am I really turning into a nut?

Inexplicably, I have been very interested in "health food" lately. Organic food, locally grown food, and the like. I don't know why, but I'm seriously considering starting to buy as much locally grown food and organic food as I can. It's very weird because anyone who has been around me knows that usually I'm all about saving as much money as possible at the grocery store. By no means am I about to get rid of the white flour or white rice or refined sugar in my house. But I am considering making my own jelly and things like that. What happened?

(I think I have too much time on my hands. See what happens when I'm not kept busy?)

not meant to be

If you ever needed more proof that we were meant to live in community, my not-yet-4-year-old Alaina told me again today that she wanted "more than just 3 people at our house." (I'm guessing that count included her, me, and Jadyn. Jared doesn't count yet, I guess, and Joe was at work.) That statement was followed by her telling me that she missed Grandma, at which point Jadyn chimed in "grandpa-ina," which, when translated, is "Grandpa, Azina." And not to leave anyone out, Jadyn then said, "Raj, Wabi."

Apparently I'm not nearly as exciting as my siblings or parents...

(It may sound like I'm whining about the status quo, and I'm really not - it's just that when your 2 small children say things like that, you want to do everything possible to fix it.)

"happy newear!"

...a rough transliteration of Jadyn's version of "happy new year"

A new year is always a little bittersweet for me. Perhaps it's because I love Christmas. It is, to borrow a phrase, "the most wonderful time of the year" for me. It's not that we ever do anything that could be called spectacular. That's just how it is.

At any rate, sometimes it's a little hard for me to accept the fact that when the new year comes, we have to start all over again. I'm not opposed to change. I just don't like circumstances forcing me to change.

But at the same time, a new year is full of new days that are full of potential. This is the first year that I don't have a general schedule of events, which is a little unsettling for me. We don't really have anything planned this year: no major projects, no trips. Maybe all of that will change soon. Maybe God will use this "free time" in my life to teach me something. I don't really think life will stay quiet for long; it never does. But here's to a new year with fewer unpleasant surprises than the last!