Thursday, December 31

Another New Beginning...

"What the New Year brings to you will depend
a great deal on what you bring to the New Year."

Vern McLellan

While we make our New Years' resolutions with true determination to stick with what we want and know we can achieve, remember that our resolutions' success or failure do not define who we are. We are defined by our actions.

Please join me in this coming year to strive to be kinder, more giving, to laugh more and cry less and to live life to the fullest no matter what the circumstance. Remember that to have a friend, you must be a friend....and to you, my friends, I wish you all a Happy & Healthy 2010!
~*~



Friday, December 25



Like snowflakes
floating gently,
unexpectedly
to earth,
small kindnesses
touch our lives.
First one, and then another
and another,
until at last the world is
bright and shining
with goodwill.
and once again...
it's Christmas.
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Tuesday, December 22

Holiday Hoopla



As much as I love this time of year and all of the good things it brings, and even though I promise myself every year that I will be ready in plenty of time, it never works out that way. Shouldn't be all that hard...Christmas is the same date every year, the date doesn't change...don't know why I can't get it together.



But...beyond that, I am fine and I do so appreciate those that are keeping watch over me ;)



Holiday Hoopla: 12 Random Things About Me and Christmas.




1. The neighborhood I grew up in was a new neighborhood when we moved there and I was just 5 years old. The people next door became my second family and we did everything together, including holidays. They were (and still are) Jewish. One of my favorite memories is of the two boys coming over to help us decorate the tree. This was huge for them and we all had an exact number of ornaments to hang, and my Mom just let them do whatever they wanted. Then we always had some kind of cookies or cake and we would turn off all of the living room lights and just sit and look at the tree. She would usually re-do just about all of it (even mine) but for all of us, it meant the kick off of the Christmas season.

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2. The story goes that when I was 3 years old, I woke Mommy & Daddy and told them that I had heard Santa's reindeer on the roof. Now, this has been repeated so many times that I am not sure if I actually remember this happening or not. But, to this day, my Mom will ask "Do you beleive in Santa?" and I will answer "No". "Then who was on the roof?" she asks....and I always answer "Santa". She loves it.

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3. I have a pretty big Christmas pin collection. Most are handmade, but I've been lucky enough to score some wonderful vintage pins...and earrings to match. They are some of my favorite things.

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4. From the time I was very small all the way through High School, we always went to Midnight Candlelight Service. They passed candles to everyone with those round paper holders to catch the dripping wax. I always wanted to sit in the balcony, so I could look down on the candles when they were lit. One year, my sister was in the Nativity Play and at the end when the kids were all singing she yelled out, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!". Amen.

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5. There are so many great Christmas movies, but my absolute favorite (and it isn't Christmas 'til I get a chance to watch it) is the 1953 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim. Those old black & white movies with crappy special effects are magical to me.

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6. When my daughter was in kindergarten, her very brave teacher put together a holiday program for the parents. Everyone was made to feel so special and given some very important job to do. The responsibility must have been too much for this one kid named Ryan..he went nuts at the end of the last song and knocked over the tree and kicked the head off of the snowman. This was a signal to all the rest of them to throw the cotton ball snow at each other and run all over the stage like maniacs.

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7. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that we love Alaska. After our first trip, I just couldn't shut up about going again and The Hub gave me a Christmas surprise! He puts a stack of 4 boxes in front of me and says I must open them in that order. The first is a pair of ear-muffs. Now, I had also been yakking about a trip to New England so I thought those were a clue for that. The next box was an 8x10 picture of Mt. Mckinley, covered in snow and the words "We're Going Back!!" across the front. The next box was a small photo album with pictures of all the things that we were scheduled to do on our winter tour...see the Iditarod, ride in a sleigh, ride a snowmobile, stay in a log cabin etc. And, in the last box was a list of all of the clothes we needed to get together to accomodate -30 degree weather! Great surprise. Great trip. Great Hub.

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8. When I was 8 years old, one of my gifts from Santa was a wedding dress and everything a bride needs to get married right away..including those high heel shoes that were made of some kind of glittery, clear plastic that clacked on the floor like real high heels and stayed on your feet with 2 elastic strips, like 2 big rubber bands. It just so happened that my best friend Judy also got the same set and we made a deal that we would both wear our new high heels to church. My Mom went along with stuff like that, but Judy's Mom didn't. Ah yes, I clacked all over the sanctuary...just me, not Judy. Just me.

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9. I spent several Christmas holidays as a single Mom and lights and decorations are quite exciting to a little girl. The Daughter was about 3 years old and I was desperately searching for something to do that was close to home and didn't cost too much money. About 1/2 mile from our house was a very nice neighborhood that was always done up in tons of lights and each evening, cars would just be lining the streets to look at everything. It started as a drive by, but one night we stopped and got out to walk around and things were never the same. The owners would hand out candy canes and they had all kinds of moving decorations...way before anyone really did that kind of stuff. Anyway...we were there, just the two of us, every single night until they took the decorations down. And this became our tradition...we were there for the next 5 or 6 years each Thanksgiving night when they turned them on for the first time and every night after, until they took them down for the year.

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10. One of my biggest dreams is to visit New York City at holiday time. I want to see the big tree, see the Rockette's, see the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center and see the department store windows. I can't explain my interest in all of this...but, it's something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

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11. My Dad passed away, very unexpectedly, a long time ago...25 years. Sometimes it seems like forever and sometimes it seems like last week. His favorite Christmas song was "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and it reduces me to tears every time I hear it. I was in the grocery store and it began to play and I began to cry. I miss him everyday but I really miss him at Christmas time.


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12. And...my Dad loved to drive around and look at everyone's Christmas lights. I don't know if people that have snow do this, but here in the South, it used to be a very big deal. I mean we would even plan dinner so that we could be out in the car just after dark. He tried to drive in different areas, but he always included the 3-4 blocks closest to our house. We just drove very slowly and took it all in. I don't know of anyone that does this anymore.

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Wishing all of my dear friends the Happiest of Holidays!

Saturday, December 5

Fun Family Plans Today

This Holiday Season is moving too fast!! I keep thinking I am way ahead of the game, but I am just kidding myself.. :)

But, we are taking kids and grandkids out for a magical day, and we are just as excited as they are! Everyone is headed out to see Trans Siberian Orchestra...yes, I said "everyone"...all 15 of us!

Just in case you aren't familiar with this show, here's a quick re-cap:






"The band's concert performances continue to surprise their loyal fan base with a combination of the arena rock spectacles of Pink Floyd and the musicality of Queen. TSO's music first approach, the music is first created and then the very best vocalist and musicians are sought from the classical, rock, broadway and R & B worlds, facillitates a cross pollination of musical ideas-creating hybrid forms of music which allow the rock operas to glitter in ways even the creators could not predict.

Billboard magazine praises TSO's winter tour as a "rock extravaganza that incorporates elaborate staging, metal mixed with Christmas Carols and dazzling visuals," while calling the group a winter stable. With it's timeless message, a sound that offers something for everyone, and audiences that cross all generational divides, TSO has become something that must-be-seen-to-be-believed."





Basically, what they are saying is that it's very loud and very bright. Even though The Hub and I are fans of this, I am thinking that a whole show of lasers, lights, fire and such will be a bit over the top (it's not Rick Springfield, for crying out loud)...but, whatever...the kids and grandkids are just beyond excited and that's what this is all about.

Followed by a big group dinner at The Olive Garden...a favorite for everyone.


Hope you all are enjoying the season...have a wonderful weekend, dear friends!

Monday, November 30

Wow...I Needed That!


A time to re-charge, re-evaluate, re-do...I seriously needed to pull myself together! Anyway...lots of excitement here getting ready for the Christmas Season..


We had a wondeful Fall..Halloween was great and remind me to tell you how I gave some kid my glasses as part of his Trick or Treat candy. Thanksgiving was fun with lots of good food and family...and I once again worked the "Black Friday" 10PM-5AM shift at my part time job! Lots of prep, lots of work, but what a good time we had....


So happy to be back...and many thanks to those of you that checked on me (even though the whole comment thing was disabled, you still got to me!)...I am so excited to see what everyone has been up to and what kind of unbelieveable Holiday Stuff is out there!

Thursday, November 26

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Enjoy friends and family...hug without hesitation and remember to be thankful for all blessings, no matter how small they may seem.

~*~

Wednesday, September 30

Seriously??

This showed up in the mail yesterday…

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Hmmmmm……

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WTF???? What??? NO WAY!!! I was just called for jury duty a couple of months ago!!!

Oh…wait…back that truck up….

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This isn’t regular Jury Duty….this is the big guys!!

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And…just how long will this take??

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Date…on the front…let’s see….

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Wonderful.

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I did some calling and on-line checking about all of this. Seems like they let you know during your first mandatory call if you are needed the next day. If so…just show up. If not, you must follow whatever call schedule they give you and be available to go in any day during that 2 weeks! I’ve never been called for FEDERAL Jury Service….have you??

Well…I am going to put all of this in the back of my brain for now. I do have an entire month to stress myself out about it! But, the good news is that a very dear friend is coming to town for a 3 day visit and I am looking forward to that! She arrives tomorrow and we’ve got girl plans! Antique shopping, tea room, movie and…of course…some Disney!! (Sorry, Janet!)

I’ll do my best to keep you posted, but time and internet access could be a problem. But…I plan to have lots of pictures to share! See you soon….!

Tuesday, September 29

What A Night!

 

It was as if I had never even seen this movie!  The anticipation was great but the final viewing even greater.   And, I wasn’t the only one…the theatre was full and since most of this was pre-ticketed, they knew enough to show it in 2 theatres!  Really…for a movie that is 70 years old…amazing.

 

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We started out with a documentary that showed behind the scenes rehearsals, interviews and such.  But, the applause began when the music started and then…there they were…Dorothy & Toto, bigger than life.  Even this black & white sequence was clear and sharp…it is just wild what can be done!

 

Everything in Munchkinland from Glinda’s pink dress to the Yellow Brick Road was brighter and more defined.  The sparkles from the stars on her dress to the glitter on her crown were beautiful! 

 

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The “oooohss and aaaahss” were heard throughout…and lots of laughs!  The Munchkins, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion…yea, these guys were a riot up there on that big screen!  We did find out that the Munchkin in the Middle (haha) was only 17 years old.

 

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And…scarier than ever were those Flying Monkeys.  In some close-ups you could see the faces…not as “monkey-like” as you might think.  And, without their hat on, did you realize that their hair is combed up in a mohawk??

 

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But, that Witch…what an incredible job Margaret Hamilton did and I think it took this big screen for me to really understand that!

 

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All in all, an exciting night and it was fun to be with like-minded people.  It was fun to share this with The Daughter and another Good Friend and to find out that they both felt like I did…oh…and Judy Garland was so very beautiful….

 

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This presentation came a long way from that opening in 1939…and an even longer way from the story that Frank L Baum shared with us…but the story still touches hearts now as it did then.  What a night!

 

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Saturday, September 26

Something To Share With You

I'm here to tell you how great the movie was! Having the chance to see it on the big screen was like seeing it for the first time. The audience laughed and applauded...I feel lucky to have been part of this special event.



But...I want to share this with all of you...a coupon for 40% off something you just have to have!!





Gotta run...have a great weekend and I'll fill you in on OZ and other stuff later!

Wednesday, September 23

It’s All About The Shoes

 

Yes!!!   The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Event is tonight!!  Check out this celebration cake…..

 

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And then read about this cool idea…with all proceeds going to charity……

 

~Top Designers Re-Invent Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers~

 

Louboutin, Blahnik and Choo Among the Chosen Few

 

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“If Dorothy were living in the 21st century, what would she wear?” is the question posed by The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection. To commemorate the film’s 70th Anniversary, Warner Bros and Swarovski have commissioned a creative re-interpretation the film’s most iconic and revered symbol: Dorothy’s Magical Ruby Slippers.

Contemporary works of art from the likes of fashion masterminds A. Testoni, Abaete, Alberta Ferretti, Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi, and Tuleh will compose The Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper Collection.

In honor of this classic, 19 iconic designers will reinterpret the ruby slippers we’ve all fantasized about since childhood. While you may not admit it, we know you’ve clicked your heels together in the privacy of your own closet.

Here are some preliminary sketches by Gwen Stefani, Sergio Rossi and Moschino:

 

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And…love this…Betsey Johnson!

 

 

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Naturally, the magical slippers will travel the country (with three clicks and a few carefully chosen words) before being auctioned off, with all proceeds going to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

 

** Thanks to The Daily Pump.

Monday, September 21

May We Introduce…

 

Stella.

 

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The Daughter & Boyfriend are “co-parenting” this 8 week old bundle of yumminess!  Rescued just this week from a Lab Rescue Center…1/2 Lab…1/2 Golden Retriever.  She has a big yard to play in and had a very busy weekend meeting the rest of her new friends and family.

 

 

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We had a blast taking her on her first real outing at PetCo and she met this other kid while she was there.  He was a bit bigger and she didn’t seem to like him too much….

 

 

stella meets

 

 

Can you see those little blonde eyelashes??   She’s gonna be dangerously cute and will probably be able to trick unsuspecting people into giving her treats just by looking at them….

 

 

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She is already loved…..

Saturday, September 19

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

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The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary

09/23/2009

NCM Fathom, Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies present The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Hi-Def Event featuring the first ever High Definition presentation in movie theatres nationwide of The Wizard of Oz. This One Night Event will take place in over 440 movie theatres nationwide. In addition to the feature presentation of The Wizard of Oz, this exclusive event will include a special introduction by Robert Osborne, a classic film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies, followed by “To Oz! The Making of a Classic,” a look into how L. Frank Baum’s classic novel was transformed into one of the most beloved films of all time including archival interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and rare musical outtakes. Also featured will be an exclusive clip of the Scarecrow, Ray Bolger, dancing in High-definition for the very first time.

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The colorful characters and unforgettable songs of The Wizard of Oz come alive as never before as the cinematic treasure is brought into the digital age with this entirely remastered Hi-Def presentation. Celebrating its 70th Anniversary, The Wizard of Oz originally opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 1939. It received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and captured two Oscars® -- Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score -- plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. Its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.

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Whether seeing it for the first time or the 100th time, it is only fitting that audiences nationwide will have the chance to enjoy the 70th Anniversary of this multi-generational favorite in movie theatres for an exclusive One Night celebratory event.
The high definition presentation of The Wizard of Oz will be specially formatted to preserve the exact aspect ratio of the film as first seen by audiences in 1939.

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Can’t hardly wait…the tickets are in our hot little hands and

we are so excited!!

Friday, September 18

The Search Begins

Yes...I want this lamp.
Really...I need this lamp.



Really.

Tuesday, September 15

A HUGE Success

If you have stopped by here in the last couple of weeks, you saw the post about Harley.

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Harley is the young son of an office co-worker that has been diagnosed with brain cancer. If you missed that, you can meet Harley here and learn more about him.

Anyway…all of this hospital time and treatment expense is a bit overwhelming, so the office decided to have a Benefit Yard Sale, with all proceeds going to Harley and his family. Not only did so many in the office answer the call, friends and businesses joined right in! Donations ranged from household goods to advertising space for the sale ads…here’s how it all came together!

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Do you remember when these carousel horses were the big thing? This one was losing his ribbon, but otherwise he was in great shape. Cost = $20…and he’s outta here!

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This “NOEL” looked brand new….

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Some beautiful coats were donated…and custom men’s suits from the UK!

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This was my absolute favorite piece of furniture! Selling price?? $125 Can you even believe someone donated this?? Love the little hatbox cupboard at the top.

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They were even selling puppies…just 9 weeks old. The proceeds from the sale of one puppy was to be donated…

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It was a very long couple of days…nothing like a Mardi Gras jester in a baby blue teddy to keep you smilin’. :)

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All in all….a huge, beyond our wildest dreams success. Total take?? Over $3,000, with more monies to come in. And, there was still some good stuff left to give to another office that will be holding another sale in October.

Thanks to everyone that was a part of this…from the workers to the people that donated goods to those that couldn’t be here and shared a prayer…it would not have happened without all of you.

Thanks….so much.