THE NEW YEAR IS UPON US!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I realize I have not been around adding any new entries...after Christmas I was truly exhausted. It sounds strange but it is like all the celebrating is over and finally I could relax...and I just did not have the motivation nor the inspiration to write anything. Sometimes I feel like I am just rambling on...I guess that is ok because it is my journal...but I hate sounding dumb.

Anyway...I have been reflecting quiet abit on the past year. It was a year I was not fully prepared for. But in retrospect...a very loving and happy year. Now for the year ahead...I know that many people make new year resolutions...and I usually do...but since my illness has taken over my life even more...and my time is becoming more limited...the only thing I want is to live another year. I want to share the year with my daughter, my boys and my hunnie...I want to live through so many wonderful times that the memories burn into my mind. I want to wake up every morning and see only the positive ahead of me. Those are my resolutions.

I have always been quite fond of Erma Brombeck...I always enjoyed reading her columns and books and listening to her during interviews...she was a very funny and upfront kind of person...and when she was diagnosed with cancer - her bravery and courage really inspired so many others...so my inspirational piece comes from the grand lady herself...it really hits home for me...I hope it brings a tug at your heart for you.

In case I am not able to get back online...I want to wish you and yours...a very very HAPPY NEW YEAR...and may the year be filled with many BEAUTIFUL memories...MUCH LOVE, and JOYOUS PEACE!!!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER
- by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's."
More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it ... live it .and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff.
Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day.   I hope you all have a blessed day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just wanted to wish you and yours a very very MERRY CHRISTMAS...I hope your holiday is filled with many wonderful surprises and much joy...enjoy the LOVE and HUGS!!!

Here is one of my favorite christmas stories that I wanted to share...I was enjoyed it!!!

PEACE!!!

 

 

 

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

By Francis P. Church  (Originally published in The New York Sun in 1897.)

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beautyand joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

SOME STRESS RELIEF

Finally--I think I am feeling a bit of that stress pressure of the holidays ease up. We had a very busy wednesday..Just crazy. My hunnie's family was suppose to come up here to go out to a big dinner and then exchange gifts. Well before I get into that...not only was one car broken down on the side of the road now for 5 days or so....and we had no way of getting it home..then my hunnie decided in his infinite wisdom (geez) to drive my van that had been acting up, to go to work last night...YES you guessed it...the van has a blown motor right now and is STUCK at the prison where he works. I told him not to take the van...NOOOO does he listen to me..?

So we are now leaving cars all over the place and have no way of getting them back to our house. Then the family arrives...I have no gifts for my two nephews..so I am getting more upset because all the plans we made are just sinking quick. My boys came home with my hunnie's mother and sister and her kids. It was WONDERFUL to see my boys...they look fabulous and were a joy to listen to all their stories. I took pics and will post them next time..I have not uploaded them yet.

So the boys and my hunnie ran all over creation to get these two vechicles back to the house....my mother in law was having a bit of a tizzy because she just wanted to go straight to dinner and not have to deal with anything else...well that just aggravated my hunnie...so the mood was not going well. FINALLY all the vechicles arrived and we were off. (3 hours later)

Dinner was GREAT. We ate and ate until we were all over stuffed....great food. My hunnie and our boys had everyone laughing hysterically. It was great and a good time was had by all...including my mother in law.

After dinner we came back to the house and exchanged gifts....that was a blast. We bought our boys tool chests..you know the ones that have all the draws and a cabinet and are on wheels and such...they went crazy they were so happy. BTW...while hun and boys went to get the cars...my sister in law took my daughter to the store (with my credit card) and I told my daughter to splurge on my nephews and let them pick out what they would like. So my nephews thought they hit the jackpot.

So all is well that ended well. So the visiting company stress is gone...and now we will see what happens. Thursday night... we are taking my parents out to dinner for their christmas present. I have never treated my folks out to a fancy dinner and such...so it is our treat...my father is thrilled ...he cannot believe I am picking up the tab. LOL
If you knew my folks you would know that there is NOTHING that they need...as a matter of fact...they are getting ready to take a two week cruise next month..stopping at panama and a few south american countries and then off to mexico and then to California to fly back... so truly they have everything...I think they just want to spend time with family and that is what we are doing. On friday morning they are heading down south to spend christmas with my sister, brother and their families..so that will be a nice treat for everyone.

So now my hunnie and I only have to worry about our daughter...we still have to get her gifts...we already know what we are getting her...it is just a matter of getting to the store and picking it up. My hunnie and I are not exchanging gifts because we wanted to spend our money on our kids...and we are always giving each other things constantly throughout the year...just as long as we are together is good enough for me.

Well I think I have caught you all up...We will see what happens in the next few days...it should be an adventure. ..Here is a lil comic thingie I received and wanted to share:

I don't know why but that cracks me up...LOL
Okay...below is a bit of inspiration that I received also and thought it was great to share....
Have a GREAT thursday!!!!!
PEACE!!!!      

 

Who started Christmas
 
This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours oflooking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.
 
She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of year -- overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every house-warming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.
 
Finally, the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed, she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot."
 
From the back of the car a quiet, calm voice responded, "Don't worry; we already crucified Him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
 
Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole season would be.
 
Share the real meaning of Christmas with your children, your family, and friends.

JUST A THOUGHT

 

 

 

 

 

I really do not have much to say...I am totally stressed by the holidays...I have good reason. I sent my hunnie to picked up some things at a HUGE flea market we have a couple of towns away. They sell mostly new things...I really have never seen used stuff for sale..I love the place...you can find anything and everything there. Anyway..He went right after work. I knew he would be a couple of hours at least...(it is about a 45 minute drive from our house).

Well He called around 1:00 and said he was heading home and got everything we needed from there. However 2:30-3:00 started rolling around and I was getting extremely worried. Just as I was worrying..he called...the car overheated. Now if you have been keeping up with my lil life here...You know that we ALWAYS have trouble with cars. To make a long story short...it took him over 4 hours to get home..and he thinks he blew the engine. NOW I AM WORRIED. So we have no car..and tons of shopping left to do.

He could not go to work last night...no way to get there. It just happens to be our luck...nothing ever goes right with cars. So Now I have no idea what we are going to do...so my stress level has gone above and beyond what I can handle.

Well enough of my problems... I have included a lil pic to bring a smile to everyone's face...I thought it was funny and cute...

You all have a SENSATIONAL sunday.
PEACE!!!

 

ONLY ADDING A BANNER

 

I just wanted to add this banner...as a countdown...if you would like one...go here
COUNTDOWN BANNERS

POSTPONE CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 

Yes...I would like to postpone Christmas right now...Just when I thought we were going to be able to finish up Christmas shopping and getting some things done..My hunnie woke up deathly sick. He has the same stomach virus that I fought for days. He is also running a high fever. So we have to wait until he is feeling better to get moving. Lord...I just need to postpone the holiday for a couple of days...LOL

Well I guess I can work on my crafts and see how far I can get. I do not know if I will be giving these as gifts this year...I do not want to do rush jobs and then feel bad afterwards. I have a few gifts taken care of so that takes some of the stress away.

Well it has been freezing  here for the last couple of days. Believe it or not...it got down to the high 20's low 30's...2 nights in a row. That is just wild for Florida. Well of course..as soon as that happens...tomorrow it should be in the high 70's. The weather scale here can drive you crazy...No wonder so many people are sick...you never know what the weather is going to be like from one day to the next. Then this weekend it is suppose to be COLDER then it got the last two nights...Geezzzz!!! I am going into hibernation.

I did want to mention...that the second package I was waiting for with more trolls in it arrived a day after the first one. My daughter is in Troll heaven...those lil things look freaky to me...but she loves it so that is all that matters.

Well I received an inspirational piece in my email from a friend and I thought I would share it here...I did not want to forget about the men and women who are fighting to protect our country and will not be home for the holidays...

Have a FANTASTIC friday...
PEACE!!!!

 

The Sands of Christmas
I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh, and looked across the table where the bills were piled too high. The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix, My stocks were down another point, the Cowboys lost by six.   And so with only minutes till my son got home from school I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool. The burdens that I carried were about all I could take, and so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.   I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust, No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust. And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh, eight hummers ran a column right behind an M1A.   A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens, Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean. They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight, their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.   Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind, To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again. There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease, They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.   They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see, They didn't need an ornament-- they lacked a Christmas Tree. They didn't have a present even though it was tradition, the only boxes I could see were labled "ammunition."   I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side, He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried. I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near and kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.   There's nothing wrong my little son, for safe we sleep tonight, our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right, to worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all, instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall.   He looked at me as children do and said its always right, to thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write. And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note, to thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:   God Bless You all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home. Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone. The gift you give you share with all, a present every day, You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay.    

  "...this is an open and grateful tribute to the men and women who serve every day to keep our nation safe."

HOLIDAYS BLAHS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know I have not been around....Just when I thought I would get things done I woke up about 6 days ago sick to my stomach...that lasted for 5 days.... today is the first day I can actually eat something. That was the worst virus I have ever been through...I would much rather have the flu instead of whatever it was I went through. It felt worse to even sit at the puter for any length of time... Thank God I can see the light at the end of this tunnel.

I have really nothing new to write about because I have been in bed for days...even to get up made me sick. Well I have a bit of inspiration to share with you all just to stay on the positive side here...

I do hope that you all are filled with the spirit of the season and that all things are coming together for you all. Hopefully I will be back to a full swing of things soon..in the meantime...Have a TERRIFIC tuesday!!!

PEACE!!!

 

Are you a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?


People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a
lifetime.  When you figure out which one it is, you will know
what to do for each person.

REASON:

When someone is in your life for a REASON. . .
It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.  They have come
to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance
and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are!  They are there for
the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an
inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring
the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.
Sometimes theywalk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered.

And now it is time to move on.

SEASON:

When people come into your life for a SEASON it is because your
turn has come to share, grow, or learn.  They bring you an
experience of peace or make you laugh.  They may teach you
something you have never done.  They usually give you an
unbelievable amount of joy.  Believe it!  It is real!

But, only for a season.


LIFETIME:

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you
must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what
you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of
your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

Stop here and just SMILE.

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
And dance like no one is watching.


~Author Unknown~

TIME MOVING TOO FAST

 

 

 

 

Time is just moving too quick for me...I am trying to play catch up but that ain't happening right now..I came down with a stomach virus that started late last night and a fever to go with it...I still am hurting but..I wanted to check in with one and all to say hi..and spread a lil christmas cheer. 

The only GREAT thing that has happened is that a package I have been waiting for showed up finally today. It has 13 large trolls in it. These are the soft body trolls from the Russ company. They stand about a foot tall each..and have the cutest outfits. I ordered them for my daughter...she just about flipped out when she saw them when she got home from school. My daughter has collected trolls since she could recognize what they were around the age of 2..(believe it or not) she saw them in the store and wanted one...well one lead to two and so on and so forth and history was made...she must have about 150 trolls in her collection. The smallest are on a pair of earrings that are about 1/4 of an inch...to the largest which is a bed pillow and that is about 3 1/2 feet. She LOVES trolls...so I thought since we have not found any in quite a long time...and I found them online...I would get them for her. I am still expecting another box of trolls for her but different types.

Okay.....I admit it fully....I spoil the child rotten...but she does so much for others...never THINKS of herself...so I have to think for her in that respect.

 

Below is a lil type of poem that I hope you all enjoy... I have had it for a long time...and still enjoy reading it. Have a GREAT thursday!!!!

The ABC's of Christmas

A is for Angel, on top of the tree,
B is for Bell, ringing merrily.
C is for Candy, a real Christmas treat,
D is for Decorations, that can't be beat.
E is for Elf, who helps Santa, it's true,
F is for Fun, and Festive too!
G is for God, who sent down His Son,
H is for Home, where our fun's just begun!
I is for Icicle, hanging from the roof,
J is for Joy, and that is the truth.
K is for Kris Kringle, who comes on Christmas eve,
L is for Love, in this we believe.
M is for Manger, where the Christ child lay,
N is for Noel, we sing on Christmas Day.
O is for O Holy Night, when Jesus was born,
P is for Peace, for all on Christmas Morn.
Q is for Quest, of the Wisemen that night,
R is for Rudolph, whose nose is so bright!
S is for Snow, which falls to the ground,
T is for Tree, where gifts can be found.
U is for Unselfish, which is what we should be,
V is for Visit, from Santa, to you and me.
W is for World, let peace be found here,
X is "X"cited, as Christmas draws near.
Y is for Yuletide, being happy and gay, and,
Z is for Zoom, as Santa flies away!


So here are the ABC's of Christmas for you,
I hope you enjy them the whole year through!

 

PEACE!!!

WOW--MONDAY ALREADY!!!

 

 

 

 

 

I really do not have anything to write about. I have been taking the meds that I just got refilled and my body is still trying to readjust..they make me very tired. So I am just taking things one step at a time.

Just as a side note: When my daughter first started this new high school..that first week, her English teacher asked the class if they would like to sponsor a child for Christmas. Well my daughter's hand went up in the air faster then the teacher could blink...the sad part is that my daughter was the only one. The teacher took that as a vote from the class that no one was interested and left it at that...

My daughter went up to her after class and told her how upset she was that they class is not going to get involved. Well my daughter apparently tore the teacher's heart up after her lil speech and the teacher said that her and my daughter can adopt a lil kid and they will spoil them. So they got a 4 year old girl. Now there has got to be a space about 5 feet by 5 feet and piled hip high on all the stuff the lil girl is getting. My daughter is so thrilled. I am so proud of her for sticking to her guns and sticking up for what she believes..that kid has such a heart...I am so blessed.

So of course she spent her hard earned money and bought this lil girl whatever she thought of. WOW...I do not think I was ever like that. She is such her own person. My boys were not like that either.

Well I just thought I would share that bit of news...tomorrow they get to wrap all the gifts for the lil girl so we are fishing out all of my christmas wrapping paper. I hope you all have a MARVELOUS monday..

PEACE!!!

TIME MOVING TOO QUICK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me it seems like time is just flying by way too fast. I cannot seem to get myself organize enough to finish one project.  But on the brighter side- I have actually woken up without the joints hurting so much. It feels like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders...what a wonderful start to another day. I think I can actually sit at my puter today and get some projects done because I need to catch up now.

Unfortunately my daughter has caught the nasty flu going around. My heart goes out to her...she is trying to get some more school projects done and between her coughing and sore throat and being so tired...she cannot get it together.

I definitely need to do my cards this weekend...Otherwise those will never get done at the pace I am going. I am making my own this year. Should be interesting what I come up with I think. Believe it or not...the weather has cooled abit in the lovely sunshine state. I can't believe I actually had to wrap in a comforter for the entire night..that was a nice relief. I sleep better in cooler weather for some reason.

I have been sitting here trying to figure out what else to write about...today I just cannot seem to get the words together. I am drawing a complete blank. So I found this cute story which of course involves the sunshine state ever so slightly..so I thought I would share it...the message behind it is so very true and should be an eye opener for some people.

A Language of Their Own                                    Story Editor:
by Aliza Garofalo                                       Joyce Schowalter
New York, USA

My 8-year-old daughter Briana and I try to visit my mother in Florida
every summer for at least a week -- even though it's hotter there than
where we live in New York. That's where we were in August of 2004.

My mom's condo has a huge pool framed with palm trees on the
Intracoastal waterway, so of course there are always a few children
splashing around in it. Briana always looks forward to making new
friends down at the pool while we are there.

The first day we were there, Briana and I walked to the pool hand in
hand. I picked a lounge chair that had a full view of the pool and sat
myself down to read a magazine and sun myself. I watched out of the
corner of my eye as Briana, an excellent swimmer, swam around by
herself.

Then at one point, I looked up and saw her gesturing to another little
girl around her age. As they played together in the pool, diving under
the water and laughing, I saw them gesturing to each other again and
again. I assumed the girl was deaf.

Soon the girl offered a bag of potato chips for Briana to share.  Briana
then motioned to her to follow her to the drinking fountain. The whole
afternoon was spent with the two girls gesturing and laughing together.

Even though other families had come to the pool with children near 8
years of age, the other kids had all stayed in the shallow end. Because
Briana's new friend was also a very good swimmer, they were able to swim
together from one end of the pool to the other.

I smiled to myself that my daughter always found it so easy to make
friends, no matter where we were or what the circumstances. They played
with each other and with the girl's brother all afternoon in the hot
Florida sun.

When the sun began to set families began to leave the pool area. As we
got ready to go and Briana was drying off, I asked her if the girl was,
in fact, deaf. She replied "No," the girl was on vacation from Russia
and didn't speak any English.

The two girls played together the whole week we were there, laughing and
gesturing and making themselves understood. I was so proud of my
daughter, and thought how the world of adults might imitate their
example. Instead of letting a little thing like language keep them from
making a friend, Briana and this girl enjoyed a week together by making
up a "language" they could both understand.  

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC weekend...snuggle up to someone you LOVE....
PEACE!!!!

IS IT FRIDAY YET???

HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE!!!

To me it seems like the months have just flown by this year. I have no idea where all the days went...sometimes it seems like a blur. Anyway... I had my usual doctor's appointment with the psychiatrist today...BOY he was a very upset person. You know that the man is getting paid BIG BUCKS for his time...but with me he must be making a fortune. First I have not been to see him in a couple of months...First I have had no desire and secondly I felt like I was wasting my time. Well that did not go over smoothly with the doc. He expressed his annoyance and said something about starting over the medication therapy because there is not enough in my system...so for the next couple of weeks maybe a month...I will be doopy me. He saw me for a whole 1 minute.... I think the man got paid $185.00 for that minute.... personally I think he is ripping off the state (because they have to pay for it) but that is crazy.

Anyway...I found myself needing to go because I was tired of feeling edgie and unable to just really relax and deal with things. So hopefully I am back on the road to God only knows what...LOL

Well...the gosh darn meds give me a headache so that is where I am now...BEFORE I FORGET....I wanted to THANK all of you who stop by and read my journal whether or not you leave comments...I really appreciate it. You all are my sounding board and I thank you for your kindness.

Just as a side note...my daughter finally finished the history book she had to do on ancient rome... that kid poured her heart and soul into it and it shows through...it really is EXCELLENT...I am quite impressed. Well I am off to get rid of the headache... it is not too bad but I want to cut it off before it gets that way. I hope you all have an AWESOME tomorrow!!!

PEACE!!!!!