Thanksgiving Blessings

What a great Thanksgiving -- having the family home and enjoying the weekend together! Anna and I got some pre-Thanksgiving shopping in on Wed. -- thank goodness I didn't have to fight the crowds on Fri. -- not worth it in my opinion. Actually, I rather like browsing and shopping online -- especially if I can find "free shipping"! But Anna and I found the cutest outfits for "Baby Kate" while shopping at the mall -- that she can wear next fall since she's not even born yet! She's going to be well-dressed, I'm thinking!!

We all ate at Stacy's mom's on Friday -- and had too much to eat as always! I still feel full -- and I have one piece of pumpkin pie left!

Now it's on to Christmas gift-getting. Hartford's Hometown Christmas is Sat. with the parade -- guess I'll be driving the "green" car from work in the parade! Our work Christmas party is Tues. night -- free steak and entertainment! Our Ad Club Christmas party is Wed. and my car is full of decorations and favors for it! And our "girls" Christmas party for work is at Robbie's on Thurs. with ornament swap! Busy -- but fun and I'm not going to get stressed out -- just enjoy it all!

Fight EPA Tax on Cattle Methane Emissions!

Okay, I'm getting on my soapbox now. I am so fed up with the EPA and our government not having common sense any more. Now they're messing with my farm, and I'm mad!

WTVY Channel 4 has this story on its website about a proposed EPA tax on cattle because the methane gas they produce is causing greenhouse gas! This is not a joke. There are only 2 days left to leave a comment for the EPA about this ridiculous tax that will put cattle and hog producers out of business. You can view the story at WTVY here: http://www.wtvynews4.com/home/headlines/35157424.html

And you can go here to leave a comment: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocumentDetail&o=09000064806a0cfd

I’m tired of the EPA and our government running all business and farming out of our country. Before long, we will be dependent on foreign countries for all of our food because of ridiculous restrictions and taxes. And where are they going to stop? Chickens produce gas emissions -- going after the chicken farmers? How about a tax on people -- I know plenty of people who produce methane -- my husband for one! Where is the common sense any more?

The deadline for comments is Nov. 28.

SAVE OUR FARMERS – LEAVE A COMMENT!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, my youngest (Anna) is home for the week and my oldest (Casey) and her hubby John won't be in until Friday -- so we will be celebrating the day after Thanksgiving -- which is okay because we've been stuffing ourselves all day at work! And I only have one more day to work this week! I'm taking Wed. off and Anna and I will go shopping and probably take Nanny to lunch! Five whole days off! Whoopee!

So, since I'm in a generous, harmonious mood -- this is the perfect website to visit for your Thanksgiving message. It certainly puts it all into perspective -- so remember to think of those who aren't able to be home with their families because they're somewhere in the world protecting our freedom.

Another website someone recently sent was the Random Acts of Kindness site at walkthetalk.com. It has all kinds of free stuff for personal and professional success. If we all did one random act of kindness a day (that nobody knew about) . . . just think how that could spread! I'm not naive enough to think it could change the world -- but it could make our own personal world better!

Which reminds me of Rachel's Challenge. Rachel Scott was the first student killed at Columbine, and I was at a presentation at a conference last month by her father, Darryl Scott, who is taking Rachel's message all over the world. Her goal was to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. It's amazing the lives she has touched through her death and the message she left behind. I would dearly love to be able to bring that presentation to our area schools -- or at least one presentation for the area. I think I'll make that my New Year's goal for 2009.

So anyway, practice huge amounts of kindness for at least the day of Thanksgiving and enjoy each quirky family member -- after all -- they provide the funny stories you get to take back to work next week and laugh over in the break room! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Websites I've found!

I wish I had changed my hair color long before now! It's so much fun to walk up to someone and most of them look at me like, "Somethings different, but I don't want to say anything in case I just missed it before." Or they'll look at me with shock, then most have said they love my hair. So I'm glad I'm back to brown hair! Maybe it will be blue next time!!

Someone sent me this website for Mrs. Claus' recipes (that's Santa's wife, you know). Tons of candy, cakes and cookies!

Then, once you've baked yourself to death and need to diet, check out this Women's Stress Diet. Now, that's my kind of diet -- although the music is kind of annoying. Don't know why people insist on including annoying music with their websites.

And special for Thanksgiving, this Turkey Shoot website is fun, especially if you've had a bad day at the office and you want to shoot something. You'll be ready to kill that turkey and eat it when you play this game!

Then there is this video about the digital TV conversion coming up in Feb. '09. This reminds me so much of my mother or mother-in-law. It's too funny!

It's almost Thanksgiving . . .

I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving -- and it will soon be 2009! Where has this year gone? The older I get, the quicker it goes! Can't wait to have the family together again -- even if we do have Thanksgiving dinner on Friday! It's not the date that counts -- it's being together.

And I have so many things to be thankful for -- my two beautiful talented daughters who amaze me with their creativity -- a great son-in-law and a great boyfriend for daughter #2 -- my precious grandbaby Kate who will arrive in March -- my job (even though I like to complain about it alot) -- my friends at work that I can vent to -- and my friend Ann who has been battling cancer for a long time and who is still hanging in there -- my home and family nearby, and some a little further away -- my mom and her Minneola stories -- my gas logs so I can cuddle up with my comfy blanket by the fire and read -- our Subway (pizzas are perfect) and Mom's Kitchen (those Lalo burgers) and Oak Grove Mall (great fried shrimp) that I'm learning to depend on more -- I don't have to live in the city and battle traffic to get to work (just slow tractors)! We have been truly blessed!

Talking about time flying -- I've been trying not to get all stressed about being so overloaded with what I need to do -- mostly at work. My Purpose Driven Daily Devotional today helped me put it in perspective:

". . .we couldn’t get it all done, and God never intended for us to make completing a to-do list the purpose of our lives. The fact is, there are many things we think we must do that really are not worth doing. You won’t simplify your life by getting an electronic organizer. Simplifying is really about choices – prioritizing what is important – and then sticking to those choices no matter how tempting it is to add more to your to-do list. In fact, take those tempting activities and put them on a list of things not to do. You are the only one who can assume responsibility for your time and clarify what’s really important to you. "

So I'm going to try to do more of "let go, let God"!

I've really enjoyed having Netflix. Daughter #2 talked me into it! I can take my time browsing movies -- and I've found some really funny English movies (they have the same kind of wacky, wierd sense of humor I do) and some good mini-series. One I'm almost through with (the last disc should come tomorrow so I can complete the series) is titled "The House of Elliott" -- a good mini-series about two English ladies during the 1920s and 30s who start a house of fashion. In addition to being entertaining, it's a good look into the difficulties of life at that time for women who weren't married.

Something else I came across this week from Tammie B. at work is this Amazing Grace video by some Italian dudes. Their singing is so good -- and they're not bad to look at either!

Rambling

I'm not even going to talk about Auburn this time. They played a good game and hung with Georgia yesterday until the end -- so that part is better even if we did lose. No doubt about it -- I will always be an Auburn Tiger, even through losses.

And we got to see our girls and their guys! It was fun tailgating and the weather was just a little cool -- a great fall day for a ball game! Even though Stacy had to discuss our tailgate spot with some people who took it over! They eventually "let us" have it back -- watch out next year!!!

Two Sunday's ago I took MawMaw to Birmingham for a tea for my nephew's fiance -- they are getting hitched Dec. 13. We're all excited about another wedding!

I'm adding some of the photos from the tea. The photo on the right is MawMaw (Mary Hatcher), Amanda (the bride to be) and Carolyn (my sister-in-law and mother of the groom).




The next photo is the bride and groom (Amanda and Brian) and Casey (with baby Kate protruding a little!)

They received many beautiful gifts -- mine, in addition to some money I know they can use, was a picnic basket with "red" items (since they're for that other team in the state that is having a good year and ranked #1), a rolling pin and a Scattering Seeds cookbook.




The last photo is me, Casey, MawMaw, Carolyn and Amanda.

Don't know what made me do it -- maybe it's all the "change in the air" -- but I decided to get my hair colored again. I like the color of gray it was, but I was just ready for a change -- so now I'm dark brown again and have some funky new glasses! We'll see how many notice at work tomorrow!

Baby Kate

#1 daughter Casey was having some qualms about turning 30 yesterday -- but so did I! How old does that make me to have a child who is 30? But we also have baby Kate on the way -- which will be wonderful to see her beautiful face in March! I sent Casey a tower of chocolates for her birthday -- and she says Kate either loves or hates it -- she moves around alot when Casey eats it! Probably all the caffiene!

All my favorite TV shows are either over or will soon be through for the season, and that's not fun. Project Runway ended about a month ago, and Top Design and Army Wives ended last week -- now Dancing with the Stars is going into semi-finals next week. I really like the ones left and will hate to see anyone go. I was starting to like Boston Legal, but last week it was political and this week dealt with a minor wanting an abortion without her parent's consent -- and they were helping her. That's so bad on so many levels, don't know if I'll watch it again or not. Guess I'll have to check on The Tudors and see when it starts back and subscribe to Showtime again.

Today was Veteran's Day - so our offices at work closed and all of us employees piled on a big bus (coach they like to call it) and took a 4 hour trip to the Lowman Power Plant in Leroy, AL. Not too excited about spending 8 hours on a bus -- but it still fascinates me how power is produced and transmitted over those lines all over the countryside! And who ever thought the whole process up -- that you could take coal and burn it to produce heat that heats water to form steam that turns turbines that energizes a generator that produces electrical current that goes out over lines?

Hartford Tidbits

Our Minnesota neighbors are here this week for the Hartford-Litchfield Sister City Exchange -- and it's been a very busy week! We've had activites every night, and they have had a great time so far. I've started a new blog for the Sister City Program -- Hartford-Sister City Program.

A new Geneva County High School Alumni Association has been formed to provide support for the school. A similar program in Slocomb has provided many things for their school, and this is a wonderful thing for our town. You can download the form to provide your information -- and make a donation if so desired.

Election Downer

As I sit here tonight listening to the election results, it brings back the memory of watching many years ago when Clinton beat Bush and that down feeling -- kind of like what we've come to feel at Auburn this year with all of our losses. It's just not our year.

So, as always the optimist, I'm thinking what's good about this election . . .

1. It's kind of a relief. Now I won't have to listen to all those celebrities and news people blame everything on Republicans. TV might be kind of boring now -- they can't make fun of the person they idolize.
2. I'll get my tax cut since I don't make $250,000 a year -- or even $200,000 -- or even $150,000. What was that number again?
3. We won't have to watch McCain talk for four years.
4. Sara Palin can go back to Alaska and live her life in peace -- she's been put through the wringer throughout this election. She's been a breath of fresh air and frankness -- I hope we haven't seen the last of her on a national level. (Although she's going to have to give all those clothes back now.)
5. Ever since my Girl Scout days around the campfire, I've loved the song "Kumbaya." I'll get to sing it often now since it's going to be our country's new way of dealing with terrorists and all those countries that hate us but love our money. Maybe I should get the old guitar down out of the attic!
6. Global warming will be stopped and we can save the polar bears! Look out God, Al Gore's after your job next.
7. This was a record year for voting numbers -- and that's a good thing. Everyone should exercise their privilege to vote and not become apathetic. Whether they agree with my political view or not -- that's what democracy is about.

I also need to get to work on my New Year resolutions for 2009 with all the political changes coming up . . .

1. Assess what medical procedures I'm going to need for the next ten years and go ahead and get on the waiting list in anticipation of socialized medicine.
2. Tweak the resume for when Obama bankrupts the coal industry and I won't have a job.
3. Sign up for the "spread the wealth" program for when I lose my job.
4. Get a windmill for the farm for when the country runs out of electricity from "going green."
5. Plow up the plot for a garden for when all agriculture is forced out of our country for the environmentalists.