Sending Chirstmas cards

15 December 2011, 2:16 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life, Questions

Why do people send Christmas cards?

I send them because I want to stay in touch with people and getting mail is always a lot more personal than getting e-mail. I want to maintain the relationship we have. Sure I might keep in touch with them throughout the year in other ways, but there’s something significant about being remembered at the holidays.

Sometimes I send actual cards (purchased at an after Christmas sale the year before). Sometimes I just send a letter. Occasionally I include a photo, but not often. And I do put a copy of our letter on our blog, after those who were going to get a physical copy would’ve gotten theirs.

Relationships only work if both parties work on it though. So I’m finding myself wondering how long you send someone a card without them returning one before you decided that the one way relationship isn’t worth it. If I want to keep in touch with them but they don’t want to keep in touch with me, then is it worth it? There are some friends I have who might not send out cards at Christmas, but I do hear from them in many other ways throughout the year. But there are some people who I haven’t heard from in a few years in any way.

In an age when you can send out a mass email, tweet, or facebook update, an actual piece of mail means a lot. (Same goes for thank you notes.) It’s the cost of time and a stamp that is worth a whole lot more.

Why are you sending cards this year? What’s your favorite part of Christmas cards?

And nope, haven’t gotten ours out yet. Hopefully by the end of the week or early next week.

(edited on 18 Dec 2011 to add this comic)

5 Shared thoughts

A long winter’s nap

13 December 2011, 2:35 pm by Giggles
Categories: Education, Work

Oy. It’s been a long semester. More than once I’ve slipped and called my backpack a suitcase. Which to me means that it and I have spent far too much time gone this semester. It’s starting to get to me and wearing on me. Time for it to be over.

And yesterday it ended! I gave my final, got them all graded, and entered the grades. That class is over. It was a great class. I really enjoyed it. But I’m tired. A little bit more research stuff to go and then I don’t have to be any place in particular for a few weeks.

Sunday I was able to get a head start on my long winter’s nap out in the hammock on the porch (yes, the hammock, in December. I’ve been pulling weeds too). Yesterday and today has been almost nonstop rain. I’ll have to take advantage of our great couch for the rest of that nap.

Zonkered. That’s how I feel right now. Diminished cognitive capacity due to overload and exhaustion. Long naps, lots of egg nog, and plenty of twinkle lights should do just the trick.

5 Shared thoughts

A strange eclipse

11 December 2011, 8:35 am by Giggles
Categories: Science & Tech

Despite the fact that I only had to get up at 6:30 to watch the lunar eclipse yesterday rather than 2 in the morning, Brett only saw it because of the photos I took of it. He’s okay with that though.

This eclipse was a bit strange for a couple of reasons. First, it’s the last total lunar eclipse until 2014. Second, at least where we lived, the sun actually came up before the totally eclipsed moon set. Which I haven’t quite figured out how that happens. But here’s the data that proves it.

Total eclipse: 7:06:16am MST to 7:57:24am MST.
Moon sets at our place: 7:16am MST
Sun rises at our place: 7:13am MST

So the moon, completely eclipsed, and the sun, were both in the sky for 3 minutes.

Normally even when the moon is completely eclipsed you can still see a very dark red version of it. But because of the rising sun the moon completely disappeared as it was eclipsed and blended into the bluing sky.

The first picture I took out our front door yesterday evening when the moon was first rising. The rest are from our backyard of the eclipsing moon.


3 Shared thoughts

I’m in a book!

7 December 2011, 9:59 am by Giggles
Categories: Books, Happy Things, Relationships

You might recall that I have been a guest writer on a particular blog twice now. I wrote about our wedding and about making holiday traditions your own for the blog A Practical Wedding. I started reading that blog before Brett and I were really dating because I was really interested in Jewish wedding traditions. And then I stayed because it was funny and down to earth, and, surprise, practical. And that’s why I still read it. It’s more than a blog about weddings it’s a blog about being adults and doing what really matters and sanity. All very good things.

The most I did with wedding books and magazines when we were planning our wedding was look at them and laugh. We didn’t buy a single one. I checked out the website The Knot once or twice and did even more laughing when I found out that according to their time line we should’ve picked out napkins before we even said “I love you” for the first time and that by the time we got engaged we were about six months too late to pick out a photographer.

And then Meg, who writes A Practical Wedding wrote a wedding book this year and it’s being published this month. The book is a portable condensed version of the blog.

In April I got an email from the book editor asking permission to quote me in the book and requesting a short bio to be included. I’m in a book! Of course I’d like to write my own some day (although if you look up my name as author at the BYU library you will find something I wrote), but being quoted in a book is a good first start. The book is “A Practical Wedding: Creative Solutions for a Beautiful, Affordable, and Meaningful Celebration.“ And I just pre-ordered my copy today, not because I’ll ever plan another wedding for me, but because I’m in the book and because I’ll know people who are planning weddings some day.

I’m told my bio is on page 212, and that’s a palindrome. So that’s real cool.

6 Shared thoughts

I remember at 33

3 December 2011, 2:00 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Happy Things, Life, Remembers

I remember at 33 … I think what I will remember most from this year is the rock solid support Brett has been for me and the dreams we made come true together. My 33rd year isn’t even half over and there’s already been so many memorable moments. And Brett has been there for all of it.

Together we crossed something of my life list, working chains at a football game. It was a lot of fun to go out five nights and have the best seats in the house for some high school football games. In fact, we might have had a little too much fun. And I’m so glad we got to do it together.

Everything hasn’t been all fun and games this year, but even still we’ve done it together. Crazy weeks at work – we’re together. Crazy church callings – we’re together. My normal crazy health things that seem to happen every year – we’re together.

We’ve celebrated our second anniversary and it really feels like we’ve been together our whole lives. Everything, the good and the bad, have been better because we’ve been together.

And that’s what I’ll remember from this year so far.

3 Shared thoughts

I remember at 32

2 December 2011, 5:17 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Happy Things, Relationships, Remembers

I remember at 32 spending time with my in-laws and really feeling like I belong.

Everyone’s heard stories of awful, monster in-laws. Mine aren’t. I’ve actually felt welcomed by them since the first time I met them. I met some of them on our first date and then again at a family reunion later that summer. Of course that meeting was rather memorable since I did teach them some belly dancing. They’ve frequently said they thought clear since those first meetings that Brett needed to marry me. It just took Brett and I a while to work out our own timing.

When I was 32 we got together in the same place twice, Thanksgiving and then the now annual “Estrogen Retreat.” After both of those, especially the latter, I definitely felt like I’m part of the group. I’m not an outsider. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and I’m one of them. We’ve gone shopping. We’ve gotten pedicures. We’ve done more belly dancing. They are dear friends and I feel really blessed that Brett comes from such a wonderful family. I did marry Brett, but he comes with family. And he comes with a great one.

3 Shared thoughts

I remember at 31

1 December 2011, 6:04 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Happy Things, Remembers

(Because I’m older than November.)

I remember at 31 getting a house to play with. And I’m really enjoying playing house. Brett had thought he’d wait till he had someone to buy a house with before he bought a house, but then the market looked good so he bought his house when he was 31 (same house I got at 31, weird!!) He’d thought his future wife should have a say in the house he bought. I think he has excellent taste because I love this house. The layout is great and it’s the perfect size for us.

Before we got married I got run of the house one day on my days off while he was at work and shampooed the carpets (it was easier before we brought my furniture). That day helped the house feel more like mine. Brett’s been great at letting me decorate and rearrange since we got married too. It’s so much fun for me to finally be able to really decorate and plan. I couldn’t do that when I was living in an apartment.

And I get to have fun with the yard too. I love gardening and being outside (might be hereditary, both of my grandpas had HUGE gardens). I’m still attempting to turn our grass into a lawn. I get better at it each year.

The longest address I’ve ever had was my apartment after I graduated BYU, and I was there for 5.5 years. So far I’ve lived in Tucson married longer than I lived here single. So that’s a good start.

5 Shared thoughts