Santa has come and gone!

That's a Christmas picture of me way back when. I am guessing that I am three or four years old. That was my Thumbelina doll. I loved that doll so much! A few years ago for Christmas my parents gave me an Ashton Drake reproduction Thumbelina doll. They enclosed in the box this picture. I don't have my original Thumbelina doll.

A few years after I got the doll in the picture, my family was moving from northern Indiana to southern Illinois. On moving day, our truck was piled high with furniture and assorted boxes. It looked like the old truck from the Beverly Hillbillies with everything piled in the back. Right before we started off on our trip, I was standing there holding my Thumbelina doll. My father was in a silly mood. He told me he saw an opening in the pile in the truck where Thumbelina would fit right in. He took Thumbelina from my arms and held her up in front of him and unbeknownst to me he had an ink pen in his hand and proceeded to draw eyeglasses on Thumbelina's face! Then he poked her into an open spot in the pile of our household belongings with her face sticking out. We all laughed at the time but I remember later on being a bit peeved that Daddy drew permanent eyeglasses on my baby doll!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. My daughter arrived here from Kentucky on the 24th. I was at work when she arrived. I was able to have Christmas and the 26th off work though.

On Christmas my whole family was over at Mom and Dad's house. We usually have a traditional turkey and ham dinner on Christmas but this year we had Mom's yummy pizza, some chili soup, Italian beef subs, and various desserts.

There were so many presents in the living room it was hard to move around in there. Once the gift giving started it was chaotic but very fun.
I never want to miss seeing someone open something I got them or miss seeing what others got. I tend to just sit there and watch and then my sister will holler at me to open this or that!

We took a lot of pictures and I am anxious to see how those turned out.
Our doggies all had a good time too. There were my parent's two Yorkies Molly and Moses and their West Highland Terrier, Toohey (named after the aussie beer) my dog, Dexter and my oldest brother brought along his adoreable bichon frise pup, Jasper. The dogs had their own stockings too.

Ever since we were little kids, whenever the gifts have been opened and everyone is sitting around talking, eventually one of us will say "Okay..one...twooooo...threeee!" Then we all say in unison, "This is the best Christmas we've ever had!" My sister, two brothers and I may be all grown up now but we still say it every year.

My daughter went back home today. I wish I could have had more time with her! All in all it was a very good Christmas but I am glad it is over now too.

I hope you all had a wonderful time during the holiday and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Go Elf Yourself!

I saw this over at Lisa's blog and decided to try to "elf myself" too!

Click on this link and you can see me doing an elf dance. You can elf yourself too and email it to your friends and family. I am sure my niece will get a kick out of this!

150 Things Meme

Okay, Janet I will tag myself with your meme!

Rules – copy the list and bold face the items you’ve done. Wait for some comments then answer the questions. Here goes....

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Driven anything over 100 MPH
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse of the moon.
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie (do home movies count? if so, yes)
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Whew!

Switched to Beta

Well, I made the switch to Beta Blogger. I am not sure yet what is so different about it.

Maybe now I won't have difficulty making comments on other Beta Blogger's blogs too.

A Sweet Story

I was saddened to hear about the recent passing of actor Peter Boyle. I loved him in Everybody Loves Raymond. He was hilarious in Young Frankenstein. I was amazed by his performance in Monster's Ball too.

I just read the sweetest story about him over at CP's blog.
Go check it out. What a dear man. Thank you CP for sharing your story!
Rest in peace, Mr. Boyle.

Stocking Stuffers

I have been trying to come up with some unique ideas for things to put in my daughter's and parents' Christmas stockings.

When we were kids my parents didn't have stockings but after we got a bit older we all decided that Mom and Dad should have stockings too. I have been remembering some of the things that we would put in their stockings over the years.

Mom would get a new whisk or a spatula. Her favorite York peppermint patties. Maybe some cute nick nacks. Dad would usually get a summer sausage or a big nut roll. Maybe a cigar. Several years he would get a bottle of Brut cologne. Oh yeah there was the rubber coin purse. He had to have one of those. I don't think he uses those anymore.

It is getting harder to think up unique things to put in their stockings. With my daughter I usually will put in a favorite magazine of hers and include a note that she will be getting a subscription to it. I have given her a lot of different things in her stocking like a flashlight, new keyring, jewelry, socks, eyelash curler, make-up. I am running out of ideas! I am trying to find really different things this year.

What are some of the things you put in Christmas stockings? Do you have certain "traditional" things that you always put in the stockings each year? I only have ten days left! Got some good ideas for me?

A Christmas Funny

Grrr@Blogger

Is anyone besides me having troubles putting a comment on any other Blogger blogs? I have tried the last few days to post a comment over at cmk's blog Out of My Mind but after I put in the word verification letters and then my username and password it tells me that my password isn't correct. Hmmm. It works just fine here! Could it be because I have not switched over to the beta version on my own blog? Can non beta Bloggers comment on beta Blogger blogs? (Hey, that is a good tongue twister!)

Holiday Snowglobe

You may have seen this before. Check it out. It's pretty funny. Listen and watch the whole scene before you start shaking it up. Enjoy!

Holiday Snowglobe

Just checking in

Taking a little break from housecleaning. Oh my...I have so much to do around here to get ready for Christmas! I haven't put my tree up yet either. It's just a small little artificial tree that I got last year. I haven't had a real tree in several years but I really miss the scent of a real one.

I almost deleted the last two posts because I felt like they were so darn depressing. I have been in a "funk" lately. Things will get better. They have to!

I watched a Christmas movie last night. The Polar Express. I was amazed by the special effects of that movie. It was a cute movie.

This post will be short and boring. I have to get back to housecleaning!
Byeeeeeeeee!

This and That

Brrrr! It was so cold outside when I got off work tonight. We had just a light dusting of snow late last night but by the time I went to work it was gone but it sure is cold.

Tonight at the hospital where I work, the Grief Relief group in conjunction with the hospital hosted a community memorial service in the hospital lobby next to where I work. The Christmas tree was lighted with lights that were lit in honor of people who have passed away this past year or for anyone else that family and friends wanted to honor. They had music and poetry readings and a minister said some prayers. A man sang Josh Groban's song "To Where You Are" and a woman sang Leann Rime's song "On the Side of Angels".

Last summer one of the supervisors over our physical therapy department was killed in a car accident. Her husband was driving and he survived. Tonight at the service her sister did sign language to the Josh Groban song that was sung. It was very beautiful to watch. Sad too. At midpoint during the service they called out the names of several people who have passed away. One of the names they said was my late doctor's name. She committed suicide exactly one year ago tonight. I still can't believe she is gone. I miss her very much. When they called out several of the names tonight I would get flashes in my mind of their faces. I either remembered them through working at the hospital or I personally knew some of them.

My friend (mentioned in my last post) Pat's older sister Geri came to the memorial service too. After it was finished I went over to her to give her a hug. She said the only thing that was keeping her afloat was the solid and unwavering faith that she knew her mother, niece and nephew were in heaven. When she said that, she added "well you knew Mom...there isn't any question about it!" I knew what she meant. Her mother, Fannie was a very sweet and spiritual lady. Have you ever known a person in your life that when you think of them you think they haven't got a bad bone in their body? That they are so kind hearted and giving and never have a cross word to say about anybody? That was Fannie. Bless her heart. Even though she was 85 years old, as long as I have known her she also always had this very childlike innocent way about her. She would giggle very easily and always had a smile on her face. She was pure of heart and a blessing to know. She had a deep faith in the Lord above and like Geri I have no doubts that she is at peace.

Geri said that Pat is having a very very hard time coping. The same with Pat's daughter's husband. He has lost his wife and new baby and is suffering so much. Geri said he admitted himself into another hospital for help. Geri said the driver of the semi truck (who the family knows too) is having a rough go of it too, understandably so.

**********

My Dad had to go into the hospital this morning for a colonoscopy. They found five more polyps and removed them. The surgeon also removed a spot on Dad's hand that he discovered a while back. Mom said it is like a mole that Dad noticed had changed in size and felt rougher. So that will be sent off to pathology for tests too. He went in at 8:30 am and was home by 11 am. I hope Dad's cancer is not back. Since he had his kidney removed a while back he has gradually gotten back his strength. He and Mom went bike riding a few weeks ago when the weather was still nice.

**********

I haven't been feeling very well myself for several weeks. I finally called my doctor's office today to make an appointment but he didn't have any openings until January 10th. My prescriptions will be running out around that time anyway and I will need to get them renewed. I also will need to get scripts written for my diabetes test strips and lancets. I wonder why those have to be so darn expensive? I am so glad I have health insurance but even with my co-pays on everything it adds up.

**********

I will be doing the majority of my Christmas shopping online this year. The UPS man has already been making deliveries here this week. Today I got two packages and one big one yesterday. I couldn't open them until I got home from work so it was fun to see what they were when I got home tonight. One thing that came in was a wall clock my mother had shown me that she liked. It has square spaces all around the clock face to put family photos inside. The other thing that came in today was something I ordered after reading Janet's post about looking for a good candle. I commented there about some alternatives and I remembered that my mother has been saying for a long time that she wanted one of these room air freshener dispensers like the one I purchased for myself from the hospital where I work. So, I bought Mom a Time Mist Plus dispenser along with four cans of the scented refills. Two for me and two for Mom. I got Mom the Yankee Candle Macintosh Apple and Ozium 3000 sanitizer original scent (good for pet and smoke odors and removing some bacteria from the air) and I got myself the Sea Mist and Clean and Fresh scents. I ordered them on the 3rd of Dec. and got them today. That was fast! Now I just need to get some fresh batteries for my own dispenser. The dispensers are programmable to spray out the scent at every 30, 15 or 7.5 minute intervals. I always set mine for the the 30 min. option. They also have a light that flashes and an audible beep that goes off whenever you need to change batteries or put in a new refill. I don't have to change the batteries for a year and the scents each last quite a long time before I have to put in another refill. They use these at the hospital where I work and they provide a really nice clean smell. Okay...that is my product endorsement for the year!

Back in early November I ordered an outdoor fireplace for my parents. I am getting concerned because they have not shipped it out yet! I ordered it through Amazon and Amazon sent me an email saying that the company, Joe Brands has not shipped it out in the time agreed that they are supposed to send it to me. They told me I would need to email Joe Brands to inquire about it so I did. Joe Brands sent an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of my email and said they would reply within one day but so far I have not heard anything. My credit card has not been billed for it but I still would like to get it!