Merry Christmas to All

May we remember the real meaning of Christmas

The birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

I am searching for my Norman Rockwell Christmas

I have spent my entire adult life searching for a Norman Rockwell Christmas.

And I have never found it.

I want everything to be perfect.

I want a huge, real pine tree. Decorated with perfect lights.

Garland perfectly wrapped around and around.

Perfect Christmas ornaments hung perfectly spaced.

Perfectly wrapped presents with perfect ribbon and bows.

The smells of Christmas waft through the house.

Cinnamon, wassail, pine and cookies.

Perfectly dressed children sitting patiently under the tree waiting

to take turns unwrapping those perfectly wrapped gifts.

Then they scream and oh and ah that it is the perfect present.

"Just what I wanted"

Then the family gathers around the piano and sings Christmas Carols

while the snow falls outside. And the stars twinkle.

And the carolers sing.

And everyone is happy.

And in the oven is baking the perfect turkey.

To be served with all the perfect side dishes.

And everyone is happy.

But....

that has never, ever happened at my house.

In fact one year my son so aptly pointed out

"Mom, we don't even own a piano."

So I am not looking anymore.

Cause my artificial tree with a string of lights that don't work

is perfect.

And the presents that are unevenly wrapped and have no ribbons and bow

are perfect.

And the kids that will sit under our tree, while not perfect,

are happy.

And they will oh and ah and be happy with what they get.

And hopefully there won't be any snow.

And we are having ham and not turkey.

And I might try to make some wassail.

How hard can that be.

Because I know that this is the reason

We celebrate Christmas.

Linking up with Imparting Grace

What if I won the lottery?

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won the lottery? I mean after you get finished jumping up and down and screaming! After you are done calling everyone you know to tell them "I won the lottery"! (that might not be a great idea, come to think of it). But what would you do with all that money. I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about it. And I don't even play the lottery. So here goes my list of what I would do if I won the lottery. A substantial lottery that is. Not a simple million that I would only end up with a few thousand after taxes, mind you. But big bucks.

• First, I would take a little vacation to someplace warm. Some place with white sand and warm waters and ocean breezes. Some place I can lay in the sun, not think about anything important, or worry about anyone. Some place that I can take, oh say 7 or 8 of those I worry about with me. And we will stay there for a good two or three weeks. Doing nothing but enjoying the sun, the sea, and the sand.

• Now I am back home and refreshed and ready to spend some money. What would I do next. Look for a new house. Nope. I am happy with the house that I have. But it does need a new roof. Really bad. My husband put this wood roof on our house all by himself (with the help of two young sons) 25 years ago. It is old and it needs replaced. So up goes a new roof. No wood shingles here this time. Just plain old roofing shingles. I don't need anything fancy.

• I might need to think about a new car though. We have a perfectly good car now. Well it will be when I get some work done on it in early 2012. And it does have that small oil leak. And almost 100,000 miles. But it serves me well. What the heck, I have won the lottery. I will get a new car.

• Now is the time that I best put some of this huge amount of money away to send a couple of grand kids to college. The two who live with us will need some financial assist with their education. So I will open up a couple of college funds.

• We have a pretty awesome church that has supported us in the recent times of trouble. So I will write a nice check to them too. Thank you First Church of the Nazarene.

• Now I am thinking there is a considerable amount of money left to spend. After all, I have won the lottery in my imagination, so I can spend as much as I want before I run out. I will call up the dentist office and schedule an appointment for Papa and me and we will get our teeth all fixed up. I have really let mine go; not only for financial reasons, but I have a huge fear of pain. But with this kind of money I can afford the best so I will just be put to sleep and get all my teeth fixed. I cannot imagine what it will be like to have a whole mouth of teeth. And Papa needs a new set of bottom dentures. Might as well get new top ones too!

• Now I am thinking that anyone who wins the lottery ought to spend some of that on plastic surgery. Not me! But I would like some laser treatments to get rid of the brown spots on my face and my hands. That's all. No lifts or tucks here. No Botox. No augmentations. After all, I am a 60 year old woman and I am happy with where I am in life. I would like fewer brown spots. That's all.
• New clothes for the whole family. New underwear and socks. Shoes, boots, sandals. Coats and sweaters. Jeans and dresses. Not too many. Just enough.

• I also want hardwood floors. I am tired of white carpet. I was warned about white carpet but I didn't listen. Now I will have some hardwood. Thank you very much!

• I am almost done here. I want to help out my sons. They will get a little cash to do with what they please. Not too much. Kids have to learn that life isn't all about having things handed to you. But a nice thank you gift from mom won't hurt.

That's it. I am done. I won the lottery. I spent my money. I will go back to the task at hand. Raising grand kids and taking care of my elderly hubby. But it was sure fun to dream for a bit. Hope I didn't sound too materialistic. It was just a fantasy, after all. I am sure all of you won't agree with how I spend my money but it is MY fantasy, remember. Now I wonder if I should buy a lottery ticket this year.......

Sunday Stealing

Today we ripped off a blogger named Tom Baker from the blog Morning Erection. (Tom points out that you shouldn't read much into his blogs name. It's a great blog.) This is an original meme and it's very first time posted. Tom asked us to rip it off and of course we are grateful! Take the time to comment on other player's posts. It's a great way to make new friends! Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!











Sunday Stealing: The Community Meme





Cheers to all of us thieves!



1. As a blogger, what do you draw inspirations from for your posts?
They all come from my head....and sometimes they are hard to come up with. That is why sometimes I go forever without blogging.



2. If you could swap blogs with another blogger for a post, who would you switch with and why?
Now that is a hard one.....I would like to switch with ??????? I just cannot think of one. Wait! Wait! I know! I want to switch with Kasey She has a writing style that I wish was mine. Sometimes she is so funny!


3. If your blog had a theme song, what would it be? Why?
It's my Party and I'll Cry if I want to! Because sometimes I feel like that is what I do at my blog....whine and cry



4. What is your writing process for a post?
Mostly just moving my fingers across the keys when an idea falls into my head.



5. Your blog requires a cute, new, mascot - what would it be?


I am just a beach bum and I love starfish!


6. Do you feel you express your "true self" on your blog?
I do now. I didn't used to. But sometimes I hold back a little.



7. What is your biggest online pet-peeve?
People who don't know me judging me.



8. If you could live in a fictional universe, where would you live? Why?
Hmmmmm...maybe, hell I don't know.



9. You're having a bad day, you're upset, you're angry, or you're sad - what is your go-to comfort?
A tub of sour cream and a big bag of chips with a can of Bud!


10. What is your favorite inspirational quote?

"If there's ever a tomorrow when we're not together, there's something you should remember







You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.""









11. If they were to make a movie based on your life, who would play you, your leading lady/man, your best friend, and your rival?
I would be played by Rosanne Barr....my leading man would be Paul Newman, my best friend would be Lucille Ball and my rival would be Angelina Jolie Ha! Ha! Now that would be a scream


12. Do you think the world is going to end in 2012?
No!



13. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
 I am so impatient and bitchy at times and those are things I would change



14. What is your favorite season and why?
Summer.....I love being outside and I love the heat!



15. You've been bitten by a vampire. Would you fight it with all your undead being or would you embrace it for all it is worth?
I don't believe in vampires....so I would just keep sleeping



16. Have you personally met any of your blogger friends?
None



17. What does your favorite pair of underwear look like?
Like all the rest of them



18. Have you ever drank something right from the container in the refrigerator knowing other people will have to drink out of the same container later?
I am sorry to say that I have. And I also bit** at others that I see do that!



19. What is your favorite word and explain why?
Shit is my favorite word. It just has the perfect ring to it. And it can have so many different uses.



20. 2011 is soon coming to a close, is there anything you'd like to do different on your blog in the year 2012?
I would like to continue in the same vein...just be more consistent.

What do I miss the most?

Do we miss the life that we used to have before we had kids? Do we wish that we could return to this life? I often think about what life was like before Darian and Harley came to live with us.

•  It was quiet.
•  I could sleep in as long as I wanted to in the morning.
•  I cooked when I felt like it and if I didn't feel like it then each of us just got whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted to eat.
• I didn't close the bathroom door when I peed.
• I didn't put the alcohol away...just left it sitting on the counter.
• My computer was not password protected.
•  I only ran the dishwasher every couple of days; instead of twice a day.
•  I washed the clothes once or twice a week; now I do at least 3 loads everyday.
•  My car was clean. Not littered with school papers, empty water bottles; candy wrappers.
• No one slammed any doors.
• My bedroom was my bedroom.
• My closet was my closet.
• My capes, and shawls and jewelry was mine. Not borrowed by a preteen girl.
• We watched what we wanted on TV. I didn't have to quickly turn the channel when the comedy we were watching suddenly started talking about gay life, or sex, or drinking. Or a commercial came on about erectile dysfunction. And who wants to explain that to a preteen girl and a 13 year old boy?
•  We did what we wanted on weekends, during the week, late at night. Now I go to bed early cause I get up early to help kids catch the bus.

But they came to live with us and turned our lives upside down. We once again hear the laughter of kids in the house. We hear sibling rivalry. We feel their little (and not so little) arms around our necks. And their wet kisses on our cheeks. We feel proud when they do good. And we are upset when they are bad. We sit with them in church and thank God we have them. We attend their school and Scout functions and beam with pride. Thank you Lord for giving us a second chance at raising kids.

A-Z Meme

Because I love memes!




A. Age: 60

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore that you hate: putting clothes away after I have folded them

D. Dogs: none

E. Essential start to your day: coffee with french vanilla cream

F. Favorite color: purple

G. Gold or Silver: silver

H. Height: 5'10"

I. Instruments you play: none

J. Job title: I am a RN but currently I work at home caring for my husband who recently had a stroke. And we have an 11 and 13 year old grand kids with us

K. Kids: 2 that are biological and one that we 'adopted'

L. Live: Kansas

M. Mother’s name: Pauline (may be rest in peace)

N. Nicknames: Pokey (can you believe that?)

O. Overnight hospital stays: childbirth times 3 and a broken leg in 2004

P. Pet peeves: when I am at someones house and they are on the phone or on the computer and act like I am not even there.

Q. Quote from a movie: Dirty Harry "Go on out and get some air, fatso"

R. Right or left handed: right


S. Siblings: 3 brothers and one sister
U. Underwear: granny panties
V. Vegetable you hate: none that I can think of
W. What makes you run late: My husband...he is SLOW
X. X-Rays you’ve had: right leg many, many times
Y. Yummy food that you make: Shepard's pie
Z. Zoo animal: tigers


I found this meme at The Geeky Shopoholic


If you decide to do this meme, let me know in the comments, so I can visit your blog to read your answers.

Good Advice

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.”




- Lucille Ball

Sunday Stealing

Today we ripped off a blogger and blog called BlueLifeMemories. It's long so we will do it in two parts. She states she stole it from a friend, but did not say which friend. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Take the time to comment on other player's posts. It's a great way to make new friends! Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!






Sunday Stealing: The Blue Memory Meme, Part One



Cheers to all of us thieves!



1) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

I would say that it is time for everyone in the world to quit expecting the American government to take care of them and start to take care of yourselves.
Women: quit having babies if you can't afford them. Men: take care of the babies you are bringing into this world...




2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

I would love to meet Donald Trump...don't ask me why! But I do want to see what is up with that hair.



3) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

I hate to fly....so I am going to give that ticket to my brother Chuck so he can fly to Florida to see his grand daughter for Christmas...and I'll take care of the dogs!



4) What do you think about most?

Right now what I am thinking about most is how I am going to continue to support this family just on my husbands retirement and social security.



5) You have the opportunity to spend a romantic night with the music celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

I think I will pass....just not interested at this point in my life. Sorry



6) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

I would start my erasing my father's death when I was 8 years old. And I would take away the alcoholism that caused it. Then I would erase the results of the stroke that my husband has in September.



7) What's your strangest talent?

I can suck my upper lip all the way up to my nose. Came in handy when I was changing diapers.



8) What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

Have you ever smoked marijuana?



9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Hey Hey Paula!



10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Just before supper tonight......to the tune of Jingle Bells!



11) Do you have any strange phobias?

I don't know if they are strange but I am terrified of mice and scared to death of flying.



12) What's your religion?

I am a Christian.....member of the First Church of Nazarene



13) What is your current desktop picture?

A picture of 4 of my 9 grandchildren....



14) When you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Picking up stuff and putting it away.



15) What's the last song you listened to?

Jingle Bells.....



16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Don't really have one.



17) What was the last lie you told?

Hmmmm don't think I want to answer this now! :)



18) Do you believe in karma?

I shouldn't....but I do!



19) What is a saying you say a lot?

Whoever said life is fair?



20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

My greatest weakness is that I am very impatient. And my greatest strength is my caring about others.



21) Who is your celebrity crush?

David Caruso



22) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.

Attack!



23) How do you vent your anger?

Bitching.



24) Do you have a collection of anything?

I do have a collection of dolls but I don't collect them any longer.



25) What is your favorite word?

SH**

Down in the Dumps

Here I am....down in the dumps!

That means I am low!

I am feeling anxious.

I feel depressed.

I don't know why

Well......I do but

Who wants to keep hearing about it?

I feel lonely

I feel sad

I know that there are those out there who will say:

"I understand"

But, no you don't.

How could you?

I just need a moment or two to vent.

To feel sorry for myself.

To cry!

To rant

To rave

And tomorrow I will feel all better.

I am just down in the dumps!