Christmas 2008

Another Christmas season done and memories made. It seems that we prepare for weeks, months even - and it's done in a matter of hours. The wrapping paper dots the floor, Christmas goodies eaten, the wine bottle(s) empty, and the guests have left for home. The build up is exciting and the winding down is bittersweet.

T and I had a most enjoyable holiday (sort of).

Christmas Eve was spent at my sister Peg's house - as has been tradition since I was 10-years (?) old. Her daughters Joan (with Matt in tow) and Karen were both there this year, which was wonderful. We had a delicious meal that was beautifully prepared, and of course, my personal favorite - wine! We managed to inilate 3 bottles again this year.

After opening presents, Matt and Joan suggested that we play their Wii Fit. Now, I've never done video games in my life - I'm just not a fan of them. But, not wishing to be a spoil sport on Christmas Eve, I made the trek to the back room and commenced to play Wii Fit. First on tap? Yoga. Yep...the Yoga instructor was going to do Yoga via video. Now, I want to set the record straight here. I'm a damn good Yoga instructor (if I do say so myself!) and I know my stuff, but get me on a video game and try to do tree pose on a little 2x2ft platform - AFTER drinking several glasses of wine...well, let's just say it wasn't pretty! And, the half-moon pose is NOTHING like I teach in class! Needless to say, we quickly moved on to bowling.

Let me say something about bowling....I'm not good at it! Several years ago, while Director of the local Special Olympics Area 9, I was required to be at all of the sports practices, even bowling. I'd never bowled at all, and was heckled by several of the athletes that I should try it. Not wanting to look like a spoil sport then either, I relented and put on those funny little shoes and made my way up to the line and swiftly threw the ball......behind me! I brought down the house...."Ms. Sherry can't bowl, Ms. Sherry can't bowl!" was heard across the lanes with much laughter and glee! I haven't improved any judging by my Wii-bowling scores.

We moved on to Wii-racing Mario something. I took on my nephew Matt. Big mistake. His hobby and relaxation is video games. What WAS I thinking. Must have been the wine! At one point, he said, "Sherry....you are going the wrong way!" After much coaching by a patient Matt, I was able to turn the car around and ran right in to the pilons. Definitely a lesson here - don't drink and drive...even if it is in video games!!

The night came to a close though and it was time to go home and put an end to a wonderful evening.

The next day however, Christmas, was not such a bright one. Yours truely woke up sick with the flu - and NO, it was NOT the bottle flu. Ok, at first I thought it was too - but it was wayyyyyyyy worse than the bottle flu. So much so, that I cancelled going to my brother-in-law's for Christmas dinner, and so did T as he was feeling it to. Between the two of us, we kept the bathroom busy and the couch occupied. Neither one of us felt worth a hoot until around 6pm. T now has a horrible chest cold and I have a sore stomach from wretching violently.


It's alright though. We had a good time on Christmas Eve with my sister and her family. I talked to both of my brothers on Christmas Day and wished them a Merry Christmas.

Sometimes that's the way life goes - nothing you can do about it, just laugh it off, mark it down in the memory book, and look forward to the next time.

Music in my head...

I have a song in my head and I can't get rid of it! I keep hearing it, humming it, singing it, and it won't go away! I'm held captive by a song! What is it you inquire? "Start Me Up" by the Stones. Not the most soothing of songs to have playing in my head! ~LOL~

Which leads me to a question: If you had to have a song playing in your head - quietly in the background - for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Would you choose an instrumental, jazz, rock, classical, vocal?

I've given it some thought and I think that I would choose an instrumental. I don't believe that I'd want to hear words or voices in my head (any more than I hear now! Hahahaha!). Seriously, that was a joke...I do NOT hear voices in my head! :-)

I definitely think it would be an instrumental. Perhaps a by Jim Brickman or George Winston who I admire for their expertise at the ivory keys.

Five days....

until Christmas and it is storming outside! Geeez! How am I supposed to get the rest of my shopping done? It's my own fault for procrastinating I guess. Those who know me know that I do my best work under pressure! (Some say that I pull it out of my a** quite well!) ~L~

Truthfully, I do not have all that much to get; a few things for my mother-in-law, and a house gift for my brother-in-law Bill and his wife. I don't buy for my side of the family anymore - although Peggy (my sister) will get a nice bottle of wine for our Christmas Eve dinner.

That takes me back to a memory of Christmas of five or six years ago.

My brother was living and working in Germany at the time. He came home at Christmas with bottles of a German wine that can be served warm or cold. He brought Peg and me each a bottle for Christmas Eve. Now, Peg already had a bottle of wine opened, so we drank that as we were preparing dinner. We then, of course, HAD to open a bottle of the wine Terry had brought us. We tried it both warm and cold and decided that cold was better.

It wasn't long and the guys were in the kitchen wondering when dinner would be served, which got the response of "when it is ready". Duh! ~S~

Peg and I were having sooooo much fun cooking that we finished off the second bottle and started on the third bottle. Life was good. We got on the phone and called my brother in Bismarck and wished him and his family a Merry Christmas..and I'm pretty sure we called someone else (though I can't remember it now any more than I could then!).

We laughed, we joked, we cooked, we drank..... life was good!

We put the meal on the table at 6:30. I sat down next to my husband and proclaimed, "I'm toast!" (laughing) I was hammered.

Wine goes to my head anyways, but sharing 3 bottles of wine (some of which was warmed) with my sister pretty much ensured that I was going to have a very MERRY Christmas! Oh lordy, I have to wipe the tears from my eyes even now.

Memories. Thank God for them!

Well, since I'm not going to make it in to town today, I guess I'm left with the option of playing Domestic Diva!

Have a warm, safe weekend everyone. I'll check back in later.

I am fortunate...

Today seemed to go on forever. I am so backlogged at work it isn't even funny. I am encouraged with that, however, as it surely means job security! (Fingers crossed!) ~L~ Seriously, the State would have to be in dire straights before they riffed anyone from our facility - hopefully.

This day and age, one can never be too sure though. I try not to let the doom and gloom of the economy affect my psyche - after all, I AM a "glass 1/2 full" type of lady. But, I admit that it is hard to ignore the stories of hardship that hit the news every day.

So...for as long as my day was, I'm thankful for it. I have a job to go to that puts food on the table, pays the bills and the little "extras" that come up. There are many who are not as fortunate.

I'm thankful that I am healthy, fit and able to work - there are many who wish they could.

My heart goes out to those that are experiencing difficulties this time of year - either with job, money, health or family issues. I say a prayer for them that they'll find comfort, work, shelter, food (anything that will help their world become a brighter place, if even for a moment).

Then I take a moment of gratitude for all the good and wonderful things in my life and say a prayer of "Thank You" to Him.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson