vAL'S CHRISTMAS TREE DEALIE

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  

 

wrapping paper  but the cute bags are neat , too.

2. Real tree or artificial?  

We usually get a REAL flocked tree, but they are so expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  But you get the good smell and but not much needle droppage.
3. When do you put up the tree?  Usually the FIRST week of Dec.  Not this year though.

4. When do you take the tree down? ME TOO!  But usually that's by Jan first.  When it's over it is over!

5. Do you like eggnog?  Mmmmmmmmmmmm... YES!  Not the alcoholic kind, though. Exactly the same for us!  But the darn eggnog IS fattening!
 
6. Favorite gift received as a child?  My doll that said Momma is #1 and then my "Toni" doll which we gave home perms too.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?  I am always scared I am going to break it. I gave my Mom's really good one to Tim, as he likes them more than me.  I have a couple and they are smaller.  I don't especially like putting it up or taking it down, but I do love looking at it!
8. Hardest person to buy for?  Oh, everyone.  I am a stressed-out gift buyer You took the words right out of my mouth. We are a lot alike!

9. Easiest person to buy for?  A good book reading friend, or Amazon.com.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?  Snail mail is more proper. And what I TRY TO DO IF 

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  A sweater Dave got me he loved and I hated .  NOT nice, I know.
 
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  Jimmy Stewart starred in it,     "It's a Wonderful Life."
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?<FONT lang='0face="Comic' color=#004000 FAMILY="SCRIPT" PTSIZE="10" MS? Sans>  Early to mid December.  If I start any earlier I spend too much otherwise! 
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  No way. but I thought of it (don't tell.)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Not much on sweets.  Just good meals!  Chrismtmas Eve and Christmas Day and the presence of at least some family.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?  Dave likes the Multi and he puts them up so that is what we have.  I sorta like the white clear ones though. 
17. Favorite Christmas song(s)?  "Silent Night", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  Stay at my warm house, I hope I hope.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  "On Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, on Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen!"... and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
 
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? 

 

We have a star but it's cuz our this years tree is artificial white.  but honest it's pretty.  And the angel is from Precious Moments in Carthage, MO and beautiful but very heavy.

 

 

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Dave likes Christmas Eve but I like Christamas Day though we were raised opposite of that. Tim liked half and half. Don't know but don't think that they wlll be with us or us with them on the actual holiday....firsttime ever but for the year Tim was in Korea.  But we'll have a Christmas together sometime around that time.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  Commercialism.  People forgetting the reason for the season.  That it goes by too fast  ALSO CHRISTMAS MUSIC IN THE STORES SO LOUD AND OVER ANED OVER AND OVER.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  No theme, hodge-podge  (ME TOO!)

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?  Turkey first, 2nd choice roast beef........primie rib type.
25. Do you have Jesus in your heart this Christmas? ABOSLUTELY!

I would love to see your answers to this!  If you want to copy and paste and do this in your journal, please leave your entry URL in my comments section so I can come take a look!  Thanks and Merry Christmas!  xox

                

Buddy's Inspiration

Hi Friends--I am sharing a good one (I think) from Petwarmers.com.  It's a tear jerker, but good!  Love, Merry

BUDDY'S INSPIRATION
by Betty King

      Many face disabilities or handicaps in this world.  Life is not
always fair.  Even the animal kingdom experiences their share of
adversities.
      Buddy was a canine.  He had lost one of his rear legs in a freak accident but that did not delete his worth.  He recovered after intensive care and mountainous amounts of love.  Buddy soon showed his eagerness to resume his rightful place as friend, family member and walking partner.
      He and Betty, his owner and walking companion, slowly began
their twice daily stroll after Buddy showed an interest in resuming their daily ritual.
      It took awhile for Buddy to obtain his previous pace.  At first, Betty accommodated her three-legged pal with intervals of rest time along the way.  Soon he was back to his old self again, except for the fact he looked like a friendly pirate minus his wooden leg.
      Drawing disability benefits, myself, I can vouch for the fact
that the capability to love does not diminish when body parts are
missing, or they fail to work as once they did.  Nor does it hinder
the desire to seek, accept or give love.
      Buddy continued to love, maybe even more intensely.  And Betty's love perhaps doubled, in seeing the will Buddy possessed.  True love sees past handicaps and perceives beauty that lies within the heart that remains.
      Betty is the grandmother of my ex-daughter-in-law.  My name being Betty too, we had a kindred spirit.  Betty lives in a town a few miles away and since our son and her granddaughter's divorce, Betty and I had not seen much of each other.
      The other day out of the blue, after being away from home on an errand, I returned to a message on my answering machine.  It was Betty.  She wanted to talk with me and I returned her call.
      "Betty," she said, with a sorrowful tone to her voice, "I just
wanted to let you know Buddy died last week."  "Oh, he did?  What happened? I asked, deeply concerned. "Well, he had been slowing down on our walks.  He just couldn't keep up as before.  I found myself waiting for him a lot lately.  We heard him bark about 11:30 the other night, and didn't think anything about it, and the next morning about 6am I went to check on him in
his bed.  When he didn't move, I thought it was just his hearing.
But when I bent down, I could tell he was gone."
      I could hear the grief in Betty's voice.  I wonder if she could
detect the sorrow in mine.    Whether we are human or canine, it is not the adversities that come to us, it is not the disabilities that befall us -- but how we overcome them, and continue on that counts. Buddy had overcome his adversities.  He had not let his
disability keep him from loving life and living it.  He had not let a
missing rear leg keep him from being the same loving companion that he had been with four legs.
      Six years without a leg did not diminish Buddy's worth -- it
only emphasized his will to persevere amid hardships.  His desire to continue his daily walks with Betty were exercises in proving his will and to show love to the master he adored.
      I thanked Betty for calling.  She knew I would understand her sorrow for having lost Buddy.  She also knew that I would forever remember Buddy's will to persevere.  She also must have known that I knew Buddy was special, loved and would never be forgotten.    Indeed, Buddy, you will be loved and remembered.

               -- Betty King     <baking2 @ charter.net>

Black Friday Shopping

Playing along with Val & Black Friday Shopping!!  I would be jumping at the door, well maybe not quite, but I'd be there shivering and waiting for them to open the store doors--IF I had the $$ to spend. Some other years I have, and gotten some good deals!  Had fun!  It got me in the spirit of Christmas.  It also kept me from going every year!!!!!!  LOL  It's hard work.  You have to fight people off. They try to get ahead of you in lines at counters where you pay. Even in nice department stores.  It's brutal. Only the strongest shoppers ever repeat and go another year.  But yeah, I would go, if I had the $$ to spend right now.  With our son getting married in Jamaica Dec. 5, I don't have the funds for a shopping trip on top of that trip we are taking to his wedding.  But listen, I am a tough little girl.  I will return to Black Friday shopping, probably by next year!  Be strong BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING PEOPLE!  And ENJOY, ENJOY!  BUY ONE FOR ME!
Love,

Merry

Life

This also comes from Jane, in Oregon.  It's just toooooooo good not to share. Turn your speakers on, sit back and enjoy.  I bet you can't watch it and not cry!!  But it's a good cry, it's beautifully written, I wish I could write like this.

Love from Merry to you and yours.  Happy Sunday!

 

It its good and entertaining. It isnt over until it says so.

Enjoy

Jane

 

 

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/life-on-train.php

STUPID THINGS

I should be too embarrassed to even tell this one as it's about myself.  But since I am usually too serious and I have been such a cross to bear around everyone's neck lately, I decided to share it.

We had a sunny day with little wind here today, about 45.  My husband decides it's time to put up the Christmas Lights across the front of the house.  Which he did with no problems.

I "helped" by taking the two dogs on the king sized bed and turning on the bedroom TV to watch "Law & Order" episode on cable.  (I am addicted to the show.)  (And the dogs are addicted to the bed.) 

When my husband finished he came in and said to me, "Well, they are up, but we sure have a lot of bulbs burnt out."  (Now, remember I am watching TV at the time.) I looked at him and said in dead seriousness, "Well, how do you know how many are burnt out??" 

Immediately, I realized what I'd said, and he of course told me that he only had to turn on the switch to see how many were out.  LOL :)  Dumb, de, dumb, dumb.

Love from Merry

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY?

These come from my neat friend Rhonda in Oregon!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY? (Written by kids)

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

-- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry.

God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

-- Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.

-- Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.

-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don't want any more kids.

-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.

-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.

-- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.

-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

When they're rich.

-- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.

- - Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.

-- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.

-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?

-- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is........

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.

-- Ricky, age 10

merry1621@aol.com

 

Word Play (colors)

Word Play! 

Our friend Val asked me about the colors I like and how they make me feel.  So, here goes! Usually I  like Blue tones. I agree with Val that blue tones, are calming, soothing.  But I have also read that blue can be depressing.  I once had an all blue living room, including carpeting,  I loved it at first but it got to be too much blue!  I think of the ocean and the lake I grew up swimming in when I think of blue.  I also like lime green, especially in the summertime, I love this color.  I like I think I look good in bright colors, whereas the pale ones wash me out.I like beige for my main color scheme in my house.  Oak floors, oak  cabinets, end tables, and oak dining room furniture. Our living room is beige tweed furniture with beige throw rugs. (Oak floors)   I have one brown leather chair in there but the rest is beige with blue accessories in the living room. I love red, especially on other people.  I once had a red coat, and I felt pretty every time I wore that coat.  But if I had to pick one favorite color, it would be purple!!  I guess, whether it's good or bad, I like to be noticed.  If I think I look nice, I am not shy about "showing off." I also have a pink, lavender, & white patchwork quilt on our king size bed, and pink and burgundy rugs in there.  It might not sound pretty, but it is!  Okay, I  admit, it's the little girl in me that insisted on pink.  The other upstairs bedroom is varying shades of green. Okay kids, I got way too verbal and too long here, but that's kind of just how I am.  I'd love to hear about the colors you like and why you like them!  Have a purple and red week everyone!  Love to all, Merry

Check out my other journal sometime, if you haven't already! 

http://journals.aol.com/merry1621/my-growth-toward-pain-acceptance/