Happy? It's new anyway.

1. I've been trying to post, but my computer is driving me insane. I installed the new Internet Explorer, but now I don't have Flash Player and the "install Flash Player" box pops up on every website and everytime I hit "install" but it never does--so I can't watch video. Then I installed the new Windows Media Player (because, like with IE, it asked me to everytime I opened it up) and now I can't open it at all. It tells me to restart the computer and log on as an administrator. I am the administrator. I'm "Valued Customer." I'm the only one. Then yesterday I was uploading images to share with you and I would wait and wait and wait and then it would say "can not display page." Grrr. I'm open to advice.

2. We had an ice storm the week before Christmas. We couldn't believe what happened to our trees. Then we had another ice storm on the 30th and we laughed that the first storm bothered us at all. Thankfully we didn't lose power or phones or anything, but thousands of people between Kearney and Hastings are still out....and it's cold out here on the prairie. I will supply photos of our dessimated trees when my stupid computer, or the stupid internet allows. I will say this: living in a parsonage rocks. Sunday afternon a team of folks with chainsaws appeared and started cleaning up the yard. Somebody climbed up on the icy roof and plugged the holes with rags. A couple of branches just speared the roof--not all the way through--I can't see out through my bedroom ceiling--but holes just the same. We'll be getting a new roof. And guess what? I live in the parsonage, so I don't really have to do plan that, or pay for it, or worry about it. Maybe I should rephrase and say living in a parsonage rocks when your congregation is incredibly generous and attentive and caring. That's the part that rocks.

3. I'm done teaching High School Sunday School for a few months and I'm ready for the break.

4. I booked two shows for The Listening Room this spring! I finalized details with Jalan Crossland for a Feb 17 show yesterday and sealed the deal for a May 5 show with Storyhill a few weeks ago. I keep emailing my co-producer Robin (who has been doing this for 17 years and sees nothing glamorous about it anymore) and saying "look at me! i'm booking shows! i'm talking to jalan crossland on the phone! he's calling me at home! i'm contacting booking agents!" It's all exciting and new.

5. I also wrote half the brochure for the LR's spring season yesterday. Another new thing. Fun stuff.

6. We had a great Christmas. The kids and I went to the 7:30 Christmas Eve worship service. It was fairly small (which is why I go) now that we have three services that night. We give out glow sticks instead of candles, which is far less romantic, but the fire depatrtment isn't busting in and shutting us down AND it's much less scary with all the kids in there. Christmas morning there were over 50 people caroling at the hospital. I was fine until I saw that a very sweet and recently widowed man was among the carolers (the funerals was four days before Christmas) and I got a little misty--sniffled my way through the hymns.

7. We had a great visit from family. Much Scrabble was played--with much smack talked at the table. We hung out with the fam. The cousins ran crazy. We had six adults and five kids under seven sleeping under the roof of this modest ranch house and nobody went crazy. I made yummy icecream and frozen margaritas in my new icecream maker.

8. A good friend of ours has a New Year's Eve birthday and always has a party the 30th. For the past few years that has served as our "night out" and we've stayed in on the 31st. We didn't even stay up until midnight. We played scrabble, read in bed and I fell asleep. Paul said he heard fireworks and such at midnight. Lame, I guess, but fine with me.

9. The kids go back to school tomorrow. Yesterday in the midst of angst and turnmoil and fighting and rudeness I thought "what is happening here? what is wrong with us?" And the answer, which came to me as I was laying in bed last night, was "it's the tail end of Christmas break." That's all. It's just time to go back to school. But why go back on a Thursday? Wierd.

10. Happy New Year to you all. Hope you had a great holiday.