Christmas is on its way...

So, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I'm not quite ready for Christmas still. Today was the first day in a long time that PC didn't have to get up at 6am to go in to work, it was nice for both of us. We've made our run to our local Wal Mart and contributed to the spending of the holiday time. I actually started spending money yesterday, new home, new things needed, lol... We have a fireplace and I had to get some decorations for the mantel!! :) Good reason to spend some money, right? Work with me here people!!

I started cleaning up the Thanksgiving decorations yesterday and started with the mantel with the XMas decorations and so today, it's major cleaning, rearranging furniture so the XMas tree can go up today. PC was already having to look for a stud in the living room to hang my tree... fun, fun!! WooHoo!!

In doing all this cleaning and rearranging of furniture, I've been playing XMas music this whole time, so I leave you with this piece... it's off of Santa Baby CD, Song: River by Sarah McLachlan

Wishes from the Cat House

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

(To my wonderful son in Austin, Tx... I love you and I'm sorry you couldn't make it down for the day, but please know that you are in our thoughts as we gather together this day and always.)

Thanksgiving Day, as celebrated in North America, is a time to gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many blessings enjoyed by these nations and their citizens. However, to many people, its meaning is lost. It has become simply another day for huge meals, dinner parties, get-togethers or reunions. What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

My thoughts and prayers are also with all our military men and women and all those serving this wonderful country! I also wish all those families and individuals that are alone or seperated from their loved ones and find themselves alone on this day.

More wishes can be found with my following peeps:

Texas Fred
Mushy's Moochings
Big Dogs Weblog
American and Proud
Born Again Redneck
Big White Hat

I leave you all with this:

Thanksgiving Delights

On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for
Our blessings all year through,
For family we dearly love,
For good friends, old and new.

For sun to light and warm our days,
For stars that glow at night,
For trees of green and skies of blue,
And puffy clouds of white.

We’re grateful for our eyes that see
The beauty all around,
For arms to hug, and legs to walk,
And ears to hear each sound.

The list of all we’re grateful for
Would fill a great big book;
Our thankful hearts find new delights
Everywhere we look!

By Joanna Fuchs

I couldn't resist

I missed my Maxine Monday posting, things have been real busy at work and this was sent to me today by a good friend, so here is Maxine in all her glory! I couldn't resist, with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow and normally the women are in the kitchen cooking (some men too) this just seemed appropriate for a bit of Maxine Humor on Men and cooking.... (in this case, grilling). If it were up to PC, we'd be grilling Steaks instead of cooking a big bird with all the trimmings....

gotta love these men!!

I'll be a bit early on my wishes, but... I want to wish everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving! We will be headed out to PC's mom's and then afterwards, picking up my kids and heading out to Steak and Ale for our dinner. You might ask "Why Steak and Ale?" Well, there was alot of struggling with this decision, but in the end, it just seemed the more wisest thing to do in our situation. I hate short changing my kids with a home cooked meal (which I love to go all out), but... I would have to do all or most of the cooking tonight for two meals and then after running across town between his family and then to pick up kids on the other end of Houston (all about an hours drive from one another). We wouldn't be eating dinner with my kids til about 7ish. By the time we pick up my kids, get home, get dinner heated up and served... no time will be had for spending quality time together, and as I was reminded by PC, that's what Thanksgiving is all about! Family!!! I have struggled with this one for many days now, Thank you PC for being so patient through my struggle and for reminding me of the real reason behind the holiday. *I tend to want to be a bit like June Cleaver sometimes... We just don't live in those kind of days anymore, but I wish I did.

The following site is full of neat ideas, suggestions, and things to do with the kids (although mine are adults now) it's a great site. Check it out:

Thanksgiving for All couldn't have said it better...

"Thanksgiving is a time for togetherness... it's an occasion to be spent in the warm and loving company of family, loved ones and friends enjoying turkey roast and pumpkin pies with them. Thanksgiving is also an opportunity to renew the ties that bind us with the ones we love... it is a time for remembering, cherishing and being thankful for all the good things you have been blessed with.

So it's time to say 'Happy Thanksgiving'."

Top Ten Thanksgiving Movies

Here's a list of the top ten Thanksgiving movies:

• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
• Alice's Restaurant
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• The Ice Storm
• What's Cooking
• Tadpole
• Pieces of April
• The Myth of Fingerprints
• Hannah and her Sisters
• Home for the Holidays

Keep the Thanksgiving spirit scaled held high with some of the fun filled Thanksgiving movies

Yes, thanksgiving is right around the corner...

This is a fun post, the mushy and deep thinking one will come within the week. For now, here you go...

Your Pilgrim Name Is

Constance Lester

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

I received this in an email this morning by someone very dear and that is in the same field I am, only owns her own business. I was sharing some experiences with her about some of my day in and day out experiences with some end users and she was sweet enough to share the following with me. Thanks... :)

Be thankful for the troubles of your job, they provide about half your income. Because if it were not for the things that go wrong, the difficult people you have to deal with, and the problems and unpleasantness of your working day, someone could be found to handle your job for half of what you are being paid.

It takes intelligence, resourcefulness, patience, tact and courage to meet the troubles of any job.

If all of us would start to look for more troubles, and learn to handle them cheerfully and with good judgment, as opportunities rather than irritations, we would find ourselves getting ahead at a surprising rate. For it is a fact that there are plenty of big jobs waiting for men and women who aren't afraid of the troubles connected with them.

Zimbabwee has gone DSL!!

WOOHOOO!!! OK, so I should rephrase that... the Cat household has been thrown in with the privileged and elite group of DSL users! No more Dial Up for us!!! We have had to endure the following since May of this year, 6 months too long!



I can't believe it, we're walking amongst the normal again!!! Well, ok, maybe not completely normal, but I do feel that now PC and I will be trying to get up earlier than the other one, to see who gets to the computer first!! :) PC beat me to it this morning! He had more patience with the dial up than I did, but then again... look who his girlfriend is... ME! LOL!!! He has to have patience.... (Ok, no comments allowed from the Peanut Gallery!!!. Ok... some comments allowed.

You know, I may not have won the lotto, but
WE HAVE DSL people!!!

I feel like I'm scrambling to catch up with all my Internet surfing that I have fallen short of in the last six months! Where to start, where to start... should I pay bills first? How about answer all my email? Maybe check out the latest and newest blogs, better yet, catch up with alot of the good blogs that are on my list. Read up and enlighten my mind with our soldiers fighting for our freedom and those that don't have a voice, or catch up with the latest on what's new with cooking, gardening.... so much to surf.... so freakin' little time!!!

I have housework to do and I can't walk away from the computer!!! Damn!!!

Repost from "Whatever It Is, God Is Bigger"

Yesterday, about 3:30 pm, I received a call from my oldest son, I was still at work and was right in the middle of assisting one of our resident Psychiatrists with some urgent computer needs. I told my son that I would call him back as I could not speak to him at that moment. Time went by, and I'm still assisting the resident Psychiatrist at least half an hour, and at 4:10, I received a text message from my son that he was being taken to the hospital for stitches. *(Pictures posted are of my son... doing what he loves best! I LOVE YOU SON!)




Well, being a mother, I panicked and my heart dropped! Understand too that this is my 26 year old son, and is very well known for skateboarding. I knew that his brother and a friend were visiting him in Austin and somehow I just knew that it had to be a related injury to skateboarding or his work, (I was leaning more towards the skateboarding though). Needless to say, I had to call him immediately and find out the details of his trip to the hospital and the seriousness of his injuries.




My son kept trying to tell me he was OK, while at the same time, explaining to me that as he was coming down a half pipe, he lost his balance and fell face first, shattering his right prescription eyeglass lens, which resulted in cutting him up by his eyebrow, scrapes around his face, bruises I'm sure as well. I was cringing and feeling, literally, his pain. I was being a "mommy"... My son finally had to pass the phone to their friend so that he could ease my worries. Needless to say, I did have a few words with God at that moment, but I went home that evening and lifted my children in prayer.



More here

Beware of Garbage Trucks

I ran across this during my lunch time and felt compelled to pass it on, I think we all have a bit to learn here... I especially need to make sure to NOT be one that Dumps. I'm sure I've had my days, need to concentrate to change that.

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly he/she can get back her focus on what’s important. Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab.Here’s what happened. …… I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.

So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You’ll be happy you did.
So this was it: The “Law of the Garbage Truck.” I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: At work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I’m not going to do it anymore.”

Well, now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying.I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don’t make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

Autumn Feelings

The coming of autumn brings mixed feelings.

The beauty of the colors, the swirling falling gold, scarlet, russet, gold, red and brown leaves among some still green.

The cool crisp air, dark mornings and early evenings.

The gentle breeze swaying the multicolored leaves carpet nature's floor.
Winter is coming.

Autumn reminds me that change is imminent - don't know what Winter will bring. Transitions, changes, challenges.

The cycle of life, as one becomes an other.

The Summer is a memory, the Winter, an illusion.

Each day must be lived in it's own time.

Each tomorrow must be faced in it's own time.Today it is a temperate season.

A good time to live in today.To enjoy natures beauty, to live just now.

Tomorrow there is this, at least to remember.

To be in harmony with nature, enjoy the beauty.

Enjoy the long comfortable nights.

Today LIFE IS GOOD.

Count Your Blessings

*I seem to be missing my "cheerful attitude" today... I'm feeling empty... I need to remind myself of all the blessings God has brought in to my life.

All spiritual growth points us toward serenity. When we find it, we also find a cheerful attitude. When we feel at peace with the world we "Put on a happy face."

Cheerfulness is a personal choice. It begins with our acceptance of reality as we continue to grow spiritually. When we give our cheerfulness to others, we are also keeping for ourselves the peace that emotional growth brings us.

Cheerfulness is a big part of a positive attitude. Without it, we wouldn't be able to accept the things we need to accept. Cheerfulness can't exist without freedom.

Peace of mind and serenity are never forced on me. I must have an open heart and open mind to receive it.

Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you."
~Pueblo Blessing ~