Tuesday, December 30, 2008

It is almost time to say good-bye

to the year 2008 ~ and welcome in the year of 2009.
I don't know about anyone else, but I can certainly say that I am curious as to what 2009 will have in store for each and everyone of us.
May 2009 hold a special gift for you; and may that gift be one that is not materialistic, but from the heart. May you be embraced in peace, love, happiness and joy. May good fortune and good health be your constant companions.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Dear Family and friends, and fellow bloggers ...






May this Christmas be your best Christmas ever. May you be surrounded by happiness and laughter, warmth and love, good health and good cheer. May you be blesses with good health and good fortune. May the spirit of Christmas fill your heart with a gladness that lasts the whole year long.
Merry Christmas from our house to yours.



Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Manda got her license today!
I am happy, scared and excited all at the same time.

Congratulations Manda Bear!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

God Bless our Soldiers

This morning on my way to work, I decided to tune into KNCI; my favorite local country station for the morning traffic and news. As I was listening to their broadcast, I heard them recite the following poem which brought tears to my eyes.

A Soldiers Poem...

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
THEY LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT,"



This poem is a reworked version from the original which was written by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt stationed in Washington DC in 1986.

Throughout the years a request has been added to theses words.

Please share these heart warming words with your friends. The Christmas season is here and a great deal of credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Thank You and Merry Christmas.
Proud to have been able to serve.
Mike Meehan ETCM(SS), USNR (Retired)
12-24-2003

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I am a slave

.... to my cell phone. Yes, I am one of "those" annoying people who takes her cell phone everywhere, and relies on it for everything. However, I do have strict set of rules and manners that apply to public cell phone use. I know that no one else needs, wants or cares to share in my cell phone conversations, or text messages. Oh, I love texting!


I don't have a fancy, totally up to the moment, best of the best technology cell phone. I have a cell phone that is nice. It is not the perfect cell phone, but it does satisfy my needs. Except I can not assign personal ring tones to incoming text messages, and that annoys me. I am a customized ring tone addict. Donny Osmond, LeeAnn Rhymes, Sugarland, Reba, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Rehab and many more artists make my phone sound like a concert of happiness.


My cell phone has become an extension of me. I use my cell phone as my alarm clock, I set calendar reminders in it and use the tip calculator when out to dinner. I use the note pad to make grocery lists, keep track of Manda's dance numbers at recitals and other random reminders. I load music onto my cell phone and use it instead of an additional MP3 player. And,


My contact list is huge.

It is not that I "know" and talk to a lot of people, but I use my cell phone as my phone book. Every person I do know is listed in my cell phone. My daughters friend's numbers, along with all my co-worker's, and many of my husband's co- worker's numbers are in my contact list. I assign groups to all my contacts: Family, Friends, Manda's Friends, Dance, Co-Workers, School Contacts, Medical, Retail, Misc. If I have to contact 411 to get a number, I save that number to my cell also.

I am on my third blue tooth. My first and very favorite one apparently became a cat toy. Harley got it one night, and nearly two years later ~ he refuses to tell us where he batted it around to. He probably thought it was one of his stuffed mice.

I don't like the blue tooth stuck in my ear, but CA law requires it while driving, and I do like the extra added benefit of having my hands free even at home when I am working around the house or enjoying my craft room. I don't have to wear my bluetooth in Manda's car, it has the Sync system powered by Microsoft and, until she gets her license, I have been driving her sweet ride more than my own wonderful crossover.

Why is it that the teenager ended up with a better car than Mom and Dad??
Don't answer that one. Please.

Monday, December 15, 2008

My Christmas cards are made!

Oh yeah! I am so excited. I spent the entire weekend making Christmas cards - at whopping 65 of them to be exact. Luckily, I still had about 20 cards I made last year which I can use this year, because making nearly 100 cards this weekend would have been insane.

Tonight I can address and stamp all the envelopes and then tomorrow I can mail them all. If I can remember, I will have the cards scanned and add pictures of them to this post later.

Then on Wednesday night, I have to start baking .... never got to that this weekend.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Christmas Carols

I couldn't resist posting a lil Christmas cheer. One of the best things about Christmas is the music. There are a great number of talented artists who have recorded / performed Christmas songs. Here are two I thought would warm up the morning:



Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Stephenie Meyer

is a wonderful author. And, I have to say a BIG "Thank you!" to my daughter, Amanda. It is her fault completely that I am now a big fan of Stephanie Meyer.


Thank you Amanda!


Manda started reading the "Twilight" series last year on the recommendation of her freshman english teacher. Manda was hooked instantly, but I had no interest in the series. A human, a vampire and a wolf .... yeah - okay .... I'll pass.


But then, "TWILIGHT" was due to be released in the theaters, and of course, Manda wanted to see it. I felt compelled to read the book at that point. I read about 1/2 of the book before the movie came out. We went to the movie the day after it was released, and after seeing this wonderful story on the big screen I was completely hooked and finished the rest of "TWILIGHT" before the weekend was over.



By Thanksgiving I had read all four books in the series.


Check out Stephenie Meyer's web site for information on the wonderful author, her books and other projects.

I love Christmas music

and have been listening to my FAVORITE cd for several weeks now!

(Yes, even BEFORE Thanksgiving.)

I have multiple copies of Donny Osmond's "CHRISTMAS AT HOME" so that I can listen to it in my car(s), at home, in the craft room, and at work.

The year it was released (1997) it was my gift of choice to my friends and family. I think I must have bought 30 copies of the cd. I remember haunting all of the Target's in our area, and trying to buy just about every copy they had. It was fun and so very worth it.

Track Listing **

Track /Title
1 Angels We Have Heard On High
2 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
3 I've Been Looking For Christmas
4 After December Slips Away
5 he Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
6 Baby, What You Goin' To Be
7 Deck The Halls / Hark The Herald Angels Sing
8 I'll Be Home For Christmas
9 Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas
10 O Holy Night / Divine
11 Soldier's King
12 The Kid In Me
13 My Grown-Up Christmas List
14 Mary Did You Know?
15 Come To The Manger


I enjoy all the tracks on "CHRISTMAS AT HOME" and my personal favorite changes from day to day. But two tracks are always my favorite: "Soldier's King" and "Mary Did You Know?"
** track listing courtesy of donny.com

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Puppy Love, Soldier of Love, Enduring Entertainer

or is that "endearing entertainer?"



As I logged into Comcast to check my email this http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-celebbirthdays1209/5/
caught my eye.

I couln't help but smile. Go on ~~~ click on it.

Yeah, that is what brought the smile to my face .....

Happy 51st Birthday Donny Osmond!

(I guess if he is in his 50's, it is time for me to admit that I am no longer in my teens!)

Sunday, December 7, 2008

I really do not like being sick

Russ was ill with the flu after Thanksgiving. I thought Manda and I would avoid it, but we did not. Both Manda and I started feeling yucky around Tuesday afternoon. Manda started feeling super cruddy Wednesday evening, and by 9 that evening, she was full on sick.

By Thursday Morning I felt almost as horrible as Manda - my whole body ached everywhere, I was nauseated, and food sounded horrible. Manda went to school, but came home after 1st period. We both spent the rest of the day between the restroom and trying to sleep. Notice I said trying because there was not much sleep that could happen as restroom trips were the main activity of the day.

Friday was better for Manda, and worse for me. Although she still could not think about food with out wanting to heave, Manda was able to go back to school. On the other hand, I was so dizzy it hurt to focus. Food was not an option. Sleep was a necessity that had been severely lacking.

Saturday was marginally better - the dizziness was mild, and food was started to be an option, as long as it was bland. I had sent Russ to the store on Friday to get all the ingredients for a roasted turkey and mashed potatoes - nutritious, not too heavy and bland enough that we'd be able to eat it.

Today was better and thankfully I was able to actually leave the house. Manda had a Christmas dance recital. Then we came home so she could catch up on homework.

I am still cautious around food, and feel like I have recently been ran over by a Smart Car, but I can tell I am on the road to recovery.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008