HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

hello everyone! i want to wish everyone a Happy New Year now...it's a couple days early, but my next 2 days will be busy. mostly i'm cleaning and chillin'. i'll be getting back to those home projects starting tomorrow. plus i need to take down the tree and trimmings. New Year's Day i hope to be spending time with Madison. what a great way to start a new year. once the new year day is over, i need to start homework again for my class. i've had the luxury of not doing anything for class for two weeks now. time to roll again. fortunately i've read two books in that time. i just finished Memoirs of a Geisha. that is a beautiful story. i saw the movie when it came out, but definitely enjoyed the book that much more. now i understand the movie a bit better too. so if you haven't read it, i highly recommend this one. it's beautifully told and written. a heart warmer for sure...

anyways, come this weekend, our new minister will be moving into town. i asked her to call me if she needs help, but right now i realize i also have something to do too for our hike group. i can postpone checking out our next hike, but i hope i don't have to. starting next week, i'll be doing the custodial duties too at the church for a short stint-i think. i'll be talking with our new minister once she arrives about the position, so there's a possiblity i'll continue doing sum of that job in the future as well. have no clue for sure right now. only time will tell. but the last few days i've been wondering if i want to work that many hours again. sometimes i miss working so much, yet othertimes, i know this illness says NO! i'll have a few weeks to contemplate the request made to me by the new minister of working more hours. again, i'll discuss this with her in our meeting once she's on board full time. sometimes i think i still have too much time on my hands and not sure what i want to be doing with it, so why not work more? i'll say a prayer for guidance and wait for the answer. it's all good no matter what happens. with my temporary at least new busy schedule i may not be on here as often as the past. i will stay in touch however. this is a nice place for a change in pace for the day or week. so you folks take care and i'll be in touch soon....again HAPPY NEW YEAR!

a buffalo burger...

O my achin' back....i sit enjoying my buffalo burger here at home. Marsha got me hooked on these burgers a few months ago and i finally found a place i could buy them in bulk and bring them home. Yummy! for $2 per burger here, it beats the local Fuddruckers at $10 for the meal. just as tasty too...so anyways, today i began those home projects again that i had started back in august i think. i finally got back to it. now that i have another week off before having to study for class again, i'll dive into and finish it this time. i'm calling it my winter cleaning that's usually done in the spring. spring gets here, i want to be outside, not in doing home projects. so i started with my books. i had a bookcase in the narrow hallway and decided it was time to get rid of it. with this in mind, i concluded i needed to rid myself of sum other books located in my second bedroom on 4- 4 tier bookcases, standing over 6' tall. so i unloaded and reloaded and put them in plastic bags since i didn't have boxes. i cleared a ton away. some i recognized as 20 yrs or more old. i kept the ones i really enjoyed and may reread some day. during the process of bending, twisting, and whatever else i was doing, i put a strain on my lower back. i came out to load the roll-a-way bed into the jeep (with the help of Marsha) and lo & behold, i felt the ache. i'm still achin' but i'm not stopping-just taking a break at the moment. what this tells me AGAIN, is i have too much weight on me AND i'm totally out of conditioning. i already knew i was way too heavy. and to top it off, while going thru books, i found photos of when i was "skinny". those photos are only about 5yrs old, if that long. what a difference retirement has made. Marsha didn't even recognize me in the photos. so anyways, i'm going to post one of those photos on the frig and use it to make my goals of exercising and diet i'm beginning like yesterday. i almost started the weights and crunches this morn, but want to move that set inside somewhere so i know i'll use it more often. i'm also going to ask my psychriatrist if i can use acai berry to help me lose weight. my guess is she'll say no, but i'm going to stay optimistic for a yes this time. anyways, reality has set in and it is time now to lose the weight and get myself back into some type of shape health wise. this is my main and maybe only New Year's resolution. i'll let everything else in my life take care of itself....
anyways, Christmas was fine. i went to the church potluck and then to someone else's house. this acquaintenance at church has been trying like forever and a day to get me to her house, so i finally went for a short visit. her business partner is starting some classes on extraterrestrials so i wanted to inquire on that. since i've been reading Sitchin's book regarding E.T.s, i was curious as to what this guy had to say. needless to say, i won't take the class after learning more about it. i will read more of Sitchin's books though and educate myself that way. i did finish the one book of his on Christmas day. interesting to say the least, but i'm not going to get into when will they return, which sum people think it'll be 2012. i feel they're already here and if & when they show themselves to the masses again, i'll let others determine that. my mind has been broaden a bit more by reading this book. i'm anxious to learn more, but that'll be down the road. i recommend it if you have an open mind to the bible being referenced about the extraterrestrials that were here a long time ago. the book= The End of Days...by Zecharia Sitchin....so anyways, i'm done with my sandwich and i'm back to my projects for a tidbit. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Have a JOYous day filled with LOVE and wonderful memories for the year to come....

Christmas with Madison

she's too cute....& too funny!.....tonite was my night at Marsha' with Madison and family in tow. Madison is such a delight. Pure Joy. she just tickles me pink. Marsha had green chili stew ready for us upon our arrival. Madison with her mom & dad showed up within a few minutes after i did. i didn't know it until they left later this evening, that this was Marsha's night of Christmas with them tonite. anyways, so we ate our stew, except for Madison she had cheese tortillas with a few pears. once we were finished, i entertained Madison by taking her picture. she literally posed for me and did so in all of these photos. once her picture is taken, then she has to come see the picture on back of the camera. she does this all the time. she knows it's her and likes looking at her own photos. sometimes she'll even kiss the photo on the camera while Marsha and I laugh heartedly. after photos, Madison was given the go ahead to open the presents. she knew they were hers, and most of them were. we saved my gift for last for it would be the only toy to play with tonite. Marsha had given her her toy a few days ago-a talking bus to spell her ABCs and hopefully help teach her to talk. she speaks a few words, but has yet to be miss chatty cathy. we all know once she gets started, it'll probably be tough to keep her quiet. but we are anxiously awaiting. anyways, these are a few photos i snapped as she opened her presents. again she was posing for these photos, directly looking at me while i shot the picture. once she opened my present, the remote control car, she was almsot all play. she loved the car as long as it didn't come near her. she became afraid once it got near her feet. but as long as the car was running far away from her, she would yell go and pump her little arms in excitement. so it's going to take a little while for her not to be afraid of it. she enjoyed playing with the remote and making it go, but was literally running for someone or the couch if it came her direction. i know in time she'll adjust and will no longer fear it. when she could, she'd push the car on her own and had no fear. she actually got fussy when her dad was packing it up to take home with them. she insisted on having it in her hands...lol....anyways, all in all it was a good night. later Madison curled up in my arms and insisted on looking at the book Marsha gave me for Christmas=60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Albq. it's a great book. i knew i was getting it but tonite was the first time i actually got to look inside it. to top the evening off, Marsha & i had hot chocolate, made with milk this time. the kids were on their way home and it was our time to unwind. to my delight, Marsha was really happy with her gift i gave. another lamp made of glass blocks from one our friends at church. i just recently got my own as well. they're absolutely beautiful. anyways, Marsha now has one to go in her bedroom for year round.....it was a great evening. something to put in my memory books. what a great extended family i have. how blessed i am for their presence in my life!

It's a GIRL!!!

alas, i just found out that my grandbaby is going to be a girl! whew hoo! her name will be Glenna Brooke. her first name is after her biological grandmother who went missing years ago. i'm sooo happy for my son and his wife. i hope he isn't too disappointed with the gender for he wanted a boy. i know he will love this little girl with all his heart and they will try for a boy again later. he'll find out tonite when he calls Earma. she's going to try and do another 3way call to me so i can wish him Merry Christmas. I'm excited! i can't wait to hear his response about the news. Earma has decided to stay in Hawaii and have the baby due to doctor's recommendations. i found out she has placenta prezia, but today she was told that it is absolving. that was more good news which means less complications for the pregnancy. if i can save my pennies to be there when the baby is born, i will. if i get my bike sold, there's a good chance i could go over there. if not, i'll wait until she comes this way as she travels to Arkansas once the baby is born. it's all good. now i'll have to go window shopping for baby clothes and things which will be really exciting. i'm getting purple clothes. wearing purple brings peace around the Being (person). so this is a great Christmas gift today. i'll be wearing a smile for days on end....

hot chocolat...

yummy. a cup of hot chocolate tonite. it's cold outside but i'm lovin' the change. it's only gettin' into the mid 40s which is typical weather for us for the winter. with the sun shining it makes for pretty good winter weather. the snow has already melted with a tidbit left in the mountains. if all goes well, i'll go up there monday mornin and see if there are any photos to be captured.....tonite i wrapped my last gift for Christmas. all presents under the tree. although few in numbers, under the tree is fully loaded due to the sizes of the gifts. i'm looking forward to tuesday night where most of them will go to Marsha's. i get to spend time with Sugar Plum and i anxiously await to see how she enjoys her remote control car. i got a very bright red one. after playing with it myself, i think to myself i need to buy one for me too...lol. anyways, only a couple days away for the night of Christmas for me. then finally wednesday i get to have lunch with Maggie. it's been forever and a day since seeing her. she's just so darn busy during the fall with her work, that i rarely get to say hi except by phone. so i look forward to that lunch. then Christmas day it's just me and my four-legged kids, unless i decide to go to the potluck at church-which i doubt. i seem to be spending more time there lately and it's not going to get much better. our custodian is resigning the first of january and Rev Julie has asked for my help until they decide to hire again or merge the duties with my current position as facility assistant. i'll be anxious to talk with her once she's here next month for good. Change, the only true constant in our lives....

anyways, i started another book. The End of Days, Armageddon and Prophecies of the Return, by Zecharia Sitchin. it's about the the extraterristrials living here on earth very long ago and the reference to them in the Bible. this is one of the several in this series. it's very interesting to say the least. i'm anxious to finish it and it's a small book of history from Semurian writings and the Bible. i will order all the other books related to this in the near future. i'm anxious to learn more....anyways, i finally gave up on Jarhead. i kept getting a headache while reading it. although i only have a fraction of it to finish, i feel it's best for my health not to complete it. i've gotten the jist of it and that's enough. i'd rather focus on more peaceful reading. dark shadows seemed to hover over me while i read it and i just don't want to go there anymore. war is ugly and this book gives its mentality picture of it. again pretty damn degrading to the human spirit. i knew Marines had it tougher than the other branches, but this book really brought it to light. God bless them!....

well, i'm off to watch women's volleyball. rarely do i get to see it and its the NCAA Final Championships. it's time to relax and enjoy sum more....

merry christmas 2 me:-)

Merry Christmas to me:-)....and Jesse too. so today was a great day for me. first i recently had a financial crisis come up and today i got it taken care of. that made my day. then to top it off i also got to buy my new bifocals. i've been waiting like forever and a day to get them and alas the cash came in for them too. i've got them on now, but still adjusting. it's been months, since wearing bifocals. i have to adjust to that line from the bifocal to the rest of the glasses. i know in no time i won't even notice it. the same thing happened when i first began wearing them. right now having my farsightedness and the bifocals are such a relief. no more blurr except the ever so slight blurr where the bifocal begins. then the finality of the day was finish my Christmas shopping. all presents done. and today i got an extra one for Jesse. i was originally going to get him a gift card, but over the weekend his phone went kaput. so i found a AT&T Go phone that works just fine with the Cingular card in his current phone. it was within my budget and i could not see paying out $200 just to buy a regular phone without the contractual issues attached. i gave it to him tonite. we hooked it up and it works. the last several days has been tough not being able to call and check in with him. then when his phone did start working again today, it would disconnect while we were talking. anyways, to say the least he was happy. (ME TOO!) now everyone can get a hold of him without problems. he's holding up. there are days he's out for the count so to speak, then he has several days in a row he's up and about like he doesn't have cancer. he's just absolutely amazing. i'm going to miss him. i don't want to say good-bye. anyways, today i bought a new steering wheel cover for my jeep and i asked him to put it on. i didn't know it had rubber in it, but some how miraculously Jesse was able to get it on. it was great visiting with him again today. just a few days ago i hung out with him all day. he again helped me with my jeep. we changed the brake light. we put on a license plate he had hanging around onto my jeep but we had to move the wrench a little to get it on. then we put window washer in the jeep. then i helped him clean out his truck and load it with stuff for him to sell at the flea market. that was one of his good days. the more time i spend with him, the more i treasure it. all in all it's a great day today. it was a very good Merry Christmas day gift to myself. time spent with friends. accomplishing some financial goals. getting my new glasses. i'm delighted. a very blessed day indeed!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I
to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and faublous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permision to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

(Marianne Wiliamson as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 Inaugural Speech)

this is in our workbook for class. there are a few more i will share. for a moment tonite this spoke to me. i hope it enlightens you as it has me...

let it snow, let it snow....

we are blanketed with snow here in the city. it fell and fell and fell all day yesterday. i have not been out, but the roads were treacherous last night and this morn (Marsha informed me). although there's only about 3inches of snow, not too many people here in the city know how to handle it. plus since we are in higher elevation, the roads freeze sooner than later. it is beautiful this morn as it was yesterday. the birds flock just outside my door. i put the last of bird feed i had out. will pick up twice as much tomorrow. for the past several days they have come in numbers all day looking for food. so i'll start feeding them twice a day again until the spring time. i feel bad that i don't have enough for them at this moment, yet i know they will be fine for i think to myself, there was no food out there before i put the feeder up. yet my heart goes out to them....anyways, there's another storm on its way. it may last a couple days therefore shutting the city down for a few more days until the sun comes out again and melts it all away. one person in my crew at work lives out on the other side of Sandia Mtns. she's been snowed in for a couple days already not being able to get anywhere. that mountain range holds back a hell of lot more snow than we get here in the city. living up there myself years ago, we'd get 2-3 feet, not inches in comparison. but O is it so beautiful. if i get a chance, i'll drive up there and take some photos, but not today. more than likely the interstate is closed anyways that leads that direction. but most of all it's just too damn dangerous with New Mexico drivers. as i've mentioned before, they drive like it's dry pavement regardless of weather conditions speeding their asses off down the road. anyways, i see at the moment a bit of sunshine peeping thru the clouds. it's going to be a great day to lay back here at home and read a book, do homework or just plain fun stuff. Life is Good today-as always it is....

Sugar Plum fix...

alas! i got my Madison fix last night. it's been since Thanksgiving since Marsha and i got to visit. i told Marsha that she needs to get Diana to let us have her once a week. that was my usual time with her until Diana moved them out of Marsha's house. anyways, it was a wonderful visit although i was plain tuckered out for the night. i worked all day after working late friday night. it's been awhile since working a full day saturday so i had forgotten how long the day can get. however at the end of the work day, i did get to talk to Rev Julie a bit. we had a great chat. she's such a good influence for me and support. i can hardly wait until she's on board full time which i now know will be beginning Jan 11th. at least i have a date to look forward to. i will talk with her as much as i need to in order to get thru the church politics. and ya know those politics are not much different than at the p.o. the problem has been i keep letting my guard down at church. i realized after our chat yesterday i need to put up that postal mentality of mine there=i really don't give a damn and take everything with a grain of salt and keep trucking. i also stayed away from the politics at the p.o. somehow though people at the church find me and give me an ear full. i've been struggling as far as what to say to them, but yesterday at the end of the day, i remember the thought "be the change you wish to be" and i'll start being a broken record with that. and it finally hit me that's it's been all the anger that's been getting to me. so i've got to find a way to steer away from it. i'm already working on a plan. but with Rev Julie's support, i can hold up better. i'll say my prayers for God's support too, daily......anyways, yesterday was a good day. i'm just worn out and i woke with a cold this morn. and wouldn't you know it, i'm out of tea. for sum unknown reason i always like hot tea when i have a cold, but i'll have to settle for coffee this morn. i'm also taking my whiskey too. i have my flask in the car and will take a shot if the sniffles get worse today. i've never drank at church before, but there's always a first time...lol for now, i'm off. maybe get a little more sleep before church services this morn. Blessings my friends. i have a great day!

thought for the day

In this day of degeneration when one meets with all sorts of problems and adverse circumstances, the practice of generating positive thoughts is very effective. If someone lacks this practice, even though that person might be a serious meditator, he or she will meet with many hardships and hurdles. ~Dalai Lama, The Path to Tranquility

so this is the thought for today. this book gives a thought for each day that was quoted by Dalai Lama thru his writings, teachings and interviews. there are many great thoughts in this book. i'll will post the ones i like the best or could serve others immensely. sum quotes include words associated with Buddhism and at this time i don't understand the message, so therefore i wont' post those. yet all in all, this is a great book to have for daily wisdom to read. i'll be seeking other books as well eventually, but for now i'll still focus on our philosophy and Ramtha teachings. after finishing all of my practitioner courses, i want to read the Bible in its entirety so i'm a little more familiar with it. it is another source of wisdom but not THE only one. i had to leave Christianity to find my own spirituality. i have no regrets. there is good in all things. for me it's finding those common threads that we all have in our spirituality and moving even further beyond that. Ramtha teaches the ancient wisdom and how to wake up just like Jesus did as well as other Masters before him. i have no doubt we have the power to do just as Jesus did, although i'm not there yet myself. i have far more to learn before getting there. in time, that's what i truly desire. i'm still working on how to be in this world but not of it. that's a mindful task as it is. i am attached here to Mother Earth and all my family & friends. i'll know when it's time to go and move beyond this plane. there are other worlds to explore, but for now my heart belongs here....
a note to myself

give me music

coffee's brewin. i sit listenin' to Kenny Chesney. i hadn't put on his music in a long time. goodness, i won't wait so long the next time. i was listenin' to the radio but i get so dog gone tired of commercials and DJ chatter. so i pulled out my cds. listenin' to this first cd is soooo relaxin'. he has such his own unique style, but most of it seems to be centered around relationships. i think that's why i put it away for awhile since i don't have that right now in my life, but that's ok too. there's a time and a season for that waiting for me. i didn't know i could even go there anymore until i was hangin' with Jesse the other day. it's nice to know i can with the right person when he shows up (or she). but for now i'm happily content to be alone so to speak. we are never alone ever really. for if it isn't for our friends and family around us, then there are those in the unseen watching us. it's comforting knowing i have both and indeed i have both, for i have experienced both. now is just the time to enjoy each moment as it unfolds.
anyways, last nite i did pretty good on the test. we actually went over it question by question then turned it in at the end. it was nice to discuss it. due to sum of the discussion, i had a disturbing dream this morn and woke about 5:30am. the discussion surrounded sexuality issues but i came to realize that this includes pedophiles and other deviant behavior. so anyways, it was an eye opener for sure. we can refer clients to someone else if we ourselves have a problem with the issues at hand, but as best as we can we must see everyone as whole, perfect and complete. that people are not their behaviors just behaving with a belief that says they're separate from God. in our philosophy we know we are not separate from God, but an individualized expression of God. we know we create our lives from The Source-God and are responsible for them. we believe in a Law of Cause and Effect which does not absolve people from their actions. anyways, last night was a good learning lesson for me even with a few other questions on the test. i'm happy we didn't actually have to "take" the test over which they do sometimes in these classes, only giving you a sample test to prepare. Tests just totally stress me out. thank goodness, it's over. now i can relax a little while. we'll meet next week, then we are off from class over the holidays. i can then catch up with sum more reading...
speaking of reading...last week after my therapy session i went to Barnes & Noble to look for a meditation book. something to read daily to begin my day. well i picked up Dalai Lama, The Path to Tranquility. i like it thus far and will from time to time enter one of his thoughts or quotes. i also picked up The Kahlil Gibran, Inspirational Writings. i've read one chapter of it and felt like it wrote my heart. there's another book i'm reading right now too, if i haven't mentioned it. it's Turning to One Another by Margaret Wheatley. i must read it a bit at a time to absorb slowly what she says. it's another good book. once Christmas has arrived, i'll finish Jarhead. i'm determined to finish that book to see his conclusion. then i have a stack of other books i'm ready to read including a mystery i think. so many books, so little time...lol anyways, it's all good. Life is good, bad and ugly...ya gotta love it!

Dear God....from kids

yesterday i got this email with these notes to God from kids. these are just a few of them, but they were worth sharing. i got the biggest kick out of all of them...if you'd like the email, let me know in the comments and i'll forward it to you. hope you enjoy these. i think my favs are the bottom two here...

anways, we got a little snow this morn. as i went to my eye doc, flurries were falling and looking so beautiful. we only got about an inch here in town, but by the time i was out of the appointment, it was gone except right up next to the mountain where i am. snow rarely comes and stays in the city. it'll hang out in the mountains, but that's about it. i miss sometimes living in the mountains as i did years ago. but then we'd get tons of snow up there and it rarely hit the city. O the beauty... so anyways, i now have my prescription to get new glasses. i did order from the VA but it's going to take 6-8weeks long before they're here. i won't wait. i'll go somewhere and get a cheap pair next week when i get paid. i can hardly wait to have glasses i can see far in. i'm a bit farsighted and with the readers i can't read anything far in them. they've been good for my homework and books, but that's it. my glasses will be my Christmas gift to myself....
yesterday afternoon i spent my time with Jesse. it's the first time we've had alone in a long time. always seeing him at church. maybe that's a good thing because i can easily fall for this guy, if i'm not already. i absolutely love this guy for various reasons. i really like him too and find him attractive. i had no idea until yesterday that hanging out with him was stirring up emotions i haven't felt in a very long time for anyone. It's all good. i have my head on straight, but the heart is talking. nothing will probably come of it, but it's nice to know i can still connect with someone on that level. in the meantime, he would like to do a train trip sometime as part of his Bucket List. if he hangs around long enough for me to get together sum dough, i'll go with him. but right now he is day to day and we never know when he may finally leave his body behind. he still absolutely amazes us all by getting up almost every day and living. he's just amazing. anyways, i enjoy him. he's a blast! i hope he does make it to the spring time, then we'll take that train ride....after this test this week, i'm going to try and spend a whole lot more time with him even if it's just a few hours a day. he really appreciates me calling him daily, so a visit will probably make his day even better. i'm looking forward to it...
in the meantime, i finished my test material tonite. tomorrow i'll type it. not sure how she's going to handle the test, whether we'll do a whole new one thursday nite, just go over this one, or turn it in. regardless i'll be prepared. after getting a little help from my mentor and her encouraging words, i feel better about becoming a practitioner. i just need to keep building my confidence. once i'm thru december, i think i'll be just fine. i feel good right now and the blues are less and less thank goodness. ever since i painted my tree, it's given me such a great lift. it's all good. now to finish my little bit of shopping next week. Life is a good and a blessing.

christmas tree '08

O Christmas Tree...O Christmas Tree...
well i finally decorated my tree tonite..Yippie! now it's beginning to feel like Christmas:-)! i took a couple photos to show how my Sugar Plum Tree is looking all lit up. i like it. i love it. i want sum more of it...anyways, i had a good time decorating. it's small and i keep it simple. that works for me. no music while decorating, but the football game is on. i realized i need more Christmas music cds to play in lieu of the occasional song on the radio. i'll see what's on sale after the holiday. i'll mix it up with various artists. but the game is good. i'm back to workin' sunday afternoons again. so i don't get to see my teams play, but they both won today:-) i'm going to go shoppin for a very small portable tv to take in with me if i have the funds. i'll be back workin both saturday and sunday again, but that's ok. once Rev Julie is here full time, i'll want to go listen to her on sundays anyways. plus it might be a good idea to be there if she needs me since she knows me as the main facility assistant at our church. i can hardly wait until she gets here. she'll be here next weekend and will give the talk. but then she'll arrive the mid of January permanently. i could really use her ear right now about somethings regarding church. i'll just wait patiently for her guidance. as much as i've tried to stay out of church politics, today i realized i let myself get drawn into it a bit. need to learn how to handle that better so i'm not in the midst of it especially if i'm going to be a practitioner. and btw, i did learn i can be a practitioner however i'd like and not take on clients. i probably won't shut that door completely, but there are other things like teaching that i can do with my ministry. first, i need to get thru the classes. our first test for this class is this week. i'm a little stressed about it, but i'm going to prepare myself as best as i can. we were given a test sample to use as a guide. i've got half of it done. should finish it tomorrow. that'll give me a couple days to really study and know my material. anyways, it's all good. i'll keep you posted on the results.
in the meantime, i went on our church hike yesterday. that was really nice. the new year is coming and i'm going to start my hiking resolution the week of Christmas. we won't have class during the holiday weeks, therefore i can play to my heart's content. this will be great for i can get a routine down for my hiking schedule. if it's not too cold, i'll get my bike out too (bicycle that is). but i'm also going to do some home projects like clean out and reorganize sum rooms. i look forward to that tremendously. i'm getting rid of things that are just collecting dust. anyways, more on that laterz.
last but not least, i sent my son a Hickory Farms package today. it should arrive before Christmas and it better for the arm and leg i spent in postage for it. after driving away from the mall, it dawned on me i could have taken it to the p.o. and put it in a priority box and saved me $10 on postage. next time i'll remember. the postage only cost a few bucks less than the package itself. Goodness, they're making a killin'. so much for my belly achin'.......
Life is Good! it's Christmas time again....

Knut

so, did you read about Knut in the news today. the famous bear whom i absolutely love and know little about, he is possibly being evicted from his zoo. he's out growing his space and if i read it correctly they may not have the money to enlarge his area. this photo was on the headlines so i grabbed it and also made it my profile photo. i love this photo. i love this bear. he's still adorable since when i first met him in the news a couple years ago. maybe one day i can get back over to Germany and see him. anyways, i'm a Big bear lover of any kind. this news story was the highlight of my day, (aside from O.J. finally going to prison:-) ). i wish there could be animal stories every day. when i win the lottery, that is millions and millions of dollars, sum will definitely go to the wildlife. i'm a HUGE Nature lover if you haven't noticed already. Bears were my first love as a kid. once i moved here to new mexico, i fell in love with wolves. maybe it was the coyotes that i heard singing up in the mountains that really brought that home. love the coyotes too. still see them from time to time around here. anyways, maybe one day i can do photo expeditions of the wildlife. i'm aware of a few places for that. just need to pull my resources together and do that, but after the Grand Canyon of course...lol.
so anyways, i'm still hangin in there. tomorrow our church hike group is back for our first hike in months. i'm taking them to Gallegos Park but will remain in the Open Space area. it'll be nice to get sum fresh air and enjoy sum company along the way. then i can come home and maybe decorate that Sugar Plum Tree of mine. much to do between now and next thursday including studying for a test in my class. it'll be good. it'll help me keep distracted. only 20days til Christmas. i can hardly wait...

Sugar Plum Tree

the radio is on. Christmas songs play and i'm feelin' fine at the moment. this morn i had another session with my therapist this time to talk about my holiday blues. she was telling me to create new Christmases, which i have been doing but the blues keep showing up. well she also told me i need a new association with the holiday. i immediately thought maybe something visual. something new visually like a purple tree....well, no sooner was i out the building from our session that i thought to myself i could go get purple paint and spray paint my tree i have (it's artificial) i went to the bookstore, had lunch and then went to buy purple paint. found it at Lowe's after a few phone calls. the darkest purple they had was titled Sugar Plum. i bought all 4 cans they had left with no clue if that would be enough. came home and dug out the tree. put it together and started painting. thankfully i put rugs underneath it for still part of the kitchen floor was purple when i finished. about three quarters into it being painted, the light bulb went on. can the paint handle the tree lights once they were on. well i talked to 3 people including the fire dept and they assured me it should be fine with ample drying time. the fire dept said 2-3days of drying. a friend suggested a week. so somewhere in between that time, i'll decorate. i did put a Christmas cd on while painting, one i had bought of Reba McEntire's last year but hadn't played. well it was the right music and the painiting was loads of fun. the twist here is i call Madison "Sugar Plum" often. so the Sugar Plum Tree is absolutely fitting. i'll always keep her in mind at Christmas from this point forward. i haven't seen her yet, but the tree will remind me of her. she's such a JOY in my heart always especially at Christmas:-)

on the website

this photo is on the Balloon Fiesta website. this is Madison atop her daddy's shoulders at the fiesta this year. her pure joy definitely shows thru here and she is such a treasure. Marsha's going to try and line me up with one day a week that i baby sit with her to help take my holiday blues away. we'll do it at her Grammy's house (Marsha's) where she's familiar with her surroundings. plus i can take her to the park too which is right down the street. i'll try and remember the camera but that may be too much while watching her at the same time. anyways, it'll be fun. plus Marsha and i were discussing Madison's Christmas gift. i've got the go ahead to get her that remote control car. i wanted to do it last year, but she was still too young. i have no doubt she'd get the hang of playing with the steering stick and watching it drive around all over the house. anyways, so come payday, i'm off to see if i can find her a Jeep car to go along with Auntie's (mine). it'll be fun just to go searchin'. i may give it to her early if i baby sit....lol. we'll see. all in good time. i look forward to anytime spent with her.
anyways, the month of december is a major challenge for me. with that said, i'll be in and out of journaling here. i'll try and stay caught up with everyone else's journals. mostly i'll be focusing on staying very busy to beat the blues. so far not too bad, but i realized today that maybe if i don't listen to too much Christmas music, that may help tremendously. i love the music, but it also triggers the problem. hopefully tidbits at a time will be enough. i'll be fine and i have plenty of books to stick my nose into to keep me distracted. i also have my therapist should i need to call her. i saw her today and we had a great session. the only not so good news there was she strongly suggested i don't become a practitioner at church, mostly not to do the counseling. a little disappointed, but maybe i can become a practitioner without doing the counseling. i'll be asking my mentor and probably Rev Julie about this. only time will tell for me. right now i'll just enjoy my class and complete that journey. Life is still Good. i am still grateful for many things. so until i'm back again, bless you!

Yes!..i talked to him:-)

YES i did talk to him last nite. it' was about 1:30am last nite. although i had crawled into bed before that, i didn't fall asleep so therefore i heard the phone. i was ecstatic to say the least. he sounded good, but tired. i'm sure they're working those guys about 16hr days as they did the last time. he's already to come back home, so i hope this will be his last tour. maybe he's finally realizing there's more to life than fighting a war. i'm keepin' my fingers crossed. anyways, it was great to chat with him for a few moments. i wrote him a letter via myspace this morn and let him know i'd keep in contact with him through there until he can get a phone over there. that may be awhile, if ever, but as long as i have some type of contact i'll be good. also Earma and i became "friends" on myspace and i was able to see a pic of the sonogram. in another couple weeks, she'll know if it's a boy or girl. the baby looks fine. i also got to see some more recent pics of Kyle before he took off for Iraq. it was good to see him relaxing a bit before taking off. i got all teary eyed because it just made me realize how much i miss him. he'll be back in May to see the birth of his baby, so i'll be there too to see both. Earma is suppose to drop in here while returning to Arkansas, so i'll meet her then. so now i'll patiently wait to hear from him again. i may have to nudge him but as long as the communication stays open, i'll be fine. i'm relieved for a little while after our chat. knowing he's ok and alive is a breath of fresh air. i'll coordinate with Earma on a care package for him for Christmas and keep him in my heart even more so during this holiday. one day at a time and i'll get thru it. so anyways, that's the latest....i'm off here now to get to sleep early tonite. i really didn't sleep well after chatting with him. but tonite i'll take that pill to get a good night's rest. all the excitement has worn me out. but it's all good!

11;02pm and counting...

My son called today. and darn it if i wasn't asleep. i missed the call but he left a message. it was good to hear his voice and he was ever so sweet. he had actually called his wife Earma and she in turn did a 3way call to me. it was immediately after i laid down for a nap. once my head hit the pillow, i was out like a light. plus i had the radio on too with the phone in my back pocket. whatever the reason, i missed the call. BUT, i'm now patiently waiting for him to call in about an hour. again he'll call his wife who will call me for a 3way phone conversation. i did learn from his message for some reason the phone he uses to call won't connect into my phone when he does try calling. it's probably a govt phone and everything can get haywired from there. so anyways, i took my meds just a few moments ago so i could stay awake, however i'm feelin' pretty darn tired right now. i'll keep myself busy somehow until midnight or later. if nothin' else i'll pull out the Christmas tree and start putting it together. didn't get that done today since i worked at the mall this evening. so anyways, i'm off to stay awake. keep your fingers crossed for me. i'll keep you posted...

i heard from kyle!

The Tao--22nd verse

the flexible are preserved unbroken.

the bent become straight.

the empty are filled.

the exhausted become renewed.

the poor are enriched.

the rich are confounded.

therefore the sage embraces the one.

because he does not display himself,

people can see his light.

because he has nothing to prove,

people can trust his words.

because he does not know who he is,

people recognize themselves in him.

because he has no goal in mind,

everything he does succeeds.

the old saying that the flexible are preserved

unbroken is surely right!

if you have truly attained wholeness,

everything will flock to you.

alas, i heard from my son! i had to grab his attention, but he responded. it's been 6weeks or longer and i hadnt heard not one word from him. maybe because i'm still reading Jarhead, he's on my mind even more. (yeah i went back to this book) anyways, i finally left a comment on his myspace page. he is the reason i got onto myspace as well but we rarely communicate through it. well after noticing that he had indeed seen my comment and didn't reply, i made another one. this time i told him if he didn't at least leave me a comment on my page i was going to come over there and kick his ass with billy club in hand. this is a running joke between him and i, but it caught his attention. i also told him i knew he had seen my previous comment. i just made this entry last night before i went to bed. first thing when i woke this morn @ 6am, there it was, a reply from him. now for a little while i can worry a little less. it made my day!! best Thanksgiving present i got even if it was a day or so late. i know he's so totally wrapped up in his wife, but i'm still lettting him know i'm still around. so i sent him a message via myspace to let him know i worry about him alot being over there and to just drop me a note on my page if he can't call. although i've been updated on him thru his wife, the last 2 phone calls she has not replied. i'm calling again this weekend startin' today. she complained months ago that i didnt' talk to her, now she's not returning my calls. go figure. kids, i know they have much to learn still. but i know in my heart they're both are ok. just tryin' to keep communication open between us. it's tough long distance, i know this with my own experience and especially when you're overseas. my first duty station was overseas and then we didn't have cell phones or computers. now there's ample communication devices besides the snail mail of letters. anyways, i've heard from him. i'm happy!

so i had a good Thanksgiving. it was a chill out day before going to some friends. the food was good. company was good despite a bit of drama. but what would a holiday be without drama. all the drama going around the past couple months has made me rethink about becoming a spiritual counselor at church. at this moment in time, i don't think i'm ready for that. (alot of the drama has been at church). i know we all have our moments, but....we can make a better life by changing our thoughts and reactions to others in a more positive way. we are all human for God's sake but we create our lives by how we think. Change your thinking, change your life. i know it sounds simple, it really is, but one must work on the change. i've been working on mine for a very long time and it's second nature to me now. granted i have my moments, but i do my damnest not to get caught up in the drama. it gets really hard when you're constantly surrounded by it, so therefore it's always a time for a hike for me. the wind just blows it all out of my system and revitalizes me. this is a way of meditation for me. meditation doesn't have to be sittin and chanting oms. one can meditate many different ways and i for one like to hike. i focus on the wind and the sun. the wind caresses my cheek and runs through my hair relaxing my mind and taking all my cares away. the sun warms my soul reminding me of the love i am. nature is full of unconditional love. that is the love of God. nature is too God, the Divine Love constantly expressing, freely, unconditionally. anyways, i could use a hike right now. i may go, but i have things to do today. my old boss asked me to work this evening at the mall. i told her yes. during the holidays i'm even more giving than at other times. if i only give my time to help out, then i have done something worth while. it also helps distract me from my holiday blues i usually get and not be so wrapped up in it. hopefully it won't be so bad this year. so anyways, i have much to do before then. so off i go....

happy thanksgiving

Awesome MySpace Comments & Myspace Layouts

i'd like to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! i am deep gratitude to each and everyone of you for following my blog. you are blessings in my life each and every day. may you have a wonderful and fulfilled day with warm hearts and great food...

just in...

"just" got this from Sandy. her pic of me, Jane & Jesse from our road trip yesterday....if you can't tell, we're all short people...lol anyways, this is my usual garb...lol just wanted to share this:)

mixture..

goodness, it's tuesday evening. the day didn't go as planned, but then again i didn't have much of a plan. i spent the mornin' coordinating the schedule for work only to have one woman quit on me right after sending the schedule out. i was actually relieved when she opted out and fortunately didn't have to change the schedule too much to cover her. it was a bright spot in my day actually. she's been difficult since day one when she came on board. she was headed out anyways, it came sooner than laterz. a blessing in disguise. so anyways, then i met Marsha for lunch and some grocery shoppin'. quick, sweet and delightful. one lady in the store dropped her jaw once she saw us, so i assumed she thought Marsha and i were a couple. O well, we're not but she didn't know that. we both happened to have our denim on today. denim jeans and jacket. but yesterday our crew that went to Jesse's, we all had on black. everyone of us. another day in sync i suppose....lol.... the first photo here is of Sandy, Jane and Jesse in front of his house. It is a very old house. made of concrete i believe with a tin roof. this whole little town there was the same. they all look really run down or close to it, but they're perfectly happy. from where i was born in kentucky, i thought houses were so old, they were dirt. well when i moved out here in New Mexico, i think i found houses even older. i was reminded of them while visiting Jesse's town yesterday. but that is the culture here i learned. i have no complaints. it just took me awhile to adjust seeing them. i first saw them on the pueblos, but i've seen them also in other places. very country rural is what i figure. they seem impoverished but i'm not going to make that judgment because i really dont know if they are. Jesse definitely doesn't seem to be poor. he just seems to me that old country man to me. there was a time i could have lived as such, but i got past it and never really did either. it was just in my heart to have a cabin type home in the midst of the woods no matter how rugged it looked. that was just the nature of my heart at the time. that's how i see Jesse and his house. rustic is my middle name. Jesse is rustic. so i'll say these houses are definitely very old rustic. anyways, it was another side of Jesse i learned about yesterday. his house is befitting of him of what i had already learned. a beautiful soul shaped from the harshness of life since childhood...we grabbed a few of his things and came back. i picked up one of his bandanas and put in my pocket. told him i borrowed it, but i'm keeping it. my favorite color too=purple. another small item to cherish his presence once he's gone.
.....now the second photo is from my trip with ranger jim the other day. this is a view of Moriarty many miles away. it's not very big either. again country and rural area. i think New Mexico is mostly country and rural areas except for our city and Santa Fe. New Mexico is a unique state and i don't find it like any other state actually. it's beautiful and full of culture, yet rustic. i think each town in it has its own unique personality separating themselves from all the rest. and there's lots of DUST! ....
.....anyways, the last but not least, the photo on the bottom here is of a juniper tree. it's very old and i love the bark on it here. think the first i've seen such a tree. there were a lot of beautiful trees in the forest. it was such a wonderful hike thru the forest the other day. i could have stayed all day. again my country western self out in nature. i'm lovin' it.
now i'm off to start another book or piddle around the house. tomorrow i must start on that paper for class next week. it's an autobiography 4-6pages long using the Law of Cause & Effect, a part of our philosophy. maybe i'll start tonite. we're only about a third of the way into this class, and i'm all ready for it to be over. i hope it goes by fast. then summer will be here again:).

rewrite ranger jim

hmmm....photos are loading totally differently on here now..bah humbug....anyways, this isn't going to be much of a rewrite from the previous entry which i HAD to delete this morn. because i mentioned said place and said city someone at ranger jim's job picked up my blog and got all stirred up about it so anyways, i had to delete the entry....i did get the comments made before deleting it, thank you.....it was a good time yesterday. below are more photos which i took yesterday besides ranger jim & marsha as well as the llamas. the mountain in the distant is the Sandias on the backside from the city. now i know where to go take some photo shots once it snows over there. they'll get it before we will here in the city. i've got my jeep, i'm ready to go! i'll post a couple more photos laterz that i took out there. right now this will be it....
right now i'd like to talk about today. just a bit. our road trip to Jesse's house went well today. there was 4 of us. it was way up north of Santa Fe and rural New Mexico again. of course one doesn't have to go far for rural. it was a great trip and i'll post tomorrow our pics. it was a beautiful day for it. a little chilly up there, but absolutely gorgeous in the Pecos National Forest. almost another place for me to live amongst the green. almost. a little too rugged for me actually. but a little town set down in the valley. maybe a population of 30 people. anyways it was a great trip. i learned a little more about Jesse. interesting indeed. he's his own character for sure. i love him!
then i came home and finished Marley and Me. if you haven't read it, it is a must read. especially if you're a canine lover. it had me rollin in tears of laughter last night. tears of sadness tonite with his passing. but i feel so much better about my Boo and all the messes she creates around here. i also don't feel so bad about so much dog hair that my Jimmy sheds all the time. i no longer feel alone in the cleaning dept when it comes to cleaning up after them. Marley stole my heart and so did John Grogan and his family. what i've endured with my dogs is nothing compared to what Marley did. but you just love 'em all the same anyways. My dogs are my best friends in their own special ways. not enough can be said about their loyalty and unconditional love. i am blessed to have my two as well as the countless before them. i had a small herd of them at one time. 6 to be exact. if i had a bigger place i might just have more. but right now my two are plenty. eventually i'll get down to one, but these two are perfect for now. they keep each other company while i'm away. it makes them very happy. me too. so anyways, if you haven't read this book, i HIGHLY recommend it. it's a great heart warming story and more......

right now it's late. after midnight and waaaay past my bedtime. i just deleted a photo here and i'll repost it another time. tomorrow i promise to be more cohesive. i've been up tooo long....lol.

a new photo!

ok folks! here i am nowadays. i just posted this photo to my About Me section. this is what i look like today. the last photo was over 2yrs old. i really only have a slight double chin although this photo seems to look like it otherwise. this photo Marsha took of me just this evening after our movie and dinner. think i look better with hair....it's been a day. i didn't get all i wanted done today, but i hadn't spent time with Marsha lately and she was ready for a movie. so was i sometime this weekend, so off i went. we saw Lakeview Terrace. it was intense for subject matter. only a little violence but intense anyways. we saw it at the dollar movie. that fits our budget at the moment. goodness, life can turn on you in a moment. it did so for me today, but i'm fine and will be ok no matter how life unfolds. i've been a little grumpy today because of a co-worker, but i'll be talking to my boss on tuesday regarding this. i broke down and had a cigarette today. it's been well over a month since the last one, but one day i hope to quit totally again. i guess i can't complain too much about it. i mean once every 4-6weeks really isn't bad. anyways, tomorrow more time with Marsha and this time with Jim her boyfriend. we're off to open space area which he works for the City Parks Dept. i can find more trails for our hike group to go on especially during these cold winter months. usually no trees, but sum beautiful desert. but we'll be back in time for my football game. whew! two days in a row of R&R, i can handle that:)!

a week off..

i get a week off...YAY!!! goodness i woke to the phone ringin' this morn. it was a fellow co-worker callin' to see if she worked today. i asked her if she wanted to work the whole day, and indeed she did. i've been workin' all week. i felt i could use a day off. plus the other day i changed my schedule so i could have sundays off and watch sum football. i switched tuesdays with another woman. this worked out best for her too. well this tuesday i 'm not needed, so this means i'm off until next friday. i can hang with that. i don't have class either so there's no pressing issue with homework. i get to relax and play for a few days. and today worked out perfectly. after gettin' off the phone, i went to let my kids back in. well i discovered immediately that Jimmy was no longer in the backyard. someone broke the fence and he went thru it. my Boo doesn't leave the yard without me even if the fence is broken. so i started scramblin' to get dressed and headed out the door. hopped in the car and only a few hundred yards away, there was Jimmy. i had no clue how long he had been gone so i thought sure i was going to find him in the pound eventually or not at all. but Thankfully he was right down the street. i'm all but on a intersection of two streets and he was on the other street. i couldn't see him just standing outside my door. i was soooo relieved to see him. he jumped right up in the car as soon as he recognized me-he didnt recognize my jeep for some reason. anyways, now i'll be off fixin the fence. guess next year i'll put a new one in all together. i'll check into what the cost would be to have someone else do it, but i know it'll be cheaper for me to do it. i did it before in my last home. maybe i'll someone do a section of it where the gate is. i'm not too great at building the gates and with my dogs, a very sturdy one is needed. Jimmy goes knuts sometimes when i'm leaving and will chew thru the gate so he can get out. yes it's wooden, but i prefer it that way. no one can torment them thru an open gate....so anyways, i'm off to enjoy my weekend. football, fence and o yes, fix that brake light on my jeep. i will also finish Marley and Me this weekend. more than likely i'll pick up Jarhead and finish that too. i'll have plenty of r & r time to get it out of my system once i'm done with it. i'll be hiking a lot too this next week. i'm looking forward to the down time. so have a great one my friends! cya laterz...

i got my chocolate..

it's friday evening. i'm sittin' at church passin' the time by. nobody in the building at the moment but me. it is sweeeet! i'm listenin' to my music on the radio and eatin' my chocolate for dinner. in about a half hour, people should be rollin' in here for their group events tonite. i may be here past 10pm tonite depending on one particular group, Dances of the Universe. they're suppose to set up their own event now and reset the sanctuary once they're done. so i'll see how long it takes them to get out of here. last time they were here, they were here til 10pm and they did no setting up or resetting the sanctuary. i'm anxious to see how this goes tonite. i really don't want to be here past 10pm which is my norm on any given night. i'll keep my fingers crossed.
today i did a bit of shoppin'. headed to REI my favorite recreation store to shop for gloves for my sister and her grandkids. they are rag wool gloves which she has not been able to find in kentucky where she lives. maybe it's too warm there for those folks to sell them, but i bought her a pair years ago which she recently lost. well REI was having a major weekend sale including these gloves. so i bought for my sis, her daughter and two grandkids. hopefully the adult small are small enough for the kids, yet long enough to cover their fingers. these are fingerless gloves. i've been wearing these gloves for over 2 decades and got my sis hipped on them a loooong time ago. if you don't know, wool is great for the snow. you may get wet, but the wool will keep you still dry and warm. and these gloves don't itch as sum wool does. so these will be great for the kids to build that snowman once they get enough to build him. if nothing else, their hands will stay warmer in the winter this year and a few more too.......so after i did REI i headed over to Sears for another Leatherman. this summer i noticed mine had disappeared. hoping it would show up again soon, i realized today it never did. they have gone up in price since i bought mine years ago, but are so handy i don't like going anywhere without one. so i'm makin' sure i don't lose this one, even if i have to resort to wearing it on my belt daily. but for now, i have my backpack that i carry ALL the time....i don't own a purse....lol so that was my shoppin day... traffic got busy as hell and i headed to church.
once here at church, i saw Sandy, Jesse's and mine mutual friend. we chatted briefly and i learned Jesse is thinking he won't be here for Christmas. this tells me he's startin' to accept his fate. his focus at the moment is to just make it for Thanksgiving. Sandy, Jane and i are planning on drivin' Jesse up to his house on monday to take care of sum personal affairs. he's been putting it off and putting it off and putting it off. so somehow Sandy's going to convince him to go. his house is way up in northern New Mexico, but we need to stop at Santa Fe first, an hour north of here and our state capitol. so, his time is gettin closer i suppose. at this very moment i can handle that. i recognized in talking with Jane and Sandy this afternoon, i may have to be the strength for all of us on monday when we take this ride. it's not a definite yet, but we will do what we can for him. He has given us much, especially Sandy. i won't ever forget him...........Bless you Jesse. you're an Angel and don't even know it...

O Love Divine....and Award

O Love Divine within me, I am overpowered by Thy Presence.
I am speechless, for words cannot utter the things that Thou hast revealed to me.
Why dost Thou love me so, and why clasp me so close to Thy Eternal Heart?
O Blessed Presence, I know, for Thou hast claimed me as Thine own.
I shall nevermore walk apart from Thee.
The love of God is within me.


today i was honored and humbled by Christina's award bestowed upon me, Marie Antoinette Award Real Blogs Real People. If you haven't met Christina, she is a very brave woman in the midst of battling her cancer. please do visit her @ http://uniboobclub.blogspot.com/
I thank you so much Indigo for introducing Christina to me. You both are great inspirations to me. I'm in much gratitude to you both for your presence in my life for which words cannot express...so anyways, with this honor, i get to choose 7 more people for this honor. As Christina echoed there are too many good journals to include them all. with this award are the following rules....

1. Grab the logo and place in your journal (blog)

2. place a link from the person you got the award

3. nominate 7 people if you can

4. add their links to the people

5. leave a message on their journal to let them know.

6. put the award on your sidebar/journal

so here are my 7 in no particular order:

1. Indigo of Screams Quietly @ http://deafscreams.blogspot.com/

2. Anne of Saturday's Child @ http://saturdayschild-anne.blogspot.com/

3. Marti of Porch Stories @ http://porchstories.blogspot.com/

4. Jude of My Way Again @ http://mywayagain.blogspot.com/

5. Melissa @ http://melissa-justanotherdayinparadise.blogspot.com/

6. Julia of Julia's New Journal @ http://juliasnewjournal.blogspot.com/

7. Bea of A New Bridge @ http://anewbridge.blogspot.com/

These are a "few" of my favorite reads. There are plenty more and some i had wanted to include on this list had already received the award so i wanted to give kudos to others as well. Bless you all for taking the time to read my journal. I enjoy each and everyone of you!

puppy love

well here he is..Asher. this is the little guy i mentioned in the last entry. he's Rachel's new puppy. a cross between shephard and lab. he's sooo cute.....Rachel is the twist of fate when Marsha was let go by the church. i hadn't seen Rachel in 15yrs....so anyways, after being at the church for a week, Rachel went out to find a new puppy. unfortunately her family had lost 4dogs this year to their transition. initially Rachel had found him at the shelter or Animal Humane, but he wasn't old enough to adopt. well when she went to the Adoption event, lo & behold he was there. she had been talking schnauzer before she walked out the door...lol. right now the church is allowing her to keep him in the office with her. she's has bedding for him there and lots of toys. he was sleepin until i walked in this morn to say hello and make a payment on my class. once he saw me he was up and about. it's been about 4yrs now since i've been around a puppy. that was when Boo was being picked up by Tjnya, who took me along for the ride. i still run across Boo's puppy photos from time to time. but for now i'm good without a puppy. Boo is still my puppy and she still acts like one too...lol. so for now i'll enjoy Asher. he's getting his socialization and not being left alone. he's well taken care of and in great hands.....

well he was not the only JOY for the day. tonite while at work, a friend sent me a photo of her newborn baby via cell phone. the friend is actually Kyle's ex-girlfriend. i've stayed in touch with her for awhile now via myspace. this is her first child, a boy, Cameron. i couldn't quite tell who he looked like the most, but she said his dad. but i did notice he had his mom's black hair. he was born about 11:45am, Hawaii time, this morn. a little over 6lbs but healthy as can be. he was a sweetie pie too. that made my day. i knew this little guy was due soon but was really surprised she sent me the pic and let me know. i'm sooo happy for her and family. once she gets photos of him on myspace, i'll ask if i can post them here. Babies and puppies, what more could you ask for in one day:-).

lines

if i remember correctly not long ago there was a photo challenge or something going on regarding lines. today i went downtown to pay the electric bill and happened to have my camera....i was headed to George's afterwards for other photos...anyways, this building sits across from the electric company. it is actually a garage and this is what they put on the side of it. i've always wanted to take photos of this because i think it looks sooooo cool. i didn't get the whole side of the garage in one photo, but most of it. too many obstacles to get a really good photograph. so here are a few shots i took today.....i also took photos of a puppy today i'll be posting soon. right now i hope you enjoy these shots:)....

window shoppin'

another beautiful day today. i should have been outside for the day. but i went and picked up my small paycheck from Jen's office then headed to the bank to cash it. as usual i went to Jen's bank since it's basically next door to her office, in lieu of going a couple miles down the street to find my bank. a convenience thing. i've been doing it since i started working for her. well lo & behold, her bank changed procedures on cashing the checks for those who are not a member. i had to sign in to see a bank reception first so she could verify my id, then she took me to the teller...what a crock! i inquired if this was going to be the procedure every time i came in here and she said yes. well with that, i'll go the couple miles to my bank. this is just a bunch of bull and who knows what else banks will do. this just takes that much more time and i could be at my bank in the same time with no hassle. what did they think i was going to do? rob them? they will have fraud regardless of their extra steps in taking precautions. people will rob them regardless. don't they know that people will obtain whatever they want with whatever means they want if they want it bad enough. this deterrant won't make it go away. just aint going there again...

so after that little adventure i treated myself to Souper Salad. and i remembered i wanted to eat salads a little more often. over the weekend i was on a junk food mode. the only time i do that is when i'm stressed. so i must have been stressed for some reason and just not aware of it. i'll contribute it to Jarhead. it definitely had its strain on me....anyways, after lunch i went window shoppin' next to the diner, a little strip mall. there were a couple items i wanted to shop for, blazers and vests. i went into Anchor Blue and The Burlington. nothing in Anchor Blue. didn't expect them to have anything anyways, but on occasion the youth shops will sell a nice blazer jacket like American Eagle. so off to Burlington. i checked the women's dept. i checked the men's dept. back to the women's dept, then downstairs to the coats. i found a coat downstairs at a reasonable price. so maybe this week i'll get it. i had checked the men's dept for i found no vests in the women's dept. i also wanted to compare the length between the men and women's blazers. sometimes i like things long, hence the men's clothing. found a vest, but no blazers i really liked. but the thing i noticed the most was the look on me from the women's side. alas a feminine touch i haven't worn in quite a long time. i so love being in my Levi's and a sweatshirt or t-shirt, i've forgotten what some feminine apparel can do for me. i have my father's built and sometimes people mistaken me for a guy. i've also had someone tell me i look androgynous or even very feminine. but for years now, especially since retiring, i live in my Levis with my old country heart playing all the time. i've contemplated from time to time about dressing with a feminine touch, but haven't found the right clothing. plus i was trying to force the issue because of friends and other reasons, but i haven't been ready. think i'm ready a bit now, but today as i thought about it, i'm going to do it with my Levis. now i may have to change that should i become a Practitioner (spiritual counselor) at church for there's a "dress code", but for now, i'll start weaving my jeans with a little womanly touch and see how that works. maybe by the time i become practitioner, i'll be ready for slacks again. for 26yrs i wore a uniform of sorts. if not in the military, in the post office. i was always sharp and dressed to a T. it's been nice though since retiring having no requirements to "dress up". my jeans are my true nature spiritually and otherwise connecting me to nature year round. i think we should make it our national attire...lol can you imagine our president addressing the nation in his jeans? maybe people would be a little more relaxed and peaceful and harmonious with one another. maybe we could connect more easily with less adversity. but these are only my thoughts. i can only dream....:)!

white sands nat'l park

I had so much fun on the last entry, i thought i'd do it again. for those new to my journal, i took these photos, and many others, at White Sands National Park here in New Mexico. it's in southern New Mexico and not far from where the Space Shuttle lands occasionally. these are just a few photos i took there. now that i have this option to show multiple photos at once, i'll use this from time to time.

anyways, the day has been good. did a tidbit of yard work. didn't want to push myself after surgery per doctor's orders. then i got put in a major dent into homework this week. i have two papers due plus another 100 pages or so of reading to do. got half of that done today, if not more. now the other half and another paper. i was just telling Maggie that the reading today gave me some perspective on things regarding spiritual living. found sum answers to that if not the totality of it all. Life is finally settling down a bit for me. i'm finally gettin' in a routine of sorts daily which i've needed since retiring almost 3yrs ago. if possible i'll take another hike tomorrow. i took one yesterday. missed a wonderful service at church but i knew i needed my nature more yesterday than service. it was very refreshing for my soul and energizing. i think the fresh air put me almost to sleep at work yesterday. thank goodness i didn't have to be there but 4hrs....well the holidays are around the corner and i'm not ready for them. it's still 60+degree weather and i'm asking where's the cold. Maggie told me not to think about that and pray it doesn't come our way. sometimes we do have such mild winters, i swear it's almost like spring. maybe tha'ts what's headed our way. only time will tell....in the meantime, i put Jarhead away for good. not going to finish that book. gives me a headache just thinking about it, but it too provided perspective on sum of my life too. so now i'm into Marley and Me and would like to finish it before the movie comes out next month. it is much joy and laughter if you own dogs and i highly recommend it. my own dog Boo gave me much laughter last nite. i posted sum affirmations last night on my mirror in the bathroom-on 8x10 paper. no sooner than i posted it, she was barking her head off at it. totally cracked me up. she does this a lot. it's never a dull moment around here with her except when she sleeps. but canines are the simple pleasures in life that gives me such great joy and unconditional love. sometimes i think about not having any pets one day, but then Boo comes along and reminds me why i should....

a little fun

i found this cube on my step-mother's msypace account:)..so i thought i'd have a little fun. the two doggies are mine. Boo the rottie, Jimmy the Big Dog. the kids are Jorje's. Picturetrail is the website and you have other options to choose from for creating slideshows. so check it out if you like....