Happy New Year to all, and to all ..........

I have found a great way to celebrate New Years Eve.  You have to start a little BEFORE new years eve to actually make it work right.  You get around someone that is sick, you catch their cold and wha-la you are sick for the holiday.  I have felt lousy for the past few days, I woke up today with a voice that is almost not there.  Yep, I called someone and they had to ask me who I was.  She thought she was getting a dirty phone call!

Actually, I don't feel too bad, just tired, and the voice is almost gone.  I didn't have any major plans for tonight anyway.  The church I go to is having a supper, games and a service to welcome in the new year.  I guess I will skip it, put the pj's on and turn up the tv.  I would say I will be asleep when the new year gets here, but my neighbors are already setting off fire works so I am sure I will hear when it hits midnight.

I discovered a different and somewhat unusal way to bring in the new year.  Well, at least is seems unusal to me.  Someplace in the NC mountains has a possum drop.  That's right.  A possum drop. I really don't know what to say about it.  There is a background as to how it got started. And even though I won't be going, it is nice to know that I can order souviners on line! Oh, did you know that it is possible for a possum to save your life?  Some people just have WAY too much time on their hands!

What happened to used?

A recent entry in John's  By The Way got me to thinking. (dangerous stuff, my thinking)  When did cars go from being "used" to "pre-owned'?  And why are they "certified" now? Do we need to know that they are "certainly pre-owned?" And what about clothes?  When did "old" become "vintage"? When did "old" become "retro"?

 And, why, if you won't shop Goodwill or Salvation Army, but if it is called a "thrift" store or a "consignment" store that's ok?  What is the difference?

 

 

 

New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of year again.  Time for all good boys and girls to trot out their New Year's Resolutions.  Do we make them knowing that we will break them or do we really mean to try to stick to them?  Do we make the same ones year after year?  What is the point in that?  If you didn't keep the resolution last year what makes you think you will keep it this year?  I say we have only two choices.  First choice:  Don't make resoultions you know that you probably aren't going to keep.  Second choice:  Only make resolutions you know you can keep. As for me.  I think my New Year's Resolutions will be:  1) try to be nicer to everyone I come in contact with. 2) make every effort to remember what is important to others and be sensitive to that 3) sit under my SAD light the way my doctor told me I should, it is what is best for my mental health.

Thanks

 

Once again I have turned to other AOL journaler's for help in adding that little something extra to one of my journals.  So this entry is to thank those people.  I will first say that yes, I have picked up hints from various other journals, but these people went above and beyond to help me.  They "held my hand" through what must have seemed so simple to them, but I just couldn't "see the forest for the trees."  They are:

kay laughton

his1desire

jjfqiuffre

I am fine. Really I am! part 1

I really don't feel good today.  I think I am starting to come down with a bad (as opposed to a good) cold.  No big deal.  Anyway I thought I would skip church and just lay around all day.  I called my mom to tell her I wasn't feeling good and wouldn't be coming by for lunch.  This was the wrong thing to do.  Before you know it my dad comes to bring me something for breakfast.  Sweet I know, but I just wanted to sleep.  Anyway, I called mom around 1:00 to tell her I was going to take a nap and not to call.  

I am fine, Really I am! part 2

3:00 pm

 hello

 hey sweetie.  Did I wake you up?

No, I had to answer the phone.

I'm sorry but your mom and I are worried about you.

I'm fine. I told mom I would be taking a nap.

Are you going back to sleep?

No, guess I am up for now.

Want me to bring you some lunch?  Mom made a meatloaf

Sure fine.

Want to talk to mom?

Sure fine.

I am fine, REALLY I AM!!! Part 3

Mom: How are you feeling?

I'm fine. I feel a lot better.

I worry about you.

(I am 43 and can take care of myself) You don't have to. I told you I was going to take a nap.

I know but that was 2 hours ago. I am worried about you. Are you sure you don't have the flu?

(I did get a flu shot mom!) I am sure.  It seems to be settling in my nose, so it is just a cold.

I'm sending dad with you some lunch.

Thanks.

You let me know if you get to feeling worse.

I AM FINE MOM!

Feet

I own (and wear) what may be the ugliest pair of shoes availiable on the market.  Yes, I were those too ugly for words birkenstocks.  But let me tell ya they are so comfortable that I almost don't care how ugly they are.  I have had trouble with my arches and have had both operated on, and I can tell you that when your feet hurt you don't feel good.  So, let this be a lesson.  Feet hurt?  Forget good looking shoes, buy for comfort and comfort alone!  Buy ugly shoes, they will help you from getting an ugly attitude because your feet hurt!

 

try this journal:  MoRgAiNe'S CrAzY ThOuGhTs

Christmas Gift

I realise that it is "so 1st grade" to go around telling what you got for Christmas.  But I have to share that I received a new computer keyboard as a gift.  What is so special about that?  It is one of those "ergonomically correct" thingys.  I think I will like it, but right now I feel like I am having to learn how to type all over again.

 Other big news of the day.  My other journal "something to smile about" made the "Editors Weekly Top 5 Picks" at number 3 this week!  I am happy about that.  I have already gotten some great e-mails concerning that journal. Stop by and check it out.  I'll leave the light on for you.

 

Luke 2:8-14

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the  fields,  keeping watch over their flock by  night.And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.And this will be the sign to you :  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager."And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 

My favorite Christmas songs, Part 1

Go Tell It On The Mountain

 

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

Refrain

The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth,
Rang out the angels chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.

Refrain

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessèd Christmas morn.

Refrain

 

words found to this song here:  Go, Tell It on the Mountain

My favorite Christmas songs. Part 2

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
'Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?


A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite


Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing thru the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?


A song, a song
High above the tree
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea


Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know?


A Child, a Child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold


Said the king to the people ev'rywhere
Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people ev'rywhere
Listen to what I say!


The Child, the Child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

words for this song were found here:  Do You Hear What I Hear?

 

Christmas is coming

I still can't believe that Christmas is almost here.  I have everything ready, it just seems like the year has flown by some how.  I feel like I have missed something somehow.  Or maybe that I just let time pass and have nothing to show for it. 

But, I did make something for "the dreaded sister-in-law" for Christmas.  My brother got married by a preacher (at the preacher's house) with just witnesses.  I found some of the pictures that were taken and put them into a scrapbook that I decorated up for her.  I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.  She may not like it, but I spent hours on it, and quite a while on the internet looking for a love poem to put in it.  I really tried to make it look nice.

Re-Gifting

 I realize that re-gifting seems to be taboo.  But I don't totally understand why.  People have no problem with returning a gift for something they want, so what is the difference?  I will admit to being a re-gifter.  You heard my right.  I re-gift!  I have gotten presents from coworkers, distant family, etc., that I really don't want, don't like, could live without.  But I learned early on when I moved out of mom and dad's house that living "in the real world" ain't cheap.  I would take a present I didn't want put a note on it saying who gave it to me (wouldn't want to give it back to the same person, that would be tacky) and stick in it closet.  Whenever I needed a present for someone I would check the closet to see if there was anything in there that would work.  Sometimes there would be.  And more often than not the person I gave the gift to ACTUALLY used the gift!  So it was like it was meant to be.  So all you re-gifters out there fess up!  Be proud to pass on a wonderful gift to someone that really wants it, and that it also helps you pinch those pennies!

No Nose

After I left the hospital I went to a Wendys to grab something to eat.  While there I saw the most unbelieveable thing.  This older man was in there and he had no nose.  I am serious.  It was so strange.  First what would happen where you could lose your nose, and second, wouldn't doctors give his a fake one?  I felt so sorry for the man.

Aunt Betty

I went to visit my Aunt Betty  today.  She still isn't feeling very well.  They had to take her back into surgery this past week because she coughed or something and tore something and they had to go back in and fix it.  She is still hooked up to one of those machines where you push a button and it gives you a dose of morphine.

 I did find out what really had happened the night she had to be taken to the hospital.  She was all of the sudden in intense pain, so much that she was screaming.  Her grandson (that lives across the street from her) had to carry her to the car and into the hospital.  During surgery the doctors discovered that she had an ulcer on her intestines that had ruptured. 

Her original surgery was a week ago this past Saturday, and today was the first time she got any food that was of the non-liquid variety. They let her have grits.  She likes grits, but she thought they should have given her some butter to go on it, or an egg to go with. 

 It looks like she won't get to come home until around the first of the year.  Even then it looks like she will have to stay with her daughter (or vise versa) for a period of time.  

Broke for Christmas brother dear?

 

Whenever my mom asked my brother is he and his family were coming for Christmas, he would always say "I don't know.  We don't have money for any Christmas."  I told him so what?  You still gotta eat, come for Christmas.  My parents were starting to feel sorry for him and were going to offer him money so that he could get Christmas for his family. 

Yesterday he brought his daughter G down to spend the night with grandma/pawpaw.  Today G ups and tells them that her parents got themselves Christmas last week.  A DVD set that was $80, got her 2 hamsters (with 2 cages) and several CD's.R tells us they have no money.  But in reality they have already spent money on Christmas.  They bought Christmas after telling me and my parents that there would be no Christmas.Why did he feel a need to lie?  To get mom and dad to cough up some money?  Well, it wouldn't be the first time.  He has confessed that in the past they would spend money that should go on a bill on something else, because "mom and dad will pay it for us."  Yes, he admitted that he and his wife had sat down and agreed to spend the rent money on something fun, because the parents would help them out in a jam.I know that there have been a few occasions that I have asked the parents for money.  But not because I didn't pay my bills!  I have always paid my bills then spent too much money on something and need some gas money or whatever.  But with R....

Wanna play Chicken?

The street I live on isn't all that narrow of a street.  However you add parked cars to it and it seems narrower than it really is.  And no one seems to like using their driveways for some reason.  So when driving down the street (or up the street or whatever you want to call it) sometimes you need to give the driver on the opposite side space to drive, you know, pull in between parked cars, or whatever.  But some drivers feel they own the street (interestingly enought these are people that don't live on the street!) and will not move out of the way. Most of the parked cars are on one side of the street so that is the side that should give some room right?  Wrong.  And I am getting really sick of playing "chicken" everytime I leave the house.  Some people just won't move over, ok, sometimes they do. They just move over in the WRONG direction.  There is no center line painted on the street, but if there was one, they would be crossing over it.

And yesterday.  Man.  Some fool put their leaves in the road -- not to the side of the road, but in the middle of where a lane should be.  So I pull up behind the leaves to wait for this old lady to pass me.  The woman just pulls up beside me, stops, looks at me and smiles.  She sits there for a few seconds and then pulls off.  What was she doing?  Either I stopped behind the leaves, drove through them, or I guess I could have meet her head on as she turned onto the street.  I thought I was doing what any normal person would do.  What she was doing was not what any person would do.

Thank You!

I just want to publicly thank Pam over at Just One Girls Head Noise for helping me to get a picture in the "about me" bar to the left of this!  She is great.  And don't forget to check out her latest journal that lists nothing but journals and the links to get to them. So a big thank you Pam, for helping me and for helping all of us to find other journals easier now.

I am addicted.

I never thought I would have to say those words.  I am addicted.  Do you have any idea how hard that is to say?  To tell total strangers that you have a problem?  Well, actually, you guys are the first people for me to tell.  I know that my fellow AOL journalers won't judge me.  I know that maybe one of you has or had the same problem as I do.  Maybe you can help me to tell my family.  Hopefully you can be my support system.  Goodness only knows I will need it if I am to be able to deal with my addiction.

 It didn't take all that long for me to become an addict.  Maybe it is in my genes.  Some part of my makeup that made me susceptible.  I just don't know what to do.  This is taking over my life.  I always say just one more.  I can quit any time I want to.  I just do it one more time and then stop.  Then I don't and I am up half the night doing more and feeling really bad about it.   Is there anyone out there that can help me?  Anyone with an addiction problem?  With the same addiction as me? 

 Oh, I didn't tell you my problem yet did I?  I am so embarrassed.  I am addicted to the pogo game Tri-Peaks Solitaire!  Really.  I can't stop playing.  I am up late because I think I will just play one last hand.  Then I will lose that hand and say just one more.......  

R. Kelly vs Michael Jackson

Everyone is up in arms over Michael Jackson, and rightly so.  But what about singer R. Kelly?  I have seen on the news that he has been accused of having sex with an underage girl and video taping it.  Now he is saying that the "incident" happened during a time period that the girl could have been between ages 13 to 17 years old.  If she was 17 at the time then it would have been legal in the state that it happened in.  Has this hurt his career?  Does anyone care?  Is it because he was with a girl and not a boy (like Michael was accused of) that no one seems to care?  People quite buying Michael's records, but that doesn't seem to happening with R. Kelly.  Interesting fact:  R. Kelly wrote a song that is on Michael Jackson's latest CD.  He also wrote the "outrageous" one that Brintey Spears is singing.

Rudolph on the Sun?

Will someone please tell me what Santa's lead reindeer Rudolph is going hanging out on the sun?  Or is this how he charges up that red nose of his?

Insurance companies, can't live without them, can't live with them.  Mostly I have no problem with my health insurance folks (if they paid for my meds I would have no problem with them.)  But lately they are driving me crazy.  I got a letter in the mail saying that they were sending me a survey form to fill out.  I did NOT have to fill it out if I didn't want to.  So I didn't.  Then I get another survey form sent to me because I didn't fill out the first one.  I filled this one out and mailed it back in.  Today I get a call from the insurance people saying that they hadn't recieved the survey back so we could do it over the phone.  What is it with these people?  First I didn't have to fill out some survey, then they almost harass me over the stupid thing!  Don't they have better things to do or to spend money on?

Great news!  The ice storm wasn't as bad as predicted!  Yes!  I still will be stuck at home today, but tomorrow looks good for an outing.  Only a couple hundred (it's not only if you are them) lost power.  I am so thrilled I can not tell you.  I don't see how people up north face the winters.  I read once that the winter weather is one reason Stephen King stays in Maine, it keeps his fans away!  I guess if you grow up with tons of snow you get used to it.  Most of what we get in my neck of the woods seems to ice and you never get used to that.

Other great news.  We have Saddam Hussen!(Wonder how they are so sure it is him?)  If you agree with the war or not I think you will agree that this is a man that needs to be put away.  I can't believe some of the torture stories that have come out of Iraq.

  picture from Yahoo! news 

I got a call this morning from my cousin to tell me that my Aunt Betty is in the hospital.  I knew she had been sick and thought maybe she had the flu.  She had to go to the ER last night and had emergency surgery this morning.  When she went into surgery they thought she had a tear in her intestine, but that wasn't the case.  C called after the surgery and said that it was an ulcer and it had eatten through her stomach.  I don't know anything about these things but that don't sound so good.  The doctor said she came through the surgery ok, but we would have to watch out for pneoumonia or infection setting in.  If you are a praying person, please pray for my Aunt Betty.  She is the sweetest thing.  She is 73 or 74 years old and was--until this--in pretty good health.  She lives about an hour away from me and because of the bad weather they are calling for I am not going to be able to go visit her this weekend and I really hate that.

update:  got more info on Aunt Betty.  The info on her stomach was wrong.  The problem seems to have been ulcers on her intestines.  She is out of recovery and seems to be doing ok. 

The weatherman, ok, weatherwoman, ok, the weatherPERSON is calling for bad weather again.  This time we could get enough ice to cause us to lose power.  I hate it when they threaten us with talk like that.  Last winter I lost power for 4 days!  It was terrible.  I am praying that it won't happen this time.

The dog statue I have on my front porch isn't feeling so dignified lately.  Oh yeah, I got him some antlers and the headband has this white fluffy stuff.  He is sooooo cute!

looking for journals to read

Today's journal mission was to find some more journals to check out.  Didn't read any of my  favorite journals, just surfed around looking for new ones to read.  Instead of taking the time to read each journal, I made a list of ones that sounded like I might want to spend time reading.  This entry is basically so I won't lose the list, and it is here for you to try if you want.

http://journals.aol.com/alphawoman1/Alphawomansblog/ 

http://journals.aol.com/mlraminiak/ComingtotermswithMiddleAge/

 http://journals.aol.com/ckays1967/myjourneywithMS/

 http://journals.aol.com/yakima127/MyLifeInANutShell/

 http://journals.aol.com/writingbug1/GrowingSpirit/ 

http://journals.aol.com/bluedragoness25/Bluedragonesswritings/

 http://journals.aol.com/jjfgiuffre/CollapsedBrainTestGrounds/ 

http://journals.aol.com/matjen435/DefeatingmypastsothatIcanhaveabe/ 

http://journals.aol.com/wizgem/ALifeWithAMillionSmiles/ 

http://journals.aol.com/psuedosane1980/ManicDigest 

I am not a kid, just not the most mature adult.......

I am at an age that I should be a mature adult.  How mature am I though?  Well..........

     too old to watch cartoons? well....when I get stressed they help to relax me, love that scooby doo.

     not supposed to like "boy band" music....I on a BackStreet Boys CD....hey, their singing isn't bad, great love songs.

 coloring?  well......when my leg was in a cast I got a pack of colored pencils and one of the "images" books.  -- sort of a coloring books for "adults" go here to check them out.

     I even own  (hanging my head here)  two HelloKitty ink pens with (I am blushing here) fuzzy stuff on the tops of them.

As adults are we supposed to give up everything?  I don't think so.  Those of you with children get to indulge your inner child by saying you are doing something for your children.  You aren't the one watching Looney Tunes, it's your kids, it's not that you WANT to color, you are just doing it to keep your child happy (yeah, right).  To those without children, whose children are grown I say INDULGE your inner child from time to time.  If you don't it will die and that would be a horrible thing!

 

 

Can't Please Everyone

 

Today has been gray and rainy -- all day!  Ok, I know it could be worse, so I won't complain.

You can't please everyone at the same time.  Who said that?  Whoever it was is so RIGHT!  My Sunday School class usually has a progressive dinner this time of year.  This year it was decided to just have a dinner at the church.  See, usually the people that want to cook for the progressive dinner live so far apart (different little towns, even in another county) that some won't go.   Eating in the fellowship hall just seemed so easy and natural.  People who normally wouldn't come, will, those that couldn't get baby sitters no problem, because those with teenagers will have them to take care of the little ones in another part of the church.  How perfect could it get?  Well, some don't think it is so perfect!  B was signed up to fix appetizers claims there will be no need for them now and refuses to fix anything.  At first she said we would just have to come to her house to eat them because she wasn't bringing "all that stuff" anywhere. (Gee, she lives in the same block as the church.)  I really believe her husband is so embarrsed at her reaction.  T said his wife was soooo upset that we weren't coming to her house to eat part of the meal.  Wow.  His wife rarely comes to Sunday School (and he not much more) and they are the ones that life in another county.  He said that she gave him a real ear full!  What is it with these people?  A few others complained a little but not near as loudly.  But the benifits are there:  no driving 20 minutes here, 10 there, 15 over there, no need for babysitters, more time to socialize (because you aren't spending half the night in cars), ect.... Guess you can't please everyone!  Ba Humbug!

Over at Unhinged Andrea is asking about Christmas memories.  I have been trying really hard to come up with some.  I just can't seem to remember much.  My brain just doesn't work as good as it used to.  But let me try to come up with something.

When I was 6 or 7 we had one of those aluminum trees.  My mom wasn't so crazy about it, but I liked it.  You couldn't put electric lights on it so it come with this "light wheel" thing that you sat on the floor below the tree, it would slowly turn and different colored lights would reflect on the tree.  I have often wondered what happened to that tree. 

When I was a teenager my family would sit up on Christmas Eve and we would open our presents at midnight.  Why?  So mom could sleep late on Christmas day.  And it wasn't my brother or myself that would wake her up early.  Nope.  Dear old dad was worse than any of us kids were.  He is the one that would get up at the crack of dawn to open presents! 

 

 

I went to the post office today.  Bad idea.  I forgot that people would be mailing Christmas packages!  What a line!  I was mailing a package to my Aunt Betty, but it wasn't for Christmas so I forgot that they would be so busy!  Aunt Betty is sick so I mailed her something to make her feel better.  PJ's with Betty Boop!!

After the post office I went to the used bookstore.  Love that place.  Didn't find what I was looking for (Bentley Little), but still managed to walk out with 4 books.  I noticed that another used bookstore had opened but didn't have the time to stop and check it out.  Can't wait to go back and check it out.

  My Sunday School class is going to do something different this Christmas.  We are still helping needy kids, but this year we thought we should do something for some of our church members that lost love ones this past year.  The first Christmas after losing someone has to be hard so we are trying to come up with some "Thinking of You" cards to send them during Christmas.  I actually think I may have seen some at Hallmark once for just this thing.  So if you know anyone that has lost someone maybe this is something you would like to do.

Here are my "famous" ok, not so famous santa pictures.  The first one is of my Dallas, and if you read my journal you know that I lost Ashley and Lucky this year.  The other cats belong to my parents, they lost Misty last year.  I would have never thought that Lucky or Patches would allow me to not only place the hat on them, but to sit still long enough to get some pictures!

(Why do we say we "lost" a pet?  They are lost at all.  They are gone, but not forgotten. )

I finally figured out that "easy designer" just wasn't going to upload my santa pictures.  I guess it thinks they are too big -- why I don't know, they are regular size.  Any way, I start to add an entry and use the "you've got pictures" option.  Man, I guess the powers that be just don't want you guys to see my pictures!  I got them upload and now I can't get that entry to save!  What the heck is going on?  Maybe 6 pictures is just too many at once.  I'll try something else. 

Will someone please tell me if I am losing my mind?  If you have been reading my journal you know that I had to put my cat Ashley to sleep not to long ago.  Well, there have been a few times that I just KNOW that I have heard her meow.  Now, for the past 3 nights or so I have had dreams about her.  It is really weird.  The dreams are different, but basically I know that Ashley is dead in the dreams, but I still can reach out and pet her and pick her up and love her.  I am losing it right?  It is so weird.....

I was going to show everyone some pictures of my pets (past and present) in their santa caps but I can't get them to upload onto my hometown page.  I get the message that I either have too much space used or they are just having a problem with hometown pages right now.  I KNOW that I haven't used up my space, come on.   I will try again later.  If all else fails their is the "you've got pictures" right?

I am always at a loss as to what to get my parents for Christmas.  Not that they have everything, just most of what I can afford!

 

how to read journals written in too light a color

You know when you have an ah-ha moment?  When a light blub comes on?  I just had one!  And it works!  When surfing other journals sometimes I will come across one that I have trouble reading because of the colors used.  Easy solution!  Take your mouse and hi-light the page like you would if you were going to copy it.  Now you can read the writing!!  Woo-Hoo!!!!!  It doesn't make the fonts any bigger, but the colors change making them easier to read!

Storm's a comin'

Our weather man is calling for some bad weather to start by tomorrow morning.  If he is right we will get a "small" icing on trees.  I am not exactly sure what a small amount of icing is.  I do know that last winter we had an ice storm and I was without power for 4 or 5 days.  Thank goodness for kerosine heaters! 

Did anyone see the new reality show with Paris Hilton?  I hope she was kidding when she asked what a Wal--mart was.  I don't blame her for not helping to de-feather the chickens as I don't believe I could do that either. 

Speaking of Wal-mart, I was talking to this lady today while I was in the store.  We were talking about cats and how some cats you can handle just about any old way -- like the way you can handle them at cat shows.  My mom has a cat that you can't pick up.  When mom got Patches I don't think the cat had ever been handled.  She was still a kitten but not a very friendly one.  You still can't pick her up and she frightens easy.  I can't remember how long mom has had her, but I am guessing at least 10 years or more.

 

try this jounal>>>

and this one about being an emt>>>

 

I got a phone call today from someone I have seen in about 15 years or so.  She called because she needs a charater reference for school.  I haven't seen P in all these years and now she wants a reference? ( I never really knew her that well, she is married to a friend of my brother.)  What in the world can I write?  Just be vaguely polite?

try this journal>>>

and this one>>>>

Christmas reading

There is a terrific book about Christmas that everyone MUST check out.  It is "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham.  Don't worry if John Grisham isn't your type of author.  This is unlike any of his other books.  You will laugh so hard you'll be in tears!

The book is about a couple that decide to skip Christmas.  No Christmas cards, no trees, ect..They will be going on a Christmas cruise to the Caribbean.  Or at least that is what they think.  The more "Christmas" they try to avoid the funnier the book gets.

 

try this journal >>>

try this journal>>>

Humbug

Christmas is almost here.  woo-hoo.  Ok, I am a bit of a scrooge.  I find the Christmas season to be depressing.  I don't know why.  I buy presents, make Christmas cards (funny, I actually enjoy making the cards), I go to Christmas functions at church, ect....But I do get depressed every year at this time. 

Maybe it is because I don't have a family of my own.  Oh, I still have my parents and my brother and his family is around--somewhere, but I still don't have my "Mr. Right."  I used to spend part of Christmas with my best friend M, but when I got sick she only stuck around for so long.  I guess she couldn't hang in there for the long haul. Don't feel sorry for me, I am doing ok, I just have problems with depression like I have told you guys before.

I do make myself get out and be social even if I really don't want to.  I think it is important for me NOT to give in and become a hermit.  That would be so easy to do.

 

 

I love animated pictures, but I still am having problems maybe it's the pictures and not me.  Anyway, here is my attempt to try to get it right.

who looks bad?

After Sunday school this morning I talked to K about tonight's youth's Christmas program.  K is worried that the kids (teenagers) won't be at 100%.  I told her not to worry.  They will be fine.  But she is worried.  According to K, if the kids don't do well it will look bad on her.  And that will look bad on her husband S (S is the youth director).  I told her that just wasn't true.  How could you hold them responsible for teenagers messing up a program? (That would be like telling a parent that they are horrible parents because their kid goes out and robs a place.)  I think K  appreciated me for saying that but I  don't think I convinced her. 

I know you are probably thinking it is still a tad early for the Christmas program, but the month of December is taken up with the little kids program, the adult choir thing, and with Pastor G and his wife renewing their vows next Sunday.   Christmas is so close!

 

when will I die

A few entries ago I wrote about some on-line tests you can take -- for fun I went to Sparks and took the "death test". This is what I was told I could expect:

  

October 23, 2032 at the age of 72 years old.
On that date you will most likely die from: 

Heart Attack (25%) , Cancer (20%),   Suicide 11%),  Homicide (11%),  Horrible Accident (8%),  Alien Abduction (5%)