Monday, December 31, 2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR....I hope the New Year is filled with HAPPINESS, PROSPERITY and LOVE for you and yours.

I also want to THANK YOU all for sharing your lives with me and being here for me while I share mine!!! Your kind words, supportive words, encouraging words, loving words, and words of advice have all helped me through a rollercoaster of 2007.
THANK YOU for trusting me with the tidbits of your life....for allowing me to read about you and yours....looking back at 2007 - it has been a year that so many beautiful people have become angels....so many have had their family members or friends deployed..and some have continued to fight health problems that seem overwhelming...I have truly grown from knowing all of you....you have added such a richness to my life and for that I am forever grateful.

MAY 2008 BE A YEAR OF TOTAL CELEBRATION AND BEAUTY FOR EVERYONE!!!

My Wish for You in 2008

May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words ............

May 2008 be the best year of your life!!! Until 2009, 2010, 2011..
 
See you all in 2008!!!
Remember to HUG those you LOVE....
PEACE

Monday, December 24, 2007

HOLIDAY NEWS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Of course, like everyone else - life has been a bit busy....
All of our shopping was done and over with almost two weeks ago..and this year I even had flowers delivered to my parents and Allen's mom for Christmas.
(They absolutely loved them- yay me for thinking of it - lol)
 
Unfortunately our son (who is stationed in Kentucky) did not come home...
as a matter of fact...he is most likely getting out of the army VERY SOON...he has done his time...and at this point - I do not think the military career is what he strives for...but I believe he is going to stay in Kentucky - and pursue a firefighter's life - then again - who knows.
 
Our son (in Japan) will have to wait on his package...every time one of us turned around - we thought of something else to send him...poor kid...he will not have his package for Christmas but he will be loaded with supplies for at least 6 months..(we seem never to do anything simply) kind of drives us crazy. But he knows it - and the building of anticipation is killing him - but he is used to that from us and is never disappointed...lol
 
We have all our dinner fixins ready to go - we have voted and decided on Turkey again...(because the thanksgiving one was sooooooo good). I cannot wait...Allen will be cooking it up...I just know it will melt in my mouth...yummie!!!
 
We plan on opening gifts in between breakfast and watching old movies like Miracle on 34th street and a Christmas Carol and so on!!! Then the big dinner!
We even bought the dogs a bag of treats to go crazy on tomorrow...only a couple of them play with toys....the rest would appreciate the treats!
 
Now on top of all the running around and trying to get everything done...my daughter informs me at the last minute (before school let out for the holidays) that she needed the pictures and a dedication letter from me for her memory page in the yearbook....(this page costs $275) (geez!!!!!!)
So I had to go through all of my digital photos (hundreds and hundreds-if not thousands) and pick out twelve that she wanted surrounding her and write a dedication letter about whatever I wanted to go in the yearbook...it took me 4 hours of tweaking photos to finally get the pics done and sent to walgreens for instant printing...and after a bit - got my thoughts together to write the letter - here it is...let me know what you think...( I know she loves it!!!):
 
 
 
"I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."
We never knew so much LOVE & JOY could come from having a child.
Your sense of humor and spunk for life and creative thinking amazes us...and your compassion for others makes your heart bigger then most adults we know.
Our pride in you grows daily as does of course our LOVE..if that is at all possible.
You have strong convictions and will fight tooth and nail for your family and friends and those that you care about.
You have a massive soft spot for animals-which shows the depth of your kindness..and you speak your mind no matter what the circumstances or consequences. Showing that you stand strong in your faith and beliefs - that you are a leader and not a follower.
We are very proud to say you are our daughter..and although you are spreading those beautiful wings of yours and going out to claim your life...We wish for you the VERY best of all that life has to offer..
CONGRATULATIONS on your first step to life's opportunities..
Smile always to show kindness to others
Laugh to enjoy the fullness of life
Love to always be filled with unending joy
Dream to strive for the best of everything...
Follow your Dreams - Believe in Yourself - Be You
We Wish You Enough....!!!
We Love You Always -Mom-Dad-Eric-Allen
 
 
 
Well The only thing left to say is this:
From Our Home to Yours...We Wish You A Very Blessed And Beautiful Christmas..May the Reason for the Season - fill your hearts all year long...May true Joy reign and May Love overflow...Enjoy the moments you have with Family and Friends..and May the Memories keep you strong all next year!!!
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!  HUG EVERYONE!!!
Peace--

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

CATCHING UP ON HOLIDAY NEWS

Just a quickie update here.....Have just been on overload lately....have no motivation to keep up here - I have really been concentrating on my art and pushing myself to create....it is a freedom I need right now from all the sickness and depression that I have gone through these past few years...like someone opened the faucet and it is all spilling out - the ideas, the creations, the art, implementing ideas, coming up with finished projects...it is something that I want and need to do right now. Right now I am in the middle of doing a kaleidoscope series...if you want to see my new series and the rest of my creations..please head on over to FINDING MYSELF and check it out for yourself...I would love your opinions on it all...it is easy to leave a comment..or just leave a comment here or email me....I would love to know what you all think of it...be honest...I need that!!!!
WELL - Thanksgiving was so wonderfully PEACEFUL...the perfect holiday. We cooked up big time...the turkey was so juicy it fell right off the bones...OMG - it was glorious...we had garlic and herb mashed potatoes, Hawaiian biscuits, sweet potatoes with syrup and cinnamon and mini marsh mellows, green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy...and of course pumpkin pie and cheesecake for desserts...WE WERE STUFFED...it went so smoothly the cooking and the whole day I could not have asked for a better holiday...and to spend it with Allen and Crystalyn made it perfect. We took pictures of our plates and sent them to our son in Japan who drooled over the pics...too funny....
We finally got the MAIN PRESENT for our son in the mail - so this week all packages are going out...I thought we would have done it by now...but this week Allen has been feeling bad..he hurt the side of his chest when pulling out a starter on the jeep. He will not see a doctor right now - only if it gets worse - so for now he is taking Ibuprofen for it. Also for three days now I have had a WICKED headache...I have no idea why...I do know thatthe weather changed dramatically...one day this week it is in the 80's and then at night it drops down to 40...for Florida that is dramatic...but the cooler air feels so good...maybe with the air pressure changing it has given me a headache...I don't know - I just wish it would go away...I have taken way too many Tylenol and ibuprofens...if anyone has a headache fix..let me know.
I do have to get motivated to send out Christmas cards...I had planned on doing them last weekend...but now I cannot sit long enough to look through for addresses and write lil tidbits to send them out...(though I do have my card list written out - at least I got that far).
So now about Christmas...My son AJ will be home officially on the 14th. I think he is staying for two weeks...two glorious weeks...it will be wonderful because AJ has a magnificent way of making me laugh no matter what is happening or how I feel...I need his humor at home right now. It will be grand to have him around. So I have basically done all my Christmas shopping online...since I am not one to go out a lot...online is my safest bet. I found some GREAT bargains and have been quite pleased that I have been able to buy for everyone and not panic that I cannot find the perfect gift or that I waited until the last minute. So for the last two weeks...packages have been coming in almost everyday..the neighbors are getting suspicious...LOL. The reason I laugh is because a couple in central Florida were getting A LOT of packages sent to them on a weekly basis...both people did not leave the house for jobs...they were always home..(well sounds like Allen and I) (and one of our neighbors asked my daughter - what exactly are all the packages we are always getting)...well that other couple - it turns out, were getting packages of marijuana delivered by UPS and FEDex (they were major drug dealers)...LOL of course those companies did not know that is what was being sent...but now Allen and I keep thinking that our neighbors must wonder how is it that we are always home yet we keep getting packages...LOL - so now every time we get a package...or we see the UPS guy in front of our house...we look at each other and say that our drug connection has arrived...LOL. We know the UPS guy by his first name..and he knows ours...between him and the postman we are one big happy family--LOL!
Well we had to start celebrating Christmas a bit early this year just between Allen, Crystalyn and I because some things I only bought in threes...and I don't want AJ to feel left out - so we already got some gifts that I had ordered...check out the pictures below:
 
 
I collect salt and pepper shakers and teapots so I could not resist these.
 
 
Old age for me, boob cream for Crystalyn - LOL and bald head for Allen - these are just too funny and they love them.
 
 
Perky is mine - dumb people is Allen - Smartass is so Crystalyn - LOL
 
I am waiting to hear from the company I bought the mugs from because if you notice...the blue mug with "I don't do perky" - the paint got on the lettering..like it was a mistake yet still mailed it off...I DON'T THINK SO...so I will see what they say.
Also I still have to call the post office...I received a package from Amazon...it was a substitute mail person who delivered the package...it has two books for me and one for Crystalyn for Christmas...the "nitwit" (I am trying to be kind)..left the box out in the pouring rain (a couple of days ago), so my two soft covered books got ruined but Crystalyn's was fine. When we get packages...all delivery people leave it by the front door...it has a nice size overhang so anything under it is out of the weather...well for some unknown reason - this mail carrier just left it on the ground in front of our parked cars...(what the heck was she thinking?) I am sure that the post office is not going to do anything but I still want to complain. What do you think?
Anyway - we have our little tree by the front door outside...instead of having an inside tree...our dogs are too insane to have a tree inside the house. They have destroyed everything else...and the tree looks cute...as soon as we are done fiddling with it...I will take pics.
Allen bought a canopy....the kind that are not attached to your house...like a big tent without the sides...I love it...it is 11'x13' - I was telling Allen that if I decided to ever get into doing craft fairs that 95% of them suggest bringing your own canopy to use as your booth...keeps the sun off of you and keeps your crafts protected from the weather - well when we looked up prices they start anywhere from $175 dollars up to a couple of $1000. Well Allen went out this past week to pick up some soda (my precious supply ran out) and he came across a little garage type sale that they have here on the side of the road..in grassy areas...(boy you can find some deals sometimes) well it just happened that a man was selling brand new (boxes never opened) canopies that he bought but decided he did not need them....so my hunnie bought me one...yeppers...and guess how much he paid....are you ready for this $25 dollars...that is it...for the largest size that sells for hundreds in the magazine. OMG - how cool is that!!!! I am so excited - he always thinks of me - so we have it set up in front of our house with our fire pit under it along with our chairs..it is so nice in the afternoon - no sun gets in...and it just makes things cozy...he is so funny!!! Again - I will take a picture and show you all...but I am so excited...he said it is so easy to put up and take down so that is a major plus.
 
We hear from Eric every day...he is good...busy busy busy (I don't want to know doing what) but he is enjoying himself so far - less insanity then when he was in Arizona...he is anxious to get his package from us...we keep teasing him about things that might be in it or not....he is just dying (he loves surprises but cannot stand being the one who is on the receiving end - LOL).
Everything else is good...it seems like this month is flying by also - too fast for me...I want to enjoy all the pre-Christmas music and decorations and atmosphere...I don't want it to go by too fast...it is the anticipation of it all that I love...the build up...so slow is good to me!
Well I think I have caught up on all the news that is fit to print at this point...
I hope life is treating you all really well and remember - HUG those you LOVE..time is so short and precious..enjoy every second!!
 
Until Next Time ..... PEACE!!!