I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning with my feet up, snug in my warm house in this, for south Texas, very cold winter. Difficulty with my leg has kept me in and away from church this morning and I'm missing it, but thankful for a comfy place to sit and for shelter from the cold wind. I've used the time to get started on the week's memory work (see left sidebar) since this is an 8-verse week. I love being in the house of God to worship with His people, but His word speaks to me whenever and wherever I'm listening. That's a good thing.

It's my first son-in-law's birthday today, and we're celebrating with a steak and baked potato dinner this evening, just before his beloved Steelers meet the Jets for the AFC championship. Sure hope his birthday ends well for him...Happy birthday, Dirk! May it be a fabulous decade ;-)

In less than two weeks, Nathan will graduate from Air Force basic training. We're all looking forward to celebrating with him the weekend of Feb. 4-6 before he flies off to the next phase of his training at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. He's had a lot of ups and downs and is very anxious to have this part behind him.

Isn't it interesting that most of the buzz about Tuesday night's State of the Union speech has more to do with who will be sitting next to whom than about the real state of the union. I'm wondering if they'll figure out some way to clap using one hand from a Dem and one from a GOP'er. Now THAT would be union. Or not.

Did you get your copy of One Thousand Gifts this week? Wow. What a God we serve.

I'm taking a trip this week! I'm going to head up to Fort Worth on Thursday, spend a night with the Slaughter elves and see my brothers, and then on up to visit sweet CJ at her new Oklahoma home that I haven't ever seen yet! Capping that off, she and I will have lunch with a blog friend in OKC before I head home on Monday. I can hardly wait. I'm not usually an early packer, but I think I'll start right now!

Firewood is my friend. A very good friend.

I complained so much about my Dell printer for so long that I thought I should tell you that after more than a year with my Canon, I still LOVE it. Get one. However, always looking to the horizon, I'm eagerly awaiting the availability of this. You can see it in action here. Incredible.

My cello playing is coming along nicely. I think I'm going to look for a teacher :-)

Throwback to the past: this week I ordered some Avon Skin-So-Soft. My grandmother would be proud. Her Avon lady was her BFF.

Hope it's a great week for you. I'll see you when I get back from Oklahoma!