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Ahhh zodiac. Don’t you love how the zodiac has everyone up in arms in a fit of panic lately? Apparently after 3,000 years the Earth’s alignment shifted causing the dates of all the zodiac signs to change. “WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!? HOW SHALL WE SURVIVE!?” is the basic sentiment I’m getting from people. First, take a moment to slow your raging heartbeat, pull your head from the clouds, and join the rest of us back here on Earth. Second, if you would like to continue to survive, consider learning how to read and when to read further into something – for example, if you spent even 0.5 seconds more reading from the article after reading the initial headline of “Run For You Lives Because Your Zodiac Sign May Have Changed” you probably would have learned that the change only affects those born after 2009. This short little factoid was clearly missed by oh, everyone, on Facebook because I cannot find a normal status anywhere that doesn’t have to do with someone’s refusal to abandon their “old” sign and change over to their “new” one. Newsflash: unless you are under the age of 13 months (in which case, you don’t need a Facebook account, you need a stuffed monkey or something equally as age appropriate), your sign did not change. And lastly, get a grip! If a change in zodiac truly causes this much of an uproar in your life, you may need to reevaluate your priorities. Or, you know, continue to freak yourself out. That’s fine too.

On a totally unrelated topic, a church in our area is hosting a Marriage Matters series every Thursday night in the month of January as part of an effort to jumpstart a bigger concern for supporting, helping and encouraging married couples within the Catholic Church. I think it’s an excellent idea since the church puts a heck of a lot of focus on all this preparation stuff via Engaged Encounter weekends and FOCCUS sessions to prepare a couple for marriage during their engagement, but after the wedding? Good luck finding any sort of regular marriage programs other than National Marriage Encounter at your church. And a lot of churches don’t even have that. So the one in our area is hosting a month-long series right now along with monthly dinners and guest speakers throughout the rest of the year to help build up married couples. Cool, right? What I love about these sessions is that they’re not just for couples whose marriage is on the rocks. They’re great for happily married couples who want to be reminded of skills and ideas to help them continue strengthen their relationship. The speakers so far are very cool, real, down to Earth people (and usually funny) – and it doesn’t hurt that they provide yummy snacks, sodas, beer and wine (and sometimes a dinner) which could be why so many couples showed up – seriously, the place was packed.

The one we attended way back in November was with the author of the book What I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the First Five Years of Marriage. Last week’s topic was the movie Fireproof and the accompanying book The Love Dare. This week it was based off the book The 5 Love Languages. I read 5 Love Languages over the summer and thought it was very insightful. The 5 languages are words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. The goal is to find out which one is your spouse’s primary love language (the one which makes them feel the most loved) and to have them discover yours so you understand how they best feel love, and consequently you know how to best show them love in their primary language in return. Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick, easy read – I’d recommend it.

This weekend is project weekend for us. Two nights ago Ted installed a shelf in the entryway closet that we’ve been meaning to put up since we moved in. Last night and tonight we’re setting up our newest addition (it’s a surprise!). This weekend we’re hoping to build sawhorses, a few more shelves to add into the kitchen cabinets, find a home for everything in the kitchen, and if we can get to it, start building and installing the basement shelves – between NFL playoff games, of course. Since today is Friday I’m going to take it easy today – watch a movie before it has to go back to the library, do some research, figure out some financial stuff, and possibly play around with my camera’s macro setting a little more.

I hope everyone has a great Friday!