Just my little "get away" where I can mumble about everything, something, or nothing at all! It's a scary place in my mind... it should be a fun ride!
From: Michigan, United States
About me: I'm a very proud mother to three incredible kids! My kids are without a doubt my life and soul! I have lived in this area all of my life, but who knows! Maybe it will be time for a change soon.
31 December 2005
Sorry....
that I've slaked...again! I wanted this post to be the story of Jason and I, but that's just not happening! I know that I owe you guys that story, the Christmas pics of everyone's reactions to my evilness, and a couple Maxine's now. I promise I will get ALL of those to you, just don't know when. Spent all last nite up with the lil one, then 5 1/2 hours in the ER this morning! **YAWN** So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE forgive, and have just a tad of patience and I'll delivery all that I've promised. So until things settle down a bit here, and I get SOME kind of rest...... I hope all you dream for the New Year is yours, and then some! :)
29 December 2005
New... AGAIN!
Ok.. I think I like this one for New Years! Ya'll will have to let me know whatcha think! LOL Hey! I warned ya long, long ago that I was totally addicted to creating graphics! LOL
Yesterday....
was my anniversary! So.... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME/US!! However, the only people that remembered and wished me a Happy Anniversary on their own was my Mom and Dad. It was really sweet.. they called, and when I answered the phone I heard them both (on different extensions) YELL into the phone "HAPPYYYYY ANNIVERSARYYYYYY!!!!!!" Yep! That's my Mom n Dad! LOL I kinda forgave hubby for not remembering, cuz he's been dealing with me being sick, and doing a strangely fantabulous job at caring for me, too! So he'd earned enough bonus points from that to get semi-off-the-hook for not remembering. (ya gotta know that I'm really whiney AND bitchy at the same time when I'm sick!) LOL
This would be a good time to tell ya'll about how we met six years ago.. but I'm just not up to typing that much right now, maybe later tonite.. so stop back by and see. :) It's truely one of those AWWWWWWWW stories! (at least I think so!) he he Until then...
This would be a good time to tell ya'll about how we met six years ago.. but I'm just not up to typing that much right now, maybe later tonite.. so stop back by and see. :) It's truely one of those AWWWWWWWW stories! (at least I think so!) he he Until then...
28 December 2005
Surprise... again! LOL
Ok.. here's my toast to ya'll and the New Year! I hope ya'll like it. Please don't forget me since I haven't been around too much the past few days. Hubby is home this week, AND I've been sicker than a dog! Uggg! Thanks to all of you for passin that along to me! LOL I will get back into the swing of things after he goes back to work, and things get more "normal" around here... but I will try to check out ya'll blogs. I haven't forgot about a one of ya! Until then.........
24 December 2005
Christmas Story & Me being EVIL! LOL
**EDIT** Please be sure to read the post below this one titled "Special Request"!
Ok, first off I'll tell ya'll about me being evil! There was a couple things that I've done to my dear loved ones this Christmas Season... bwwwwaaahahahahahaha! First off, I got all the gifts wrapped and placed nicely under the tree. However, I made sure to put all of my hubby's right in the front, so he could be drove insane, then I was sure to cover up as many of the older two's gifts with the lil ones, and hubby's, so that they couldn't even see what shape their packages were. Then told them ALL that if they even touched ANY of the gifts, they couldn't have any! HE HE Then hubby... I did get him his VERY MUCH WANTED case for his Palm, however I told him that I couldn't find any ANYWHERE, and also didn't wrap it, but stuck it in the toe of his stocking, which you can't even tell there's anything in there! again.. he he he! THEN.. this one's the most evil of ALL, I think. My two older kids were begging for a couple of the ChatNow phones, and we, of course, bought them for them, with a couple cases as well. However, when I took my daughter shopping for the gifts from her, I found them WITH the cases as a bonus for free. So I bought those, and told the kids tonite that my hubby would be taking back their ChatNow phones, as we ended up needing the money for bills.... so they WITNESSED their return to the store, phones, and cases! But will actually receive the other ones from Santa, not us! BWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I can't wait to see the look on all their faces come Christmas morning! LOL
Now on to the Christmas story... *WARNING!!! GRAB TISSUES AGAIN!**
THE PERFECT GIFT
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree at this time of the year for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. You know, the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner city church. The kids were mostly black.
These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without head gear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously couldn't afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids-all kids. He understood kids in competitive situations, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.
His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition - one year sending a group of mentally challenged youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas - on and on...
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. Still, the story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. Yet Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further, with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation, watching as their fathers take down their envelopes.
Mike's spirit, like the spirit of Christmas, will always be with us.
Ok, first off I'll tell ya'll about me being evil! There was a couple things that I've done to my dear loved ones this Christmas Season... bwwwwaaahahahahahaha! First off, I got all the gifts wrapped and placed nicely under the tree. However, I made sure to put all of my hubby's right in the front, so he could be drove insane, then I was sure to cover up as many of the older two's gifts with the lil ones, and hubby's, so that they couldn't even see what shape their packages were. Then told them ALL that if they even touched ANY of the gifts, they couldn't have any! HE HE Then hubby... I did get him his VERY MUCH WANTED case for his Palm, however I told him that I couldn't find any ANYWHERE, and also didn't wrap it, but stuck it in the toe of his stocking, which you can't even tell there's anything in there! again.. he he he! THEN.. this one's the most evil of ALL, I think. My two older kids were begging for a couple of the ChatNow phones, and we, of course, bought them for them, with a couple cases as well. However, when I took my daughter shopping for the gifts from her, I found them WITH the cases as a bonus for free. So I bought those, and told the kids tonite that my hubby would be taking back their ChatNow phones, as we ended up needing the money for bills.... so they WITNESSED their return to the store, phones, and cases! But will actually receive the other ones from Santa, not us! BWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I can't wait to see the look on all their faces come Christmas morning! LOL
Now on to the Christmas story... *WARNING!!! GRAB TISSUES AGAIN!**
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree at this time of the year for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. You know, the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma, the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended. Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner city church. The kids were mostly black.
These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without head gear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously couldn't afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids-all kids. He understood kids in competitive situations, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me.
His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition - one year sending a group of mentally challenged youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas - on and on...
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. Still, the story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. Yet Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.
The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further, with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation, watching as their fathers take down their envelopes.
Mike's spirit, like the spirit of Christmas, will always be with us.
23 December 2005
Special Request
I have a special request. I'm sure many of you are currently, or have just finished writing cards to friends and family. If you can, please send an extra one (or 10, or 20) to our American military heroes who are recuperating from wounds this Christmas Season. Please enclose a short note thanking them for their service and personal sacrifice. They are the protectors of our freedom, we must let them know. I realize that even if you sent them out right this second, that they probably wouldn't get there by Christmas Day... but even a couple days late would bring a smile to a hero's face! :)
Your small act of kindness will be greatly appreciated.
Here's the address...
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001
This is actually where my Dad was some 36 years ago after being shot in VietNam. I can only imagine not only what it would mean to these true heros, but to their families that can't be there with them this Christmas!
Remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas.....
Your small act of kindness will be greatly appreciated.
Here's the address...
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001
This is actually where my Dad was some 36 years ago after being shot in VietNam. I can only imagine not only what it would mean to these true heros, but to their families that can't be there with them this Christmas!
Remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas.....
Another Christmas Story
Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the photograph ... my granddaughter .. well, you see
.
she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa . any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."
Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."
When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon . I'll take you there," Rick said softly.
Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall.
Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.
Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.
"Oh, yes, Santa . I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you,"he said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night .... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
"Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"
"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.
Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.
That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well.
He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, "Thank you, Father.
'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!
22 December 2005
Just for Christmas...
I'm going to be posting a couple of "Christmas Stories" over the last couple days before Christmas. I've thought and contemplated about weither to post them here for all to see, or to email them individually so as to not "offend" anyone. But I just kept going back to 1) This is MY DAMN BLOG, and if someone reads something here that "offends" them, then they have the right to leave and never return; and 2) These stories touched me so deeply, and really made me think about not only my life as a whole, but my actions toward everyone around me on a daily basis; and most importantly 3)Yes! I am a christian, a Catholic, and I do firmly believe in God, in miracles, in heaven, ect., and I'm not ashamed of that in any way shape or form. I'm by FAR a "bible thumper" (not that there's anything wrong with that!), there's plenty of weeks that I don't make it to mass because my older two are with their Dad so I don't have to make sure they're there, and I also don't believe that I have to sit in a man made building for God to know that I believe, and pray.
So... having said all THAT (LOL) Here is the first of a couple stories that really touched me! I hope you enjoy them as well! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE OF YOU!!
A Christmas Story
Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold.
Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend."
Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It
wasn't because his mother didn't care or try,there just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.
What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and
family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sister who ran the house hold in their mother's absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach.
It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment.
As he held his new-found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn't buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten-cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's
shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you."
As Bobby waited, he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers. The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality.
All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow.
Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.
"That will be ten cents young man." the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.
Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime!
Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on
sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?"
This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true.
Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son, and may God bless you" As he returned inside, the shop keeper's wife walked out. "Who were you talking to back there, and where are the roses you were fixing?"
Staring out the window and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A strange thing happened to me this morning."
"While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime."
"When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses."
The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly and as they stepped out into the bitter
cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.
May this story instill the spirit of Christmas in you............
So... having said all THAT (LOL) Here is the first of a couple stories that really touched me! I hope you enjoy them as well! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE OF YOU!!
A Christmas Story
Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them and anyway he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold.
Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend."
Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It
wasn't because his mother didn't care or try,there just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.
What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and
family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sister who ran the house hold in their mother's absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing.
Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were. It wasn't easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach.
It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment.
As he held his new-found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn't buy anything with only a dime.
He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten-cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's
shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you."
As Bobby waited, he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers. The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality.
All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby's eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow.
Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.
"That will be ten cents young man." the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.
Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime!
Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on
sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?"
This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true.
Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son, and may God bless you" As he returned inside, the shop keeper's wife walked out. "Who were you talking to back there, and where are the roses you were fixing?"
Staring out the window and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, "A strange thing happened to me this morning."
"While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime."
"When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses."
The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly and as they stepped out into the bitter
cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.
May this story instill the spirit of Christmas in you............
21 December 2005
Keepin the promise...
I promised ya'll pictures the other day from the Christmas Party and from my two older kids' Christmas play. And I don't make a promise that I don't keep (even if it takes me awhile). LOL So here's the pictures.... Enjoy!
SATURDAY'S CHRISTMAS PARTY
SUNDAY'S CHRISTMAS PLAY
(My son is the Head Angel, my daughter is Mary)
SUNDAY'S CHRISTMAS PLAY
(My son is the Head Angel, my daughter is Mary)
20 December 2005
Crazy......
Everything's been a bit crazy around here. Even my damn blog! For whatever reason, it wouldn't let me go to ANY, sign in to MINE, NOTHING! Grrrrrrrrr!! I can't say for sure that it was still doing it yesterday, cuz I'd gotten so damn frustrated with it already, that I didn't even try! But now it seems to like me again, so I'm back for as long as Blogger will allow! LOL
Trying to stay on top of Christmas, and bills, ya'll know how that is! I'm truely not one that tries to make Christmas a big commercial holiday, however, I will admit that I do get a sense of satisfaction when someone opens a gift from me, and a huge genuine smile comes across their face! :) I would much rather have everyone give me all their money so that I can spend it all on gifts for other people. I know, I'm a bit strange! LOL Oh well!
I hope everyone is still kickin around here. I promise that I'll get caught up on ya'lls blogs as well.....
Trying to stay on top of Christmas, and bills, ya'll know how that is! I'm truely not one that tries to make Christmas a big commercial holiday, however, I will admit that I do get a sense of satisfaction when someone opens a gift from me, and a huge genuine smile comes across their face! :) I would much rather have everyone give me all their money so that I can spend it all on gifts for other people. I know, I'm a bit strange! LOL Oh well!
I hope everyone is still kickin around here. I promise that I'll get caught up on ya'lls blogs as well.....
17 December 2005
Busy Day
I've gotta tell ya'll that I HATE HATE HATE not being able to drive my truck! The tires on my truck are pushin out of the rims on the inside which is, obviously, not a good thing. So there it sits, waiting every so patiently for us to get new tires. Then in the mean time, I have to figure out alternate ways of getting my older two kids where they need to be when they need to be there when hubby is still at work! I would love to see him do, and deal with, this kind of shit on any given day! Grrrrrrrrrr!
So today was the Christmas Party on my Dad's side of the family. And when I say "his side", I mean EVERYONE! Grandmother, all the Aunts & Uncles, all the cousins, their kids, and grandkids, and of course, the couple of friends that some of the younger kids bring along. We usually have this function at a hall, and would have this year as well, but when we all got there, we found out the the stupid people don't know how to schedule things, and double book the hall! Stupid, stupid people. So all in our cars we drove over to my Uncles house. Which use to be my Grandma's house, and wasn't really big enough to hold everyone when I was a kid, let alone now that myself and all my counsins are grown with families of our own (some with Grandkids themselves already)!! So it was cramped, but a good time was still had by all! I'm too tired tonite to throw pics up, but I'll try to do it tomorrow. No promises though, cuz I have another busy day then too. Hubby has to work, kids have a play at Church that they HAVE TO BE AT (oldest daughter is "Mary" in the play, son is the "head angel"... so I've scrambled once again being without my truck. Hope ya'll are having a relaxing, enjoyable weekend! Till tomorrow....
So today was the Christmas Party on my Dad's side of the family. And when I say "his side", I mean EVERYONE! Grandmother, all the Aunts & Uncles, all the cousins, their kids, and grandkids, and of course, the couple of friends that some of the younger kids bring along. We usually have this function at a hall, and would have this year as well, but when we all got there, we found out the the stupid people don't know how to schedule things, and double book the hall! Stupid, stupid people. So all in our cars we drove over to my Uncles house. Which use to be my Grandma's house, and wasn't really big enough to hold everyone when I was a kid, let alone now that myself and all my counsins are grown with families of our own (some with Grandkids themselves already)!! So it was cramped, but a good time was still had by all! I'm too tired tonite to throw pics up, but I'll try to do it tomorrow. No promises though, cuz I have another busy day then too. Hubby has to work, kids have a play at Church that they HAVE TO BE AT (oldest daughter is "Mary" in the play, son is the "head angel"... so I've scrambled once again being without my truck. Hope ya'll are having a relaxing, enjoyable weekend! Till tomorrow....
15 December 2005
VERY Beautiful!!
I recieved this ECard tonite and found it VERY touching! So ya'll know me.. if I have to think about "stuff", so do you! LOL It actually brings "Christmas" back into Christmas! I choose the color of the candle as "yellow", you'll understand why after viewing the card! Just clk on the Christmas Wreath, and make sure you have your speakers on! Enjoy!!
SURPRISE!
Merry Christmas from lil 'ol ME, to all of you! I told ya'll that I was addicted to creating graphics! LOL I hope ya'll like it! :) I'll put my Blue Angel back up after Christmas. And I'll have a regular post later on today... *yawn* For those of you who didn't see my post from yesterday (yeah, yeah.. I was late!) be sure to scroll down a tad to see those. Maxine was really good! :)
14 December 2005
Today... mumbling's
In case you didn't see my blinkie over yonder, I LOVE music! And I've passed that on to all three of my kids. There's hardly a time that there's not music on somewhere. Even the lil one prefers the kids shows that are centered around music, and if they aren't on, we've either got the radio on during the day, or CMT watching videos. I usually don't get the opportunity to snap a pic of them without one of them freaking out cuz they're acting silly... but I was able to tonite! So here's a peepin Tom's view of what my Family Room looks like on any given nite!
Now onto a rather strange call I received tonite on my cell. I'm driving (slowing, cuz the roads are ALL ICE) to the store to pick up some black pants and a white shirt for my son for his band concert tomorrow, when my phone starts ringing (well, actually, Charlie Daniels starts singing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia). I debate weither or not to answer the damn thing, cuz I'm fixin to go through two sets of "S" curves... but, I can't stand to not know who calls me, so I do. And this is the conversation (or part of) that transpired:
Me: Hello?
Ex: Hey, Whatcha doin'?
Me: I'm just on my way to the store to get Danny some clothes for his concert tomorrow, what's up?
Ex: I just wanted to thank you!!
Me: Ummmmmm... for what? I know I'm wonderful and all, but what are you thanking me for?
Ex: Well, for being a fantastic ex-wife, and not starting shit with me all the time, or dragging me into court every other week like most of the guys I work with.
Me: Well, not everyone can be as lucky as you to have someone like me in their life!
Ex: Yes, I know. I just wanted to call you and say thank you!
Ok... WTH?! I did tell him that he needs to remember this the next time something rubs him the wrong way and he gets shitty with me! And I also reminded him that it wasn't beyond me to be a bitch! (believe it or not.. I really can be a bitch! I know! Hard to believe! he he) I'm still a little dumb founded by this whole conversation. LOL The only thing that I can figure is that one of his buddies got yanked into court and their CS raised. Which... even though I KNOW I'm entitled to a raise in support every three years, I've never done. The ex loves his money more than anything, always has, always will... so I quite honestly don't want anything to do with it! I know! Sounds dumb. But the in depth explanation to THAT is a whole other post! :) Happy Hump Day!
Now onto a rather strange call I received tonite on my cell. I'm driving (slowing, cuz the roads are ALL ICE) to the store to pick up some black pants and a white shirt for my son for his band concert tomorrow, when my phone starts ringing (well, actually, Charlie Daniels starts singing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia). I debate weither or not to answer the damn thing, cuz I'm fixin to go through two sets of "S" curves... but, I can't stand to not know who calls me, so I do. And this is the conversation (or part of) that transpired:
Me: Hello?
Ex: Hey, Whatcha doin'?
Me: I'm just on my way to the store to get Danny some clothes for his concert tomorrow, what's up?
Ex: I just wanted to thank you!!
Me: Ummmmmm... for what? I know I'm wonderful and all, but what are you thanking me for?
Ex: Well, for being a fantastic ex-wife, and not starting shit with me all the time, or dragging me into court every other week like most of the guys I work with.
Me: Well, not everyone can be as lucky as you to have someone like me in their life!
Ex: Yes, I know. I just wanted to call you and say thank you!
Ok... WTH?! I did tell him that he needs to remember this the next time something rubs him the wrong way and he gets shitty with me! And I also reminded him that it wasn't beyond me to be a bitch! (believe it or not.. I really can be a bitch! I know! Hard to believe! he he) I'm still a little dumb founded by this whole conversation. LOL The only thing that I can figure is that one of his buddies got yanked into court and their CS raised. Which... even though I KNOW I'm entitled to a raise in support every three years, I've never done. The ex loves his money more than anything, always has, always will... so I quite honestly don't want anything to do with it! I know! Sounds dumb. But the in depth explanation to THAT is a whole other post! :) Happy Hump Day!
Daily Maxine & Xmas Wish!
I wish for THIS for Christmas! One of you help me out here, PLEASE! Here is also a Special Christmas Poem for ya'll! Enjoy! :)
Twas the nite before Maxine's Christmas
And all through the house...
Not a creature was stirring
Since the cat ate the mouse.
My support hose were hung
By the chimney with care.
(I hung them last Christmas
And just left them there.)
My dog, Floyd, was nestled
All snug in his bed,
After watching the cat rip
The presents to shreds.
And I in my long johns
And ratty night cap
Had just settled my butt
For a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn
There arose such a clatter,
I swore at the window,
"What the (blank) is the matter?"
I tore open the window,
Not a second to tarry,
All ready to throw
The noisemaker a berry.
A bright moon was lighting
The new-fallen snow...
And I had a moon of my own
Set to show.
Floyd was beside me,
Paw pointing the way
Toward eight tiny reindeer
Hitched up to a sleigh...
And a little old driver
So cheery and quick,
I thought for a moment
That I would be sick.
Like a bat out of...you know,
His reindeer they came,
And I whistled and shouted
And called them some names--
"Hey, Hornhead! Hey, Furface!
Hey, Weiner and Turkey!
Yo, Klutzy and Mangy
And Venison Jerky!
Stay off of my porch!
Get away from my wall!
Now hit the road, hit the road,
Hit the road, all!
But as pedestrians before
My old Buick , they fly
And head for high ground
With great fear in their eyes,
So up to my rooftop
The fleabags they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys
And old Fruitcake - Breath too.
And then, in a twinkling,
I heard on the roof
Holes in my new shingles
Made by each tiny hoof.
As I reached for my slingshot
And a marble as well,
Down the chimney Ssst. Nicholas
Tumbled and fell.
He had a huge sack of
Cheap junk on his back
And I whispered to Floyd,
"Be prepared to attack."
His eyes they were squinting,
His toy bag was draggin',
And I felt for a moment
Like I'd soon be gaggin'.
He was dressed all in red.
With a bell on his hat.
And a belt of black leather
To hold back the fat.
A billowing pipe
He clenched tight in his smile,
And the smell was like something
Had been dead for awhile.
He had a broad face
And a little round belly
That shook when I nailed him
With a handful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump,
Well, actually porky,
And I laughed when I tripped him
(He looked pretty dorky).
He was like a beached whale
Unable to budge.
And he tasted good , too,
If the dog was a judge.
I spoke not a word
But went straight to my work--
A noogie, a wedgie,
A cry of "You jerk!"
Until laying a finger
Aside of his nose,
With a loud cry of "Uncle!"
Up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to the sleigh
And dragged in the toys,
Then he cried to the reindeer,
"Get me out of here, Boys!"
And I had to exclaim
As a slushball I tossed,
"Happy Christmas to all,
And to all a Get Lost!"
But then, as I turned,
I saw 'neath the tree
Two gaily wrapped presents--
One for Floyd, one for me.
A big bag of jerky
Turned Floyd mighty chipper,
While for me was a pair
Of brand-new bunny slippers.
I looked out the window,
And hovering there,
Old Santa was winking
From his sleigh in midair...
"Merry Christmas, Maxine!"
He cried, full of cheer,
"Same to you, Pal!" I answered,
("I'll get you next year!")
THE END
13 December 2005
Christmas at the Gas Station
This is just one of those stories that you can't help but foward along! I've heard this one time and time again, and I think it's had a slightly different, but the same (yanno?) meaning for me each time! It's a tad long... but ohhhh so worth the time! I hope ya'll enjoy it! :)
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go." "Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty, "Stew ... made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."
George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ........" George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.
George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.
"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."
The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.
He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked. "None for me," said the officer. "Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.
The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."
He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week .."
George handed the gun to the cop. Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."
He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.
Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?," the wounded cop continued. "Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"
Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."
George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said, "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."
George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George.
You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry.
The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists.
The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.
"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord."
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go." "Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty, "Stew ... made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."
George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ........" George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.
George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.
"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."
The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.
He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked. "None for me," said the officer. "Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.
The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."
He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week .."
George handed the gun to the cop. Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."
He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.
Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?," the wounded cop continued. "Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"
Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."
George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said, "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."
George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George.
You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry.
The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists.
The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.
"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord."
Got my new dress.....
new dress, new dress on! LOL So now ya'll know why I didn't post until now. I was working on this last nite, errrrr... well this morning until about 230, then this afternoon for a little bit, too. You'll have to let me know whatcha think! :) I'll do my reg posts (Maxine, ect) a little later on! Happy Tuesday!!!!
12 December 2005
Ok.. I'm back
Sorry I didn't post over the weekend. I was bummin cuz my man was gone, and was working on getting a blog created for my "boss lady". LOL Didn't do too bad with the turn around time, only took a day from being asked, to finished and up. Well, almost finished. She wants me to add a credit button on there that I haven't gotten around to yet. But I will, then it'll be done, done...until she starts in on wanting more custom blinkies for THAT blog! :)
So that was my Saturday nite, and Saturday afternoon my Mom came and picked up the lil one and I and we went to her house to make cookies! Omg! Did she ever have a blast doing that! Here's a pic....
I really don't know who had more fun making them cookies! LOL Then when she was done with that, she played and played with her Dziadzia! They had a blast too! It's so cool to see them two together!!
Sunday I just hung out at the house with Rach waiting every so impatiently for my hubby and other two kids to get home! They really should know better than to leave me all weekend! I get so whiney! lmao Hope ya'll had a more exciting weekend than what I did here! Merry Monday! :)
So that was my Saturday nite, and Saturday afternoon my Mom came and picked up the lil one and I and we went to her house to make cookies! Omg! Did she ever have a blast doing that! Here's a pic....
I really don't know who had more fun making them cookies! LOL Then when she was done with that, she played and played with her Dziadzia! They had a blast too! It's so cool to see them two together!!
Sunday I just hung out at the house with Rach waiting every so impatiently for my hubby and other two kids to get home! They really should know better than to leave me all weekend! I get so whiney! lmao Hope ya'll had a more exciting weekend than what I did here! Merry Monday! :)
09 December 2005
The Sands of Christmas
This really touched my heart, and made me stop and think about how grateful I need to be that I'm here, and able to be in a swarm of pushing people trying to get Christmas presents for family and friends! To be able to get in that altercation with my brother on Christmas Eve, and hug and kiss the ones I love. Being a military wife myself, and having my DH prepare to walk out the door this afternoon to do his part in all of this, I thank him, and every current, past, and future service member for the freedoms I have, and often overlook! I hope ya'll enjoy! :)
THE SANDS OF CHRISTMAS
By Michael Marks
I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.
The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.
And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.
I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.
And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A.
A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.
They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.
Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again
There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.
They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.
They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."
I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.
"There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,
To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall."
He looked at me as children do and said, "It's always right,
To thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write."
And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home and this is what we wrote:
"God bless you all and keep you safe and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.
The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay."
Michael Marks: "I freely submit this poem for reprint without
Reservation--this is an open and grateful tribute to the men and women
Who serve every day to keep our nation safe."
By Michael Marks
I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,
And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.
The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix,
My stocks were down another point, the Chargers lost by six.
And so with only minutes till my son got home from school
I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool.
The burdens that I carried were about all I could take,
And so I flipped the TV on to catch a little break.
I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust,
No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust.
And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh,
Eight Humvees ran a column right behind an M1A.
A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens
Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.
They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight,
Their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.
Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind,
To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again
There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease,
They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MREs.
They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see,
They didn't need an ornament--they lacked a Christmas tree.
They didn't have a present even though it was tradition,
The only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition."
I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side,
He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried.
I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near
And kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.
"There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight
Our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right,
To worry on the things in life that mean nothing at all,
Instead of wondering if we will be the next to fall."
He looked at me as children do and said, "It's always right,
To thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write."
And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,
To thank the many far from home and this is what we wrote:
"God bless you all and keep you safe and speed your way back home.
Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.
The gift you give you share with all, a present every day,
You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay."
Michael Marks: "I freely submit this poem for reprint without
Reservation--this is an open and grateful tribute to the men and women
Who serve every day to keep our nation safe."
08 December 2005
About Melis...
As my bud Christina doesn't tag her "peeps", I tagged myself for her! LOL
10 weird or random facts about yourself...
1. When I was about 7 I was malled by a dog and received over 300 stitches inside and outside my leg as a result.
2. I am a neat freak! Not as bad as I once was (was nothing to vacumn 6-7 times a day!) but still a neat freak non-the-less!
3. Growing up I was known as "Bill's little sister", and still to this day I am introduced to people that way by some.
4. I have had (or gone back to) the same hair style that I had since about 10th grade.
5. I've only once (and that was just recently) colored my hair, and I'll never do it again!
6. When my oldest starts driving, my youngest will be starting Kindergarten.
7. When I was little and asked "What do you want to be when you grow up", my answer was always "I want to be a Mommy, and I want to have a little girl, then a little boy... so she doesn't have to be the little sister." And that's just what I did! :)
8. I conceived my first born in the bunk of a semi (maybe tmi, but there ya go just the same!) LOL
9. I'm a "internet meeting" success story. Met my current hubby in a Karoke room online with a program called FireTalk (now doesn't exsist) almost 6 yrs ago, married 4 years the 28th of this month, and did the long distance thing (939.6 miles) for the first three years (yep! one of them married!)
10. I have lived in the same town for all of my life except for a couple years when I was little, and that was just about 10 minutes from here.
So there ya have it! A little info about lil 'ol "ME". And I mean "ME" literally... those are my initials! *a bonus* LOL I won't tag anyone either.. but if you're going to do it, let me know so that I can read up on you as well! :)
10 weird or random facts about yourself...
1. When I was about 7 I was malled by a dog and received over 300 stitches inside and outside my leg as a result.
2. I am a neat freak! Not as bad as I once was (was nothing to vacumn 6-7 times a day!) but still a neat freak non-the-less!
3. Growing up I was known as "Bill
4. I have had (or gone back to) the same hair style that I had since about 10th grade.
5. I've only once (and that was just recently) colored my hair, and I'll never do it again!
6. When my oldest starts driving, my youngest will be starting Kindergarten.
7. When I was little and asked "What do you want to be when you grow up", my answer was always "I want to be a Mommy, and I want to have a little girl, then a little boy... so she doesn't have to be the little sister." And that's just what I did! :)
8. I conceived my first born in the bunk of a semi (maybe tmi, but there ya go just the same!) LOL
9. I'm a "internet meeting" success story. Met my current hubby in a Karoke room online with a program called FireTalk (now doesn't exsist) almost 6 yrs ago, married 4 years the 28th of this month, and did the long distance thing (939.6 miles) for the first three years (yep! one of them married!)
10. I have lived in the same town for all of my life except for a couple years when I was little, and that was just about 10 minutes from here.
So there ya have it! A little info about lil 'ol "ME". And I mean "ME" literally... those are my initials! *a bonus* LOL I won't tag anyone either.. but if you're going to do it, let me know so that I can read up on you as well! :)
07 December 2005
Couple Large Blinkies
This is what I worked on tonite. These damn things take a lot longer than what I'd like them to, but it relaxes me just the same. I might put a regular post up for today later, but no promises. LOL I'm just too tired to do it right now. However, I will say that my daughter had a Choir Concert tonite, and she was AWESOME, as always! :) Enjoy the new blinkies!
06 December 2005
Ho Ho Ho.. Bla bla bla!
Ok, so I haven't posted in a couple days. But I do have a pretty good excuse this time. I went to put the lights on the tree the other nite, and low and behold! I'm allergic to whatever kind of pine that tree is. Yes! I know that everyone is allergic to a degree, and usually gets the itchies when the needles poke ya. But this was FAR from just the itchies!! Both my arms and hands broke out in welts and swelled up! Uggggggg!! Ho Ho Ho! LOL Then after all the lights were ON the damn tree, of course! One of the strands decides not to work! Yes! I tested them all before I put them on, and they were all FINE! Now tell me! How does this happen?!?! So hubby took them all off, and we went and bought all new lights, and he put those on, cuz now he won't let me touch the tree! Grrrr! I've always done the lights since I moved out of my parents house, and I'm rather particular about how they are put on! (yes, I'm one of THOSE kind of people!) LOL
On a happier note, I have a new animated creation to share with ya'll! Hot off the press this afternoon. Hope ya like it....
On a happier note, I have a new animated creation to share with ya'll! Hot off the press this afternoon. Hope ya like it....
03 December 2005
A little something I made
This is what I do to unwind... make shhhhtuff with PSP! I thought this one turned out pretty good. It's actually the first blinkie in a long, long time that I've made just to make. I've been spending a bit of time lately working on some special request blinkies for a dear friend.. she keeps me pretty busy! *wink* I haven't decided if I'm going to add in in with my other blinkies in my sidebar or not, since it's seasonal, but I guess I'll make the decision later! LOL It looks pretty simple to make, but it actually takes a LONG, LONG time to achieve this effect because there is actually three different animations going on in this one blinkie; the reindeer, the blinkie itself, and the glitter effect in the letters. Here ya go.. hope ya'll like it, you'll have to drop me a line and tell me whatcha think! :)
02 December 2005
Reindeer
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.
Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa'sReindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen........had to be girls. We should've known. Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night, and not get lost!!!
Now THIS is neat! Watch!!
Watch this until Sylvester catches Tweety...(wait for it. It's worth it)... Then scroll down...
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This was an idiot test. How long did you watch?
0-2 seconds - there's hope for you
2-5 seconds - having a bad day?
5-10 seconds - are you maybe just a slow reader?
10-20 seconds - remedial classes are nothing to be ashamed of
20-30 seconds - it is recommended that you don't breed.
30 sec-1 min - you probably can't read this anyway. So why bother?
1-2 min - the equivalent of the average house plant
2-5 min - Good afternoon Mr Bush
5 min-1 hr - Dead people score in this range
1hr plus - congratulations. You have a negative IQ. To find out what your prize is, watch bugs until he finishes his carrot...
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This was an idiot test. How long did you watch?
0-2 seconds - there's hope for you
2-5 seconds - having a bad day?
5-10 seconds - are you maybe just a slow reader?
10-20 seconds - remedial classes are nothing to be ashamed of
20-30 seconds - it is recommended that you don't breed.
30 sec-1 min - you probably can't read this anyway. So why bother?
1-2 min - the equivalent of the average house plant
2-5 min - Good afternoon Mr Bush
5 min-1 hr - Dead people score in this range
1hr plus - congratulations. You have a negative IQ. To find out what your prize is, watch bugs until he finishes his carrot...
01 December 2005
A mans work...
is from sun to sun, but I woman's work is never done! Ok, havin' said THAT...
It started out... well I should say most of my day was pretty good. That is, until nightfall, relax time, my time. You know, the time that all us Mommy's look forward to, yeah! That time! Well, it was stolen from me! And by the most yucky, heart breaking, make-Mommy-feel-bad of cicumstances, too.... a puking child!
Ugggggggg!! So now I sit here exhausted, no a better word for that is 
The poor little guy is more worried about if he's still going to get to go to school tomorrow or not than the fact that he's been puking for hours already! I know! I have a strange child! LOL He just likes getting his perfect attendance certificates from school is all, he's really not that eager to learn anything! lmao
There was something funny that happened today that I'm all too excited to share with ya'll... and I'm hoping that you'll get as much of a chuckle as I did! he he Hubby calls me on his way home from work this afternoon (nothing odd there), but then proceeds to tell me the following story:
Him: Honey... you're not going to believe what I did today!
Me: Ok, you're right! What did you do?
Him: Well, this morning after I got up and showered, I went out to the family room to get dressed and grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dryer. *note, I did jeans late last nite, so they were still in there*
Me: Okkkkkkkkkk.... so what's so odd about that?
Him: Wellllll... after I got to work, and got settled, I went to use the bathroom and noticed that the jeans I had on said "Chic" on them!!!!
Me: *insert extreme laughter here* You're kidding, right?!
Him: Nope! *sigh* NOT KIDDING!!! So I untucked my shirt so that nobody else would notice anything strange!
I'm telling ya'll... I was just rollin' at this point! My darling husband wore my jeans to work!! LMAO I guess maybe the nice thing to have done is felt bad for him... NAHHHHHHHHHH!!! LMAO at him was much more fun! I teased him so much, that I even was a good blogger, and documented the occasion! Keep in mind that he really, really, really didn't want the pics taken.. so he's tryin his damndest to cover the jeans up... so I'll close with a pic to give you a chuckle for the day! LOL
It started out... well I should say most of my day was pretty good. That is, until nightfall, relax time, my time. You know, the time that all us Mommy's look forward to, yeah! That time! Well, it was stolen from me! And by the most yucky, heart breaking, make-Mommy-feel-bad of cicumstances, too.... a puking child!
There was something funny that happened today that I'm all too excited to share with ya'll... and I'm hoping that you'll get as much of a chuckle as I did! he he Hubby calls me on his way home from work this afternoon (nothing odd there), but then proceeds to tell me the following story:
Him: Honey... you're not going to believe what I did today!
Me: Ok, you're right! What did you do?
Him: Well, this morning after I got up and showered, I went out to the family room to get dressed and grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dryer. *note, I did jeans late last nite, so they were still in there*
Me: Okkkkkkkkkk.... so what's so odd about that?
Him: Wellllll... after I got to work, and got settled, I went to use the bathroom and noticed that the jeans I had on said "Chic" on them!!!!
Me: *insert extreme laughter here* You're kidding, right?!
Him: Nope! *sigh* NOT KIDDING!!! So I untucked my shirt so that nobody else would notice anything strange!
I'm telling ya'll... I was just rollin' at this point! My darling husband wore my jeans to work!! LMAO I guess maybe the nice thing to have done is felt bad for him... NAHHHHHHHHHH!!! LMAO at him was much more fun! I teased him so much, that I even was a good blogger, and documented the occasion! Keep in mind that he really, really, really didn't want the pics taken.. so he's tryin his damndest to cover the jeans up... so I'll close with a pic to give you a chuckle for the day! LOL