Batteries not included!

Above photo: Daniel and Tim after donning the

stocking contents of "Animal Masks"!

Photos right and below: Santa brought Daniel the "Play Mobil" Pyramid! Assembly required but no

betteries required!

What fun for a Christmas morning!

HappyBirthday Jesus!

I asked Santa's helpers for Cake Decorating equipment.

Santa obliged!

I just completed the "Garage Cake" (Uncle Don's favorite) birthday cake for the Christmas Day celebration.

It will be served as dessert after Christmas
dinner, complete with lighted candle and the
singing of "Happy Birthday Jesus".

Amen and Merry Christmas!

I know where I'm going...

...and now I know how to get there!

My family hosted a birthday dinner
last night at Nathan and Traci's. Sarah and
Daniel came with us, and Kevin called to
wish me a Happy Birthday while we
were eating dinner.

Spaghetti, Bolognaise sauce, salad and all the
trimmings. Chocolate cake (which
boasted "Birthday" the "Happy" part
must have participated in someone
else's celebration) and two kinds of
ice cream.

The gift, as you can see is a Tom Tom
GPS, programable guidance system.

I love GPS! I especially love the part when
the voice says "recalculating" because you
missed the anticipated exit or turn for what
ever reason.

I can hardly wait to try it out.

If I show up at your doorstep, it's because I
was "practicing"!

A job well done!

Thank you to all of my associates, family and friends. We could not have done it without you.
This year's Salvation Army Christmas Stocking Stuffing Party just ended. We filled to overflowing 125 stockings for the local children, who need a hand.

A special thank you for those who wrote checks: Jo Ann Wingfield, Frieda DiStaulo, Cindy Steeb, Penny Burlinson, Sherry Stell and cash donations from Bruce and Linda Vaughn, Anita Weaver, Ann Reusch, Corrine, Jean Smeal and some others who want to remain ananomous. To Gerdi Schaeffer who relentless dove in and organized all of the donations from you all. Jean, Judy, Penny, Cindy and Bill, Debi, Barbara, Tim Rhodes for purchasing all of the stockings. Buehler's for the apples, Beriswell's Farm Market for the oranges and suckers, and all of you who found a place in your hearts for children young and older.
To my wonderful Howard Hanna elves, Tim, Mike, Mollie, Tina, Marie, Donna, Randy and Gerdi (head elf herself).

God's Blessings to you all. You know who you are. I remain so very, very grateful!
You have helped reinforce the true giving spirit of Christmas.

Blessings be to you who helped, and to you who wanted to help.

Just a simple reminder

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately... Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat.. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each.. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

An ordinary day......not!

This snow photo could be of my driveway yesterday.

I was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine at 6:15 yesterday morning when someone appeared on my patio and knocked on the door. It was our friend Barry, the man who plows our driveway when it snows. Yesterday was a "snow" day and often Barry will stop for coffee in the early hours of a snow day in between plowing neighbors' drives.

I let him in and he announced that his truck slide off of the drive next door and did we have a tractor. No, but I have a four-wheel drive pickup truck, maybe that would help. When I went out to look at the truck there it rested at an odd angle sliding into the ditch that ran alongside Pam and Jerry's asphalt driveway. Barry said there was sheet of ice under the snow and as soon as the truck started to slide he knew it was not going to be a pretty sight.

I almost had him pulled out with my truck, but his tow rope broke. He was dangerously close to the utility pole and guide wire so we decided not to continue with a new tow strap or chain.

He ended up calling his neighbor who owns a towing company. While Barry waited, I fixed him bacon, eggs and toast, and we sat and hashed over the weather and the real estate market.

Soon enough the tow truck came and Barry was back on the road again. Barry is always in a hurry in snowy weather as he has lots of driveways to clear. But, mention coffee and the possibility of breakfast at Tim and Judy's....well, he can spare a few extra minutes.

Glad to oblige!

My second chance

I know this may sound maudlin or morbid. But Daniel's birth
renewed my life.

All of the mistakes in my former life could easily be rectified
if I only got a second chance. This little boy has given me
an opportunity to evaluate things that I did raising my own
children, good things and not so good things.

This is his first formal visit to Santa. His Mom and Dad took
him to the Great Northern mall for this special first Santa
visit and Tim and I were so very lucky to witness this first
innocance.

As Christmas approaches, Daniel has asked me to tell him the story of the "First Christmas". I know he does not refer to "his" first Christmas, but that is what I thought of today.

I will tell him the simple story of the first Christmas and I am reminded of the story of the little boy who accompanied his mother to the local mall at Christmas time. He asked the lady elf who was assisting the children waiting to see Santa
this question.

"Where is the line to see Jesus"?

Hmmmm.