Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether you are cooking, or not; staying in or going out; with a lot of people or alone; Have a blessed day!

I know I have many things to be thankful for!

Thoughts On Thursday

OK, it's only tuesday....but I've been thinking, especially since I have been asked by an 8 year old how the baby gets in the mom's belly. I guess I explained sufficiently how the baby is born. My answer to the first question was really quick and evasive so I need to find a better answer for him. Any suggestions? In the meantime I will google and see what I can find. I think he asks me because I talk to him and am honest. But what do I do when he asks a question about his older brother that I can't answer??? I will have to tell him to ask mom or dad b/c that's a very personal question only mom can answer. When mom or dad are asked I can only pray that they are honest.

I know of a teenager who does not know who her birth father is. All her siblings know and no one has ever told her....her mom is waiting for the 'right time'.....maybe she does know???? Her birth father (aka sperm donor) lives in the same small town as her and the rest of his children, but he hasn't made any contact with them for at least a year. His youngest son calls and begs to see him, phone calls are not answered and the boy hasn't seen his dad in over a month. Sad, very sad. His oldest son, 36, hasn't seen him since he was very young and his parents divorced. He is extremely resentful and I don't blame him at all. That is where lying gets you...and besides, if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember which story you told.

Today is the first day of school! Last year I enjoyed watching the kids pose in front of the school sign for first day of school photos, I loved it! It's cool right now, but sunny. It's going to be a great day!!!!

Later this morning I have a date with a friend to walk and have coffee afterward. Before that I will drop off 2 bags of toys/games at the thrift store. I wasn't planning to clean out the books and toys, but that is what I did yesterday. Tonight is our Red Hat meeting and we are working on our scrapbook. Working 2 days and then off.

Have a great week!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a blessed time with loved ones, whether it's many or a few. My hubby will be home a week earlier than anticipated from Singapore, so he's joining me, at my mother's assisted living residence, for dinner with her. 

Sunday night I returned from my vacation to New Orleans, sorry I haven't had time to share my photos. Monday I ran errands, did laundry, and put Christmas lights outside. Today I had to work and when I got home I put a new lock on our front door. The directions were as clear as mud! If they have to have those stupid diagrams I'd like the directions in WORDS to explain it! Wednesday and Friday I am working....there's my life in a few short sentences. 

I will be back as soon as I can to post more fun and exciting news.....or just whatever pops into my mind....and to get caught up. 

Thoughts on Thursday

Today I want to share a few things that I am thankful for.......tis the season ya know!

• I'm thankful that my sister has found a great guy to love and that he loves her too! She's waited a long time for this. God had her focus on raising her son before He put Jack into her life. Logan will graduate soon and that part of her life will be past. She's HAPPY and deserves to be!
• I'm also thankful that my good friend and (almost) former sister in law is finally happy and 'finding herself'. She had a lot of upheaval in her life the past year: loosing her job, starting school   at 40+, leaving her husband, raising a son who can be difficult, initiating a divorce, and dealing with a uncooperative (soon to be ex). She's started a new life and is HAPPY and deserves to be!
• I received a phone call from my step son (who usually only calls when he needs something ..hhmmm) This time he had some good news to share. His supervisor called him into her office and showed him a letter she had drafted and that was signed but the other supervisors stating that they want to put him on as a full time employee (he is currently in a seasonal position that is ending as I write this) and send him to school for CNC training. :-) I am so excited for him! This is the break he needs, he's made a lot of bad choices in the past but is trying to move on. It's not for sure as I write this.....but I'll be praying.

30 Days of Thanksgiving

I've completed my 30 days of thanksgiving (although a day late) but that doesn't mean I am going to stop thinking about it. Around the Thanksgiving holiday the idea of stating what we are thankful for surfaces.........we talk about it for a bit.......and then the hub bub of Christmas takes over. I'm suggesting that we take 5 minutes a day to be thoughtful and think of one thing to be thankful for on that day. Try it, I bet it will change your whole outlook!
On my last 'formal' day of posting what I am thankful for I am going to say that I'm thankful that I am content in my life.....as far as possessions go I have more than I need....I have my health, family, friends....I have been blessed with everything that I need. Yes, I occasionally have a pity party because something is not perfect and I deserve better.....but do I deserve more????
Now that it's December I can switch into winter mode. Don't tell Stacy & Clinton (What Not to Wear) but I do have 2 fall sweaters (with leaves & a scarecrow) that I've worn the past 2 weeks. Today I will pack them away and get out the few Christmas and winter sweaters that I still own. That means the MANY turtlenecks in a rainbow of colors will come to the front too. I hate to be cold and at work I'm in and out of the unheated backroom often so turtlenecks are my friend.
Have a great day and don't forget to be thankful!

Thankful on Day 29

Cookies? You're thinking why am I thankful for cookies????OK, I am not exactly thankful for cookies.........although I do like them and eat plenty of them. It's really hard for me to say this but I am thankful for the cooler weather that forces me to stay inside and for the bit of ambition I have been experiencing. Monday morning I had just a few errands to run and was home in less than an hour. I was planning on an out of town shopping trip but I didn't have my list in order so I stayed home and decided to bake some cookies, pinwheel cookies .... I haven't made them in years and I like them. For some reason I am in the mood to bake this year...hope it lasts. When I was a single parent with my 3 children at home I use to bake lots of cookies and candy and freeze them for Christmas. I tried to hide them in an unheated closet so the kids wouldn't eat everything up....it was a bit successful. The past several years I haven't baked much...not sure if it was due to apathy on my part or that of my family's, lack of time, dietary concerns, or just laziness. I also cleaned out one of my cupboards today.
Last week on Monday I took everything out of the pantry and cleaned it out. Let's hope this keeps up!!!
What, if anything, have you done in preparation for Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)?

It Was My First Time

Yes, you read that right, Saturday evening was my first time........now you know I don't mean 'that'....this is not that kind of blog and I am definitely not that kind of girl. We did have a good time, albeit a bit wet. The community I live in has a Holiday Fantasy parade the Saturday after Thanksgiving and our church participated this year. About a dozen people walked along and handed out glow sticks....the theme "Jesus is the light of the world".

We had children walking along and being pulled in wagons. No big deal you say....well.... It rained all afternoon was raining that evening too, not very heavy, but raining all through the parade. I probably wouldn't have done it if I hadn't made the commitment. If I say I'm going to do it I almost always will. My 6 & 7 year old grandsons walked with me. I thought it would be a good for them to get involved in some more church activities. We dressed warm but it wasn't cold at all, I didn't even have my gloves on. While we walked the 3 blocks to meet up with the rest of our group we each had an umbrella but I put them away while we walked the parade route. I put on a lightweight rain poncho......but noticed several blocks later that the hood was not on my head....so my hair was wet, and I looked like a drowned rat. Oh well, it was dark and I didn't care. I had my arms full with 3 umbrellas and a bag of glow sticks. When I ran out of glow sticks I was able to use the bag for 2 of the umbrellas and the candy the boys got. What a relief! After the parade we walked to the community house to have hot chocolate and see Santa, then back to the car. I don't think I've walked so much in a long time. On the way back to the car we found the end of one of the umbrellas we lost on the way there. I had been looking for it and was really surprised that we found it in the dark.

I'm thankful that I was able to do something unique with the boys that I hope they will remember. We didn't let a little rain stop us!

I'm also thankful for Dropbox because I usually type on my laptop and now I can just save it and print it from our desktop when I want to. Dropbox is a free and easy to use and install on all of your computers.

Gadgets & Gizmos

I've fallen behind in my 30 Days of Thanksgiving but I'm gonna get caught up soon! I love my gadgets & gizmo's and that is why I'm thankful for all of the modern technology we have at our finger tips. Aren't microwaves great? How nice it is to be able to reheat leftovers from Thanksgiving, to quickly pop some popcorn, or to make a cup of tea. Remote controls.....remember when we (as kids) had to get up and change the channel for our parents? in the early days of our adult lives? Today, if we can't find the remote it's a major event. There are remotes for fans, radios, even the blinds on your windows....my favorite one is my car remote - it comes in SO handy on those cold, snowy days when I am at work or out and about....oh, I do like my TV remote....you know, the one with the sleep timer I use to shut the TV off after I've gone to bed. I can take my laptop along when I travel and check my (ever so important) facebook page...OK, I am being facetious. But it is nice to have. I love my Nookcolor, at first I wasn't sure I'd like reading on it but now I do. It's easier to read in bed with it and only have to hold one thing instead of trying to hold the pages open and the book. I think I was the first one of my friends to buy a digital camera (after my 1st grandchild was born) and I have several. I do have a cell phone but it is a prepaid one and I seldom use it, no need to because I am not that important that people are calling me all the time. I prefer the house telephone. I love my crafting tools too- Vagabond, Your Story, Bind it All, Slice.....gotta stay away from crafting stores.
I'm also thankful that I have a relatively new car that runs good.
I'm thankful that I was able to make a nice Thanksgiving dinner (with help from guests) to share with some of our family that were able to come here.

Faithful Place & Black Friday

I finished Faithful Place by Tana French several days ago but have been busy with Thanksgiving preparations so haven't posted. The book was recommended by someone in my book club. It takes place in Ireland during the present day. Frank leaves his dysfunctional family at 19 and returns 22 years later to try to solve a disappearance? murder? case. The complexities of family relationships are explored upon his return after 22 years away from his family.What clues are in the old suitcase that was found hidden behind the chimney in the abandoned house? Since a lot of Irish slang is used the writing is pretty colorful. It's a good book, go ahead and read it.

Today I'm thankful that I it was a really mild fall day and I was able to get rid of the remaining potted plants I had outside, toss the pumpkins, and put away the fall things.....I even put one Christmas wreath out. I thought about putting up some Christmas lights out but didn't because I don't have any clips for the gutters to hang the lights on. I really miss not having outdoor lights up.

I also pulled out the gifts I've purchased already to see what I have for the grand kids for St Nick's. I was pleasantly surprised that I only have to buy a couple of things yet....woo hoo!

Did you hit any of the 'Black Friday' sales? I work until noon on black Fridays so only do a little shopping after work, even if I was off I would NOT be a part of it....maybe if I was 20 years younger...but you won't catch me shoving or being a part of any other nastiness that I often hear about. My daughter in law goes and they usually have a good time. ......maybe I should have gone......I can't sleep.....so am up way past my bedtime blogging. .......

Happy Thanksgiving!

The display at our church............MUCH nicer in person....had to use my cell phone camera...not high quality.

Redial

Do you use Redial? You know, you just hit one button on the phone and it dials the number you last called???? It comes in handy if you keep getting a busy signal when you call someone. OK, most people have voice mail now. Or maybe you're a little weird and like to make annoying phone calls. Neither of those reasons are why I like redial. It may sound silly, but I am thankful for redial....it has allowed me to win several call in contests at our local radio station. I've won tickets to the local performing arts center to see comedians, plays, concerts; various gift certificates; tickets to see a magician; and even cash. Yes, I like redial!!!

Thankful - Days 20 &21

I am very thankful for my mother and don't tell her nearly as much as I should. She's the reason I am who I am today. I've been influenced by the things she did and said and also by what she did not say or do. My mom is very strong and has been through a lot in her life, including the great depression and loosing her baby and husband within one year. She's not book smart but she was not afraid to try to fix something, she knew about nature and animals, she'd tell me I was 'just right' when I thought I was too skinny, one of her favorite sayings was 'sometimes you have to bite your tongue', she taught me to drive a stick shift, she loves her grandchildren and helped my sister and me so much with them, and on and on. Thanks mom!!!!!!!
While I'm at it I am thankful for my father too although I don't remember him. Without him where would I be? Not here, I guarantee!!!! I don't know what attributes I can 'blame' him for....but I am guessing he's where I got the healthy genes from.... I seem to be the healthy one in the family...but who knows?
I have a lot to be thankful for!

Thankful for............days 18 & 19

I'm thankful for my grandchildren, I'm sure I didn't have to tell you that! They are so much fun, funny, and each one is different. I only wish we lived closer to my children so I could be a part of their daily lives.
Another thing I am thankful for is modern medicine. I've had several precancerous areas that have been caught and 'nipped in the bud'.
One was when I was in my 30's.....I can't imagine never knowing my grandchildren.

Willpower?

I'm thankful that I can watch nearly 2 hours of crafting on HSN (shopping channel) with the hosts oohing and aahing over the new Cricut Mini (especially when I have a Cricut in my online shopping cart - and I do want it but keep telling myself I don't need it) and not even hop online their site to order! It doesn't need the expensive cartridges, you can purchase (online) just the images you need, it doesn't take up much space, etc.

I tell ya, those folks that sell on the shopping channels make me think I need everything! ....the $350 leather purse that I'll have forever (then why would I watch them and buy another purse?).....the beautiful gold earrings that will be my 'go to' pair and the ones I will wear every day and for going out......and on and on. I am so thankful that I have the will power not to order from those programs! (But I do NOT have the willpower to keep chocolate out of my mouth) Sometimes I like to watch the craft shows just to see what they offer and what is new. I'll stop for a few minutes to watch fashion, shoes, and purses once in a while too. This time of year it's fun to watch the gift shows (for ideas). It sounds like I watch a lot of TV shopping, no, I really don't. And I VERY SELDOM buy a product, before I do I like to check the customer ratings for that item.

Back to the Cricut- ever since I went to the Waypost scrapbooking retreat I've wanted a Cricut (so many women had one) and have had one in my HSN shopping cart (but never checked out). I just keep telling myself it would actually be more work for my scrapbooking attempts, I have other tools - a Slice (actually my daughter has it), a Vagabond, a Bind-it-All, rubber stamps, a really old die cutting machine-, I don't have room for it, I can't afford it, and stickers are less expensive and quicker to purchase and just stick on, I don't do that much scrapbooking, and my scrap books are pretty simple and not magazine ready. How did I do? Do you think I've talked myself out of it?

Do you have a Cricut? Do you have crafting tools that you had to have but don't use? Please tell me I am not the only one!

Easy Dinners

Today I am thankful that hubby, who is an extremely picky eater, doesn't expect a 3 course meal on the table for dinner every night at a set time. In fact, if I don't feel like cooking, he's OK with it. It's just the 2 of us now and on the days I work I really don't feel like making much. For instance tonight I opened a can of Manwich, threw in some hamburger that I had browned ahead and had in the freezer for days just like this...and viola! We called it dinner. I do cook on my days off.......most of the time. I think I'd cook more if he wasn't such a picky eater. Unfortunately (for my waistline) I am not a picky eater.

Just Drive

Sunday I went to my oldest granddaughters 11th birthday party.....how did she grow up so fast? She's turning into a delightful young lady (who likes to scrapbook too- yay!) She's a thoughtful and kind girl. Most of my grandchildren live over an hour to 2 hours drive away, so I'm glad I don't mind driving.

On the way to work this morning I was thinking about driving.........I'm thankful that I can drive a standard transmission (even though right now only our convertible has a stick). I learned how to drive on a stick, thanks to my mom. She wanted me to learn how to drive (I suppose in her day there were more women who did not drive - one was her older sister) and our car was a stick...so there ya go. The first winter I drove the car in snow I had some problems. (Now I realize I probably didn't have the wheels straightened out). Anyway, when I'd shift into gear and start to drive I'd run right into the curb....over and over....so I got ticked and walked home (at least 1/2 mile). I am not a patient person. It wasn't so funny then, but it is now. Previously if I wanted to use our truck hubby couldn't find an excuse because I could drive it. *smile*

The sunset on the way home. The good thing about getting home when it's almost dark is that it forces me to stay inside and once in a while I actually accomplish something.

Since I'm behind in my 30 Days of Thanksgiving I'm doubling up today. I'm thankful that I have pretty good health. I don't need to take a handful of pills every day, I feel good, I can breath, and can move around pretty good.

More to be Thankful For

I was really remiss in yesterdays post and did not thank the vets at all.....my apologies to them and their families! Thank You Veterans! My dad was a vet and I was never able to thank him either. Today I am thankful that I live in the US......where our beliefs are not dictated, our movements are not monitored, entrepreneurship is encouraged, where we can say what is on our minds, and that citizens can and are willing to fight to keep those freedoms for us. I am not an activist, protester, or politically inclined but I appreciate those who are (the ones I agree with more than those I don't *smile*).

Alone/the Friday 56

It's the Friday 56 at http://www.fredasvoice.blogspot.com/. Stop in and see what other interesting sentences are posted.....maybe you'll find a good book to read.

P. 56 "She kept her mouth shut, she still didn't ask any questions." I am not sure if I am going to finish this book or not, it's one I can read any time because I have it on my ereader. Also I'm not sure if it is my type of book....it's OK so far. I started it so I'd have something to read while I was waiting for my book club book to be in...and it is. Today I got an email saying that a book I requested from Overdrive is in so I downloaded that one and will read it first. The Lit Wits (our book club) doesn't meet again until Dec 13th so I'll have plenty of time to read that book.
Here's an excerpt from the Smashwords website (where I got this free book): "Caught in a violent and abusive relationship, Serenity thinks there is no escape. Upon meeting a stranger, Sebastian, she is shown the possibility of a different future. Only Sebastian has a dark secret; he is a vampire. As Serenity’s life takes a terrifying turn, she finds herself drawn into a world she never knew existed; one of murder, love, and immortality. She is forced to confront her own weaknesses to save both her own life and that of the vampire she has come to love. But in the end all that matters is; can she find the strength to be Alone?"
I'm tee hee heeing because I scheduled this to be posted at 11:11am on Friday the 11th. Just something silly I decided to do.............I'm at work...... and I hope the combination of a full moon and 11-11-11 isn't a bad omen (not that I believe in them).
Today I am thankful for chocolate.......I LOVE chocolate....I'm addicted to it (if one can be).

My, What Big Hair You Have!

I was a single parent for several years. It was hard, I sucked at it and learned a lot from that experience. This is the last family photo I had taken with my children, my daughter is 18 in that photo and I am much thinner.

I'm a little behind in my "30 Days of Thanksgiving" so I'm gonna get caught up:

I am so very thankful for my children. We have been through a lot and some fences still have to be mended but I love them and am proud of their accomplishments and will always, always love them. I also have 2 step children whom I am thankful for. These 5 'kids' have given us 9 grandchildren whom we adore!

I am also thankful for my co-worker, Lisa, who goes above and beyond at work. I work for a small, family owned business. Of course everything is done online now, it's a necessity. I love working on the computer and technology. I know enough but not as much as I need to know, I usually just fool around on the computer and figure things out. Recently we had to do some online bidding using Excel (which I know nothing about) so Lisa got everything set up for us and when we couldn't enter some of the info on the work computer she did it at home on her own time. How many people do you know who would do that??? Not many, I bet.

D'ya know what I think? I think It's easy to find something every day to be thankful for!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

......and it's cheap too, that is as long as you are NOT using it to make fun of some one's misfortune.

I often use it and encourage others to laugh with me when I do something really 'blond', such as walking into a door. The other night all of the lights were off downstairs and I was walking through the family room to the laundry room and "BAM" I smashed right into the door, and believe me, it happens just like they show it in the cartoons. The basement door is suppose to be closed...but guess who left it open???? probably me. I laughed and said something funny to hubby like "Boy, that was fun!"

I also have to have a sense of humor regarding all of they typos I make while writing this blog. For instance, one of my recent posts was titled "untitted" until I noticed it and changed it. Sometimes I choose the auto correct and don't see that I've agreed to a word that looks similar to what I thought I wrote but is not at all what I meant. I can spell and speak reasonably well, but I can not type worth a darn! sorry......

I appreciate a sense of humor and that is what I am thankful for today - a sense of humor. Some people are so serious that you can not joke around with them. When I am comfortable and like someone I am likely to joke with them. Some of my grandchildren have a unique sense of humor and it is noticeable when they are really young........by the time they're a year old you can tell. I just love it!!! So lighten up a little and don't take life so seriously all of the time!!!