MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well it's that time of year again to hear "Happy Holidays", "Happy Hanukkah", Happy Kwanzaa", and everything but "Merry Christmas"! Maybe I'm overly sensitive to this national omission of the two words "Merry Christmas" every Christmas season. I'm well aware that we must be politically correct now, but if the newscasters are going to wish people a Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa, which I hear ALL the time on the national news, local stations, CNN, or whatever, why can't they just say Merry Christmas as well? It makes my blood boil when I hear the blanket "Happy Holidays". I'm a Christian and I would like my holiday recognized with two little words. I wish my Jewish friends a Happy Hanukkah and most of my black friends don't celebrate Kwanzaa, but if they did I would certainly verbalize that holiday to them. I don't care who celebrates what or what other religious holidays are called, just don't wish me "Happy Holidays" as I only celebrate ONE holiday this time of year and that is CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Veteran's Day tribute

My father proudly served his country during WWII. He was stationed in North Africa and Italy with the 5th Army and he assisted the commanding officers with their transportation. My father was a proud and courageous soldier who always remembered his days of service to the United States. In later years my father was a Commander of the VFW Post 9400 in Phoenix, AZ. Thank you, Dad, for serving your country well during and after the war. You will always be remembered as a fine soldier and wonderful father.

VOTE! So proud to be an American

"I voted" button from Delaney Gates' blog. Thanks for the lovely choice! Her blog is delaneygates.typepad.com

I woke up today with great anticipation knowing that it would be a historic day. Histoy would be made on many levels, i.e. there is the possibility that an African-American man will be elected president, the oldest man to ever run for president might be elected, a woman could possibly be elected the nation's first female vice-president, and a record number of American citizens will be voting. From all accounts, polling places have NEVER seen so many people in line to cast their vote. When I voted today, I was in line for about 5 minutes. The whole process took about 15-20 minutes including marking my ballot which took up most of the time. I was so proud to walk out of my local polling place with my "I voted today" sticker on, and I was happy to see so many more people in the short lines waiting to vote, too. I went shopping after I voted, and I saw so many people with their stickers on as well. What a good feeling! I've been voting for many years, and I don't ever remember another time when so much emotion has been stirred up and so much has been at stake. Our local propositions have also proven to be hot button issues for so many involved. I'll watch the national and local news coverage tonight awaiting the outcome of yet another major historic American event. God bless America and may we all be at peace with our decisions.

Halloween, 2008....what a difference a year makes!

Brandt just kind of went with the flow when he was 8 months old for Halloween, 2007.

Brandt wants no part of being a frog for Halloween, 2008.


Karen, Brandt and Joe celebrating Halloween, 2008. My daughter, son-in-law, and my darling grandson take in the neighborhood festivites on Halloween night.

Saturday morning specials.....

This past Saturday wasn't a great day for going to yard sales. There were several community sales in my area, but I didn't find too much that interested me except for the following treasures.......

Elmo slippers for my grandson who happens to like the Elmo character very much. They were all of a $1.00 at a yard sale and they were never used.


The tissue holder was $2.00 and it will look lovely in my new bathroom.


The truffle dish was .75 and the candle holders were $1.00. I'm very happy with this yard sale find, but I probably should dust the candle holders!

Bounty galore.....

I made this flower pot candy holder with gauze, orange paint, "eyes", ribbon, and candy corn inside the green tissue paper.



I found these two Christmas night lights at an estate sale for $1.00. I'll use them during the holidays and switch out the decorative fronts so I can use them throughout the year.




These four spoons were $1.00 at an estate sale. The first spoon is a Hop-A-Long Cassidy spoon. I'll use these for swaps by adding glitter, ribbon, and pictures.



These two laundry plaques were a total of 50 cents. I love the"vintageness" of each.






This vase is a Lefton and I bought it for $1.00. The doll's face is so pretty but I don't understand the wooden body. The doll was 50 cents!











I can't believe that I found this darling Jim Shore Santa at a yard sale for $1.00 ! This is the second piece of Jim Shore's masterful art that I've managed to buy at a yard sale. I just love his work and I'm always looking for a bargain. This retired piece retailed for $34.99.







This is the very beginning of my "BOO" banner. I've never made a banner before but my friend, Cindy, from So Inspired guided me through the process. Thanks, Cindy.


I found this trio at a yard sale for $1.00 ! I love the cute fabric on the pumpkins and the scarecrow.

Nana on a "mission" for the new Elmo Live or The Thrill of the Hunt

Mission: buy the newly released Elmo Live for my grandson~~the "it" toy for the season!
This "mission" was BORING! Being the "pro" that I am, I was soooooo disappointed that there wasn't even a line in front of Target. I got up early and drove to my local Target (arriving at 6:50 A.M.) fully expecting there to be some people milling about but, alas, no one was in sight. I checked to make sure that I was, indeed, at Target and called Karen, my daughter, to make sure that it was Tues. Oct. 14, the date of the Elmo release. I was correct on all counts but I was the only one in the parking lot except for an occasional employee arriving for a grueling day of work. I passed my time in the car listening to the radio and talking with Karen and my husband via my trusty cell phone. Finally at 7:45 A.M. a man in a pickup pulls into the parking space next to mine and gets out and walks to the entrance of the store. Hmmmmm, hadn't I been there before him? I wait 5 more minutes and then I casually walk up to the entrance and the two of us engage in conversation. While standing there, an employee makes eye contact with me and holds up a ticket regarding the Elmo "treasure". I nodded that I wanted one so she passed me a ticket with the number 2 on it. I told her that the man needed one too, so she passed me another ticket with the number 3 on it. Score for me!!!
Shortly after that, the doors opened and I walked over to the electronics dept. to get the Elmo. I handed the cashier my #2 ticket (never could figure out what happened to the #1 ticket), she handed me the Elmo, I paid for it and left the store. Very uneventful and quite boring. For a pro like me, this wasn't even worth getting out of bed. I need a challenge and this certainly wasn't one! Now the whole Cabbage Patch doll craze was right up my alley. I was right in the thick of things and I made numerous trips to various places just to see if I could get the coveted doll. My daughter ended up with 3 Cabbage Patch dolls for her third Christmas and that was after I sold several "extra" dolls that I managed to buy along the way. Today's hunt/mission turned out to be a bust....I need excitement, thrills, competition, yelling, screaming, pushing, shoving, occasional swearing, etc. I need help!!!!!!