Guaranteed! This One Thing Will Make Your 2022 Better.

" ... let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger..."   --- James 1:19

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So. Many folks choose a word (or phrase) around now to help guide their new year in a positive way. Perhaps you're one of them.

Well, in 2021 my chosen phrase was 'be slow to speak'.

Wow. Best phrase ever! Probably saved me from 15 tiffs (slight arguments), three large disagreements, 25 instances of looking stupid/scene-stealer-ish/forgetful and a host of hurt feelings.

If you're still searching for your 2022 phrase, Honey, I recommend that one.   ツ

Now, did I remember every time to pause before bursting forth with foolish words? No, of course not. Still being human, sometimes I plowed right through the conviction to listen, think, before proceeding, then tripped right over the Trouble Cliff.

But even so, still, the times I did pause? Whew. They extended the good moments and made them sweeter. And although Tom, Naomi and others didn't notice these changes (being un-voiced, after all), Jesus did--and that's what matters.

I'm thinking He even nodded, smiling, a few times. 

This 'all or nothingness' of new year's resolutions, well, I'm not a prescriber to that. No, I'm more into this:

If we aim at nothing, usually we'll achieve nothing. If we aim at specifics, often we'll hit at least something good, forward-moving, thus improving our life, making it even a little better. And hey, better is better.

--Or-- 

Ten years of partially-achieved goals trumps going all wimpy every resolution-less January 1st.

At least, that's the way I see it.

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion."   --- Proverbs 18:2

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Remember my oft-mentioned appreciation for vintage music reaction videos at Youtube? How they added enjoyment to these past 2 can-you-believe-it years?

Well, uh-oh.  Ol' Debra has a new addiction hobby: viewing vintage movie reaction videos at aforementioned Youtube. (Oh my. Guess how I've spent my past few days?)

What a delight watching young people enjoying classic films! Ones I wished for years I could discuss with others, but never could for various reasons (I'll not go there).

Instead, just to get you started, let's go here:

These folks were first-time watchers of these films(!) --

It's a Wonderful Life:  Here. Here. And here. And here.

Rear Window:  Here. Here.

Sunset Boulevard:  Here.  

The Wizard of Oz:  Here. And here.

Psycho:  Here. Here.

Home Alone:  Here.  Here. Here.

Home Alone 2:  Here.

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I hope your Christmas was sweet!

Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Making Lists, Checking Them Twice

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."   --- Isaiah 9:6

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Merry Christmas to my readers who I appreciate much! 

Here's a kinda-sorta gift list for you, with perhaps something for everyone. I've shared a few of these before, but now you can have them all in one place. 

Enjoy, and thanks for reading here so often!

The place to check before you purchase any book? OpenLibrary.org  They just may have what you're searching for--free(!)

Daniel The Cat fell in love with this video yesterday--no, really! I doubt he blinked for 20 minutes. It's another of Tim Janis' peaceful music and scenes ones: Winter Woods.

My favorite 'music timer' at Youtube is here.

Here is the best online collage artist I've found at Facebook.

Some favorite movies I watched in 2021, ones I can recommend, anyway.  ツ

Dancer And The Dame

Finding Normal

The Discoverers

I'll Follow You Down

Life With Dog

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Me Again

Shifting Gears

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The Father

Heaven Bound

My Many Sons

Letters From The Heart

It's a Fixer-Upper

The Identical

Turn Around Jake

Coffee Shop

Scents and Sensibility

The Dog Who Saved Summer (only if you're in the mood for something silly)

Love By Design

Noelle

The Confirmation

The Funeral Guest

The Ride

Yay! Ariel Bissett remodeled another of her rooms beautifully: a guest room. Almost could I see a younger me while she worked, making it simultaneously rather eerie and incredible.

Do you enjoy (very) vintage Christmas tv programs? Here in one place are a few you might like. (The Honeymooners episode will always be my favorite.)

Oh my. The Cottage Fairy will enchant some of you. Her video, How I Take Care of Myself Living Alone was rather mesmerizing. What she shared about needing to balance her life with visiting other people, well, total confirmation for me.  

One of the best bits of advice I gave you this year? This: rearranging your kitchen so that your spouse's most-used items are on one side and yours on the other. Whew. Life-changing for Tom and myself. 

And for those who love videos of the way things used to be, there's Recollection Road at Youtube.

And just because I think of this type of thing often--

My top 12 favorite books I read (or reread) this year:

The Calico Year by Dorothy Gilman Butters

Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White

Martha's Vineyard: Isle of Dreams

Eddie by Ken Osmond

How To Age Without Getting Old by Joyce Meyer

A Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Imagine Heaven by John Burke

Though Long The Trail by Mabel H. Draper

Next Time Around by John Gould

Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, Pamela S. Hill, editor

The Haunted Attic by Margaret Sutton

Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals by William Ratigan

And 'reading vlogs'! 

What took me so long to find these videos by fellow bibliophiles? Oh well, perhaps, for me, this was the right time. 

Anyway, so far Kate Howe has the most similar reading tastes to mine and here's my favorite of her videos so far.

And as I shared at Facebook--

So it's a rare morning that Tom and I even eat pancakes, but I wanted to order these, Cousin T's, because in 2021 Terrence K. Williams has often encouraged me by standing for truth. The pancake mix will arrive today (yay!) and I'm thankful I ordered them because Terrence said he keeps getting death threats because of the image on the box--His Own Face in a chef's hat!! Which just further illustrates that additional controlling spirits were released in 2020, but hooray! How wonderful we can cling to this and know we have victory:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

(You can follow Terrence at Facebook, Youtube, etc. Oh, and he always has discount codes for ordering at his website here.)

Update: Oh! We tried these and Tom must've exclaimed 5 times how terrific they tasted.

My favorite part of December? The Somers' in Alaska family's vlogmas videos! Love these folks dearly and appreciate their happy attitudes.

And hooray! I'd been waiting for this: 2021's TCM Remembers finally appeared today. Here you go.

The very merriest of Christmases to you!!

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

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 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

So If Your December Isn't Busy Enough ...

"Be still and know that I am God."   --- Psalm 46:10

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Ol' Debra's experiencing another transitional time. Not fun, but hey, necessary, this in-between time of pausing before a new thing shows me its face.

So while in this  sort-of waiting room, I'm browsing through Youtube (mostly), searching for interest-sparking ideas. Perhaps one will open an unseen door to what God has for me ahead.

Sometimes we're meant to stand and wait, other times, to seek and then find, but always--we never wait alone. Not alone-alone, anyway, and that's a best part of transition times: growing closer to the One who sits beside us.

Today's post? Just a few places I've traveled lately, some which gave me peeks of (maybe) what's up the road for me in 2022 (a year I'm anticipating, actually). 

Perhaps some of you need a few glimpses/ideas now, also. So well, here you go--some lovely places to peruse.

My Summer Reading Aesthetic  I'm an annoyingly picky reader, so watching her recommendations today was a rare treat: some have promising potential!

Victorian House Tour, First Floor  I've viewed a few Victorian remodels where far too much white was used, but this lady? Wow, perfect color choices in every single room. Oh my, to be young again and decorator-strong this side of Heaven. ツ

Christmas in the 1960's, Life In America  Sometimes in looking back we can decide if something's missing in our Today--then add our own tweaked version.

A First Story Home Tour of the Home Alone House  Okay, this was a very personal early Christmas gift, something for which I've waited 30 years(!) Made my whole week.

This Is How The Elder Rose From The Titanic Looked When She Was Young  Another treat I enjoyed for the vintage-ness of it all.

Top Ten Guardian Angel Stories You Won't Believe  In an earlier blog post I told my own guardian angel story and I always enjoy hearing others.

Local Hero Jim Finch Drove Out To Kentucky's Tornado-Hit Residents To Offer Food  How inspiring when people just get up and do something helpful!

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And as I shared at Facebook:

God's had a specific plan all along in 2021 and frankly? I'm very excited about 2022!

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Two books I'm enjoying rereading from my personal library--

(One dark, wind-and-rain-shaking-windows night in 1993, I sat in our kitchen reading a similar shipwreck book beneath a small pool of light. My stockinged feet gripped the baseboard heater and I fell in love with New York state that night. Truly our recent move was a longtime dream come true.)

Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals

(Usually I prefer kids lit. written before 1970, but this much-newer series reads like books from long ago. It takes place in a snowy winter and probably this is my 4th time reading this.)

Absolutely Truly

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Please remember: My posts are always about more than they appear to be. 

 *** 

 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15