Call me a Comet, not a Vixen, in the Hodgepodge

 I only got 4.5 hours of sleep last night and have been busy on this second snow day of the school year.  Think I can answer some of today's headier questions?

Giddy-up!  Giddy-up! Let's go!

1. Are you doing anything special to mark this season of Advent? If so please share.

Sadly, no.  When the older kids were little, there were several years that we celebrated Advent.
I would give anything to have video of them reading passages from the Bible by candlelight.  I don't know why we abandoned the tradition, but I remember it being a tradition that took a lot of energy on my part to initiate and perpetuate, and I found myself feeling (and sounding) like a whiner instead of a worshiper about the whole thing.


2. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen...and of course you recall, the most famous reindeer of all...so, which reindeer name best describes you this week? 


What a creative question. The answer took some thinking.

I hope I haven't been a Vixen (according to definition #2 listed there).  I think I've been pretty easy-going.   

I'm going to say I've been Comet,  feeling like I have  had a universe of ideas in my head and going so fast you only see my tail as I pass through your atmosphere. .  Okay, that's quite a stretch. And  a hilarious image to me and anyone who knows me.

 

3. What's worse-too quiet or too loud? Which have you had more of lately?

The only time "too quiet" bothers me is:

1. when my children got that way when they were little, meaning they were up to no good, or had gone missing, or were choking

2.  when there is tension in the air and I feel like the one who's in trouble

3.  when I'm alone and feeling lonely

As a general rule, I can't stand things (or people) being loud.  But my house is not too loud.  What noise happens (Ravens games on TV, hubby playing guitar, son making a video, texts "binging" on my phone)  I tend to like it.

I have probably had too much quiet lately.

4. This question comes to you from Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens-thanks Zo! 

When you are administratively gifted, how often do you find yourself not trusting less gifted people to do what they've committed to do?  If you are not so gifted that way, but are reliable, how do you feel when the stronger person (in that area) goes ahead and covers it before giving you a chance to come through? 

You're welcome! Thanks for using the question that had arisen from my real life.

Depending on the situation, I can be the administrative type (and I've had to be as a teacher) but I am definitely not what I'd call gifted that way.  A gifted administrator, to my way of thinking, not only knows how to "keep all the ducks in a row," but also how to delegate with wisdom and grace. Part of that is knowing how to graciously ask for help, how to make the instructions clear, when to give guidance, and how to let creative and independent workers do their part without steamrolling them.

I am definitely reliable. I don't say yes to commitments quickly; I make sure I can follow through, and once I give my word, I keep it as much as humanly possible.  However, I am neither fast  (remember NOT a comet!) nor particularly good at having my ideas vetoed or my work scrapped in mid-completion by administrators who didn't make their expectations clear or who had said "Do what you want" when want they really mean is, "Do it my way."   Most of the time they want to take the credit for everything and none of the blame.

If someone delegates something to me, but then goes ahead and does it after I've WANTED to do it and SAID I would, then I feel disrespected and wonder if that person doesn't trust me.  What an awful feeling.  Communicate, people! No matter whether you're a leader or follower, a good admin person or a helper needing her hand held, by all means stay in touch!





5. What is your most dreaded task relating to the holidays? Your most looked forward to holiday task?

I dread the deeper cleaning  required (i.e. using Comet three times in one day in three different bathrooms) since our home is the hub of the family events nowadays.

It starts before Thanksgiving. In fact, I was so fatigued from cleaning for Thanksgiving that I didn't enjoy our day as much as I would have if I had had a cleaning lady.  I don't mind cleaning, but not when the to-do includes shopping (more bags), wrapping (more mess), baking (more dishes), hosting (more administration), and so on.

Most looked forward to? Gift exchanges! I love to give and receive!



6. Facebook has released its list of the 'most talked about' topics of 2013. Pope Francis took the number one spot.  Does that surprise you? He was followed by election, royal baby, typhoon, and Harlem Shake. Your thoughts? What was your most talked about topic in 2013? (Facebook, around the kitchen table, or wherever it is you talk)

In my own little corner of the world, it was my son's wedding was talked about every day from January till June, and then quite often mention until August and several times since then.  On Facebook, around the kitchen table, at the hair salon, in the car, at church, in Bible study, at the grocery store with total strangers, at the bank, at my quilt shop, on my blog, you name it. A child's wedding is a pretty big stinkin' deal.

7. What's something you consider a necessity that others might view as a luxury?

A professional pedicure.  I know I could live without them (and I went a year between them until about 2 years ago)  but I tend to get painful starts to ingrown toenails if I don't.   It's not the nail trimming I enjoy, but I love the foot scrubs and massage part of it, plus the smooth feet and pretty toes that look good for the next 6-8 weeks.  I can't get close enough to my toenails to paint them well myself.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

It snowed here Sunday and Monday, perhaps like it did where you live.  I was admiring the beauty of God's handiwork in white , when suddenly something caught my little eye in our woods.   I SPY an x-ray of a leg.  Do you see it?