Shirley's Last Happy Holiday Moment

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.

Moment #7: The ever-sweet homecoming

So we have reached the end of my happy holiday list. Of coarse there is so much more I can say, but I need to move on and stop living in the past. If I don't, I will be writing about the wonders of Fall in the dead of Winter, and that will never do. And so I will end this list with one of my favorite parts of any happy holiday - the homecoming. I still haven't quite figured out when "I can't wait to leave." turns into "I can't wait to get home.", but for me it never fails to happen somewhere along the journey.

I love coming home. I love our home. I love walking into the door and feeling happy that I forced myself to stay up late before we left to clean the house spotlessly. I love the feeling of crawling into our very own bed after nights of being away. I love the warm reception we get from our cat, and how she refuses to leave my side in almost a freakish-cat-stalkerish sort of way for a good week after we return. I am ALL ABOUT the frenzy of feline fondness. I love the color of my walls. I love my office, and my computer, and how it just feels like "me". I love getting back into routine. I love how everything feels familiar, and comfortable. I just love coming home. Whoever made up that old "home sweet home" thing sure knew what they were talking about, because it sure feels sweet to me!

Oh, and one last thing...I love how after I empty our bags, the cat jumps in and refuses to come out, just in case we even THINK about leaving without her again!

Just a girl and her pet...

Girl and her pet love Christmas. It is their favorite time of the year. Girl loves to put up the tree, cover it with twinkly lights and enjoy it's warm glow. Pet likes to use the tree as a scratching post, and climb all the way to the top. Girl loves the festive look in the house. Girl creates bowls of pine cones, Christmas greens, and cinnamon sticks to enhance the festive spirit. Pet loves to chew on the cinnamon sticks, play with the pine cones, and pull out the Christmas greens with her teeth.

Girl made a lovely Christmas arrangement to beautify the table. Pet thinks that she belongs next to the arrangement. Pet feels like she is in the forest. Pet knows she is not allowed on the table. Girl scolds pet and puts her on the floor.

Girl likes to arrange the house just so. Every ornament has it's place on the tree. Every snowman and every figurine goes in its special spot. Pet thinks that she should also have a place amidst all the decorations. Girl tells pet she does not belong. Pet does not like to listen. Pet bats at all the carefully placed ornaments. Pet is told often..."No! Bad cat!"

But as much as the girl loves Christmas, the girl loves her pet more. The girl would not want to be without her pet. The girl and her pet will have a warm and happy holiday together.

Routine...

I have been thinking lately about routine – about my routine, about the routine of others. Everyone has one you know. I know a girl that does the same thing every single morning. In the same order. Never changing. After 5 1/2 years of being married to Harv, I know his morning rituals like the back of my hand. My rituals are a little different. Lately I have taken to turning on the computer and checking my blog and my email first and foremost, before anything else. But one thing remains the same. Every morning I open my eyes and take a sip of water from my glass beside the bed. Cats have routines too. My cat has started taking up a new ritual. She wakes me up in the morning by jumping on the bed by my head and sticking her paw in my water glass to get a little sip. Her morning ritual is interfering with mine. Very annoying. How do I break this new routine?

It seems like routines sneak up on us. Just like habits and rituals. But the question I am wondering is – why do the bad habits seem to sneak up on us more often that the good ones? It seems like you can wake up one day and it will hit you that you have developed a terrible habit of knuckle cracking, or publicly pulling up your bra strap (sorry guys!). Something that you did once in a blue moon is suddenly an enforced habit and subject to public ridicule and speculation. How do these things happen? How can it happen after watching a few TV shows that all of a sudden you are totally hooked on 18 different shows? A little exaggeration there, but even a few is still alarming for someone who never used to watch TV. It can just hit you without even knowing it was happening. I stopped one day and it hit me… when did I stop driving a car? That one just hit me recently causing this current theme of pondering and reflection. We are a one car family and Harv does all the driving. Suddenly before I know it, I haven’t driven in 3 months. I have become my Aunt Mary Anne. How did that happen? It just snuck up on me! How come these things can just sneak up on us?

Why can’t it be that way with the good habits? Why can’t I wake up one morning and realize that I have gotten into the habit of doing an hour of aerobics, or having a healthy breakfast? What can’t quiet times and Bible reading be an easy habit that I don’t even think about, rather than something that I really have to work towards? Why do the things that are good for us require so much work and constant effort, and the things that are bad for us come so easily?

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. I don’t know who “they” are but…it sounds right. Mind you they also say it takes 3 months to change a habit. Must be two different sets of “they’s”. I am not sure that it takes 3 months to make a bad habit. I don’t think that it took 3 months for me to get into the habit of having something sweet after supper. I don’t think that it took any time at all. But I can guarantee you that it would take that amount of time and more to break the habit. Why? Why do the bad habits have such an unfair advantage over the good ones? How did that happen? Was that another thing that just snuck up on us – this inequality of habit forming?

I know that I am not the only one that feels this way. Even Paul talks about the “good” that he wanted to do, not being what he did. The Bible tells us to work out our salvation, to strive for godliness, to pursue contentment. Striving and pursuing, and working do not come easy. It does not sneak up on us. I know this. I am aware. I just wish that bad habits would have to strive and work and pursue me a little harder. I wish that they didn’t find me so easily. I just wish that for once the good ones find me and the bad ones would get lost on the Interstate, and be too proud to ask for directions. But until that happens I will be working and striving and pursuing the good, and hoping to not wake up every morning in shock at how another bad habit has snuck up on me without my even knowing.

Sibling Rivalry...

Shirley's Advance Into Modern Technology

A picture on my blog!! One small step for bloggers everywhere - one GIGANTIC leap for me into the world of technology. I am so proud.

This is our most-loved and spoiled cat Abby. This is her at the top of our Christmas tree five minutes after we put it up. Today has been a struggle. My Christmas wonderland of beauty and decor has become her Christmas playland. It was not a good day for mother and cat. I think I spent most of the day chasing her away from the tree, taking berry springs out of her mouth (when I could catch her), replacing pine needles that she pulled out of my arrangements and so on and so forth. I should have counted the amount of times "bad cat" came from my lips. I mean how can I blame her? She loves the sights and smells of Christmas just as I do. And as mad as I get at her, I still just love her to death. I could bring in a spiritual application at this point about how God loves us even when we are bad. But I think I hear a rustling...which means Abby is at the tree again. She will be halfway up before I can catch her...gotta go!!!

The Saga Continues...

The fish drama continues. I checked on our passive turned cantankerous little Dorrie last night and she literally had Sophie's head in her mouth! She was trying to eat her alive. I am not making this stuff up people. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. I do not know what has gotten into her, but she is causing some turbulent waters, and everyone is getting into it. Sadie is chasing Bonnie, and Molly is chasing Sadie, and Baby Maggie is chasing Lenny, and Dorrie is chasing everyone!! What happened to my peaceful tank?! There is no peace here.

Well at least the cat is happy.