.  Every day, all the time.  How cool is that?!!??

I'm headed over to Leanne's.  She's got a linky thing going for our words for 2011.  And, of course, a thank you to Ali Edwards on starting this revolution.

2010 Word of the Year Review

 Hard to believe it's been a year since I selected my Word of the Year.   Inspired by Ali Edwards, and nudged by my friend Leanne, I began this Word of the Year journey in 2009.  Ali E. says it like this: "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow...One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." Tangible, intangible, feeling, thought, emotion.  It can be any of those.

 

Charm by Lisa Leonard Design

 My first word was Gratitude.  That word and the gift of a word charm from Leanne helped make it a gratitude-filled year.  What's nice is that this word had such an impact on my life, that I literally saw a shift in how I look at things, how I react to things.  HUGE impact!

Found at a little out of the
way place in Arkansas

My 2010 word is Serenity.  I had a much more difficult time searching for serenity in my life this year.  Mostly because I didn't focus on the word as I should have.  Oh, there were spurts.  And how wonderful those were.  But overall, not so successful with increasing the serenity in my life.  

So here we are, just a few steps away from entering 2011.  It seems like only a couple years ago that we went thru the Y2K craziness.  It's now time for me to choose my 2011 Word of the Year.  I've got it and will share it with you before we wrap up 2010.

So what will your One Little Word for 2011 be? 

Believe

Christmas 2010

Don't you just love when song lyrics keep playing in your head?  No, I'm not talking about the haunting feeling you get with "It's a Small World".  I'm talking about songs with a message that resonates within you.  


One of my favorite Christmas songs is a song that can be played 365 days a year.  Although it is the most popular song in the Polar Express soundtrack (sung by Josh Groban), it really isn't JUST about believing in Santa.  Here is the part of the song that stays with me, playing over and over in my head (and heart).  

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate

Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You have everything you need

If you just believe  



I hope your Christmas is joyful, restful, reflective, and filled with love. 

May it be the Christmas of your dreams.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Christmas Traditions

When my brother was an infant, my aunt and mother started a tradition that lasted until my aunt passed away.  My Aunt Marge found the Christmas card that my mother had sent her the year before, and because she liked the picture of the cherub on the front she put a new date on it and sent it to my mother.  So it went, back and forth each year, with maybe one year when the card got "lost." 

In 1985, a similar tradition started with my siblings.  But it wasn't a card...OH NOOOO.  You'd have to understand how twisted the sense of humor is with some of my siblings to comprehend how this ever kept going.  You see, we gift a pig's head. 

2007

It started off as a doll, then it lost its body, then it lost one of the eyes.  It was just ugly.  In 2003, the nieces and nephews pleaded with us to end this bizarre tradition.  Nah...that's not gonna happen.  So I gave him a bath, fixed his eyes, gave him some hip sunglasses (aging, y'know), added a little color to his cheeks.  (Chicagoans, note the box...Marshall Field's!).

2008

When this tradition first began, the recipient of the pig's head one year was able to decide who got it the next year.  But now, we just have a white elephant gift exchange and that's one of the gifts.  So there's no telling who will end up with it each year.   

2009

(Clearly my daughter was not thrilled to be the recipient last year!)

This Sunday is the family Christmas with my siblings and their kids and grandkids.  Can't wait to see who gets to bring home the most prized Christmas gift ever!!

Do you have any bizarre traditions?  Share!!

I Hate the Cold!!

Here in the Midwest, we are in the middle of winter.  Yes, I know the calendar says not yet.  I know the official start of winter is December 21st.  But Mother Nature has a different idea. 

And as I sit and look at the temperatures on Weather Channel, I can't help but shiver!!  You see, I really hate cold weather!

You will never find me on a ski slope or an ice rink.  I will go out and shovel snow, but I'm not gonna be happy about it.  I will even go out and help my grandson build a snowman.  Not for long, but I'll do that.  There's nothing about being cold that I find appealing.  I can actually get creative with chattering teeth!  Yeah...I just hate the cold!!

So how ironic is it that when I make my Christmas cards each year, the theme is LET IT SNOW! 



Let It Snow 2007-2010

These are some of the cards I've made over the last few years.  I enjoy making them, but there have been times that I made 'em but never mailed 'em.  Don't ask me why.  I have no idea!!

So why do I make let it snow cards when I hate the cold?  Simple...I love the beauty of a snowfall.  I love how quiet the streets get when there's about 2 inches on the ground.  It's one of the most peaceful moments I know.  

The Weather Channel forecast
at 5 a.m. this morning



I'm not going to pay attention to the forecast for today.  Instead, I'm going to focus on the calm and peaceful feelings I get when I think about a blanket of snow covering our area.  And I'll just pretend that someone else has to shovel it.   

I think I'll go address some "Let It Snow" cards.  Maybe I'll get them mailed before Christmas!!