2010-11

While 2010 is ending and 2011 will begin, I want to thank everyone that reads my blog.  I haven't been such a great blogger lately.  I don't know what the new year will bring for my blogging.  Can a person run out of things to say? 

This year has been an okay year for me personally.  No big disasters which I'm grateful.

For some family and friends it's been not so good.  Whether it be financial, health,  family or relationship problems, I hope 2011 will be brighter for them.

I decided no resolutions this year or goals/aspirations/intentions.  I'm just going to try and take life as it comes and hope some changes for the good come about.

I wish all my blogging friends a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011 and be safe if you are going out to celebrate.

Question for Thursday

Hippie and I decided not to buy each other anything for Christmas.  On the years we don't buy something,  he usually still gets me chocolate covered cherries.  This year he did buy me something else;  a pair of Dr. Scholl's slippers.  When I tried them on, they didn't fit.  He was very disappointed we were going to have to take them back.  I tried them on again on Monday without socks.  They were still tight then I felt something in the slippers.  There was card board in the top part that I hadn't noticed, DUH!!  Once I took them out, they fit fine LOL.

What did you get for Christmas?

Fridge

We've been having trouble with our refrigerator again.  We bought a new one yesterday.  I've always had a side by side but this time we bought one with a freezer on the bottom.  I think I'm going to like it.

They didn't have a white one in stock so they had to order it. He said it would take about two weeks but I'm hoping it comes before the in-law Christmas so I don't have to clean the old one before everyone comes LOL.

How was it?

Our Christmas was good but quiet.  We went to see Mom in the morning and spent time with her.

In the afternoon, my brother and his wife came.  We ate too much and talked.  We got gift certificates for Macy's which I wanted.  I've already got them spent. I just need to go and get what I want LOL.  

Later we called our son.  They were going to go to a movie and then go out for Chinese food. 

Now I need to get the bathroom walls washed before the in-laws Christmas but that's not for a couple of weeks.

How was your holiday?

Saturday Centus #34

It's Saturday Centus again - in a nutshell, Jenny Matlock gives us a prompt from either herself or a guest submitter and then we have to write 100 or words less related to the prompt (the prompt doesn't count toward the 100 words) Then link it up to her blog. It's open until the following Saturday, so that means you have all week to participate by either reading or writing. http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Saturday%20Centus

While I'm waiting for my brother and sil to come, I figured I'd post my Centus.

The prompt is in bold.

Mary sat quietly praying for some sort of answers.

The white-bearded fat man rolled through the church doors. Mary started to get up to help but he quickly got up.

She watched as he went up to the crèche and prayed.

When he left, she went up to the crèche and noticed a note. She picked it up and it read “Jesus, it’s been a tough year for my family” and then the Serenity Prayer was written out.

Mary thought maybe this is the answer I’m looking for as she started to pray. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…..”

The Reason for the Season

Christmas Eve

This is going to be an unusual Christmas Eve.

My sil has to work until 4:00 and they always went to her brother's house after doing Christmas Eve with us.  It would have been too much of hassle.  We decided to change it for this year at least and will do it on Christmas Day.  Who knows this might be our new thing, ha.

As the years go on, I find more and more "traditions" are falling by the wayside.  It's a good thing the older I'm getting the more flexible I'm getting  LOL.  Not that traditions aren't important but as time goes on sometimes things change and it is what it is.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas whenever you celebrate ;-)

Questions for Thursday

What is your favorite Christmas movie and song?

Movie - A Christmas Carol with George C Scott

Songs - I have a ton but probably my favorite is O Holy Night.

Random thoughts on Tuesday

1.  My son's girlfriend was in town and is going back today.  She brought us a tin of cookies which I'm going to try to save for when my brother and his wife come for Christmas.  I hope I'm able to and I don't eat them all, ha.

2.  Yesterday at the nursing home, they had a little choir concert.  It reminded me of when I went to see my son perform when he was in grade school.  He was always not very attentive when they were singing.  Mom was similar.  For some reason, she was always a few words behind.  They would be done with the song and she would still be singing.  It seemed like she had a good time though.

3.  Before the concert they had a mass.  I got to see the Priest that my mother says one time before he gave her communion said "meet your maker", ha.  I didn't have the nerve to ask him if he really said it.  

4.  I got almost all of my wall washing done.  I still have to do the main bathroom but I'm not going to get it done by Christmas.  

5.  I hope everyone is done with their Christmas shopping.  We bought a few things and I got them all wrapped pretty quick.

Magellan

It's been a scary few months for my friend, Magellan.

About 14 years ago, she was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. She was in a "watch and wait" period for a while and then had to have treatment.  She's been in remission for 8 years now.

In August, she went for a regular oncologist appointment and the doctor found her spleen was enlarged.  That set into motion, test after test.

She had to switch doctor's in between finding out what exactly what was going on because of insurance.

After all the tests were done, she now has a totally different diagnosis which is a form of lymphoma.  They suspect she might have had this all along but the tests weren't as sophisticated  back then as they are now.  Luckily the treatment was the same though.

We were quite stressed at first with the news because it can be aggressive but the kind she has is very slow growing. I went with her for the visits and we saw 4 different oncologists.  Two of them were stem cell transplant specialists just to get in the system in case she would ever need it. 

Right now, she is going to be in a "watch and wait" period again.  The doctors also think she will do well with treatment if/when she needs it.

We were thrilled that she doesn't need treatment now.   It felt like a Christmas miracle ;-)

Saturday Centus #33

It's Saturday Centus again - in a nutshell, Jenny Matlock gives us a prompt from either herself or a guest submitter and then we have to write 100 or words less related to the prompt (the prompt doesn't count toward the 100 words)  Then link it up to her blog.  It's open until the following Saturday, so that means you have all week to participate by either reading or writing.  http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Saturday%20Centus

Again another difficult one for me.  I worked on this forever taking out words.  It's okay but I had to stop.  I'm so behind right now on stuff I'm supposed to be getting done LOL.   


The prompt is in bold.

Charlie had gotten tickets to Oprah but I couldn’t go.  He called me excitedly and said, “Don’t tell anyone, it was the favorite things show”.   He was going out for coffee with one of the Elves that were handing out the gifts.

What was he thinking? OMG! Elves are soooo 2009, I thought jealously.

Charlie came over later.

 “How was coffee”?

“No chemistry”.

“Charlie? Do you think we have chemistry”?

“I’ve always thought that.  Maybe we should do something about it” and they kissed.

“Who would have thought because of Oprah, we would get our favorite person” he said.

Question for Thursday

Are you spending more, the same, or less then last year on Christmas gifts?

I'm probably going to spend about the same as last year.  I don't have to buy for as many people anymore.  Plus, I either give money now or gift cards. 

Dinner friends

Friday we had our Dinner Friends Christmas dinner.  We had it at someone's home.

One person was unable to come because she had the flu but one of the dinner friend's we haven't seen for a long time came which it was very nice to see her.

Everyone brought either an appetizer or a dessert.  We ordered lasagna, rigatoni and bread from a restaurant.  The hostess made a salad and we all brought a bottle of wine.

The food was fabulous.  I think everyone stuffed themselves.  It was so nice doing it at someone's home because you could finally have a discussion among the 10 of us where everyone could hear what was being said.  

I didn't come home until about 10 but I had such a good time.  What a great way to spend an evening.

Saturday Centus #32

It's Saturday Centus again - in a nutshell, Jenny Matlock gives us a prompt from either herself or a guest submitter and then we have to write 100 or words less related to the prompt (the prompt doesn't count toward the 100 words)  Then link it up to her blog.  It's open until the following Saturday, so that means you have all week to participate by either reading or writing.  http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Saturday%20Centus

Very difficult this week, ha.

Prompt is in bold. 

An involuntary gasp of shock escaped my lips when I opened the shoebox and saw the pointy-toed shoes. 

Who would donate these to a homeless shelter I thought, as I put them on the shelf. 

A regular came into the room.  “Can I look around”? 

“Sure Velma”.

“Oh my”, she said.  “I had a pair of shoes like these when I was younger.  They hurt like the dickens but my legs looked fabulous” and we laughed. 

As she looked around some more, I wondered what her story was and how a woman in her 70’s was homeless.

I’d have to get to know her better; there must be some way to get her into an apartment.  

Question for Thursday

What do you do for Christmas?

RIP

God bless you Elizabeth.  Hopefully, you are with your son right now. 

In sisterhood...

Elizabeth

I feel so sad with the news that Elizabeth Edwards is not doing well.  She was first diagnosed when I was having treatments. 

She really brought a face to breast cancer and was a wonderful advocate for health care.

Live in the moment

The day of the outing to the apple orchard came for Mom in November.  I called in the afternoon to make sure it went okay and found out everyone was waiting by the door and the bus broke down so it was canceled. Ugh.

The next day I went to see her and she was gone.  They took her on another outing to a Church that was having entertainment and a Thanksgiving Dinner.  There were supposed to be like 300 people there from different nursing homes. I knew she would enjoy something like that.

The following day when we went, I was so excited to hear about her adventure.  I was surprised that all she remembered doing was  being on the bus.  They were gone from around 11 to 4.  I asked all kinds of trick questions to see if I could get her to remember getting off the bus but no, she insisted they never got off the bus.  She even got a little favor but didn't know where she got it from.  She did say she had a good time though. 

A few days later, I spoke to one of the activities people and told her that Mom didn't remember getting off the bus.  She said the girl that went with them said Mom had a very good time.  She ate all her dinner and enjoyed the entertainment.  I thought maybe because I didn't prep her about this, that is why she didn't remember.

They rescheduled going to the apple orchard.  When I saw Mom on the day after, again she remembered being on the bus but not getting off the bus at all.  She had told me before she went that she wanted to buy maple candy but didn't. I guess even though we had talked about the orchard so much it didn't make a difference in her remembering that she went.

I'm kinda disappointed that she doesn't remember but I told hippie Mom just lives in the moment now.  I guess that's what's important, even if she doesn't remember.

Saturday Centus #31

It's Saturday Centus again - in a nutshell, Jenny Matlock gives us a prompt from either herself or a guest submitter and then we have to write 100 or words less related to the prompt (the prompt doesn't count toward the 100 words)  Then link it up to her blog.  It's open until the following Saturday, so that means you have all week to participate by either reading or writing.  http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Saturday%20Centus

OMG, this was such a difficult prompt for me to put into ONLY 100 words.  I got the idea of what I wanted to write pretty quickly but I had to re-work it all morning to get it under 100.   I wish I would have woken up early like last week LOL.

The prompt is in bold.  


Jill's Christmas party was the next day.  She set the tree up weeks ago but had decided to do all the cooking first.  She forgot she needed new lights. 

The bin of tangled up holiday lights that she saw when she got to the store really stressed her out.

She started to leave but it was the only place still open.

When she got back to the bin the lights were untangled.

She noticed a stuffed Santa Claus sitting next to them.  "Thanks, Santa", she said.

As she was leaving she heard "Ho, ho, ho".  She turned around and saw Santa wink at her or did she?     

 

Question for Thursday

Since this is in the news and the Republicans think they have a mandate what are your thoughts on the tax cuts?

I really can't get myself too worked up about rich people not getting tax cuts.   They say they will create jobs.  If that's the case, why haven't they been creating jobs already?  Besides, I think the rich have more ways to shelter their money than the poor and middle class.

However, I do believe the income should be higher than $250,000.   Depending on where you live it's not that much if your living in a city that has a higher cost of living.  

Oh and Republicans, be careful thinking you have a mandate that's what the Democrats thought too, ha.