Reflecting on the past, looking forward to the future.

2009 was a year of intense personal growth. I learned that I will never please everyone, and those that truly care will grow and learn with me. The term "friendship" was more clearly defined than ever for me. I have made some amazing and wonderful friendships this year. I have also loved, and lost. I look back and realize that everything in life is a learning experience. And as they say, it is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. Heartache is a part of being human, I suppose. I am grateful for every person who has touched my life, for they have helped me to learn more about myself and my interactions with other people. I have learned to be more careful with my heart, and really assess who I give my friendship to. That said, I love my husband everyday more than the day before. I am thankful everyday that he is a part of my life. He comforts me when I am down, he assures me that I am, in fact, a good person. When I would questions myself and my choices, he is there to support me. He likes who I am, and I am learning to like me too.

I have been lucky to get back in touch with old friends from High School, and this has been a tiny blessing in and of itself. To see these people I have known more than half my life, all grown up with kids and other responsibilities, warms my very soul. We all made it through H.S., and we all see pretty ok. Sure, they have had their very own personally battles and inner demons, but as I said, it's all a part of the human experience.

Also, I have settled into a wonderful community at Cortland. I have made truly amazing bonds there. It is so funny that I have been in school for almost 4 years, and I've finally made people who I truly connect with...took long enough. I am sooooo looking forward to finishing though. I'm ready to have a job, regardless of how tough it is.

It was also a year for amazing vacations. Two trips to the shore, and an amazing trip to Lake Placid in the the Adirondacks. I am now looking forward to swimming in Mirror Lake almost as much as swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, let's talk about 2010. I'm hoping that as I continue to on my path to personal enlightenment, if you will, that I can continue to be content in small things in life. As simple as it sounds, I find such joy in the small wildlife around my home. Some people have laughed at me for sitting and watching the little cardinals, jays, and sparrows flitter around my trees. I find peace and comfort in their being. They communicate with each other, and we are the ones who benefit from their songs.

I enjoy sewing, but I'm not terribly good at it. I can make a tote like no-one's business, but all of the clothes I've made come out "not quite right". And I get frustrated, and put them down for a while. I also like make stuffed bunnies, and little doll clothes for Brianna. Having her in my life has been an unexpected joy. She drives me crazy sometimes, but I love her with all of my heart. i hope that I can stick with some of my sewing projects, and finally come up with something I love.

I want to FINALLY finish painting the downstairs. I got as far as painting the walls in the living room, but need to do the ceiling and all of the dining room. I would also like to redo the bathroom, but we all know how much home improvements cost, it's not likely it will get done this year. I've almost made peace with the horrid pepto-pink tiles...blech.

I would also like to spend even more time on my front porch, curled up with a good book on a summers' day. I spent some time out there this past year, and it was heaven.

I'm going to try my hand at a raised bed garden. Sugar snap peas and dill. It may not seem like much, but my tiny victories last year in our flower garden give me hope. I tend to have a black thumb when it comes to plants and vegetables. Wish me luck there.

Speaking of gardening, I have some more plans for our front landscape. A few more peonies, perhaps another hydrangea, I'm always looking for ideas...so if you have any nice flowering plants (read: no freaking hostas!!) in mind, let me know.

This was not intended to be a book. I just wanted to write down thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head. 2010 is going to be a exciting year. There are many, many things I'm looking forward to this year. I look forward to spending time with my family, and with good friends. I hope that you have a wonderful 2010, and may it hold as many good ideas as mine does.

Before and After

Cutie girls from SUNY Cortland, block 604...love you girls!



Pre haircut, pre surgery, pre-finals



30 minutes post surgery:



Last night:


Today:


The resemblance is uncanny...


So yeah, I've had a busy week. I got a super cute haircut, that I'm loving. It's very easy to care for, even being down I can style it in under 5 minutes. And apparently, I have no shame. Who on earth would post pics post surgery...LOL

A Little Long in the Tooth

This morning at 8am, I had three wisdom teeth pulled, 1 on top and 2 from the bottom. Apparently, the top one was wedged into my sinus cavity. I had NO2 (laughing gas) and whole cocktail of drugs to knock me out. Thing is, I was never completely out. The bottom two were out in no time, but the top one was a bit of a bear. And the Doctor said it was a bit harder to get out than the rest. I have a pretty picture I will try and post of my face this morning. My left cheek looked like a chipmunk after filling it with seeds.

Now, everyone has been telling me how I will be down for days. I took a little nap this morning, and then I've been up ever since. I have had some homemade potato soup from my momma, she takes such good care of her kids when they aren't feeling well. Other than that, I've been watching movies all day (Coraline, and HP and The Half Blood Prince). I'm sore, but I have lots of medicines to help me get through it. My mom also bought me some beautiful Alstromeria's. They adorn our Christmas mantle.

Just wanted to post a little update. Classes are over. They were brutal, but I'm really glad they are finished. I'm taking a winter class soon, and it should be fun.

Have a lovely weekend!

~Mrs. D :}

How Lovely Are Thy Branches...

The stocking were hung on the staircase with care, in hopes that St. Nick would soon be there.

5 Stockings. Mr. Danby and myself, and our three sweet kitties.




Our Beautiful tree. It's fake. We have bad allergies here in the Danby household. I love the way the lights sparkle on it. And, the lights really make the new paint job pop.




I'm learning how to use photoshop. This is what I created. I really liked the way it turned out. I hope to post some more pics soon.






~Mrs. D :}

When your best just isn't good enough.

In my adult life I have learned, the very hard way, to not write anything while emotionally charged. That being said, I really need to let of some emotional steam. It is completely personal.

I have been in school since 2006. I have been working on a dream that I have had almost my entire life. It all started when I met a boy. He was smart, funny, sexy, and incredibly generous. He said to me, when we had been together all of a year, "Why don't you quit your job, and go back to school". I, of course, jumped at the chance. I was stuck in a job I hated, no, loathed, and realized that I would never amount to a hill o'beans if I stayed there. Now, being the modern woman I am, I had trepidations about quitting my job and being dependent on a man I wasn't married to. He would be responsible for so much of my life, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I decided to give it a shot anyway. Never one for taking too many chances, I wanted to see how it felt.

I enrolled at my local Community College and did well. Better than I thought I could. Better than I had ever done. I found something that I did well at. Granted, there were struggles, but I persevered. I graduated with a great GPA, and applied to SUNY Cortland. I will never forget the day I got the acceptance letter. It was a typical day, just like any other. I wandered out to the mail box and inside I found a beautiful envelope with their return address on it. I ripped it open while I was standing in the middle of the street. "Congratulations...". I didn't make it passed that. I was in. A dream come true. I jumped up in the air on that beautiful spring day. I was going to SUNY Cortland. One of the best schools in America for teacher education.

I got all of my paper ready, and sent in. I applied for tuition assistance and loans. I went shopping to Staples to have everything I thought I would need for such a prestigious school. I have more 3x5 note cards than I know what to do with, still.

Fast forward to today. I have been at my computer for six hours. This, unfortunately is a good day. I have spent more time on campus than I have in my own home. I have realized stress that I never knew existed. And now, right now, I have one week left and a teacher who hates EVERY. SINGLE. THING. I hand in. This professor replaced another who was unable to finish the semester. The vast difference in teaching styles has been a bitch to adjust to. With roughly 1.5 months in the semester remaining, we were given an insurmountable pile of work and research papers to do. I am drowning, and Edward does not flash before my eyes here people. Jacob is not going to pull me out of the water and give me mouth-to-mouth. I am left to fight Victoria off all by myself. Can I do it? Most definitely. But I am losing my mind.

My fellow classmates keep wondering how I have been able to be so sanguine during this semester. Thank goodness they don't see the ugly cries I have been subject to while typing non-stop at my laptop in the warm glow of my office lamp. I have begun to second guess myself.

I will persevere, no doubt. I will look back at this time and realize that it was all worth it. I will understand that those that can't make it through this program don't deserve to teach. Those that fall under the bus, should just stay there. I'm fighting for what I want. I'm fighting for the children whose lives I need to be a part of. I'm fighting for my future, for myself, for my husband, for our children someday.

I am an emotionally charged girl right now. I am prone to impromptu bouts of giggles and cries at the same time. I am burned-out, and exhausted. Working on little sleep, and lots of stress. I have had a stiff neck for three months, and see no end in sight.

Did I mention that not only am I having my wisdom teeth pulled two days (december 18th) after my final, I'm also taking a winter course. Yup, I love punishment.

~Mrs. D

I could really use some positive notes.

Greetings and Salutations

What a month. November has proven to be a bear. I have been doing so much homework, it's starting to come out of my ears. I'm ready for break, very ready. What I'm not ready for is having my wisdom teeth pulled on December 18th. I will be put under, and I've never done that before. The worst I've ever had to endure is broken bones and food poisoning. Oh, and having the flu twice within two weeks one year. Two different strains. I figure if I can survive that, I can survive being put under for twenty minutes. Oh well. Look for more updates over the next few weeks. Only two weeks of school left. Got most of my Christmas shopping done already, thank goodness.

~Mrs. D :}

Halloween

We had SO MUCH FUN on Halloween. It's a big holiday in our household. We had a ton of trick-or-treaters, and I thought everyone's costumes were fantastic. Here are a few shots from early in the night.

Here is Bri as "Froota-Lay" the vampire. I thought that the red-eye actually works in this pic, so I didn't fix it. Creepy, huh? (click on the pics to make them bigger)


Here's "Daddy Vlad" (say it with a Transylvania accent) and his girly Mary.



This here is my man with a nasty contact in his eye. It completely whites it out, so all you can see is the outline of what could be an iris. It was a very effective addition to his awesome pirate costume. Complete with real sword.



Here's me. I'm more of a Buccaneer, because I felt that a simply term like "Pirate" just didn't do it for me. Check out those boots!



We carved 7 pumpkins this year...









This was the ghoul on our porch roof. We had a strobe light hooked up so he flashed in the dark. It was pretty much awesome!



Our cemetery. We always get lots of compliments on our decos. I LOVE HALLOWEEN!



Here he is again.



Last minute touches to our fellow ship-mates. They were looking a little long in the tooth though.



We sat out here playing cards while every one was trick-or-treating. It was really warm out, and it's just easier to jump up and pass out candy from here.


Well, I hope you had lots of fun in your own way on Halloween this year.

Mrs. D. :}