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New Year's Day: 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

Not usually the cynic....BUT, Personally I think New Year's resolutions are a bunch of bunk. Why wait until this one particular period of time to change or start something? You are just setting your self up for the stereotypical "New Year's resolution" failure. If the particular thing you are resolving to do is so important, then you should have started it the moment it entered your mind- not wait until everyone else is setting themselves up with the grand desires and motivations. The world seems to be well-intentioned until about mid-February and then it becomes the good ol' day-in-day-out society as usual.

-Motivate yourself daily.
-Improve yourself daily.
-Don't only wait until the ball drops in Times Square.

Celebrate life. Enjoy the evening throughly. Please be safe- drink responsibly- the firefighter has seen too many tragedies come out of drinking and driving.

Granted, I have only had 21 Christmases. Sure, there are Christmas carols that I might stumble through, not knowing all of the words. But, I was shocked to learn there was the “Christmas Carol” that I had never even heard of….. Good King Wenceslas! Am I the only lost soul who had not heard of this tune?

(After my famous "googling") APPARENTLY: The words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas" were written by John Mason Neale and published in 1853, the music originates in Finland 300 years earlier. This Christmas carol is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity. Good King Wenceslas was the king of Bohemia in the 10th century. Good King Wenceslas was a Catholic and was martyred following his assassination by his brother Boleslaw and his supporters, his Saint's Day is September 28th, and he is the Patron Saint of the Czech Republic. St. Stephen's feast day was celebrated on 26th December which is why this song is sung as a Christmas carol.

Still, I have not in my life, before this year, heard this song....it is really not even that Christmasy....Next year, I am sticking with the little drummer boy and Rudolph, because they are my peeps.

Though the firefighter and I are slackers, with just a wreath on our front door, BUT I greatly appreciate the bright lights of the season in outlandishly decorated yards. My eyes twinkle with these bright lights.

I got the opportunity this weekend spend time with several special people and watch their eyes twinkle. My church hosts small praise services at a nursing home and this Sunday was our Christmas party for the residents at this home. I often dread going. Shameful I know. My mother used to work in a nursing home and when I was small, I loved going. There was one lady there that looked just like Barbara Bush- and you better believe that at the age of six that is what I called her each time! But, I have lost that youthful innocence and permanent smile I once had and now find it all rather depressing. I never remember how great it feels after you have gone and made people smile.

We had several of our members there for the celebration and their younger kids in tow. Oh, how the elderly love them some “youngens”! It was rather pleasant. We sang carols together (avoided the classic “Grandma got ran over by a Reindeer”), ate party foods (all diabetic approved snacks- of course), and generally entertained these souls for two hours.

Selfishly, I took an activity that I knew would entertain myself if the festivities started going downhill. Ornament decorating! What fun!?!? There was a point where the food had pretty much been consumed and people were lingering, so I started making my rounds. “Merry Christmas! What’s your name?” I took a plain ornament, a bronze paint pen and wrote their name and “2007.” This was a pure joy to them. Honestly, I think me just asking their name was a thrill. But I, in their eyes was this “talent” with my creativity and fabulous writing abilities….how complimentary and easily fascinated they were.

::::::Warm fuzzies::::: I concluded that I needed that interaction as much as the residents at the home did. Be watchful: You never know when you are going to be someone’s “bright light!”

There are a plethora of movies made with inspiration from the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Some quite entertaining, and others not so much....but producers keep using this story and making their own variations of the tale. Watch ABC Family this time of year or Fa-La-La-La-Lifetime and you are sure to catch one or more of these movies. My personal favorites include Scrooged and The Muppets version!

Other thinks Ol' Charlie had to say about "the most wonderful time of the year......"

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”

“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!” ~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

Got to work to find I cut all of my fingernails, except one…one long straggly thumb nail…not so much a trend I want to set: grabbed the scissors and did my best.

Park Illegally, return to car and have completely run out of gas- won’t even turn over….. this just ultimately sucks! Sulk in car...and pray to not be towed while awaiting to be rescued.

Washed all delicates, bypassed laundry basket, and forgot to put on some undies on a windy -skirt day…….WOW- “Free Show!” Won’t do that again!

Fall asleep at my husband’s friend’s house, hubby carries me to the guest room because apparently there is good football on and I was taking up the whole couch, wake up later in a puddle of my busted water bra…..try explaining that one to another firefighter with out turning bright red.

This quote by Barbara Streisand summarizes what I think Graceful Street represents:

"Just imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same. My idea of a perfect world is one in which we really appreciated each other's differences: Short, tall; Democrat, Republican; black, white; gay, straight -- a world in which all of us are equal, but definitely not the same."

I find it truly refreshing to be surrounded by such a great variety of friends. Even if I do not comment about it enough, I value that each individual I have in my life has so much to offer my mind and soul and is greatly appreciated.

Take a moment to step back from the holiday stress. Breath. Count your many blessings. If you are finding yourself rushing around, it is only because you are preparing for those people that you love and love you- this is the season when we get yet another chance to show it to eachother. I love you Graceful Peeps!

I am far more aware of the world, and have gained much knowledge in that sense- but sometimes I feel like I have lost nearly all of my brain cells! When asked a question I know I should know-but can’t recall- I am like “Geez! What is wrong with me?” Not to brag on Rorie: but I graduated high school a year early with honors….and now I occasionally find a community college class kicking my butt. Sad, really it is rather depressing to not have my neurons firing as fast as they used to……why have I slowed so severely?..........

Anyway, being a bit inquisitive like I am, I googled “what kills brain cells?” …..Take it for what it is, and please don’t believe everything you read- especially on the internet! But these findings and tidbits are semi-interesting:

“A single episode of severe stress can be enough to kill off new nerve cells in the brain.”

“Stress could affect the creation of new brain cells.”

“Scientists said they have found the first direct biological evidence that smoking destroys brain cells and stops others being produced.”

“Drinking alcohol doesn’t destroy or kill brain cells and it appears brains can repair themselves after chronic alcohol abuse.”

“Most people believe that drinking alcohol kills brain cells (even med students are taught this). Pure alcohol does indeed kill cells, but there's no evidence that drinking alcohol does.”

‘What kills more brain cells, marijuana or alcohol? It's not marijuana. According to the NORML Foundation, marijuana does not kill brain cells.”

“A common black mold that blooms on moist cellulose-based materials produces a toxin that can kill certain brain cells.”

(This one made me laugh out loud!) “MTV kills brain cells.”

Okay, my mother laughs at me every time I am on the phone with her, mid-sentence talking, then cussing my dogs. When I am on the phone they feel the distinct need to be in my face, licking my teeth, licking the speaker, compromising my communication with the outside world because after all- I should be paying attention to them. Sigh……..my mother laughs because apparently as the bratty child that I was, I did a similar thing. Shameful, huh? No licking, but I would get the instinct that my mom was on the phone, search out her location and then want to talk her ear off with deep conversation.

Geez.

My pups are just like their mama!

Do all children (regardless of species) do this?

If an optimist had his left arm chewed off by an alligator, he might say, in a pleasant and hopeful voice, "Well, this isn't too bad. I don't have my left arm anymore, but at least nobody will ever ask me whether I am right-handed or left-handed," but most of us would say something more along the lines of "Aaaaah! My arm! My arm!" ~Lemony Snicket

Though I would not fully fall under the label “optimist,” I am getting more and more towards seeing the silver lining in every situation. I used to just think of myself as semi-encouraging and semi-amusing when I would offer acquaintances a silver lining to any difficulty they may be having. My goal was often a small smirk of brief laugh to get their mind off the subject if only for only a moment, but this habit has bled into seeing silver linings in my own complexities. And may I say how refreshing it can be. I used to say that nothing can be healthier than laughing at yourself. But, I am also going to advocate that, though it is not always immediate, seeing the silver lining in your own difficulties brings much ease of mind and spirit.

I just "started" and am wearing light khakis....at least nobody will ask me if I am preggers today!

The dog peed on the clean clothes basket....well, at least he didn't pee on the other dog.

I have deodorant stains on my shirt...at least there is no question that I do in fact use good hygiene products!

Hubby is going to have to work a double again.....$$$$$$ AND -Woohoo- I can be in bed @ 7:30 and watch what I want to!

An optimist is merely an ex-pessimist with his pockets full of money, his digestion in good condition, and his wife in the country. ~Helen Rowland

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ???
Hmmmmm.....There are two people, one just more mobile and conscious than the other.

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from???
This is wrong...I know

Once you' re in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you died in or were buried in for eternity???
Death is not a happy subject and nobody really wants to spend long contemplating it, but if you think of it as a final fashion show, it might make you contemplate what you throw on the next time you are "just running to the grocery store."

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
I know I am important.....maybe I should be watching my back!

I couldn't have put this better myself.......The group is Go Fish and the album is named Snow:


Christmas With a Capital "C"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

Jesus is the reason for the season.....And, if you've got a problem with that then go be one with the Costanza's from Seinfeld...But leave Christmas to the true believers.

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?

Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born: a Festivus for the
rest of us."

Cosmo Kramer: Is there a tree?

Frank Costanza: No, instead, there's a pole. It requires no decoration. I find tinsel distracting.

Frank Costanza: It's made from aluminum. Very high strength-to-weight ratio.

Mr. Kruger: I find your belief system fascinating.

Frank Costanza: And at the Festivus dinner, you gather your family around, and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year!

Frank Costanza: I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it. You, Kruger. My son tells me your company STINKS!

George Costanza: Oh, God.