Monday December 29, 2008

Outside my window the sun is shining and the ice and snow are melting. What snow that is left is dirty, mixed with salt and sand and pushed into piles on the side of the road.

I am thinking about how grateful I am for all the blessings of this Christmas season. We have been given so much.

I am thankful for finally getting my husband a gift that he likes! Some people are intuative when finding the right gifts for the people that they love. I am not one of those people. Some people are easy to shop for. My husband is not one of those. The puting range gift certificate from fathers day 5 years ago are still in his wallet!The list of failed gifts is long. This year I struck gold. I bought him a new gun.

From the kitchen; I am all cooked out and going for the easy road tonight. I picked up some rustic roasted garlic bread and will throw togather a salad and some spaggetti for dinner tonight. We are still eating our way through all of the Christmas goodies. We have no engagements this week so I do not plan on doing any baking either. Although I am anxious to use my new cake tester and PASTA maker!

I am wearing; my plaid skirt, tan sweater and chocolate shawl.

I am creating my 2009 financial planner. I am in the process of changing how I track and document spending. For years I have used a file system but now I have purchased a large binder with tabs for each month. Under each month is a budgeting plan, an envolope for reciepts and room to punch in bills and important documents. We will have to see if I am going to like it or not? I am trying to motivate myself to plan how to spend money instead of just spending money. Also thought I would try this new concept called savings.

I am reading the mail! Congratulations to my daughter who made her Colleges Dean Honor list last semester!

I am hearing the washer and dryer. My daughter had not done laundry since she came home two weeks ago. I would run out of clothes but not her. Clean clothes just keep appearing. THought I would be a nice mom and do her wash for her since I had some to wash for the rest of us. Normally she does it herself.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Our coop starts up next week after a month off. I should work on some lesson plans! I need to pay some bills and finalize my January budget. Tomorrow night the kids are going to a friends to spend the night. The dogs that have been visiting for the last week will go home. We will spend New Years at my sisters house. They have a new wii so we are excited to try that out.