Do you know what tomorrow is?

It's December 1st...and the official beginning of the Christmas season.

i'm so excited.

Now i won't just be a Christmas freak who's had her tree up for the past three weeks already...

...i'll be almost normal!


Yay for normal!!!

A love letter

Dear Philadelphia Eagles,

This season has been mildly painful for me as i've watched you kick yourself in the rear end more than i'd like to. i've seen missed tackles, missed blocks, stupid fouls, horrible play calling, too many interceptions and dropped passes. i've seen my favourite players (Dawkins and Runyan) not reaching their potential in their playing. i've seen a quaterback benched with no previous warning and a kid brought out without any warm up. i even think i've witnessed missed field goals.

This, my beloved, would make my love grow cold if i were any less of the warm blooded totally in love with you woman that i am.

As it was, i was rather disgusted with the whole lot of you - even though deep in my heart, i knew i'd always remain faithful.

So it was with some trepidation that i prepared to watch tonight's game.

However, my Eagles, tonight....tonight you made me fall in love with you all over again. Tonight my heart beat hard for Dawkins [#20] (i mean seriously, folks, he is just so amazing) and Runyan [#69](mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm) not to mention Bradley [#55], who is quickly becoming another favourite. You played like the team i know you to be. You made me proud to be a fan. The love is still there and still strong.

Oh yes, my Philadelphia Eagles, i am still faithful to you. i won't turn my back, nor curse the day you were born - no, no i will not do that. i will hold my head high (even though you tied the stinkin' Bengals...i mean, really? The Bengals? sheesh)

The love is still there, it is still strong and i am going to bed a very happy woman.

With love,
me


E A G L E S! EAGLESSSSSSSSSSS!

It's Thanksgiving

Even though i've blathered on and on about my love of Christmas this year - and truly i feel like a child and am just so happy for this Holiday Season- my favourite holiday, by far, is Thanksgiving. i love it because it's not about buying things or having the right decorations or any of the other crazy stuff that goes on for Christmas. It's a holiday that, although will be shared with about 40 of my relatives and will be noisy and crazy, is a more subdued holiday - it's more about the basics.

Know what i mean?

It's a holiday to take time to reflect on the past year and all that one can be thankful for. So here's a small list from me - my Thanksigiving List

1. I am thankful that i live in America
2. I am thankful that i have two jobs
3. I am thankful that i can work two jobs - have the strength and health to do so
4. i am thankful for my family
5. i am thankful for those in my life, whether near or far, who have invested time into my life
6. i am thankful for friends
7. i am thankful that i have food in my cupboard and warm blankets on my bed.
8. i am thankful for my cats
9. i am thankful for freedom
10. i am thankful - so very grateful- for our Military Personnel...i don't have the right words to express this. Their sacrifice....
11. i am thankful for hard times in my life, for it's in those times that i realize the true woman i am, realize my reliance on an Almighty God and realize how much i have. It's coming out of those hard times that i see how blessed my life has been...i didn't say easy, i said blessed.

This is a very short and totally incomplete list..but it's something i wished to say today. i'm so glad to be able to be with my family tomorrow - we go to my cousin's house...all 40 or more of us and the food will be amazing, the laughter loud and long, the fellowship sweet and hopefully...if all goes well, the Eagles will win.

If not...if not..well then we always have the Phillies World Championship to fall back on and i have to say, that day and the day of the Parade is STILL a good thing with me and i'm thankful to have been able to go down there and stand on Broad and Dickson and scream and yell and laugh and just have a great time (plus Jamie Moyer WAVED at me! i mean common...that's pretty sweet!)

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Um...

So i might be taking this early Christmas a bit far when i realize that i really, really want one of those cute little skirt 'santa's helper' sets...

um...i might need professional help with this one.

In a few weeks, our neighborhood has a progressive Christmas party. The last house to be visited is mine because i have a piano and we all sing Christmas carols and eat desserts. Each house provides food and when you go to that house, you take them a Christmas ornament. It's a very nice way to get together, no pressure of getting huge gifts and is a lot of fun.

And this is where the 'i can dress up like santa's helper in one of those cute little red/white skirt sets' idea came up.

Thing is...i don't dress up for Halloween..why on earth would i dress up for Christmas -not only that but i've also cut out paper snowflakes and put them on my windows.

Seriously, i'm annoying myself. But i found such joy in cutting those snowflakes out, even though it confused me to do so. AND now that they are up - and the rest of my outdoor Christmas decorations (just greenery swags with red bows -very old fashioned looking) i really like the look. Very Victorian and simple.

So if you happen to see me out shopping for a little skirt set - please, please do an intervention right there and then.

oh..and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's just getting worse

i don't know what's wrong with me of late. i am in the Christmas spirit so much that's i'm annoying myself. i mean honestly! It's not even Thanksgiving and i already have all my Christmas cards ready to go. Is that obnoxious or what?

Each day brings a new idea, a new crazy idea, to mind - the other day i was researching traditional Irish Christmas cakes and puddings so that i could make a few. i don't even know if i like the taste of Irish Christmas puddings. And yet...AND YET, i was thinking how i could make more than one so that we could enjoy them on Christmas Eve.

Today, it was buying the ornaments i'll need for our neighborhood Christmas party as well as some new candles and thinking about how to decorate my office suite.

i'm like the Christmas energizer bunny with no off switch.

sheesh

Well Merry Christmas to one and all....

Baby, it's cold outside

And i'm totally in the Christmas spirit.

i've already planned how i can 'borrow' the neighbors outdoor decorations for my own (they never tire of that trick! HA HA HA) as well as laid out a baking schedule (do you know that if you warm up store bought cookies and add a sprinkling of powdered sugar everyone will think you made them? HAHHAHAHAHA) and not only that but all the presents i got last year that i didn't like, i'm going to recycle (just have to make sure that i don't give them to the ones who gave them to me - happened last year and boy! things were awkward for a while - not sure granny was ready for that bra/pantie set and everything was fine until her false teeth fell out - then...not so funny. That Granny! Not a good sense of humor (she's German - what can we say?)

Grin.

Land of the Free. Home of the Brave.

Today is Veteran's Day and on the way to work i was reflecting the fact that this country, though far from perfect, is so great and amazing. i love this country. i love freedom. i am so grateful - a gratefullness that surpasses words-that men and women gave their lives to continue the freedom that was declared way back in the beginning of the birth of this nation.

Since then, as we all know, many battles and wars have been fought. All of them painful, all of them took their toll but all of them have proven that we truly do hold freedom very dear and will go to great lengths to preserve it - even to helping other countries find their own freedom.

So i thank you. Those of you who have fought, or served our nation. Those of you who are family members who don't sleep well because your loved one is currently overseas. Those of you who put yourself at risk so that i can be free.

We are still the land of the free
and there is no doubt that we are the
Home of the Brave.

Thank you.

Circus Cat

my cat, Moses, is about 8 yrs old. i found him in some high weeds next to my church (thus the name). He is grey/white and a very wonderful cat.

When he was quite young, i noticed that he was always perching on the bannister newel-kinda like a seal on a ball. So i started calling him circus cat. Whenever i wanted him to do that trick for friends and family, i would say, "Hey Mose...wanna do Circus Cat?" and he always makes a cute little noise and gets ready for the show.

i also noticed that he was very interested in me when i was on a ladder painting or fixing something in the house and so i also taught him how to climb a ladder. (This came in handy one day when he was stuck on the roof...he was able to climb the ladder from porch roof to the top of the house where i was waiting..and i caught him..more on that exciting story later.)

Well last night i was doing some stencling in my hallway and i was surprised that he wasn't interested. So i said "Wanna do Circus Cat?" and two minutes later, he was on top of the ladder, looking around and purring like mad.

i think i'm going to start charging friends and family cause obviously he has talent and i plan on using that money for my retirement.

We, the people...

...are a bunch of fools.

Another on voting

i'm astounded to hear about some of the problems around the country. How is it that for me, in Reading, PA it was smooth sailing all the way. We don't use paper ballots - everyone was on the list and there was at least one Spanish speaker present to help those who's English isn't terribly good (more on that later today isn't the day for that rant).

i waiting in line for about 10 min - maybe less. Went in my little booth, pushed the buttons...when i had double checked everything - pushed the green VOTE button and was done. Easy peasy - no hassle no trouble just doing what i've been doing since i turned 18. (which of course was last year..cough.cough)

but hearing about some of the problems and paper ballots (!!) for goodness sake - did these people not prepare??? It's not like this was a sneak attack to vote..we've known about it since when? Like forever.

Sheesh people get your act together!

How then shall we vote?

Well i did my civic duty - gladly too i might add. As a registered Republican, i typically will lean to that party. This year, i was ready to make a change and vote either Independent or Democrat - depending on the candidates.

Thing is, i don't trust Obama and Nader and Paul just didn't candidate enough for me. So once again, i voted Republican for the President/Vice President. i'm not terribly thrilled about either candidate - they both have bits and pieces that are way too scary and odd. But i would rather vote my conscience and so i did. One has to remember that when you're voting for the President you're voting for more than just the platform those candidates are running from....you're also voting for the people that will surround those candidate and give advise...that's when you have to look beyond the personalities running around the country giving speeches and scrutinize the ones 'behind the scenes'.

Local government was a bit easier to mix up - some of the Senators are democrat and got my vote because of the way they contribute to the community. Some are republican and i voted for the same reason - i like being able to vote for anyone i like, agree with or think is a good leader.

One of my sisters is voting for the first time this year. She is more into politics at her age than i ever was and i'm very proud of the way she's studied the candidates and has made her choice. she's excited about making her voice heard.

So whatever comes today - whether Obama or McCain win - it's a great day to be able to vote in a country where you can go to the polls and vote how you think best.

Vote your conscience!

The Parade

i cannot even describe what Friday was like to experience. We left my hometown around 9am and were standing on Broad Street by 10.30am. Front row. Since we were a little bit down the parade route-the streets weren't terribly crowded at that point but by the time the parade came by - it was jammed packed.

Seeing the players and screaming for them was fun - it was a celebration. But the rest of the day was even more so - because it's what happened throughout the day that was amazing.

It was the feeling of brotherly love - it was the feeling of joy. Unbridled Joy is what Mitch Williams called it. And he was right.

i mean, let's face it, the economy stinks, the election is horrible, people are losing their jobs, and their homes. It's hard times for many. However, you give the vast majority something to cheer about and it's like we're all best friends. i got hugged by many, many guys and old ladies. i high fived cops and kids. i screamed until my voice was gone (and it still is three days later). Everyone was laughing and crying and joking around - people were cheering having fun. The feeling in the air was complete celebration and love and happiness.

i don't think i have the skill to adequately say what the day meant to me - but it was amazing and i'm so very glad i got to go (never mind the fact that Jamie Moyer WAVED to me! WHOOT!)

Later that night, the 76ers won and yesterday so did the Eagles (we won't really talk about the Flyers...)-so the feeling goes on. i know it'll all come to a close, but for one day - one perfect day-Philadelphia was a place of beauty, love and celebration.

We are the champions, baby!