More Gifts!

On this New Year's Eve, my little man had a play date and as with all playdates, there's always a McDonald's visit in the master plan. While standing in line with two little men at the very crowded McDonald's, I noticed the woman in front of me was wearing a beautiful bracelet. I of course, having the keen ability to talk to strangers, told the woman that I thought her bracelet was beautiful. She thanked me and informed me that her bracelet was Swarovski.

"OOOO." I said. "That's why I love it." I told her.

"Yeah", she agreed, as me and this stranger determined we were both Swarovski lovers and the conversation began.

"Keep your diamonds." I told her. "I'll take Swarovski any day!" I giggled.

"I know!" She said. "It's because they sparkle." She told me.

We continued our very intersting conversation for a while about Swarovski, I was placing my order, and she was finishing hers when she handed me the bracelet. I was admiring the beauty of it when she handed me another one off her wrist as I was receiving my change from my order.

"They are beautiful." I told her and went to hand them back to her.

"Keep them." She said.

My mouth just dropped open.

"But. . ." "I. . ." was all I could muster out of my mouth.

She flew out the door saying "Don't worry about it."

I didn't even have a chance to say thank you.

Pink Roses and Swarovski.

You can't make this stuff up.

Damn Roses

It's Christmas Eve. In the hustle and bustle of it, the comings and goings, the last minute shopping and gift giving, there it was.

I was actually standing in a line at a store. I was at this store earlier, and after much wait time to check-out, it was determined that I forgot my wallet at home. So, I had to return home, grab my wallet, and go back to the store.

Forgetting my wallet is not something that I do. Ever. But, with all that I have going on in my mind, I guess it slipped my mind to make sure the wallet was in my purse before I went shopping, this Christmas Eve. I eventually returned to the same check-out and reminded the kid "Yeah, it's me. . .remember me? I left my stuff here because I had to go home and get my wallet. . ." Yeah, he remembered. I of course had to wait some more.

I wasn't surprised.

Then it came over me like a visit from an old friend. The feeling. The one I get. It comes out of the blue and fills my being with warmth. I actually said "hello" to the feeling and thanked it for coming.

Two more stores and traffic galore on the way home, but, my feeling made it easier. Happy actually.

I pull up in my drive way, put the car in park and begin to get out when I notice it. A pink rose bud on my rose bush. Today. December 24, 2010. Here. In freezing temps.

Amazing.

I don't believe in miracles. I depend on them.

Where's The Duct Tape?

Friends say "Jesus is the reason for the season!"

More often than not, Christian friends, who I love and adore.

I've been so good that I deserve a metal.

Even though my insides want to spew and scream from the top of my lungs "Jesus is NOT the reason for the season!! Jesus IS the reason.

Christianity just gets me upset around this holiday time because they over-kill on the Jesus music, sayings, etc. Hello? If you're a Christian, you worship, praise and glorify Jesus' birth everyday. Not just on Christmas. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. . ." John 3:16 doesn't specify in December only.

I can't wait for it to be over.

Friends

"Are we going out tonight?" Vicki asks me when she calls in the afternoon.

My mind goes bonkers within a milisecond as I remind Vicki that I have a party to go to and once again invite her, without it appearing as if I'm begging, which I am, as panic and subsequent ease of my panic that I could tell her why we were sharing food once we got there. All in a milisecond.

"It'll be fun!" I tell her.

I then explain to Vicki that this is my friend Miranda's party and she belongs to a ghost group. She has parties throughout the year and the entire ghost group come and it makes for an interesting get-together. I also go on to explain that my friend Miranda is a renowned Medium, in an attempt to sell the "come with" to the party.

I have to hand it to her, she gave it some thought, but, opted for the "going out" without me.

Off to Miranda's I go.

"You're here." Miranda greeted me at the door.

"Yep. I'm here." I told her.

"Samantha's not coming." She informed me.

"I know." I replied.

We walked into the kitchen and Miranda again thanked me for coming to her Christmas party.

"Miranda, stop thanking me. You're a great friend. I wouldn't miss it for the world." I tell her.

Miranda beamed.

Miranda now continues to set up the food display.

"So, now that I'm here, what do I do?" I ask.

"Eat, drink and be merry!" She said.

"Can I make fun of your friends?" I ask.

"No." She replied.

"Preach Jesus?"

"Not this year." She said, with a look this time.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Where's Milt?" I ask.

"Leave him alone." She reprimands me and opens the refrigerator to get out some appetizers.

"Oh come on Miranda! I stop once he starts shaking!" I tell her.

Miranda opted to ignore me at this point.

I start giggling and remember: friends know all about you, and love you for it anyway.

Kidisms

"Mom, I just tried to order a toy off the internet but the credit card number didn't work." Little man informed me as I was doing laundry.

Shock was all that was on my face.

"I tried. The credit card number didn't work." He shrugged.

My brain was reeling and I didn't have words or thoughts as it was taking a while for the shock to wear off. Little man occasionally gets infatuated with the cards in my wallet, i.e. shopping cards, library cards, etc.

"What card did you use?" Somehow came out of my mouth.

"Your credit card." He matter-of-factly explained.

What do I do with this? I wondered. My first instinct is punishment for a year. Yet, I don't want to curb the fact that he talks to me. I don't want to punish honesty. Apparently, he didn't know that this was not a good thing to do. So I explained to him that ordering anything off the internet with a credit card was not a good thing and to just get me, we'll do it together.

And STAY OUT OF MY WALLET!!

Ah, Santa

As my little guy gets older, Santa is becoming more questionable.

At the beginning of this holiday season, a few weeks ago, I was talking Santa and my little guy said nothing. He just looked at me with this look. I knew what the look was. He wanted to discuss Santa and these stories he's apparently hearing from his friends, but his eyes told me he didn't have the heart to break it to me.

I let it go.

I believe that this is something he's going to have to come to terms with and when he feels comfortable enough to talk to me about it, well, I'll be here. In the meantime, I'm just going on with my happy holiday season as I always do.

The other day, while I was in the kitchen cooking, the conversation began.

"Mom, do you believe in Santa?" He asked.

"Of course." I replied.

Pause.

"Well, there's this kid in my class and he doesn't believe in Santa." He explained.

I sat down at the table with him, "He doesn't?" my voice appalled.

"No Mom. He said there's no such thing as Santa."

"He sounds like a grumpy kid to me." I told him.

Little man just looked at me.

"He really can't be a happy kid if he doesn't believe in Santa." I went on to explain.

His eyes lit up. I can see his mind exploring the option I just presented. "You know Mom, you're right. He always has a frown on." Little man went on to explain how this kid was nice, but just never happy.

Santa excitement kicked back in and we're good to go. For this year at least.

High Laughter With The BC

We're a book club. Sometimes we don't read. We eat.

Samantha spent two weeks in Germany, Vienna, Switzerland to celebrate a special birthday. She came home declaring that she was cooking a German meal and we all had to be there to experience some of what she did while on her vacation.

It was good. Her pictures displayed her magical trip abroad. We were so happy for her. "Cheers!" with the Gluhwein!

After dinner and the conversation went on to other things. Like Miranda's Christmas Party.

"You're coming, right?" She asked me.

"Yep. I'll be there." I said.

"You're coming even if Samantha doesn't?" She asked again.

I asked Samantha, "You're not going?"

"I'm not sure yet." She said.

Miranda put her foot down at that point and stated that she needed to know by Monday to order the food. And don't forget, it's $25.00 per person to eat. She apparently figured this all out prior to her inviting us.

I brought to the attention of Miranda that this might not be the best idea.

"Why?" She asked oh so equivically.

"Because, if I'm telling you I'm going, and something else comes up, I still have to pay the $25.00?" I ponder.

"Yep." She matter-of-factly replied.

Quiet.

"What if at the last minute I bring a friend?" I ask.

"They won't eat." She said.

Well, maybe it was the mug of Gluhwein or the fact that it was us together for the first time in a while, but Samantha and I started giggling.

"So, if at the last minute I bring a friend with me to your party I would have to offer my paid portion of the meal to my friend and not eat?" I quiz some more.

Miranda just shot me a look.

Samantha and I at this point we're laughing uncontrollably.

"Fine. If I bring a friend, I'll bring a sandwich and donate my paid portion to my friend." I add, in between my laughter.

Samantha and I were in tears from laughing so hard.

Miranda was not finding this amusing, as she has been getting a wrath from other friends about this plan of hers, which she explained. She also went on to explain that if I knew for sure by Monday that I was bringing a friend, they would definately eat because she would have included them in the order.

"Do you know for sure if you're bringing a friend?" She asked me.

"No. I was just wondering." I explained.

Miranda went on to say that she also has parting gifts for her guests. She probably shouldn't have said that because Samantha and I were holding in our laughter to hear her side of things, and that statement just opened the flood gates.

"How much is that going to cost?" Samantha asked.

"My friend can have mine. I don't need it." I laughed.

Poor Miranda. Maybe she shouldn't invite us to these things.

Dreams

The invariable mark of a dream is to see it come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.- Harriet Tubman

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream. - Martin Luther King, Jr.