Christmas Decorating

It's that time of year again....get out the Christmas decorations! I love the holidays....Christmas has always been my favorite though. It takes me a full day to decorate because I have lots of stuff. I like to decorate inside and out. I've made a few of my decorations.I've even made lots of snowflakes with and without colorful glitter. Here are a few of them:







It's a lot of fun to create new things...especially with children. Every year I pull out my decorations and I see so many things I forgot that I had made. I made this stocking for my oldest son, Jared (the third one down that says Jared Griffin)(After I made it, I thought to myself...Why did I put the last name on it?...I have no idea why, but I did and I don't feel like fixing it):

This sad little tree is now something I treasure and I will use it until it falls completely apart. This was given to Jared by his now deceased great grandmother (Gi Gi). It was Jared's first Christmas when he was in the hospital and we wanted to give him his "1st Christmas" so we did and we stuck this on his bedside table. I have put it out every year since then, and here it is 14 years later:




I like to add more to my collection every year so I try to get at least 1 new Christmas decoration, ornament or something Christmasy. Here is what I got the other day:




This will be going along my archway between the dining room and the living room.
(I actually need it because I had one that is in old condition and I wanted a brand new one with prelit lights.)

I was told by my 9 year old, Logan, that I couldn't start decorating until he came home from school, so I promised him I would wait. Right now I am just sorting through the decorations and listening to some Christmas music.

Well.....onto the decorating that'll take me into tomorrow to finish.

Thanksgiving Forecast

Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an afternoon high near 190 F. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder.
During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the gravy.
A weight watch and indigestion warning have been issued for the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway. During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to leftovers, dropping to a low of 34 F in the refrigerator.
Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup late in the day. We expect a warming trend where soup develops. By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left will be the bone.

Today I am Thankful for...

I LOVE the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been my favorite times of the year. I love everything about them (YES...even the hectic in Christmas!)

Well, since it is now just about Thanksgiving...I decided I wanted to think about some of the things I'm thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for:

#1 The life that I was given (because someone has to do MY LIFE, right?!)
#2 My beautiful family who I love soooo much. My boys and my husband are my whole world.
#3 Jared.....Jared.....and more of Jared! My Angel who now watches over our family. I feel
so much JOY when I think about him and the life he led while here with us. I really never knew what JOY meant until Jared left....but now I understand PERFECTLY! All I can say is
Jared is my meaning of JOY! I hope all of you can and do experience what I have had. (A
feeling like no other.)You know what....you should have seen his SMILE....absolutely LIGHTS
up my world just thinking about it, like right now....I see his smile and it can turn my day
from bad to good just like that. It really is an AMAZING feeling!
#4 Eric....my husband....the guy I met at Giant 18 or so years ago....fell in love with his whole
being. For those of you who know him.....you can see why I wanted him all to my self...you
know how good of a person he is and always will be.....no matter what...even after the loss of
his SON...his BOY...his HERO. I believe that's one of the biggest things I miss so much,
seeing the relationship that I saw with Jared and Eric. They gave so much to each other.
Eric was and is the best father that could have been given to Jared. I am so glad that I got to
experience their love for each other because by seeing what I've seen, I grew in SPIRIT.
AWESOME.....AWESOME human experience!!
#5 Logan ....Logan is only 9 years old....and he has been throught a lot in his young life.
He experienced a tragedy (watching his brother die) He was at a loss of words, you could see
so much sadness in his eyes and it hurt like HELL to watch. I couldn't bare it....my kids were
and are my world. Now, one was leaving me and the other was hurt beyond belief and there
wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.....but SUFFER and try to make it through. I was
suffering inside myself....so much I wanted to crawl out of my body. Luckily.....here we all are
today.....beautiful family as can be...YES...with one less member, but, not really because he is
still with us...just in a different dimension....I feel him all the time....protecting all of us in one
way or the other.
#6 Aidan...my last baby of our family. Yes...no more, I'm done! Thank you. It's been nice but I've
had my share....5 pregnancies is enough for this little body. I had my tubes tied with my
Caeserian (spelling??) section. Aidan is our TOUGH GUY!. He is not as sensitive as Logan,
(probably because he didn't exprience the stress of having a special needs child around...and
for that I'm sad that Aidan never really knew Jared. He was only 1 when Jared passed
away.) Aidan is a handful in a way that Jared and Logan were not. He is Mr. Attitude with an
extra attitude....needs attitude adjustment as he storms away right now because he can't
have his way. He wants to go play Dragonball on the X Box. This kid is 3 and a half...and he's
video game addicted. He follows his brother on that. We've now decided to make the game
playing once a day, if that. We've let it go too far now. Aidan used to love doing Jigsaw puzzles
and it seems now like he couldn't care less. I know what Santa is bringing him for Christmas...
lots of Jigsaw puzzles, although I do want to get him the Leapfrog Leap Pad....at least then
he could learn while having fun, right?! I'll tell ya....gotta love him...because he's a riot!
#7 The times I actually get to sit down at dinner to eat and enjoy my family. I'm only home in
the morning and afternoons because I work all evening and night. I come home when my
family is in bed. I am grateful on my days off when I actually get to be with them.
#8 My love of jewelry and card (scrapbook) designing. Although lately, it's been just jewelry
because I only have so much time to CREATE! Also, I get in these crafting MOODS, where I
want to do one or the other and sometime (although rarely anymore) it's crocheting.
#9 My friends and family who mean so much to me. You all know who you are and I love you all
like brothers and sisters that we all are!
#10 The people I meet each and every day at my job. I love to spread kindness with each and
every one of my customers that come through my aisle (I am a cashier at Giant.) I have
found some really decent people out there. Although, sometimes my inner bitchiness comes
out and YES I want to lash out at the ones who are selfish and mean....but I bite my tongue
and proceed with KINDNESS that they (don't really) deserve! There are a few couples that
I actually enjoy their company! It makes my job worthwhile.
#11 Lots of everything else...i.e. FOOD, BOOKS, MUSIC, and of course TECHNOLOGY and the
things that are and is to come because I know I've not listed half of all there is to be thankful
for....and that.....my friends, is what life is all about...the reality that everything is what we
ask for either in this life or another....because God is good and that's what it all begins with!


Thanks for reading and until next time.....Enjoy the holiday!

Toy Story "You've Got A Friend In Me" music video

School Excuses

The following is a partial list of actual written excuses given to
teachers in the public school system by parents of students:

1.   Dear School: Please excuse John from being absent on Jan.
     28,29,30,31,32, and also 33.

2.   Please excuse Dianne from being absent yesterday. She was in
     bed with gramps.

3.   Please excuse Johnnie for being. It was his father's fault.

4.   Chris will not be in school because he has an acre in his side.

5.   John has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face.

6.   Excuse Gloria. She has been under the doctor.

7.   Lillie was absent from school yesterday because she had a going over.

8.   My son is under the doctor's care and should not take fizical ed.
     Please execute him.

9.   Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football.
     He was hit in the growing part.

10.  My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She
     spent this weekend with the Marines.

11.  Please excuse Joyce from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday she fell
     off a tree and misplaced her hip.

12.  Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

13.  Maryann was absent Dec. 11-16, because she had a fever, sore
     throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick,
     fever and sore throat, her brother had a low-grade fever. There
     must be the flu going around, her father even got hot last night.

14.  Please excuse Blanche from jim today.

15.  George was absent yesterday because he had a stomach.

16.  Ralph was absent yesterday because he had a sore trout.

17.  Please excuse Sara for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.

18.  Please excuse Lupe. She is having problems with her ovals.

Aerobics For Your Brain

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles.
And as we grow older, it's important that we keep mentally alert.
The saying "If you don't use it, you will lose it" also applies to the brain,
so below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of intelligence.
So, take the following test and determine if you are losing it or are still "with it."
The space between questions is there so you don't see the answers until you have made
your own response.
OK, relax, clear your mind, and ....... begin.
.
.
.
.
.
1. What do you put in a toaster?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The answer is "bread." If you said "toast," then give up now and go do something else.
Try not to hurt yourself. If you said, "bread," go to Question 2.
.
.
.
.
.
2. Say "silk" five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," please do not attempt the next
question. Your brain is obviously over stressed and may even overheat. It may
be that you need to content yourself with reading something more appropriate
such as "Children's World." If you said, "water" then proceed to Question 3.
.
.
.
.
.
3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks
and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks,
what is a greenhouse made from?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said "green bricks," what the
devil are you still doing here reading these questions????? If you said "glass,"
then go on to Question 4.
.
.
.
.
.
4. Twenty years ago, a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany. If you will
recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East
Germany. Anyway, during the flight, TWO of the engines fail. The pilot, realizing
that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately, the engine fails before he has time, and the plane crashes smack in
the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany. Where would you
bury the survivors? East Germany or West Germany or in "no man's land?"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: You don't, of course, bury survivors. If you said ANYTHING else, you
are a real dunce and you must NEVER try to rescue anyone from a plane crash.
Your efforts would not be appreciated. If you said, "Don't bury the survivors,"
then proceed to the next question.
.
.
.
.
.
5. If the hour hand on a clock moves 1/60 of a degree every minute then how many
degrees will the hour hand move in one hour?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: One degree. If you said "360 degrees" or anything other than "one degree,"
you are to be congratulated on getting this far, but you are obviously out of your
league. Turn your pencil in and exit the room. Everyone else proceed to the final
question.
.
.
.
.
.
6. Without using a calculator -- You are driving a bus from London to Milford
Haven in Wales. In London, 17 people get on the bus. In Reading, six people get
off the bus and nine people get on. In Swindon, two people get off and four get
on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get in. In Swansea, three people
get off and five people get on. In Carmathen, six people get off and three get on.
You then arrive at Milford Haven. What was the name of the bus driver?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Answer: Oh, for crying out loud! Don't you remember? It was YOU, you dummy.
Now pass this a long to all your friends (or enemies) and hope they do better
than you....

Age is a Funny Thing....

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. How old are you?.... "I'm four and a half" .... You're never 36 and a half .... you're four and a half going on five!
That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number. How old are you? "I'm gonna be 16." You could be 12, but you're gonna be 16.
And then the greatest day of your life happens .... you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony .... you BECOME 21 ... YES!!!
But then you turn 30 .... ooohhh what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk .... He TURNED, we had to throw him out. There's no fun now.
What's wrong?? What changed?? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40 ..... stay over there, it's all slipping away ........
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50 ..... and your dreams are gone.
Then you MAKE IT to 60 ..... you didn't think you'd make it!!!!
So you BECOME 21, you TURN 30, you're PUSHING 40, you REACH 50, you MAKE IT to 60 ...... then you build up so much speed you HIT 70!
After that, it's a day by day thing. After that, you HIT Wednesday .... You get into your 80's, you HIT lunch. My grandmother won't even buy green bananas .... it's an investment you know, and maybe a bad one.
And it doesn't end there .... into the 90's you start going backwards .... I was JUST 92 ...
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again .... "I'm 100 and a half!!!!"

Play Tic Tac Toe?

http://www.pyzam.com/tictactoe