it has to be a great day...

...if i get to wake up to this little face right?
=)

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you're kiddng me right??...and a extra random thought

heard this morning on the radio while i was on my way into work that a Brazillian mayor was outlawing death because the cemetaries are full, there's no room for another & they aren't allowed to cremate. and any caught not upholding the law will be reprimanded. i have to say...this i gotta see. y'all stop dying now!

and on a random note. i am addressing 150 Christmas (yes that says CHRISTMAS & not HOLDAY) letters to our customers. and i noticed that my handwriting suffers from multiple personalities. other than a few common characteristics, no 2 envelopes look the same. half the time my letters don't even look the same on ONE envelope. interesting...

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still catching up

more memes i wanted to do but didn't have time...

from Monday Madness

It’s that time of the week again! Enjoy! =)
Fill in the blank.

1. I have little or no patience when it comes to insincerity.
2. I wish I could spend more time with my god daughter.
3. The most productive thing I accomplished this past weekend was (ha!) packing up the whole house for the move !
4. The most enjoyable thing I did this weekend was snuggle.
5. I’ve always wanted to learn how to take better photos.
6. If money wasn’t an issue, I’d buy lots of stuff for the new house.
7. I blog because i like to!

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More fill-in-the-blanks this week! Thank you for playing Monday Madness! (Invite your friends to play along...) Also, check out the featured sites! (over to the right) I thought we'd include a few more... It could be YOU next week!

1. I've always been afraid of needles--the kind at the dr's ofice, not the kind you sew with.
2. People should not talk on cell phones while sitting in church--which incidentally i saw happen last Easter Sunday.
3. The one thing I look forward to every day is my good morning email.
4. My first meal of the day usually consists of chocolate chip mini muffins & a glass of cranberry juice.
5. It seems like laundry is a never-ending job.
6. The last time I painted a room in my house/apartment was never ever.
7. The next time I paint, I'd like to paint my new master bathroom(room) a shade of blue in some accenting areas (color).

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This week’s questions are all about moving… Have fun, and thank you so much for playing! =)

LOL how appropriate huh?!

1. When is the last time you moved? LOL 2 days ago!

2. How many times in your life have you moved? 5

3. In your opinion, what is the worst thing about moving? is there something GOOD about moving??! i hate it all. i guess it would be the packing part...or the obnoxious sound of the packing tape gun.

4. What is the most exciting thing about moving? when it's DONE

5. If you’ve lived in the same place all your life, do you plan to move in the future? i haven't lived in the same place but since i am in temporary housing at the moment awaiting the completion of my new house, i KNOW i am moving again!

6. Do you WANT to move somewhere else; if so, where? every time i move, i say i am NEVER moving again. but i do know that i want to move just once more: into the new house.

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stooping to immature name-calling...

...but i am using better names than "poo-poo head" at this stage in my life.

manipulative shrew & self-serving bitch seem to work perfectly.

hmph.

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a smile for Wednesday morning =)

from the For Better or For Worse website homepage

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all about me: the Christmas edition!

borrowed this from Sue!

Hot Chocolate or Egg Nog? hot chocolate. no question about it. egg nog just doesn't even sound good. reminds me of frothy eggs blended into something like a watery milkshake. *shudder*

Does Santa wrap the presents or just set them under the tree? he will have a hard time wrapping them this year. or it anyway. my Christmas present is my new house. but when i was a kid, he wrapped them. always in Santa-themed paper & with a Santa themed tag. no other gifts were wrapped in Santa pattern, just his. and his handwriting was "different" too. he would put all of my gifts along with my filled stocking stacked on the rocking chair & my brother's were in the leather chair.

Do you hang mistletoe? nope

When do you decorate? usually start the first day of Advent & leave everything up through Epiphany. but not this year. everything is in storage while we live in a furnished rental house. i'm scrooging it this year.

What is your favorite holiday dish? i used to do this Jello thing. sparkling white grape Jello with red & green seedless grapes & mandarin oranges in it. you add some ginger ale to the Jello when you make it & it is soooo yummy. i also loved the Cornish game hens my Gram used to make for Christmas Eve...

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? i have sooo many of them but i'm getting ready to blog soon about Christmas Eve when i was a kid & this one is right up there as one of my favorites. keep your eues out for it.

How and when did you learn the truth about Santa? when i was about 8 or 9 i knew for sure. my dad explained that Santa lived in our hearts & he was about giving & making others happy. the more we did those things, the more real Santa was. i would stay up late on Christmas Eve after we got home from our family party & wrap all the Santa gifts for my dad & my brother (my dad had someone else do mine obviously). i don't remember how exactly i found out though. just what my dad told me when i asked him about it.

Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve? sometimes, if i was with some family that i wouldn't see again on Christmas Day. but that was it.

What kind of cookies do you set out for Santa on Christmas Eve? we always put out the Christmas tree shaped cookie cutouts--they were everyone's favorite for some reason (as if the different shapes tasted differently?? lol...i dunno)

Snow! Love it or hate it? love to look at it--out the window, in photos. i actually like to be out in it too, for a walk or to play. do NOT like to shovel it, drive in it or clean it off my car. and i don't like it when it looks tired & sad & dirty.

Can you ice skate? sure...if you'd like to me to break a bone

Do you remember your favorite gift? i love them all. =)

What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? celebrating the birth of Jesus and spending time with family & friends

What’s your favorite holiday dessert? my Grandmother's pfeffernusse. and gingerbread men.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? the whole darn season! =) the tree. the lights. the scents. the music. the church services. the poinsettias. the snow (well not in FL lol). the gifts. the shopping. ALL of it.

What type of tree? live Scotch pine. but since those are not only expensive but very hard to find in my area, any tree that's well-shaped & has just the right number of "gaps" for hanging larger ornaments. or, if i must, a lifelike artificial tree will do -- as long as i can burn an evergreen scented candle!

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? i am appreciative of the gifts i receive but i *love* shopping & picking out the perfect gifts for everybody on my list. i haven't been able to do much of that the last few years though. =(

What is your favorite Christmas Carol? Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

Candy Canes, YUCK or YUM? yum! just the traditional red & white striped peppermint ones please...

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rental house review: first morning

let's talk about the shower shall we? i like a good amount of water pressure in my shower. this one here is like a fine mist. a mist that's hot in the center & ice cold around the edges (if you're thinking of it like a target with 2 rings). but it's a super fine mist with a little bit of force behind it so it feels like so many tiny needles being shot at you when it finally hits your skin. suffice it to say that it was quite a showering experience this morning.

oh & as of yesterday the stupid ass post office is still sending all my mail to my old address. they were supposed to change it over to the PO Box on 12/7. that's right a WEEK ago. i called them last Thursday. they assured me that they had received the change orders & that it would be taken care of right away but to call back if it hadn't. oh i'm going to call back this morning all right....grrrrrr

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ahhhhhh...

...now *this* is the way to move. not even one single day without an internet connection. that's what I'M talking about.

*sigh of content*
(yep warped priorities perhaps but i can't even make a long distance phone call for the next 7 weeks & i don't know a single person in the 407 area code)

we will neglect to mention how the rental office gave us the address & phone number of the place we *didn't* move into & how i had set up with BrightHouse to set up internet at THAT address & what a hassle it was to get the techs to the correct location. and we will also neglect to mention that i have a crapload of stuff to do still but i am heading to bed because i figure it will still be here tomorrow night & every night after that until it gets done. and how i don't feel at all comfortable living in the home of a total stranger. and how my commute has grown from 35 minutes to 55 minutes...

why? because at least i have internet & i don't feel *completely* cut off from the rest of the world.

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catching up

been slacking off on my memes what with all the packing & such. just been bookmarking the best ones till some spare time appeared. and now i've got a couple minutes so i'm going to do a few. not all of them mind you. don't wanna scare everyone away. we'll just do a few a day till i get caught up.

from Friday Fiver

Head to toes

1. What’s on your feet? brown socks under my new(ish) brown boots that i *love*

2. Turn to your right — what do you see? a window looking out into the parking area of where i work & on the far side of that, the machine shop/QA/shipping department building. an MSDS binder & some sheets that need to get filed in it. some invoices waiting to be logged. a container full of highlighters. a pile of scrap paper. my stapler. the employee folder for the new guy that starts tomorrow that i need to set up. my space heater. =)

3. What is the last thing you ate? a Healthy Choice meal: chicken teriyaki & broccoli

4. What can you smell right now? just me. Vanilla Bean Noel. and this is something to be grateful for. working with mostly men & all. ;-)

5. Do you wear hats? very very rarely. i'm still traumatized by when my dear sweet Grandma used to make me wear winter hats. the ones with the pompoms. the ones that were itchy. and the matching gloves. coincidence that i keep typo-ing "hate" instead of "hat"? i think not...now i'm too vain to have a hat mess up my hair. so you'll see a baseball cap on my head if i have to run to the store & my hair's not done. which happens *maybe* once a year. lol...

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Park it

1. When is the last time you rode the bus? the bus? does the transportation at Disney count? if so, then September when my mother & family were down doing the familiy Disney World vacation thing. if not then i would guess 1992--my sophomore year of high school.

2. Describe the last time you stood up for a cause: a cause? (why do i keep answering the question with a question of my own by repeating the last 2 words?! LOL) nope. not in the outward sense. i support causes i believe in quietly but i hate when people shove their beliefs & opinions down my throat & i try hard not to do the same to others.

3. Have you visited Alabama? nope. never even set foot in the state.

4. Have you ever attended a rally? pep rallies when i was in high school.

5. Have you ever been arrested? do you know me *at all*?? i am way too much of a good girl to get into that kind of trouble. and now i would be afraid that i'd end up in Polk Correctional where i would actually have to submit to Kenneth being in charge. =P

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She bop

1. Favorite brand of jeans: Levis. 505s. mens. 29W31L. NO EXCEPTIONS

2. Magazine you read regularly: Redbook

3. If a button came off your clothing, could you sew it back on? yes. it's won't look as pretty as the ones that are manufacturer sown but that baby won't be coming off anytime soon either.

4. Have you ever had a curfew? never. i just had to tell my dad where i would be, who i would be with & what time i would be home. oh & call if i was going to be late.

5. Most dangerous thing you’ve done: play Russian Roulette. but not with a firearm. ;-)

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from Ten on Tuesday

10 Household Chores You Hate

1. dusting
2. cleaning the shower
3. cleaning the toilets
4. scrubbing pots & pans
5. ironing
6. mopping
7. cleaning window blinds
8. cleaning the ceiling fans
9. scrubbing the pans under the burners on the stove
10. weeding the mulch

and for the record. i am neither lazy nor a slobb. these things get done. just not very joyfully. =P

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Ten Favorite Movie Characters

1. Jake - John Cusack in "Must Love Dogs"
2. Lt Vincent Hanna - Al Pacino in "Heat"
3. Neil McCauley - Robert De Niro in "Heat"
4. George Banks - Steve Martin in "Father of the Bride" & "Father of the Bride Part 2"
5. Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn - Charlie Sheen in "Major League"
6. Kate Moseley - Moira Kelly in "The Cutting Edge"
7. Jonathan Trager - John Cusack in "Serendipity"
8. Thomas Crown - Pierce Brosnan in "The Thomas Crown Affair"
9. Noah Calhoun - Ryan Gosling in "The Notebook"
10. Robert MacDougal - Sean Connery in "Entrapment"

ok that'll do it. there'll be more but not today. ;-)

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T minus 3 hours till The Big Move: Phase 1

everything is done except for the stuff i need to get ready this morning & the computer that i have to disassemble.

and then i get to escape to work.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

if everything goes according to plan, i'll see you on the otherside sometime this evening...(or from work if i find something i need to say, which after yesterday doesn't seem to be much of a problem huh? lol)

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sick of hearing from me yet today?

then quit checking my blog. =P

LOL!! i'm kidding! i love all my faithful readers & stalkers & people who leave me love in the comments section. truly. with all my little heart.

what i DO NOT love is whichever neighbor happened upon some leftover firecrackers from July 4th & has set about 25 of them off so far. *POP* *POP* *POP* seriously. it's 9:42pm. i was just about to make some snarky remark (as a series of firecrackers go off like so much microwave popcorn...) about hating the neighbors here when it occurred to me that they will no more be my neighbors! 11 hours from now, i will be relocated. or well *I* won't be. i'll be at my desk at work hiding from the mountains of cardboard boxes. but my stuff will be on it's way to it's new temporary home. (the last batch of firecrackers sounded like a round of applause. which i'll be happy to provide when they knock off setting them off!)

speaking of homes. we have insulation!



and there aren't any photos but the shingles have come in which means interior walls can be started as soon as the roof has been shingled! woohoo!

and may i officially say that other than a few odds & ends that i need in the morning, everything is packed up & ready to go. can't wait till this moving crap is over with...

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T minus 16 hours till The Big Move: Phase 1

Packing Status Room-by-Room:

Laundry Room/Utility Closet/Pantry: on stand-by. nothing here goes to storage except for broom & vacuum cleaner & those will get pulled the night before the move. complete


Kitchen: everything packed except for dinner plates, bowls, glasses; food; toaster (box ready); coffee maker; blender

Dining Room: done except for crystal vase & clock which is being stored at the rental house as it is very fragile

Living Room: done except for tv & stereo which won't get dismantled till the night before the move

Guest Bedroom: complete

Office: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA; about 2/3 done. will get finished up tonight. stupid scrap supplies lol... complete

Linen Closet: complete

Hall Bathroom: complete & cleaned

Master Bedroom: complete except for clothes & bedding (which i need to sleep on tonight lol); night stand drawers

Master Bathroom: not started; started but so much of it is not only coming along, it gets used everyday...and i am sure this is appreciated by everyone who needs to actually *see* me lol; complete & cleaned

Shed/Outdoor Areas: complete

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just for the record...

another football post.

picks that scare me this week:

Raiders over the Jets: as bad as the Jets are, they *are* the home team & it *is* December in the northeast.

Steelers over the Bears: i think this is a toss-up. Bears have weak offense but awesome defense. Steelers are at home but not doing much on offense lately themselves.

Panthers over the Bucs: much as i hate to say it, the Bucs have the ability to open up on both sides of the ball. the Panthers haven't shown up to all their games lately even though i still think they are the best in the NFC.

Colts over the Jags: this seems like a no-brainer. until you recall that earlier this season the Colts won 10-3 over the Jags & now the Jags are at home. and hot.

Titans over the Texans: neither team is that impressive but the Texans seem to open up out of nowhere every once in a while & this is against the former Houston team...

Patriots over the Bills: IN Buffalo. not that the Patriots are unaccustomed to snow. but they struggle against the Bills who scare the crap out of me after seeing them score 3 quick TDs last week. the Patriots offense hasn't been much of a scoring machine this year (are they ever??) so playing catch up doesn't make me feel too confident. GO PATTRIOTS DEFENSE!

Cardinals over the Redskins: my upset pick of the week, which makes it scary in & of itself. Kurt Warner has been hot. and he's at home. but the Redskins aren't as bad as their play this season might indicate. or at least not as bad as the Cardinals.

Chiefs over the Cowboys: i dunno. i know KC can score crazy points. but the Cowboys are at home. and any Bill Parcells team can be a frightening combination of veteran experience & rookie youth that can open up a can of whoop-ass at any time.

Packers over the Lions: much as this pains me to say it, this is a battle of who will LOSE the game, not who will win it. going with the home team here because the Lions are from Michigan, they play in a dome & their team is a freaking mess right now. but the Packers haven't given me much to believe in this year either...

are you counting? that's 9 of the 16 games that i think could go either way...
*sigh*

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word association for the week of December 11, 2005

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Stalker:: scary
Outrageous:: over the top
Carrying:: a baby
Spirited:: lively
Oh!:: i forgot to tell you!
Grid:: lines
Country:: music
Karen:: Heather's father's girlfriend
Candles:: Yankee Candle Company--yum!
Relationship:: love

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Advent: Bethlehem

The second is generally called the Bethlehem candle, reminding Christians that God appeared to them in a humble manner; Bethlehem was located in the territory of one of the least powerful tribes of Israel.

FAITH: i sat here thinking about this for a while. i wasn't sure what exactly the connection was between faith & Bethlehem. i even looked up the Merriam-Webster definition of "faith" to see if that could clarify the point of common ground i felt i was missing. i sat here staring at the computer screen for what felt like a very long time. one of the definitions was sitting right there. "firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust". and i thought about Bethlehem & what we traditionally think about the birth of the Christ child. we know that Mary & Joseph went there to be counted. we know that it was very crowded. i imagine if it was some sort of center, a city of lineage, that it couldn't have been a small place exactly. but then i started thinking about the last line of that explanation of the Bethlehem candle. how Bethlehem was located in one of the least powerful territories of Isreal's tribes. and how the Bethlehem candle is to remind us of Christ's humble entrance into this world. these ancient people had been waiting for so long for a King, for deliverance. when i think of someone with the power to save a nation, a king, i don't think of humility. i think of granduer & opulance, armies & trumpets & authority. not a crowded dusty over-stuffed city with no room, but a dirty smelly stable as a last resort to bring a tiny helpless life into being. a baby certainly isn't going to rescue anyone & how much confidence do you have in the arrival of a king through the least powerful region of a nation. but for many many years, people believed that they would be rescued. these promises made to them were often cryptic & misleading, things that have been studied for hundreds of years that we still can't seem to wrap our minds around even *after* they have already happened. yet these people believed. they believed in something that had no proof. they had that faith in a promise even when none of the pieces seemed to make sense. humble Bethlehem as the arrival of The King who would save them--oxymoron, seemingly no possible way those two things could be related...yet they still had faith in those promises, that they could still come true in the most unexpected of places. complete trust. their faith fueled their hope that the promises would be realized. and yet i still can't find the connection that feels right...

my absolute favorite Christmas hymn is "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" with it's peaceful sweet melody & the words the seem to capture the gentle peace i feel about Christmas. completely appropriate, i think, for the song to accompany this entry...

Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary and gathered all above.
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
Oh morning stars together proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming but in this world of sin.
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Oh holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray.
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell.
Oh come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.

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And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree
from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing
was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed,
every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the ciy of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of
the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused
wife, bring great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no
room for them in the inn.
Luke 2: 1-7

and there it is. that connection i couldn't find. when we become humble ourselves, when we stop trying to be the best & the shiniest & the most impressive and just open up our hearts, have faith in promises that appear to make no sense, we find the true meaning of Christmas. or rather, it finds us. quiet. serene. that inner peace. it slips in almost unnoticed except for the calm that finally fills our hearts. and then we finally have Christmas as it was meant to be felt.

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T minus 22 hours till The Big Move: Phase 1

Packing Status Room-by-Room:

Laundry Room/Utility Closet/Pantry: on stand-by. nothing here goes to storage except for broom & vacuum cleaner & those will get pulled the night before the move.

Kitchen: everything packed except for dinner plates, bowls & glasses; food; toaster (box ready); coffee maker; blender

Dining Room: done except for crystal vase & clock

Living Room: done except for tv & stereo which won't get dismantled till the night before the move

Guest Bedroom: complete

Office: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA; about 2/3 done. will get finished up tonight. stupid scrap supplies lol... complete

Linen Closet: complete

Hall Bathroom: complete & cleaned

Master Bedroom: complete except for clothes & bedding; night stand drawers

Master Bathroom: not started; started but so much of it is not only coming along, it gets used everyday...and i am sure this is appreciated by everyone who needs to actually *see* me lol; complete & cleaned

Shed/Outdoor Areas: complete

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imagine the electric bill...

...for SIX BILLION Christmas lights.

ay-yi-yi...

(for those who don't know what this is: we went to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at MGM Studios last night)

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i'm such a sap

when did i get to be such a stinking GIRL. *looks disgusted* i never used to cry at anything in a movie or on tv. but i was watching "It's A Wonderful Life" tonight & at the end where everyone George Bailey has ever helped out shows up to help him in his crisis by giving HIM money, i sat there all teared up. i must have seen this movie a hundred times at least. *never* did that before though. must be getting soft in my old age or something...

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T minus 3 days till The Big Move: Phase 1

Packing Status Room-by-Room:

Laundry Room/Utility Closet/Pantry: on stand-by. nothing here goes to storage except for broom & vacuum cleaner & those will get pulled the night before the move.

Kitchen: everything packed except for dinner plates, bowls & glasses; food; toaster (box ready); coffee maker; blender

Dining Room: done except for crystal vase & clock

Living Room: done except for tv & stereo which won't get dismantled till the night before the move

Guest Bedroom: complete

Office: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA; about 2/3 done. will get finished up tonight. stupid scrap supplies lol...

Linen Closet: complete

Hall Bathroom: complete

Master Bedroom: complete except for clothes & bedding; night stand drawers

Master Bathroom: not started; started but so much of it is not only coming along, it gets used everyday...and i am sure this is appreciated by everyone who needs to actually *see* me lol

Shed/Outdoor Areas: complete

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oh GAG!!

excerpt from today's email conversation with Andi

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me: omg i have to design address labels for our company christmas letters....ARG!! lol i hate last minute design pressure LOL

A: oh yuck...lol, how about just the address! LOL

me: nope Phil wants something seasonal lol. i just altered the standard ones i made a while back, changed the border from blue to red, shifted the logo & address all the way to the right & used a snowflake photo clipart on the left. looks good to me. ;-)

A: that works! :)

me: uh huh. now i just have to stuff all the envelopes lol.

A: yuck, and lick the envelopes....lol

me: no ma'am, not THIS girl. i have a little envelope licker thingy that does the licking for me. ;-)

A: oh GOOD! lol, my mom's friends' father (got that) worked in a glue factory and there was a limit of number of bugs that could fall into it and still be ok! lol, EWWWWWWWW

ok seriously *gag*

as if she needed to make matters worse, the following is the post-lunch reprisal to the aforementioned converstion:

me: *gag* now i'm really glad i don't lick envelopes. i just don't do it cause i hate the taste & that film it feels like it leaves in your mouth.

A: the film of spider legs! lol

that girl is *sick*. SICK i tell you!

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just WHAT is going on here?!

Astros Won't Offer Clemens Arbitration

Padres Trade Loretta for Mirabelli

ok my head suddenly hurts...apparently both my teams have been hitting a bad batch of crack this week?!

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collide

I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind...
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide
("Collide": Howie Day)

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the first arrival of Christmas

Notes of Friendship
Lela Meredith

I treasure all my Christmas cards;
They mean so much to me,
Each one from someone special whom
I'd so much like to see.

Some come from friends I don't oft see--
They live too far away--
Their cards are like a friendly smile
That brightens Christmas Day.

The message each one brings to me
From friends on my own street,
Is like a gift that's wrapped with love,
Each one a yuletide treat.

I'm thankful for these lovely cards
That come to me each year--
These precious notes of friendship with
Their greetings of good cheer.

And I wish for you this Christmas all
The joy the season brings;
Peace, good health and lots of love--
The best of everything.

i said something earlier today about how Christmas is so rich in tradition & memories for me. one of those traditions is sending Christmas cards. ever since i was about 10 years old, i helped my Dad with this each December. he would buy a healthy stack of cards & books of holiday postage. he'd get out his little plastic pouch that held all the envelopes with their return addresses. he'd put on some Christmas music & pour us each a mug of hot spiced apple cider. we'd sit side by side at our kitchen table. he would sign the cards & put them in the envelopes, seal them & hand them to me. i would address the envelope & put a stamp on it. and we'd make a big stack to bring to the post office the next day.

i still do this. even though so many people have gotten away from this tradition, i still buy my boxes of Christmas cards, carefully selected, and i send them on their merry way. i love this tradition, especially now that i am so far away from so many of the important people in my life. and i always look forward to the cards that appear in my own mailbox. i got the first one today. and it put a big smile on my face. i love the anticipation of pulling the card out of it envelope to see what it looks like & this one most certainly did not disappoint. after all, who couldn't smile at these cuties?? =)

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Advent: The Prophecy

this time of year is so rich with tradition & memories for me. there's a deeper meaning in it than all the commercialism & retail hype. i truly feel so peaceful & reflective.

i remember growing up & going to midweek Advent services on Wednesday evenings. potluck dinners & fellowship and then a short service followed, preparing us, week by week, for the celebration to come. the church was rarely packed. in fact, it was usually very quiet & cozy. the perfect setting for reflection & self preparation.

i also remember the first time we'd walk into the church at the start of Advent to see the familiar Advent wreath set up at the front, one candle flickering. it was that feeling of anticipation. Christmas wasn't one day for me. it was a whole month, weeks of building up the excitement.

i thought that maybe in my own personal reflection & recollection, i would bring a little bit of it here, even though for me it is a very personal time of thought & remembering. my idea was to share the weeks of Advent--the meaning of each week's candle, a few of my own thoughts on each week's focus, a Christmas carol that holds special meaning for me, a quick passage. just my own personal preparation for the coming of Christmas that you can feel free to share or skip over, whichever suits you. i should have started this a week ago but i can catch us up by doing an extra post this coming Sunday & then each Wednesday between now & Christmas...i expect that my thoughts will be respected, as will any comments or thoughts anyone feels the need to share. i'm comfortable in my religious upbringing & i know that not everyone was raised with the same beliefs i have. maybe you'll just learn some interesting facts about the history of Christmas, maybe you'll teach me something i didn't know.

An advent wreath is a ring or set of four candles, usually made with evergreen cuttings. Many churches illuminate these candles in succession through the four weeks leading up to Christmas as part of their Sunday services for Advent. Some wreaths have a larger, central fifth candle (generally white), which is lit on Christmas Day to signify Christ's birth. The wreath is meant to represent God's eternity. The violet candles symbolize faithful expectation, and the rose candle joy and hope.

The first candle is often called the prophet's candle, and is meant to signify the hope of Jesus' arrival.

HOPE: that feeling of certainty, expectation, the belief that good *will* come. if you have had any exposure to Christianity, you are probably aware that the Bible is broken into 2 parts: the Old Testament--the prophecies, the promises made; and the New Testament--the fulfillment, the promises kept. people waited & hoped...and their hopes were one day realized. we all hope for things. we all wait. sometimes it's hard to trust that what we're waiting for will ever arrive...but when we have hope, we have something to keep us believing that the wait is worthwhile.

i always liked the hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". if you've read my blog enough, you know that i am drawn to song lyrics, but this song has one of the the most beautifully haunting melodies. it actually sounds like the song is holding its breath in anticipation. waiting. watching. hoping.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Isreal!

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor
with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of
the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God...."
Luke 1: 30-35

i just love this Christmasy time of year. i can't help it. so many of my happy memories are centered around it. so many good feelings. when you're raised in a Christian home, you're taught that Christmas isn't just about Santa Claus & mistletoe & presents under the tree. you learn to emphasize a deeper meaning to the festivities. but i don't think we always really understand it. sometimes it takes a long time living inside us to before we really start to grasp it. i know that even though i've known the "meaning of Christmas" my whole entire life, it's only been in very recent years that i felt it in my soul, that peace amid all the hustle & rushing, that stillness that comes with that sort of peace. i said it back around Easter that my religious beliefs are *so* personal to me. they are something i hesitate to share very often because when something is that personal to you, you don't want others to reject it or to roll their eyes at you--even if they don't believe the same things you do, you want others to see it as valuable, to accept it as a deeply integral part of who you are. even now i hesitate to share these glimpses into my very most personal side, to open myself up this wide on such a vulnerable level...but i hear that passage from Luke & it just gets me all wound up, excited, anticipating the joy i feel as Christmas gets closer & closer.

i hope every single one of you finds some sort of joy this holiday season, whatever you celebrate, whatever you believe. i hope your dreams & wishes come true and that you find peace & happiness.

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amusing your best friend is never a bad thing

had to ask Heather just a few minutes ago what the heck my PO Box address is. before you think i'm a complete moron, i have to remember my current address, my work address, my temporary house address, my PO Box AND my new house address. i can't help it. my brain is freaking full & i'm confused.

i am pretty sure however that Heather is still laughing. however she is allowed because she also knew the answer to the question. ;-)

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the one where Dawn does a double take

so i'm sitting at a traffic light on my way to work this morning & i see a man on a bicycle coming toward me but on the opposite side of the road. normally this is not a big deal but this particular guy had a shotgun balanced across the handlebars of his bike. at first i wasn't sure i saw that right but as he was passing directly by me, i got a really good look.

all i could think of is if that thing was loaded that is a freak accident just begging to happen & it doesn't matter which way the barrel is pointed, it could have had a tragic outcome...and this is awful but the next thought that ran through my mind was "now THAT would bring new meaning to the term 'drive by shooting' huh?"

terrible, i know. i can't help it that my brain is a bit twisted at times...

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open to interpretation

isn't it ironic what can be said in workplace lingo that when taken out of context can be totally twisted around to mean something completely different.

heard in my office today: "we need to get tips for stripping"

just what kind of business are we running here???

or in actuality our wheel stripping department needs more tips to their sanders for stripping the urethane off the wheel hubs...lol

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commercial break: priceless

ya know those MasterCard commercials? the ones where they list the price for stuff & then they end with a nice little sentiment as "priceless"?

well i must say that as much as Peyton Manning annoys me (and stop asking me why! i know he's talented. it's HIM that bugs me, not his talents) that commercial that he's in cracks me right the heck up.

every.single.time.

whoever wrote & casted that commercial are my new heroes. they really make him look ridiculous.

D CAF! *bang bang*
D CAF! *bang bang*

paying the advertising people to create a commercial: $5000
(ok so i'm guessing here. need i remind you it's MY blog?!)
getting Peyton Manning to be in the commercial: $10000
paying all the other people in the commercial: $5000
buying air time for your commercial: $1 million
giving me a serious case of the giggles: priceless

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it was bound to happen sooner or later

a good week in football for me that is!

ok so i am getting my butt whooped again in my fantasy football laegue this week. i'll deal with it. i've clinched a playoff spot already & i'll just keep telling myself what i am about the way the Patriots have played recently: we're saving the good stuff for the playoffs! lol...

and my poor Packers lost again =*( and they just keep adding injury after injury. they make the Patriots look healthy these days. that poor team has a stunning 2-10 record, matched by only the Jets & *gasp* the 49ers?! how did this happen. =( only the Texans at 1-11 are worse. even the Cardinals & Saints have more wins than Green Bay this year at 4-8 & 3-9 respectively. *sigh*


oh & the Bucs won again. incidentally...this photo illustrates one of the reasons i could never be a Bucs fan. Bucs fans are just plain out of their minds.


and you thought i said it was a good football week for me?! well it was!

for starters the Patriots won & that always makes a girl happy. even if it is to one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. still a division rival.


and totally unrelated to anything of any importance, i decided that as much as i don't like the Giants & i loathe Eli Manning, the red jerseys they wore today looked really good. even though that statement makes me actually sound like a girl instead of a real football fan, red has been making me happy lately for some reason.


but best of all? as of 1:48 remaining in the 4th quarter with the Chargers up 34-10, my football picks this week show a record 14-1 going into Monday Night Football. my one & only loss? the Bengals got the better of the Steelers & i really struggled to pick that game. decided my best bet was with the home team. i was wrong. but the Bengals played hard & won that matchup fair & square. they are going to be a force to be reckoned with come playoffs. and quite frankly, this was the first i heard of this but i have to say the Steelers lost a little of my respect on this one:

apparently this guy is mocking the Steelers' claim that they lost last week's matchup against the Colts as a result of "artificial noise" being piped into the RCA Dome. c'mon boys. you're tougher than that. own up to the fact that they kicked your butts all over the field just like they did to the rest of us & move on. it's not like they needed crowd noise to win that game. even i can admit to that as much as i wish they would stinking lose already. nothing irritates me more in football than excuses...

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word association for the week of December 4, 2005

by Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

Amazing:: kiss
Delights:: joys
Inspired:: sparked by
Disgusted:: disappointed, disillusioned
You:: and Me--as in the song by Lifehouse
Vagina:: tampons (sorry...but that IS the first thing that popped into my mind...)
Palm:: tree
Sweetheart:: Love
Guilt:: trip
More to come:: to be continued...

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live from the Sea of Boxes

Packing Status Room-by-Room:

Laundry Room/Utility Closet/Pantry: on stand-by. nothing here goes to storage except for broom & vacuum cleaner & those will get pulled the night before the move.

Kitchen: everything packed except for dinner plates, bowls & glasses; food; toaster (box ready); coffee maker; blender

Dining Room: done except for crystal vase & clock

Living Room: done except for tv & stereo which won't get dismantled till the night before the move

Guest Bedroom: complete

Office: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Linen Closet: complete

Hall Bathroom: complete

Master Bedroom: complete except for clothes & bedding; night stand drawers

Master Bathroom: not started

Shed/Outdoor Areas: complete

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i wonder...

if you listen to any country music radio at all, you know the hot gossip right now is Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman. so this morning as i drove into work & listened to the latest rumors that they are engaged & pregnant--it started me thinking. do celebrities get nervous asking each other out? i mean did Keith get all goofy & jittery, trying to work up the nerve to ask Nicole out that first time? did Brad's palms get sweaty & did his heart race at the the thought of asking Jen out on a date? (still in denial about the Angelina thing. sorry.) was Ben worried that Jennifer might decline his invitation to go out sometime? or is it more a case of his people call her people & if it doesn't work out, no one ends up feeling rejected anyway because they've managed to save face?

how romantic huh? lol

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Christmas wishes

if Santa really was making a list for me, here's what he would put under my tree on Christmas Eve...

...from Bath & Body Works

Wallflower Snowflake with Vanilla Bean Noel Air Freshener


Vanilla Bean Noel Lotion


Vanilla Bean Noel Candle


The Perfect Christmas Lotion in Spice

...from The Yankee Candle Company



Etched Crackle Glass Candle Plate


these Mini Ornament candles

these decorative Holiday Tree candles...

...in swirl...

...stripe...

...and dots.

candles in these scents:

Vanilla Caramel

Holiday Sage

Cinnamon Apple Berry

...from Hallmark


this collection of Angel ornaments

Cordelia: Red is the color of LOVE. Cordelia wears warm red to help her do what angels do — bear messages from heart to heart. She brings to mind the rosy cheeks a mother kisses when her child comes in from the cold, the crimson ribbon on a package for a special someone, or the red-mittened hands that reach out to embrace a friend. Cordelia serves as a tender reminder of Love in all its forms.

Esmerelda: Green is the color of GENEROSITY. Esmeralda calls to mind the spirit of giving that marks the season — the wreath of pine inviting us into a friend's home, the holly bough on the mantel above a welcoming fire, or the glowing tree where we place the gifts our hearts have chosen with care. In her evergreen gown, Esmeralda brings with her the joyful message of Generosity.

Gilda: Gold is the color of TRADITION. Gilda represents time, memory, and every precious thing that endures. Her gown of gold brings to mind the star that tops the tree or the golden glow of a flame passed from candle to candle. She brings her message of gratitude for those who have shared in our traditions through the years — passing them on, receiving them, creating new ones. She is a shining celebration of Tradition and the many ways it enriches the season.

Azura: Blue is the color of PEACE. Azura gently reminds us of the hush of a starry December sky and the still, unhurried moments at the heart of the season. From the hint of pale blue in a frozen pond to the deep blue of a winter midnight, her gown of calming blues brings feelings of Peace. She reminds us, too, of the close friends and family who bless us by sharing those quiet moments with us.

Arianne: Silver is the color of BEAUTY. Arianne comes on wings of brightest silver, reminding us to rejoice in all the beauty we see and hear in this breathtaking season — in the chime of a silver bell ringing clear and pure on the crisp air, in the silvery winter light that bathes the landscape, in the snowflake that spins and glitters as it falls. Arianne brings with her a soft and delicate message of wintertime beauty.


The Journey of the Kings ornament


The Beauty of Birds: Northern Cardinal (1st in a new series)
this just reminds me of my Grandma who loved & collected birds...


Sweet Tooth Treats ornament


Snowman Cookie Ornament


Snowflake Snowballs Illuminations Set


Snowflake Faux Wood Ornament


Moose Felt Ornament


Mercury Glass Ornament with Beads


Joyful Bells Ornament


Angel with Star Felt Ornament


Christmas with the Family ornament


Angel Metal Ornament

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not a creature was stirring, especially Dawn...

this moment brought to you by "you know you're getting old when..."

so i laid down on the couch last night, all psyched up to watch the "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" Christmas special. i haven't watched it in a couple of years now & i was ready to get myself into the holiday spirit. jolly & merry & full of cheer & all that jazz. (says the Scrooge whose Christmas tree will be in storage this year lol) what happens? 8pm Dawn is watching Sam the Snowman narrarate the story of how Rudolph became a hero the year of the Great Blizzard...at 8:20 i was peacefully sleeping. i woke up just in time to see Rudolph guiding Santa's sleigh to rescue the misfit toys in time for Christmas morning. sad that hundreds of little children made it all the way through the special wide awake & i didn't even make it to the second commercial break.

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*shiver*

brrrrrr

is it just me or is it getting chilly in here?

=P

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for the record

I HATE MOVING!!!!

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*celebration dance*

hurricane season has come to an end! not that Mother Nature seems to give a crap since Tropical Storm Epsilon is churning out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean...

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