January Journal

Following Alyson and Cheya's examples, I am going to try to recap each month this year. Hopefully, it will help me be better at my journaling efforts. Unfortunately, January was a pretty boring month for me. But I'll try:

Highlights:

Jan 3: The bank set goals for each branch to meet on this day and earn a lunch for the employees. We made our goal!!! January is off ot a great start.

Jan 6: Visiting Teaching Workshop. How amazing to get visiting teaching all set for the year on the very first Sunday. The lesson went well, lots of comments were shared; and a spiritual testimony meeting ended the workshop.

Jan 22: Received eight packages in the mail containing 15 books, 2 DVD's and 2 CD's. What fun.

Jan 27: A dear sister in the ward, Donna Stewart, passed away just six hours before President Hinckley. This was a great day to celebrate the lives of two wonderful people.

Jan 30: Annual birthday lunch with Mom, Cheya, Myke and Verona at JB's.

Jan 31: For the first time ever, my branch met the special January goals set by upper management. Good thing we reached the goals early because the last four days of the year were deadly slow and boring. Next year's goals will be murder, but I'm basking in the glory now. Plus we receive an extra bonus. Yippee.

Books read:

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Marley and Me by John Grogan

Seven Lies by James Lasdun

The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley

Mercy Among the Children by David Adam Richards

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

Below the Salt by Thomas Costain

Nothing to Regret by Tristi Pinkston

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Five Children and It by E. Nesbitt

Salamander by Thomas Wharton

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Movies Watched

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (DVD, saw it first in the theater)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (DVD, first time I've seen it)

What's on TV

Dance Wars - a new series that's okay but not as fun as Dancing with the Stars.

A bunch of reruns on Gray's Anatomy. I missed the only one that wasn't a rerun.

With the writer's strike, there's not much to watch; so I just read and blog.

Overall impression of the month:

It was so cold. Below zero temperatures for days and days. When it finally warmed up the last part of the month, we got slammed with snow and more snow. Then it was back to below zero. My gas bill is unbelievable because I hate to be cold. I start my car every morning to warm up and it makes a horrible high-pitched squealing noise. I know it's time to leave when the pitch lowers. I'm tired of shoveling snow and walking on ice. We've only had a few days of fog. I do love the fog, especially the frost left on the trees and bushes that glimmer when the sun finally does shine through. I just keep repeating, "It's almost spring, it's almost spring."