Some Ketchup

Sorry - I could not help the play on words - haven't posted in a while - thought I should "catch up". DS had his first "real" cold - I mean a full blown, big time adult cold. He was miserable - stayed home from school for three days - two separate days before that. He was upset and believed his world was coming to an end! I knew otherwise, but could not convince him (practicing to be an adult male perhaps?). Anyway - it is winding down for him and alas he will live - but guess who is beginning to feel "punky"? - You guessed it - me! Stopped by CVS yesterday & picked up some of the new cold preventatives (Air Borne {which tastes like VERY bad orange juice} and some other stop it before you get it things) - I hope I can at least cut down on the severity of it - as I can't stay home from work for five days.
Not much in the way of anything else new - things with DB have calmed down since he changed his med times - DH has also come a long way. I am beginning to see the light and think life is good.

An Easy Way to Pray…

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

A Quick Quiz – by Charles Schultz

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the paragraphs straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

I Still Beleive in Santa!

I knew that it would happen someday - so I began laying the ground work VERY early - to help me more than him... let me explain: Guy(DS) like every child wholeheartedly believed in Santa Claus and seeing it through his eyes was so much more magical than anything I ever experienced as a child (well almost - there's the Chatty Cathy Christmas - but that's another post!) Anyway I did all the things I could to make it magical and special - the usual cookies & milk of course - but we left reindeer food (those pesky reindeers always made "a mess" {first year mom spilt some & Guy noticed how messy they were} - well those mess' continued for a long time!!!) and Santa left "footprints" in the house and so many other things - it was truly a magical time for him and me.

But all along I knew he would eventually find out the truth - so I instilled that "everyone is Santa" and as long as you "believe in truth & goodness - there will always be a Santa - no matter how old you get".


Sure enough - one year he put two & two together and was devastated & actually MAD at ME when I told him Santa wasn't real. BUT I guess the groundwork actually worked, because after the initial denial and anger - he realized what I said & meant - which somehow softened the blow. To this day he reminds ME that Santa does exist.

Having said this - when I saw this on another blog, I had to place it on mine & tell you my story.

"I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma...I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that! My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her 'world-famous' cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true!!!!!! Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" She snorted..."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes memad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go. "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second 'world-famous' cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but NEVER had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill,wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he just didn't have a good warm coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good warm winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again and wished me a Merry Christmas.That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa ALWAYS insisted on secrecy! Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered,"get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open!!!! Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: 'ridiculous'! Santa WAS alive and well, and WE were on HIS team!!!

I STILL have Grandma's Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $29.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!
~Author Unknown