As Coach Herman Says, A Time For Prayer and Reflection

If a tree falls in the forest...

My favorite movie of all time is Remember the Titans. There are many life lessons to be learned from that movie. I also love football and Denzel Washington.

2012 was a great year. As 2013 approaches, I must reflect on some of the crazy, great things that happened in my life.

My theme for blogging is food, fun and wine, and letting those three things guide your life. For some, that just makes no sense at all. For me, it makes all of the sense in the world. I love to have fun, I love to eat, and I love the art and science of wine making. I also love things that matter.

I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag - Turning 50 is a big deal!

Turning 50. OMG. That is a big one. You realize that each day is a gift. There is no guarantee for a tomorrow. There never was a guarantee, but the morning you wake up 50 years old, it is like a big old sock in the nose. Make the most of every day and every minute. Also take the time to celebrate with all of the people that matter. Don't forget your high school girlfriends.

My House Wine Bike Photo

This past year I learned a little about a camera and taking pictures. That was both fun and frustrating, It was fun for Chris and me to go out and shoot. I like to say "go out and shoot." I learned that you need to take at least 10,000 photos before you can even begin to think that you will take a good photo. I am nowhere near 10,000, but maybe one day. I do, however, have a lot of pictures this year to remind me of the great fun I had.

Roasted a chicken for the first time ever this year.

In 2012, I ate a lot of good food and drank a lot of good wine. I can say that with certainty because I weigh more today than I did on my 50th birthday. I worked really hard to be at my lowest weight since childbirth, and then obviously forgot how hard it was to do that, as I celebrated that wonderful accomplishment by eating great food and drinking great wine. I have one month to try to rectify that.

Husna and Mwana - I love you two so much!

I went off on my 35-day Tanzanian Adventure. Greatest experience of my life. I love the people of Babati, and I love what they stand for. They are simple, happy people. If I could wish for anything in the world, I would wish to live in a world where all people live like Tanzanians.

Kellen

Kellen is in his senior year at Macalester and will graduate in May. Life as we know it will soon change. It warms my heart so much to see what a hard-working, responsible young man he has become. He will probably never work as hard at a job as he has worked in college. There is just nothing that that boy can't accomplish. I am so proud of him.

Adi, the best dog ever.

Chris took the photos and made the posters for the high school soccer and basketball teams. He really likes doing it. I am his assistant. I don't think I do much to assist, but he keeps telling me I do, so I keep going. It is always so fun to see his photos around town. He is very good at it, and it is a really nice thing for him to do for those kids. Also, Chris has become the new Cat Photographer for the Humane Society. He went out to give some money at Christmastime, and offered to take photos for them if they ever needed any taken. It turned out they had just lost their Cat Photographer, and he was hired on the spot; hired as a volunteer, that is. He is very excited to start. He is also allergic to cats, so we will see how that goes. Maybe he can work his way up and become the Dog Photographer. He would probably like that a little bit better, no offense to cats and cat lovers. Sometimes, though, you have to start at the bottom to appreciate the top.

A Christmas Story

Another great Christmas at the McManus Cabin in Neihart, MT. Always fun. Always crazy. Chris and I hatched what we thought was a great Christmas idea on Friday, December 21st: A Christmas Story, Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun for everyone! We dispensed hunter orange stocking caps and protective eye wear to everyone and insisted they wear them. We set up a target outside and took turns shooting. It gives a new meaning to "let's go out and shoot." It was a lot of fun. Now we are trying to figure out the best way for our kids to get the guns on the plane and back home. Chris also helped me put together a DVD to give to my family members that highlighted the last 26 years of our lives. I had a lot of fun making it, and I got to see how much time and effort Chris puts into every DVD that he has made for me, our family, and our friends.

The highlight of our Christmas, though, was being able to help out our little friend, Carla, the 5-year-old angel that was blessed this Christmas season with a new heart, as she blessed the hearts of so many people across the country. Cousin Joely and Mike delivered some Christmas money to the family out in Seattle. We are so happy for the Wright family and will be praying for them every day.

2012 was a very good year!

As Coach Boone says, "I don't scratch my head unless it itches and I don't dance unless I hear some music. I will not be intimidated. That's just the way it is."

A good motto to live by. Do things that matter and don't worry about what others think. Cheers to the new year, 2013. ~ Stella