Joy to the World...

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria .)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."



"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and The Government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty GOD, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6).

A Little Holiday Self-Deprecation

My Christmas tree is not yet up.

It's true. I'm officially the worst mom in the neighborhood... I may be the worst mom in ten neighborhoods!

I did manage to hang a wreath on the door, another in the entry, and a third over the sofa table in the family room.

BUT, my tree is not yet up... nor is anything else.

I had loads of good intentions, but they never came to fruition. I haven't baked anything, wrapped anything, or spread even an ounce of Christmas cheer. The boxes full of ornaments and holiday brick-a-brack are stacked in the family room, if that counts for anything. No... I don't think it does. Good intentions aren't pretty to look at. Good intentions don't make you feel all warm, fuzzy, and Christmassy inside.


It's hard to find the motivation to put the tree up when you're not feeling Christmassy... and it's hard to start feeling Christmassy until the tree is up.

A holiday paradox.

A Little Holiday Flashback

I was dropping my boys off at OHS this morning when this came on the radio, and I experienced a HUGE wave of nostalgia!!! I had a memory of pulling into the parking lot in my Dad's little, white, VW Rabbit, and sitting in my parking place until this song was over. I couldn't get enough of it!

I have always been passionately into music. My big celebrity crushes were always on musicians rather than actors. :) I LOVE watching this video... from back in the day when all the recording artists I was madly in love with were still young and HOT! Mmmmm! Sting, John Taylor, Simon LeBon, Bob Geldof and so many others! If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say that, although he may not be the #1 pretty boy of the bunch, Bono's voice still gives me chills... every time! Something that strikes me now (that didn't in 1984, because back then I put so much value on a pretty face, and let's be honest... he was sorta troll-like...) is how incredibly talented and multifaceted a man Phil Collins was. Singer, actor, businessman, and just watch him on the drums in this video! WOW!

Some people thought this endeavor was little more than a showy ego-fest, but I will always defend it. This record breaking album is STILL re-released in small numbers every year, and is STILL earning money for charity, all of which is managed by The Band Aid Charitable Trust. No on can deny that it was an evocative piece which brought attention and assistance where it was badly needed. An awareness of and compassion for our fellow human beings is something we should all cultivate... at Christmas and always. If a song can turn our thoughts to others, I think it can be considered a huge success!

Resurrected

I've been doing my blogging elsewhere for the past 6 months, but I've decided to revive this one. I need a place where I can say whatever I want to without worrying whether I'm saying the right thing or not! :) SO, I gave my old friend a face-lift, and off we go again!

I'm on crutches now, having done a real number on my ankle some three weeks ago. I confess that I am probably one of the WORST patients on the planet! I can't tell you how annoyed I am that I have to take crutches with me wherever I go! It's massively inconvenient!

I find it HILARIOUS that crutches seem to be an invitation for strangers to ask you anything they like. If I were to walk into a store limping, but sans crutches, no one would presume to ask, "So, why do you limp?" Walk in on crutches, and almost everyone you encounter will ask, "What happened to you?"

I probably wouldn't mind being asked if my story was interesting. "I fell out my own front door" never elicits a gasp or an "Oh, my!" Instead, it makes people laugh! I think from now on when people ask about my injury, I'll tell them, "I was driving along when I noticed a burning building full of small children. I rushed into the fire over and over again to rescue them one or two at a time. They were all safely outside when I noticed that one of them was wandering into the path of the oncoming firetruck! I ran towards the child, snatching her out of the way and flinging her to safety on the lawn a fraction of a second before the firetruck ran over my foot. And that's what happened."

Much more interesting. Less true, perhaps... but more interesting!

The other thing that's in my space today is that, for the first time since opening my small home business, I have let a customer down. I know how it happened, which doesn't make it okay. I received emails from two different customers within a day of each other. One needed a bracelet by the 4th of December, the other by the 11th of Dec. I assured both of them that I could accommodate them, and they both ordered. When I printed the invoices, I made hand-written notes on each form regarding the date they needed to be delivered.

As it turns out, I wrote the wrong dates on the wrong forms, and because I was sure I had it right, it never occurred to me to re-check the emails. I shipped the package for the girl who needed it by the 11th on Monday the 29th, thinking she needed it by Sat the 4th. The other I shipped last night, thinking she needed it by the 11th. SHE actually needed it TODAY! Are you following all this???


The bottom line is that I have one VERY unhappy customer who is going to a baptism tomorrow without the gift I promised her she would have in time. I issued her an immediate refund before she even requested one, and told her to keep the bracelet when it arrives, but that doesn't solve her problem. I'm absolutely sick about the whole thing and can't stop thinking about it. I have always gone out of my way to make sure that my customers have the experience of being heard, honored, and taken care of. Now I have ruined this customers plans and broken my word to her. I just want to cry. I think I will.

I know that I've done all I can for her at this point (short of offering her another free item, which I will probably do), and I know that things like this happen frequently in the world of retail mail order. I just HATE that it happened to one of MY customers, and that the mistake was so preventable. All I had to do was double-check my notes.

I really have to get my act together. ASAP. This can't happen ever again.

I'm really excited for Christmas this year! It's the first year in a long, long time that it will be just us... a small, family, stay-at-home Christmas. Now I just need to get my decorations up!!!

Things That Make You Go "Awwwwwww!"

My 10 year old daughter's Facebook status:

"Through fights and mistakes, you will always treasure one thing... Your family."

Well said, Emmie.

XOXOXO

Mikaela's Cooking Demo... en Español!

We worked on this thing ALL weekend... and I mean AAAAALLLLLLLLLL weekend! Everybody did such an awesome job! I am now counting on my kids to support me in style once they are all celebrities. ;)

This is the link to Mikaela's Spanish class cooking demo...

And this is the link to the blooper reel! :)

Enjoy! (And post a comment for her, if you want to... she'd love that!)

In a Moment of PURE INSANITY...

... I did this!

I don't know what I was thinking, beyond "I WANT THIS CARPET GONE... and I want it gone RIGHT NOW!!!"

So I ripped it out, and tossed it out into the back yard.

Now what???