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Trying to remember that there is always a reason, always something that makes you smile during the day- recognizing the event, person or situation that made you smile will make your day seem that much better.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

From both of us...

May this holiday season be full of love, laughter and lots of smiles to all of you today..
The angels that watch over  us are closer than ever today,
I feel the presence of those who have passed, looking down on us and toasting with us.
Whether you are traveling, celebrating at home or choosing not to celebrate at all,
know that you are all in my hearts and I am sending blessings of the season to all of you.
Hugs and lots of love!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Just a few more days...

Until this holiday season is over...Bah Humbug...

Not really...
It has been a crazy week again and for some reason the world seems to be tilted on it's axis.
I don't know if I am still taking in the events of last Friday...or maybe it's been the endless news coverage.  I honestly don't know how people in that town don't just scream at the media.  It is not necessary to know every detail of the grieving process.  Only my opinion.  I am surprised on Monday when I went into work because there were a lot of people talking about it.  I remember saying that it was different than the other mass shootings out there.  When Columbine happened, I remember.  We were in college and it happened on a friend's 21st birthday.  The world shifted that day because it was the first time school didn't feel safe.  I think that Friday's murders tilted the axis of the world a bit more because of how young the children are.  Not that I am saying that any of the mass murders are okay or even explainable but this one is a whole new level of horror.

We had our new furnace installed this week.  This is very exciting.  i am sitting in the living room tonight and it is a toasty 65 degrees in here...which is really nice.  It was a process getting the thing installed.  I learned a lot about myself in the process.  Some of you may have seen my status update on facebook the other day: Some people have endless patience.  Some people let everything role off their backs.  I with my darling husband would realize that I am not some people.
It is a very true statement and there were more than a few times that I wished I had insisted that he stay home earlier and just gone to work.
I learned that I should not be the one to deal with contractors.  the men who installed the furnace were very nice.  I, however, do not generally talk in abstract and like the detail parts of things.  The guy who was in charge was not so keen on the details.  I think at one point I could have been speaking French and he would have understood me better.
I learned that you can hear everything when they take the duct work off.  Contractors have potty mouths.  Now, I am not saying that everything that comes out of my mouth is sparkling and clean but this was a lot even for me.
I also learned that if you hit something with a hammer it will eventually fit.  I heard that statement several times while I was working but never did go downstairs to investigate.

It's the end of the year....which means work is a little bit insane.  People wanting to get started January 1st means a lot of cards need to go out between now and next week.  I am not complaining at all, but it is a lot of work and the pace is picking up.  not to mention the skeleton crew that's on next week...it should be interesting.

I feel like I am forgetting something....
Oh, right.
There were presents to wrap, packages to mail, gifts to purchase, packing to do and cookies to make.
Packages got mailed thanks to my fabulous hubby.
I just finished wrapping for our Christmas here.
I still need stocking stuff for my brother and his boyfriend, a couple of little things for my dad, something (no idea what) for my mom, and a gift card for my sister.
All of the kids presents were shipped to my mom's so those will all need to be wrapped when we get there.
I scrapped the Christmas cookies simply because I couldn't find a day to make them.  Maybe we will make up a couple of batches at my mom's.
There's packing to finish, a day of work and a plane to catch.
And a whole lot of Christmas spirit that is in here somewhere that I think will show up when I finally sit down long enough to let it catch up with me.
The holidays are always a whirlwind and it's tough not to get caught up in all of it...but tonight I send love and Christmas wishes on the back of the stars to all of you...

Friday, December 14, 2012

Tragic

‎"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world." - Mr Rogers

Tragedy is the only word for it.
The news of today's event spread like wildfire.
Reporters reporting "news" without fact checking,
Parents waiting with tears streaming down their faces,
most who's children came running out, their innocence shattered and parents who need to put the pieces together and explain that monsters don't always live under the bed or in the closet.
Parents who, as numbers dwindled, faced a fear of never holding their child again, never kissing another skinned knee, never calming a bad dream.
Parents who are faced with the fact that their child is part of a "crime scene", who now know that they will never again hug their child.
Today is about many things.
This is about children who had their lives senselessly extinguished today.
this is about the adults whose lives ended, most in an attempt to save children who they had in their care.
This is about the places where a child should be able to feel safe.
Today's tragic events are not about the reporters who got the story out first, with many inaccuracies.
Today's tragic events are not about gun control
Today's tragic events are not about politics.
Today's events are about 27 individuals who lost their lives in a place they thought was safe.
Take a moment,
hug your kids a bit tighter,
smile at a stranger,
take a deep breath.
Say a prayer,
send thoughts,
and take a minute to remember those who were lost today,
remember those families who will remember this day as one where they lost a loved one,
those children who won't be able to feel the magic of Christmas,
Those parents whose arms are empty tonight.
Tears fall from many today,
through our tears, a sign of solidarity,
A promise to those poor young children
That we each need to make to make the world a safer place, a better place, a place where senseless violence and hatred knows no place.
A promise to hug tighter, love every day and to stand together with those around us and those far away, and to cherish each other.

Love and hugs out to each of you tonight.


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Checking In

I was reading through my blog roll and realized that I haven't posted in twelve days...
So waht has been going on here...
A whole lot of holiday prep.
We are traveling for the entire holiday week so I am trying to make sure that things are done for the multiple Christmases that we do. Working on this still.
No tree this year, we are just going to be gone for too long....
I did manage to get all of the presents wrapped that I have and am waiting ofr a few more boxes to come in.
It's just little stuff now to pick up.
The furnace guy is coming to install the new furnace next week....I am pretty excited.
Less excited that the oil company came and delivered 100 gallons of oil yesterday that we can't burn through...so I am trying to deal with getting rid of that.
Work is good.,..busy since the last week and a half I will be off, but it's going well.  Lots of stuff falling into place.
Smiles abound and the magic of Christmas is in the air...I love this time of year.
I will be happy when I am able to stop for five minutes and enjoy it :)
Like many, one of my goals for the new year is to start eating healthier.  It's going okay....
Hubby is sick...we think he has a kidney stone..we should find out today.  He is incredibly uncomfortable at the moment which sucks...but hopefully with the pain meds he got last night he starts to feel better soon.

I guess that's it for right now.  I hope that you are all doing well.  Sending hugs and love on the back of the chilly winter air to each of you!!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Day 28

Today is another very special person's birthday.
Today my nephew turns six.
My sister's oldest boy was born six years ago.
He is an inquisitive child
He likes to get his own way
He is sweet and cuddly
He has been through a lot in his short life.
He was born with a peanut and egg allergy.
He had to watch everything he ate.
He was a little boy who never ate a peanut butter and fluff sandwich,
Who learned to ask before he put anything in his mouth.
And yet, he smiled.
He is the kid that when we learned he outgrew the allergies had his first peanut butter cup and said, I don't really like this.
He loved his first donut from dunkin donuts.
Sent me a picture saying that Boston Cremes were his favorite too.
I remember the first time I held him.
We weren't there when he was born and I kept saying I wasn't going to go down because we would be there for Christmas.  I did...and he snuggled into my arms and held my finger in his little hand and I felt  my heart get captured by another child.
He is stuck in the middle, as he likes to say, between an older sister and a younger brother.
He and hubby have a special bond, hubby is HIS uncle meatball...and no one elses..
I hope you have an awesome birthday today buddy.
We have watched you grow, albeit from afar, but can't wait to see where the rest of your journey takes you!!

Hugs and love tonight!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Day 26

It's the end of the month again.
Another week to scrimp and pinch and try to pull goal out of somewhere.
The frenetic energy of the sales floor.
The encouragement of one another.
Getting back in the routine.
Having enough emails to keep you busy so that when you look up wondering why you are so hungry and realize it is 12:30 and you wonder where the morning went.
A quick catch up with everyone about the holiday.
An email from a partner asking first how your holiday was and then for whatever they needed.
To know, as you are working on your self evaluation, that you killed it this year.
I am grateful for my job.
I am grateful that I am good at my job.
I am grateful for the work ethic that my father ingrained in my at an early age.

Day 25

Today, I am grateful for my own bed.
We had a lovely visit with the inlaws.
The kids are fabulous, although I swear they grow in feet instead of inches right now.
Their adorable faces,
Auntie can we
Auntie will you
Auntie I love you
Auntie come see
The commotion of a holiday
the people
the teamwork needed to put out a spread.
The moments of insane laughter while the adults are playing a game.
The realization that we need to be quiet so that we don't wake the kids.
The late nights and early mornings.
The morning coffee conversations and the evening conversations just before bed.
It is all great.
But that moment of quiet,
when you first walk into your house after being away.
That very first moment that you smell all the familiar smells of your house.
The shower in your own shower with that special rainfall shower head that was a must have and you crave when you go else where.
The clean sheets you tuck into that you had the fore thought to change before you left.
Snuggling up to my hubby who slept in a separate twin bed for five nights.
Feeling the kitties snuggle in next to you and start purring.
The feeling of being home.
I am grateful for all of the insanity that accompanies a trip, but I am grateful for home tonight.

Day 24

We braved the stores on the Saturday after Thanksgiving
Try this one on,
Isn't this hat great,
what can we get for this person,
how about these
loads of colors,
neon, vivid colors are apparently all the rage.
We didn't go crazy, although we did get a lot of shopping done.
The stores were amazingly calm.
But more importantly, we all got along.
Inlaws, the family that come along with the one you love.
Sometimes they are good,
sometimes not so good.
My relationship with my mother in law has at times been civil at best and down right toxic at worst.
We are settling into a routine, which is nice.
This shopping trip was good,
not a word spoken about too much,
or what was spent.
Just a couple of hours out with the girls.
I am grateful for the peace that has settled over us...I am not sure how long it will last, but for now, I will relish it.