Friday, November 27, 2009

Confession

I’ll warn you right up front, this could be a long post. I have spent many months pondering this and I think I have finally figured it out.

I suffer from blog envy. There I said it. I didn’t want to believe it was true. But I’m envious that all this technology didn’t exist when I was younger and raising my children.

After high school I ended up living out of state from my parents and most of my siblings. I raised my kids in the era of long distance phone calls, letters from home and occasional visits from Mom and Dad.

Fortunately, by the time I had children my parents were retired. So they enjoyed traveling and we did see them quite a bit during the year. But they had to wait for pictures in the mail to see how the kids were growing and to share in our milestones via long distance phone calls.

If I was a young parent today I would have a blog and my family that all live out of state could watch my children grow up. They would see them at their birthday parties, in their Halloween costumes, playing in the snow, visiting the zoo, you get the idea.

But alas, my children are grown up. I stay in touch with them and my siblings via various sources on the Internet and I’m grateful for that. And also grateful that phone calls don’t have long distance charges anymore.

So where does that leave me in the blogging world? Well, I have decided that I do fit in and have a purpose here. As a middle aged fairly average woman, I have a lot in common with many of you out there.

I work full-time, am in my second marriage, and face many of the same challenges that you do. I have the experience of raising my children, learning to set up a home, learning to shop and cook for a family.

I have hobbies, interests and activities that make me happy. However, I have a struggle fitting them into my schedule, just as you probably do also.

I will continue to blog because that is one of the activities that make me happy. And perhaps I might make you laugh, or sometimes I might make you cry. Or you just might discover something new here. You might get it or you might not. But either way I’ll be here.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

T-Day

We had a nice Thanksgiving Day. Spoke with my four siblings on the phone and my daughter. Also Wally's girls in California. It was fun to hear how everyone would be spending their day and who they would be visiting.

The kitchen is cleaned up and we are relaxing, that is until Wally just came and said "if we're going to have something for dinner, we shouldn't eat it too late!" Well, back to the kitchen.....

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

It will be a very quiet Thanksgiving Day at our house. Family is spread out this year so it will just be the three of us. However it still calls for the full turkey spread. Gotta have those leftovers. Since it's a four day weekend, I consider that I shouldn't have to do much more cooking after Thursday.

This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my family. Thankful for my husband and between us our four children, two son-in-laws and one grand-daughter. And of course our siblings and their families. I frequently ponder the relationships I have with each of my siblings as we get older. Which ones do I have more in common with? How often do we see each other or talk on the phone? Luckily we have all this modern technology so the Internet keeps us somewhat connected. I don't say it often enough but I love each one of you.

It's also fun to stay in touch with extended family that I don't see too often. I like knowing what is going on in your lives. I cheer for you everyday.

I'm also grateful for my friends. That includes co-workers as well as my friends I have known for most of my life. There are those of you that have stayed in my life for so very many years, and for this I am grateful. There may have been times over the years when we weren't always involved in each other's life, but we have a history and because of that history you shall always be a part of my life.

I am grateful for my job and the fact that I have worked for the same company for almost 21 years.

I will remember Thanksgivings past when my Mom and Dad sat at our table with us, or my sister and her husband or most of our kids. There was even one year that my ex-husband's mother spent Thanksgiving with us.

Also at this time of year, my heart and prayers go out to my friends and family who are going through difficult times. My coworker who lost his grandmother, my Uncle who is spending his last days surrounded by his loving family and my little 8 year old nephew who is in the hospital.

To all of you I wish you health, happiness and peace. But wishing doesn't make it so, it's up to you.

Be grateful, be loving, be forgiving, be patient, be comfortable with who you are.

The Nielson family (circa. 1970s)

Friday, November 20, 2009

Crossing Items off the Yucky Things to Do List

1) love new health club, enjoyed the sauna this very evening.
2) car insurance paperwork completed along with an 89.00 refund check, sweet!
3) dog got her shot today and I actually got to stay in the room this time, (long story about her fear of going to the vet, I'll save for another day.
4) successful mammogram appointment, good results came back this week.

Now on to funner lists, like Thanksgiving dinner shopping and Christmas gift lists.

Monday, November 9, 2009

The Yucky Things To Do List

Years ago when my brother-in-law passed away my sister came up with the expression, "I don't like having to be the responsible adult." Although I don't like the fact she had to come up with that statement in the first place, I have nonetheless always liked it. This last week as my "to do" list started getting yucky things to do added to it, the responsible adult expression came to mind.

My list of Yucky Things To Do might not by the same as your Yucky Things To Do List. I very carefully considered each item on my Yucky Things To Do List and decided that by doing them I would ultimately benefit from them in some way. So knowing this I had to put on my responsible adult hat and take action.

Here is my Yucky Things To Do List that I am currently working on:
1. Cancel current fitness club membership; what makes this yucky - I love it there and I have been going for almost 3 years and I'm comfortable with the ladies there. Then why do I want to cancel? For 10.00 less a month I can join a larger fitness center that offers way more amenities. This item was completed today on 11/9/09. It was difficult to walk in and tell them why I was dropping them. But on the bright side - today I had my first work out with a personal trainer, followed by my all time favorite thing to do - sitting in the sauna!

2. Cancel car insurance that we have had with the same agent for the last 20 years, awkward! The reason we are doing this - to combine the auto insurance with the home owners insurance for a 50% savings on the auto insurance. Can't pass that up. Just feel bad leaving the good agent that we had. This is currently in work and will be completed by the end of the month.

3. Schedule the dog for her rabies vaccine. Reason to do this is self explanatory. The yucky part is taking the time to go to the vet, which the dog completely hates, she freaks out and they usually have to remove her into the back room without me there in order to give her the injection. It's painful for the both of us and it's just one of those dreaded yucky things to do. I have a busy week this week so will schedule the appointment for next week.

4. Have my annual mammogram. Again benefit is self explanatory. Especially since I had a cousin pass away last year after losing her battle with breast cancer and two more cousins diagnosed and going through treatment this year. Appointment is scheduled for this month and once it's done it's over for a entire year. It's not that the actual mammogram is that bad, it's just again, time away from work and other things I'd rather be doing.

What's on your Yucky Things To Do List?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

October Trip to Los Angeles

Last week I had the chance to travel for my job. I flew out Sunday morning to the Long Beach Airport and spent the next four days in Cypress, California. This was my first time flying Jet Blue and I really enjoyed it. They have TV sets on the back of all the seats. I especially enjoyed the flight home on Thursday evening. I had a window seat, the middle seat was empty and the lady in the aisle seat who was traveling with her husband turned out to be from the same town in California where my son-in-law's parents live, and they knew them!

I stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, it was very pleasant. Nice flat screen TVs that swiveled, so I could watch in the evening as I did work on my laptop at the desk.

Dinner in the evenings was a variety of food and people. One night was pastrami and corned beef sandwiches on rye at Katella's Deli and Restaurant (and Bakery) in the company of my two nieces and great niece. It was a fun visit.

Another night a couple of us walked to Chilis, another night (first game of world series) we walked next door and ate in the lounge of a Mexican restaurant. I had an amazing plate there. It was called sizzling enchiladas with a creamy tomatillo sauce. I had steak, but you could also have chicken. It also had grilled mushrooms, onions and peppers and the flavors were so very good.

Another evening, a group of us went to a small family owned Italian restaurant where we sat for hours visiting and eating. Good food and good company.

The off-site I attended during the day was very good and productive. Good team of people to be working with.

I put in a lot of extra work hours in the evening, but it was good so I didn't feel so behind on Friday after missing four regular working days.

The oddest thing I'd have to say about the week was 1.) not driving a car for four days (we were close enough to walk the two blocks to the office and the others had rental cars so I didn't need one) and 2.) not seeing what the back of my hair looked like for four days!

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