No sights or sounds of Christmas!

I've loved the quiet days of Christmas.  My husband and I had the traditional lunch but I took my time preparing it and we ate around 3p which was fine.  Old movies on the TV were great and no one rushed me to do anything I wasn't in a hurry to do.

Today is/was a different story.  I donned my three layers of clothing to brave the cold and finishing my Christmas Shopping.  No one else is in the Christmas Spirit I take it, as there was very little that looked like Christmas in the stores!  No matter.  I just took advantage of their 50-75% off stuff and came home.  There are no discounts on gift certificates, but that is OK too, for by the time I go out one more time I will be through.  Now to wrap a few things and bag a few more.

I had picked up a couple things for some of the girls in our family before Christmas, but decided later to get all the girls the same gift I thought it was so nifty.  Needless to say Walmart didn't know what I was talking about and I was about to get all forlorn and down, but decided against it.  I accidentally came across the same thing at J.C.Penny's so that made my day.  I had not planned to stop by there, but I'm glad now that I did.  Needless to say as much as I like the little gift, I failed to get myself one.  I'll keep that in mind for a later day when I get the hankerin to treat myself for some reason!

It was a little strange seriously.  Knowing I was Christmas Shopping, and there were no sights or sounds of Christmas.  No music, no brightly lighted trees, no Santa's yelling ho, ho, ho.  I found a parking place right up front without having to drive around the parking lot several times waiting for some old soul to move from the handicapped space. It was just strange I tell you.

I made a decision though, while I was shopping and walking and thinking to myself.  I said, "Self, you will call Christmas the first of December in 2011 and not have to contend with the un-christmas-spirited people."   Myself was well pleased with the decision.  We'll see.

Happy New year
Grammyof13 

The Send button

We had Cricket cleaned yesterday and asked for a trim.  However when I got him, he had a summer hair cut.  When all his hair is cut off, he thinks he is naked!  Poor dear.  He hides under a pillow on the couch, or a throw or whatever he can get behind or under.  I sat down in my lounge chair last night, and he proceeded to get in beside me, and rooted himself down part way behind me and stayed as long as I was there.  Then after I got up, he went to bed.  Poor dear he warmed up some today since the weather was nicer. 

My trio from the Writers group I sing with were guests at the Faulkner County Teachers Association Christmas luncheon today.  I stayed to fellowship with them, as I was acquainted with several of them from the writers group.  We hardly ever get together to sing, so we have decided to try to meet at least once a month just to enjoy each other's company if we never get an invitation.  We usually get invited to the Arts festival and a few Christmas meetings.  They both work, so that leaves me - working at my own rat killing stuff.

I am meeting with my first three grand daughters tomorrow for lunch.  We just may start a tradition.  Don't know why we haven't thought of this sooner.  I'm looking forward to having them all to myself for a couple hours.

I started to go out and shop some today, but got busy with my manuscript and have finally got it ready to send.  All the i's are dotted and t's crossed, corrections made, and permissions granted.  So I'm through with my part as far as I know.  I'll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas to you again.

Grammyof13

Hello World!

I think I have finally woke up this week.  For almost a week, I have gone to sleep at the drop of my bottom into a sitting or laying position and have lost almost a week because of it.  I don't like the feeling but did what I had to do only to hurry back to my chair or the couch and lay down again.  I did go to one of the Doctors in my PC's clinic.  He didn't offer much help, but did run some blood work of which I'll hear from the first of the week.

Yesterday I did get my smile back.  I had the broken tooth's root pulled along with another one that was broken and then my new bridge was put in shortly there after.  After reviewing my BP reading and which was very low and realizing I had been on a down hill slide all week, the Doctor and I decided to go proceed with the plan.  Before beginning we realized I wasn't able to breath very well, so the oxygen mask came out.  I'm so glad we opted for the oxygen for I made it through just fine and even felt alive and awake for the first time in a week.  My calculations are I may not be getting the oxygen I need in the long run.  So I'll see what transpires in the next few days.

I'm still not through shopping.  I never do much, but I like to get out some during the festivities to do a little.  As we are not getting to have Christmas until the 1st, I will have a week after everyone else is taking down the decorations.  Did I tell you I am always a day late and a dollar short?  It is just me so I don't feel rushed - yet anyway.

From my heart, I truly pray each of you who stop by to read my attempts at blogging throughout the year, from whatever part of this beautiful world of ours you happen to live, and whether you believe the reason we celebrate Christmas or whether you do not celebrate at all - from my heart to yours I wish you a time of happiness and merriment that can only come from the one whose birth we celebrate here in America and many countries through-out the world.  Without Jesus, there would be no reason to celebrate life here or what we base our hope on of the afterlife.    Merry Christmas from Grammyof13 and Papa.

grammyof13

Blessings

As weeks go this time of year,  this has been a pretty good one.  Went to the Dentist on Monday with hopes of getting my tooth repaired, but we decided on a new bridge which I have been wanting and desperately needing.  So now with the blessings of my Dentist who is the brother-in-law to my first Granddaughter, I am getting a new upper partial at a cost that is so wonderful, I'm claiming it as a miracle and an answer to prayer.  OH~  where else does miracles come from?  Good question, I say to myself.

Then another miracle, while shopping at Walmart Thursday.  Finding a big portion of my Christmas at such a price I could not pass it up.  I may have to change my mind about my distaste for Walmart overall.  The crowds weren't so bad, however it was afternoon and before 5pm, so I may have got there in time for the unexpected sale.  Do you think I need to camp out at Walmart until Christmas, in case they have more of the unadvertised, unexpected sales?    Again, "Good question" I say to myself.

I started decorating the house yesterday.  Got started on the living room.  It is beginning to look festive, however I have another prayer.  I sure need help to go through my house and clean - I am ready to start downsizing - starting with the junk (hasn't always been junk) I thought was great stuff to be kept at the time.
It is such a big job after being here almost 15 years, that a second set of hands would be wonderful.

It doesn't bother me until times like this when I start unloading the storage room and closets for my Christmas decorations and seasonal stuff.  I have been so engulfed/engrossed with my manuscript lately, I have had very little time for much of anything else.  However after getting into bed at 12:30am this morning, I feel close to being through.  Once I have said all I can say, and read it, plus read it again and again for errors, there comes a time to say, "It's done!" and move on.  I believe I am nearer to being there than I have been since 2003 when I made my first draft.

I hope I can say I have improved since 2003, when I thought I was a writer.  And really compared to now, I may have myself sized up close to correct in my assumption.

My Saturday jobs are waiting for me and time moves much faster than I do.  So have a great week-end and see you in God's house tomorrow.

Blessings,
grammyof13

Toothless Smile

Two of my sons and their families along with one daughter and her family, plus Dad and Me met in Branson for a week-end.  Beside the cold it was a great time for our family to enjoy all Branson has to offer.  Especially the malls, and all the lights.  Amazing how Christmas gets into the heart with all the festivities, carols playing and being sung everywhere we went. 

The only down side was the cold weather.  Bundled up head, ears, hands and feet helped some, but we were always looking for an in house event to shop or to watch a show.  We did see A Christmas Carol which the visual effects were estounding.  Very well done production.

My daughter was determined that I was not going to fall (and embarrass) them so she rented me an electric scooter.  I almost mowed a few people down, but believe me I wasn't trying.  The scooter will only go so fast, and I had it in the lowest gear and still people walked right in front of me with no regards to the fact I was in a motorized machine.  Well batterized machine anyway!  They pushed their babies and the buggy it was in, right smack dab in front of me - without a "excuse me please" or anything.  They hardly saw me and at that only if their perifial vision was working. 

Did it have something to do with an elderly person in a "wheel chair"?  Or was it the crowd was just that a crowd and in a frenzy to get to somewhere else or to a warmer place?  I was exhausted by the end of the day for trying so hard not to run over anyone.  As half crippled as I am, I wonder if the crowd would have carried me along had I been walking shoulder to shoulder as everyone seemed to be.  Everyone was in a hurry to get somewhere with little regard for the wheelchair bound individuals, albeit motorized or otherwise.

I'll have to admit, I did not feel the pain I inflicted on one who did get caught in the leg with my cart!  Blowing the little horn, did no good.  It was lost in the roar of the throng of people.  I was moving right along at the lowest speed, when suddenly the people in front of me stopped without warning.  I apologized but it was not heart felt, as I had been working so hard to avoid that kind of injury.  I'm glad no police was involved, or I'd have been ticketed for hitting someone from behind.  (hee hee)

Seriously, I wonder if there is something about the crippled or helpless that makes us feel uncomfortable?  I'm not sure, but I do think I'll try to be more courteous (in case I haven't been in times past) to those less fortunate than myself. 

Then to finish the day, I broke a front tooth off at the root.  So my smile will be absent until I can get it repaired.  My little grand boys, Parker and Preston had new cameras and wanted to make a picture of me - close up - no less.  I asked if they wanted my toothless grin or for me to smile with my mouth closed.  They wanted to see me first with the toothless grin - but then quickly changed their mind.  He wanted my mouth closed and when I did close my mouth without a smile, he takes his fingers and stretches each sidce of my mouth into a grin - so there you have it - thank you very much.  A close up without a toothless smile!

It was so good to be with them, and two of my other boys, Chandler and Clay.  Love those boys.  Wish I had a picture to share - maybe later.

Got to get ready for the Dentist to inflict pain so I can get my smile back.

Grammyof13