What Do You Do When You Are Blindsided and Can't See A Solution?

Three going on....?

"Have you noticed how much happier everyone is this time of year?"  Someone asked me that the other day and frankly, I was a bit shocked.

I witness the opposite each year. Maybe it is because we are in retail business and people are regularly complaining -- not enough time or money to do what they need to do.  In general, people are impatient and grumpier than the rest of the year - hands down. 

Stress is over the top for many people at Christmas time. Personally, I find this time of year relaxing as I am prepared at least a month or two in advance. My goal is to have all the gifts wrapped and baking done by November.

What is a Gift from the Heart?

Standing in line at the post office with over a dozen parcels in my hands, someone tapped my shoulder gently.  When I turned, she said in a quiet tone, "You have a long line of toilet paper behind you."  Mmmmm.... I wonder how many people had a smile when they saw that; yet one woman was kind enough to let me know.

My birthday party last month was at a swanky Italian restaurant and I was surrounded by family and friends.  I dressed up for the affair and found the perfect pair of (brand new, of course) pantie hose to match my black and white polka dot top.  When it was time to hug everyone goodbye at the door, I stood up and my pantie hose fell down.   I immediately sat down, motioned for a close friend to loan me her wrap and continued to hug everyone from that position.  Husbands of friends have had a field day with this and love teasing me mercilessly.

These are memories we won't soon forget but they always bring a smile even though they were embarrassing at the time.

In this month's blogging challenge I was asked "What is your very best Christmas memory?"  I don't have to dig very deep to respond quickly.  

How Important Are Holidays to You?

Are you someone who looks forward to and celebrates holidays to the fullest?  I think that most of us have a favorite holiday for specific reasons.  Time off work.  Family time together.  Dressing up.  Giving and receiving gifts.


Remember when you were a kid and it took forever for Christmas to arrive?  Every night you dreamed about that special toy you asked Santa for and hoped you'd get.  You could hardly wait for Halloween to get here so you could wear your new costume and have enough candy to last a month.  I remember hiding my stash so my parents didn't know how much I actually ate.  Thanksgiving can be so exciting with the anticipation of going to grandparents' house for a huge turkey dinner and lots of fun games. But, the best was your birthday -- that special day you didn't have to share with anyone.  It was all about you - gifts for you -- your favorite chocolate cake - and a day off from chores.

This is NOT the End of Your Story

As beautiful as the Christmas season is, it can be very difficult for many people to enjoy.  There are those of us who have lost someone close, perhaps a family member or dear friend.  It has been said that the 'first' Christmas after such a loss is especially challenging.  There are so many triggers to the memory of that loss.  

But we pick ourselves up off the ground and know that each year it will be a bit easier.  Or is it?  For some, it is still a serious emotional struggle.  They may hide it well and few people know or understand the pain of that loss.  When my son and his family walked away from our family five years ago, I maintained an attitude of hope that he would return before the year-end.  I will continue to maintain that attitude although sometimes that thread of hope gets thinner - I still hang on.  I will never give up.  I know it is not the end of the story.

What that loss has done is make me more empathetic to those who have lost much more than I have.  We cannot measure the bereavement for anyone other than ourselves because each of us process pain differently.  

But the season of Christmas is a reminder that we have much to be thankful for, to be joyful and enjoy the good memories and new ones we are about to make.

What memories we will make this
Christmas with these precious ones

Birth, Death and Stupid Criminals

If you enjoy puppy stories, you will love last week's post about the life and death situation of our Bernese Mountain dog giving birth.  It was 'touch and go' for both the puppies and Mama Charlie for two days.  The quest for survival was incredible to watch and the joy that comes from hearing that first cry of birth will be long remembered. For that sweet, intriguing story, click here.






We live in the North West and for the past few years have not seen a drop of snow.  We were warned that this year was going to be different but didn't believe it. Were we wrong!  The snow started a couple weeks ago.  The dusting on the trees was so beautiful and everyone thought that was the end of it. WRONG again.  It has continued to snow and now looks like we will have a white Christmas -- almost unheard of in these here parts!

Grandbaby Aubrie is a force to be reckoned with.  You can see it on her face.  She is a thinker and a planner.  She is pretty determined so it was no surprise when she started walking at nine months old.

Her mom, Rochelle, was telling me how Aubrie doesn't take any grief from her big boy cousins.  Recently, when they were playing together she took one of the big boy's toys. He grabbed it back and she pushed him over (he is a year older) and then she pulled his hair.

Rochelle's comment:  "Aubrie is going to be having a lot of sessions in the 'time out corner.'"

11 Ways to Avoid the Christmas Rush and Have a Stress-free Holiday

"I hate Christmas!"  Those were the words spoken by a woman who was looking in the showcases in my store this week.  

"Pardon me?"

"I hate Christmas -- well, not really.  I just hate all the stuff I am forced to do."

I have not been able to shake that conversation from my psyche.

Each year, I watch the craziness and the hustle.  I see the anger.  I hear nasty, grumpy comments by people who generally are easy-going.  

People pushing, swearing, rushing, yelling.  No wonder she hates Christmas.

Christmas CAN BE stress-free -- honest!

Hilarious labels we see everyday

Are you a label reader?  If you are, then I am sure you have come across some labels that give your head a shake.  There are labeling laws which are in place to protect the consumer. However, when you read some of these actual labels, it makes you wonder if the industry thinks the human race is stupid, or worse.   On the bottom of McCain's Tiramisu dessert:  "Do NOT turn upside down."  UHhh, a bit late! On Planter's peanuts:  "WARNING:  may contain nuts" I was hoping for nutless peanuts!

If You Don't Laugh Out Loud - You Must Be Dead

If you haven't seen this yet -- PREPARE to laugh out loud.

If you have seen this, PREPARE to laugh out louder.

I cannot begin to imagine all the work that went into preparing this -- for our viewing pleasure.  It is HILARIOUS.

You MUST watch the whole thing -- it gets funnier by the second









I think one of the funniest moments was the mistletoe -- what was your favorite?

Christmas - Sometimes the Best Laid Plans Take a Twist

It was Christmas 1979.  My husband, Paul, and I were headed to his family's home in northern Alberta, Canada. Coming from the West coast of the U S, I had not prepared for the brutal winter weather of the North. I didn't own a heavy winter jacket or gloves.  In the Northwest, we don't have a need for four distinct seasons in our wardrobes.  

We decided to drive straight through the night and arrive two days before Christmas.  That was the plan.  It would be nice to spend Christmas with family -- my family was on the other side of the country and traveling there was not feasible.

Paul preferred to drive at night with fewer cars on the road.  I could curl up in the passenger seat and sleep.  His secret was to eat salted sunflower seeds to keep awake. Paul has been a maniac behind the wheel as long as I have known him - some 45 years. He is an excellent driver, but Speeding is his middle name.  Although we hoped the roads would be fine, we never expected to run into a blizzard or......car trouble.  But we did - both.  We were driving through the Rocky Mountains; it was bitter cold and snowing hard.

I woke up the sound of the tires on gravel as Paul pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. "I have no idea what is wrong but I have to go get help or we will freeze to death."  This was the days before cell phones and at 2 A.M. you couldn't stick your thumb out and hitchhike.  

10 Tips On How To Avoid The Christmas Hustle

"I hate Christmas!"  Those were the words spoken by a woman who was looking in the show cases in my store this week.  

"Pardon me?"

"I hate Christmas -- well, not really.  I just hate all the stuff I am forced to do."

I have not been able to shake that conversation from my psyche.

Each year, I watch the craziness and the hustle.  I see the anger.  I hear nasty, grumpy comments by people who generally are easy-going.  

People pushing, swearing, rushing, yelling.  No wonder she hates Christmas.

Why Doesn't The Government Reimburse Us For Wasting Our Time? Fly On The Wall

I paid a bill to the government.  A month later I received a nasty letter from them that they were fining me for not paying on time and if it was not paid, well, you know.  THREATS.

I called the toll-free number -- you know the one -- you have to go through a dozen prompts and finally get to speak to a person.  Then that person transfers you to another person and over the course of two days and about four hours of my time, they admitted they put in the wrong code.  Do they apologize?  No, somehow they can make you feel that it was your fault and you are very lucky they figured out the problem and corrected it for you.