Saturday, November 27, 2010

Groan...I am still full!

I am still stuffed from Thanksgiving!  And we are still eating leftovers...the best part of Thanksgiving dinner!!!  Hope you are yours had a wonderful turkey day.

Now it is time to start thinking about Christmas.  Oh, it's not like I don't think about it ALL YEAR, but now I have to DO something about it.  I have a few choices:  A) ignore it and go directly to January    B) Start shopping   C)  See A.  Personally, this year I favor A.  Of course, I can't do that, but from where I am sitting right now, that looks like the best option.  Then, I have to question why I don't enjoy the Holiday's like I used to?  That brings up a whole new scenario.  I think that for me, growing older and not having any of the kids around us dulls the holidays a whole lot.  AND, we have no babies near us either.  My mom used to say Christmas was for kids, and boy, the older I get more she was right, darn it all.

 Another reason is that you start seeing ads for Christmas around Halloween time and by the time December rolls around I am already tired of it all.  The commercialism of Christmas reallys gets to me.  I wonder if I just didn't buy any gifts this year for any one if any one would notice?  I just may try that and see what happens?  OH, I know no one would probably have the guts to say to me "HEY, where is my gift?"; well, maybe a few would, but for the most part, probably no one would notice.  I might just try that!  Sounds better to me all of the time.  Instead of buying gifts for everyone I would just donate the money to a charity.  Beginning to sound better and better to me.  None of our children really need/want anything that I can afford; and for the most part, our grandchildren are grown and none of them need/want anything that I can afford; our great grandchildren get so much from so many people, it almost seems foolish to try and buy them something they don't have, because as far as I can see they have everything they need/want.  See A above.

AND I don't want to decorate either.  Just see no point in pulling out all of those boxes, put up the tree, then in late December (like the 26th) take it all down and haul it back to the shed for 11 months and 2 weeks of storage.  Makes no sense to me. 

I want to go back to the real reason for the season...the birth of Jesus.  FORGET the hussle and bussle of trying to buy the perfect gift for everyone.  If it truly is the season of giving, then lets give to the poor, unfortunate people that NEED it; I think this year I am going to do just that.  Donate to the less fortunate through our church.  DONE DEAL. 

This rant was brought to you by the Christmas Scrooge.

Monday, November 01, 2010

It's almost over

It's almost over...all the election campaign ads.  I AM SICK OF ALL OF THEM!  Why can't someone run for office and not sling mud at his/her opponent?  Why can't they tell us what they would do if elected instead of telling us what their opponents have done/will do?  Why can't there be a law that they can only run campaign ads for 30 days before election?  Nuff said. My mute button on the TV remote is about dead.

I had the opportunity to get away for a long weekend a couple of weeks ago...rest I did not get, but fun I had.  I flew to Seattle, daughter-in-law Janet picked me up and took me to Jenn's house.  The next day, Friday, Janet, Jenn and good friend Kathy and I took the train (Amtrak) to Leavenworth for a couple of days.  Leavenworth is a little Bavarian town in the mountains.  In the 70's the logging industry was drying up in this town and the townspeople were trying to keep their little town alive.  Someone thought of doing the town over into a Bavarian town ... kind of like if we build it they will come; and come they have!  Lots of little shops to browse; great German food. I had schnitzel and spaetzle for lunch and it was wonderful.  The weather forecast wasn't too great, however, we started off Saturday morning with bright sunny skies. Around noon it started to get cloudy and by mid-afternoon the sun had disappeared and it was starting to get down right cool (well, cool for me).  All four of us walked, walked and walked on Saturday and surprisingly  by back held up fairly well.  Usually after a couple of hours on my feet like that my back will put me out for the day.

We were up early the next morning, had to catch the train back to Seattle at 6:00 a.m., which meant the shuttle was picking us up at 5:00 am...  It was pouring down rain and of course the train was late, but only by 30 minutes.  There were about 30 people waiting for the train and we all managed to squeeze into two small shelters.   Back to Jenn's, we were home by 9:00 a.m.  Both Jenn and I were exhausted!  I managed a nap that afternoon!  Sherrie (niece) came over to Jenn's that evening and had a good visit.  Monday morning I was back on the airplane on my way home.  Thanks to Gordon and Denise for staying with Al while I was gone getting some "rest".

Things have been fairly normal here.  Al is doing about the same; however, he has developed a new problem in the last few days, he is having a hard time breathing.  Doc said for him to get up out of the chair and walk more so his lungs will be able to clear.  That hasn't happened and no matter how much I ask him (read: nag) he refuses to do it.  He says it hurts to walk, and it probably does, but if he would at least start walking just 50 feet a day he could build up to a good distance, but he refuses.  Stubborn bohunk! 

I have started my own walking routine.  Every other day the dogs and I drive over to the new mall and walk the nice walking trail there.  This trail runs for miles and miles and today we walked over 2 1/2 miles.  Taking both dogs present a challenge and today I decided I would only take one dog at a time from now on.  While walking today they saw a coyote and both wanted to go after it and it was all I could do to hold them back.  On the days I don't do the trail I am doing our private road, which, if you have ever been here, you know is a good work out.  It is .4 miles down to the road and .4 miles (feels like 40 miles) back UP the road...including the fairly steep hill.  It is a good workout!

The weather has been absolutely wonderful.  Cool nights, warm days, and some hot days thrown in just to remind us where we are.  Friday we broke all kinds of records, it was 94 here. 

I got to visit the oscopy brothers last Thursday, you know, colon and endoscopy.  I don't mind the actual procedure, heck I am asleep and it is some of the best sleep I get anymore.  BUT I HATE THE PREP DAYS!  However, that is over for another few years...haven't gotten the results back, but the doc said it looked okay and even gave me the pictures he took.  Something for my scrapbook?

Well, here it is November already.  I have no idea where this year went.  Christmas ads are already on TV and stores are already decorated....kinda' takes the fun out of the holidays for me!

Until next time..........

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