My cool 'ride'

I haven't posted about this because I didn't know how it was going to turn out, but I have had a cool vehicle to drive this week and thought, since I haven't had anything fun to say because of working all the time this month, I'd post about this.

I took my car to Big 10 back in November, the week before Thanksgiving, to have my oil changed. When I went back to pick it up, I paid, got in my car and left. I thought the driver's door sounded like it didn't close right, but the weather was getting colder and figured it was just because of that. That was the Thursday afternoon before Thanksgiving. I didn't put a lot of thought into it, but I just knew it didn't sound right.

As I was leaving work on Friday, I decided to look and see if I could see anything that would make it sound the way it did. To my HUGE surprise, there was a hole poked in the side of my door at the bottom and the metal down there was all buckled! Well good grief! I am not a confrontational person by any stretch of the imagination, so I had no idea what I was going to do. I drove to my sister's house to pick up some PTO money I had to count that weekend and showed the door to her and told her about it. I asked her if she thought I should go back up to Big 10 and ask about it. Her answer was a VERY HARDY "YES!!!," but I cannot actually type her answer here! :-) They didn't close until 6:00, so I had enough time to get back up there before they closed. As luck would have it, the manager had gone home early and he was the one that was there when I dropped my car off and picked it up and he's the one with whom I always deal. The assistant manager had no idea what was going on about my car, but I showed him the door. He was a bit dumbstruck. He said he used to work in a body shop and he could see that it was buckled. He said he would mention it to the manager when he talked to him that night and for me to call back up there the next morning. Well, I was SICK having to go confront them about it anyway because I could just see them telling me, "No idea what happened, Lady.....Tough luck!" I decided that I wouldn't just call the next morning, that I would go back up there and show the manager what had happened. I got there about 8:20 and he came straight to me and wanted to see the door. I told him what I had thought about it closing different because of cold weather, but he just shook his head like that would never happen. (I'm a girl....I KNOW he knows more about cars than I do, I just had to put my theory out there!) He looked at the door and as I was explaining to him, he acted like he knew what was going on. I said, "Do you KNOW what happened?" He said he did, then he said that when the assistant manager had called him the night before and told him I'd been up there, he knew exactly who had worked on my car and so he hung up and called THAT guy. The guy finally told him that when he had my car up on the rack to change the oil, the driver's door was open and when he brought it down, it hit a table and buckled the bottom of the driver's door! He didn't tell the manager at the time because he'd already had two other instances and had been told that if anything else happened, he was going to be fired. With that being the case, he cut a hole in the side of my door and tried to fix it himself and not tell anyone! I was just glad he admitted it and they could see I was telling the truth....this day and time, you just never know.

SO, I had to go get three estimates....one was $1,283.05, one was $1,343.42 and the other was $1,741.04. I took those back to Big 10, they were sent in to the corporate office, someone there called and talked to the manager at the Big 10 where it happened and talked to the mechanic that did it, then they finally, FINALLY, contacted me about getting it fixed. Of course, they sent me to the place with the lowest estimate, but that is really fine by me because it was the only one whose estimate gave me a NEW door. The other two were used doors, so a new one is great to me! Evidently there's a lot to matching paint colors and stuff to consider too, so it's evidently really quite a job.

Anyway, I dropped it off this past Monday then, at Big 10's expense, have had a rental car this week. As luck would again have it, the Enterprise guy that came and picked me up is the son of a guy I used to work with. I don't know if it's because he knew me or if they try to give you a car montarily comparable to the car being fixed, but he offered me a PT Cruiser or a Jeep Grand Cherokee! I chose the Jeep Grand Cherokee because I want the next vehicle I get to sit higher off the road, so I wanted to see what that would be like. I must say, it's pretty cool. I could never afford a Jeep, but it's nice to drive!

The first car I bought was a Ford EXP, a two seater, that I drove for 12 years! I loved that car. I was just fun. I traded that in and got a blue Honda Civic that I also loved. It had front and back seats AND 4 doors, so after driving a two door two seater for 12 years, that was a great change! I also had that car for 12 years. Then, when my mom and her husband moved to Florida, she had a van and they decided they were going to buy a Toyota Prius, so Doc gave me his Infiniti I30t. This was also the year that I bought my house, so, not being willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, I sold my Civic for $3,000 and paid much of that money toward furniture. That whole thing really was a Godsend. I've enjoyed the Infiniti and will definitely drive it until it won't go anymore, but whatever I get next, I do want to get something that sits higher off the road. I can't stand to get behind SUV's and not be able to see around them. I've posted before about what an impatient driver I am and that doesn't help the situation! I love being in this Jeep and being able to see two cars in front of me! Anyway, here are pictures....as if you haven't seen a Jeep Grand Cherokee before! :-)

I can't post all this good though without posting about God's way of humbling me even in the best of circumstances. There was bit of a hassle between the time I turned in my estimates and when they finally called last week and told me what I needed to do to get this handled. Other than that, it's been smooth but in all honesty, I've thought that I've been pretty cool this week driving this vehicle....(this is where the humbling comes into play).

SO, I am driving to work Thursday morning....on this street that that my subdivision is off of....and I get about two miles up the road....about 3 houses from the main road I'm going to turn on. I see something to the right out of the corner of my eye. I think...."Once I get out of this curve, I need to look and see what that is!" Well, HELLO....it was a DEER that came running right out in front of me! It was running across the yard and passed within feet of the front of me. No kidding, if there had been two of them together, I would have hit one of them. I was like, "Oh my gosh! I need to slow myself down! That would have been BAD in this rental!" So I get on up to the main road to turn...no traffic. I turn, still thinking about how fortunate it was that I didn't hit that deer, how close it was, all that stuff.....I get maybe 500 feet up the road and ANOTHER deer passes just as close in front of me from the other side! Scared me to death! Literally, again, if there had been two, I would have hit one of them! Let me just say that I calmed my big ol' self down and thought all the way to work about how it doesn't matter how big your vehicle is, I was just lucky that nothing happened! Because we both want something higher off the road next time, I had been talking with my friend that I work under all week about how much I LOVE driving this vehicle, how high it sits off the road, how much I LOVE being able to see everything....but I told her when I got to work on Thursday, "Well, I think God was trying to get my attention this morning!"

And I have one thing to say, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!"

After all, it's only a vehicle....but it is fun to drive! :-)

Two weeks later....(well, almost)

I really have NOTHING to post about. I have done very little these last two weeks besides work, church and a few other things as needed. Tax season is definitely here....in a big way.

Work has been 90-nothing in aiming for the January 31 deadline to have W-2's and 1099's done for about 40 companies....oh the joys of public accounting, huh? :-) I've got my momentum though and things are smooth so far, I am just praying it stays that way. Once I am done with January, the rest is downhill for me! YEA!

I've talked to my mom a few times and Doc is about the same. Thanks to those of you who commented on my last post and for your kind words.

We've had some weird weather here this week....both Wednesday afternoon/evening and today. Believe it or not, I even set my alarm for 5:10 this morning so I could get on up and get in to work to get my time in before the bad weather started. It's not really bad weather yet, but I left work shortly after the snow flurries started. If I were going to get stuck anywhere, I didn't want it to be there! We've had snow flurries and even some accumulation....and that's a weird thing for Georgia! :-)

My brother-in-law, John, came over today to look at my laptop. For some reason, since we got back from my mom's, my laptop couldn't find my router here at home and I couldn't send e-mail from my laptop. Weird stuff, and for a girl who likes to know how things work and why they don't at times, that has been VERY frustrating! John works for Bellsouth and looks at these problems all the time, so he came over and showed me what to do if it happens again. I am GLAD. Anyway, Grace came over with him and had to build me a snowman before she left. Of course, being the proud aunt, I had to take some pictures. She's just SO sweet and so good for my heart!

Life lessons

I am glad to be home tonight. I went with my sister and her family to see my mom over the weekend. She lives in Florida, Amelia Island, and while it's nice down there, it was nice to return home as well. There really is no place like home, no matter where that might be!

We left Thursday after work and got to my mom's a little after midnight. Her husband is in a nursing home there and isn't doing well, so we knew we needed to go. He was diagnosed a couple of years ago with semantic dementia, which means that he knew most everything, he just couldn't find the words to convey what he wanted to say. They have been seeing someone and working to help him stave the progression off as long as they could, but since Thanksgiving, he's done some really strange things, totally out of character for him. Things have taken a real turn and now he doesn't know who anyone is, where he is, etc. My mom was determined to keep him at home as long as she could, but after a couple of stays in the hospital, their doctor told my mom that he needed more care than she could provide alone. The ironic thing is that he, her husband, was a doctor and knew this was happening and knew what my mom was eventually going to have to deal with, so he helped to prepare her for it as much as he could. It's just a sad situation.

I know that people all over the world have had to deal with this, with Alzheimer's or an array of other mind-stealing disorders, but this is the first time that I've really seen it first hand. When we were got to the nursing home on Friday, he was sitting there in his wheelchair with his food in front of him, but holding a little food in his hand, barely able to eat. My mom fed him, talked to him, asked him if he remembered anyone or if anyone looked familiar, but of course, he didn't know any of us. It was so odd to stand there looking into the eyes of someone who has been married to my mom for about 6 or 7 years and have him not recognize her or any of us. I can only imagine what it would be like to have it be one of my parents, a spouse, or anyone I have really been close to.

What makes all this even sadder is that his children have not done anything to help my mom handle this situation. He has a son that lives in Ohio and a daughter that lives in Seattle. The daughter came to see him the week before Christmas, but he didn't recognize her either, so she left and went shopping! She went to see him the next day, went shopping again, then she was supposed to leave early Friday evening, but changed her flight to leave first thing Friday morning and hasn't called but a couple of time since then! I just can't imagine! The son has called and, while he doesn't care much for my mom at all, he talked to the doctors and told them he was coming 'after Christmas'.....then it turned into 'after New Year's'.....and now it's turned into, "Well, I'll call again in a few weeks for an update." Can you even believe that? My mom's husband was a doctor, afforded for his family to travel the world, send his children to the best colleges, bought them vehicles, townhouses and condos when they graduated, etc, then to have them not have any more regard for him than that....I am amazed. I realize though that you don't really know a situation unless you live it, but still, they've had a good life and this is their dad! 'Doc,' as we call him, has been good to my mom, good to my sister, brother-in-law, my nieces and me, so I can't imagine that he would have been any less with his own children. I'm just amazed.

As history, we call him 'Doc' first of all because he was a doctor, but he was my mom and dad's internist the whole time my sister and I were growing up, so we've heard his name virtually all of our lives. My parents divorced in 1997 and mom and 'Doc' started dating in probably 2001. His first wife had died of leukemia in 2000, my mom got sick that Christmas and called him to call in a prescription for her. Since my parents had been patients of his for so long, he shared that his wife had passed away and next thing you know, he and my mom were dating! So here we are being step-kids to someone we've heard mention of our whole lives. Although my brother-in-law started the nickname, 'Doc' just seemed to fit, so that's what we've affectionately called him.

While this is a sad situation, my sister had some good words the other night, and really it was a good lesson for life. I said, "You know, isn't it sad that you live the life he has lived, traveled and seen the world like he has, helped people, then come to this point and not remember any of it?" Her response: "Yeah, but you know, he knew what he was doing when he did it and he enjoyed it, and you can't really ask for any more than that."

I had to agree.

"It's NEVER about the presents!"

Wow. What a sweet holiday.

Kate was only about 4 months old when her first Christmas rolled around back in 1994, so I can't remember if I did this that year or not or if it was her second Christmas that we started doing this, but every year, I spend the night at my sister's on Christmas Eve. Kate is now 13 and Grace is 8, so it's been going on for a really long time. It's just tradition and they start asking in early November every year if I'm going to spend the night there on Christmas Eve. I always act like it's a big decision because I want to see what they say, but truthfully, there is nowhere else I'd rather be! If they didn't ask, I'd be disappointed!

Here's my story:

My sister called me last Saturday and asked if I could come get the girls and take them out for a little while that afternoon so she could get all their stuff out and be sure things were 'even.' Of course, I jump at the chance to do that any time she asks, so we went to Blockbuster, Books a Million, Target, then Starbucks. All was well. My sister had things just as she had hoped. I stayed at their house for dinner then left to come home and start wrapping their stuff for Christmas.

While we were out that afternoon/early evening, Grace was talking about the things she wanted for Christmas, what she'd told Santa, etc, just excited about the holiday. After a few minutes, I said, 'Grace, I know you're looking forward to all that, but you know what Christmas is really all about, right?' Her response, 'It's about spending time with friends and family and being nice.' Well, I had to giggle because she KNOWS that Christmas is about Jesus' birth. They go to church and she's heard the story since she was little, I guess just in the moment of me asking, that was what came out of her mouth. I said, 'It is about those things sort of, but it's really about it being Jesus' birthday and that's what we need to remember.' We talked about that for a bit then moved on to other things.

I went to our Vespers Service on Monday evening, after that, to some friends' house for a little while, then I left there to come home, gather clothes and gifts and head over to my sister's. I had been there about an hour or so and my sister discovered that she needed more eggs (she was having about 15 people at her house for Christmas dinner, so she was busy into preparations for that....she is a FABULOUS cook!), so Grace and I left to come here to get eggs....I never cook, so it was amazing that I had any to begin with! As we were leaving, Grace and I decided to ride around my neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. My house is the 7th one in at the second entrace to my subdivision, so I don't see what goes on with all the houses behind me unless I drive around to look, but I was pleasantly, and I mean pleasantly, surprised to see that many houses had a nativity scene set up in their front yard! YEA! I was glad to see that, and it provided more of an opportunity for talk with Grace. That was fun and we decided that might be our tradition. As we were heading back to their house about 10:20, she saw Santa several times up in the sky. She was worried that she wasn't in bed and asleep yet, so I told her he was probably up there looking for the babies homes so he could go there first since they had an earlier bedtime and were surely already asleep. She was satisfied with that. Although I know these days will be coming to an end in the next year or two, I love the fact that she still believes in Santa. It is just so much fun and when I say she still believes, I mean she believes HARD. She told my sister that she wanted to marry Santa so she could take care of him. I guess she's afraid Mrs Claus isn't as good to him as she needs to be! Grace leaves him cookies and milk out every year and, this year, she even left him a Starbuck's mug so he could take his drinks to go and they would stay hot! She wanted a bell from his sleigh too, so my sister had found these ornaments that were like sleigh bells, but they had a portion cut out in the side and had a nativity set inside of them. She left two of them out, one for Kate and one for Grace. Grace was absolutely thrilled! You should have heard her screeching and hollering....it was adorable!

Anyway, not long after we got home from getting the eggs and looking at Christmas lights, it got to be about bedtime, so since I was sleeping with Grace that night, I went in there to lay down with her until she fell asleep. While we were laying there, I told her we needed to say our prayers and asked if she wanted to say them or if she wanted me to. Of course, she wanted me to, so I started:

"Dear God, we thank you for today and for the time we have had together to play and have fun....we pray that you will give us a good day tomorrow and help us to remember that Christmas isn't about the presents, but that it's about Jesus' birth...."

While I am saying this, I hear this sweet little voice, "It's never about the presents," I keep praying, then I hear a little louder, "It's NEVER about the presents," so I just try to fluff over it and keep going thinking that she surely understands that I know that since we had talked about it earlier, but then Grace stops me and says, "AUNT DIANNE, IT IS NEVER ABOUT THE PRESENTS!!!" Of course, I just had to giggle because it was funny that she just kept right on saying that until I got the point, but I had to acknowledge what she was saying....that she was RIGHT and that I was proud of her for correcting me on that. What a sweetie! Not much gets by her, that's for sure.

Not long after that she was snoozin' away and there I was, laying in the dark thinking about how God has blessed me though these two nieces of mine, each in their own way, and that I probably wouldn't experience such sweet times with them if I had kids of my own.

Have I mentioned lately how lucky I am to have the life that I have??? 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from me and one sweet, spoiled rotten cat....

hope yours is great!

Older and wiser...

From a recent e-mail:

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, or my family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself...I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love, I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hi t by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong. So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it!)

The fabulous Babbie Mason

There are some things that happen in life that are just too cool. Last night was one of those times.

We were fortunate enough to have the fabulous Babbie Mason at our church yesterday. She sang two songs yesterday morning, then she was in concert last night. After it was over, I bought three CD's....one for me, two for gifts, and a book. There was a line of people waiting to speak with her and since I never know what to say to 'famous' people (and not that I've had many opportunities...some people on Days of Our Lives (who are hardly famous!) many years ago and of course my favorite....Donny Osmond!), I was going to forego that opportunity, BUT as I stood there talking to people, the line kept getting shorter and shorter as others had their turn, got their autographs, pictures, and left. SO, there I was deciding that since she was SO close, I just needed to speak to her. She had mentioned during her concert that they are living in Bowdon now and since I have aunts and uncles there, I thought that might break the ice....big deal, huh? :-) Anyway, I waited my turn, handed her my book to sign, then as that was happening, my friend Pam's husband, Dow (who is also my friend), sidled up next to me and kinda stood there....I was wondering if he wanted to get in on my conversation with Babbie (!!), but imagine my suprise when he leaned in and said, 'They're coming to our house for a little while when they leave here....We have an extra spot, so why don't you come over too?' Babbie said, 'Yeah, come on over!'

I was like, "UH....OKAY!!!" :-) WOW!

So there we were breaking bread together....Pam, Dow, Rick (our Minister of Music--his wife was out of town so that's why they had the open spot), me, Babbie, her husband, Charles, and two people who were helping at the sales table after the program. Babbie had caught wind at lunch that Pam's house is fabulously decorated for Christmas (and it REALLY is!!!), and asked if she could come see it after church last night! Can you imagine....Babbie Mason asking to come see your house?? :-) It was a very nice night and as you would expect, Babbie was as fun, gracious, humble and unpretentious as you would ever want her to be. We all talked and shared things, but she shared about their new ventures, living in a small town where people know her husband more than they know her....as evidenced by her trip to Dollar General one day....her children, her grandchildren, personal prayer requests, etc. It was an amazing night and one that only served to deepen my respect for an incredibly gifted artist and a godly woman.

I told Pam that never in a million years when I left for church last night did I imagine it would end with dinner and fellowship at her house with Babbie Mason! Of course, I'm sure she never dreamed when she woke up yesterday morning that things would transpire like they did either, but it was a fabulous concert and a fun night and once again, I am more than blessed!

But can you believe that I didn't even think to take my camera??? What is UP with that? I thought about that today though and really that may have been best anyway. Babbie may have felt more comfortable since no one 'wanted' anything....just time to relax and talk....no pictures, no expectations....and making it easy to follow Pam's #1 rule for anyone who enters her house...."Make yourself at home." Now THAT is a sweet friend!

But, camera or not, it was definitely a night to remember...

A Christmas quiz

I got this quiz as an e-mail and thought it would be fun to post the answers here....I'd love to read your answers too, so let me know if you want to play along....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

both

2. Real or Artificial tree ?

artificial....but this is the first year I've had one....and it's SKINNY! :-)

3. When do you put up the tree ?

The day after Thanksgiving this year because Grace was spending the night

4. When do you take the tree down?

Knowing me, as soon as Christmas is over....like maybe that night!

5. Do you like Eggnog?

absolutely.....I can't imagine anyone that doesn't, but I'm sure there is someone!

6. Favorite Gift you received as a child?

I don't know....but the first thing that came to mind is a pogo stick that I got one year.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

yes

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My dad...he doesn't need or want a thing, except for us to come visit...bless his sweet heart!

9. Easiest person to buy for?

My nieces

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received?

Believe it or not, gel insoles from my boss! NO kidding! Can you imagine??

11. Christmas Cards...Snail mail or E-mail?

Snail mail....I love cards!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

No favorite movie comes to mind, but if I can pick a cartoon, it is Frosty the Snowman

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

November-ish

14. Have you ever 'recycled' a Christmas present?

Not that I can remember

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

My sister is a fabulous cook, so most anything she makes...except oyster dressing.....YUCK! Luckily she makes regular dressing too! :-)

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?

clear

17. Favorite Christmas Song?

O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

home...at my sister's....but she's only 5 minutes away

19. Can you name Santa's Reindeer?

yes

20. Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree?

A star with a snowman on it

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

the busy-ness

23. Shopping...Mall or online?

both

Let me know if you play along and I'll come check out your answers too!

Christmas With a Capital 'C'

My mom sent me this video link last month and, unfortunately, I'm just now getting around to looking at it. Many of you may have seen it before, but for those that maybe haven't, it's a catchy tune that gets to the point.

Enjoy!

A great holiday

Thanksgiving was fabulous. I went to my Dad's for a few hours then came back here and spent the rest of the day by myself putting together a desk that I'm going to be using for a little craft area. I had been gone from home Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so to have some time at home on Thursday was nice.

I had asked Grace earlier in the week about spending the night with me on Friday night and she just jumped at the chance. No other way to say it. So, with that being said, I actually went and bought a pre-lit 6-foot little tree, a skinny one, and we decorated it with snowman ornaments. She loved it and I have to admit, as one who has not had a tree since I moved from my parents house many years ago, it is nice to sit here as I type and see it out of the corner of my eye. Just kind of a cozy feeling. I'm posting a picture, but I'm not totally happy with it yet...I need to re-work the lights and space them better, plus some of them don't work, but Grace wouldn't slow down enough to let me do that, so I just let her decorate knowing I'd go back an fix it later. It was less stress that way for both of us! I have some snowflake garland to add too. Since Grace knew she was going to be spending the night with me, she started calling around 9:30 on Friday morning wondering when I was going to come get her! :-) I had planned to get her in the afternoon sometime, but wound up getting her about 11:30. We really had a busy day and were both tired by the time bedtime rolled around.

After we got the tree done, I had to spend a little time on Friday afternoon finishing putting together the parts to the desk I mentioned above, so after I got that done, Grace helped me sort through all the craft stuff I have around here. It was all just EVERYWHERE, no organization at all, so it's nice now to have all the blank cards in one place, the stickers in one place, the markers in one place, etc. Grace loved that too, then of course she had to sit her sweet self down and do some artwork. I liked having here here.

On Saturday, I took her home about 2:00, then met some friends to see August Rush later in the day, followed by dinner. There are four of us who go out and celebrate each other's birthdays, and Saturday's movie and dinner were for that. The birthday person gets to pick the movie and I wasn't sure about August Rush when I read about it, but I have to admit that I really liked it a lot. I love when that happens!

Sunday was church, a trip to IKEA with my friend Gina, back to church for a bonus rehearsal for our Christmas program, a quick run through of a song we were singing in church, then back downstairs for the service. Just a busy day. I was asleep on the couch an hour after I got home!

It was rainy and dark this morning when my alarm went off and I hated to get out of bed. It's always hard to get back to normal after having a few days off, but especially with the weather like it was today. Rainy and overcast is my very favorite kind of weather, but I LOVE it when I can stay home. It always seems like the holidays go so fast. It seems like I look so foward to being off for a few days, then "BOOM," it's gone!

I'm going to close here with a couple of pictures. The first one is the desk that Grace and I worked on this weekend, and the second is a precious picture she handed me before we left to take her home on Saturday. I am SO emotional when it comes to both her and Kate, especially when the do such sweet things, so when Grace gave me this precious picure she'd drawn, I couldn't even speak. My eyes just filled with tears and all I could do was hug her. She hated to leave and I hated to take her home. Good grief. What would I have done if God had given me children of my own?

Who could possibly not love that????

An attitude of gratitude...all year long!

One of my favorite quotes:

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." ~Edward Sandford Martin

May we stay mindful to count our blessings not only at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year!

Hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving.

7 random facts.

These kinds of posts are hard for me, but I was tagged the other day by Cheryl to post 7 random facts about myself. I've been trying to think about this and what might be of interest. I am having a hard time coming up with anything....but here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, include links to their blogs. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes:

1. I can play the trumpet.

2. Bad grammar in writing and in speech drives me NUTS.

3. I don't care what movie I am watching, I ALWAYS fall asleep....even at a theatre! :-)

4. I've only had two jobs in my whole life. I worked at Chick-Fil-A in our local mall as a teenager and into my college years, then left there for my current job.

5. I failed the test for my learner's license AND my driver's license the first time I took them! :-)

6. I never put up a Christmas tree or decorate for Christmas. I may sit out a few snowmen since I collect them (!!), but that's about the extent of my Christmas decorations! (Should I admit that??)

7. I hate housework....but I do LOVE the feeling of accomplishment when I am motivated to get it done!

I am choosing not to tag anyone, but if you read this and want to play along, please do, just let me know so I can read yours too!

Two fabulous days

I just got through a little earlier today with two great days at church. We had our annual Ladies Luncheon this morning and into the early afternoon and it was just fabulous. I took yesterday off to help get ready for it, then today was the luncheon. A lot of work, planning and prayer has gone into it for months. God was faithful and everything went off perfectly. There were 400 women there and I don't think anyone could have been more pleased.

Our guest speaker was Erin Smalley who co-wrote the book 'Grown Up Girlfriends' with her friend, Carrie Oliver. Unfortunately, Carrie died earlier this year, but Erin did a fabulous job in her speech and it is a blessing that Carrie's insight and part in this book is still blessing others. Actually, another touching thing is that my friends Bev and Cindy were supposed to be part of today's program too, but as many of you know, Bev passed away in September, so it really left Erin and Cindy to kind of carry on the message that the four of them were supposed to share. It was a heartfelt day for many of us in our church who knew Bev and we were fortunate enough to honor her a bit as well.

When I learned that Erin was going to be coming to speak back in July, I bought her book and poured over it. Being single, if there is one topic I am interested in and committed to, it is friendship because those relationships are what I rely on in everyday life. It really is a very good book and if any of you need a good book on this topic, this is it. Here's a description from Amazon.com:

Book Description
Even when life is hectic and harried, every woman has a God-given longing for relationship, and her female friends play an important role in filling that. Oliver and Smalley help women distinguish between self-centered, insecure, childish relationships and other-centered, healthy, "grown-up" relationships. Using personal anecdotes and scriptural principles, they explain ten characteristics of a grown-up friend and offer ideas on how readers can develop these attributes in themselves. Finally, they tackle the tough issues of friendships, such as how to support a friend in crisis, how to work toward forgiveness when a friend has injured you, and how to determine when it is best to let a friendship go.

Below are a few pictures from the day:

Me and friends that I invited, Joan, Christy and Gwen (they're sisters).

My table was hosted my my friend Rosemary. Her husband, Rick,

is our Minister of Music and this is him being our waiter for the day.

Our table decoration. Each hostess was in charge of decorating their

table and Rosemary did a great job with ours.

A shot from the back corner of 400 women, literally,

having a great time of food and fellowship.

This is my friend Cindy, introducing our

guest speaker, Erin Smalley.

Cindy and Erin.

Erin sharing wise insights on friendship.

One great book.

As an added bonus, I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow blogger, Angela, aka 'Terrible Speller' on my sidebar, (I couldn't get the link to work), and had a great time talking with her today as well. I saw her a little earlier this year but I was hurried and didn't have a chance to speak, so I was thrilled to see her at our luncheon today. I'm not always one to just jump into chatting with someone I don't know, but it really was like running into an old friend and I was thrilled to have that time to chat and laugh together. That time with her was a blessing to me today as well, so if you read this, thanks Angela! :-) I'm already looking forward to running into you again!

And just for the record, I am about 95% well, so a couple of more days should do it. YEA!

This really has been a great couple of days. I am SO blessed!

A must read...

I was checking blogs tonight and found that Jill has written and posted a must read poem.

Well worth your time.

Make a difference!

Today I Will Make a Difference
by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference.

I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark.

Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving.

Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again.

Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

From Shaped by God
Copyright (Tyndale House, 2002)
Max Lucado

Finally.

Well, I'm not going to post about all this forever, but I am finally back among the land of the living. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Wednesday! After 31 days, that surprises even me! :-)

I am finally beginning to get over whatever this is that I have had for two weeks. I was somewhat better on Friday and really thought things were on the upswing, but yesterday I woke up with a headache and sinus stuff again that just hung on all day. I also woke with a headache this morning, but after a sweet morning at church, it went away for the most part and only hurts when I cough. Hopefully it's really on the way out. I've had sinus issues before, but this has by far been the worst....two weeks! I also got a doctor recommendation from a friend on Friday when I was at the church (you know who you are, my secret reader friend (!!), and thank you!), so I went online yesterday and figured out how to change my PCP. I spoke with another friend who also uses this doctor and she highly recommended him as well, so I decided to go with him. I'll need to follow up with a phone call tomorrow to be sure all that went through, then my doctor issues should be over for a while. I am thankful.

I haven't mentioned this, but our pastor announced last Sunday night that he's leaving at the end of the month for another church, so we are going to be in a state of transition for a while until we get someone else. I really like our pastor A LOT and hate like everything that he's leaving, but I am also eager to see what God has in store for us. I hate to use the word 'but' in a sentence because I've always heard that saying that negates what was just said prior to the 'but.' While that may be true in some instances, that is not how it is intended here. I would have been happy to have him remain our pastor forever, yet since he feels God is leading him somewhere else, we have to accept that and with that acceptance comes an eagerness to see who God will bring us next. We have great leadership and a great staff and I am sure things will be fine, it's just going to be a period of transition for us. Today he preached about 'Responding to God's Will,' and tonight about the passage from John 15 about the vine and the branches. I really am going to miss his preaching...he's just awesome.

With all that said, there's not much more from here for now I suppose. Thanks for all the well-wishes these last couple of weeks. I'm finally on the upswing and that alone is enough to make me very thankful tonight!

A poem at 31 days.

Some days it's been a trick

Some days a treat

31 days of posting

Has been an undeniable feat!

But it's done and it's over

a month of wracking my brain in the past

Thanks for reading, thanks for encouraging

and thanks for making it pass so fast!

Still under the weather

Man. It's been a long time since I've felt as bad as I have these last few days. I won't go into all the details here because it's boring if you aren't living it, but I know I mentioned that I went to the doctor last Friday and got two prescriptions. She told me then that if I wasn't much better by Monday to call her and they'd call in an antibiotic. Well, I think it was Sunday, the swollen sinus stuff started and hurt so much that I could hardly sleep Sunday night. I called the doctor on Monday about 9:15 and told them about the anitbiotic the doctor had promised. They normally don't call their prescriptions in until the end of the day, but they promised me more than once (because I called several times when nothing was getting done!), that they would get it called in before 5:00. Making a long story short, they never did call anything in, even after 5:00 and I had to go through another night without any antibiotic. I just sat here and cried when I realized what had happened because I just felt SOOOOOO bad, I was frustrated and there was nothing I could do about it. I called the 'on call' doctor and wouldn't you know, it is the same doctor I see! I left a message explaining what happened in my dealing with her office earlier in the day. She called me back through her answering service, a recorded message, stating that they didn't have the phone number for the pharmacy I use. Well, they certainly did because it's in my file there AND I had given it to two people in her office yesterday. So I called the 'on call' line back and left another message telling her this. She called me back and I told her that I wanted to come by and pick up that prescription this morning instead of waiting for it to be called in. She said that would be fine, so I had myself there first thing this morning. They actually did call it in and I have spent the day here at home sleeping, laying around and not doing much more. I just pray that this is all over soon. As soon as it is, I'm changing doctors....I just need to be sure all this is covered first!

Hope all is well with you!

The long awaited picture....

How cute is this? Grace as a bag of JELLYBEANS! :-) The only problem she found was that she couldn't sit down and her arms would hardly reach for her to eat the hot dog she had for dinner tonight! Sweet baby though, huh?

Peace