Inspiration Alley

Project 365

The new monthly kit (CK) for January will be all the components to complete a 365 day album with taking a picture each day of the new year.  Everyone in the Hilltop Memories yahoo group has been talking about it, and I really want to do this.  I just wish you could pre-order so that it would be hear for the first day.

Thankfully, I learned that I should start taking photo's now so that I have the first week which can start today.  That's what I'm doing anyway.  My weeks will start on a Monday and that way the weekend days will be together.

There's a video on Becky Higgins blog which shows all the components.  It really looks cool.  I can't wait to get started.

The year is almost over

and as I reflect on the past year and start to focus on changes I want to make in 2009, I can't help but notice just how fast the clock is ticking.  So much to do yet.

I've got my new planner all set up.  I've decided to do the scrapbooking album "Project 365" where you take a snapshot of something in your life each and every day.  I've got the usual goals of improving my health, losing weight, eating right, cleaning my house, reducing my debt, etc - maybe this will be the year I accomplish some of those.  I want to spend more time with family and friends and less time with the daily grind of commuting and work, I want to read more, travel more, and generally live life to its fullest.

As life goes on and we enjoy the good times and endure the bad, I realize that life is short and I intend to swing the balance to the enjoying the good times side.

Atlantis

This link takes you to a holiday card for Atlantis Resorts.  The little girl in the picture is the daughter of a friend/coworker of mine.  I've know her since she was an infant.

If you can help her out she is also in a contest - you can vote here.

 

She is in two places (right now on page 1 and page 2) - her name is Tristen of Ft. Lauderdale.  You can vote for more than one child and you can vote daily.

Photo Shoot

This is my nephew Kevin (hubby's side of the family).

My BIL and SIL brought him over after breakfast and we were posing pictures with hubby's cars.

That face looks like he is deep in concentration.

Our New "Daughter"

I wanted to share a picture of our "new" kitty.  We've actually had her for a few months.  She showed up on our doorstep thin as a skeleton.  We've been feeding her, got her shots, and will shortly get her fixed. 

We've named her Marjorie - which happens to be Jay's paternal and My maternal Grandmother's name. 

We now have 5 M's.

Mew, Monty, Mattie, Michael, and Marjorie.

We're trying to convince her to be an indoor cat.  She stays in for awhile, but hasn't figured out the litterbox situation.  She will in due time I'm sure.

Goals / Resolutions

When exactly do you start thinking of these ?

Ideas have been running across my mind for weeks and it is driving me nuts.  I've been writing them down and it seems like a big to do list.  I'm not talking about the regular ones like loose weight, eat healthier, stop smoking, those are always a given - these are just things I want to accomplish.

I think I'm hearing my life clock (different then the biological clock) is ticking and as I get closer and closer to the big 5-0, I have more and more I want to get accomplished.

Middle Age .... how the heck did I get here so fast!

So ... who wants to take an Alaska cruise with me (hubby doesn't like cruises) ?  Anyone ?  Anyone ?

Twilight Movie

I forgot to report that I did get to see Twilight in the movies.  I saw it while I was in Daytona.  I had hubby drop me off at the theatre while they went to walk around a parking lot and look at and talk cars.

So ... I really loved the movie.  They hit on all the important factors of the book and gave you just enough character development.  It held true to the book which is always a sticking point I have.  It's rare I see a movie after I've read the book because the movie is never as good (but I digress).

Anyway ... loved the movie.  Hit the high points of the book, but would have had to be a much longer movie to really cover everything.  I think they did a great job and I enjoyed it.  I hope they do decide to make movies of the rest of the series.  I for one would see them all.

Back to Turkey Rod Run

Here's some pictures from the Turkey Rod Run over Thanksgiving weekend.

First, this is the view from the balcony where we stayed (It's a friends condo).  The sun was just coming up - this was what I saw each morning, and I just love the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.  Beautiful.

The second pic is of the car.  The special thing about the car we brought was the dual quad engine.  Here's a picture.  It has two 4 barrel carbs.

And then there is the "money shot".  Every year we take a picture of the car at one of the turns at the speedway.  Here is this years. 

We had a wonderful time, but had a potential problem with the car, so we left it up there and will head back to Daytona next week to trailer it home.  It actually all worked out for the best because the trip home was quite stressful.  We must have passed (or sat in traffic) nor less than a dozen cars that had spun out off the road, including a tractor trailor that hit the guardrail almost right beside us.  We left about 3:30PM and didn't get home until close to 10PM.  It should have been a 4 hour trip, but there were all sorts of traffic delays.  I'm hoping next weekend the weather will be good, and I get another trip to Daytona out of the deal.

So Here We Are .... December

Can you believe it ?

Seems like it was just yesterday, and yet it's here again.

Christmas is actually my favorite holiday.  I love the shopping, seeing old friends, eating good foods, giving gifts, wrapping presents, the lights, Christmas Music, and oh yes ... did I say the shopping?

Now usually, I'm done with my shopping, but this year let me say ... I'm not.  Time has just flown past this year, but I'll catch up quickly.  I already have in my head what I want to buy and some people I work from wishlists so that makes it easy.  I'm have a BIG list of people.  Some families pick names, and some families buy just for the kids, and some families once they're all grown up don't exchange gifts anymore, but I think shopping is the fun part, so I love that my family still buys for everyone.  I just wish that we could find a way to all be together on Christmas Day, or eve.  I buy for my mom and her husband, my sisters and brother and their spouses and children, my husbands mother and his brother and family, the Christmas picks at work, plus all of the office employees and my boss, and hubbys boss, and I buy a big something for hubby (usually car related).

My only problem this year is I don't know what I want for Christmas (and hubby is waiting for me to drop some hints). 

I know I'll be spending some quality shopping time this weekend.