FAMILY CHRISTMAS FUN

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HOLIDAY READINGS

Being home for a week gave me the chance to catch up on some reading, which is something I almost never do anymore but in the past have LOVED to do! I would absolutely recommend both of these books, but for obvious, different reasons:


#1: Marley and Me by John Grogan: "The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life." John Grogan was a newspaper journalist and columnist who would write stories about Marley, his dog, and eventually turned them into a book about his experiences with him. I've read this once before and but wanted to re-read it during Christmas, and before I see the movie. Even if you don't like dogs, you'll enjoy this book. It may make you never want to get a dog, but you'll still like the book!






#2: Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza: "Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Her family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Miraculously, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's home while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having truly discovered the meaning of unconditional love - a love so strong that she was able to seek out and forgive her family's killers. The triumphant story of this remarkable woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss." The inside of the book cover doesn't do this book justice! The experiences that this woman had are unbelievable in itself, but the strenth and spirit that she found in the middle of her adversity is inspiring. Reading about her life made me want to be a better person! This is a book I will read over and over again.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

After the last four days of not being a social worker, keeping my phone on silent, and showering only when absolutely necessary, I've realized that there are some things that I LOVE about being home:

1. Not waking up to an alarm clock
2. Three televisions, which means there is always the opportunity to watch Hallmark movies or Lifetime television for women
3. The back yard is enormous so I just bundle Jack up and throw him out the door to explore and do his thing
4. Endless supplies of chocolate milk, string cheese, and crackers
5. Playing card games at night and listening to my dad pretend to let other people win when he's behind
6. Playing the piano - I miss having a piano
7. Sitting around and talking until late into the night
8. Family dinners
9. Clean carpet - our apartment carpet leaves much to be desired
10. Having a White Christmas and a fireplace - so much fun!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!

OH NO, SHE DIDN'T!

I'm still amazed at how serious the elderly take their Bingo! Apparently it brings out the beast in you once you hit a certain age. Yesterday we had to have a special resident council with the entire topic being on the rules and regulations of Bingo, and being respectful to others. No, Ms. Smith, you can't take other people's Bingo cards if you think they're going to win! Shame!!

ONE MORE THING

Jack has this nasty looking, rubbery mass growing on the inside of his mouth that he has to have removed. This dog is a health hazzard! He eats basically anything he finds on the floor, I'm pretty sure he has allergies, and every time I take him to the vet for something routine, I end up paying what could have been saved to go on a trip to somewhere exotic. Jack - Europe - Jack - Europe. I think for now I'll stick with Jack....even if he is sort of a sissy nerd!

GIANT IS BETTER THAN BIGGER

I love Nerds and I love chewy candy, so when the brilliant masterminds at Wonka created this little ditty, I was more than pleased. Last summer I broke my tooth on one that probably should have been eaten months before, and it ended up costing me 600 dollars to get a crown. Still, when you're kicked off the horse, you have to get right back on! Plus, they're GIANT chewy nerds. Seriously! How great is that?!

WHAT NOT TO WEAR

I can't help but wonder if the goal of this company is to use this picture on their website to get people to BUY their jeans or to NEVER BUY their jeans. Seriously! Even though most people look like this when they try to squeeze into jeans a size to small for them, they certainly don't post it online and ESPECIALLY post it on a website to encourage people to purchase them. I'm so confused....

ONE MORE DOWN, SIX TO GO

The other day I get a call from a friend, saying that they had an extra ticket to a Snow Patrol concert and would I like to go with them? Um, yes please! Snow Patrol is on the top 10 of concerts to see before I die so OBVIOUSLY I was pretty excited about not only seeng them, but also getting a free ticket. The concert was great and the best part is that we ended up being directly in front of the stage thanks to this random drunk guy with who kept offering me swigs of his beer, even though I kept saying "no thanks" over and over. Thank you, kind stranger! Such good times!

THAT DUMB DOG!

Even though Jack the Dog is pretty darn cute sometimes, reality sets in when he does something that just DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!! Here is my list of the top 5 reasons that every once in a while I wish I had bought a turtle:

1. Licking: I don't mind it when he licks my fingers or even tries to lick my nose, but he has this instinct to lick me right on the lips when he sees me vulnerable. Sick, dog! I just watched you clean yourself with that tongue!
2. Chewing: Jack is fixated with chewing on my shoes. It drives me nuts. I've gone through 3 pairs of flip-flops and I bought the cutest pair of brown shoes this past weekend that he got ahold of and chewed off the button on the side. Dang you, dog!
3. Barking: He has this new thing where he barks when he's startled, or trying to get my attention, or someone comes to the door. No bark!
4. Housebreaking: I've decided that having an inside dog would be better if they could be trained to use the toilet. As winter gets closer I almost want to cut off his water supply to limit the amount of times he needs me to take him outside. Hee, hee!
5. Humping: He's been neutered but I guess it didn't work. Enough said!

Despite everything, I still have five times as many reasons to LOVE Jack the Dog than I do to want to give him away as someone's Christmas present! I just need to focus on those as I sit here, typing this blog, watching him try to eat the pinecone off of my Christmas tree. Dumb dog!

NOW I KNOW.....

A friend of mine sent this email to me so I thought I'd share! It's a Christmas Story for people having a really bad day:

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered. Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom. Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?' And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.