New

Well, it's the 365th day of the year.  We have exactly one day left in 2012, and i'm feeling pretty good.  We're doing that weird thing at work, where you work Monday, are off Tuesday (because it's the New Year's Day), and go back on Wednesday.  It always breaks up the work week weird.

Nevertheless, on this, the last free day of the year, we've managed to recover our home from the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday tornado that ran through here, and when i look around, i think it's just almost clean enough that i would invite my parents over.  I need to do some dusting.  The window sills are kind of gross.  After that, they can come over.

My parents are in Michigan, and my window sills are in Texas, so i have some time.

All three of our family Christmas gatherings were very nice.  Extra nice.  I'm really thankful for all of my families, and i'm happy to have them in my life.  We didn't get to see my northern family for Christmas this year, but we're hoping to have a good visit in the non-snowy part of 2013, which i'm really really looking forward to.

I'm sitting in a very nice smelling house, with less dust than it had this morning; my super hubby is dozing on the other end of this couch, which is freshly vacuumed; and my heart feels pleased and happy and looking forward to the new things that are awaiting me and us in 2013.

I've been delinquent in pointing out that, over there on the side -- to the right -- of the blog you're reading, underneath the picture of me with a chicken on my head, there are some links to other pages of this blog.  This is a little different from the previous format, so i thought i would point them out.  There's a link to an explanation of my challenge for 2013, the name of which keeps changing; there's a link to recipes, history links, and other stuff that used to be laid out over on the left hand side of my blog.

The stirring challenge, which is what i'm calling it today, is going to be good.  In fact, i've already fulfilled several items on it, and it hasn't started yet.  Guess my heart already started changing.

I've cooked a new and fun recipe (although i didn't exactly blog about it), i've taken a zillion pictures of  beautiful things, many of which i have shown you, i've given, but i'm not going to blog about that one.  I don't want to give up the specialness by broadcasting it.

I haven't really taught anything, and i haven't researched any heroes, but i have crocheted some super cute baby shoes, and i showed those to you, so i feel like i'm off to a good start.

2013, here i come.

If anyone would like to read about that stuff and help me out with the parts i haven't figured out yet, or if anyone would like to join me, i would find that to be super groovy.

Happy almost new year!