30 Days of Thankfulness Day 1

It's hard to believe it is already November 1st!  I'm afraid this has been a very busy, sometimes trying, year.  Unfortunately, there were many times I lost focus on the good things and let ungratefulness creep in.  In light of that, I'm actually happy I'm now at the beginning of  November and again thinking of what I am thankful for.  In all honesty, it wasn't until I was writing out Thanksgiving cards this morning that I even decided to do this again!

The idea to do this again just kind of snuck up on me.  I was sitting at my dining room table writing out Thanksgiving cards.  I know sending cards is a very old fashioned thing to do, but I love to do it.  I can't tell you how many times I've had someone tell me it just made their day to actually get something other than a bill or junk mail in the mailbox.  And as I was working on the cards I started thinking about how great the people I was sending these cards to had been over the year.  These are the people who wrote to my son while he was in boot camp.  These are the people who were there for me when I was dying because my son had left home to pursue his own path.  These are the people who have welcomed me into their homes and lives and accepted me for who I am and love me in spite of my shortcomings.  These are the people who have encouraged me, consoled me, and just been there for me.

So today, I am incredibly thankful for my friends.  I am thankful for the love and acceptance of true friends and I appreciate their willingness to accept me as I am.  I am especially grateful that they love my son too.  My son is the most important thing in my life and I am glad that they accept him into our friendships as they have. 

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Days 17-27

Soooooo....I wasn't so good at keeping this updated.  But that's OK.  I still did it and that's all that counts.

Day 17 -- Reconciliation.  I didn't expect it to happen even though both parties were in the wrong.  But  out of the blue, he called.  It shocked me, but I'm always thankful when a friendship can be restored.

Day 18 -- Being able to stock up for the holidays.  The sales are already starting so that helps me get the massive amounts of food needed to make it through the holidays.  It's nice to be able to stay home and just cook instead of rushing out at the last moment.

Day 19 -- Coworkers who like to cook.  I've picked up a few recipes this year from my coworkers and they are great.  I just got an amazing cranberry sauce recipe that is probably going to become a staple.

Day 20 -- Finally getting caught up at work!  Sounds silly, but with the snowbirds back, getting caught up before the rush is really important.  If you don't get caught up now, you won't be caught up until about March.  If you're lucky.

Day 21 -- My son!  It's his birthday and he is the best part of my life and I'm thankful for every day that I get to spend with him.

Day 22 -- Doctors.  I spent a lot of time with doctors yesterday and am hurting today, but I'm really thankful for the doctors.  Maybe I'll get better?

Day 23 -- Quiet days at home.  I am so thankful when I have a day just to relax.  I love the peace and just being at home.

Day 24 -- A short work week.  I'm thankful for my job, but I sure do love a short work week.  It means extra time with my loved ones!

Day 25 -- Extended family.  I love keeping in touch with extended family.  With Facebook, etc it's so much easier to keep up with parts of the family that you otherwise may not be able to.

Day 26 -- The stores that will NOT be open tomorrow.  There are a lot of stores that are making the decision to open on Thanksgiving.  This is NOT ok and I do not support it.  Obviously for some stores (gas stations, pharmacies and the like) it's understandable that they are open and even necessary.  But Macy's, Sports Authority, Best Buy, etc?  Shame on them.  They won't get my money tomorrow and they sure won't get my money throughout the rest of the year either.

Day 27 -- THANKSGIVING!!!!!  This is just the best day of the year.  I get to cook for the ones I love and spend the day with them.  It's really great and it reminds me that when things look bad, at least I have my family.

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Day 14-16

It looks like I'm going to be doing these posts by multiple days instead of one a day.  I suppose it's better than not doing it at all!  I do think of what I'm thankful for every day, though.

Day 14 -- Salvation Army Bell Ringers.  I heard my first bell ringer today.  It really made me smile.  That sound, like no other, really makes me feel like the holidays are here.

Day 15 -- Extra Coupons!  Today I was in Bath and Body Works.  I have tons of coupons for them and when I combine the coupons with their sales I can get six full size items for $22.  That's less than the price of two regular price items!  Yep, I'm going to take advantage of that!  There was this older woman in there and she stopped me to ask me some questions.  I don't know if she thought I worked there or if she thought I knew something because I had a ton of product in my hands.  Regardless, we started talking.  As we were talking, I found out she didn't have any coupons.  Well, I had five.  Was it really going to hurt me to share?  No, not in the least.  So I gave her one.  It made me feel good.

Day 16 -- A conscience.  Now pretty much everybody who has found out about this has said I'm crazy.  But I don't think so.  I think it was the right thing to do.  When I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday, they have a special where you buy one item in the store and you can buy a Christmas themed bag for $9.95 instead of $19.95.  I couldn't decide between the bags.  A friend of mine was with me and he was buying a book, too.  We each got a bag.  Well when going through the line, on one of the orders, only the bag was rung up but not the book.  I realized it when I was out in the parking lot.  I went back inside, over his objections, and paid for the book.  He says I was crazy and should have just taken the book.  I don't agree.  To take it, knowing you didn't  pay for it, is stealing.

30 Days of Thankfulness -- Days 10-13

Well, that whole thing about being a normal person and posting every day like I'm supposed to didn't happen.  I give up on being normal!  So what have I been thankful for lately?

Day 10 -- My job!  Let's face it, we all have to work and it helps if you don't completely hate your job.  I'm not going to lie, there are times when I get very frustrated with my job, but overall, it's one of the best places I've worked.  Probably the best place I've worked.

Day 11 -- Veterans.  I'm not only thankful for our veterans because I have the day off.  I am truly thankful for the sacrifices veterans have made for our country.

Day 12 -- Being able to help friends.  I never really thought I had much to offer anybody, but it turns out, maybe I do.  A friend of mine is going through a rough spot and apparently just being there and talking to him helps him.  I'm glad I'm able to do that!

Day 13 -- Good sales people.  Sounds weird, but it's true.  Ever since my favorite person left Verizon, dealing with them has been hellish.  Well tonight when I went in, we got a sales person that reminded me so much of our favorite person and he was simply a joy to work with. 

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 26

Day 26 -- How was your Christmas?

It was as good as it could be considering how sick I am.  I didn't cook and we didn't do anything.  I slept most of the day.  Maybe next year will be better.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 25

Day 25 -- Does your family have a Christmas breakfast or dinner?

Back when both sets of grandparents were alive we had two days of feasting.  On Christmas Eve we always went to my mom's parents' house and had dinner and opened presents.  We always had hog maw because it was my dad's favorite.  He also loved my mother's mom's cole slaw so she always made that.  And he really liked her homemade apple dumplings.  So she always made that.  Of course we had other stuff like mashed potatoes and what not, but those three things were always on the table for all the years of my childhood up until my grandmother got breast cancer and could no longer cook.

Then on Christmas Day we always went to my dad's parents' house for Christmas morning brunch.  The last few years my dad's mom made a really good breakfast casserole among many other things.  And for me she always made homemade egg nog.  I looooved her egg nog.  After brunch we would open presents.  We went back for dinner.  There was no particular set menu for dinner.  Some years it was roast or ham.  Some years it was turkey.  One year my uncle hosted dinner at his house and we had duck and goose.  But that was only one year.  After dinner we always played this game.  It would take much too long to explain.  Suffice to say it was just a silly game that we call complained about but secretly loved.

Now?  Well my grandparents are gone.  And of the four boys, only my dad and his younger brother keep in touch.  And neither of them are especially big on holidays.  Their eldest brother hasn't been part of the family for decades now and Ric, the second to the youngest, has been dead well over ten years.  My parents typically work, so we don't really do much of anything for Christmas.  Sometimes if my son wants me to I go ahead and cook, but typically Christmas pretty much passes as any weekend day would.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 24

Day 24 -- Do you go to a church service or go caroling?

No.  I keep saying I'm going to go to a midnight service or mass, but I never do.  Maybe next year?

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 21 - 23

I've been really sick and this is the first day I've had enough energy to work on this, so I'm going to catch up all in one post.

Day 21 -- What kind of tree you have: fake or real? If real, what type?

We haven't put up a tree in several years.  But when we do put up a tree it's a real one.  I don't know the type of tree we normally get, but it's the one that has the long needles.  I don't like the short needled trees because they poke you and hurt.

Day 22 -- Do you have a wreath up?

No.  I rarely hang a wreath.

Day 23 -- Ham or Turkey?

Actually we usually have hog maw.  But if for some reason we don't have hog maw, then always ham.  None of us care for turkey.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 20

Day 20 -- What color ornaments do you put on your tree?

Weeeellllll.....I don't put up a tree.  But when I did, I had all kinds of ornaments because they had been handed down from both sets of grandparents.  Sometimes I wanted a designer tree, but in the end I kept the old ornaments because they all had memories.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 19

Day 19 -- If you were an elf what would your name be?

I thought about this a little and I have no good answer.  It's not like I know what kind of names elves have anyway.  Well not true.  I know what kind of names they have in books/movies like LOTR.  But what if the elves at the north pole were a hybrid mix of elves and fairies.  In which case would they have fairy names?  Fairy names tend to be Celtic.  Or would the names be a hybrid mix of an elf name and a fairy name? But what if elves were more like nymphs?  What kind of names do nymphs have anyway?  Or do elves come in nationalities?  And I keep saying elves, but should I be more specific and say North Pole elves since there are LOTR elves?  (Among other types of elves.)  And if I was an elf, a North Pole elf that is, would I have to be like that creepy Elf on the Shelf?  Man, that is the creepiest damn thing I have ever seen!  Never mind.  I'm good.  I don't want to be a North Pole elf.  I think I'll just be human and use my human name:  Mo.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 18

Day 18 -- Which lights are better: white or colored and blinking or still?

All the lights are pretty but I prefer the white lights that do not blink.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 17

Day 17 -- Have you ever been to a Christmas parade?

Yes, and I've been in one too.  Being in the parade was fun, but I really remember with fondness going with my grandparents.  We didn't go every year, but the few years we did go I enjoyed it and I'm glad I have those memories to look back on now that my grandparents are gone.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 16

Day 16 -- When did you find out Santa wasn’t real?

We never did the whole Santa thing.  Sure we had some Santa decorations, but it was always made clear where the presents really came from.  And, yes, there were visits to Santa in the mall for the obligatory Santa Christmas picture, but it was clear this was just a silly little tradition.  Santa was presented in the same way that a fairy tale was presented -- It was not true and was just for fun.

I've had some people say that I missed out on some huge childhood milestone by not having my family lie to me.  Really?  I think I'd have been more scarred if I'd found out later my family had been lying all those years.  The most important thing we can give our children is honesty.  If you can't be honest with your children, who on earth can you be honest with?  Are you even honest with yourself? 

Presenting Santa as true would be like presenting the story of Cinderella, Snow White or Beauty and the Beast as true.  Surely no parent goes about presenting those as true.  Why then would you present Santa as true?  Is honesty not important to you?  Do you not value your child's trust?

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 15

Day 15 -- Have you started Christmas stocking yet?

Nope.  Haven't in many years.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 14

Day 14 -- How many Christmas card do you usually send out?

Usually none.  Some years I send them out, but most years I don't bother.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 13

Day 13 -- Have you ever had a white Christmas? If yes, do you ever want to have Christmas without snow and vice versa.

When I lived in New Jersey as an adult I was able to enjoy a white Christmas.  People always use the word magical when speaking of Christmas, but I'd have to say this made it truly magical for me.  I remember if fondly.  Having grown up in Florida, it was a big deal for me.  Now that I'm back in Florida I can say without a doubt that I wish every Christmas could be a white Christmas.  Even when I was in Hawaii I missed my New Jersey Christmases with the cold and the snow.  Of course Hawaii has its own unique take on Christmas, and it was fun, but it just wasn't the same.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 12

Day 12 -- Do you take part in secret Santa?

Tumblr was down yesterday, so that's put me a day behind.  But I'll get caught up.

As for today's question:  No.  I have in the past, but found it to be less than fulfilling so I avoid it now.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 11

Day 11 -- What kind of Christmas tree do you have?

None.  I haven't put up a Christmas tree for probably 4 years now.  When I do put up a tree I always get a real one, but I don't think I'll be putting up a tree again in my lifetime.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 10

Day 10 -- Kissing under the mistletoe…have you done it?

Nope and it isn't looking like it's gonna happen this year either.

Christmas Challenge 2012 -- Day 9

Day 9 -- What are you doing for Christmas this year?

Nothing.  My dad is working so we'll get together some other day and exchange gifts.  So I guess the plans are just to sleep in and once I finally get up I'll work around the house.  There's always something to clean.