Happy New Year

Just woke up at 7:00 a.m. CST, flipped to CNN, and what should I see? The New Year's Eve fireworks celebration from Sydney, Australia. It was spectacular.

To all our Aussie blogmates, Happy New Year. To all our other special blogfriends spread out all over the place, it seems, Happy New Year.

If I had to make a resolution for 2006, it would be to make every minute count for you never, ever know what's waiting for you just around the corner. May we all find peace, happiness, good luck, and a lot of chocolate in our lives in the coming year.

Above all, if you must celebrate heartily, don't drink and drive.

Blogging As An Avocation, Part II

Do you know what I especially like about blogging and fellow bloggers? Being accepted by people. Not because of looks, the amount of money you have, the fancy house you live in, the expensive car you drive, your wonderful taste in clothing or decorating, the great children you have brought into this world, the number of degrees you possess, or the fabulous vacations you are able to afford -- but because of your verbal ability to communicate your humanity, wit, charm, compassion, talents, and intelligence without coming off as a complete dork (is that sentence too long?).

We all form subconscious opinions about people we meet face-to-face based upon looks and other superficial markers, and decide immediately whether we like them or not. Blogging, on the other hand, gives us an opportunity to meet many people we would not otherwise have an opportunity to meet. We are able to decide whether we like them or not based upon common interests and our ability to talk to one another. Have you noticed that most of us are pretty cordial and polite, and care what happens to each other even though we will most likely never meet face-to-face?

The great thing about blogging is that there are so many interesting people in this wide world with so many interesting stories to tell. The more we think we are unique and different, the more we find we are just alike. Have you also noticed that even though you may not have a particular talent (like quilting or gardening or photography), you are still able to talk to another person even if it is to just tell them you like what they have done or accomplished?

The other great thing I love about blogging is discovering how funny people are (I don't mean odd, but humorous), and their ability to tell us about hilarious/odd things that happen in their lives. Or, to tell us jokes. Or, to tell us sad things that have happened to them or to members of their families. In other words, to communicate their humanity without fear of ridicule or retribution from others.

On the surface blogging may seem superficial and trivial. We may ooh and aah over others' photographs or artwork or writing ability, but what is really happening is our acknowledgement of someone else as a valuable member of the human race.

So, all my blogfriends, keep your keyboards warmed up and write, write, write. We are waiting to hear what you have to say because you're worth it.

Blogging As An Avocation

I was thinking just the other day about blogging and why we are so passionate about it. Prior to September I would no more have started a blog than I would have grown a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

But, here I am, at the end of December, continuing to share my most intimate thoughts and memories with others on this wondrous thing we call the Internet.

We don't worry much about identify theft because most of us remain anonymous. Yes, you may know our first names and you may know the approximate areas we live in. You may know our spouses', children's, and grandchildren's names (and occasionally see their pictures). You may know our talents (writing, gardening, drawing, photography, quilting) and you may know our culinary proclivity for overindulgence (chocolate). You may know what our professions are, both past and present. Some of you may even know what we looked like when we were younger.

We use this anonymity to relate to other like-minded people in a way that might never happen during the normal course of our lives. We even share the good and the bad things that occur in our daily lives.

In a way, bloggers are like fishermen. We throw a line out into the ethernet and sometimes we catch a big one. One thing may lead to another, and before we know it, we have a mess of fish on our stringer. I am thankful that I took the bait from my daughter and started blogging because today I am able to correspond with a whole mess of interesting folks from all over the world.

I find myself cruising other blogs and am amazed almost daily with the variety that is out there. Some blogs are really raunchy, some are in foreign languages, some are political, some are religious, some are friendly, some are angry, some sound dangerous, some sound interesting, and some are filled with ?????????????s (which I don't know what this means). I'm still learning a lot about how to navigate, how to add pictures, and how to link. I continue to be amazed at the talented people out there and the interesting look of their blogs (I picked one of the standard templates because I don't know how to make mine look as unusual as Sharon's).

One of the things I hesitated to do when I first got into this pastime was comment on someone else's blog. But, one day I just couldn't help myself. Because I had worked in the healthcare profession during my working life, I found a site called Ah, Yes, Medical School (The Fake Doctor), and left a comment. In return, I received a comment from our good friend Jellyhead. One thing led to another, and now I correspond with a lot of other interesting people from all walks of life and from areas around the globe. So, thanks, Jelly, for making my life so much more interesting. And, thanks to all my other blogfriends who leave comments and those who don't.

The great thing about computers is that you can communicate so rapidly. You can leave a post one minute and receive a comment back the next. It's better than writing letters.

It's amazing how many times a day I find myself going back to my computer to check for comments and to check other blogs for new posts. I've said it before. Blogging is addictive and I love it. Some of us are poor writers and poor spellers, but it really doesn't matter. We still get it and we can still enjoy it.

I find that the most difficult thing about blogging is coming up with an interesting topic to write about without sounding like a complete idiot. For those of us who have reached that point, we sometimes write about simpleton topics like Blogging As An Avocation. (You can tell me if you were completely bored.) Or, you can write about something as interesting as relating your experiences with upchucking french fries while sick with asthma.

So, I hope that blogging is not just a passing fancy and that those who I have made friends with these past several months will continue to visit with me as I will continue to visit with them.

Happy New Year to you all, dear blogfriends.

P.S. I was reminded that husband has been encouraging me to write for 37 years. So, to husband I say, thanks for encouraging (nudging) me to write and to blog. He started his way before any of us.

Another year, another bunch of memories

Well, blogfriends, another year is coming to a close. I was just getting used to writing 2005 on my checks and other documents and now we will have to start writing 2006 in a little over a week.

I remember in 1952 wondering what I was going to be doing and where I would be in 1980. And then in 1980, we were all wondering what we were going to be doing in 2000. The past five years have literally flown by with light-year speed. It seems like only yesterday that we were worried about all things electronic, including our computers, when the Millenium hit us. Like all warnings thrown at us by the government, nothing major happened.

I have been a fan of science fiction practically all my life and I have always loved those stories set in the future. Most of these "predicting" movies were wrong, however, but still fun to watch.

So, with the year 2005 coming to a close, I wonder what we will be doing and how will our world look in the year 2025. Will there be cloning? Will there be an end to major diseases? Will there be a cure for cancer? Will there be a cure for the common cold? Will there be space travel to far-away planets? I can't wait to see all the technical advances that will be available to us.

I will remember the year 2005 as a happy one. Nothing bad happened to us, other than my van needing major surgery four times during the year (in fact, it's still in the shop waiting for a foreign-made part). None of us lost any appendages (nor any weight), but some of us lost a little hair on top. None of us had any major illnesses. None of us lost any jobs (we lost them in years past). So, other than a few minor glitches, I would say the positives far outweighed the negatives.

I have not made any resolutions for the new year. If I decide to, I think my number one resolution would be not to have any regrets in the new year.

So, Happy New Year, friends. As one of my blogpals commented, if you party hardy, don't drive loaded.

Ye Gods, It's Wednesday

'Twas the Wednesday before Christmas, and all through my house, nothing was ready for company, not even me.

I can't believe Christmas day will be here on Sunday. I have a million things to do to get ready for my Christmas dinner and family coming over, but all I've wanted to do is play on the computer and blog. Bloggings addicting, isn't it? I guess I had better get it in gear before I embarrass myself. My guests expect me to be prepared and I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone. So, I will have to stop blogging and start cleaning. (I did wash windows and vacuum the other day. Does that count?)

In the meantime, however, I want to wish all my fellow bloggerpals a very Merry Christmas. Hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends and Santa is generous to you this year because you have been good.

People who need people

One of my fellow bloggers posted a comment today about something terrible that happened to another blogger on our favorites list. She put into words how we all feel about this tragic event.

I, too, have come to cherish the "friendships" I have made by blogging. I am usually so reticent about forming new friendships with others, but now I have found that I like connecting to others with diverse backgrounds and histories. Everyone I have met in this manner is so special in their own unique way. Who would have thought that diverse people from around the globe could connect like this? The person who invented blogging should have been named "Person of the Year" by Time Magazine (not that Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates certainly didn't deserve the honor).

Those of us who visit our friend's blog all feel terrible about what happened to her and her family. I wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around her to protect her in any way this Motherkitty could. I'm sure the words of support and offering of prayers from many other bloggers meant a great deal to her.

This is one of the reasons these "friendships" mean so much. My blogger friend has articulated in an eloquent manner what we all feel. Thank you, dear friend.

Pretty as a picture

This one's for Judypatooote. Pictured above is Dancer Girl all dressed up in her pink curlers and holding her dolly, Darling Daughter with her two lovely dollies, and Little Sister holding her dolly. This shot was taken in February 2005 by Motherkitty and now both girls are almost a year older. They still love their mommy.

Saturday Morning Matinees

When I was growing up in Hammond, Indiana, during the 1940s and 1950s, our major pastime, except for playing out in the snow during the winter or playing in the park in the summer, was going to the movies. Not only did we go on Saturday mornings, but we went every time a new film was showing. Going to the movies was cheap entertainment, especially since we didn't have television in our home. Besides, movie theaters were air cooled in the summer (we also didn't have air conditioning in those days), and what better way was there to cool down than by sitting in a cool, dark theater and watching a flick.

There were no cineplexes in those days. We had eight movie theaters with single screens and two drive-ins in Hammond during that time. The Parthenon Theater, an ornate Italian Renaissance marvel built in 1921 which seated 2,500 people, was located in the heart of downtown on Hohman Avenue. The Paramount Theater, built in 1930 and seated 1,921 people, was also located on Hohman Avenue but was not as fancy. The Paramount was more sedate, but was still a nice-looking, well-kept-up movie house. There was also the Calumet, the Columbia, the Kennedy, the Maywood, the Orpheum, and the State which was located on State Street in downtown and seated 3,000 people. There was also the 41 Outdoor and the Hammond Twin Outdoor drive-ins, useful for those hot-date outings on a Friday or Saturday night.

The Calumet Theater, however, was one of those five-cent-candy kind of places where ALL the kids in our neighborhood went on Saturday mornings. The Calumet Theater was located about three blocks from our house on Calumet Avenue. It had 750 seats and, believe me, on Saturday mornings every one was filled with screaming, booing, hissing, loud, boisterous kids eating popcorn and candy, and drinking pop.

We were poor when we were growing up. Even though my parents owned a corner grocery store, we didn't have a lot of extra money. But, one of the things we did have was a 25-cent-a-week allowance. And, since we had all the free candy we could eat from our parents' store, we used that 25 cents for going to the Saturday Morning Matinees at the Calumet Theater. That 25 cents would pay our admission (10 cents) with 15 cents left over for a coke (5 cents) and candy (10 cents). The selection was endless, but I always liked Jujubes because you could chew on them for a very long time. Or, giant boxes of popcorn. Or, Mary Janes. It was a delight for the cavity-prone kid. It would take all day for us to come down off our sugar high.

The purpose of going to the Saturday Morning Matinees was two-fold. First, it was a great way to avoid doing chores on a Saturday morning. Mother couldn't wait for the end of the school week so she could assign chores to my sister and I. We would hurry through them so we could get to the theater by 10:00 a.m. Second, going to the movies gave our imaginations a boost that no book could ever do. For the price of admission you got cartoons, a newsreel, a travelogue, steamy coming attractions, a main feature which was usually a cliff-hanger, and a second feature. You could stay in the theater for hours and hours. By the time you got out, the sun had already gone down.

For those unfamiliar with cliff-hangers, these were serials that continued week after week and always left you hanging until you came the next week to find out what happened. The hero could be crashing over a cliff in a car with the doors welded shut and with certain death awaiting him one week and then saving the heroine from getting run over by a fast-moving train while tied to the tracks the next week. You didn't find out how he got out of his predicament until the next installment.

Some of my earliest movie memories were of our family walking to the Calumet to see a film at night. I remember when I was about five years old my parents took us to see Frankenstein. My love of old horror movies began with that movie. After that, I never missed a Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Boris Karloff (Frankenstein's Monster), or Lon Chaney Jr. (Wolf Man) picture. They just don't make them like that any more. When we were teenagers, they used to have all-night horror marathons at the Parthenon. My girl friends and I would talk one of the mothers into taking us to the show and staying with us the whole night. It was so exciting not only being allowed to stay out all night to watch horror movies, but it was a challenge trying to stay awake all night. By the time we got out early the next morning, we could barely drag outselves out to the car and home to bed.

There were no VHS tapes or DVDs back then, so if you liked a particular movie, you paid your money and went several times to see it before a new movie was featured. I remember one Sunday afternoon in particular when the cousins and I went to the Calumet to see Alice In Wonderland. We were well into the second showing when our Uncle Morry came storming into the theater and dragged all of us out because we didn't come home when we promised. I guess we got carried away and didn't want to leave.

After all these years, I still get a huge thrill from going to a theater to watch a film. It's quite an experience to be cocooned in the darkness, eating popcorn, and drinking a coke while being entertained. Too bad the price of admission still isn't a dime. At least husband and I get the Senior discount.

The Way We Were

Darling Daughter was sweet enough to post this picture taken of husband and myself in 1969 when I was pregnant with our son. Son was born in November of that year and that's why I never made it to Woodstock.

Ah, to be that skinny again.

Happy Anniversary, Husband

Today is the 15th of December and we are celebrating our 37th wedding anniversary today. Even though it seems just like any other day of the week, today marks a milestone in our history together.

We are on the downward slippery slope of reaching our 40th wedding anniversary, which to my mind is a major event. When you think about being with one person for that many years, it makes you wonder what your life would have been like if we had not met that fateful day when you came to my apartment in Chicago or if I had not accepted the wisdom of moving to Kentucky.

Even though we have stood at the crossroads many times during the past 37 years, I can see the victories and the triumphs in our decisions. We have two wonderful children and two wonderful grandchildren. This is our legacy and our fortune.

Thanks for making me leave Chicago in 1968 and becoming a country girl, y'all. Instead of going to Woodstock, I stayed home and had babies. I learned to like getting my hands dirty in the garden and I now own a pair of jeans. So, husband, happy anniversary.

My heart is filled with joy

A Country Home

I awoke this morning, coughing again, but with joy in my heart. All is right in my world. It may be grey, dismal, threatening rain, and cold outside, but here in our cozy house there is security and a sense of comfort.

I guess this time of year makes me more aware of a yearning to be with family and friends. I am eagerly waiting for Christmas to get here. I love receiving Christmas greetings from friends and family that I may not have heard from in a long time. I am also looking forward to little Dancer Girl's first Christmas program at her church this Sunday. She is so excited about performing and being in costume for the event. I look forward to opening presents with the family and sitting down to share a wonderful meal together. I hope they get as much pleasure from receiving their gifts from Santa as Santa had in getting them.

I love looking at all the Christmas decorations around town. I love driving by people's homes and seeing their Christmas trees looking splendid with their lights and ornaments. Downtown is also resplendent with red bows, lights, and displays. People on the street and in the stores are wishing everyone else a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. What a great time of year.

I guess my favorite part of Christmas is cooking for my family. I love to cook and am always eager to try something new and different. My guests apparently love to eat my cooking which makes me feel good. I think my sister and I inherited the cooking gene from my mother because both of us like to cook and we like to have company over. It's also a good excuse to clean our houses. When we were small and still living at home, my mother always had friends and family over for meals. When we were in our teens, our friends liked coming to our house because we were free to cook anything we wanted.

Because I am in such a good mood this morning and feel energetic, I think I will clean my kitchen and cook something special for lunch today. I actually was able to go to the store and shop for groceries yesterday afternoon. So, with cupboards and fridge stocked, and with recipe in hand, I'm off to put together a little treat for husband and myself.

To all my blogpals, I hope you have joy in your hearts today and look forward to doing something that will bring you pleasure.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could feel this way all the time?

George Carlin's Take On Aging and Life

My sister-in-law sent the following in an e-mail. I normally don't forward forwards, but I couldn't resist sharing this with all my lovely blogmates. Why? Because this epitomizes my philosophy on life. And, it is very funny and true.

So, sit back and enjoy one of my favorite comic's philosophical outpourings of truth as we know it.

GEORGE CARLIN ON AGING

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.


So, to all my favorite people, I send you my best wishes and those of Mr. Spock: Live long and prosper. And above all, enjoy each day and each other.

Planning a party

I am in the mood for planning a Christmas dinner for our family. Since we had turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving, I thought I might try to make something a little different this year.

The menu will consist of:

Paula Deen's Foolproof Standing Rib Roast with mustard horseradish sauce

Shrimp Stuffed Potatoes

Corn Casserole

Garden Salad

Fresh Italian Garlic Bread

For dessert:

Baked Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream

How does that sound? Does that make you hungry? Does that make your mouth water?

We are so looking forward to Christmas with our family. We will, of course, miss our son and his wife as they will be unable to come out from California this year for the holidays. It's always exciting to get together with people we love at this special time of year. The grandbabies love all the decorations and the excitement of sleeping over at grandma and grandpa's house, and getting up Christmas morning to open presents.

I hope you, too, are planning a special get together with your family during the holidays. There's nothing like sharing good times with those you love.

May you find peace and happiness now and throughout the coming year.

Dear Santa:

I realize that this is your busiest time of year, so I will only take up a little of your precious time.

I know that you see everything we do. You have made a list and always check it twice to see if we've been naughty or nice. If you check, you will find we have been very good.

Santa's checking his list twice

We don't want anything special for Christmas this year. All of our wishes have been answered. But, in case you have forgotten, I would like to refresh your memory a little about what's happened around our house in 2005.

1. We have been blessed with a wonderful family and two gorgeous granddaughters, who are gifts from Heaven.
2. We didn't do any traveling this year, but instead were able to put in a new furnace and air conditioning unit and a new swimming pool.
3. Our health has been relatively good (except for my recent debilitating respiratory illness) and we joined a health club to get back into shape.
4. My orthopedic surgeon is going to give me a new knee in February or March, so I will be able to walk again without pain.
5. Our son and his beautiful wife were able to purchase a nice townhouse in San Diego and are doing very well.
6. Our son-in-law is now in business for himself and is also doing well.
7. We were able to help a few people when they needed help.
8. We were able to rescue several kitties who were in need of good homes and we saved the world from more kitties by having them spayed.
9. We are still happily married after 38 years, unlike over 50 percent of others in this country.
10. We do not want for anything.

We have one wish, however. Santa, we wish for peace in this world and an end to cruelty everywhere. We hope that others, no matter what their faith, will be infused with the spirit of kindness this holiday season and put it to good use.

Thank you, Santa, for continuing to make people happy every year.

Your friend, Motherkitty

Change of season

I feel like I have started hibernating. As we approach the Winter Solstice, I have begun sleeping in later and later in the morning.

I usually get up around 5 a.m. This has been my habit for the past 20 years or so. Lately, however, I have started getting up in the middle of the night for a little while to get something to drink and to check the computer, then going back to bed. Either because of the cold I have had for the past several weeks, or because of the change in weather, I have started sleeping in until about 9 a.m. It's like a guilty pleasure to be all warm and snuggly in bed, with a cat or two or three at your feet.

It feels colder outside and it could snow any day now (we have been promised a white Christmas). You can almost smell the snow in the air. We have to dress warmer, both inside and outside, and we crave warm foods such as chili and soups. Our feet are always cold so we put on socks (the tile kitchen floor is freezing cold). Both husband and I are going to bed earlier than usual, not because we are bored, but because it gets dark around 5 p.m. and nighttime makes you sleepy. Even an interesting program on TeeVee can't keep us awake most evenings.

In our youth we could party hardy all night long no matter what the weather. Now that we are old fogies, it seems that with Winter approaching all we want to do is nestle warm and cozy. We watched March of the Penguins the other night and just the sight of the Antarctic winter made us feel cold. Brrrr.

Summer is sunny, hot days, warm breezes, swimming lazily in the pool, working outside in the yard, eating outside, and sitting on the deck admiring nature in all its glory. Winter, while beautiful in its own terrible way and part of the grand scheme of things, chills me to the bone. I grew up in a cold climate and found I do not like it. Living in Kentucky gives us the change in seasons we like with not as much harsh weather as up North. We are happy if it doesn't snow very much.

So, as the Earth rotates on its axis and days become shorter, we will hunker down in our warm, cozy houses and hibernate for a couple of months. We will eat our soups and chili, put on a little extra clothing, and sleep a little longer in the morning. We will pretend we are bears and snuggle awhile until an early Spring wakes us up.

So goes the cycle of Nature at its best.

I'm human again

It's a miracle. I woke up this morning, rather late I might add, and I suddenly felt like Rosemary Woodhouse of Rosemary's Baby fame. You know the scene where, after a great shout and lots of tears, she suddenly exclaims that the pain is finally gone.

Well, I got out of bed and felt that I had finally turned the corner with my cold. I actually feel human again.

Can you hear the music?

The mucus is finally gone, and I can breathe again through my nostrils. And, I'm not coughing and expectorating my lungs out.

This is a good sign. When I asked husband if he wanted to go shopping, he actually said yes. He wanted to get a few things, so off we go. Maybe I can buy some Christmas spirit while I'm out and about.

Getting into the spirit of Christmas, or HoHum

Today is December 1. I looked at the calendar this morning and suddenly realized that there are only three weeks, or 22 shopping days, until Christmas Eve. I also realized I am not ready to have company over for my favorite holiday.

So, I am making a list and checking it twice -- not to see if I've been naughty or nice, but to see what I have to do to get into the spirit of the season. I started off by watching A Christmas Story last night. Husband had already gone to bed and I decided to watch it by myself. It wasn't as much fun watching it by myself, but it was still very cute.

Here's my list of things I should be doing to get ready for Christmas:

1. Writing our Christmas newsletter
2. Mailing our Christmas newsletter
3. Buying last-minute presents
4. Wrapping all the presents
5. Cleaning the house
6. Decorating the house
7. Putting up the tree
8. Inviting people/family to come to the house for Christmas
9. Planning the Christmas dinner
10. Buying the food for Christmas dinner
11. Getting into the spirit of Christmas

Why aren't I doing any of these things? Because I'm still sick with this lousy cold. I was planning to actually put on regular street clothes today and go to the health club to exercise. But when I woke up, I was still coughing, sneezing, snuffling, congested, and felt I was still contagious. I certainly didn't want to ruin someone else's Christmas, so I stayed home instead. (So much for Jewish penicillin!)

I hope I am better by next week. I have planned a Christmas party for December 7th for a group we belong to and I figure I should be there as husband and I are hosting the party.

I also have been avoiding other chores, like taking my van back to the shop because after they fixed it the last time, now the heater doesn't work. Grrrrr.

Now that I feel like The Grinch That Stole Christmas, how are your plans for the holiday coming along?