Christmas gifts.

I have 2 favorite Christmas gifts this year. Well, 2 favorite material gifts.

First is....

New perfume from The Man. We stopped at the perfume counter a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to decide between my old scent (classic Burberry) and a new one (Burberry London). I figured, since he'd have to smell it on me, I'd get his opinion. It was not a thinly veiled hint to buy me perfume for Christmas. But he did anyway..the whole stinkin' set--shower gel and lotion, too! I love it, love it, love it.


The other is....

My espresso machine! See, I have a coffee addiction. Detailed here and here. I love coffee. I don't know how to start a day without it. I just don't.

But, the best gift? Spending time with The Man. I feel so good around him. He's an angel, and I'm blessed.
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Change and Resolutions

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

I think I've said this somewhere before...but I don't do New Year's Resolutions. I don't believe in them. I can't think of any good reason to resolve to change once a year. Yes, I know, you can decide to make changes at any point during the year, but people make such a big deal about it at New Year's.

I don't think Old Ben meant that you should start in January working yourself over to be a new man. Instead, I think when the new year starts, the idea is that you're better than you were when the last one did.

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

There's an old prayer, rumored to be found in the Bible of a freed slave who died in battle during the Civil War.

"Lord, I ain't what I oughta be,
And I ain't what I wanna be,
And I ain't what I gonna be.
But Lord, I thank ya,
I ain't what I was."

That's what I think about during this time of year. I honestly do sit and think about how I've grown and changed during the course of a year. And where I'm heading.

On New Year's Day, my mother will ask us to share our resolutions. She's obviously never heard..

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty. ~John Selden

So, even if I did really, really make New Year's resolutions, I wouldn't share them.

All that being said, I do have a change I'm going to endeavor to make. I'm gonna stop cussing. It's really gotten to be too easy for me to let those 4-letter words slip out. I tried once before, even set myself up to put a quarter in a jar every time I said one. The idea was that once I'd gone 2 weeks without paying the jar, I could take the money and go do something fun. I made it to $4, then decided it was really stupid and did away with the cup. And kept cussing. (Should I note that the first $2.50 accrued inside of about 20 minutes?).

One last thought about resolutions and change, from dear Mr. Twain...

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain
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Change and the New Year

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

I think I've said this somewhere before...but I don't do New Year's Resolutions. I don't believe in them. I can't think of any good reason to resolve to change once a year. Yes, I know, you can decide to make changes at any point during the year, but people make such a big deal about it at New Year's.

I don't think Old Ben meant that you should start in January working yourself over to be a new man. Instead, I think when the new year starts, the idea is that you're better than you were when the last one did.

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

There's an old prayer, rumored to be found in the Bible of a freed slave who died in battle during the Civil War.

"Lord, I ain't what I oughta be,
And I ain't what I wanna be,
And I ain't what I gonna be.
But Lord, I thank ya,
I ain't what I was."

That's what I think about during this time of year. I honestly do sit and think about how I've grown and changed during the course of a year. And where I'm heading.

On New Year's Day, my mother will ask us to share our resolutions. She's obviously never heard..

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty. ~John Selden

So, even if I did really, really make New Year's resolutions, I wouldn't share them.

All that being said, I do have a change I'm going to endeavor to make. I'm gonna stop cussing. It's really gotten to be too easy for me to let those 4-letter words slip out. I tried once before, even set myself up to put a quarter in a jar every time I said one. The idea was that once I'd gone 2 weeks without paying the jar, I could take the money and go do something fun. I made it to $4, then decided it was really stupid and did away with the cup. And kept cussing. (Should I note that the first $2.50 accrued inside of about 20 minutes?).

One last thought about resolutions and change, from dear Mr. Twain...

Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain

For other thoughts on change, visit Sunday Scribblings.
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Where I am right now

I'm not sure who this poem is about. There's a couple of front-runners.

In a situation I thought
improbable
(because I've learned 'impossible' is a laughable word)
I've fought so hard lately to be
practical.
Lock it all away,
Tell no one of pain, of joy.
Then, He surprised me.

Could be a faith issue. It's altered in the last few months. Went through some rocky stuff that surprised me--by both the suddenness and how deeply my heart was affected. I know my faith, which has been pretty strong for a long while now, deepened.

Could be about The Man. We've wandered back to each other again. It's so much nicer this time--we smile more, touch more, and are more at ease with each other. I thought I was happy and at peace with him before, but I don't think I really knew what that felt like. I do now.

To read some other inspired poetry, check out Poetry Thursday.
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Ideas wanted

Kids,

Momma needs a new template. She's bored with this, and just not feeling like a 'red girl' anymore.

Where do you go to find your fabulous templates?
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It's so cold out...I dug out these!

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Green Acres

Sing it with me now....

Green Acres is the the place to be...
Farm livin' is the life for me!
Land spreadin' out so far and wide..
Keep Manhattan just give me that countryside!

I'm watching TVLand this morning. I just luuuurve "Green Acres." This morning, Lisa's mother has come to visit in Hooterville. The most touching part (and you can see where Lisa gets her brains from) is when she mistakes Eb for Lisa's husband, Oliver.

Does it bother anyone else that Lisa's mom doesn't have an accent at all???
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For Fun...

For the pseudo-name....

HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

For the 'real' name...


HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are:
46
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?
And yes, I know it's 'pseudoNYM' not 'pseudo-name.' Geez, I thought I was the grumpy butt today!
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Role Models

I'm sorry, this is a bit pathetic. "You're Not Fired."

I can't help but think that some little girl is out there thinking it's okay to behave the way this young woman did. I'm not saying that I never did those things, but not while I was in such a public position.

I think it's a breach of contract. Miss America should be upright and law-abiding. She should've been fired.
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Blogging Chicks

Just joined up with a great blogroll.

Blogging Chicks is a women's only blogroll.

You oughta check it out.
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Blogging Chicks

Just joined up with a great blogroll.

Blogging Chicks is a women's only blogroll.

You oughta check it out.
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Open letter to the chick at Victoria's Secret

Dear you,

Let me begin by saying that I am ever so glad you took that extra few seconds to touch up your hair and lipstick after I asked for your assistance. It made getting upset with you so much nicer, knowing that at least you looked/felt good.

I came into your store on a busy-ish Friday afternoon. The store wasn't packed, there weren't lines snaking out the door, but there were several people there. To be expected on the Friday a week before Christmas, I suppose. But still, it wasn't so busy that I would be silly to expect at least a little personal service.

After wandering the store rather aimlessly for a few minutes, I approached the counter that you were safely hidden behind and asked for your help. Please note, I did not approach while you were primping. Rather, the lipstick appeared after I said "Could I get some help, please?" Once you'd dropped the lipstick back in your pocket, and made sure that your perfectly coiffed hair was still, in fact, perfect, you turned to me with a flat expression.

"What do you need?"

Well. Okay. A smile might have been in order, but whatever. From here forward, let me list in order of offense the things you should have done differently.

1. When asked to help with a bra-fit, don't do it right there in the middle of the store. I realize that this might be mostly a personal preference, but I think my bra size is something the general public doesn't need to know. Rather than whip out your tape measure in front of the register, take me back to a dressing room.

2. Once you have divulged my measurements to the store at-large, the appropriate thing to do is to help me find "my perfect bra." Not point vaguely at the greater part of the selection and say "here's what we have" then turn back to an empty counter. So, I picked out what I was looking for. Next problem.

3. If I ask for more specific help, maybe--just maybe--you should provide it. I ask about the specific size you broadcasted earlier. You opened a drawer and disdainfully said "Here's where we keep that size." Now, I understand that the drawer is labeled that size and being an educated woman, I'd already figured out that the drawer you pointed out was where that size was supposed to be. But it wasn't. That was my point. I wasn't finding what I was looking for using your system the way I understood it. That's whyI asked for help. Go figure.

4. Remind your cohorts that poor service from one of you doesn't translate to poor service from the rest of you. I stood there, searching, digging through every drawer for what I needed. Three other sales associates walked past and smiled at me. No one asked if I needed help. I thought customer service was about the customer.


After spending 20 minutes searching fruitlessly, forgive me for being a tad petty and trite. I found one thing. One. Only one. I heard rumors there were more "somewhere" but since no one would help me, I couldn't find them.

So, I gathered up a few things and joined the line at your register. When my turn arrived, I placed my half-dozen things in front of you, and your eyes lit up (a BIG sale). You rung up each piece, then asked "Did you find everything you needed today?" No, actually, I didn't. "Well, you should've asked for help." Hm..seems like I did. A couple times. No response.

You rung up everything, then gave me a total. I dug in my purse for a minute...must be right here...then offered up a saccharin smile....sorry. I keep my credit card right here, right where it says "credit card," but I guess I can't find it. I turned and walked out.

Okay, so it was a tad petty and childish. Oh well. I wasn't in the mood to be adult, especially feeling like the time I'd carved out of the day to visit your store was wasted.

You know what makes it worse? Your tag said "store manager." No wonder the other girls didn't help, you haven't taught them how.
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A poetry meme...for Poetry Thursday

Um..2 weeks ago (or something like that), the prompt offered over at Poetry Thursday was a meme. Since I didn't get around to doing it then, and I'm up at 6:30 on a DAY OFF, I'll do it now (apparently, I have time!).

Works well since this week's prompt seems to basically be a "do what you want" kind of week.


1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was... Shel Silverstein's "Boa Constrictor." (Find it here) I think this was the first time that I'd realized how words paint pictures and that, as that wasn't enough!, they tasted in my mouth.

2. I was forced to memorize (name of poem) in school and... Gosh, we must have been deprived at our school. I honestly can't remember ever having to memorize a poem. I remember reciting "The Fog" (Sandburg) and then doing an art project on it and writing our own "fog-like" poem, though.

3. I read/don't read poetry because... I do read poetry because it relaxes me. But I also subscribe to the notion that to write good poetry/prose/grocery lists/whatever, a person must read those things voraciously.

4. A poem I'm likely to think about when asked about a favorite poem is... Wow, Emily Dickinson comes to mind. I imagine it would be cheating to say "all of it," huh? Well, call me a cheater. It wouldn't be the first time!

5. I write/don't write poetry, but... I do write poetry, but I wish I wrote more of it.

6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature... It feeds my mild A.D.D. quite well--I can finish a piece and do my thinking before my wanders again. But, too, phrasing and line breaks make sense in my mind. It's how I think.

7. I find poetry... Delicious. I devour it, and sometimes bleed it. Poetry is in every step of my life, kind of like my faith.

8. The last time I heard poetry... A few days ago. One of my students read his pieces to me.

9. I think poetry is like... Visual perception through one's heart. No, not everyone feels poetry intensely, but you can't deny that it evokes the visceral.

For other answers to this meme, visit Poetry Thursday.
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