Happy New Year!

What are your Beliefs/Superstitions to start out for the NEW YEAR ?

I already knew a few...but just for fun ...looked up more on SNOPES and

the following is what I've come up with.

• Kissing at Midnight for continued sucess with your mate
• Cupboards cannot be bare..stocking up on everything guarantees prosperity
• All bills are to be paid before January 1st...do not start out the New Year with the household in debt(WHEW...Got that right this year)
• Also, DO NOT pay back personal loans or lend money...you'll be paying out all year if this is done(After paying the bills...there is nothing left to loan)
• If the first person that enters your home, on the New Year, is tall and dark haired Male, means Good luck for the year...Blonde or Redheads and females are considered Bad Luck(who in their right mind is going to come way out here on New Years Day??)
• Do Not do laundry on NewYears day, lest a family member be washed away. (well there goes my plan to do the linens today)
• Make as much noise as possible at Midnight to ward off evil spirits (does it count if you're next door celebrating)
• Wear something new on New Year's day to insure new clothes the rest of the year(OK...I ran and put on that new turtleneck)
• Do not break anything on this day...wreckage will be a part of your year if done(I hav'nt touched a thing, except the keyboard all day)
• Do not let anything upset you to make you cry...it will set the tone for the next 12 months(hope that does'nt mean crying cause you're laughing so hard)
• LUCKY FOODS are BLACK EYED PEAS, Hamhocks, cabbage, lentils soup, the saying is Poultry scratches Backwards, a Cow stands still, a Pig roots forward....Likewise...Do Not eat Chicken or Turkey, to do so brings poverty (kind of late now...can't wait to find out what happens since that omelet this AM...the bacon, ham and sausage were mixed in with the "egg"....OH and there goes the T-Bones that were on the evening menu....guess its just BLT's now)
• NOTHING is to leave the house on the 1st day of the New year(not even trash), unless someone has entered first. (WHOOPS....missed that one too)

So....after reading about the "Beliefs/Superstitions" that I didn't know, I realized that I've been celebrating NewYears Day all wrong...and HOW did I survive all these years!

The END of 2008...

Reflecting back on this past year...it was a relatively quiet year, "The Wedding" of my Step-son and his New wife, Our trip to Las Vegas and our week Camping with my Grandkids and kids, are the 'Most Memorable "HAPPY" Moments of 2008'.

The 'Sad Moments' were the LOSS of Our Beloved kitty "MISTER" (will repost picture later), our Boston Terrier "STORY" and my Boxer "JAZZE JOSEPHINE BLUE"

And even though we now have our new little beloved "SUGAR", the house and everyday moments are not the same....they are missed tremendously!

And on the LIGHT SIDE of LIFE.....for the past 5- 6 weeks, I have been setting up a SALTWATER Aquarium. I Have everything I need, right?! Tank, heater, light, lid, thermometer, LIVE SAND and LIVE ROCK....I wait a couple of weeks, while daily checking the water to make sure it will be safe for the new future inhabitants...FINALLY I go to our local Aquarium store to purchase 3 inexpensive Damsels, 2 yellow tail and 1 Domino ( I decide to go with the lest expensive fish, JUST IN CASE!) I am SO PROUD...I bring the little fella's home and acclimate them accordingly to their NEW HOME! I have the tank close to my computer area...where I can see them....I keep a close watch on them...enjoying every moment of their discovering their new home...but wait...something is wrong...one at a time...they are not acting right...I check the water levels again, the temperature, I am GLUED to the Glass...trying to figure out WHAT IS WRONG... THEY ARE DYING AND THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO!!! AND THIS IS ALL WITHIN A THREE HOUR period of purchase! By now the Aquarium store is Closed, I am panicking. I rush into our local all around pet store with a sample of water...it checks out good and OK! I GO HOME... the little fellas have all expired! I AM DEVASTATED! I wait another 10 days...checking water daily. Still wondering what could have gone wrong! Last weekend I take a sample of the water to the Aquarium Store...they test it...It is good water! I run to my hubby and tell him everything is okay...I can try again...and so the guy follows me to the area where I will pick out my new fish...when we get to the tanks...he looks at me and asks DO I WANT Saltwater fish...ummm....DUH...YES! HE looks at me like I'm a little crazy and says...lets check your water salinity...OKAY.....Welllllll... it seems I HAVE NO SALT in MY SALTWATER Aquarium...The guy smiles at me (the kind of smile that says...Is this lady NUTS!)...and very politely, takes me to the area and patiently shows and tells me what and how to add the salt! (The whole while this is all going on, good ole' hubby...is just wandering around the store...acting like he's not with me!)

SO as of now I have had SALTwater for 4 days and yesterday, (ALONE), I purchased 3 more little guys...1 Domino, 1 Yellow tail and 1 Blue Damsel. And I am very PROUD to say....they are all still ALIVE...they even ate last night! My whole GOAL is...if I can accomplish the whole saltwater tank thingy...Someday...I want SEAHORSES! But at $90-$700 for 1 Seahorse...You can be CERTAIN...I will make sure I KNOW what I am doing!

OKAY...back to the end of 2008...instead of making NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS this year, Which the Resolutions are NEVER kept, I have decided to make a list of things I want to do/accomplish that are REALISTIC! LATER......

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR!

Christmas Is.....

Memories Shared....

Family...

Traditions.....

Blessings....
Wonderment...JOY...

Laughter.......
AWE......

Birthday celebration....

Today is the Day...

Let us all remember the true meaning of this day...and be Thankful for all Family and Friends....

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

I am so Grateful to GOD for the Family and the Friends that he has given to me!

OMG....What....

Just when you thought you have seen it all.....Going to town yesterday....two cars in front of me, I see a lighted reindeer, (you know the kind you put in your front lawn)...okay....TIED TO THE ROOF OF A CAR!
OF all times to leave the camera at home! Traffice is flowing...at the next stop light I am sitting right beside this car....not only is the Reindeer standing on the roof of the car, it also has lights all over the top...and then I look down ...."lighted" candy canes tied on each fender.....I have seen Wreaths tied to the front or back of cars before.....but this was unbelievable.....
ummmm........what can I do like that for next year!

Winter is upon us...

Christmas is a necessity...

There has to be at least one day of the year

to remind us

we're here for something other than ourselves.

May you have the Gladness of Christmas which is Hope;
The Spirit of Christmas which is Peace;

The Heart of Christmas which is Love. LOVE is what's in the room with you at Christmas,

if you stop opening presents and listen!

As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be.....Christmas is.

(pictures are of out back of our first snow)

Decorating for Christmas...

Putting up the Christmas decorations, usually takes me about a week.

Each year I try to do different colors or themes....this year, a couple of weeks ago, I was playing the Bubble Shooter game...I got down to the last 2 colors...and it hit me...THOSE are the colors I want to use for Xmas decor this year!!! (At least in the family room). So this year the colors are turquoise and lime green. Still in the process of purchasing more to add. And the stockings are NEW, but will be replaced. (Originally, I was going to do a "Country Christmas", which I have never done before.)The living room is gold and white, the dining room are Burgundy, gold and green and the kitchen will remain the same...Gingerbread men.

The Diva came and spent Saturday night with us and caught her in her baby sisters room, playing with the doll houses.

After Pa came back from ANOTHER unsuccessful night of hunting, We played a game of CLUE and watched White Christmas. Of course the Diva wasn't into the movie very much.

After looking at my countdown clock this morning, I realize I really need to do some SERIOUS Shopping...maybe next week. I'm already feeling STRESSED! The older the Grandkids get, the HARDER it is to FILL their STOCKINGS.

Tomorrow, I think the LUV and I will go visit Santa at the Mall....the lil darling LOVES to go to the Mall...

Back to Decorating (and painting)