Merry Christmas to all of you my dear friends. I will probably not be around for a couple of days. I have so much to do before Saturday. I haven't started my baking and I want to give the house a good cleaning yet. Got to give the kids (dogs) baths, finish the last minute shopping. You all know what I'm talking about right? The last minute rush that comes along every Christmas.

I'm most looking forward to church Christmas morning. I love going and giving my thanks to God in his house. It is such a joyful day. And I have so much to give thanks for.

Thank you all for the gift of your friendship. I treasure all of you. Prank it was sure great to hear from you. You to Scratch I hadn't heard from you in a while.

Really folks you guys are the best. You've been so kind to me.
From my little corner of the world I wish you all a very Blessed Christmas.

A Christmas card thats unexpected.
Your credit card not being rejected.

The sweet new ornament a child makes
Not getting a crumby Christmas fruit cake.

The after the Christmas turkey napping.
Department stores that do all the wrapping.

Making divinity right on the first try.
Getting the last piece of pumpkin pie.

A Christmas bonus with all the perks.
Finding a whole string of lights that work.

Selecting your loved ones the perfect gifts.
That after gorging on goodies your jeans will still fit.

Watching the sweet faces of children with the Santa at the mall.
Carrying 25 packages across the icy parking lot and not taking a fall.

Seeing everyones hearts full of love and goodwill.
Having enough money left to pay all the bills.

Wishing you joy, wishing you love. Wishing you blessings from above.
Wishing you happiness in all that you do, these are just a few of my wishes you.

My love and Christmas blessings to you and yours. Pie

My Aunt passed away early this morning. She had been fighting cancer for a few years and lost the battle. She was the fun Aunt. The one everybody loved. She was a smart ass at times but the things she said she said to make you laugh. She was the one who organized all the games and fun at our family reunions year after year. She always refereed the egg toss and three legged races. She judged the bubble gum blowing contests and the act like your favorite animal games. She made sure everyone got involved and no one was ever left out. She recorded every winner and 2nd and 3rd place awards every year in her notebook. She passed out awards she made to all the winners.She made the best macaroni salad.
When I was 9 and my oldest sister and her husband were having their 1st child I over heard another Aunt say they would be shaving her. She was the Aunt who explained to me what they would be shaving and that no my sister wouldn't be bald, they wouldn't shave her head.
She was the Aunt who reached out to me when my Mom was killed to reassure me that it wasn't my fault. It wasn't until years later I realized how much she herself must have been grieving at losing her sister. She was the one who after Mom died and I found it to hard to go to the family reunions and Christmas' would always encourage me to try to come and that it would all be o.k.
December 11th we had our family Christmas with my extended family again. I went because I thought there was a chance Aunt June may not be there next year. She seemed in good spirits, happy to be with all her nieces and nephews again and her only sibling left, my uncle. As I left I kissed her good bye promising to stop in and see her real soon. I never dreamed I'd wouldn't get the chance to keep that promise. Aunt June has 2 daughters we all grew up together. She told me at the Christmas dinner That uncle John was learning how to cook and do the dishes and if only she could get him to learn to vacuum. She was proud of him. I am proud of her. She will be missed so much. Out of all my Aunts and Uncles she knew me best. My Mom had 8 kids in her family my Dad had 4. I have 1 uncle left and he's 81. I wonder if we will still have reunions and Christmas' together, all my cousins and I? Her Name was Iris June Bodkins Kennedy and she was one hell of a woman.

SARAH was SIX years old when she slipped on the ICE and fell and hit her head. She had to go the hospital and stay over night for observation. She seemed fine the next morning and so her doctor ( call me doctor JIM ) released her, SARAH'S mom and dad LUCY and CHUCK picked her up telling her they had a surprise waiting for her at home.
When SARAH got home waiting in the kitchen for her was a tiny little PUPPY. SARAH screamed in delight! "What are you going to name her" LUCY asked SARAH? "I think I'm going to call her COLO cola" SARAH said. "Don't you mean coca cola?" her mom asked. "Nope" SARAH said "I like COLO cola." "Well she's your PUPPY so I guess you can call her what ever you chose" CHUCK told her. COLO was sweet little PUP. She had a soft brown coat and TOPAZ colored eyes.It was the first time SARAH had ever seen TOPAZ colored eyes. "Your so pretty COLO told her new PUPPPY SARAH couldn't wait to tell her friend DAZEY about her new pet.
She asked LUCY if she could take COLO for a walk down the block to DAZEY'S house. "Sure" her mother said "here's her leash. Don't be gone to long STUART will be up from his nap soon and he'll want to see you and COLO." SARAH put the leash on COLO and walked down Railroad street. DAZEY was sitting out on her front steps when SARAH got there. Sitting by DAZEY was her cat SIR WILLIAM. SIR WILLIAM took one look at COLO and ran under the bushes beside the steps. "Hi DAZEY" SARAH said "look what I have." "A PUPPY ! Oh it's so cute" DAZEY said. "This is COLO" SARAH told her friend.
DAZEY and SARAH sat on the stoop and tried to coax SIR WILLIAM out from under the bushes. As he crawled in deeper COLO tried to go in the bushes and check out the cat. "No" COLO SARAH told her PUPPY. "SIR WILLIAM isn't declawed he will SCRATCH you!" She pulled on the leash dragging the PUPPY back out. SIR WILLIAM hissed at the PUPPY.
DAZEY'S mom MARIA opened the door "hi SARAH" MARIA said "I thought I heard you out here. I just baked a CARROT CAKE would you like some?" "Yes please mrs. WAYF I'd love some!" "How about a POP too?" MARIA asked "Sure" SARAH said. "Me too mom" said DAZEY. "Be right back" said MARIA. MARIA brought the CAKE and POP out to the girls and sat down with them,. "How is your head SARAH? I heard you slipped on some ICE." "Yes I did but it's o.k.now Doctor JIM said I'm as good as knew. He said I'm so good he would have thought I was pulling a PRANK on him if he hadn't seen the bump on my head."
"I'm glad your alright sweetie PIE" MARIA said. "Well I'd better go and start fixing mr WAYF some dinner. Be careful walking home SARAH. And DAZEY you'd better come in it's starting to get cold out here." "Thanks for the CAKE mrs WAYF." "Your welcome SARAH bye now." MARIA went in closing the door behind her. "Well guess I'd better go" SARAH said. "O.k." said DAZEY. "Come on SIR WILLIAM we have to go in now. Bye SARAH,bye COLO."
SARAH started walking home she hoped her little brother STUART would be up from his nap so he could play with COLO and her.When SARAH got home STUART was still napping. "SIR WILLIAM tried to SCRATCH COLO" SARAH told LUCY. "Wheres dad" SARAH asked LUCY. "He went to fill the truck up with DIESEL" LUCY said. "Whats DIESEL" SARAH asked. "It's like gas" LUCY explained. "But our truck takes DIESEL not gas." "Are we going somewhere?: SARAH asked. "Yes" LUCY said "we're going to uncle JOHN'S tonight for aunt DARI'S birthday." "Yea!" SARAH said "I love going to uncle JOHN'S and aunt DARI'S! can COLO go?" "Sure she can play with their dog EQUUS." "Mom" SARAH said "thanks for getting me this PUPPY I love her so much." CHUCK pulled in to the drive just as STUART woke from his nap. "Lets go get your brother up and get ready to go." Later that night as SARAH lay in bed snuggling her favorite stuffed POLAR BEAR she thought that this had been about the best day she had in all her SIX years. " Night COLO" SARAH said.

Rog and I spent the day in Iowa City yesterday. He had an automatic starter put I my car for me for Christmas. Now when I get off work on those cold nasty mornings I can go out to a nice warm car and not freeze my ass off for five minutes waiting for it to warm up. Will make scraping the windows much easier too. He's a sweetheart. We really enjoyed our day together. We did a little more shopping. And got to have both breakfast and lunch out.

Sure hope the Christmas party is still on for tonight. I bought a new outfit and got my nails done. Want to look nice and all. I may be late but I'll be there. Church tonight and then dinner with friends.

You should have heard Rog when I told him I had a Christmas Party to go to tonight. When I told him where it was he just laughed he said that he hopes the house won't catch fire because I'll never notice if it does. I do tend to tune things out when I'm reading everyones posts. Hope to see everyone later. Have a good Saturday.......