Story Tree

A-mazing that this week's Monday Listicles is a post that I was working on constructing already!  Very very cool!  This week's is 10 ORNAMENTS ON YOUR TREE AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM.
If you recall, Daughter designed our tree this year, and it looks like something right out of Macy's.  It is stunning.  Color-coordinated.  Christmas card perfect.

Then we discovered that we missed our 'family' ornaments so we put up a second tree.  Hubs found a tree lot where the guy was tired and ready to unload some partially dried out trees at half price and brought one home.

This is what we're used to, minus the 1970's large colored bulbs.  There just wasn't room.  It is bedazzled in tinsel and taking its spot in the front room at the window.

As always, I probably won't be following any rules here, so my ornaments and their 'stories' will be grouped so you can see a few more of what adorns this tree.

1.  Tradition of ornaments

Hubs grew up with a tradition of receiving at least one ornament every Christmas and when he got married, we were gifted the box of ornaments to start putting on our tree.  So we carried on that tradition with our kiddos, but decided to be creative in selecting them based on their interests or current 'phase' in life.  There is an soccer ball the year my son's select team won State championship.  There are the two 'Raider' high school ornaments for each of their senior years.  Daughter received hers this year. Then there are these:

Years son was on the golf team                        Eldest taught himself the drums and got his set this year

Daughter's interest in dress-up and her inherited obsession with shoes

2. In Memorandum  

The key was a token at my cousin's wedding to remember our grandfather, Grampy, who was a locksmith in his retired years.

The set of drums is for my Aunt Cathy, an avid drummer, killed in a single car wreck a few years ago.  The cross is for her - given to me by my school colleagues the year I flew out for her funeral.

You can read about her here:  To Tell Her Story.

This is my Dots.  My little dachshund that I had to have put to sleep due to a heart condition.  She was precious.  I wrote about my last day with her in a 'note' once, and cannot find it now.  If I do, I will post it.

3. Friends

The 'hope' and note are from my kindred spirit, Anna.  When we sign off on messages to each other we sign them 'love you times ____whatever happens to be going on at the moment in our lives, the world or the weather.  We are both big believers in HOPE.  

The middle one is from my friend 'Nat'.  We talk.  We listen.  Still.

The '8' is for a community group we were a part of for a few years.  We spent two of those 'studying' Love Languages as couples.  We spent a lot of time talking about 'sex'.  That year I gave all of us a hotel room number. *wink*

These sets of ornaments are for my high school BFF, Char - or Chardie...or Bert.  We nicknamed ourselves Bert and Ernie.  I'm Ernie.  She is the one I felt I could crack out my bacon frying impression the first night she spent the night.  We have endured marriages, divorce, children, distance, different lives, shared tears and laughter and cigars.    She is my red-headed, Irish version of me as I am her brown-haired, brown-eyed Cherokee version of her - we are both left-handed and born five days apart.

4.  Early Days

The sequined lovely was pre-nuptials.  When you are in college and have no dough, but you DO have a BIG box of sequins, you make an ornament for your soon-to-be groom.  You also make your first-married star for the top of the tree.   

We married in September, so for one of our 'showers', we were given a Christmas shower and got some nifty 'first Christmas' ornaments, such as the adorable one in the middle.  I've always wondered about this one - they are bundled and sitting on what looks like a slab of ice.....

The one of the right is a testament to perseverance and endurance and long suffering.  That leetle tiny 'Noel' dated the year of our betrothal 1991 is about the size of a teaspoon.  It is clear.  It has been rescued from a few live trees that were carted out to the woods and artificial trees that were dismantled and boxed.  

5.  Children

For first Christmases, and Kindergarten because there's only one of those.  For Eldest's Pre-K picture that captured more than just his apprehensive stare (I still have yet to tell his story), for all the countless popcicle stick, cottonball, aluminum foil stars and homemade macaroni ornaments, and the year my two babies were baptized.

6. Past

Hubs' first ornament circa 1968.  It looks like a voodoo doll in a bow tie but okay.

This Santa head has been on my tree since I was a wee bundle.  Apparently we didn't find it disconcerting to have a grumpy Santa head attached to our tree 'back in the day' but I loved this ornament as a kid, and one year after I was married and had kids of my own, my Mom gave it to me.  You can see it in this picture I posted recently:

See it?

7.  Future

This one was handmade in Nicaragua, future home one day, or something we have yet to completely understand.  Land preparation and house plans are underway and I have yet to tell that story.

8. Handmade with Love

This one was made by my Mom.  She filled a glass orb with snippings from my wedding - peach tulle and tiny flowers from decorations.

9.  Commemoration 

For my 2009 Solo Road trip and all its vast memories and depth.

10.  Prayers

This was made for me by a precious first grader.  He saw the hugs and adoration I gave to child after child that brought gifts to me for Christmas.  He determined to get one of those hugs too, so he made a set of ornaments for me.  This child got the biggest hug.  And the most prayer.  I still think of him and whisper his name in prayer as I put this on my tree.  You can read about his story here:  Dear God. 

Listicles Galore

Okay - in trolling a few blogs, I came across a most intriguing concept over at Whoa! Susannah, who is celebrating her one year bloggaversary.  She has linked up with something called Monday Listicles over at The good life.  I love lists.  I am weird in that I am fond of Mondays (I know - nerd).  I think that I shall participate.  This week's Monday list (I know it's not Monday...I don't follow the rules over here in the hammock, 'member?  It's all good.  Play along.) is about 10 HOLIDAY SONGS YOU LOVE, HATE OR LOVE TO HATE OR HATE TO LOVE or something or other.  So here are mine, mixed for variety among the ones I adore and the ones I abhor (how 'bout THAT rhyming?)

1.  Anything by The Carpenters
I have acquired this particular scope of loathing by marriage.  I don't know why, but Hubs transforms into a flailing octopus on Red Bull when anything by The Carpenters comes on in the car, stabbing at the radio changer on the console like a crazed telephone operator.  Okay, I exaggerate, but he can't stand them, saying their songs sound 'depressing', and over the years I have come to feel that they in fact, DO sound depressing.  So The Carpenters is standard in our house/car.


2. Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses
The version by The Waitresses ONLY.  Not glee.  Not, heaven forbid - The Spice Girls.  No.  I love this song, completely and full in all its 80s goodness.  


3. Snow by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye
This song turns me into the flailing octopus on Red Bull.  I CAN.NOT.STAND. this song.  First of all, it is grade A, 100% pure annoying - how many times can you say 'snow' in a song?  This song is not a wonder of crafted songwriting, my friends.  It is pure cheese.  The stinky kind, in my book.  'I want to wash my hands, my face, my hair in snow.'  What?  


4.  Do They Know Its Christmas by Band-Aid
My 80s is definitely showing, but I have always loved this song.  This song plays right into my 'empath' nature.  I can recall listening to it from the backseat of the family car when we might have been coming home from somewhere celebrating Christmas, seeing the lights on houses out the window, and feeling an ache so deep for those elsewhere in the world who were hungry, cold, hurt, abused at that very moment I was warm, fed and sheltered.  Tears would roll down my thirteen-year-old cheeks, and I would pray for the countless faces going without.


5. O Holy Night
Here is Nat King Cole's version.  There are countless others that are spellbinding for different reasons.  This one strikes me as timeless and simple in its beauty.  This is probably my favorite Christmas song.  Some versions of it give me goosebumps.


6.  What Child is This by Mercy Me
I found it!!!  For this post, I finally located this song!  I have cherished this song since first hearing it, but could never nail down the artist since there are so many versions of this out there.  I challenge you to go out under the stars and listen to it, especially around 2:03 and see if you don't stand in complete awe.


7.  Good King Wenceslas
This is a recent, deeper appreciation.  My college recently had an advent service where students acted out this song as it was sung acappella.  It was as if this song I had heard for years finally made sense and tears rolled down, because I had just participated in the Gifts for Good.  To see it 'come to life' and to know it is about a real figure, Saint Wenceslaus, traveling through snow and cold to bring good things to one in need blessed me beyond belief.


8.  Sarah McLachlan: two-for-one
Her version of this, my fave, is sublime-


And...


9.  Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg
For this song's sound, again harkening back to a time centered in my growing up years.  For its sweet sadness, truth and simplicity.


10.  Light of the Stable by Selah
This has become a part of our Christmas traditions.  We have always blasted some 'wake up' song on Christmas morning - this one has been the one in the last few years.  It is celebratory and joyous, and focused on the reason we celebrate in the first place.

Focus on the Good Things

 Until I can make some semblance of coherency, I will press on and focus on the good things, things that have made me smile in the last few days, things that have made me laugh, things that make me giddy with excitement.

First and foremost - my son comes home Thursday!!!!!!  
He has dyed his hair candy cane red (don't ask) but I don't care if he is purple with a mohawk, I have him home for two weeks!

As always a song discovered - about front porches and swinging and settling down where palm trees grow...


Discovery

So THIS is how broccoli grows!  Okay, I admit...I wasn't entirely sure how broccoli came out of the ground.  I pictured a little forest of broccoli 'trees' with their stalks firmly rising from the dirt.  Apparently they are 'birthed' from the center of a much larger plant, which has me wondering...why isn't broccoli a zillion dollars if it takes this much time and effort to grow one little floret???  Nonetheless, I am a proud grower of three lovely baby broccoli stalks, and it thrilled me to pieces.

Funny students that I happen to adore slipping a bit of themselves into a paper/project.

I was up at my office last week until 2:30 a.m. one night trying to get through grading case studies and essays, journals and analyses.  It was laborious but I just can't see not really reading them if they took the time to do them.  In the middle of curriculum analyses, I came across that sentence (underlined).  I know I probably shouldn't have favorites, but this girl is one of my faves.  She is 'matter of fact', and deep, and serious and puts so much of herself into everything that even when she has something to say in class discussion, she takes time to formulate her thoughts, which I adore about her.  She expressed every sentiment I felt at that moment - sick to death of staring at a computer screen, except I could have added, 'and essays, and projects, case studies and so forth...'.  Bless her heart.  I wrote a funny note to her on the back, and thanked her for giving me reason to cackle.

Unexpected Gifts

On a day that was cold, rainy and reflected the overall mood of the last few days, the doorbell rang today, sending Maggie into a frenzy.  After securing wacko dog, I opened the door to my mailgal handing over a package.  In it, a Christmas card, a handwritten letter and a set of stories on cd from a dear friend.  It literally brought tears to my eyes - happy tears.  My eyes haven't seen those of late and it was nice to grin through them.

Winning!

Kianwi over at Simply She Goes hosted an ornament give-away recently and her ADORABLE dog Kodi chose the winner - ME!  (You really have to click on her link and see that boy - precious)  So on top of getting a gift delivered to my door, the ornament I'd won was in the mailbox!  The word written on it is more appropriate now than ever.

Good Times 

This tree is in the center of a local restaurant where my son worked over the summer.  The owners dragged a real Dogwood into the middle of the place, and told us they had to both saw limbs and create limbs to reconstruct it, then drape it with all the lights and crystal. The picture does not do it justice.  It is mesmerizing to stare at and 'zone'.  Daughter and BFF pose for effect.

Date Night

Over the weekend, Hubs and I made use of a very unexpected and generous gift of a giftcard to a local steakhouse.  Afterward, we came back and I promptly kicked back to relax and catch up here and on some emails I needed to respond to - here are my reading glasses...I have destroyed my eyes this semester in all the reading so I just about can't read without them now.  Hair is still growing out.  One of these days it will get to the length it needs to be so I can lob it off and donate it without having to be scalped.

Just for Fun -  Christmas Me circa 1974

To all my wonderful blog readers - Christmas peace and simplicity to all and a Blessed New Year

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14 

Music Speaks

I am still grappling.  The airwaves and news outlets are thick with words upon words upon words in all their worldly 'wisdom' that is all hollowness, a clanging gong.  I had to finally shut off the incessancy.  Enough.  I seek to find wisdom in the silence and stillness.  In the Word made flesh.  In the strum of strings and simplicity of piano where there are no words.

Hold me - Ebba Forsberg

Hold me, just hold me please don't ask me where I come from.
Oh what I cry these tears.
Just hold me, hold me please.

Let me rest in the silence of your embrace.
Give me a moment and dont make me explain.
Cus all I need, and all I ask for.

Hold me, just hold me please don't ask me where I come from.
Oh what I cry these tears.
Just hold me, hold me please.

La la la....

Let me rest in the silence of your embrace.
Cus all I need, and all I ask for.
Hold me, hold me please.

Let me rest in the silence of your embrace.
Give me a moment and dont make me explain.
Cus all I need, and all I ask for.

Hold me, just hold me please don't ask me where I come from.
Oh what I cry these tears.
Hold me, hold me please.

Whispered Calm in Darkness

The words would come, pre-planned but random so that we would be most prepared for the unthinkable: CODE RED LOCKDOWN.

When I began teaching in 1997, I quickly learned the protocol for directing my students into the hall for tornado drills, and out the back door, single file efficiently and calmly in the event of a fire.  Stop at the fence, turn to face the building.  Account for each child.  Hold up the corresponding color indicating 'all accounted for': Green, 'student in another part of the building but safe': Yellow, 'missing student, unaccounted for': Red.

Two years later, I can recall standing in my living room watching the events of Columbine unfold before my eyes, and my propensity to deep grief descending over me as I listened to the accounts of the students who were trapped inside hell on earth.  Nothing made sense.  The sense of safety inside the walls of a school was forever diminished at that moment.

It wasn't until our world changed forever on September 11th that we began to also include lockdown drills in our standard practiced safety procedures that I began to realize that indeed, the world was changing.  We learned a plan of action in the event persons intending violence crossed the threshold of our school doors.  We began keeping the locks in our doors engaged at all times and were required to wear our door key.  For the drill, a code would be dispensed over the intercom, and we were to act swiftly, accounting for all children in our rooms and in other locations within the school, shutting our doors, turning out our lights and assembling our children into a corner away from windows and doors.  The main focus at that point was to remain calm and alert, and keep the children absolutely silent.

Those children were my babies while they were in my room for that year.  I had always come to love each one, finding at least one thing about every one of them that made them precious in God's sight.  In some, I sought to find it, but it was always there, and it was a treasure to finally see it come to light. I can remember sitting with them, consciously placing my body between them and the door, speaking to them barely above an audible whisper, telling them to 'look at me', 'just keep your eyes on my face', 'it's going to be okay', 'It is my job to keep you safe'.  I imagined if an incident that required this drill took place, I would be the one to ultimately guard those beloved faces.

I would like to say that we never had to implement the lockdown, but in fact, we had three separate, real lockdowns - one due to an escaped prisoner nearby, one due to gunfire in the area, and one because a disgruntled parent was threatening to come up to the school.  Each time, I would gather my 'babies' in the corner of our room in the dark, and whisper calm through the uncertainty I felt.  Alternately whispering, and then leaning into the silence to hear what I could outside my door.

Events like today's shooting in Newtown, Connecticut impact me deeply, more deeply than I can explain.  This impresses on me far too close to home.  Those were little ones, filing in their classroom doors, excited to see their teachers, ready to begin the routines that make them feel so secure.  For so many of 'my' babies, our classroom was the one 'safe' place they could count on.  

A place that was once considered safe, a line that would not be crossed in senseless violence - an elementary classroom... that line just disappeared.

Twist and Shout

As much as I love this song and this movie, and this scene from this movie, I'm not talking about this 'twist'.  There has been a 'twist' in the development of the contest results for the Great Get-Away Give-Away!  That's right!  There is more to this story!

As it turns out, my precious dear winner - McGuffy Ann of McGuffy's Reader was originally going to try to use the trip to get to her appointment in Arizona but after discussing and options explored, her sweet Bill won't be able to go with her, and she decided she wanted to gift the trip on to someone else.....

her dear friend and fellow blogger known to many of us - Josie of Two Shoes in Texas!!  Josie also faithfully played along in the contest and was stunned to tears that McGuffy Ann wanted to do this.  Believe me - we ladies have been conversing back and forth via email and they are just two of the most big-hearted, selfless, sweet souls I could hope to know.  This confirms to me the goodness of people and the fact that all of you are just as beautiful.  The goodness of people astound me every day.  

So - we have a 'new' winner, and two happy gals, excited to bless and be blessed!  I look forward to updating you all on the plans as they take shape and will hopefully have Josie AND McGuffy guest post for me on all of this!  Josie might just choose to come 'here' in my neck of the woods (so to speak) and if she'll have me, I hope I get to meet up with her and hug that precious neck in person!  These girls  are both wonderful!

That was the 'twist' part.  Now for the 'shout' - 

I have two of those.....

The first being my occasional 'shout out' to countries that I am amazed that find their way here to the hammock - this little tattered jumble of rope in the blogosphere - 

Ola, Angola!

The second 'shout' is definitive, loud and long - I think  I may be just about finished with this semester and can gladly put that baby to bed as of tomorrow.  I participated in my first marathon last night.  No, I didn't get a nifty t-shirt, snacks at the end or a tag pinned to me to show for it.  Like the running variety, I did however, acquire a body aching like I'd been hit by a freight train.  I started my grading marathon on Sunday afternoon, and did not stop until 2:30 a.m. last night except to sleep and attend meetings (woo - there's a break!) and take in a movie so my eyes could get a break from reading journals and essays.  I'm not going to lie - I nearly cracked in my office last night - tired of sitting, tired of staring at a computer or 12 point font Times New Roman.  Hope no one walked by my window when I was stretched long back in my chair crying like a baby and just wanting to go home.

I'm almost done.  I will be able to breathe (and hopefully get back here to the hammock) for a little while.  Folks, this girl is grateful.

One last thing...

You know I have a thing for the firmament.  Dark skies, painted sunsets and constellations take my breath away.  I am always posting about upcoming meteor showers because I want to share in the indescribable joy of seeing a shooting star (or seven).  There is reportedly one again tonight.  The Geminid.  It should pick up around 10 and then peak around 2 a.m.  Here is the article:

http://news.yahoo.com/brilliant-geminid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight-122200382.html

and here is a way to see it online:

http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/geminids2012.html

Thank you, NASA.

Coming Up for Air

You may have noticed (or not.....) that I have been a bit MIA this week.  After last week and the announcement of the Get-away Give Away contest, it felt as though I fell off the planet.  (pause)  That might actually be quite wonderful.  Where's the nearest launch button?  I'm ready.

I have nothing profound to offer.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  I can share with you in sparse description and picture...after reaching my photo limit and having to shell out 2.49/mth - what? about my week, or few.  I don't know.  Time has all squished together, a bit like a scratchy wool sweater in one of those airtight sealed bags.

So what the heck have I been up to?

Monday - work at the office until 11

Tuesday - work at the office until 5, then collapse

Wednesday - work at the office until 6 then go to the warehouse to work until 10

Thursday - HIGHLIGHT OF MY WEEK up to this point

Friday - work until 3, run errands, then back to the warehouse until 10

Saturday - 8:30-3:00 - pouring out on some beautiful souls

Decking the halls.  The day after I hosted 24 people in my house for Thanksgiving and we were spilling out into the path of the front door so that folks had to crawl under a table to get out - I kid you not, baby girl says she wants to decorate for Christmas.  I looked at that precious face and said, "Let's do it" all the while my brain was screaming, "Nooooooooooooo, I vant to be a vegetable tomorrow and do nothiiiiiiiiiiing!"  So the tree.  

I started a 'thing' with my son that in his senior year, he could decide how he wanted the tree to look.  For several years running, we have harkened back to a more traditional, old-fashioned tree, with colored lights and those enormous 1970s bulbs, a hodgepodge of family ornaments and tinsel.  Think A Christmas Story.  I love tinsel.  It is what Tall One opted for two years ago.  Youngest opted for a 'coordinated' look - going for my collection of red, bright green and off-white. Ta-da.  Department store tree!!  It really is beautiful and she did a marvelous job with the dining room and other areas.  She's got mad HGTV skills.

Last weekend Hubs and I escaped to the mountains.  This is a fairly regular occurrence, usually around the end of November.  The crest of  a maddening mid-term was behind me, and I had just spent the weekend before hosting and decking the halls.  I needed down time, and the only way to find it, it seems, is to hop in the car and go.  So we did.

Yes, it's blurry.  It was either because this bluegrass band was so incredible that I couldn't stop toe-tapping long enough to take a picture or it is because we had just come through the whiskey sampling  venue to get here.  Either way, these guys were so talented.

                                                   

Then there was the moon so hauntingly arresting that I just sat on the balcony and stared for a while.  That was nice.

Then Monday (from the very center of satan's hairy armpit) hit and it was just.one.of.those.weeks.

Do you see this????

This isn't even all of it.  I had another round of case studies come in later - another stack of notebooks.  All awaiting a grade.  Which means I have to read them.  Aaaalllllll weekend.  I was working away on something and decided I needed to document this insanity of stuff layering the desk and floor.  

Okay, do you see the yellow papers on the far right stack?  The fainter shade of yellow?  I so wish I had another professor-peep to vent to right now, but apparently, it is a common practice in this department that someone passes out their (I will not identify gender) essays from one of their classes to all of us to grade because we are these students' advisors.  

This is an assignment from the colleague's class...

They created it.  They know what it should encompass.  They dole it out to other people to grade?!?  

When I have that hot pile of loveliness of my own to grade???  Why is this the 'norm' and WHY, ON THE FACE OF ALL HEAVEN'S ANGELS, HASN'T ANYONE STOOD UP AND SAID, 'GRADE YOUR OWN ASSIGNMENTS!!!!"

There.  I said it.  In all CAPS.  I do feel a tad better.  This practice happened again back at midterms.  Not kidding.  Sent around the electronic portfolios to us to grade.  

Let's share the love, then people, and turn about is fair play.  Here is a stack of my fun.  Grab a pen.  Get to it.

On to more gracious things -

 You may recall that I have been a part of a group going through a book called "7" by Jen Hatmaker.  I have posted several times about the experience, but frankly, I am too tired to go looking for all those posts to link here.  So one of the dear souls that has 'led' it, so to speak, caught a dream, or a 'tickle in my belly' as she said yesterday, to do an event where we get relational with people, to quit talking about the love of Jesus and to be that love and to do love in action.  So with that tiny idea, and a collect group of us zany people, we started pulling something together called 'Gifts for Good'.  We started working on it back in October, and began having work parties in November at the warehouse that would become the good gifts central.  So in case you were wondering where I've been all week, I've been working or going to party at the warehouse to get ready to love on some folks.

It is hard to tell in this picture because this is the 'other' big part of the warehouse that didn't happen to have electricity (no light) but we had 56 families' worth of wish list 'new' things for their children, hats and gloves, a box (or more) of food, and a box of hygiene and cleaning supplies (you wouldn't believe the number of families that requested 'soap'.  Soap, people.  Not an ipad.  Not a kindle.  Soap.

These were our shirts so that we could be identified to help when needed.  Mine's wrinkled because I slept in it yesterday.  THAT'S how tired I was.

This was just ONE corner of the warehouse.  The idea was that each family, identified by a local organization as 'in need' had their needs met (the boxes in the big warehouse) and they could also come through with a family liason (I was one yesterday) and get other things - clothing, toys, household goods, baby items, etc.  It was all free, and a bonus that we got to know them as we walked through to listen to them, help them and love on them.  Like 'Felix' - this big Puerto Rican covered in tattoos telling us he wants to be a 'better man' and wants to do better in his life and for his family.  His wife, Mandy, broke down in tears on me yesterday when she turned around and saw a washer and dryer with her name on it.  They had lost their home and everything in it.

I couldn't believe the yards and yards of stuff.  It was like a department store.  Everything was neat, and in sections.  The idea was that we could show we cared even in the way that we presented the items and in the way we treated them with dignity.  I took a picture of the cups and mugs because Heather (the one heading this up) told of the story of the Mom who had no drinking glasses in the house.  She would wait until her shift was over at the chicken plant, and collect up plastic containers (containing what, I don't know that I want to know) and take them home to wash out to use for cups.  

All in all, it was a huge success.  Good gifts and love were overflowing.

The highlight of my week (before getting to work Gifts for Good on Saturday) was Thursday. After a horrendous day, and a good ugly cry all the way home, I had a double date with my daughter and her sweetheart to go see Ray LaMontagne in Atlanta.  It was an acoustic, solo performance, with a friend that played bass.  Could he just come sing me to sleep each night?  That'd be great.  Discovered one of his songs that I felt tangibly hearing it live:


As I have said a million times, words inspire me, and songwriters and lyricists like Ray bring out that part of me where phrases surface, words begat words and the next thing I know, I am typing out poetry on my phone notes ap.  Thank you, Ray.

Trouble shooting PIcture Posting on Blogger?

I received the notice that I had reached my limit on gb usage or space for pictures or some other such nonsense, so before I shucked the whole thing, I decided I would shell out the 2.49/mth to keep my blog and keep posting pictures here.

Well, now, when I go to add a photo, it automatically posts it at the beginning of my post, regardless of where my cursor was indicating where I actually wanted it.  So I go through an elaborate process to copy, delete, post picture, repost content, rinse, repeat JUST to get pictures where I want them.

I have been trying to post since Friday.  It has taken me twice as long.

I really don't have time for inefficiency SO -

I am going to either:

A) Do what I've been tempted to do a few times along the way and say 'bye bye' blog and shrink back into the realm of obscurity,

B) Search for a new pair of cyber trees somewhere else to hang my hammock and try another blogging avenue,

C)  Obtain my own domain and start over.

This is a bit frustrating.

Is that happening to anyone else?

I would sincerely welcome any and ALL input!!!

The Great Get-Away Give-Away Winner IS.....

I"m so nervous and excited!  I can NOT WAIT to find out who wins the trip!

.....But first, a disclaimer!

You know I would have to make you anticipate the winner!

Just a short disclaimer to the contest and results:

* Final contest results generated by an unaffiliated website for research randomizing of numbers.  Here is the website I used:  randomizer

*Travel destination is subject to availability based on choices open during winner's possible travel date(s).

*Unless the blog owner has actually traveled to the winner's destination selection, she cannot be held responsible for the quality of services, accommodations, amenities, etc.

*Travel arrangements will be made via email and/or phone between blog owner and winner upon winner determination.  A mailing address might be needed to send any other travel information and/or prize components via mail.

*The blog owner respects the privacy of the winner and will not publish or pass along any contact information.  All information and permission will be obtained  from winner for travel arrangement purposes only.

*Upon the winner's notification and acceptance, the blog owner will first need a few sets of travel dates to work with in compiling destination choices.

Okay, okay - now that all the formality is out of the way -

In case you might need a refresher on the initial contest particulars, here is the original post ANNOUNCING.  I admit to noticing a slight error in that the dates for the contest show Dec. 1st but I must not have realized Sunday's (today's) date was the 2nd at the time.  Nonetheless, we're here at the contest conclusion and a WINNER HAS BEEN SELECTED!!

Before I continue (am I torturing you enough at this point?), I want to thank each and every participant for jumping in and coming along with me for the last two months of questions.  Honestly, my grandest wish would be all us bloggity bloggers in this community could convene for a week somewhere to get to know each other in person, and talk, and share life stories over food and fellowship.  THAT would be super amazing.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of you more, and making some new friends.  I do hope you will continue to drop by from time to time, as I will surely make my rounds to visit each of you.  You have become new friends, or better friends and I am ever-grateful.

Now to explain the process of winner selection - I kept a running log of all entries and questions posed to me on a rather antiquated but effective means of a spiral notebook.  You can see a sample of my record keeping here:

To understand my system/scribble-scrabble - the column to the right was the original entry linked to the contest question divided by each week's post.  The column on the left was the record of any questions posed to me  and I tried to keep record of where the question was posted.  It pays to ask the questions because THAT is where the winning number came from!  What I did was numbered the original posts and then continued the numbering on the questions posed to me, hence the crossing out of the circled number and a new number assigned beside the Blogger name.  There were 52 original entries that were officially linked to each question post.  Add to that the 28 questions posed to me for a total of 80 entries.  On the number randomizer, I entered 1-80 number set and the first number selected out the set would be declared the winner...

See that first number?  Yep.  Now go back up to the shot of my notebook record...

The winner of this Get-Away Give-Away is.....

McGuffy Ann of McGuffy's Reader!!!

McGuffy Ann has been a relatively new member of the hammock crew, finding her way here by way of Josie of Josie2shoes.  Any friend of Josie's is instantly a dear friend of mine!  I learned that McGuffy Ann is an animal rescuer which made her even that much more awesome.  She managed to post on all the questions even while on the road in an eighteen wheeler except for the 7th question because while on the road, she didn't have wifi.  Another thing I find endearing is that of all the places in the world she could be 'locked in for overnight' on the last question Pick N Choose, she chose to be 'stuck' at home with her husband of 31+ years for Christmas.  She has had to miss out on that for the last few Christmases, and will have to be without him again this Christmas...what a heartwarming and wonderful response, and a testimony to true love and things that are most important in this life.  

I haven't even commented on her post yet.  I want her to be completely surprised!  Hopefully this win will make up for her time without Bill at Christmas, and they can make up for it on a trip together!  Blessings to you, McGuffy Ann!

McGuffy Ann, I do hope that you will do a special post on your win and then again on your trip!  We here at the hammock want to hear aaaaallll about it!