The info below is priceless. Enjoy.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches;)

3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and Lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

Our gas prices are still holding pretty steady. It sure is wonderful to fill the gas tank on the truck and get away with using a 20 dollar bill....and getting some change back. Amazing!

The Alaska weather appears to have decided to stay here in our Montana. The skies are clear....which makes a spectacular show of stars at night...but very cold.

The last few days the fog has been hanging around through most of the day. And this morning the fog has left some interesting fog art on the trees in front of our house.

And the ice layer on our road is still to difficult to walk on so the little dog and I have not been making to many trips out of the yard.

This is the little tree just outside our front door and it is completely encased in fog frost. It does make a pretty site but a cold one.

These trees are usually a very dark green but the fog has changed their color to frost white. The frost crystals stayed on everything till almost 1:00 this afternoon. The temperature finally came up to 30 degrees about that time.

JW did some machine work in the shop this morning. When he arrived there he found the temperature inside the shop at just 34 degrees. After he got the fire going in the work stove b the temperature rose up into the 50's within the hour. He said his tools and machines were almost to cold to touch for awhile.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS IN 2009 & A HAPPY NEW YEAR

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________ .'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a Queen, lunch like a Princess and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for every thing.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

God bless you today and throughout 2009! Happy New Year!

THANK YOU EVELYN FOR THIS POST!

I took me more than 4 months to do it but I finally finished my Christmas tree skirt.... the day we put up the Christmas tree! So because it was covered up by presents I had to wait to get photos of it until we took the tree down this week.

It has been several years since I have done any amount of hand sewing and I sure enjoyed it. I spent many evenings in front of the TV with the tree skirt draped over my legs as I did the hand stitching.

I really hate to pack it away already as I haven't had much opportunity to enjoy it. It will be fun to look forward to seeing it on display again next Christmas and for many more Christmas' to come.