Good bye to one year and hello to another..

What a gift we get..each year that we can see out the old and in with the new.

Another chance to do the things we love..to see the people we love..to start over..fresh and new..just like the year itself.

Another Valentine's Day..and 4th of July..and birthday..and Thanks-Mas and Christmas.

No "New Year's Resolutions" for me.  Nuh uh.  Not gunna do it.

I really don't need the negative feelings if I don't manage to do all of them.  And if I did..what then?

Nope.  I want something to strive for..not necessarily obtain.

Keeps me going.   That "carrot" .

But I do have a "word" for the year....

FOCUS

I have A.D.D. ....really.  I have too many half- read books..too may unfinished crafts..too many good intentions.  All at the.same.time. to really enjoy any of them to the fullest.

Yep, I'm like that dog in the cartoon...who is listening and talking then..SQUIRREL !....

So FOCUS it is. 

With that word come so many others..'simplify' comes to mind.

And of course the Ford Focus..that was son Jeff's first new car..he loved that Ford Focus. Ahh...

OK, Ok..

I really really REALLY want to do that.  Focus.  Not get a new car.  I have one. Well, it was new a couple of years ago..so it's still new...ish.

I've already made some baby steps to start focusing....like my clothes.

Realized I like myself in white tops.  White. Not polka dots or flowers.  Plain. White. Simple.

And T-shirt material is great.  But at least 3/4 sleeves.  So I found some at Wally World..and bought 4.

I can dress them up with various necklaces or scarves..but I really like white.

And jeans.  And I can wear jeans to work.  So, why buy red pants? Or blue.  Or tan.  I like jeans.

Getting dressed is now soooooo easy.  Pick a shirt..any shirt..ans it's bound to look good with my jeans..any jeans.

Simple. Focused. Easy-peasy.

I like that.

Now, putting that concept into other areas of my life. 

Crafts.  I am the Queen of unused craft-crap.  I can't seem to rid myself..that old "hey! I like this! And I MAY used it...one day" mentality.

There's stuff in there I haven't used..barley seen..in over a year..or 2?!

And that makes me feel guilty..then I stew and do nothing..and feel even more guilt. 

So, I am making strides in clearing my room, my mind, my closets of unused junk so I can really FOCUS on what I love.

Guess that means getting rid of all those other men..and FOCUS on Mr. B huh?

Nah.

-me
PS..just kidding about the other men..who could ask for better than who whom I have been blessed with??

FOCUS Colleen, FOCUS !!

A video {or two..um.. 3} and a recipe..for YOU ;-D

So, about that Las Vegas Christmas..pretty pretty.  No snow. But lots of beautiful...food!

 Sorta like going on a cruise without all that dumb water.  Not that I've ever been on a cruise.  But I have seen water. 

And a boat.

Not that I was on the boat on the water at the same time.

And speaking of water..great segue huh?! {  se·gue [sé gwày, sáy gwày]

vi (past and past participle se·gued, present participle se·gue·ing, 3rd person present singular se·gues
1. move smoothly: to make a smooth, almost imperceptible transition from one state, situation, or subject to another

segued into a discussion of the playoffs without missing a beat }

 Gotta love an on-line dictionary, huh?

And, speaking about penguins..you know..with the water??..this is for Emily:

Oh, OK, and this one is for my 2 sons-in-law...fathers of my 3 grand-girlies..

 
And now, the recipe for the Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili I've been making...and eating..and loving..
 
 

 
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili


via eat me, delicious, adapted from The Clueless Vegetarian

Serves 3-4 as a meal.



1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cup vegetable broth

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 28-oz (796mL) cans diced tomatoes

2 19-oz (540mL) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp crumbled dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large saucepan* or Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the onions are soft - about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and the cumin and cook for another minute or so. Add the vegetable broth and the cubed sweet potatoes, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender - about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with all the juice from the can, the beans, salt, and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then let simmer until the potatoes are completely tender - about 20 minutes.

*Go for the Dutch oven if you can, unless your saucepan is really very large.

So, if you're still awake and actually reading this..what are you doing? It's a huge waste of time..

-me

Ho Ho Holy Cow...

..It's over.  Really. Next year is on it's way..

And we had a very, um, non-traditional Christmas.

With a surprise trip..

And a surprise location.

Did I mention it was a surprise??  Even to the hosts??

Yep. Mr. B surprised all of us, even Mr. B , V2.0..and his wife.

So, here's a hint...

New York??

 Nope.

Paris??

Nah..

Las Vegas!  Yeppers..I spent Christmas Eve in a casino..

Different, huh?

And, Christmas morning by the pool...

Is that the ...Grinch???

nope..just me .

AND...I found Santa Claus at a truck stop! 

Shut Up!

Oh yes I did.

Proof:

...so, more later.

 But right now I am smelling my Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili simmering on the stove top..and I am hUNgRy!

-me

It's almost Christmas..

..and I'm missing my Christmas Angels.

Here are  2 of the 5......

 As for me and Mr. B...

..we all wish you...

A very Happy, Snugly, Warm, Joy-filled,  Safe and ...

Merry Christmas!!

I think every woman should visit "Build-a-Bear"..or as I call it...

.."Build-a-Friend"

I have decided it's better than a baby doll..when people see me with one of mine -they don't think I am having second {and way too late} thoughts of having my tubes tied 35 years ago (Oh, Happy Birthday Brandi!!)

Yes, at the hospital, they said I singed the papers faster than anyone ever had..and I seem to recall me grabbing the nurse by the collar and talking like the crazy-weird-one form the Exorcist......"get me those papers..NOW!"

Anyway, Happy {yesterday} to my youngest and LAST..Brandi Danielle..Mother of Ella and wife of Johnny..

So, back to Build-a-Friend..

When someone sees me. they just think is "Old-Timers"..or "Some-Timers"..as opposed to Alzheimer's..a grown woman with a stuffed friend..geesh..

But there are definitely perks of not having a baby doll..with my "friends"..I can be seen as eccentric..not depraved..

If I see an out fit for a boy..then my buddy is a boy..and I can get the cute overalls and hoodie with work boots..

If I see all pink and ruffly, or white with sparkles and fur trimmed..then my friend is my girly-girl...or a Santa-Girl

Try that with a doll or heaven forbid..a real child! You'd be paying for counseling for the 2 of you for ev-veh!

And, remember trying to put socks on a squiggly-baby-child?  Yeah..took like a half hour just to get one curly-toed foot into a shoe..then you have another one to do..


And plastic dolls with shoes, well hard to put on and easy to fall off.  As a side note - they now offer Barbie's with removable FEET that have shoes ALREADY permanently ON THEM??!!

That's just soooo wrong..oh, they also have a Barbie's dog that you can feed, then lift his tail and he...POOPS! It comes with little doggie bags and everything..I. Kid. You. Not!

{yeah..I totally got one of these for Emily a while back. I know..I know..I am a baaaad Grammie.}

What's next?  "Senior Citizen Barbie"?

Wait..what?

Seriously??

OK, so maybe I am living my second childhood..for the first time..
After all, when all of my school friends had dollies..I had April, my first born..and was still trying to shove her little feet into shoes..

Yikes.

-me

The party's over..it's time to call it a ..success!

Oh..we had a great time..getting ready..the excitement, the feeling of the season..

Mr. B & his Mom, Grandma Evelyn

Seeing new friends and old..introducing like-minded people who share not a religion, or job, or even age group..

But who  enjoy laughter,  good food,  fun and fellowship...and of course..

Christmas!

..but..in the quiet time after everyone is gone..



you fully understand how fortunate you are to have:

friends

family

pets

warm home

good times

and most importantly...

love.

-me

OK..so this is what MY work week looked like..

What did yours look like??

Hope is was fun!

-me

It really is a TGIF...

I am glad it's Friday and I don't have to commute to work...seems I-15 has been really busy with workers and shoppers..

...However {I still like that word..much better than 'but', doncha think??}..I did have fun things to think about and wait for the week-end to come..

Today, we're having a Christmas lunch at work with a party and White Elephant gifts and fun and good food and festive feelings and excitement and Christmas hats & singing.. and..oh wait..that last one is just me.

Tomorrow night we're having a few family & friends and neighbors over for a little get-together.  We try to do this each year and it's always good to see , especially in the cold weather when everyone stays in..

So, have a good day.

...learn something new..

And be kind to all...even if we have "pre-concieved" ideas about them..

-me

Ugh. The Dreaded Holiday Pop-In...from Cute Overload...

Yoohoo, anyone home? I brought you a fruitcake I made last year!

Hellooooo…? It’s Carl and Agnes! We have non-alcoholic eggnog, Brussel sprouts, and a hankering to sing carols!

Stella, here! I brought over stuff for scrapbooking! Wow, your peephole is really dirty!

Hahahahaha! Doncha love peep-holes??

Have a great Thursday..for me...it's off to work, then Weight Watchers then Zumba..whew..

-me

How do you dress a reindeer??

Just like this....

{double click on image for a double-dose of cuteness..}

Ella Ireland at Build-a-Bear..Dog..Build-a-Reindeer!

Yeppers, she's going to be a great Mommy..or fashion designer!  Or both.

As for me...I'm still trying to wrap up all the loose ends..literally, "wrap up" get it?  ..hahahha..

Ahhh..Sometimes I just crack me up ..

-me

Well..our Christmas home is finally ...

..looking Christmas-y.  The lights on our teensy tree are wonderful.  The lights on the garland on the shelf are lovely..

The lights in Mr. B's eyes are soooo sweet..for a 'man,y-man' of course..{disclaimer}

And the light in my heart, seeing all of this, and learning that Mr. B loves the Christmas specials on TV as much..or even more..that I do..

Well, it's no wonder this is the season of magic & wonder...

Happy Sunday.

-me & Mr. B

Oooo.Oooo..I found something FuN!

So, I was feeling a bit deprived of chocolate, remember?

Yeah..well I've come this far and I don't want to be like one of thise orange inflatable boats that you pull the cord and...

WHOOSH!  I'm round and chubby and unhealthy all over again..

Soooo..chocolates {in the quantities that I really want } are out of the question.

In the evenings, after dinner, I have been enjoying a cuppa tea..various flavored teas..but settled on English Breakfast..yes, at night..but when they are eating breakfast, I'm probably eating dinner, right?

Or is it the other way around?

Never mind.  Doesn't matter. 

But it still was..uh..lacking that "Oh! La! La!" feeling, you know?

Then I discovered....TaDa...

and, together with a few packs of Spenda...it becomes sorta like a hot, creamy...

Sorta...

But really, for a warm, soothing pepperminty-mocha-y drink on a cold winter's night..you can't beat it.

Yes, I know it has calories..and points..and is probably not the very best choice, but it beats devouring a whole lotta...

 

..and, after all, tea, especially English Breakfast is so, so, sooo, civilized.. 

 ..Um..I mean...

So, if you want a "not-too-bad-for-you-chocolaty-peperminty-" treat. have a cuppa..

..but hurry..I think this particular flavor is seasonal..

-me