Addicted

This series is well worth the read. It will keep you up late at night, and you will probably have some very vivid dreams about vampires, demons, shadowhunters, and werewolves, but well worth the lack of sleep. Go pick them up from the library, or splurge and get them from the bookstore. They will keep you company through the holidays, and you will keep going back for more!

Earth...A Giant Present for each of us, still not completely discovered

Today we talked about how the earth was created for mankind, and how we are given dominion over it. We also related the earth to being a present that God and Jesus created and gave to each one of us...appropriate for Christmastime. So, if the earth is a giant present, then we should probably appreciate and take care of it, right? But then, we talked about how the earth is not only here for us to live on, but also here for us to enjoy. Like the several world wonders, and undiscovered parts of the planet. This made me want to travel and see every piece of God's creation for us. It also made me want to enjoy the world and all that it holds. And, as I logged onto my laptop today and msn (my homepage) opened, I saw that there was a slide show about all the beautiful wonders on the planet. I flipped through the slide show and loved the sights. It is all very inspiring, and makes me yearn to learn and see more.

Last year, my husband and I were lucky enough to go on a road trip for two weeks, and we decided to do a West-Coast trip. We started out in Northern Idaho, Couer D Alene, for those who are familiar with Idaho. It is an amazing place to visit, with a lake surrounded by trees and huge homes. The city itself started booming with logging companies when logging was in high demand years ago. Then, slowly turned into a popular travel spot on the map. This pine covered mountainous region is surrounded by rolling hills with farmland, which is consistent with most of Idaho.

As we turned our noses to the west, we traveled through Spokane, and all the way across the state of Washington to Seattle. For some reason, I had always imagined Washington completely covered in trees, but it is not. There are millions of acres of farmland, and rugged mountains. We crossed the Columbia River, which has created a huge gorge in the soil, splitting the state in half. In Seattle, you drive through a hill with homes built on top that are located directly over the road. This amazed me. Seattle is a busy city. The space needle stands proud in the city scape, calling all who enter. As you gaze west to the ocean, south to Mount St. Helen's, east to the United States, and north to Canada from the top of the space needle, you feel like you can reach out and touch the world with your fingertips. It is truly humbling to realize how small we humans are, yet how much we can accomplish together. Building a city as great as Seattle may have taken years, but it happened, which proves much can be done if we put our minds and souls into a collaborative effort.

Since we couldn't travel further west by car, we headed down the coast on HWY 101. The ocean was met with huge cliffs of rock and pine trees scaling over 100 feet in height. The beaches were not covered with people, but eerie fog. A kind of desolation and undiscovered feeling radiated from the vacant beaches. Moss smothered every rock and tree in sight, creating a green landscape. Even the homes had a hint of green to them as they flew by the car window. Only the road seemed to remain a constant black shade, except at the edges where the moss threatened to seep over.

Entering Oregon, we visited Astoria and enjoyed the massive bridge that connects Washington and Oregon over the Columbia River as it heads out to sea. We learned, at a coast guard museum in Astoria, that several ships and lives have been lost along the Columbia River because of the turbulent waters that collide from river to ocean. Who would've known? The waters looked calm to us, but videos showed the towering waves that spurred human invention to create a unique boat to scale the waves without becoming capsized. Large saw mills and giant trees on semi-trucks were seen on every corner as we drove through cities and towns up north. Then, past Portland, we were released from the grips of green and became overwhelmed with the acres of farmland on lush hillsides. If Oregon didn't rain so much, it would be the ideal place to live. I would say it is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

As we entered California, we headed west again, to see the great Redwood Forest. Again, green everywhere, but this time, tree trunks bigger than the semi-trucks carrying the already harvested wood. We actually drove our car through a carved-out redwood. How many people can say they have driven their car through a tree, and lived to tell about it? We sure can. Above the Redwoods, we found a quaint little town called Smith River. We spent the night in a cabin that is located on a cliff just above the beach. We left our windows open all night and listened to the tide come crashing into the rocks. Then, in the morning, we set out to the beach, discovering shells, and other deep sea wonders. The water had moved 30 foot trees onto the shore, which were bleached by salt and sun to a light shade of gray. Still moist from the night tide, the tree made a perfect sunrise seat. The sun rose over tree covered mountains that lift from the sea into the sky.

Once we hit Santa Rosa, the road became cluttered with cars. City, all the way down the coast until we headed out of Oakland. San Francisco is a little island with buildings stacked on top of each other. The streets are narrow, and thousands of people walk instead of drive. A wise choice, if you ask me, because the roads are confusing, and we almost got in a wreck the 10 minutes we were there. San Francisco to Oakland is pure city, with nothing but rooftops, homes, and buildings for as far as the eye can see. Ocean meets up with city on all sides. Then, more farmland and semi-trucks east of the city. But, this time, the trucks carried all sorts of fruits instead of trees like we saw in Washington and Oregon. We saw lots of onion trucks too. California is one of the highest agricultural producing states in the whole United States, and you would never know it unless you drove it. Then, we hit LA. Wow! What a city. Instead of continuing south to San Diego, we headed back east to Arizona.

The change from Oregon to Arizona is astounding. Where Oregon has trees, Arizona has cacti, and jagged rocks. It is worse than Stephanie Meyer's "The Host" book. You cannot take a step without encountering some type of plant that pierces the skin. And, if the plants aren't enough, the rocks are. Enormous formations and sharp peaked mountains rise out of the desert sand. The whole land looks dead, except where water is accessible, then cotton farms and all other sorts of crops pop out of the desert scape. It is quite the contrast, in temperature as well. A jacket is always needed up north, but down south, nothing but a t-shirt suffice, if that, during the summer months.

Phoenix, the 5th largest city in the United States. You would never know it by driving into it, but if you fly over it, the flat valley is eroded by homes and buildings. A bustling, happy city greets you as you leave the desert rock behind. And, all cultures await to be discovered. People from around the globe find this desert land a home. With it comes much learning and growth.

Heading north, mountains ensue, and snow begins to top the mountains. Sharp rock and more trees overtake the desert terrain. The earth softens, and becomes plentiful again. Homes spring up in little towns, finding a way of life that is unique to all. Then, the Rockies billow forth from the ground. Two plates of the earth collide to create a beautiful sight to behold. The wonders of southern Utah proceed the mountains, bringing red rock formations, and orange spirals to a whole new level. There is nothing like it in the world. Truly a world wonder.

Salt Lake City, the city that nestles into the Rockies on the West. And on up to Idaho again. There is much farmland covered in snow, but in the spring, it will bring forth food to feed the people in the big cities, such as Phoenix, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Diego. The wonders we found from this trip vary, and there are many more to be found in the world, but it astounds, none the less. Now, living in the rough desert sand, trying to cohabitate with scorpions and rattle snakes, brings a whole new appreciation for soft things, such as moss on trees, and carpet. Enjoy the tiny bit of world you live in, because there is nothing else like it. And, share it with someone you love. This world is a present, one to be cherished and loved.

Agency

I love the reality of agency! It is so awesome how we can decide to be anything we want to be in life. All we have to do is make a choice and then stick to it. It seems like so many of us go through life allowing the winds of change and whims of men distract and toss us among the waves of uncertainty. But, if we make a decision, plan it out, and invest our time and efforts 110%, we will be successful at it. I believe that no matter what a person decides to do in life, they can succeed. We can literally move mountains if we put our minds to it. Take technology for example. Who would've known 20 years ago that cell phones would be mini computers with more memory than an actual computer? Simply incredible! Let us move more than mountains! Good luck on your life endeavour!

Read it, Live it, Love it!

This book has saved my life, and probably career! It is one of the easiest and best reads I have ever picked up. If you are in any kind of management, you need to read this! It can save a company!

Famous Sugar Cookies

With Christmas comes cookies for Santa! If you do not already have a tasty treat to share, here is one that is delicious and easy!

Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix well shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Blend flour, baking powder and salt. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 6-8 minutes. Let cool before frosting.


Butter Icing:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup softened butter
3 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
about 3 tablespoons heavy cream (I do a lot more, enough to make it smooth for easy application on cookies)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Food coloring to desirable color

Directions:
Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in vanilla and cream until smooth. (I usually whip all in all ingredients with an electric beater).

Thankful for Friends and Family

With Christmas Music filling the air, memories of childhood seem to crop up from the back of my mind, warming my heart. While I was at work yesterday, a familiar Christmas song came on the radio that not very many people know. It starts slow, then builds into a beautiful medley. In my home, the Carpenters sang it, but on the work radio, it was sang by a man with a deep baritone voice. It goes:
"Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside, painted candy canes, on the tree. Merry Christmas, may your new year dreams come true. And, this song of mine, in three quarters time, wishes you and yours, the same thing too. It's that time of year when the world falls in love, every song you hear, seems to say, Merry Christmas, may your new year dreams come true, and this song of mine, in three quarters time, wishes you and yours, the same thing too."
I actually sang this song with a couple other students when I was in 5th grade for a choir concert. It was considered one of the harder songs, so I felt extremely special to sing it. Singing...another one of those things I have let slide over the years. Maybe I should start singing again.
But, anyway, as we were at work, one of my employees shared a memory as another song came on, and since the three of us working at the time, are all away from family, and newly married, it became a little emotional. This made me appreciate good friends and family. I have been extremely blessed to have people around me that are kind and caring.
There is a saying,
"Some people come into our lives,
leave footprints on our hearts,
and we are never the same."
I feel this way about so many of my friends. Even though some of them may have only been in my life for a short time, each has made an impact. During this holiday season, may we all be thankful for our dear friends and family. They are all we got.