New Year

There is something wonderful about NEW. It's a great word, isn't it? What comes to mind?
New creation.
New things.
New baby.
New season?

What about WONDERFUL. Full of wonder.
A wonderful story.
A wonderful memory.
A wonderful person.
A wonderful life?

Words pack a powerful punch. Those eloquent phraseologists, able to turn concrete, stone-cold letters into meanings that transcend spirit, touching us deeply are few and far between. I don't claim to be one of those eloquent types, even though I've been accused of saying what you meant to say. My kids say I'm "wordy" and that's not a compliment. But one word stands out to me this year and this is it - FREE.

Betz White is one of my faves of the blogosphere. She went looking for the Word of The Year in her My Word blog post. What word, if you can claim one, says it for you? What word describes where you are at? What word expresses your heart in this cold, January season of hope, promise and future? An entire year is ahead of you... can you describe it in a word?

I chose FREE and I can't really tell you why. I commented on Betz' site and I can't quite recall my ramblings. I just know I AM FREE. I just know I am so grateful to BE FREE. Even if I don't feel free, FREE is the truth. I touched on this idea in my recent Thanksgiving blog, and quite frankly, I'm glad I live there still.

Perhaps the word jumped out at me because the verse tumbling out of my mouth lately is this verse. I don't know how or why it grabbed hold of me, but here it is -

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3:17)

FREE.

What's your word of the year?

How I Know 2011 Will Be A Very Good Year

When we moved from California to Colorado in 2004, our hearts broke. All the people we’d miss was first and foremost on our minds, but it’s not until you get to a new place that you realize how much you enjoyed the simple things like Round Table Pizza or Togos. My fellow newly planted Coloradoans rejoiced with me when they built the Costco in Colorado Springs, but despite several writing campaigns, we were never able to talk Trader Joe’s into towing the line all the way to the Rocky Mountain State. Alas, some things you just have to learn to live without.

When I moved back to California from Colorado in 2007 I tried to focus on what I was gaining, not all that I was losing. Fresh air. Ta ta. Blue Skies. Asta La Vista. Whisper of new fallen snow. Sayonara, baby. (Oh, and you sierra folk who think you have whisper of new fallen snow, you don’t. You just think you do. It’s slushy and globby and nothing whisper like.) But anyway.... When we returned to our home state, we had lots of Round Table Pepperoni Pizza, crispy, spicy and greasy and just the way we like it. Togos, #27, wheat, extra pickles. Need I say more? TJ’s... I admit, I have a love affair with their salt and pepper ridge cut potato chips! BUT, I could not have anticipated the blessing of this .... new.....development.

(drum roll please) .....Yah Baby!

Hobby Lobby is coming to California!!!

And get this!

Tomorrow, Monday, January 3rd we have to drive ALL THE WAY TO TULARE.... for a speech thing. And guess what? This is the good part! Aren't you dying to know????

Tomorrow, Monday, January 3rd is the GRAND OPENING of the NEW Visalia HOBBY LOBBY! Do you know how far it is from the Tulare speech thing to the new Hobby Lobby?... 7 measley miles!!!

Guess how fast I’m going to hightail it outa my speech thing dragging my children behind me tomorrow, January 3rd?

Lightning, baby....don’t blink, because I’m gonna be outa there..... VaVaroom!

2011 is going to be a very
Hobby New Year!