It's New Years Eve So: Wave Your Hands In The Air Like You Just Don't Care

HAVE A FUN NEW YEARS EVE, PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

Time To Take A Rest

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I've been doing some marathon posting in December and now it's time to take a short break to prepare for the New Year. Lots of exciting things happening in 2008 and I want to be mentally and physically ready.

So it's time to rest, set up some new healthy habits and maybe come up with fresh ideas for 2008 posts.

Till 2008.
Kathy

In A World Torn Apart, We Wish You And Yours The Peace Of The Christ Child

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together - 1979


The Peace Carol

The garment of life, be it tattered and torn,
the cloak of the soldier is withered and worn.
But what child is this that was poverty-born, the peace of Christmas Day.

The branch that bears the bright holly, the dove that rests in yonder tree.
The light that shines for all to see, the peace of Christmas Day.

The hope that has slumbered for 2000 years,
the promise that silenced 1000 fears.
A faith that can hobble an ocean of tears, the peace of Christmas Day.

The branch that bears the bright holly, the dove that rests in yonder tree.
The light that shines for all to see, the peace of Christmas Day.

Add all the grief that people may bear, total the strife, the troubles and care.
Put them in columns and leave them right there, the peace of Christmas Day.

The branch that bears the bright holly, the dove that rests in yonder tree.
The light that shines for all to see, the peace of Christmas Day.
The branch that bears the bright holly, the dove that rests in yonder tree.
The light that shines for all to see, the peace of Christmas Day.

Words and Music by Bob Beers

Merry Christmas (You're A Drunk)

Performed by Paul Hipp
From my favorite place The Huffington Post

Here's To The Hard Workin Dude In The Red Suit

Santa, not that kind of hard workin.

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

Now for your listening pleasure we have the smooth tones of: (click on link)

Santa Claus and his Reindeer

"She Was Blinded By The Light" *

Choo Choo was definitely telling me something. To save myself a lawsuit I deleted all the burnt retina squinty ones.

*Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Mariah's Merry Christmas

I know concerning the blog postings I've been a little heavy on the videos but I wanted to share with you, in case you haven't come across them, some of the informative or fun stuff that I'm finding, that I agree with and like.

If you happen to read a post in my blog and agree or disagree or just want to leave a note please use the comments icon underneath the post.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it's queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Please read John Lundberg's essay on Christmas and Robert Frost's poems @ Huffington Post

2000 - 2007 Wrap Up: Good Bye To The Last Seven Years.

Angora mother goat and her kid.
Back in 2000 when we owned our farmhouse with goats, cats, dogs and a lot of emotional turmoil, I sat down with a friend who was also the youth pastor at my church. In one part of the conversation he said to me, "Kathy, sometimes when we have a lot of other obligations in our life like our animals, our job or even our church we begin to use them to replace something that we feel we're not receiving anywhere else and they begin to fill up our lives and they sometimes take over." I realized then that all that time I was doing what made me feel good I was just wandering alone in the dark. I lost the balance. I just didn't get it right. So I lost my home and I lost my dream.



My family knows I developed an anxiety disorder in my early twenties. The combination of anxiety and what I wanted for my home not falling into place led to my depression. After we sold the house I think I buried it for awhile. But it was still there like a dark cloud and it continued to come back off and on over the next seven years and reached a point so bad last year that I wasn't even leaving my apartment except to see my doctor. For seven years of my life. Seven years since we sold the house, seven birthdays, seven anniversaries, seven Mother's Days, seven Christmases, seven years of no close friends, seven years all by myself except for doctors, therapists, Bruce and Choo Choo. My precious little companion.

Emotions at their worst.
This year there are Christmas lights and decorations on the mantle and our little fiber optic tree is on the hearth. Still it bothers me that Christmas cards didn't go out again this year or the house doesn't look that pretty yet from the street. Being a homeowner in the first year we're financially strained and I can't find the motivation to go out to pick up a few things from the store, even with debit and gift cards in hand. That would shock my Gram, I was such a shopaholic. My family is in New York, the boys will have Christmas in Lynchburg and we'll be here in Richmond.

Please don't take this as a pity party. I know how awful others can have it at this time of year. But sometimes I get stuck in a sadness I can't shake. People have to realize it becomes a part of who you are, your psyche, all the way down to your bones. "Snap out of it" or "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" are old sayings that don't work. Accomplishments make some things better but there's no going back to the way things were. Like in the melancholy Streisand-Redford movie that's what I need to come to grips with.

This particular writing is my Christmas present and New Year's wish to myself. Even if only one person reads my blog it has been really cathartic for me. It lets me verbalize and show in pictures and videos what makes up my DNA and who I am. I think when I started this blog I said it would be short and I hoped interesting but I needed to get some "heavier things" out of the way.
Now that the Christmas Holyday is so near, I will be getting back to that intention. I am wishing for a 2008 that shows me where I'm going and not writing about where I've been.

Where Are You Christmas

I do love Christmas but in growing up I've misplaced it somewhere.

Finding The True Meaning Of Christmas - "That Was Easy"

Why are so many people troubled by this video? Because it excludes others? You tell me how a Christmas wish from a Christian at a Christian holiday can include other religions.

Is it political? Well sure it is. It's being run and paid for by a political campaign for a candidate running for President. Is that wrong? I'm a liberal and I'm not convinced it is. I think it's a message that is true and sincere. We can't have it both ways as we so often like to do in America. Either we embrace the true meaning of the Christian holiday of Christmas or we don't.

President Bush is a Christian. His Christmas message from last year was to shop. Bruce and his staff are working extended holiday hours so everyone can have that perfect gift under their tree. If the employees are not sick by Christmas then they're so exhausted that they'll be lucky if they even want to get up Christmas morning.

This is how we honor HIM who many of us say is more important than anything else. This is the day we also show love and gratitude to others important to us as well, our men and women in uniform protecting our "rights" and those that were killed in service to our country including those on September 11, 2001. This is a season to show them "how we never forget."

Come On...Cut the crap.....When we're out there buying those gifts let's be honest about who it is we're really making happy at this Christmas Season.

Oh and don't forget those too... that get sick and tired trying.

There's A Black Hole In My Holiday Heart

sym·pa·thy
1: an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other.
sym·pa·thize
1: to react or respond in sympathy 2: to share in suffering or grief : commiserate ; also : to express such sympathy.
A: " It gets so crazy this time of year that I feel just like Alice In Wonderland about to go down the rabbit hole."
B: "I know just how you feel."

ILLUSTRATIONS DERIVED FROM SIR JOHN TENNIEL'S 1865 DRAWINGS

em·pa·thy
1: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.
em·pa·thize
1: to experience empathy
A: "This time of year can sometimes overwhelm me with such a sadness that I feel like I've been pulled into a black hole."
B: "Yea, me too."

An illustration of the twisted space and distorted magnetic fields of a black hole. Courtesy: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Did you notice the word differences in the two definitions? The words "the action of."

I can sympathize because our rabbit holes maybe different or even the same at the holidays. What about the experience of the inability to resist the gravitational pull of the black hole. The being sensitive to the silly small things piling up and out of control in a depressed persons mind.

Because depression is such a unique process, it's hard to truly see or feel the black hole of sadness at the holidays. When does it start, the swirling a little, then a stop if you've caught it in time . Or it continues to swirl until it's too late and you're part of that black hole. Your depression has consumed you and now you have become the invisible.

in·vis·i·ble
1 a: incapable by nature of being seen b: inaccessible to view : hidden 2: imperceptible, inconspicuous

Just Two Good Old Boys - Thirty Years Down The Road

My boys loved watching the Dukes Of Hazzard so much that they thought were Bo and Luke Duke. Scott was Bo and Mike was Luke. We thought it was so cute when Mike followed Scott around saying "You want to play, Bo?" or
"Bo, Bo........

Brotherly Love Mike and Scott Style


Bruce and I bought this same Dukes Of Hazzard set for the boys at Christmas in 1982 or 1983 when I was working at Fay's Drug Store. This plastic General Lee with Bo and Luke action figures is selling on eBay for $445.00

The General Lee1
Read about The General Lee @ Wikipedia
If you're a fan there are tons of Dukes of Hazzard and General Lee sites on the web check them out.

Thank You And Happy Holidays To The Troops And WTF's Up With That Little Plane

According to conservatives at Freedom's Watch we'll never be safe without them and there's always a hijacked plane headed to a city near you.

The Christmas Traditions Of My Grandmother

Christmas Celebration with Oplatki

Polish, Slovak and Lithuanian background families are observing this Christmas Tradition. Family members and friends break off a piece of oplatek and give it to one another to eat, expressing the best wishes and blessing upon them and asking for forgiveness.

This is a tender, touching family celebration of love and forgiveness.

In remembrance of our Mi Mi.

The Christmas Traditions Of My Mother

"Wesolych Swiat"
(Season's Greetings)

No these ladies are not members of my family although they are singing a very familiar song.

Ann And Mike Are Engaged

Wedding date October 18, 2008!!!! more to come......................

I Want A Hippopatamus For Christmas

When my sister-in-law Mary Beth and I were co-workers, way way too long ago, we took a one day bus trip to New York City to shop.

Of course we went to Macy's Department Store, that was before one was on every corner in the country, and I saw this ugly green hippo in the toy department. At dusk, as we were heading back to the bus, I decided that I had to have that hippo. So there we were running I don't know how many blocks back to Macy's so I could buy my hippo. Mary Beth was so good to me that she even bought a hippo in sympathy too. The terrible thing is, like most things we think don't matter when they should, is I don't know where that hippo is. When times are meaningful keep what's important.
Merry Christmas.

Where Two Or More Are Gathered In My Name - Final Part 4

This is not a "feel good" Gospel text. The key to Christian community and Christian social justice is a world in which cooperation, community, compassion, and the charity of Christ are paramount and to which all other things are subservient.

The Kingdom of God reigns not just when the oppressed are liberated but even more when the oppressors are liberated from their insecurities and fears. In Christian social ethics we are involved in one another's conversion to justice and charity. We cannot hate, compete, compare, or dominate one another and still expect the new community of Christ to unfold. Our assurance that this is the Gospel, is that God in Christ does none of these to us!

The whole struggling world is wrestling with these issues. We are invited, challenged, and confronted to enter into this struggle. Such a struggle is one of courage and trust, rooted in our faithfulness to God and certainly God's faithfulness to us. In this one, we simply cannot remain on the sidelines. Amen.


Remaining on the sidelines, that's what I have been doing for seven long years. When we sold our house I felt I had lost my dream. It was a hard choice on my family to move to Virginia. But it was beautiful here and I had a dream. It didn't turn out perfect but I came close. I had my farm, animals and friends but at what cost. The cost of the closeness of extended family.

In 2000 we sold the house and started our economic adventure to retirement and then there also went all the friends that we made in our neighborhood, church and with our goat club. None to be replaced. It's been a lonely seven years. That's why when you have good people giving advice and sermons from the ages you should wake up and listen. It is as they say "for your own good". You don't want to go to bed at night as that miserable lonely Scrooge - reminded even more so at the holiday season. Wake up to hear what the world is telling you.

Scrooge in Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" does wake up before it's too late. Don't be stubborn, wake up, listen and read what's out there to change your life. If you do the work you will be paid in return with all that's good. You won't have bouts of regret, sadness, or ever be alone.

Steven Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is an excellent book on how to look at your life and what you need to do to make it whole. With all my Christmas Blessings.

Chris Dodd, A Man Still Working For Americans

“Today we have scored a victory for American civil liberties and sent a message to President Bush that we will not tolerate his abuse of power and veil of secrecy,” Mr. Dodd said in a statement.

“The president should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecom companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens,” he said. “I thank all my colleagues who joined me in fighting and winning a stay in the rush to grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies who may have violated the privacy rights of millions of Americans.”


Senator Chris Dodd is a man to be more than admired. He put the rule of law ahead of politics.
Leaving his Presidential campaign in Iowa to come back to Washington and attempt to hold the Bush Administration accountable to breaking the law and abusing the Constitution. He did more for America in that moment than all the candidate's talking points combined. It's a shame that his campaign is not given the recognition it deserves by the voters or the media. Lean more about Senator Dodd at his official Senate site or support Chris Dodd for President 2008

Happy 30th Birthday Scott

My baby is 30 today. In my eyes I still see that little boy. With his silky blond hair and his cute little glasses. He looked so vulnerable. How I wish I could have hugged away all the scary things in his life.

I also see the fine young man. I love them both. More to come.............

Middle Class Struggle At Christmas

I bet I'm not the only one who has this dream of what Christmas should look like.

First, when you grow up in NY there should always be snow. How many songs say so? I'm dreaming of a White Christmas, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, jingle bells all the way, and baby it's cold outside. Then we'll all be home for Christmas, you can count on me and our days will be merry and bright. Granted that's somewhat of a dream Christmas given to us by magazines and department stores and we all certainly don't live where there is falling snow. But we should be able to have somewhat of dream for our families. What is it that our government keeps telling us about the "American Dream". Doesn't that include the holidays?

President Bush on Monday tried to reassure an edgy public that the economy is "pretty good" despite the dreary mix of a failing housing market, a national credit crunch and surging energy costs.

That's funny, I'm not seeing it. I have to say right up front that at the moment I don't work. When Michael was one I went back to work and held a job until 2000. That's almost twenty years. In that time we bought two houses, the boys grew up and moved out and Bruce changed jobs to one where he might have to move to take on new opportunities.

His new job took him into retail which has a more flexible schedule with more week days off than not. I always seemed to hold down a Monday through Friday job with the weekends off. We decided that we were no longer happy to be like those two ships passing in the night and did what we needed to do to make that not happen.

It's seven years later and a lot economically has changed. Once Bruce became a store manager his salary has increased only incrementally. As we aged our health care costs skyrocketed. Gasoline, maintenance and insurance on two cars is out of sight. Food and other service costs have risen along with gasoline prices and since we have settled down again our housing costs with mortgage payment and utilities have exploded.


Bush Claims ‘We Have Fabulous Health Care’ Compared To ‘Other Systems Around The World’
"I’m going to tell you something — we have fabulous health care in America, just so you know. I think it’s very important — before people start griping about the health care system here — and of course there’s always grounds for complaint — just to compare it with other systems around the world".

According to the article The Medical Money Pit, In 2002, the U.S. spent more on health care per person than other industrial countries like Britain, Canada, France, and Germany. But unlike those countries, which have universal health care systems, there are roughly 47 million Americans who lack health coverage.

Our family health care coverage has been excellent. We have always been employed with good companies that provided wonderful coverage. We were fortunate. We still pay quite a bit out of pocket for co-pays on doctor visits and medications. But nothing close to full price. What about our uninsured?



The Middle Class Squeeze highlights how Bush Administration and Congressional policies are failing middle-class Americans. Stagnating or declining real wages for workers, exploding health care and college costs, and record-high gas prices -- among other challenges -- are damaging most Americans' way of life. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration and Congress have passed trillion-dollar tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy, and have pushed a variety of policies that hurt workers and their families. Taken together, these developments are squeezing the middle class, and threatening most Americans' valued way of life.


* Only 31 percent of families who would be considered middle class by income are financially secure.
* One in four middle-class families are at high risk of slipping out of the middle class.
* Nearly four out of five families earning a middle-class income do not have sufficient assets to survive for just three months should their income source fluctuate or disappear.
* Twenty-one percent of middle-class families have less than $100 per week ($5,000 per year) remaining after meeting essential living expenses.
* In nearly one in four middle-class families, at least one family member lacks health insurance.
* More than half of middle-class families have no net financial assets whatsoever.

We all make choices..how many children did we have, did we over spend on the credit cards, and should we work another job to help out. It's just as important to me how the government is making it's choices. I made my choices, I'm not whining or complaining. I'm just stating some tough facts. We've done it before, come up short at Christmas and again we'll try harder next year. It won't be the first time for this family that Christmas has come in January.

Finding Time For Our Families At The Holidays

A lot of people take the bus.

More are starting to take the train.

Most, if they can afford it take a plane.

Is this one of the reasons family life is struggling in America. Have we dispensed with what it takes to make a caring family and instead gone our own way to do our own thing. Have we lost both our way and our way back. Families are large, families are small, families are easy and families are difficult. One thing we may have forgotten is that families can be love and comfort and support.

My family has a friend whose family gets together every Christmas. They started out gathering with house parties and now they meet at a restaurant because the family is 90 strong. They take the time to see one another at the busy holiday. It's important to them and I'm sure this importance of family was passed down from a parents generation.

It doesn't matter the size of your family. I would say it's even more important to keep a small family together. Kids should know cousins and be able to count on Aunts, Uncles, Brothers, Sisters, and Grandparents.

I ask myself, have we let economic need and other things drive us apart. What can we do to make more of an effort in guiding the next generation back to the family? If there is an answer I would like to know. Maybe it would save someone the heartache I suffer when I think of my family not just at the holidays but all year through. Or do we continue living our own lives with a sprinkling of family thrown in at the holidays.

It's Not Christmas Without Charlie Brown

I love hearing all the old standards on the radio when it's the holidays. Around the house though nothing puts me more in the mood for Christmas than the jazz of Vince Guaraldi. I still love watching A Charlie Brown Christmas but there's nothing like dancing with your dog to "Linus and Lucy" to put you in the holiday spirit.

NPR Music: Behind Guaraldi's Timeless Holiday Soundtrack

Christmas Bells Those Christmas Bells

My BFF, Sally

Please note the size and color of each item, and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself: Just send money. How about tens and twenties?

Yea I know, not exactly the "Reason For The Season" but life is short and I've found so many new toys.

The Colors Of Christmas - One Can Be Blue

Do you get "blue" at the holiday's? Here's my tip............

"Unfortunately people who find themselves depressed and do nothing about it are prone to staying depressed."

Check out Christmas depression at the professor's house.
If it's more than just feeling blue, please call someone or seek medical attention.
I did.

Do I still get "blue"?
Sure, but I was fortunate and was referred to a great doctor. Thank You, Dr. P.
I worry about all those that are not insured or who suffer from a more debilitating form of depression and wonder why and how can that happen in this great country.

And yes, those are condoms. Even with a serious subject you can't lose your sense of humor.

Autumn: Time To Make A House A Home

I love our house in Chesterfield County. The hard work we're doing (at our age) is turning it into the home we've wanted but haven't had for the past seven years.

I admit when I look around my neighborhood and the trees are bare and the dry brown leaves cover everything and are blowing everywhere, I miss the rental condo at the bay. Even in the dead of winter it was beautiful. We lived in the far upper left condo with a fantastic view and a cathedral ceiling but with a cold three flight outdoor hike to get there. On those windy bay nights I wished it had a elevator and a fireplace.

Looking out our patio to the left was the far end of Mill Creek Pond, the bay front homes of Chesapeake Landing and the Chesapeake Bay.

To the right you could see the greater part of Mill Creek Pond with the Army Base Fort Monroe on the left and The Hampton Bay Bridge Tunnel straight ahead. During the day on the bridge the sun would flash off the sides of the tractor trailers and at night it was a line of bright lamps and twinkling headlights.



These last two photos are just a few of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets we viewed. When the trees at the base weren't full of leaves, in the spring and fall, you had your best view of the bay traffic. From small fishing boats to cargo and Navy ships including aircraft carriers and once at dusk we saw a cruise ship lit up from stem to stern.

I'm sure some people think we've moved around quite a bit over the past thirty years of marriage and I would agree. I told Bruce that I've been blessed to call five places my home over those thirty years. Westcott Road-Garden Street, my true family home, where my Mom and Dad raised me. First Avenue, by far not my favorite, but a good place to raise our young sons. Hillcrest Drive, by far not my sons favorite, but I got to raise some Angora Goats. Atlantic Avenue, our shortest time to call home but one close to the ocean and my heart. Creasman Drive, our Autumn home, not our last (I hope) but our best.

Mill Creek Landing Apartments - Hampton, Virginia

Christmas Going Green

If you're in the market for last minute Christmas lights or are thinking ahead to next year, check out the light selection at HolidayLeds.com. They offer safer cool to the touch light sets that also use 90% less energy. Lights come in multi or clear and several bulb styles.

They will also recycle the light sets that you already have. Just one more way you can save money by saving the earth.

My Katie Girl

I'm sorry Katie, we don't have doggie dental.