Family Christmas Party , San Diego, 2014

Of course, I missed the family party but Maria put the pix on Instagram so here they are--looks like a fun party.  Reports are the ham dinner was excellent and everyone had a happy time..

Kelly and Tanner looking great.

Who is singing and who is goofing off?

Matt and Meagan looking sweet.

Pretty Sarah and Lea.

Reminds me of a movie of Johnny pushing his rocker when he was one.

What a baby doll Eden is.

Amy and her friend? Joe.

Eden and Matt.

Linda, Gary, Kelly and Amy.

Kelly.

Keira singing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

Camber has a beautiful voice!

Johnnny and Maria looking happy.

Matt had just arrived from the airport a half hour earlier, looks very tired.

Jimmy and Jacob with Eden and Keira busy at something.

Camber's parents Mary and Greg.

Miracle for Christmas? Wish Upon a Star?

I enjoy watching all the Hallmark Christmas movies each year, happy endings only!  I like happy endings but old age doesn't seem to be a very happy ending.

I wish I had more energy,

I wish my memory was sharper,

I wish I could move faster,

I wish my shape was better,

I wish I had money,

I wish my hearing was better,

I wish my eyes didn't get so tired,

I wish my hands were more dexterous,

I wish I didn't ache at all.

I wish I didn't have so many wrinkles.

All the things we could do at 25 we just took for granted and never even thought about a day when we could not do them.

The year is almost over.  I had hopes of being totally out of debt and in a more comfortable financial situation, It is not going to happen.  Do I believe in miracles?  I have had a few miracles in my life.  I guess the fact I have a home I was able to buy on my own when I did not even have secure employment is one miracle for sure.  The fact I have a new, safe car to take through my aged years is probably another kind of miracle.  The fact I can get by month after month without enough money is probably another miracle.  And of course I have all those miracles of being safe driving up and down the earth and being protected from harm, those were really miracles!  I have always wondered if those people who have always had lots of money know what it is like to not have enough though?  I doubt they think about it anymore than I thought about wrinkles and loss of energy at 25.

Ha, I remember even at 25 I never had enough money to make it through the month it seemed.  The only time I seemed to have an abundance of money was in the 70's and when I was working for the SBA in my 70's.  I should have saved more or paid off my house as I planned.  Not too smart, Janet.

So shall I wish for a miracle for Christmas?  Why Not?  My life continues to be a Catch 22.  But one can always hope.  No one can take that away.  Wish upon a Star....as the song goes.

Watching a Boat Parade

Here is a beautiful picture of Johnny and Maria watching the Oceanside Boat Parade.

It reminded me of 2005 when I was called out for Hurricane Katrina and ended up in Galveston for the Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas season.  The power was finally back on everywhere and restaurants were back in business.  Our job was meeting with people who had had damage to their homes or property and wanted low interest loans to replace them.  A young man working with us was being transferred and wanted to go to a really nice seafood restaurant he had heard of before he left and two of us ladies went with him. I had Red Fish in honor of John.  Then we went outside and watched the Lighted Boat Parade.  It is a nice memory.

Melissa

Melissa works for her company with a desk and a computer at home and it appears her cat is her supervisor.  How well I remember the supervisors walking behind us at SBA and stopping to see what we were doing.  It appears that this cat is doing the same thing. Funny.

 Melissa is making some beautiful creations with her knitting needle.  Her she models one she has made for a friend.

Catching Up With Great Grandchildren

Keira enjoys scootering in Munich before coming home.

In their apartment they have a hammock that is lots of fun for Keira and Eden.

Eden is so cute as she climbs in the carriage the only way she knows how.

Poor Molly takes a step off the couch and has to have a pretty pink cast.   She just learned to walk this month, too.  

Snow, Snow, Snow

At first Thursday was mad with rain, rain, rain.  I panicked when I saw a huge puddle over my septic tank.  Not knowing if this could be bad I attempted to make an outlet at the corner of the house.  I made a little headway but there were tree roots holding significant dirt around them and I could not cut the roots.  I sent an SOS out to a few men in the church but probably they were working. I could not reach anyone by phone. Finally Jean and then Ron called and said it would not hurt the septic to have water over it, then it began to snow, snow, snow and there was no more problem.

I hate these moments in my life when I am all alone looking for help.  It is so stressful and there have been so many!!!  It seemed it all started with that first phone call when Richard had his heart attack in 1970 and there have been many moments since then.  It reminds me of the book I read years ago written by the first black student at BYU. It was titled "It's You and Me, Lord"  and that is the way I feel so much of the time.  When I asked Margaret the other day how she does it,  "It's the Lord, baby,"it's the Lord."  She is a very prayerful person but has such a hard row to hoe taking care of her husband and herself.  Since she had her stroke he has slid back and it is so hard for her.

I appreciated so much when Greg called some four days later.  He had been working at the prison and just saw my email...he offered help in anyway.  I do appreciate that so much.

By the time the snow was finished we had eight inches and I could not find the phone number of the fellow who said he would come over and use my snowblower.  That red hat in the picture is him.  I finally found the number and called.  I told him he might be the most important person I met this year. He said that was great because he is not important to very many people.  Problem is how can I afford to pay him each time it snows???  And here it is snowing again.  I think I will wait until Wednesday when the snow should be stopping before I call him again.

I  had a bad week, terrible UTI and then after being out in the rain, sore throat, earache and congestion.  Hoping the antibiotic will heal everything.  The first antibiotic she gave me was a Sulpha drug and I had a horrible heat rash reaction, so many things I react to.

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And, sitting and working on the puzzle has given me a backache, and I do enjoy puzzling so much.  I found if I sit on the bed and put the vibrator on the painful spot om my back and press against it against the back board, it really helps get rid of the pain.  It was just in one spot and felt like the shingles, strange!

When I realized I had volunteered to take funeral potatoes to the Branch Christmas Party I wondered How I could hold a hot casserole with two hands and get down my icy stairs without holding on.  So I created a holder.  I think I will keep it around, it may come in handy again.

The dinner at the Christmas Party was really good, the ham was so moist and tender and excellent side dishes.  I especially liked the spinach salad that Jane had made.  She said it was Jean's recipe.  I will have to get it.  I left right after dinner.  I just need to get lots of sleep and get well!!!!  The most important job I have right now is keeping me healthy for another few years so I can enjoy my home.and life.

New Christmas Tree, 2014

 All decorated for Christmas and this year I have a new Balsam Hill 4 1/2 foot tree for Christmas.  Since it already has the lights on it is very simple for me.  My new goal in life, simplicity.

Getting Ready for Christmas, 2014

For some reason I was very ambitious and made lots of goodies to send my family and I also made Jar Lid Openers from plastic shelf lining.  I forgot to take a picture but you just crochet an edge around them.  Since the lining comes in a package you may as well make a lot and I did.

The cutest thing I made for Christmas was Bingo games for the great grandchildren and I forgot to take a picture of that, too.  I saw it on pinterest when I was looking for bows.  You use M and Ms for the tokens.  I bought sturdy Christmas boxes to put the game in and typed up the directions and glued to the inside of the lid.  Can't believe I didn't take a picture before sending.  Kristie said they were perfect but they ate all the M and Ms right away.  I also always go to Margie's Book Store and look for almost new children's Christmas books.  This year I had credits from books I had given them so got nine books for $5.36!!

Since I am staying home for Christmas I decided to do a puzzle so I bought a very nice 1000 piece puzzle and though it is two weeks from Christmas I almost have it done.  I took pictures as I progressed each day or so.

Since I won't have a puzzle to do when Christmas really comes I bought another 1000 piece puzzle and it is from a StoryBook Series from China.  It is Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, of course.

I like puzzles better than cross words and I can listen to my books or tv at the same time.  For some reason at Christmas time it never seems like a waste of time!!!

Cute Little Molly has a Birthday

Molly turned 1 year old on December 1 and began walking a few days later, such a sweetie.

Thanksgiving

I remember Maria telling me to take lots of pictures and yet this is the only Thanksgiving picture I have!!

Matt came and I had made the whole traditional Thanksgiving dinner with Maria's cream corn, and Marilyn P's Sweet Potatoe Souffle and both Pumpkin and Apple Pie.  The missionaries had been by earlier to get down my Christmas Decorations and asked if I was going to be here for Thanksgiving dinner and I told them I was and my grandson was coming.  They said they could go to two dinners so I invited them.

It was fine.  Matt made the green bean casserole, I had the frozen pistachio salad and Matt did a great job of cutting the turkey.  We had put the stuffing inside.  I used the Bridgeford frozen rolls from Holiday and they were really good!  The missionaries especially loved the corn, never had anything as good and they ate the pumpkin pie.  We ate at 1 so they should have hungry for their dinner at 4:30 with the Martins.  We almost forgot the mashed potatoes, Matt and I were each using a pototoe peeler to get them in the water fast!

Matt and I watched the ballgame and he made a great fire--as usual it got so warm we had to open the doors.

Sadie loved having Bruce around.  Matt only stayed the one night and we went to Verizon the next morning, on his way back home, to discuss the Samsung Galaxy 5 Smartphone.  My contract has another two months so we didn't do anything but Melissa says I can get it totally free if I do the Galaxy 4 with A T and  T.

Anyway it was a lovely Thanksgiving,   Matt loaded my wood before he left.  My electric bill has been going up because often I will turn the electric heater on when I go to my bedroom for the night and don't bother with a wood fire.  Options are good.

From Oceanside to Asheville, NC to Annapolis, MD to Asheville

Maria flew to visit Melissa in Asheville and then they drove to visit Mike in Annapolis.  Hope they are not encountering any stormy weather on the way.  They had six inches of snow in New York.

A rainy day in Annapolis.  Love those colors.  I had a couple days in Annapolis in 2003 after the Hurricane Isabel.  Such a lovely place.

Resting at the Mall.

Shopping at the Mall.

Nice picture and I am glad to see they have warm coats!

Mike and his Mom.

Curly Heads.

Farewell to Michael and on to Asheville

Maria and Melissa came back through Greensboro, NC and met with Patty, from high school days.

See the pix of them 38 years earlier.  Wow, they both have aged very well!!!

Melissa and Maria tour Asheville, doesn't look like winter there.

Classy ladies!

Let's Hear it from the Hardys

I was talking to Kelsi and Jimmy on Sunday.  Kelsi was telling me about going to Cotillion.  James went  when he was in grade school and we had chaperoned it once.  I was very impressed by what they were taught.  He was a little older I think.  Anyway she says she really likes learning the dances but especially likes it when the boys have to "grab" things for you.  I thought that was an interesting way of expressing how the boys are taught to bring things to the girls and act like gentleman.  Let's hope it still happens somewhere besides Cotillion.

Jimmy was telling me that the youth from their ward in Del Mar have a "Temple Tuesday" once a month at the San Diego Temple.  Here is a picture of Lea and her friend with the Temple in the background.  So beautiful.

I

Pulsiphers head for Hawaii.

Somehow the Pulsiphers have managed to get everyone on board for a vacation in Hawaii.  They have all been getting very fit for it, too.  Everybody has jobs, of course, and Tanner is home but will be leaving for BYU Idaho in January so it is no easy thing to get them all on vacation at the same time!

Amy and Sarah show their excitement.

Amy and Gary show off their fit bodies.

Kristi and Mike left three children home and brought Molly, the baby.

Amy sent a picture in to Quest and they liked her picture so much they are going to feature it in one of the #CheatClean collages and are sending her a box of Quest Bars of her choice.  It pays to exercise and eat nutritiously!

They all completed an 8 mile hike even with little Molly in tow.  The family that "hikes together, likes together"? or something like that???  Looks like six people had to get time off from their jobs and two more from school.  Lots of organizing.  Looks like a fun trip.