http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php Christmas forums brought to you by mymerrychristmas.com, the largest and best Christmas website online en Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:10:19 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.mymerrychristmas.com/forum/images/styles/merry/misc/rss.jpg http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=258 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:10:27 GMT I actually feel inspired today. I have felt that way for a few days. In my last blog I was so sad but today I feel good, hopeful and I am not sure... I actually feel inspired today. I have felt that way for a few days. In my last blog I was so sad but today I feel good, hopeful and I am not sure really why. You are going to think this is odd, but I believe this newfound hopefulness is all because of a movie I watched. It is called The Book Of Eli. It stars Denzel Washington as Eli and the best actor to ever play a villain, Gary Oldman. I don't want to give away too much here in case any of you want to see it. It is about Eli who is a nomad, walking steadily to the West. In the beginning of the movie it is made clear there has been an apocalyptic event and the world is no longer like it has been. Money is not of value any longer but things like playing cards and lighters are !! Eli is on a mission from God and it is his mission to take his Book to the West for God's purpose. Though it is a fairly violent movie at times (which I hate, especially the first few minutes) it still inspires. As Eli continues on his quest to deliver his Book he meets many obstacles but he always fights for what he knows is right and true and never loses hope or faith in God or in his misson for God.

If I could do that, know what path God wants for me and continue on it, I know I would not only be much happier but a much better person. I am not like Eli. I let every little obstacle get in the way. I worry, I fret and I doubt and I am so human and have so many faults that I think I must be the worst person on Earth at times. I came away, as I said, from this movie feeling hopeful. I came away from the movie almost feeling God was speaking to me through it. "Don't worry, follow Me and know that I will always love you NO MATTER WHAT and even if you lose faith in me I will NOT LOSE FAITH IN YOU." Thank you, Father. I feel your blessed presence. Thank you for giving me hope again, even if it is through a movie. I hear your voice. For some reason now I know that you are with me, with all of us NO MATTER WHAT. ]]> caninemom3 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=258 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=257 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:56:40 GMT

The brilliant sun-kissed afternoon of a summer’s day in swanky Newport, Rhode Island is hardly the backdrop you would imagine for the latest chapter in an ongoing Christmas story.

It happened today, the first full day of a cruise my wife and I are on up the New England coastline. As the early evening approaches and we are now “out at sea”, swaying gently back and forth as we move on now to Boston, I am feeling a sense of Christmas not commonly felt outside of Christmas Eve itself.
Today was the day and Newport was the place where I finally met an old and dear friend I had up to that point only known online, a relationship born right here on My Merry Christmas.

The only downside I can see to running a community on the Internet is the fact that I may never get to actually meet, face to face, those I share Christmas with. But there are a few like-minded souls you ache to meet because you go through things in the course of season after holiday season online.

Most online relationships are sadly superficial. You might get to know a few personal details, you could even share some laughs with people you “meet” online. But rarely do I get to work side-by-cyber-side with those who I share Christmas with online as I do with Mike Rielly, of Clausnet.com fame.

Mike and I “met” -- I believe it was in 2004 -- not long after I first launched the Merry Forums as part of MMC. He came aboard as one of our earliest members of the forums and we shared an almost instant rapport in our quest for Christmas celebration made pure.

Mike’s story is known to many. His grandfather was Santa Claus for more than 60 years and Mike to this day continues that family tradition by playing Santa every holiday season in his community, a tradition he is slowly teaching his own son. When I say Mike is Santa Claus I mean that with the utmost of respect and admiration. Mike is the kind of Santa that is hard to find.

Being Santa is not easy. There is a look, an attitude, a twinkle in the eye and a special kind of love in the heart that it takes to be the kind of Santa Mike is. He doesn’t do it for money. He does it for both the love of children and the love of Christmas – and an understanding of the true heart of Saint Nicholas of old.

He dons the suit to serve and to make others happy. Playing Santa is as much a gift of Christmas to himself as it is to others because Mike has the perspective of a grandson of a classic Santa who taught him not only through his many years of service but also coached him in the art – and I do mean ART – of being Santa Claus.

Most of the year, Mike is like everyone else. He works, he pays bills, and he supports his family. Only occasionally does he get to be The Man, as those in the Santa Claus community understand it as they take upon the role of Santa. Mike takes it very seriously and constantly works to improve his “Santa skills”.
In that respect we are completely of one heart and one mind. If any of you have read our sister-site, Defending Santa.com, you understand well our efforts here at My Merry Christmas to portray Santa properly.

We feel that Santa Claus has been misrepresented by the modern media, in Hollywood movies, on the Internet and even by some who play Santa for money in public. There is a constant need to educate folks – especially children – of Santa Claus, the real individual, who was a man of tremendous faith and integrity.

Soon after we met Mike and I began to discuss an idea he had for a Christmas community of his own, one dedicated to those who portray Santa Claus. It is a “niche-within-the-niche”, as we like to joke.

From those conversations has blossomed a community of Santas now numbering more than 950 members.

Clausnet is a stunning site to look at and the unique flavor of Christmas celebrated there should be enjoyed by more folks of the overall Christmas community. The professional Santas of Clausnet are dedicated to the preservation of Christmas traditions and are a cherished asset, in my view, of the overall Christmas community online.

Most of the folks active there are like Mike. They just want to be the best Santa Claus they can for the communities they serve. They carry not only a love of the season but also work hard to convey hope and peace, the central themes of Christmas itself.

There is a brotherhood amongst the folks who gather at Clausnet to talk of their work as Santa or Mrs. Claus. They want to do well and they work to improve. Their work, while on the surface is fun (and for the most part it is) also includes no small share of heartbreak as they work with kids in disadvantaged situations or suffering from devastating disease or illness.

Many of them are the salt of the earth – true reflections of what Christmas indeed is all about.

But as in all communities there are a few who make life, even as Santa, difficult. It has been with these issues especially that I have become close to Mike, and a few others at Clausnet, over the years.

I have a fine line to walk. 99.9% of the folks in the professional Santa Claus community I respect. But the relative few who would exploit the uniform they wear for gross personal gain or to pad their egos I am especially impatient with. And there is an unsavory element out there of folks who use the image and respect gained over centuries by St. Nicholas for personal profit, often to the detriment of others. They give fuel to the efforts of Hollywood to destroy the true legacy of St. Nicholas and they draw, like flies some times, even more unscrupulous people to portray Santa Claus. In that respect the mission of Clausnet.com, DefendingSanta.com and MyMerryChristmas.com is united – we must continue to educate and raise the level of “Santa awareness” so that folks always know the true order of St. Nicholas.

Mike is also a professional. He has vast knowledge of online technologies and social media. He writes well, and can design and handle technical details. He is a steady resource for me on several levels.

He is also my friend. Through many phone calls and emails over the years we have shared personal high and low moments. We are nearly exactly the same age and relate well as fathers and men.

So I would admit to you a few butterflies as we made our connection today.

How silly of me to be nervous. Mike is a brother and always will be. It was a particular thrill to introduce him to my wife, who struggles even still after all these years to understand my obsession with Christmas.

A few years back, while on a similar trip, Sandy and I got a chance to meet JayIsh, another of many I consider Christmas kin.

And like meeting Jay, meeting Mike today – finally, face-to-face – was a highlight not only of this trip but of my life. ]]> Jeff Westover http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=257 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=256 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:24:04 GMT This is not going to be a particularly happy or Christmassy blog. I guess I want all of you to know the true me because I think of all of you as... This is not going to be a particularly happy or Christmassy blog. I guess I want all of you to know the true me because I think of all of you as friends. I am not sure why I feel it necessary to share some of this with you but I feel honesty is one of the utmost important things in life and I have the sense that I carry out a bit of a charade at times. I have some things to talk about today that may not be the most uplifting. I am depressed. I am usually always this way but I have learned to still function anyway. I must. I am extremely blessed in that I have my health, my freedom, my sister, my furchildren, a home to live in, enough food to eat but most important of all, I have Christ and I know He above all understands and is here. But I am still quite sad a lot of the time. I try to be upbeat on the forums but I suspect a bit of the "true" me creeps out sometimes. For that, I am sorry. My oldest goddaughter likens me to Eeyore and I agree. That sad little blue donkey is defiinitely inside and, like Eeyore, I can't find my tail either. Eeyore and I tend to both be real "downers" at times. Of course, her solution is just move on and live by myself and etc. etc. Ah......youth. Wouldn't it be great if when things were not right we would be able to move on just like that in an instant ?? Unfortunately what I have learned in growing older is that in the real world there are things like health insurance and being fiscally fit before such a move should be attempted.

Perhaps it is self pity, I don't know. Were it not for Christ, my sister and my dear wonderful furchildren, I might suffer the same fate as my first husband if I were that brave. To be very brutally honest while trying not to air all my "dirty laundry", my second marriage is a mistake. He IS a good man. We are simply incompatible, like water mixing with oil. Relationships are so terribly difficult to begin with and the statistics surrounding second marriages surviving are quite grim. We have been married 16 years and for 16 years I have known the truth. In retrorospect, I think we each married at a time when we were both very needy. I, having just experienced suicide. He, having gone through being emotionally beaten up by his ex-wife and having 2 children, ages 6 and 9 at the time to care for and also having quite the large dependence on alcohol. I have not been successful in getting close to the 2 kids, Kristin and DJ and I blame myself somewhat. After all up to the point when I met them the only chidren I had experience with were the ones who walk on all fours and sport fur coats 24/7. As weird as it sounds, I am not particularly close to my second husband either. We are there for each other for support when something goes wrong or if one of us needs help with something like good friends but a closeness is not there nor has it ever been.

Okay. Now you know somewhat about me. That being said, it is nearly Fall. I am so EXCITED about that !! I just can't wait to see the trees turning color and those frosty, crisp and clear Fall mornings when I am not working on Fridays and Saturdays. The Hallmark Ornament premiere for October is just around the corner and I am hoping to attend that with my sister. Then there is Thanksgiving !!! Decorating the tree Thanksgiving morning gives me goosebumps as I think about it !!! And Christmas. The happiest time of the year for me. The rest of the year is just kind of one day turning into another but at Christmas it is different. It is pure and simple MAGIC !!!

I must document how much MMC has helped. Posting and reaching out to others is always much better than isolation and to reach out to other "Christmas nuts" like myself has helped in an amazing way. I cannot ever thank all of you enough. In an odd way, I think I was meant to come to this site. I think God does indeed work in mysterious ways and I must say I am much happier since I have been acquainted with MMC than before it was part of my days.

I tend to talk to God a lot. I trust Him. I turn the situations in my life over to him and I believe in His time if He thinks it is meant to be things will change and I know that part of my life at least is on the correct track. Perhaps there will be an epiphany or some sort of metamorphosis brought about by the King of Kings Himself. Those two in themselves give me hope. ]]> caninemom3 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=256 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=254 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:26:21 GMT Animals mean a lot to me. In fact, they are what keeps me going when nothing else seems to help. I have 3 canines and 3 felines and they are my... Animals mean a lot to me. In fact, they are what keeps me going when nothing else seems to help. I have 3 canines and 3 felines and they are my "furry children." I tend to love all animals though, not just the cute ones, I have a healthy respect for the not so cute ones too, you know, snakes, spiders, etc. I would never hurt a creature unless one was hurting one of my furchildren. I do not personally even believe in killing ants, bees, or whatever. I have just always felt a kind of connection to animals because perhaps I am a mammal myself, which is an animal. It seems a lot of folks do not like to think of themselves as animals but we are.

Throughout my life my furchildren have been there for me. From the time I was just little to now. It of course has not been the same furchildren as I have now, because as we know they sadly have a very brief life span. I would NEVER think of ever hurting one or abusing one and those who do in my opinion need to have whatever it is they have inflicted on such an innocent and trusting being inflicted upon themselves and to those who say "oh it's just a dog/cat/horse whatever, I have to ask, are you insane ? Or do you just not have emotions ? To me, you have and are a big problem.

When I have lost family members or friends throughout my life, it was dogs and cats who were the chicken soup for my soul. When my first husband ended his life here in the house, it was days afterward my Doberman, Jonesy literally walked around with his head hanging low and I swear to you I saw tears in his eyes. I Know some will think me crazy but that is the way I perceived Jonesy's reaction. My Bassett, Abercrombie and my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rhuffles who were also here at that time also behaved in a very similar way so perhaps it was not my imagination. One of the people was gone and they were clearly impacted by it.

I believe there IS something to the fact that GOD spelled backward is DOG. (Cats are equally as important well as many other creatures). They ARE comforters, nurturers, companions, friends, binge buddies, and perhaps most importantly do not judge whether I gain/lose weight, have zits/wrinkles or whatever. They just care about love. Unconditional acceptance and affection, no strings attached. They even still love us humans if people hit them, kick them, torture them, whatever. They still love us. I will NEVER figure out why. I see animals as some sort of a group of messengers from God Himself. Sent here to try and help bumbling humans the best they can.

I have a great affection for wild animals too. Wolves, bears, particularly polar bears. Maybe it is because I see them as "underdogs." A lot of folks just don't care one way or the other what happens to polar bears. Their ice IS melting. Rapidly. A lot of folks do not believe this, but it IS true. I cannot say why this is happening. Perhaps it is part of a natural cycle, perhaps man is causing it. I don't know. I think what a lot of folks do not "get" is if the animals are in peril and die, it will not be long before a similar fate befalls the human race. I just know as far as polar bears that they are declining. As crazy as it sounds, I truly believe our heavenly Father wants me to take care of His animals, wild or not, be they polar bears, wolves, dogs, cats, horses, whatever. He wants me to be a "royal pain" if that is what it takes to raise awareness !! Well, that is not a problem. I AM a royal pain and if it helps my furry "brothers and sisters" I would be willing to be a regular hemorrhoid and a thrombosed one at that !!

This is a bit controversial but it is of course just my opinion and not a doctrine or gospel. I believe personally if humans have souls (and I do believe we do) then animals also have souls. Maybe they are different kinds of souls. Not as complex, not as nasty at times, more innocent. My dogs and cats DEFINITELY do things they know are wrong and act quite ashamed when they are told about it, a very "human" kind of behavior. They are sneaky, and even at times out of sorts, also all behaviors we have all engaged in which to me points to the fact that they know what they are doing, hence perhaps "proof" of the presence of a soul, a conscoiusness which chooses its action.

When I die I have a fantasy about meeting our Master and being appointed to help take care of the animal souls which have already passed and are in His care. That would be truly miraculous. To be in the presence of Jesus AND see all my dear furchildren who have already passed as well as all the creatures who have suffered and are now whole, healthy again, to me THAT IS HEAVEN. Animals and I are kindred spirits and I am a much better person for their presence throughout my life. ]]> caninemom3 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=254 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=253 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:29:07 GMT Looking at the calender I see we are now 4 months away to Christmas Day and only about 2 months away from decorating for the season and I am... Looking at the calender I see we are now 4 months away to Christmas Day and only about 2 months away from decorating for the season and I am realizing I am starting to get a little behind in my planning. I learned of keeping a notebook when I became a member of this site but I procrastinated and here we are and I never did start one. So instead of one of my normal blogs I am doing sort of an impromptu checklist for myself to get myself back on track and I won't lose it this way.

1. Start putting together Christmas list for family and myself. Usually start this in May but I didn't and will be "rushing" for myself since my wife is already asking for it so she can start shopping.
2.Plan for Christmas Eve Family party, put together menu and what for each guest to bring. Two years ago we made homemade Buffalo wings and Garlic Parmesan wings along with Snickerdoodle cookies, and my wife's peppermint bark. Try new recipes especially the Peppermint Patty Surprise cookies in the next few weeks.
3.Decorations check the lights and take inventory of what I need for this season. Already know we are doing white lights outside instead of colored, and need to replace one window candle, and more green "pine" garland for inside decorating.
4. Figure out where we will be putting the outside decorations, we have the new Santa, Rudolph, and lightpost, to go outside with the 3 trees. Will we be putting those on the porch? or in the yard?
5. Inside decorations, is LC old enough to keep his hands off village, and Nativity this year, or wait another year for those. Tree will be going in a new spot this year due to the new furniture, will it look good there?
6. Start shopping. Enough said.
7. Christmas Day does Mother-in-law want me to make a Prime rib for the dinner to go along with the turkey again this year? Watch for low prices.
8. Nov. 1 take down all Halloween decor.
9. Nov. 10 start to put up Christmas decorations.
10. November 25 Thanksgiving Day WATCH parade. Give Thanks and Pig out.
11. November 26 Set up and decorate trees and all indoor and outdoor lighting gets turned on.
12. Get all the shopping finalized by December 10.
13. ENJOY the whole season watching movies and shows and spending time with family.
That is a quick checklist of what I have in store for the next few months, I will probably enjoy most of it, excluding some of the shopping. Four months from now that feeling and glow of the season will be at its pinnacle and I am looking forward to it so much right now. ]]> xmas365 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=253 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=251 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:00:33 GMT This time of year always gets me to thinking about Christmas! I absolutely love Christmas. It never lasts long enough for me. That's one reason why I enjoy MMC so much. I can have Christmas year round and not look foolish!! haha

Here it is, August. Almost to the very end of August. September 1st, I will put out my fall decorations. I have a lovely fall wreath I made myself, along with another fall wreath I purchased, along with fall leaves and garlands. I hope to get pumpkins too. These decorations will stay up until at least until Thanksgiving. We will add to our porch a jackolantern for Halloween..probably the week before the actual day. They get mushyif you leave them up too long. Wanna ask me how I know?? Let's just say that experience is a good teacher!! hahaha

Then, in November, we will put out our Thanksgiving decorations. I have a cute little turkey and a few of Nathan's (who is currently 4 years old) his little crafts we've made through the years with him on display. Leave all that up until Thanksgiving Day.

Then. It. Happens. On Thanksgiving Day or the day after, we put up our CHRISTMAS TREE!!! A very exciting time for our family!! We all get in on the merry making and decorating. I cherish this time immensely. I love to sit by the glow of the Christmas tree lights at night. Especially if the house is quiet and all are sleeping and it's just me. Oh the solitude. Especially if I have a steaming Christmas mug full of Irish Creme or English Toffee cappucino. sigh.

Right now...I'm saying - BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!
]]> Faith4always http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=251 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=250 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:03:07 GMT As usual, I don't know how to start. I want to talk about 2 amazing people who I have known since I was about 16, a very, very long time. Their names are Paul and Sue and they are my very, very best friends in this world or any other. They are both nurses, she an R.N. and he an L.P.N. and both have hearts bigger and more giving than the sun. Throughout my life Paul and Susan as I call her have been with me in the worst possible times and also the best possible times. Paul was best man at my first wedding to David. In fact, he and David wen to to school together. I met Susan when I was dating David and Susan and Paul had begun to date. It was instant sisterhood, let me tell you. I could go on and on about how wonderful these 2 people are and what they mean to me but we would be here all day and it would get really boring for those of you trying to read this, so I will cut it down to a couple of incidents.

In 1992 Paul and Susan and David and I had a ritual of meeting on Monday evenings at a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. David and I would attend music lessons first, he studying guitar theory and I studying piano. We would then meet and have dinner with our dear friends. On November 2, 1992, as I have stated in earlier blogs, to my horror I came home that day and found my beloved David deceased from a gunshot wound to his head by his own hand. After all the panic had passed and 911 had been called I called Paul and Sue to tell them. Susan answered the phone. How do I tell her ?? David was like a brother to her. I somehow managed to let her know what had happened. IMMEDIATELY she and Paul came to our house. They were understandably quite shaken as well. Without being too gruesome or graphic, I must mention that there was a lot of blood left behind after David was transported from the scene which the paramedics and everyone stated was not their responsibility. Without my even asking them, the nursing instinct took over in both Paul and Susan and they cleaned up the whole room themselves. They made sure not a speck of what had happened was visible to the naked eye. I don't know how they did it. I asked them later on how they had managed it and they both told me that they had to think of it as someone else, a stranger, detach themselves. I am glad they were able to do that because without them being able to act as they did I would have been left with an even greater reminder of the tragedy that had just happened. They were totally and completely selfless. They always have been. They helped me to start to live again.

That Christmas I will never forget. Though quite devastated, I wanted my tree up but then I didn't. I went back and forth on the matter. After I spent Thansgiving with Paul and Susan it was time to decide. David NEVER would have wanted me to NOT celebrate Christmas as it was as important to him as it is to me and he knew that. I made the excuse..."Oh it's too heavy, I don't know how to put it together." To the rescue came Paul and Susan and their 2 girls, Melissa who at the time was 14 and Melanie who at the time was 10. They all came over. We all embraced warmly, sang carols, made jokes and acted quite festive and decorated the tree, which in a weird way was not just a Christmas tree that year. It was a symbol of hope for the future and in a way a remembrance of an amazing life that had gone to another realm.

The years have passed. About 2 years ago another crisis was upon us. You all know how much I love my furchildren. One of my babies is Ivy. Ivy is a bit of a thing, mostly Chihuahua but partly something else but entirely love. On a particular evening in January I noticed that Ivy was having trouble walking. I had seen this before and I was afraid of what it was. A couple of years before she had ruptured a disc in her back. At that time my husband and I were able to take care of it. We rushed her to the doctor, they did x-rays and she was immediately taken to a specialist for a hemilaminectomy. In time she regained the ability to walk. I knew on that evening in January Ivy had ruptured another disc. Again, panic set in because this time my husband and I could not take care of it. We had been forced to go bankrupt and had no credit and when you are talking medical care either for people or animals a lot of it is about money and credit. As Susan is a nurse, I called her. I thought perhaps there was some wisdom that she could share and as this was a Sunday evening, I had no place else to turn. I did not know what to do. What Susan said without even being asked is that she had an account called Care Credit. It is like a credit account for health care and some veterinarians accept it. She said she would be glad to authorize Ivy's care and whatever it took by letting us use her credit. I called the specialty hospitlal and asked them if they accepted Care Credit and they did. With Susan's permission the hospital got in touch with her and set everything up. Ivy had her surgery and thanks to my blessed wonderful Susan, is still walking to this day. Nobody else would trust us. Nobody else cared. But Susan and Paul did. I made sure to get her paid back ASAP but she never even mentioned it to me. She trusted us utterly and completely. She knew the account would be paid off and in record time !! Without Susan stepping forward and offering such a simple and precious gift, Ivy would have been paralyzed or gone by now. As it is, she is STILL HERE !! And I thank God above for that.

There ARE angels on this Earth. I have been blessed with many but 2 of them outshine the rest. They are 2 extraordinarly loving and caring people name Paul and Susan. Sometimes the simplest gifts are not the expensive ones but often mean the most. The love and caring that Paul and Susan give outweighs the world's biggest diamond and is worth more than all the money in this world. ]]> caninemom3 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=250 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=249 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:30:43 GMT Well...I thought I would try my hand at typing a blog. I thought and thought (and thought) about what I should write about. I mean...there are so... Well...I thought I would try my hand at typing a blog. I thought and thought (and thought) about what I should write about. I mean...there are so many topics to talk about. How does one make a choice?

I suppose that I do not have to have to write about any one topic...but just talk about "stuff". Hey...I'm just winging this...I really have absolutely no idea where this journey is going to lead us!

So sit right back...and let's goooo!

I really try to look on the bright side of things. You know...think positively and what-not. Most of the time, I am a VERY bouncy and happy person! :dance:Yup...that's me...I'm bouncing! Believe you me...over the last couple of years I sure have had my moments! (But I'm sure at one point or another...I'll write more specifically about that).

Oh yes...there are times when I like to get all dressed up and take myself to this little party that I like to call "pity"! Sometimes (and if I'm being completely honest with you), I like to stay at this "pity party" for a while and chat it up with Mopey, Weepy, Grumpy, and...oh yes, I must not forget...Crankers!

Okay...so I find it quite odd that I (at these times) get some kind of "pleasure" out of wallowing in self-pity! I mean...I must get some enjoyment out of it - or I wouldn't keep going back. Right?

Thankfully...I can snap out of it relatively quick. How? Well...by remembering all the BLESSINGS in my life! I find that as long as I am feeling sorry for myself, and thinking and dwelling about what's wrong - I stay in that mind-set.

So...when I'm feeling the blues - what gets me out of it is putting my thoughts and mind on God...family...friends...music...Christmas (and Christmas music really does bring me out of it)!

Easy, right?...NOT! Sometimes it takes some work to get my stinking thinking turned around. Besides...I'd rather be bouncy and happy - than feeling sorry for myself anyway.

Well there you have it, Christmas friends. I didn't know I was going to "talk" about this...but I think the reason why my blog went to this topic is because of something that happened today. But - poking some fun at myself...putting things in perspective, and writing to you sure has turned things around! Thank you for "listening"!

Now...how do you end one of these things??? Hmmmm...rodger-wilco? Ummmmm...over-and-out? Ahhhhh...see you later allegator? Oh...how about this?...

THE END cheesy ]]> ChristmasHeart http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=249 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=248 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:53:12 GMT I think of my Father often.I miss him even more when I know he'd get a kick outta something.I was answering a Question when this memory popped into my head and like always I smiled and then let out a sigh,Knowing I cannot call him.Im just glad he left me with so many wonderful memories..

My father was a big Christmas Nut (wonder where I get it from) He couldnt wait to get the tree and Decorations up.Me and Kevin couldn't wait until mum & dad put the lights on the tree.Nothing more hilarious than my 5ft Mum and my 6ft dad fighting about the lights!After the Battle I'd call the rest of our Brothers and Sisters to tell them Yet again our tiny Mum had won..lol.
So when fake trees came out my mum got him a mini one.For Years this thing stayed decorated and lit up.Finally it burnt out and my father was heartbroken,it was summer so It would be awhile before we could get him another one.So I went into my stash of coloring books and picked out my masterpiece,colored that thing like my life depended on it.Wrote the date and that it was by me and added a note"To Pupi,since you cannot have a real tree, I hope this one will do".Love Vickie...
Brought that picture to his room and handed it to him.Let me tell ya I was beaming with pride like I painted the Mona Lisa! He looked at it and said" Aw,Baby Its beautiful,Thank You"! I'll never get rid of it,as he looked down at it,Running his big bear hands over it, taking up much of the paper.

So flash forward to April 2001 I had the Heartbreaking and extremely hard task of going through my Father's things.Eyes red,puffy and full of tears I saw lil things,like school pics,change,puzzle books,tapes of us using his voice recorder,Then my Jaw flew open there in a green picture frame my Dad had put The picture of a christmas tree I colored so many years before for him.I couldn't believe it,he kept it all those years. It was in great condition.My mum said that he could never throw it away.My Dad the big softy.I took that picture of a christmas tree back to Louisiana,and Hung it in my Newborn sons room.
There it satyed until Katrina hit in 2005 and it went to safety along with my Husband.I still have that picture,still in the green frame,and I can still see my Handsome father telling me he loved it....V. ]]> Mumof2 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=248 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=247 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:57:45 GMT This weekend while we were enjoying our time away, an old nemesis found its way back into my life with a vengeance. It had not reared its ugly head... This weekend while we were enjoying our time away, an old nemesis found its way back into my life with a vengeance. It had not reared its ugly head for quite awhile, and I thought it was under control since I am on medication for it now and have been for the last 5-6 months. The culprit is anxiety, or more appropriately put anxiety attack or panic attack. We were about to have lunch at an extremely busy food court, we just found a table and we were about to order and I just froze, I could not move, think clearly, or even figure out what to do next. My wife was egging me to go order and I could not do it, she didn't realize what was going on and at that moment I couldn't even tell her, she started getting upset with me and I was finally was able to tell her I was having an anxiety attack, she was able to convince me to get outside and I instantly started feeling better. It is such a scary feeling feeling like that, when your chest feels like it is getting squeezed in a vice and it gets hard to breath,and you feel like you are about to start to cry or jump through a window to get away, and it had been I believe over a year since I had my last one I couldn't figure out what was going on at first.
I have written before that I am an extremely shy person, and I would give up my "15 minutes of fame" in a heartbeat and when it comes to meeting new people I struggle mightily. I never had anxiety attacks until about 9 years ago at my wife's graduation from college, I had a complete meltdown, an experience I am still embarrassed about. I sat with her family and I just felt trapped and cried through the whole ceremony, needless to say her family was frightened about what was going on and I was at a loss. I believe it stems back to a month before her graduation we went to a wedding, and they did the traditional bouquet toss and my wife caught it, we were already engaged to be married so I had to make sure to catch the garter, which I did. At that point the DJ told me I had to dance over to her, which I could not do in front of so many people, he would not take no for an answer and I just kept saying I could not do it, finally he let me walk over to her, but at that point I was so frayed I just wanted to leave. The same day of the graduation we had another wedding to go to in the evening, and I was fearing the same thing all day which culminated in the attack. I had many after that and most seemed to occur at weddings, which I hate going to even to this day. I thought I had this old nemesis beaten but it lives in my thoughts and my life after this latest bout I just want this anxiety to leave me. It is not fair for my family to deal with me all of the sudden to be there but not there because I am stricken with this unseen fear. My life had been turning around after I started taking the medication, I had more confidence, was able to deal with crowded situations, and was able to relax more around everyone, but now I am worrying about when will it hit me, and if I think of it too much I feel my body entering "that feeling." I have an appointment with my doctor next week I hope he can help me get though this, he may just give me a stronger dosage of my medication. I just want to feel normal again. ]]> xmas365 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=247 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=246 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:42:50 GMT Image: http://jefferywestover.com/images/xmas68.jpg Last week we celebrated the 50th anniversary of my Mom and Dad. They never had a wedding. So...

Last week we celebrated the 50th anniversary of my Mom and Dad. They never had a wedding. So my siblings and I got together to throw them a party, complete with cutting a cake.

It was a big deal, especially since my Mom suffered two strokes in May. There was considerable doubt as to whether we should even try to hold such an event but the doctor insisted that we go for it. "Your mom needs to have something to look forward to and it will help her meet her rehab goals", he told us.

Indeed, he was correct. In the last few weeks before the party Mom made significant progress.

Her strokes were did not leave her conventionally disabled. Most stroke victims show left side weakness or paralysis but Mom's was particularly cruel in that it affected the parts of her brain that control memory and personality.

We quite honestly were grieving in May, thinking Mom might not ever be the same again.

But she put hours and hours into rehab and though some problems -- like her handwriting, for example -- remain most of the significant issues we noticed have subsided. Mom is back completely with her memory. She remembers, in fact, very vivid details of earlier times and her personality is as bright and sharp as ever.

It was my duty as part of this grand event to put together the slide show.

Let me qualify that statement with some details you don't know about me or my family.

My Dad was a geek before the word geek was even invented. Photography was a huge part of our lives when I was a child. We had our own darkroom and we used it all the time.

For years I thought it was my father's job exclusively to produce slide shows.

That term "slideshow" is a bit dated. I even had a daughter who asked me when I was working on this just what the word "slideshow" meant. I felt that was a good 21st century question.

Back in the day someone who was serious about photography would maybe own their own projector versus merely renting one. They might even own their own screen. (We had several).

But my Dad, when he would do a slideshow, would blow everyone away. He would use at least 20 projectors, sometimes even more. They were chained together and synchronized to drop slides to coordinated music and narration.

Mom was no slouch with a camera either. Back in an age before computers my mother would do all the graphic arts and if Dad needed animation Mom could draw it and Dad could photograph it and make characters move around the screen -- yes, with slides.

For such productions Dad had a screen that was a large as any you see in a theater today and the projectors would be behind it, requiring the slides to be loaded into trays backwards.

I tell you all this so you understand the pressures I was under in producing the "slideshow" for my parent's 50th. There are standards to be met in my family for such a thing. It was no small undertaking.

Plus 50 years worth of pictures from a family of photographers is a mountain of work. For the past year I have dedicated a huge chunk of time to scanning prints, slides and negatives and I don't think I even made a dent in the pile. Trying to compile that info and tell their story -- a love story, no less -- was quite the undertaking.

Well, the party was a week ago and the slideshow was a big success. What was once a daunting project is now a keepsake burned to DVD now safely in the hands of not only my parents but also all their kids, grandkids and great grandkids -- a mini-documentary of family history.

Truth be told, I had a great time putting it together. I remembered. I discovered. I saw my childhood past through my adult eyes. And I cried a lot.

Central to all the images and all the years they documented was the steady drumbeat of Christmas. We celebrated every year.

I relived every Christmas tree.

I saw many a Christmas morning again through images I had either long forgotten or frankly had never seen before.

I saw cookies being made, pies being consumed, presents being wrapped, carols being sung, and visits with Santa. Year after year after year.

Christmas is like a dear old friend. I never tire of looking back on how we celebrated -- and continue to celebrate the season.

Over the course of the past six months we have experienced some drama in my family. Things have been rough, to say the least.

But Christmas, as it usually does, pulled me out of the funk. Lost between the seasons those pictures documented was a lot of time not really remembered -- times not really worth cherishing. From either the drama of growing up or the mundane routine of supporting life there is a lot more time spent dealing with stuff than there are times like celebrating Christmas as a family.

But it is those good times we look back on. It is a season like Christmas or memories made together in some event -- like a 50th anniversary party -- that stay within the recesses of our minds as blessed.

I am a sentimental old fool. If you've read anything I've written through MMC all these years you know that about me.

But thank goodness I am. Christmas past, for me, isn't something to be left behind. It lifts me up even today -- even during times of the year when Christmas is far distant -- and it gives me proper perspective.

For Mom and Dad that is 50 Christmases together.

And that is quite a blessing indeed. ]]> Jeff Westover http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=246 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=245 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:32:07 GMT When I was younger watching The Santa Clause for the first few times I always thought, how cool would that be to become Santa and live the life of... When I was younger watching The Santa Clause for the first few times I always thought, how cool would that be to become Santa and live the life of fantasy and be able to bring joy to the world over. I would have given up everything much like Scott Calvin did to become the big guy. Now as they say wisdom comes with age, I look at the blessings in my life and would I really want to give up all I have to become the big guy. I can only imagine the feelings of joy brought on by being Santa Claus, but the reason in me now makes me think what a lonely life that might be, no family around, yeah sure you would have the elves but it is not like having your family. In my life the decisions I have made have made me into the man I am today, and if I could make some decisions over I would do probably do some different, but most I would do the same over and over. Scott Calvin made his decision by putting on the red jacket, it took over his life for better or worse, making him leave his old life behind. He had to relearn basically everything he knew to adjust to his new life and world around him. I am happy in the way my life has turned out, I no longer long to be the "new Santa" as I once did, because I am Santa to my boys. My life changed because I took a chance, a chance I knew I had to make, my "red jacket." I am a shy person who hit the lottery in life with all I have, not monetary, but love from the family that surrounds me. I miss them when I go to work, I look forward to seeing them when they and I wake in the morning, and my heart still skips a beat when I see my wife after being apart all day. My "red jacket" has made my world a better place and if you had the chance would you put on that "red jacket." ]]> xmas365 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=245 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=244 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:30:06 GMT I did not think I would feel like this tonight. For most people August 11 is just the day before August 12 and August 12 is just another day. For me,... I did not think I would feel like this tonight. For most people August 11 is just the day before August 12 and August 12 is just another day. For me, however, August 12 is the commemoration of the death of my big brother, Andy, the brother I was closest to. I have posted in another blog about Andy and August 12 so I do not want to be repetitious here. My mood and emotions are dark this evening, darker than indigo. Why does it still hurt so much ?? I would have thought that after this long I would "get over" it. That is not the case. It is all still quite vivid to me and it hurts. As it was told to the family Andy had died sometime between 2 and 3 in the afternoon that day but the family did not find out about it until evening time because law enforcement could not decide whose jurisdiction it was. Ridiculous !!

Andy, you are supposed to be here. The pain of being without you and your friendship is paralyzing and excruciating at the same time. What I would give to see your face again, talk to you, even just share a meal together. The one comfort I have is that even though Andy was not a church going person, he did believe and I know that Heaven got sunshine itself when Andy appeared at the Pearly Gates. Perhaps even our Lord himself smiled as He saw Andy enter Heaven. Godspeed my dear big brother, Godspeed. Your little sister still loves you and misses you as much as ever xo ]]> caninemom3 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=244 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=243 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:16:21 GMT I have never before done a blog. I have heard the term many times. Seems to be a very important thing for some people and and ohhhh stay away from... I have never before done a blog. I have heard the term many times.
Seems to be a very important thing for some people and and ohhhh stay away from that thing to others.
After doing a bit of looking around, I discovered it is just like an old fashioned diary. You know, the kind we used to write in as kids and lock with a little key, thinking our little brother or sister would now never be able to open it and read our private thoughts. The difference is that this does not come with a little lock and key and it can be read as easily as the hard copy that did come with a key!
As in years gone by, there is something comforting about writing down ones thoughts, dreams and hopes. Being able to look back and read about what happened a few years back is sometimes fun, sometimes painful often humorous.(even if it wasn't at the time!)
So my conclusion is that "blogging" is a good thing and I think I will continue with it for at least a little while and see what happens.
(maybe even let my brothers have the "key" and have some fun reading again!) cheesy ]]> Christmasstar http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=243 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=242 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:56:27 GMT Hello everyone, I have been gone for a while, just life getting the best of me I guess... No excuse, but I am so happy I logged on again, it made me... Hello everyone, I have been gone for a while, just life getting the best of me I guess... No excuse, but I am so happy I logged on again, it made me feel so happy just to see all of the posts and games going on, it reminds me that the world is a WONDERFUL place and I am so lucky to be a part of it all!!!:snowball: ]]> lauriebear777 http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/blog.php?b=242