Christmas Vacation

Today at exactly 4:30 p.m., I began my Christmas vacation.  I am off until the new year. Whoohoo!

I was so excited. The only thing on my mind on the drive home was slipping into my pjs, pouring a glass of wine, turning on some Christmas music and relaxing on the sofa watching the Christmas tree spin around.  {Sigh} All I managed to do once home was put on my pjs. The shower made me a bit too relaxed. So much so that I am laying in bed, under the covers, knowing that soon and very soon I will be in dreamland.

Guess my origianal plans are on hold for another evening. Maybe tomorrow.

Happy New Year

It's a new year and with it, new possibilties. 

I have been feeling really confident that I am going to have a good year.  Over at Magical Holiday Home, members are encouraged to spend time on their word for the year.  My word for 2011 is CHANGE.

There's a lot of things I need to work on.  The major thing is my health.  See I have high blood pressure and most recently my doctor told me that my cholesterol was a little high.  So my doctor changed me from the two medications I was taking for high blood pressure and put me on one type of medication that controls both the HBP and Cholosteral, as well as taking a low dose aspirin and iron pill daily. I don't want to have to take pills for the rest of my life, hence working on change. 
  
Back in September of 2009, I started making and following a monthly menu plan.  I did well following the menu for a while.  That is until the holidays rolled around.  I tried picking back up where I left off in 2010, but then summer came and I'd slacked off again.  In the fall of 2010 I attempted to start over and did very well even when the holidays rolled around again.  It wasn't perfect but I managed much better than the previous year.

I have cut out buying process foods.  You know that stuff you can grab from the freezer (which has a high sodium content), heat in the microwave and you're done.  No more of that.  I go grocery shopping every week or every other week.  I try to buy only fresh items.  An idea I got from a cousin.  My food tastes much better and I am trying new dishes I would never have thought of making before and I don't have a lot of headaches like before.  The big plus is that I am beginning to lose weight.  It's not a lot but it is a start.

Yes this year is all about change.  Change for a better life, better health.  Change to be a better me.

Life

On Thursday, December 9, 2010 my family suffered a loss.  My aunt loss her husband to cancer.  They were such a close couple.  My aunt and uncle had such a great relationship.  They were like bossum buddies.  Wherever you saw on, you saw the other.    I hope the man I marry and I will have a relationship like that.  I only know of one other couple who has a relationship like that, my bestfriend's since childhood parents.

It has hit me in a way I didn't think it would.  I guess it was when I last saw him two weeks ago, lying in bed.  He looked so frail.  I had just been there two weeks prior and he had came downstaris to the kitchen where my aunt, my mom and I were, frying chicken and just chit-chatting.  He looked good.  But seeing him in bed,thoughts of my dad immediately came to mind (I loss my dad to cancer in 1995).  The scenerios were almost exact. 

My aunt for the most part is holding up quite well. It also helps that she has her sons and other family members and friends by her side for support.


Rest in Peace Uncle Jones.  You will truly be missed.

I'm Back

Sorry I've been away so long.  I am recovering from a Broncitis (sp?).  My mini vacation started last Wednesday, however the night before my vacation starts I come down with something.  I wasn't sure what was going on because I didn't feel sick really.  I just couldn't talk.  As the week progressed I started having trouble breathing, no voice and some other gross stuff I won't bother you with. 
So I'm on antibiotics and drinking lots of tea.  I can go back to work Wednesday.  My voice still hasn't come back yet but I feel 90% better.

Despite being home, sick, I still managed to put up Christmas decorations.  I'm usually done decorating the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, but with this cold I took a lot of breaks inbetween.  I still have to finish the kitchen, guest room and balcony.  I hope to be done by tomorrow evening. 

Long Time No See

Good day all!  Yes, I've been a way a long time.  So much has happened.  During what was the called the worst winter this area has ever seen, I joined Facebook and to my surprise, reconnected with nearly all of my highschool classmates.  Many of us got together for Game Night back in February which was so much fun. It was great laughing and  reminiscing. Several classmates have formed a committee and are planning for our 25th reunion next fall.  I was extremely excited to reconnect with my best friends from school, Joyce and Latoria.  We lost contact with each other a few years after graduating.  Since reconnecting, we have been hanging out together ever since.   The class is having a fund raiser in October. A 70's gathering to help raise money for the reunion next year.  We would like pay for our teachers come to the reunion.  I think that is a nice gesture.

I also  became a great-aunt.  My oldest nephew and his girlfriend have a beautiful baby girl.  She's so adorable.  So you know she's going to be spoiled rotten by the grandparents (and great-aunt).

New Years Eve

It's the last day of the year. I hope 2009 was good for you. I know it was good for me. There's been some rocky roads, don't get me wrong. However I'm still here. My health is fairly good. I still have a job. My family is doing alright. When I put all the bad things beside all of the good things that 2009 gave me, the good things win by a mile.

I want to send a special thank you to my friends at Magical Holiday Home. Because of them my holidays have been the best they have ever been. I learn and continue to learn so much from those gals. I don't know how I ever managed without them. They are always there to lean on when daily lifes gets to be too much to handle. We don't just talk about Christmas, we talk about what ailes us, what makes us happy, family, and so on. I've always been a lover of Christmas since I was a little girl. But after finding Organized Christmas back in 2004 I've become a Christmas nut and I love it. And its nice to know that I'm not alone.

2010 finds me taking a hard look at how I want my life to be. I haven't thought about it in quite a while. For one I need to take better care of myself. That means eating better, exercising as well as well as watching my spending habits and worrying so much about things til I'm literally sick to my stomache. Sometimes I find myself so stress that I get ill. And when its all over I think back and wonder why do I put myself through that. I also want to rebuild my relationship with God because without him I would not and could not have made it through 2009. So I am going back to church. I have not attended church service in years. Its time for me to go back home.

90 Days of Fun

I've just returned to work this morning after several days of pain. I have a wisdom tooth that will be extracted on Monday and I can't wait. The pain has put a damper on my Christmas spirit. I have things to do but just can't get them done right now. Hopefully after Monday, I will be back to my old self-- pain free. I feel okay today (Thanks to pain medicine). I'll try to do something today as it relates to Christmas.

What A Thanksgiving

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful first and foremost for my family. They have always been there to share the good and the bad things with me. Secondly, for my boyfriend. He is truly a special guy. He got sick two days before Turkey day and had to go to the hospital but now he is home and feeling a lot better. Third, is the fact that with looking after my boyfriend and preparing dinner for Thanksgiving, everthing turned out very nice.