Our Christmas Tree Tradition

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday. Rodney and I started a very special tradition with our very first tree in 1990, and that tradition still stands today. Every year, we purchase only one very special ornament. Yes, our first Christmas tree held lots of twinkly lights, but only one ornament. The annual selection of this ornament is a very well-thought-out process. The ornament must commemorate a special event that will always be remembered through that one ornament. Several of our ornaments are monuments to someone special who we lost that year. There is an ornament for all of the grandparents, one for Rodney's mother Geraldine, and one for my sister Monique. There are also ornaments for beloved pets that have left us, so that we may remember how very much we loved them. There are ornaments to commemorate special vacations that were taken, and momentous events and acheivements. We have 20 of these ornaments, and each year we perform a ritual of placing them on the tree, and remembering why that ornament was chosen. We reflect on each one individually as Rodney places them lovingly on the tree. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes to an hour just to hang these 20 ornaments. Since our first tree, we have accumulated many other ornaments, mainly gifts from treasured friends. But none are as cherished as these 20. The hanging of the "Special Ornaments" is one of my most anticipated Christmas traditions. It is an opportunity to remember things that may have otherwise been forgotten, and to again love those who we will miss forever. So today, I am so, so, SO thankful for our Christmas tree tradition.

Thankful for Anger Management

Yesterday I got angry. REALLY angry. Pulse vibrating, red in the face, eyes tearing up MAD. I haven't been that enraged in awhile. And no, it wasn't at the hubby or the kids. I won't get into the circumstances that left me inwardly screaming at the top of my lungs, but let's just say it was one of those situations where the damage had been done, and I was powerless to change what had happened. I just had to deal with it. I fumed, I cursed, I even cried (that's when you know I'm REALLY furious). Even my husband said that he hadn't seen me that upset in a long time. But through it all, I was in control. This wasn't always the case. It used to be that when I got angry, instead of figuring out why I felt that way, I would act out. And you did NOT want to be around when I did! Yelling, punching people, throwing things, hurtful name calling and overall belligerence. Or gossiping, manipulation, getting even, sabotaging others, binge eating and even using drugs and alcohol to numb the anger inside. But not this time. After a 5-minute hissy fit, I channeled that anger into finding a solution to the problem that had me so steamed. And as it turns out, that positive twist on my anger actually resulted in what I think will be a better outcome for everyone involved. Nothing got broken, I didn't eat half a cheesecake, and I don't have anybody to apologize to today. I just have to thank my sweet husband for letting me vent, and then helping me find way to make things better. Whaddaya know? I controlled the anger instead of it controlling me. So today, I am thankful for anger management.

Reality Check

A few years ago, I heard a very wise person say this: "It is ironic that so often we treat perfect strangers better than we treat our loved ones." I will repeat that quote, because it bears repeating: "...so often we treat perfect strangers better than we treat our loved ones." That quote has stuck in my mind for a VERY long time, perhaps because it really stepped on my toes. That one sentence caused me to take a good, long, difficult look at myself. I realized at that moment that, when it comes down to it, our loved ones are all we really have in this life. And I also realized that those loved ones can be taken from you in an instant. In a split second, the ones you love the most can be gone from your life. Did they really know that you loved them? Did you say what you needed to say when you had the chance? Did you make them feel loved and treasured every single day? Most of us don't. Instead, we hold on to the frustrations and irritations of daily life, and we take them out on the ones who love us most...our spouses, our parents, our siblings, even our children. Why do we do that? Why do they deserve anything less than best that we have to give? Because we know that they will forgive us? Because we can make it up to them later? Because we know that they're not going anywhere? I'm here to tell ya, folks...they can leave. Not of their own accord, but because they can be taken from us at any time. ANY time. Stop and think about that for minute. That spouse who you fought with before work this morning may not make it home this afternoon. That child that you snapped at for no reason before bed last night may not be with you in the morning. They could be gone. No make-ups, no re-dos...GONE. Think for a moment about what that would mean to you. Cry for a moment (I did, and for more than a moment), and then realize that if you really love them, you have to treat them like gold while you have the chance. Give them your very best, not just what you have left over at the end of the day. Tell them what they mean to you, hug them, kiss them, learn to apologize (there I go, stepping on my own toes again), to make amends, to say what needs to be said, to love openly and without reservation. Learn to treat your loved ones better than strangers. The reality is, you may not have them tomorrow. So today, I am thankful for the time that I have with the people I love...and for reality checks.

My Wonderful Parents

When I was a rebellious teeanger, I was just like every other kid I knew, thinking that my parents were just clueless. They were the enemy, always getting in the way of what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and who I wanted to be with. I felt like their one and only job in life was to make my life miserable, ruin my good time, and nag me relentlessly. I was oh so smart, and they were oh so backwards. Funny thing about getting older, though. As you get older, your parents get smarter. And after you have children of your own, you find out that they were pretty damn brilliant! I'm not saying that my parents got it ALL right. They made mistakes, just like all moms and dads do. But at the end of the day, I can say that they did 95 percent of it pretty close to perfect. I have found out in the last 20 years or so that I was one of the lucky ones in that respect. I have heard horror stories of nightmarish childhoods, broken dreams, and the betrayed trust that many kids experience at the hands of people who were ill-equipped for parenthood. How fortunate I was to have been born into a loving household, with parents who truly loved me and wanted what was best for me. Parents who loved me enough to say no, to discipline me when I needed it, and to praise me to the high heavens when I deserved it even just a little bit. I have always received unconditional love from them, even when I was completely unlovable. I always felt respect for my parents, and I have always felt respected by them as well. I have always been able to turn to them for help, no matter what the trouble. And they can rest assured that when the time comes when they need my help, I will go to the ends of the earth for them. God gave me the best parents in the world. I know this to be true, because I have about 50 more young ladies all over the United States who will attest to that fact. So today, I am thankful for my mother and my father. They are loved more than they will ever know.

Growing Up in the 70's

During this time of year, I always like to flip through my old photo albums and reminisce about the "Good 'Ol Days". I grew up in the 70's, one long decade of fashion don'ts. But there were LOTS of good things about the 70's that make me feel as warm as a fresh Easy Bake Oven cake. I still remember my Snoopy electric toothbrush. And the pink bicycle with the banana seat and the plastic basket with flowers on it. That bike was the best bike EVER. It even had ribbons in the ends of each handle. Badass! I remember watching "The Hardy Boys", and wondering why Shaun Cassidy was such a big deal...I liked Parker Stevenson MUCH more! The Love Boat and Fantasy Island and Happy Days and Little House on the Prairie. We loved Laura Ingalls and HATED Nellie Olsen. That whole town needed to open up a big old-fashioned barrel of whoop-ass on that little girl! I had a Florence Henderson shag haircut, and my sister Robin sported the "Dorothy Hamill". My Snoopy sleeping bag was just awesome, printed with "Happiness Is" sayings that I would read until I fell asleep every night. We wore ponchos and gauchos and halter tops, and bell-bottoms that our mom made for us. ***Note: Never wear ball-bottoms while you're riding a bike. Just ask my sister why.*** The electronic game Simon probably started our obsession with computer games, and "Pong" sealed the deal. Then came Space Invaders, Breakout, Asteroids, and Tailgunner. Just how many quarters do you suppose we lost playing those? I spent hours in the backyard on my metal swing set with the trapeze, swinging high enough to rock the whole thing, having to catch myself before it tipped over. I learned to make ribbon barrettes, and had them in every imaginable color. I remember keeping a comb in my back pocket, not that I ever used it, but it was just cool at the time. I carried a metal lunchbox to school, not plastic. Again, Snoopy. Gotta love the Snoopmeister! My cousin Margaret Ann and I would argue over which of the Dukes of Hazzard boys was our boyfriend. We both wanted John Schneider, so we would leave it up to the Magic 8 Ball to decide. We learned that although the Magic-8 ball knows and sees all, it rarely gives good advice. I completely wore out my soundtracks of Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame on VINYL! I tape recorded songs off the radio by holding a portable tape player up to my speaker. I remember actually thinking that Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics, and we ALL wanted to be Solid Gold dancers! We went to church day camp during the summer, and came home with arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom. I got the Weekly Reader in the mail, and couldn't wait to get the free animal poster that came with it. I remember my Big Wheel with the brake on the side, my Sit-n-Spin, and my Inchworm. I loved that thing! I broke my sister's Baby Alive doll, and her wicker thong flip flops. I spent almost all of my allowance on Tiger Beat magazines and candy cigarettes. *sigh* It was great era, wasn't it? Today, I am thankful that I was a child of the 70's.

Music is the Greatest Gift

I feel the love, I feel the sorrow, the joys and pains of so many souls when I listen to music. And when I sing, I express my own love, sorrow, joy or pain. When I sing, there are no complications, just me and the vibe of that song. It's like free psychotherapy in 4 minutes or under. There aren't any rules in music, and every song has a spirit of its own. When I listen to my playlist, I get I feel something different every 3 minutes. And when I sing, I feel an effortless release of that emotion. When my parents put me up on stage at the age of 4, they gave me the greatest gift I could ever receive...they gave me the blissful symphony of the heart, music. I cannot remember a day when I did not sing. I can remember Mom at the piano, my sisters and father around me, all of us belting out old-time Gospel in the living room. From that day I have never turned back. I have sung for myself, for family, for friends, and for hundreds of people who I will never meet. I have sung in bars, in church, in football stadiums, at Disney World, at weddings, at funerals, at home, in my car, in the shower, in the classroom, on stage, and in my dreams. I have sung through joy, through rage, and through tears. I have sung my heart and soul whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. Music is like something that fires through me at that moment, absolute truth to my heart. Sometimes it feels like music gets me high, a whole-body experience felt in the deepest crevasses of my brain. And the great thing about it is that I get to feel that way each and every time I open my mouth and belt out that song that is gracing my soul. Music is my drug, truly! Music is either in your blood or it’s not. If it is, you can’t help but let it influence your heart, your soul, your mind, and your life. It’s the medicine God put on the face of our planet for all who should grace its floor. So today, I am thankful for music.

Saturday Mornings

Ahh.....Sleeping in on Saturday. Isn't it just the best? During the week, my evil alarm clock goes off at 4:30am. How sadistic is that? But on Saturday, I have no get up time. Sure, some mornings the hubby and I will rise early and go to yard sales or farmer's markets, but that's because we want to. On most Saturdays we have absolutely nowhere that we have to be, and we have all day to get there. It's on my top ten list of most wonderful feelings in the world. What an awesome thing it is to wake up at my usual rising time, look at the alarm clock, and then realize that it's Saturday. That moment of rolling over and pulling the covers up closer to my chin is one of the simple pleasures of life. If anyone loves it better than I do, it's my husband. Even on Saturdays, I'm normally up and at 'em by around 8:30 or so. When I wake up and slip out of bed, I always look back to see him sprawl out onto the warm spot I just left. Then he hugs my pillow tight, and at that moment I can imagine what he must have looked like as a child, all snug as a bug in a rug under his blankets. I always go and peep in on the kids in their blissful slumber as well, taking a moment to marvel at how sweet and innocent they look. Unlike when we were kids, they don't have to get up early for Saturday morning cartoons. They won't be up for a couple of hours yet. So then, until about 10am, the quiet house is mine...all mine. I can make myself a latte, have a banana nut muffin, read, watch Top Chef or The Chew, soak in the tub...whatever in the world I want. Knowing that I have nothing but free time in the morning ahead is the best feeling in the world. It's time to recharge the old batteries and spoil myself just a little bit. Saturday morning is "me" time, and I am SO thankful for it.

Happiness is a Great Pair of Bedroom Slippers

I hate wearing shoes. Just hate it. I only wear shoes if I'm going out to a place where going barefoot would be socially unacceptable. Otherwise, I remain barefoot. Yes, I cut my feet sometimes, or get stone bruises. I've even been bitten by a snake. My husband says that I have Hobbit Feet...not because they are huge and furry, but because they seem impervious to pain. This comes from YEARS of the barefoot lifestyle, walking across rocks and hard ground, glass and whatever else is under my tootsies. From the first day of Spring until late in the Fall, you will find me sans shoes, whether it be in the house, outdoors, or any other place where I can get away with it. This hatred of footwear can cause problems in the winter, however. It seems that I have some sort of circulatory deficiency that causes me to have FREEZING feet! When I get into bed in winter, the first thing my husband says to me is, "Keep your icicle feet OFF of me!" That's where my snuggly bedroom shoes come into play, the most comfortable thing next to being barefoot. I don't care if they look silly either, as long as they are warm. I have worn the classic "bunny slippers", slippers that looked like bears, monsters, even Homer Simpson. My favorites right now are my Stewie slippers. The cat hates them, but they are incredibly snuggly are toasty. I feel that it's really important to be thankful for even the smallest of things. And for that reason, today I am thankful for my cozy bedroom slippers.

Small Town Girl

Like most of the folks who might read this passage, I was brought up in a very small town. It was a town of Friday night football games, gas station gossip, and children playing in sprinklers. I remember growing up on a small farm in the country, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world. The only rules I had were to say off the road and be home by dark. I would spend all day outside exploring and hiking in the woods. The amazing part was that our parents had peace of mind even though we were out on our own. It was a time and place where one of the worst crimes you could do was to cut up in church. In my small town, you knew everyone in town and everyone knew you. For me personally, this gave me a sense of accountability. You just never knew who was watching you. Growing up, if you caused trouble, word got back to your parents before you even got home. We learned good manners, how to behave, and how to appreciate what we had. Growing up here, you either lived on a farm, worked on a farm, had a family member that farmed, or knew someone close to the family that farmed. We knew how much work it took to raise the food and animals that a lot of other people take for granted. A home-cooked meal often meant a homegrown meal as well. I lived in the big city, and enjoyed it for awhile, but when it came time to put down roots and raise a family, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. So today, I am thankful for my small town.

A Blissful Night's Sleep

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I have occassional bouts of insomnia. It's not the kind of insomnia where you can't fall asleep...I have no problem dropping off by 9:30 some nights. My type of insomnia is the kind where you drift off peacefully to dreamland, and then wake up 3 or 4 hours later, on like a light bulb. I can't take anything when this happens because if I do, I won't get up when the alarm clock goes off at 4:30. Then hubby and the kids don't get up, hubby loses his job, kids are late for school, and it's all my fault. I can't get into the heavy sleep aids, like Lunesta. Have you seen the commercials for that stuff? The list of side effects is scary! It'll basically make you bat shit crazy, like I need that. Lunesta may cause you to drive or swim without knowing it. Oh yeah, thats what I want to do! "Gee honey, you look tired this morning ...and wet." Or the driving thing? Go to bed in Oxford and wake up in Durham? I don't think so. So instead I lie on the couch and try to go back to sleep while some late night infomercial guy tries to sell me a stainless steel veggie shredder with twelve individual blades for julienne slicing. I've been going through this a lot lately, and it's really been catching up with me. I can usually handle it for about 3 to 4 days, then I start getting tired and sluggish, clumsy, moody, and VERY stressed. But last night, for the first time in about a week, I stayed asleep for the whole night (which for me is about 6 and a half hours). YAY! I felt GREAT! I was annoyingly chipper (hubby is NOT a morning person), singing, laughing, dancing. If you've never had insomnia, then you don't know how rejuvenating a good night's sleep can be. So today, my family and I (and everyone who has to deal with me) are thankful for sleep!

The Joys of Being a Woman

There are many hard things about being a woman. For example, there's lower pay, cramps, pms, sexual harassment, shaving our legs...you get the idea. But I am indeed thankful that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages by FAR. Today I am grateful for those benefits, and would like to share a few.

1) You can cry without pretending there's something in your eye.

2) If you're a lousy athlete, you don't have to question your worth as a human being.

3) A new lipstick gives you a whole new lease on life.

4) If you have to be home in time for Desperate Housewives or some other "girly" show, you can say so, out loud.

5) If you're not very attractive, you can fool 'em with makeup.

6) You could possibly live your whole life without ever having to take a group shower.

7) You'll never have to decide where to hide your nose-hair clippers.

8) Your hair is yours to keep. If you ARE bald, people will think you did it on purpose, and you're really chic.

9) You don't have to pretend to like scotch or cigars.

10) Sometimes, chocolate truly can solve all your problems.
11) You'll never regret piercing your ears.

12) You'll never discover you've been fooled by a Wonderbra.
13) You don't have hair on your back.

14) If anything on your body isn't as big as you want it to be, you can get implants.

15) If you have big ears, no one has to know.
16) You can be attracted to someone just because they're really funny.

17) You can borrow your spouse's clothes and it doesn't mean you belong on Jerry Springer.

18) After you the bathroom smells like a tropical rain forest.
19) Wherever you go, women have better restrooms.

20) If you don't want to load your own groceries, you don't have to.

Just a few thoughts on the joys of womanhood. Feel free to share yours, because today I am thankful that I am a woman.

I confess that sometimes I take my husband for granted. Don't we all sometimes, ladies? He doesn't ask for gratitude, so it's easy to forget how much he does for us. Thanksgiving is a good time to remember him, though.

Here are ten reasons I'm thankful for my husband:

1) I love snuggling up to him at night. No matter how late I want to stay up, he simply will not go to bed without me. Every night he's there, ready to hold me while we fall asleep. If I have a bad dream, he hugs me again.

2) I could never survive parenting without him. With 2 boys in the house, sometimes I need him just to prevent a civil war. My husband reassures me that boys can play video games with guns without growing up to be killers. When he sees that I have had it "up to here" with the little boogers, he tags in and takes over.

3) After 25 years together, he still thinks I'm beautiful. And he tells me every day. Yes, he probably sees me through love goggles, but it still helps when I start to obsess about my crow's feet and graying hair.

4) He's willing to fight with me until we're done. This is not what I really want to do sometimes, but over the years we've learned that relationships work better when you take the time to work things out...ALL THE WAY out.

5) As much as he hates his job, he brings home the bacon. When we decided to homeschool the boys, we knew that it would take a lot of sacrifice. And in today's economy, most of the sacrifice is his. My husband works hard to support our family. I feel odd saying that, as if I'm being too old-fashioned, but actually, I should say it more often.

6) I enjoy talking to him at the end of the day. Most of the time he's the only adult that I get to converse with during the course of a day, so I really need to talk to him. And what's even better is that he needs to talk to me, too.

7) He loves whatever I put in front of him at dinner time. I'm a good cook, but I'm not THAT good. If he doesn't love everything I make for him, I would never know it.

8) He listens. When I'm feeling blue, he takes me out to dinner or watches a movie with me. He takes the time to really listen when I need to moan and complain about my problems.

9) He's funny as hell. You guys who read his Facebook posts know this to be fact. There's never a dull moment when he's around, and there is no shortage of laughter in our house.

10) I still have a good time going out with him. We enjoy ourselves everywhere we go, whether it's antiquing, or yard sales, or the farmer's market, or the flea market, or just hanging out in the same room.

So in case you hadn't guessed it, I'm very thankful for my husband.

Thank You, Veterans

Today is a no-brainer. Today I am thankful for our American Veterans. They are the best of the best, the cream of our crop. Our veterans are men and women who have found a greater cause than themselves. They are the men and women who put our country and all it stands for first and foremost in their hearts and minds. They are the men and women who stepped forward bravely and without reservation when our country called. They are the men and women who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the love of country and family. Sometimes I think we as Americans fail to fully comprehend the gravity of the sacrifices that they have made for us. We do not fully appreciate what those courageous men and women were willing to give up for our nation. But not today. Today is their day. Today is the day to honor those Americans who saw beyond our differences and stood up for ALL of us. So today I share with everyone else who is truly proud to be an American in saying a heart-felt and teary-eyed “thank you” to those men and women who were willing to give more than asked. Thank you for making sacrifices beyond my imagination, and living with those memories for life. May each of our veterans feel the love our country has for them today and everyday. Today I am thankful for you.

My Dog is My Bestest Buddy

Two years ago, we got a puppy from the the Lake Country SPCA. We had no idea what breed she was (the vet can't even figure that one out), with her extra-soft brown fur, her shorter-than-normal tail and her one blue eye. She was just the prettiest little thing. She wasn't one of those hyper, jumping, lick-you-all-over-your-face dogs. Rather, she was one of those dogs who just wants to be loved. We didn't ask about her background, but we could tell that she'd been through quite a lot. Her foster mom would only tell us that she had been everywhere. Therefore, we named her Gypsy. Gypsy was supposed to be Devin's dog. After all, doesn't every young boy need a dog? But over the last 2 years, Gypsy has become just as much mine as she is his. When I come in my back door, she eagerly runs over to greet me. She's ecstatic that I am back. It doesn't matter if I have been gone for five minutes or five hours. Her reaction is always same; she's delighted to see me, no matter what. This is the unconditional love of a dog for her owner. Her unconditional love for me will not end if I lose every dime I have, or if I change my hair color from blonde to brunette. She will still love me if I wear designer clothes or sloppy sweats or pajamas (see yesterday's post!). Or whether I drive a fancy car or an old clunker. She will still love me if I am cranky or unreasonable or lazy or sad. If I screw up and snap or yell at her, she forgives quickly and never loves me less for it. She never asks me why I am late or where I've been and never gets mad at me for anything. She just wants to be with me. Whatever room I'm in, she follows me there. When I sit down, she sits beside me. She is very protective of me, and although she's never bitten anyone, I have no doubt that she would if she felt that I was in harm's way. She can sit and shake and lie down on command, and she can catch Cheerios right out of the air when I toss them to her...every time. Someone wise once said, "My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am." And that's why today, I am thankful for my dog.

I Love My Pajamas!

I have always been a big fan of the TV show "What Not to Wear"...the British version with Trinny and Suzanne, and also the American version with Stacey and Clinton. A couple of years ago, Clinton Kelly referred to a new phenomenon in fashion that he referred to as "The Pajamafication of America". The term refers to the fact that, on any given day, you will find at least one (and sometimes many) people wearing their pajamas out in public. I now notice that I can't go into a grocery store or a Wal-Mart, or sometimes even to my son's school, without seeing someone in pajama pants. Now I would NEVER do that. Mama taught me better. But I do admit that I usually spend at least 20 out of the 24 hours in the day wearing pajama pants, sweatpants, yoga pants, or some sort of slouchy, elastic-waist pants with some a tee shirt or tank top. It's not that I'm lazy...it's just that they're SOOOO comfortable! And I can do just about anything I need to do in them. I can clean house in pajamas, do yardwork in pajamas, teach homeschool lessons in pajamas, cook in pajamas, even tend to the chickens in pajamas and a pair of rubber boots (that's kinda funny to see actually). And if they get torn or messed up in some way, it's no big deal. I can buy another pair for, like, five bucks. So if I'm at home, I'm in my pajamas. Stacey and Clinton would be ashamed of me. I would argue with them that life's too short not to be comfortable. So today, I'm thankful for my pajamas. All ten pairs of them.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Has anyone else ever read this book? It was my favorite as a child. It's about a little boy who is having "one of those days". The kind of day when nothing goes right and you want to dig a hole to China and crawl in it? Well, today has been an Alexander day. I'm just about ready to move to Australia. I won't go into the details, but it's the kind of day that makes Monday the most dreaded day of the week. And it's only noon! Things just are NOT going as planned. It's on these days that I really have to remind myself of all the things that I have to be thankful for.

I have to remind myself to be thankful that I don’t already have everything I desire. If I did, what would there be to look forward to? And to be thankful when I don’t know something, for it gives me the opportunity to learn. And to be thankful for the difficult times. During those times I grow. And to be thankful for my limitations, because they give me opportunities for improvement. And to be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build my strength and character. I have to be thankful for my mistakes, for they teach valuable lessons. And for times when I am tired and weary, because it means I've made a difference. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,and they can become your blessings. So today, I am thankful for this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

The "Christmas Creep"

Yes, I know this blog is supposed to be all about the things that we should be thankful for in our everyday lives, but not today. Today something has chapped my hide. It's called the "Christmas Creep". Christmas Creep is a merchandizing phenomenon in which merchants and retailers exploit the commercialized status of Christmas by moving up the start of the holiday shopping season. The Christmas season traditionally begins with Advent, sometime between November 27 and December 3 and lasts through Christmastide, which officially starts December 25 and lasts 12 days. That has always been just fine with me. What is NOT fine with me is seeing Christmas trees in stores before Halloween. This is a sign that the commercialization of the holidays has just gone too far. Am I not the only one who is irritated by this? It's not that I don't love Christmas and Christmas shopping. Don't get me wrong. I just know aggressive marketing when I see it. I completely understand that merchants have to make a living, but putting Christmas before Thanksgiving? Does Christmas really need to start before Halloween? In some areas of the country, Christmas decorations and merchandise have been coming out as sson as the "Back to School" deals end. Let us get over one holiday before we get to another, okay? I know that businesses are doing this to make more money in a failing economy, but there has to be a balance. Let's not let the "Christmas Creep" kill Thanksgiving. Let's be thankful instead for each and every holiday of the year, and celebrate each one in its own right.

I Love Fall!!!

This is my absolute, no-question-about it, favorite time of the year. I just LOVE Autumn, even cold, rainy Fall days like today. I'm sure that part of it is the beauty of the falling leaves. It's also the end of the oppressive summer heat that we have here in North Carolina. When Fall finally sets in, I am one hamn dappy woman! The beginning of Fall for me is the first time that I have to grab a jacket when I set out in the morning. There are SO many things that I love about Fall. Here are just a few.

Of course, there are the holidays. There's Halloween, which is second to me only to Christmas. Halloween is just so festive and fun, and I just love dressing the kids (and myself) up in their costumes. My older son's birthday is next (today, in fact), and always a special occassion. In our house, when someone has a birthday, they don't just get a day...they get a whole weekend! So it's fun fun fun for 3 days! This is followed by another of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. Any holiday that is celebrated with food and family is AWESOME in my book. I DVR all of the sappy Thanksgiving tear-jerker movies on the Hallmark channel, and I even love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! I look forward to it all year long. A week after Thanksgiving, it's MY birthday! I'm not one of those women who dreads her birthday every year. I celebrate it for the whole weekend. Whatever I want, for 3 days? Who wouldn't celebrate?!

And then there are the colors of Autumn. You just can't ignore the gorgeous Fall colors that we get here on the East Coast. The array of red, orange and yellow that we enjoy here is just breathtaking, IF you take the time to truly look (that's the key...).

There's also the FOOD! This is the time of year when my Domestic Goddess gene kicks in, and I start BAKING! In the Fall, I am overtaken by a sudden urge to mix and bake and fill my house with pumpkin bread and cookies and cakes and pies.

Then there's coffee. I generally don't drink coffee in the spring and summer, unless I need a kickstart in the morning. But when the chill of Autumn kicks in, there's nothing like a hot cup of steaming coffee. Add some Pumpkin Spice creamer, and I'm in heaven! Not to mention the Hot Apple Cider and the Hot Chocolate with marshmallows!

I could go on and on, but I have a hot latte in front of me right now that just won't wait. Happy Fall, Ya'll!

Too Many Clothes!

Today I did the seasonal changing of the wardrobe. It's the day when I clean all of the spring and summer clothes out of my closet, and replace them with snuggly fall and winter garments. As I was looking at the ENORMOUS piles of clothing on my bed, I was reminded of a prayer I read once. I found it online, and decided that it is worth passing on.

"Dear God, as I iron these clothes for my family, please make me aware not what a chore it is, but what a blessing: That we have so many clothes to keep them warm. So many clothes to make them happy---pretty dresses, bright plaid shirts. Let me be thankful even for the trousers, hard as they are to press. Let me be thankful for having sons. Thank you for this iron, with its simple yet marvelous power---heat and steam. Thank you for this sturdy ironing board. Thank you for spray starch, which has cut down on dampening time and makes everything so sweetly crisp. Thank you for this tumbled treasury of garments and tablecloths and pillowslips. Thank you for the strength to make them smooth. And for all the hours of my life that I have been able to do this job, however I have dreaded it or put it off. Give me the patience, please, to teach my own children this ancient art that everyone should know. And dear Lord, give me a spiritual strength to match this strength I bring to the smoothing of these clothes. As you equipped my hands to guide this iron, please equip me with the wisdom to guide my children, to smooth out the wrinkles in their lives as well."

Today I am thankful for all of these clothes.

A Warm House

Yesterday the gas guy came to fill up our 400-gallon tank with gas to heat our home for the winter. The bill was nearly $1200! My teeth nearly fell right out of my head. I was pissed off! I cursed the government! I felt sorry for myself for having to pay so much just to have heat in my own house! After my heart rate returned to normal, I began to wonder how other families are going to afford heat this year. Truth is, they're not. If you will be coming home to a warm house this winter, you should consider yourself to be very fortunate. All across America this winter, families are going to be forced to make some heart breaking decisions. For many, the choice will come down to either heating their home or putting food on the table. More than 10 million U.S. households will not be able to afford to heat their homes this winter without assistance, a new

all-time record. So, if you are in a position to easily heat your home this winter, be very, very thankful. The number of American families that cannot even afford the basics of life is growing by the day. In 2009, a 93-year-old man in Bay City, Michigan actually froze to death inside his own home. Most Americans take it for granted that they will be able to heat their homes, but when you think about it, being able to have enough heat is a great blessing. So instead of getting pissed off at rising energy costs, cursing the government, and feeling sorry for yourself, say a prayer for those who are hurting this winter. And count your blessings while you still
have them.