Merry Christmas and the magic of a Santa hat!

As many of you probably know I work in retail for a second job. I've found that 99% of the people out there shopping want to be in a good mood but that's hard to stay in that frame of mind when they can't get help, feel like they are ignored or whatever. My Santa hat has had a 'magical' effect on me and thankfully on my customers. I've worked two days in a row 8am to 12:30am with about 40 minutes between where I took a power nap. Last night I woke up from my nap at 6pm and felt like I'd been used as a washrag and put through a wringer. I got dressed and went downstairs to add some bling to my Santa hat and put it on in front of the mirror and just started smiling. It was truly magic!

Customers smile when you start off with a smile for them. They laugh when I say silly stuff and it just really makes a difference. I do all that I can to help my customers and to make at least a few minutes of their day better - and the biggest reason is that it's good for them and for me. This has been a grueling two days, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world. People walked up with lots of burdens and no smile and left with a happy heart. That is a good thing.

So Merry Christmas - and if you are feeling Bah Humbug, put on a Santa Hat and go say Merry Christmas a few times - it will change your life.

God Bless you all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Spirit

I was working at the store on Saturday - it was a very busy weekend. I was asked to stay on the floor and greet customers, hand them bags for shopping if needed, help them with anything that they may need, find sizes, colors, offer suggestions, etc. I love it. Making people happy and smiling - gives back to me ten-fold.

About 2 hours into my shift I was standing near the door to the mall - wishing people a Merry Christmas, a man and woman with their two toddlers and a stroller with 2 month old twins walked by I wished them a Merry Christmas and the man stopped and said it was the best Christmas ever! A lady in the mall had stopped them and given them a $100.00 bill. I get goose bumps every time I repeat the story. That's what Christmas is about. Giving and making others feel blessed and loved.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Christmas

This is a weird Christmas for me. Usually my mom and I are buying and wrapping presents together and trying not to give each other gifts early - which never works. But now that she's in Texas and I live alone the only 'people' who watch me wrap are Einstein and Henry. RB has seen the fruits of my labors, but I haven't given in to the urge to give him something early. I did send one gift to my mom early so that she could wrap herself up in it, a soft, cozy blue sweater that I thought would make her feel hugged on cold days and on days of chemo and radiation. She has to have more chemo than originally thought, so please keep her in your prayers.

Also - this is the first year in a long time that I will not be with any of my family. My mom is in Texas as is my younger brother and his family and my other brother - well that's a long story. There is some work to be done by both us - repairs actually. Christmas will be with RB and his family. I'm looking forward to it but also a little sad. Missing my mom I guess....

Snow

It's snowing like crazy! I woke up this morning to the realization that I would have to shovel tonight when I get home from work. I think I was hoping that the snow would miraculously stop and melt overnight. Well that didn't happen!

I worked at second job last night. I really do enjoy working there - the shoppers need someone to smile at them, wish them a Merry Christmas, and help them with anything that we possibly can. It's a joy making someone smile and be happy in this crazy world we live in.

I'll post some pictures later!

Thanksgiving and more

I've never been so busy or so blessed than I have been this year. With the economy the way it is, having two/almost 3 jobs that I really enjoy is a blessing.
A list of things that I'm thankful for:

• my health has been good
• life is good
• RB is wonderful
• I have two crazy loving orange tabby cats that make life interesting
• my house is in decent shape
• my hot water heater had a slight hiccup but thanks to RB's advice it's now happy again
• my mom is getting through her Chemo and Radiation pretty well
• my friends are so dear and loving
• God is good and he listens!
• Work is busy and I'm learning new stuff all the time
• My other job is rewarding in an entirely different way because I've got closer contact to customers - I do like this part a lot, not as hard mentally as job 1 - but harder physically!
• RB is my friend and so much more
• Thanksgiving was about friends and family, the past memories but the good new memories
• I met RB's cousin finally and really liked her - can't wait to spend time with her again. 
• My mom and I talked quite a bit - hard being away from her, but thankful that she is still fighting the good fight. 

Life is very full and very fulfilling! Very much a pleasure to be living right now...

Kitty update

Both cats are in fine health and full of 'piss and vinegar' as my mom used to say about us. They are funny little guys. Well not so little anymore - Henry is getting a belly on him - all that fine food pouring I'm doing these days. :)

I worked all weekend at the second job - 8 hours on Saturday and 6 last night. I'm a tired puppy. But the good thing is I slept last night - soundly and wonderfully. Saturday night was a different story - I was so tired that I crashed at 8:15 - couldn't stay awake anymore - I was cold and tired. So I woke up at midnight and was able to go back to sleep - woke up at 1:15 and it had to be three before I fell back to sleep. I even took a benedryl - guaranteed to make me pass out, but to no avail. And even when I did go back to sleep I was in a half awake, mind rolling over everything under the sun - not a good place to be at times. I got up at 8 and I looked like I'd not slept in a week. I didn't do much yesterday - took a nap that was much like my sleepless night. And then worked from 5-1030 - it was a good thing - I tired myself out and slept much better.

So enough of that saga!

My mom has cancer in her lung again. This time she is getting radiation and today the chemo starts. Please pray for her and keep her in your thoughts. She is so strong and so committed to winning this, but I know that the chemo especially is going to test her strength and endurance. The good thing is that I saw her about a month ago and my brothers were both with her this weekend - it was good for her to see the older one as he lives up here too.

Well - I have to get back to work and save the world - one computer at a time from viruses and user error! :)

Henry and Einstein

I'm a cat lover - in case you haven't figured that out yet.

I have two of them Einstein (7 years old) and Henry (1 year old). Einstein brought Henry home this spring and Henry decided after a couple of weeks and some good food on a regular basis that he would stay. I took him to the vet and had him checked out - he's a handsome little lad with an amazing ability to do some stupid things and yet make me laugh every time.  Einstein was about two when I adopted him and his brother Jefferson from a family that was moving to Arkansas and couldn't take them. Jeffy was incredibly friendly and trusting and must have been picked up by someone or hurt - I never found him as much as I tried.

And - something to note - Jeffy and Einstein were indoor cats before they came to me (supposedly). They were houdinis when it came to getting out of the house - especially Einstein. We put new windows in all the rooms of the house one summer - and I noticed a couple of times when I came home from work that Einstein was waiting for me outside. When I know darned well he was on my bed sleeping when I left that morning. Well the new window screen in my room wasn't quite installed correctly and Einstein realized that if he pushed he could slide between the screen and house and get on the roof of the back hall. From there he would go to the pergola and then climb down the lilac. My Einstein isn't a dummy. He knows that if he gets on that back roof and meows it will wake me up and I'll let him in!

In the spring Einstein got a horrid abscess and it was good I got him to the vet when I did. He was one sick kitty. Well I now check him and Henry often to make sure they don't have any wounds or swelling because they do scrap with other animals - a lot, especially Hankster the Gangster! Well - Henry came in on Sunday with some swelling, but I found the wound - did hot wet compresses, cleaned it up and kept an eye on him. No fever and his appetite was fantastic. But Wednesday night he came home and he was so swollen he looked awful! I was able to (sorry in advance) drain the abscess - YUCK - put hot compresses on it and get the wound very clean. I kept him in and then brought him to the vet on Thursday morning. The vet even said I did a good job - gave me some antibiotics and we'll go back in two weeks to make sure Henry is in tip top shape.

I kept Henry in the house for 36 hours - LOL - not good if you want to get sleep! He attacked my feet, chewed on my hands, jumped on and off the bed, and made his purr noise and meowed. He was saying -  "I feel good - let me out now!!!" So I did - he came back in at lunch and looks like a million dollars - the swelling is gone and he is a happy camper.

Cats are funny - I'm not their owner - I'm their servant. My focus must be on them when they want it and "shoooo" away if they don't. Funny little guys that they are.

So that's enough about the beasties...but I wanted to share my 'kids' with you!

I feel like I've been gone forever

I went to Texas to visit my mom last weekend. I try not post about travels until I'm done as I don't want people to know that I'm not home. Anyway - that was a segue wasn't it?

Well I went to Texas to just have a fun visit and meet all of mom's new friends. Well about a week before the visit that all changed - my mom called and told me that she had lung cancer (again). Quick history - right after September 11, 2001 my mom found out she had lung cancer - the summer of 2002 she found out she had throat cancer. Surgery was performed for the lung cancer and radiation for the throat cancer - and she has been clean until now.

When I got there on Thursday, my mom had been home from the hospital after having had a need biopsy that morning for an hour or so. The doctors told her before she went in that there was a 90% chance that her lung would collapse. They wanted her to go to another hospital and have a surgeon do the needle biopsy - she said no - she had waited long enough. My mom and her friend Patti asked if they could pray before they did the biopsy. The doctor overheard their prayers and thanked them for including him. Well - my mom came through without a collapsed lung, God is good.

We had a good visit - her friends in Texas are the most wonderful people that I have ever met. Giving, loving, caring and selfless. It's a beautiful thing. My mom is in good hands.

Here she is on a Harley - with a really neat man named Mike. Basically he was a stranger to her but willing to give her an adventure! Thanks Mike!

Oh - and about the Texas Rangers outfit - my brothers are both Yankees fans and my mom got that outfit to basically drive them both crazy - I think it worked and it helped the Rangers win at home and they are heading to the World Series!!!!

And one more thing - I've never seen my mom smile as much as she is in this picture and others that have been taken in Texas - she is really and truly happy!

The Porch: Old and New

It's been about 3 years since we painted the posts and sides of the porch - in the green and white. We needed to do the deck and the skirting but frankly I'm too much of a pain about that stuff and figured that I would drive myself crazy trying to make it perfect - it wasn't going to happen. So I hired "Uncle Rick" to do it for me and he went way above and beyond what I thought was needed - it's a good thing because he got rid of a lot of rotting wood and frankly it's just better all the way around.

This is looking from the stairs to the east - the gray paint is in horrid condition. It really needs this paint job!

This is just after he removed all of the old wood underneath - I had cut the wegalia's back so that he could get in there so it's a drastic change. Usually the wegalia's hide everything - hence the moisture damage in there I am sure.

This picture shows how awful the boards are on the deck - also if you can tell - it shows the black railing that has been newly painted and looks beautiful. I took this picture at 10 at night after I got home from second job.

Rb and I drove out to see his mom yesterday and when we got home - the porch was painted...RED! It's not what I had in mind - we (my mom and I) picked out what we thought was a deep burgundy color - LOL - nope - it's more a Chianti color and bordering on FireTruck Red. Ah well - I'm ready for Christmas now.

In this picture you get the full effect! - the sun is really sparking up the color. Well - you certainly can't miss my house - I can just say it's the house with the red porch and pretty soon everyone in Utica will know which one it is!

Roses from RB

My office is dark and the lighting isn't the best - but these are truly gorgeous roses. They are from Chesters Flowers and honestly they have the best arrangements.  Thanks honey!