Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

Scott’s Morning Brew is returning.

Welcome back, Scott! We’ve missed you.

If my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and
turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive
their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

It’s the first Saturday of the new year and the last Saturday of vacation. Not planning to wander far from the homestead today. Sitting at my desk where I can look out on the back yard and think about gardening projects for the spring. I’ve got tulips and daffodils that, thanks to Thanksgiving rain and Christmas snow, didn’t make it into the ground that will go into pots today.

Maybe a movie, maybe a board game. Maybe some focused time sorting out partially completed writing projects.

In other news…

On January 2, 1941 The Andrews Sisters recorded their hit “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” By the end of that year, the U.S. would be at war with Germany and Japan.

Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell is featured in a Wall Street Journal interview today: Back to GOP Basics Virginia’s governor-elect Bob McDonnell on his plans for spending cuts, offshore drilling and charter schools.

The 90 Day Challenge: Day 2, Genesis 13-28

Behold, I make all things new.
~ Revelation 21:5 (KJV)

A new day.  A new year.  A fresh start.  Now that I’m in well into the second half of my first century I am no longer naive enough to believe that a few fireworks, some sparking beverage and the singing of Auld Lang Syne can erase all the troubles of the previous year.  Troubles, being what they are, will follow us into 2010.

Still there’s a sense of a new beginning.  A sense that, when those inevitable challenges come in the new year, we’ll be better prepared to deal with them.  We’ll take a better approach.  Take better care of ourselves, our family, our resources. 

That’s my hope anyway.  After some late night family “revelry” which, to the delight of the 9-year-old consisted of ice cream sundaes and sparking cider, the household is moving slowly this morning.  Still, there’s a sense that this year I’m going to get it right.

Exciting possibilities await me in 2010.  Some I’ll share about here.  Some not.  But today, I’m ready to move forward.

As I said yesterday, I’ve taken The 90 Day Challenge to read through the NIV version of the Bible in 90 days.  Day one, Genesis Chapters 1-12.

I know.  I know.  Many of you have been out there saying “Yes, Christmas comes once every year, but when, oh when will The Write Side of My Brain return to the blogosphere?”  Well, today your wait is over.  Which is not to say that you’re overweight, a condition of which we shall not speak on the Eve of the New Year and while Christmas cookies remain in the house.

Since my post-election departure on November 5, I’ve pondered both if I would come back and how I would come back.  I suppose I could do a year end summary.  But, if you’re old enough to read you already know what happened last year.  Which is not to say that you understand what happened last year unless you paid attention.  Very close attention.

Besides, no one does year end reviews better than Dave Barry, and this year is no exception:  Dave Barry’s year in review: 2009.

The Obama administration’s confirmation woes continue as Tom Daschle is forced to withdraw as nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services following the disclosure that he, too, failed to pay all of his federal taxes. He blames this oversight on the fact that his tax returns were prepared by Treasury Secretary Geithner.
~ Dave Barry

Or, on the political front you can read about the Top Ten Corrupt Politicians List Announced by Judicial Watch at The Freedom Post.  The amazing thing here is, of course, that they were able to whittle the list down to just ten.

On the flip side Politics Daily named Seven Conservative ‘Power Players’ to Watch in 2010, a list that includes Virginia’s own Tim Phillips.

Over at Bearing Drift, J.R. Hoeft offers:  Top 10 Virginia political stories of the decade, and Ward Smythe gives us The Top 10 Farces of 2009.

So, there’s all you need to know about the year in review.  Still, that leaves us without a subject for our return.  So I thought I could take a look at preditions for 2010.  And really, I just don’t want to.

I’m not listing resolutions either, but I do have a list of things I want to work on in 2010.  Not resolutions because I don’t want to come back on December 31, 2010 and rattle of a list of things I didn’t get accomplished.  But here’s what I’m going to work on.

Health and Fitness:  This is mostly weight related.  I was doing quite well at the gym up until Thanksgiving and our church Christmas Production.  Then a few health related issues kept me away through Christmas.  But I’m set, complete with a new gym bag thanks to #1 child, to go back on Monday morning.  Hold me to it.

Writing:  I’ll keep up with the blog, do a few other ventures, and I’m already developing a plot for Nanowrimo 2010.  But I want to get something published.  And then, when I do, actually get paid for it.  I’ve done it before, and it’s time to do so again.

Spanish:  See, three years in high school and two years in college can’t have been for nothing.  I’ve got the instructional CDs.  Now to use them. 

Finally, study:  I want to spend more time reading and studying, particularly the Scriptures.  To that end I’m taking up The 90 Day Challenge.  According to this challenge reading 12 pages per day from the New International Version will take you through the entire Bible in 90 days.  I’m going to give it a try.  Again, hold me to it.

I’m not sure if or where I’ll be involved in politics in 2010.  Let’s just say I’m elated over the November election results and that I hope there’s major change in November 2010.

So there you have it.  If, that is, you cared.

Happy New Year!