Past predictions

2009 - What a year!

When the girls were in high school, we started a new tradition: When we took down the Christmas tree, we all wrote predictions for the coming year. The plan was that each person would write their prediction for each family member and we'd seal the predictions -- without anyone reading anyone else's -- and open the envelope when it came time to put up the tree the following Christmas.

We did this for eight years, starting with 1999. Here are a few of my favorite predictions from the past:

Predictions for 1999:

"I predict that technology will be more advanced because everyone is scared that the world is going to end in 2000. I also predict that I will get in shape." ~ Megan (Okay, so it was the first year and my overachieving, overthinking middle daughter didn't really get the idea of the new tradition.)

For 2000:

I cannot find the envelope for this year. I've searched high and low and in all the "Year 2000" memorabilia we have saved and can't find it.

For 2001:

"Dad will own [his former employer] or at least be number two, unless someone kills him because he won't quit talking about the election!" ~ Brianna

For 2002:

"Megan will love Concordia [her college] and never want to come home. She will meet some of the greatest friends she ever had and possibly the love of her life." ~ Brianna (Megan DID meet the love of her life there!)

For 2003:

"Brianna will leave Eric's ass, finally recovering her brain." ~ Lisa (Thank God this prediction came true!)

For 2004:

"Jim will drive us all crazy with his political rants and raves!" ~ Lisa (Yep, this came true, too!)

For 2005:

"Megan: Preston will have proposed. She will be deciding where to live with the P-ster!" ~ Andrea (This one came true, too! Good call, Andie!)

For 2006 (the year Preston joined us in the tradition):

"Preston will be happily married to the most beautiful wife ever: Megan." ~ Preston

Then the tradition ended; the logistics of getting everyone's prediction in the same envelope and sealing it up to open together the next year no longer worked. It was fun while it lasted.

Now my prediction for 2010: It will be better than 2009! Can't go wrong there (I hope ... maybe I've just jinxed all of us!).

Today's question from "If ... (Questions for the Game of Life)":

If you could only keep one of your five senses, which would you save and why?

I'd keep my vision because I cannot imagine not seeing my beautiful children, grandchildren, husband ever again. And I can't imagine never reading again. I can do without loud, screeching noises (although missing out on music will be horribly difficult); I am okay with not tasting or smelling things; not being able to feel/touch stuff would be hard. But overall, I need to see, so that's what I choose.

Miles o' smiles

For Christmas, Jim and I gave Megan, Preston and Bubby one of the best gifts I think I've ever given: a family membership to the children's museum.

 

 

 

In return, their smiles -- and happy photos of their visit -- are one of the best THANK YOUs I have ever received.

On a totally unrelated note:

The Today's Question from "The Christmas Conversation Piece" feature I've run the past 25+ days proved to be pretty popular. I've enjoyed the responses, and it seems you've enjoyed giving them. Why stop now? I've got plenty of conversation starters, so I'm going to continue running a daily question -- at least until the fun wears out.

Today's question from "If ... (Questions for the Game of Life)":

If you could wake up tomorrow to learn that the major newspaper headlines were about you, what would you want them to say?

My desired headline: "After years and years of entering, Grandma finally wins millions from Publisher's Clearing House!" And the subhead would read: "Grandma's first words: 'I told you guys it would happen!'"

Peace on Earth?

Christmas is over and it was a pretty good one. I spent time with many loved ones -- although not Bubby and his family, unfortunately. And I received some great gifts. 

But I didn't get a gift I really, really wanted.

I didn't receive peace. 

I'm serious.

Although "Peace on Earth" -- that staple sentiment of greeting cards -- is a noble request and something we all surely need, that's not the kind of peace I'm talking about.

I'm talking about peace within my family and within myself.

I come from a large family with large problems and large addictions and afflictions on the part of many. And it makes for a very unpeaceful feeling. Which sucks. But until several siblings overcome their overwhelming inner demons and the rest of us overcome the chips that have firmly attached themselves to our shoulders because of those demons, peace won't be knocking on our doors anytime soon.

But more so than the peace within the family, I wanted to magically receive peace within myself, peace that has nothing to do with my extended family.

But that didn't happen either.

To be honest, I don't really know why I'm so NOT at peace, why I'm searching for it in the first place. Looking at the pictures from the past week and taking stock of the wonderful folks I have around me, the blessings I have in my life, my abundant riches not related to money, I shouldn't be fretting over anything.

But there's this unrest, this uneasy, this unPEACEFUL feeling I can't shake.

Is it just a natural effect of the unstable times in which we live? Are others feeling this way? Is inner peace an unattainable goal?

Does it really matter anyway?

Yeah, it does matter. But luckily, there's always next year. And next year I'll be putting "PEACE" in big fancy letters at the very top of my Christmas list.

In the meantime, I'll start working on creating it myself, for myself, just in case Santa doesn't deliver once again.

And as for peace within my family, my siblings should probably get started on finding a little peace within themselves, too, so it can spread throughout the family.

And in case they don't, I've already started pricing boulder-sized lumps of coal for their stockings for next Christmas. 

Fave photo of the week

Bubby was in a wedding the Saturday before Christmas. Here the exhausted little ringbearer and flower girl take a much-needed break soon after the ceremony was over and their work was done:

And now, the last of the ever-popular feature ...

Today's question from "The Christmas Conversation Piece":

When the excitement of Christmas and New Year's is over, what is the next big day that you begin to anticipate and why?

My answer: It's not one specific day, but I look forward to spring break. Not because I have kids in school, but because Megan and Bubby (and maybe Preston this year) usually get to come visit for a few days during Megan's break from teaching.

Merry Christmas!