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I'm home from a quick trip up north to help L &R with the moving. I got a ride 3/4 way with a friend and then L picked me up for the rest of the trip. We boxed up the kitchen, the bathroom, etc., moved all the sports equipment, put together shelving for storage, and helped with tiling the bathroom floor (helped decide on color and handed the numbered tile to R). We got a lot done in two days. Their friends, E & G, came to help on Friday. I had to return home -- what an adventure -- one shuttle to downtown, some library time, another shuttle 1 hour late, an unexpected shuttle out to the airport, yet another shuttle heading south, and finally meeting up with a friend heading home! Good friends are wonderful! Then it was out to dinner (old mother hubbards' cupboard was bare) and now some quiet computer time. I had a lot of fun helping (sorry no pictures) and loved spending time with my sweet girl, her sweet husband, and my new sweet grand-dog (who I think has fallen in love with Grandma).

I am in the middle of reading The Brothers Karamazov (by Fyodor Dostoyevsky) at home, but am also doing a re-read of The Remains of the Day (by Kazuo Ishiguro) -- love this book. I tried reading The Book Thief but didn't particularly like it. The other books I read this month are How to Win Friends and Influence People, and Murder on Astor Place. Some cool news is an article I wrote was published in the New Mexico Genealogical Society Journal -- it was on the Varela/Mondragon family and included pictures of my great-grandparents, my grandparents, and my parents. It was the first time I included pictures in an article.

Happy Anniversary!

B and I got married on a stormy Wednesday 28 years ago. It was a funny day. What a wonderful ride it has been! We've had a lot of fun, laughs, and joy together. The best two things we've ever done are having L and D join our family. I know I'm a better person because of my husband. He's a great man, and even though we don't agree on everything, he sure knows how to make me laugh.

This week we went up north to visit L & R. It was very very cold. Even the dogs thought it was too cold to go outside! We had a lot of fun and got to see their new home improvements and even got to help with a few items. They are doing a great job and it looks great. I read The Glass House by Jeannette Walls and started on To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In 9th Grade Honors English, we were assigned to read To Kill A Mockingbird during the year. Not only did I find the book amazing, but the words really spoke to me. Mrs. C taught me how to write an essay that year -- a skill that helped me make through high school and college.

Although we were sad to leave our sweet L waving at the window, we were glad to be home after driving through the snow storms. This morning, our walk up the Hill confirmed our desire to live in the desert.

Monday Night

Today was a New Year's Resolution Day. I got up relatively early, walked the dogs for over an hour, made doctors' appointments for both B and me, got an appointment at the Veterinary Clinic for Buddy and Buster, scheduled the pest control guy, got the pool pump looked at, wrote weekly missionary letter, folded the rest of the laundry, had a barber date for B (complete with a drive for our Apple Valley hamburger and fries), got the truck registered, and finished two sewing projects.

I have to add two more books to my December list:

The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester

Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

Wonder what tomorrow will be like?

Wow! 2010 . . . these are the years of Science Fiction. Growing up in the '70's, there were a lot of stories about the future. I remember teaching 1984 (by George Orwell) when it was 1984. I have a lot of hope for this year -- a lot of things to look forward to -- riding bikes with B, seeing L & R each month, D coming home, new grandbaby, cabin renovation finished, and so much more. Last year was a good year, but a sad year too. I still have trouble dealing with the loss of my mom . . . and then there's Arvil, MaKenzie, and other loved ones and friends. I want to believe this is a hopeful New Year!

Currently reading:

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathanial Philbrick

My December reading list:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Half-Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls

Viola In Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

Justinian's Flea by William Rosen

Ghengis Khan and The Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

Want to read again soon:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens

Travels With Charly by John Steinbeck

The Glass House by Jeanette Walls