Happy New Year!!

The last day of the year is upon us and 2008 is rolling in.  How fast will this new year go? 

We celebrated our 24th anniversary.  Actually went to dinner last night in Reno.  Had a great Italian dinner.  Today, we’ve pretty much vegged.  I finished the book I started the other day.  It finally picked up and kept my interest until the very end.

Even though New Year’s Eve is our anniversary, we always celebrate it on the 30th.  Hubby usually has to work New Year’s Eve for either one of his jobs, however, this year he’s staying home.  So we have our sparkling cider to toast the new year in, that is if we make it until midnight.  He’s dozing on the couch now.

So to all, I wish you a very safe and Happy New Year!  May your dreams and wishes be fulfilled in 2008.

Stay safe!

What are you reading?

My daughter sent me a link for Good Reads.  I was surprised at the amount of books I have on my to read list.   It actually gave me the motive to finally finish the book, Tender Traveling Mercies, that I’ve been carrying around in my purse.  So, now I’ve started another book.  It hasn’t gripped me yet.  I’m hoping by the 2nd chapter I’ll be hooked. 

I’m watching Laws of Attraction.  What they have shown of Ireland is so beautiful.  What are some of the places you would like to visit?  We’d like to visit Ireland.  The only problem is my hubby would want to drive there … lol … he doesn’t like the airport nazis.  I would also like to visit the Holy Land.  How great would that be?

How did you do that?

Christmas day was fun, however, it turned bloody.  Hubby, who NEVER cuts himself with his knife, did.  He managed to slice a big chunk off of his fingertip.   You know, the area that is your fingerprints.   It would have been okay if he had cut it straight on, but it wasn’t and the wound wouldn’t stop bleeding.  Did I hear some of you say, hospital?  Urgent Care?  LOL, nope, he wouldn’t go.  So we stuffed the wound with gauze, pasted it with bandaids and went to dinner.  After dinner we went to the movies, then home, since we were tired.

Two days later, …yes, I did say two days later, which would be today, he finally goes to the doc.  Unfortunately, due to the direction of the cut, there wasn’t anything they can do, except what we did.  However, they did have this amazing clotting gauze thing (don’t ya like my medical term?) and stuffed it in the wound, then wrapped it with tube gauze.  He has to leave it on for 2 days.   So how did he cut his finger?  He was talking on the cell phone and trying to open a box of chocolate covered caramel macadamia nut candies.  Not paying attention and using his NON dominate hand he sliced right through the plastic and his finger.  Of course, me being the loving sympathetic wife … I rolled my eyes and asked, “How did you do that?!”  Oh well, it wouldn’t be a Holiday if something didn’t happen.

My daughter and son-in-law told us a funny story about our grand-daughter.  My sisters used to sing.  Our little princess was looking at the scrapbooks and told my daughter that she had heard my sisters sing.  That they were really good and they have a CD at Target.  They proceded to tell her that we don’t have a CD out and there’s no way there would be one at Target.  So one day, they were in Target and she goes to the music section and pulls out the CD.  Now mind you, the pics in the scrapbook were of 3 ladies with short brown hair.  The CD she brings to her dad is a mix of music from the 60’s, etc. , the group was the Supremes.   Her dad laughed so hard and had to tell her that wasn’t her aunts.  She just made the connection by the haircut and the 3 singers.  Out of the mouths of babes.  I love it!

I’m Back

How was everyone’s Christmas.  Ours was good.  It’s always good when you can be with family.  Although, I feel like I gained 20 pounds and that was just in the car driving both ways!!

I was able to spend Christmas Eve morning hanging out with my daughter and sister.  We arrived nice and early and wandered through a couple of malls.  After that we had lunch at California Pizza.  Yummy stuff!  That evening there was a big gathering at one of my nephew’s house with lots of food! 

Christmas morning hubby and I were at our daughter’s house at 7am to open gifts.  It was so much fun watching our grand-daughter open her gifts.  Our daughter and son-in-law were given a Guitar game for their Wii, from her dad (not my hubby).  That was so much fun!  Although, my son-in-law doesn’t like me anymore.  I played the guitar game for the first time and got an 82%.  I may have to get a Wii and this game, so I can practice.  I’m sure there will be a rematch in the future!

My daughter and I are restarting our weight loss competition in January.  I told her I’d start going to the gym if she does.  LOL, I guess I had better get my gym membership paid up! 

Well, you all have a good night, I’m going to crash!

Merry Christmas

The time is almost upon us.  Tomorrow morning I sing in the choir, then we are off to Vegas for Christmas.

Of course, it is past midnight and I am still up trying to get laundry done and packed.  I’m not sure how my voice will be sounding tomorrow.

If you are traveling, I hope you travel safe to enjoy your friends and family.   I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I’ll talk to ya’ll next week.

Another Act of Kindness

On K-Love’s News page, another Starbucks story, this time in Washington.  How cool is that?

Holiday Spirit

A few posts ago, I mentioned that the Holiday Spirit had not arrived.  I figured out this reason the other day as I started my Christmas Shopping.  Yeah, I know, Christmas is less than a week away and I have not started.  However, is it me or do you all feel like Christmas has become a hustle and bustle of things: objects, decorations, finding the perfect gift, running from store to store to find that one item that will make the gift receiver so thankful to receive.

I literally got disgusted the other night as I wandered around the few stores I went to.  I found a few things for my grandchildren, however, I lost all desire to look anymore.  As I stood in the middle of the store, I heard children screaming how they want this toy or that toy.  Adults getting angry with their kids because they weren’t behaving.  I cannot count how many times I was almost ran down by a shopping cart. 

People, is this really what Christmas is all about?  I actually was feeling like Charlie Brown!  When did we lose focus?  When did it become such a commercial influenced industry?  What happened to the Goodwill toward men?  What happened to showing love and compassion for one another?  What happened to the focus of God’s precious gift of his son, our Lord and Savior? 

I don’t even want to give store bought gifts to my grandchildren.  The thought just sickens me!  What are we teaching them if we give them everything on their list?  So, what are my children and grandchildren getting?  I have no idea.  It won’t be what is expected. 

Taking a que from Bill Howdle  I am going to ask that each and everyone one of you, from now through the end of the year, do a random act of kindness to someone in need or someone not expecting it.  Bill has a great post on Earth Angels , a wonderful story about the kindness of strangers.  It demonstrates a great way to be part of the Magic of Christmas.

Here’s another way to be part of the Magic, this Starbucks  story is good.  How difficult would that be?  You can even do it at McDonalds or any other drive-in fast food place.  Can you imagine how good you will feel in your heart?

I’ve decided to do something different for my work.  It won’t be store bought gifts.

I hope you all will try it once.  If you find that it warms your heart, don’t stop.  The Magic of Christmas can last all year long.

Reality TV

Today, I found the Reality TV Channel.  BIG MISTAKE!!  I have my usual channels I watch, but I started surfing this morning and I landed on this channel.  What was on that caught my eye?  “Beauty and the Geek”  I didn’t realize there really was a show titled that.  Eight women and eight men, one of each is teamed up for the whole season.  What I like about this is that both women and men are thrown into a situation that is so out of their normal lives and they have to sink or swim.  

The fun thing about this channel is that it’s reality revealed – so you get to hear the host and producer’s comments … pretty funny!

I was able to catch it at the very beginning when they just started.  The evening, after the first challenge, they were given a chance to leave for a price.  So each team was able to discuss it and make a decision if they were going to quit.  The host pointed out to them that if they stay they would learn so much from each other and grow as a person.  Of course, then he waived $20,000.00 in front of them.  The couple that was really thinking about bailing, actually decided to stay. 

It is sad that not all of these women were applying themselves.  They had study material to help them during the challenges and instead of studying it themselves, they let their team mate condense it for them, while they hang out at the pool.  Not to get into the age long debate of blonds vs brunettes, however, the two that were studying were the brunettes.  Granted one of the blonds won the challenge, however, it wasn’t one that thought they could get by with their looks. 

Watching the guys stand in front of an easel when the model drops her robe was pretty funny.  The whole time they were drawing, the model was talking away.  It dawned on one of the guys that she’s talking alot and he probably should be listening.  Sure enough, the challenge was to hear what the model was saying even though she was naked.   

Then I realized, I married a geek (I should say in the smart sense) …LOL … no I am not a beauty!  However, my hubby has the intelligence of these guys.  He’s real modest about what he knows, but like the one guy, he does listen.  He also has the heart of the one guy that was listening.  Was I what he was looking for?  No, I wasn’t.  Did we have alot in common, yes and no.  Did we enjoy the same hobbies?  Not until he showed me what he enjoyed … shooting, wandering in the desert, etc.  Did I have any of these experiences before?  No, I had no idea.  Was he what I was looking for?  I don’t know.  There was an attraction that grew into something more. 

Granted we’ve been through our struggles.  Would I have been better off not knowing him?  Well, in the words of Garth Brooks, “… I would have missed the dance.” 

When you have a specific person in mind for your significant other, you end up limiting your choices of people and missing out on the one that could really exceed your expectations.  This song says it best:   She’s More – Andy Griggs

I love hearing Christmas songs

While driving to work, I heard this song on K-Love

Happy Birthday, Jesus – The Brooklyn Tabernacle Kids Choir

It reminded me of my grand-daughter.  Her mom was telling me a story about our grand-daughter wanting to visit Jesus and asked if you could get to Heaven in a plane to visit Him.  So when I heard this song, I just pictured our little Sweet Pea.

Then I heard this song – Christmas makes me cry – Mandisa & Matthew West

Such powerful lyrics. 

I had choir practice tonight.  We are rehearsing for the Christmas Weekend Services.  NewSong (Adult choir) is being joined by the Children’s, Junior High and High School Choir.  The young’ins were very well behaved.  The adults … LOL … well, not so much!  It is going to be so much fun to sing 4 services with all the choirs on stage.  Hopefully, the adults will know the songs by the 22nd. 

Since hubby isn’t going to get the week off, we decided to go to Vegas for Christmas to visit family and bring our dog on the trip.   We aren’t sure if we will get to the ocean, but then again, you never know.

I will leave you with these thoughts:  Todd Agnew – Did you know?

You’ve lost that Holiday Spirit …

These words to the music of You’ve lost that loving feeling, keep going round robin in my head.  Have I really lost the Holiday Spirit?  I don’t think so, it just hasn’t arrived yet.  Geek Hiker has a really nice tree on his blogsite AND he’s trying out WordPress’ holiday presentation.  I forgot to tell you, GH, that it took me by surprise, but it looks good and I’ve gotten used to it.  I can’t bear to get rid of the beach … warm, sandy beach … *sigh* maybe next year.

I’m not sure we are going away for the week between Christmas and New Year.  Turns out hubby may have to work, because, God forbid, the other person has to cover for him.  Never mind that he has covered for her through her yearly weeks off along with her volleyball games and leaving to visit her daughter in college, etc … bitter?  No, I’m not bitter, maybe just a little pissed off!!  But, not bitter.   ARGH!!

Maybe GH is right, I should get a string of lights … it may help lighten my mood around here and get me in the Christmas Spirit.

Two years ago, hubby had back surgery.  He is still in pain and recently the pain has increased.  Thinking that the next vertebra up was losing it’s disc and another surgery was going to be required, he went to his surgeon for a check up.  Thankfully all is okay there.  So, what is up with the pain.  Our doctor told us that since it isn’t in anything the surgeon can fix, it is probably in the soft tissue and the next step is an epidural in his back. 

Well, yesterday was his appointment at the radiologist to have this procedure.  What we found out is sometime in the past his tail bone was broken.  In addition to this there is alot of scar tissue, which made it extremely difficult for them to reach the spot in his back for the injection of steroids to help eliminate the pain.  Two rooms and four pain numbing shots later, they finally were able to reach the spot with a very large needle.  Let’s just say they had to access the spot, below his tail bone.  Can you say … eeeooooowwwww!!   Poor guy, he’s hurting today, however, the normal back pain isn’t as bad.  We aren’t sure if it is because the other pain is now greater.  Hopefully in the next couple of days we will know for sure.  You will hear us shout for joy if it really did work!

I turn 49 tomorrow (12th)  How wierd is that?  Someone had called turning 49 as “the 20th anniversary of her 29th birthday”  Yeah, I like the sound of that way better than 49.  LOL … I really can’t wait to turn 50 though.  AARP … here I come!  I think next year, since we both turn 50 and it is our 25th anniversary, we just need to party all year long!  Well, okay starting May 20th, which is when hubby turns 50, then we can party everyday for the rest of the year!  Dang, too bad we can’t drink anymore … can’t drink any less … LOL … no, we can’t drink at all.  Too many medications for our high mileage bodies!  However, the doc has given us both some really good drugs!  LMAO, I crack myself up.  I have to since no one else laughs at my jokes!   Yikes, it just dawned on me, next year I’ll be half a century old … LOL … but then again, so will the rest of the people I went to school with.  So I’m not the lone rangette!!

I may go out and get those lights … I’m getting awful cheerful … no, not that cheerful … I’m not ready to put up the tree and all … plus the fact that I’d have to take it down later.  Yes, I am lazy.  Actually it is more unmotivated than lazy.   I tell you what, if the Holiday Spirit finally arrives, I will take pictures.  LOL, keep in mind, I never said they’d be pictures of my house! 

Nighty night y’all.