{2009 here we come!}

{let's end the year with some silly stuff}

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New hobby for 2009 perhaps? :D

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Yesterday:

Mommy: "I can't go tobogganing because I'm sick."

Sienna: "You should drink some pop." (she remembered how we drank Ginger Ale pop to help the stomach flu)

Mommy: "Ginger Ale pop helps tummies but this time mommy's nose is sick."

Sienna: "I can put some of this on your nose so snot won't come out."

(she had her lipbalm in her hand, when her nose was dry from wiping it and we had put lipbalm once on her nose to help moisturize it)***

Our New Year's Eve plans? Good food and a movie at home. If we'll stay up until midnight, we'll watch the fireworks from our bedroom window.

Tomorrow is pizza making party at Jay's parents. They make awesome pizza. Jay's mom's family comes from Italy and making good pizza is important. Looking forward to the yumminess. :P

Yesterday we ended up going to a movie. We saw Valkyrie (Tom Cruise). It was like watching Titanic (which I didn't like watching at all, at least I liked this story better) because you know the movie has a sad ending. It was great to remember though that not all Germans were on Hitler's side. As usual, things aren't black and white.

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Happy New Year everyone!

Hope 2009 will be a magical year in some special way for all of you.

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{me lovey, me lovey, me lovey}

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Another Yayoi Kusama one.
I've seen this pumpkin as a miniature in someone's home in a magazine. I can't believe that I hadn't heard about this artist before. She's been doing her dot art for a long time. I gotta get all her books!
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{me lovey art!}

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More art by Jacob Hashomoto.
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More art by Yayoi Kusama.

*yayoi kusama

I'm almost hyperventilating as I love the circle paintings so much!

I guess she is "the dot artist". I can't believe it. For years now I have had the idea of doing all kinds of circle art as circle is my favorite shape of all times. I have tons of ideas using the circle in different ways. Now if I did my circle art it would just seem like I'm copying Yayoi. Rats! My ideas are really different from hers of course but it would still be like I'm copying her original idea. Rats, rats, rats!

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{fun!}

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Another art installation at Rice Gallery - Houston, Texas.

This one is by Yayoi Kusama.

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{olla taydemmin tassa}

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me lovey this art installation by Jacob Hashimoto at rice gallery - houston

www.ricegallery.org

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Me likey Lotta Jansdotter's stuff.

*lotta jansdotter
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Hoping a miracle of peace for the Palestine people and the Israelis. And for anyone else who is suffering in this world for that matter.
picture - ann beck
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Sienna asks to make cards all the time now. These were made with her new glitter markers. When she colored the flowers she kept saying "blue and yellow makes green... pink and blue makes purple...".
I won't have to buy cards anymore. :)
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Jay took Sienna tobogganing yesterday. I was bummed I couldn't go too but I was home sick. Good thing for hot chocolate to stop the teeth from clattering. :)
Another mellow day at home today as I'm not 100% still. I love doing puzzles with Sienna. Robin is coming back from his mom's and gets to open his gifts. Then I can put all the Christmas stuff away.
New shelves in our tv room. It's starting to look like a real room now. Still need to organize much though before I can share pictures.
***
mina rakastan hautausmaita
mullantuoksuista hamaraa
sadepaivia joutilaita
heinasirkkojen sirinaa
mina tahdon syntya sylissas
ja kuolla kuiskien sulle
pienia sanoja sydamen
runoja rakastetulle
*
mina rakastan tata elamaa
elamaa kaikkineen
pimeita polkuja, aurinkoteita
raakoja omppuja, rinkeleita
iloa, surua, ikavaa
mina rakastan elamaa
*
mina rakastan kappyrapuita
kesan lamminta huminaa
pikkuvauvojen naurusuita
talven laulua valkeaa
tahdon antaa itseni sinulle
ja olla taydemmin tassa
tanssia nauraen kanssasi
kasteessa kimmeltavassa
***
sanat: tomi aholainen
naita sanoja laulaa tata kirjoittaessani: johanna kurkela
***

{joulukuvia}

***
Piparinkoristelu oli hauskaa. Kylla huomasi kaikkien serkkujen eri luonteenpiirteet. Kuka kaatoi kaikki koristeet joka puolelle, kuka oli nopea, kuka hidas, kuka koristeli huoletta, kuka koristeli pikkutarkkaan varmistaen etta kaikki oli "just niin", kuka teki ison sotkun, kuka oli huippusiisti...
Sienna - hidas, huolellinen, pikkutarkka, siisti, kaiken piti olla just niin. :) Vihrealla sentaan lopuksi antoi menna hurjemminkin.
***
***
Yritys ottaa kuvia kaikista serkuista yhdessa. Sienna oli kipea ja vasykin. Ei suostunut ensin edes kuvattavaksi. Myohemmin vasta kun otettiin uudelleen kuvia. Hyva kun muutama saatiin napsittua ennenkuin kaikkien into taysin lopahti. Mahdotonta puuhaa. Ja mika ihmeen peitto piti muka sinne tunkea peppujen alle. Hoh.
Gramma (grandma + mummo = gramma :) ) ja tyttoserkukset ihastelevat joulukuusen ympari menevaa junaa.
Sienna enon sylissa.
***

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Kaikenmaailman leikkeja ja yhdessaoloa.
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Joulukorteista tehtiin viela "palapeleja".
Leapfrog pelit on jees.

Sienna ihastui aivan taysin naihin apina pyjamiin. On niin ihanan pehmeat etta. Mita nyt pitaa tehda etta ne voisi olla paalla joka yo? Nopeasti pesta paivalla jotta illalla saa taas paalle.
Sienna heilutteli paata... Sylissa joulupukin joulusukkaan jattama pandakarhu josta tuli hitti myoskin.
***

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Voi etta taivas oli ihanan vaaleanpunainen yhtena iltana.
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Tanaan kaytiin Jayn veljella syomassa ja rupattelemassa. Sienna leikki onnessaan serkkunsa kanssa Barbeilla. Barbie talo & huonekalut on serkun aidin lapsuudesta.
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Nyt huilimaan. Gurggu on biggasen gibee ja pitaa ottaa iisisti.

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{tried to spend money but...}

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Vase covers by Pottery Barn.

***

I have always avoided Boxing Day shopping like a plague. It has never sounded fun to me - half empty shelves, crowds of people, long line ups... But yesterday Jay only had to work couple of hours so when he got home I thought I'd go shopping by myself. I really don't like shopping for clothes when Sienna is with me (too boring for her) so I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to find some much needed clothes. Four hours later and having gone through all the stores in the mall - I came home with only two shirts! I guess I just don't like the style of clothes out there right now. Or maybe it's because everything looks weird on me as I have gained some extra all over my once slim self. Whatever the reason - no success.

Today I can barely walk though. At least I got lots of exercise from my visit to the mall.

***

{uutta}

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paper quilling art by yulia brodskaya

www.artyulia.com
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embroidery fun - emma smart
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***

Joulu tuli ja meni. Nyt saa sitten nauttia kaikesta uudesta. Ostin -khm- "Jaylle" taman toisen Malcolm Gladwell kirjan. Jay lukee jotain muuta juuri nyt niin sain aloittaa taman itse. :) Voi etta nama on mahtavia kirjoja. Taman joulun "loydot". Jayn iskakin sai lahjaksi. Siennan lempilahja oli joulupukin tuoma ostoskarry (Dora tuolla juuri saa kyytia silla). Toinen oli uusi nukke ja kehto. Sitten lastenkanavalla oli mainostettu Hungry Hippos pelia pari kuukautta joten sekin oli "pakko saada" (en tykkaa etta lastenkanavalla on yhtaan mainosta, onneksi siella on yleensa muutama silloin talloin vaan, tasta sen nakee mainosten voiman jo heti lapsiin). Kovasti ovat syoneet palloja nuo nalkaiset elukat. Sienna sai lahjoja ihan liikaakin mutta on itsellekin ollut kiva leikkia Siennan kanssa jollain uudella. Tehty uusia palapeleja sun muuta. Uutta vireytta leikkeihin. Nyt haluan menna ostamaan uudet hyllyt tanne tv huoneeseen. Olisi jo aikakin jarjestaa tata huonetta lisaa ja laittaa lelut jarkkaan. Tv seinalle ja sen sellaista.

Joulua meilla taas vahan kiusasi se etta Sienna oli edelleen kipea. Mutta jaksoi kuitenkin hyvin kaikkea jouluhalinaa. Kauheasti en kuvia ottanut mutta laitan niita sitten tanne kun ennatan.

Minun yllatyslahja oli kuntopyora. Olen sita jo haaveillut joitakin vuosia ja Jay yllatti mut silla tana jouluna. En ollut kauhean innoissani avaamaan isoa lahjaa kun luulin etta se oli eras toinen juttu. Kyllapa yllatyin kun se olikin kuntopyora. Jayn yllatin eniten Wii pelilla. Mietin etta se on hauskaa puuhaa Jaylle ja Siennalle yhdessa. Jos minakin vaikka innostuisin. Jayn vanhemmat ostivat siihen sen Wii Fit:n. Silla voi vaikka joogata. Aika nayttaa miten paljon sita tulee kaytettya. Mutta kiva kun on enemman fyysista pelia kuin pelkkaa nappuloiden painantaa. Jay tykkasi kovasti viime vuonna nyrkkeilla Wiilla vanhempiensa luona. Hiki virtasi.

Jayn vanhemmat muuten sanoivat etta ensi joulu vietetaan sitten Hawaijilla! He maksavat hotellit ja meidan pitaa itse maksaa vaan lennot. Hyva etta sain tuon kuntopyoran ja toivottavasti jaksan sita nyt ahkerasti kayttaa ennen tuota suunniteltua rantsulomaa. Karseassa kunnossa olen. Toivottavasti tama meidan epavarma maailma on sitten kasassa viela ja suunnitelmiin ei tule mitaan oikkuja. Kaikki tallainenhan riippuu mista se roikkuu ja ei koskaan tieda mita tulee tapahtumaan.

***

{nativity story}

Loysin! I found it!
Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven" song and LDS nativity dvd "Joy to the World" combined.

{love these}

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Love these snowball ornaments and love how they glued glitter on the branches and the ornaments.

How to:

*snowball ornaments - martha stewart
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Love these flower arrangements. Vases and the picture by Pottery Barn.

Samanlaiset maljakot voi tehda itse lasimaljakoista ja teipata (double sided tape) metallista lahjapaprua siihen.

***

Kukista puheen ollen. Robin saa joka joulu paivaohjelmastaan ihanan joulukukan (poinsettia). Se yleensa kestaa meilla tosi kauan aikaa. Tana vuonna ei paivaakaan. Jay oli jattanyt sen pakkasessa pakettiautoon pariksi tunniksi. Kuolla kupsahti heti kun tuli kotiin. *nyyh*

***

{teen susta kuninkaan}

Johanna Kurkela - teen susta kuninkaan.

Jouluriisipuuro syoty. Tiskit tiskattu. Odotellaan Jayta kotiin. Sienna tehnyt joulukortin isilleen uusilla kimalletusseilla. Mina tippa silmassa taas kuunnellut Johannan cd:ta. It's official: this is my favorite cd! Tama musiikki rutistaa sydantani niin etta. Johannalla on enkelin aani.

{johanna kurkela - kauriinsilmat}

I guess this can be my Christmas present to you all. Johanna Kurkela singing "Kauriinsilmat". I love my new cd! Lots & lots. I'm trying to decide if it's my favorite cd ever. It's one of the top three for sure. I'd like to hear what non Finns think about her music. Is it too weird to listen to music in a language you don't understand? It has never bothered me but I'm used to all kinds of lingos. :) Of course to Finns this will probably hit home more. I don't think this is the best song on the cd, by the way. Voi etta alkoi tehda mieli mokille soutelemaan... :)

The reason why I keep blogging? I'm waiting for Jay to come home from work! We spent the evening with his family and then Jay went back to work to mail some last minute parcels. He's been gone three hours already! I won't miss this part of the retail business for sure once it's all over. He'll be working tomorrow too (Christmas Eve!!). Retailers only get the Christmas Day off. Jay could probably take the time off but he is one of those people who will bend backwards if needs be for his employer. Hopefully by next Christmas he will be in school and we'll have more family time at Christmas. Miss him!

{joy to the world dvd}

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If anyone is interested in a FREE dvd that shows the Christmas nativity story then you can order it through www.mormon.org. Scroll down the page and you'll see "free media", click on that, the dvd's name is Joy to the World. It is short enough to show to kids. It has beautiful music and is beautifully done. I'm sorry I didn't think of mentioning this until now when someone asked if I knew of this kind of a dvd.
***

Later... I just watched this dvd to make sure it was the one I thought it was. It was and it wasn't. In our ward's Christmas program they showed a shorter version of the nativity story (it is on the dvd as well, under "additional selections" if I remember right). They had muted the original recording and played a beautiful modern Christmas song with it. I should find out what that song was as I thought it made the story even more beautiful. No words, just the song. Anyways, the dvd is still great. If you don't want it to include some of the things our church believes then just choose the shorter version. I wish you could see it with the music I saw it with though. It was beautiful. But like I said, this dvd is still great. You'll get the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing instead. They're not the most famous choir for no reason. :)

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Update: The song they played with the short version of the nativity story is Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven.

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{merry christmas!}

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I believe it all! The most magical time of the year - Christmas! Y

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Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

*
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

*
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

*
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I Am.
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Merry Christmas to you all! I hope the magic of Christmas will touch you in a special way this year. And I wish you all the best for the year 2009!

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{ihanuus - ikean lahjapaprut}

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Lahjat paketoitu. Kiitos Ikea ihanista lahjapapereista. Me lovey!

Sienna on edelleen kipea (nuha, yska, kuumetta) mutta toivottavasti jaksetaan menna Jayn perheen kanssa viettamaan aattoillan aattoa.

Illalla katsotaan Jayn kanssa uudelleen leffa "Jane Austen Book Club". Jay on ihana kun aina jaksaa katsella minunlaisia leffoja myos. Ei leiki olevansa liian mies sellaisia katsomaan. Mina vuorostani jaksan joitakin action leffoja jotka ei ehka ole 100% mieleen. Tarkeaa jakaa puolison kanssa juttuja.

Leffoista puheen ollen. Katsottiin taas Chevy Chasen "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" leffa. Siitakin on tullut meille vahan traditio. On se niin hullunhauska leffa. Jotenkin kolahtaa meidan huumorintajuun. :D TV versio on kylla parempi kun ei tarvi sietaa tiettya kiroilukohtaa.

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Almost forgot to tell you about something so funny. On Sunday I was in Primary and I went up front to do my sharing time. We have this one little boy (4 years-old) who is the funniest boy I have ever known - Andy. Just when I was starting my sharing time, he piped out mischievously & with a big grin "Sister P, you're my girlfriend!". It was soooooo funny! :D

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{ihanuuksia, tanaan}

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Aivan alyn ihania mini mandariineja, pienen pienia. Niin makeita etta! Ah! Isompi ei aina ole parempi.

Luin Anu Pentikaisen joulukodista viime vuoden joululehdesta. Ihanaakin ihana omatekoinen seppele! Upea koti Pentikin omistajalla. Kuten kuuluukin. Pentik on tosi jees suomalainen juttu. Jos ette sattuneet tietamaan. :)
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Tana iltana sain aikaan meidan uuden tradition. Paatettiin Jayn perheen kanssa ettei osteta toisillemme lahjoja mutta etta tehdaan tallaiset perhehistoria sivut toisillemme. Eli kaikki saa tehda ihan sellaiset sivut kun haluaa perheestaan ja sitten kopsut jokaiselle perheelle. Kiva sitten joskus kun on kansio taynna perhehistoriaa.

New tradition: instead of Christmas gifts, each family makes a family history page or pages of their family and copies them for the other families. Way better than some silly gifts. Me likey!

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Our own family tradition: photobooth pictures on special days. This year (today at the mall) we accidentally chose the wrong setting and didn't get various pictures. Multiples of one picture instead. Otherwise we'd have funny face ones too. :) We ran out of change and Sienna got tired so this is it for this year. Still fun. One is hanging in our photobooth picture tree already.
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Jay usually takes me to a movie on my birthday but we didn't have a babysitter so we had fun shopping instead.

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I wish I could always remember the way Sienna sang Happy Birthday to me. I love our little girl so much! Sweeter than the sweetest mini honey mandarin!

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Sitten - aivan ihanaa musiikkia sain isosiskoltani synttarilahjaksi. Y

Suosittelen sydameni pohjukasta. En itse ollut aiemmin kuullut Johanna Kurkelasta (ihan ulapalla aina kaikesta uudesta suomalaisesta) mutta voi etta tama on niin mieleinen lahja etta. Tosi kaunista musiikkia! Tippa linssissa taalla kuuntelen kuulokkeilla.

Nama sanat hymyilytti silla tuli Twilightin Edward mieleen:

Hanen kasvonsa on veistetty marmorista

hanen vatsansa on norsunluuta

ja kun kosketan hanen niskaansa

en mieti mitaan muuta

hanen katensa tietavat miten

tehda pyyteettomasti hyvaa

hanen silmansa ovat suota

upottavaa ja niin syvaa

:)

{outliers}

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This book is rocking my world. Changing the way I think about success.

I saw the author's interview on the show "The Hour" and was totally intrigued into reading this book. I didn't write down the author's name or anything, I thought I'd find it easily. I didn't. I could not remember for the life of me what it was called and after browsing the bookshelves for quite a while, gave up. Jay remembered me raving about the interview and got me this book for my birthday. Love my Jay!

Love, love, love books like this that challenge my thinking and make me see the world differently. So far (I've read 43 pages) I'm very impressed.

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ps. You gotta watch the Cirque du Soleil You Tube clip before it disappears to "older posts" (in case you skipped it). It is hilarious!!!!! Trust me. Watch it. I don't want you to miss that gem.

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{so...}

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Typography is fun!

www.bantjes.com - Marian Bantjes
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So... We had invited our friends K&J over for supper yesterday. I wanted to make enchilada casserole but Jay insisted I make nachos instead. I thought it was kind of a weird choice for a supper but whatever. Nachos it is. K&J show up, we're almost ready to sit down for supper. When... The doorbell rings! At the door are J&G, another friend couple. They handed me a dish and I figured they were out and about dropping off Christmas treats. I had thought earlier that we should have invited them over too so I asked them right away if they'd like to come and join us for some nachos. They agreed. They had funny looks on their faces but I thought they were just amused that they ended up to our place for nachos. No problem, I grab some more plates and cups and start setting the table for six instead. When... The doorbell rings again! Now I was like "what?! who could be at the door again on a Saturday night?". I go and answer the door and Jay's parents walk in like no big deal, we're just dropping by. Now my brain starts to click a bit and when they hand me a gift I realize that Jay has planned a surprise birthday party for me!! He sure got me! I didn't have a clue until his parents showed up. Next thing I know there were 10 guests and tons of food at the table. Was it ever nice to be surprised like that. Usually you might have some idea what's going on but I honestly didn't have a clue. It helped that it wasn't my birthday quite yet. Fun, fun, fun. Lots of good food and we played a game where you try to say something about yourself that you think no one else has done. If you manage to do that, you get a macaroni. We decided if one or two other people have done the same thing then you still get a macaroni, plus them too. Winner was the one who got 10 macaronis first. It was fun to find out about all kinds of weird stuff people have done. I learned new things about everyone.

So, I guess I can officially say goodbye to 40 now. 40 was a good year for me in many ways. I feel much more settled into myself now than when I was 20, for example. I wouldn't trade 40 to 20 even if I could be all skinny & fresh again. I prefer the wisdom & experience. It's all good.

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