Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Ten Leaping Goddesses to all of you. We love you, we appreciate you, and we thank you so much for your support. We couldn’t do this work without you and you have enriched our work and our day to day grind more than you will ever know.  Wherever you are, whatever you are planning on this day, we wish you the best and look forward to hearing all about it soon.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

(Clement Clark Moore, 1779-1863)

21 Comments »

People were snickering, even the mouse!

I don’t know about you guys, but while I love Christmas, it can be stressful. There’s the decorating and the buying and the cleaning and the guesting and the gifting and the– well, it just doesn’t stop and, while I love it all, it can wear a girl out.

So, today I thought I’d give you the best stress reliever blog of all — a couple of chuckles and grins. NOTHING helps the day/evening/holiday turn out just right more than some good laughs.

So, here goes . . .

and ….

and one of my favorites, though it’s a bit earthy:

Last, but not least:

Hugs, m’dears! And if the grouchies start to sneak into your house, don’t let them ruin your holiday! Relax, grin when you can, and savor every moment!

32 Comments »

Yesterday my mom and I took my nephews to the mall to see Santa so the boys’ mom could stay home and finally wrap some presents. We waited in line for a little over an hour, and then it was time. The seven-year-old plunked himself down beside Santa and began chatting about school and his hopes for the holiday, and that bicycle he’d really like. The four-year-old, who is autistic, caught sight of the huge Santa’s sack of lollipops and insisted on having one in each hand before he would go near the big guy. As is tradition, the photo is of the older boy smiling and the younger boy trying to escape and being patiently held back by Santa’s large mittened hand.

And then the seven-year-old whispered to Santa that his little brother doesn’t talk very much, but he would like either a bouncy ball or a tricycle. As they finished and we walked over to pick up the cd containing the Christmas photo, big brother motioned for me to bend down, and he informed me in a hushed voice that that was the real Santa. He could see it in the twinkle in his eyes.

I am not about to dispute his theory, because I have the sneaking suspicion that the seven-year-old is correct. At any rate, I saw a little bit of Christmas magic in the air yesterday, and that is why I love Christmas. I think I may even leave out a cookie this Christmas Eve, just in case.

Do you still have kids around who believe in Santa Claus? Or do you wish they still did? And does Santa still deliver presents to your house, regardless?

38 Comments »

I just took a vacation with the family to NYC.  We normally do our vacations within about a 2 hour radius from our house.  The last time we ventured farther from home was a  3000-mile, 3-week roadtrip in the family minivan about 3 years ago.  It’s a wonder we didn’t kill each other after that one.

This time we took the whole family to the Big Apple and we had a ball!  We did lots of NYC things – a few shows (Shrek, Phantom – love the 1/2 price ticket booth!), an interactive show called Accomplice (like Clue but you’re part of the show – fun!), plus just walking around the city, looking at lights.

We were hoping for snow, since we don’t see it often.  We got some!  On Saturday night we got 12 inches of snow.  Mr. R was dancing in the street.  Me, not so much.  I now remember why I moved from Ohio.  Snow is cold.  Don’t like cold.

But an Irish coffee warmed me right up, so that was a fleeting discomfort.  I have to say, though, one of my favorite experiences was taking my daughter to FAO Schwartz.  We wandered around, then saw the ceramic painting area.  Now, we have such a paint-your-own figurine place a mile from our house, but it was somehow more fun to do this in an awesomely huge toy store.  Youngest daughter didn’t go.  She said she was too old for toys.  Sad.  I’m obviously not too old for toys.  I spent 2 hours painting a ceramic penguin.

Mr. R said, as we sat down to paint, “If you do a traditional penguin, I’ll be sad.”  Of course, that was my plan – a traditional penguin penny bank for my desk that I’d made in NYC.  But not wanting to make Mr. R sad, I decided to do SANTA PENGUIN.  It’s not very good, and hopefully will look a whole lot better once it’s fired, but here it is.  Those 2 hours of ceramic  painting were some of my favorites of my vacation.  Rather than the bustle and rush and DOING STUFF  – which is fun, don’t get me wrong – we sat and chatted and did a low-key project that we can take home.  For a few hours, I was a kid again and it was so much fun.

In case you’re wondering, Santa Penguin’s beard is black because he is a young penguin whose beard has not yet turned white.  And I goofed when I was outlining with the black brush.

What kinds of things do you do on vacation?  Do you see cool stuff or do you do stuff you could do at home?   Do you ever just do a kid-thing, just for fun?  What did you do?  Do you like my Santa Penguin?

46 Comments »

Do you hear the guy from Fiddler on the Roof singing?  Can you see him dancing?

I had my birthday last week and started to think about family traditions in relation to birthdays.  Some families make a huge deal out of every birthday.  (Mine!)  Some only make a huge deal out of certain birthdays.  And some families treat birthdays like they’re just another day.  (IV’s)

When we were first married I tried to make a huge deal out of IV’s birthday.  He said, “It’s just another day to me.”  I said, “That’s fine.  Just so you realize that MINE isn’t.”  :)

My birthday “tradition” is that I eat out for every meal and shop all day.  Since my birthday is so close to Christmas I do all my shopping on that day.  I like coming home with a ton of packages, even if they aren’t (all) for me.

As we had kids, I made a huge deal out of their birthdays.  I couldn’t help myself.  It became the “Birthday Week Extravaganza” with them.  Although that’s calmed down somewhat now that they’re grown.

Still, IV took oldest son to Vegas for his 21st birthday last month.  I think that’s a nice new tradition.

Does your family treat every birthday as a huge deal?  Certain milestone birthdays?  Or are birthdays just another day?  What are some of your birthday traditions?

35 Comments »

I know where I’ll be  . . .

Oh yes . . .

And from the movie:

And MORE from the movie:

After an entire day of Christmas festivities, I plan on hiding in a dark theater, popcorn in hand, and escaping into Victorian England with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law!

Just one question … Where will YOU be Christmas Day?

28 Comments »

Yesterday, someone came to my house carrying gifts (always a welcome sight!), looked around, and then nodded. “I just knew you liked maroon.”

I was already reaching for my gifts with one hand and holding out hers with the other when her words froze me in place. “You knew? How?”

She just smiled. “You have that sort of personality.”

As soon as she left, I googled ‘color’ and ‘personality’ and found this description of the personalities that coordinate with various colors. I was intrigued, so I began to call various friends and ask them about their favorite colors and if these descriptions fit. It was a lively day and I managed to get through it without wrapping a single present or completing a single household chore.

From my scant observation, I have to admit that this color survey was actually fairly accurate. Probably close to 85%, which is amazing.

Now, I want to see if this survey works for you … what’s YOUR favorite color and does it fit the description below? Let’s see how accurate this thing REALLY is!

White: Symbolic of purity, innocence and naivete, white has strong connotations of youth and purity. If you are an older person, your preference for white could indicate a desire for perfection and impossible ideals, maybe an attempt to recapture lost youth and freshness. It may also symbolize a desire for simplicity or the simple life.

Red: The color of strength, health, and vitality, Red is often the color chosen by someone outgoing, aggressive, vigorous and impulsive—or someone who would like to be! It goes with an ambitious nature but those who choose it can be abrupt at times, determined to get all they can out of life, quick to judge people and take sides. Red people are usually optimistic and can’t stand monotony; they are rather restless and not at all introspective, so they may be unaware of their own shortcomings. They find it hard to be objective and may blame others for any mishaps. Quiet people with a preference for red may feel the need for the warmth, strength and life-giving qualities of the color, or they blanket their true feelings under a sober exterior. Red is usually chosen by people with open and uncomplicated natures, with a zest for life.

Maroon: Harsh experience has probably matured the Maroon person into someone likeable and generous. It is often a favorite color of someone who has been battered by life but has come through. It indicates a well-disciplined Red personality—one who has had difficult experiences and has not come through unmarked but who has grown and matured in the process.

Pink: This color embodies the gentler qualities of Red, symbolizing love and affection without passion. Women who prefer Pink tend to be maternal. Pink desires protection, special treatment and a sheltered life. Pink people require affection and like to feel loved and secure, perhaps wanting to appear delicate and fragile. Pink people tend to be charming and gentle, if a trifle indefinite.

Orange: This color of luxury and pleasure appeals to the flamboyant and fun-loving person who likes a lively social round. Orange people may be inclined to dramatize a bit, and people notice them, but they are generally good-natured and popular. They can be a little fickle and vacillating, but on the whole they try hard to be agreeable. Orange is the color of youth, strength, fearlessness, curiosity and restlessness.

Yellow: The color of happiness, wisdom and imagination, Yellow is chosen by the mentally adventurous, searching for novelty and self-fulfillment. Yellow usually goes with a sunny and shrewd personality, with a good business head and a strong sense of humor. It is the color of intellectuality and all things to do with the mind. Yellow folks are usually clear and precise thinkers who have a good opinion of their own mental capacities and who have lofty ideals. They may at times tend to shun responsibility, preferring freedom of thought and action.

Green: The color of harmony and balance, Green symbolizes hope, renewal and peace, and is usually liked by the gentle and sincere. Greens are generally frank, community-minded people, fairly sociable but preferring peace at any price. Green people can be too self-effacing, modest and patient, so they may get exploited by others. They are usually refined, civilized and reputable.

Blue: Soft, soothing, compassionate and caring, Blue is the color of deliberation and introspection, conservatism and duty. Patient, persevering, conscientious, sensitive and self-controlled, Blues like to be admired for their steady character and wisdom. They are faithful, but are often worriers with somewhat inflexible beliefs and can be too cautious, and suspicious of flamboyant behavior.

Blue-Green: Exacting, discriminating, poised and attractive, the Blue-Green person tends to be sensitive, intellectual and refined, persevering and stable if rather detached. Blue-Greens have excellent taste, and are usually courteous and charming, capable but often refusing help or guidance.

Turquoise: Complex, imaginative and original, Turquoise people drive themselves hard and may be in a state of turmoil under their outwardly cool exterior.

Lavender: This is often chosen by a person who lives “on a higher plane,” who never notices anything sordid and who is always impeccably and beautifully dressed. Lavender people may be on a continual quest for culture and the refined things of life, high and noble causes but without the necessity of getting their hands dirty. A Lavender person is usually creative, charming, witty and civilized.

Purple: Purples are highly individual, fastidious, witty and sensitive, with a strong desire to be unique and different. Temperamental, expansive and artistic, a Purple person may become aloof and sarcastic when misunderstood. If you chose Purple, you tend to be unconventional, tolerant and dignified, likely to achieve positions of authority.

Brown: A Brown person has stamina and patience, tending to be very solid and substantial, conscientious, dependable, steady and conservative. Browns are not impulsive, and may be inarticulate and tactless but they love responsibility and are reliable and kindly. If you chose Brown, watch out for a tendency to be obstinate and inflexible.

Gray: The color of caution and compromise, diligent Grays search for composure and peace and often work hard without reward. Older Grays like life to run on an even keel with few ups and downs. Young Grays may be withdrawing from life and suppressing their personalities. Grays often have good business ability and tend to work too much.

Black: Dignified and impressive without being showy, Black people want to give the appearance of mystery, but their preference may also indicate a suppression of desires and worldly aims, suggesting hidden depths and inner longings.

(Btw, I got this from an article condensed from The Healing Power of Color by Betty Wood, Inner Traditions, 1998)

Share your results! Does your favorite color describe your personality via this survey? How is it right and how is it wrong? Please share!

38 Comments »