Days off, Aren't they Lovely

 

    The drink above is how I start my lovely days off.    Called a green monster it is made like this.    I use 1 cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.    1 and 1/2 cups spinach, raw,   1 banana,  5 frozen strawberries or a half of peach,  6 frozen blueberries and a tbsp of ground cinnamon.   Blend and drink.    All my fruits for the day and energy to burn plus it tastes yummy.   You can use milk but the almond milk is only 40 calories.   For me it is all about the taste...... and the calories.

  I just got off my 4 nights of work and am enjoying the fact that I don't have to go tonight.    Even though I slept the day away catching up on my much needed sleep, it is a good thing.  And the fact that this latest snow storm missed us in a good thing.    No more snow.

   I was looking back on my journal.   That is what is good about having it.   I had such a good year this year compared to last year and the year before.    Seems like every entry I made in 08 and 09 was about being sick with something or having to have surgery.  I was in a large amount of pain at all times and still trying to work.  I can't take pain pills because I am working so my mood was getting worse and worse and I was depressed which was very unusual for me.   Long term chronic pain can wear you down.   I still have aches and pains but now it is the usual arthritis stuff,  I can handle that.

   I am soooooo glad I recovered and to tell you the truth there were times that I wondered if I would.   I had worries there must certainly be something seriously wrong to be in so much pain and sick all the time.   I feel soooooo much better this year.   Even though I had to have one surgery I recovered from that very nicely and thanks to losing weight, eating so much healthier, and exercising regularly I am a new woman.    Well,  not a new woman in the Hollywood sense with new fake boobs and eyes and lips stretched to my ears.   Just a great feeling.    Lots to celebrate.

   And Rick has recovered from his stroke and is doing so much better then last year.   I was very worried about him last year.   But with him eating better and working out with me,  and getting his blood pressure under control he looks so much better.   Thank goodness as to lose my life partner would have really been horrible.   So the gift of good health has visited us both,  and we are appreciative and joyful for it.  You don't realize how good it is until you don't have it.

  My oldest is going through a difficult time though right now and looks like he might join the ranks of the unemployed.    After a serious accident last week ,  not his fault, so that is our only bump in the road. 

  Do you all look back through your journals?    Last year on Christmas I barely made it home from work.   We had 17.5 inches of snow and were snowed in for a few days.   This year it looks like we should be able to enjoy a day with family.

    I want to wish everyone a Merry Merry Christmas and hope you all have a Happy New Year.  One full of family and good health.   May your pantries be full and your room warm and cozy.

Norwegian Volunteer Fire Department

Norwegian Volunteer Fire Department
                 
One  dark night outside a small town near Everett , Washington , a fire
started inside the local chemical plant and in a blink of an eye it exploded into massive  flames.

The  alarm went out to all the fire departments for miles around. When the volunteer fire fighters appeared on the scene, the
 chemical company president rushed to the fire chief and said, "All our secret formulas are in the vault in the
 center of the plant. They must be saved. I will give $50,000  to the fire department that brings them out intact."
                 

But the roaring flames held the firefighters off. Soon more fire departments had to be
called in as the situation became desperate.
                 

As the firemen arrived, the president
shouted out that the offer was now $100,000 to the fire
department who could bring out the company's secret files.
                 

From the distance, a lone siren was heard as another fire truck came into sight... It was
the nearby Norwegian rural township, volunteer fire company from Stanwood, Washington composed mainly of Norwegians over the age of 65.

To everyone's amazement, that little run-down fire engine
roared right past all the newer sleek engines that were parked outside the plant. Without even slowing down it drove straight into the middle of the inferno.
                 

Outside, the other firemen watched as the
Norwegian old timers jumped off right in the middle of the
fire and fought it back on all sides.

It was a performance and effort never seen before. Within a short
time, the Norske old timers had extinguished the fire  and had saved the secret formulas.

The  grateful chemical company president announced that for such
a superhuman feat he was upping the reward to $200,000, and walked over to personally thank each of the brave fire fighters.

The local TV news reporter rushed in to capture the event on
film, asking their chief, "What are you going to do  with all that money?"
                 

"Vell,"  said Ole Larsen, the 70-year-old fire chief, "Da first thing
  ve's gonna do is fix da brakes on dat freaking  truck!"

I had The Craziest Dream Last Night

Warning, 2 Feet of Snow

 

  Giggle

Winter In Iowa

Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print,_ Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.  "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." 

 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.    

Snow

        Well Jeanie,  the snow finally found it's way here.   Yesterday we had a warm snap so all the snow we had,  which wasn't a lot melted.   Now we are busy snowing and blowing away.   My son will be thrilled  as he got a new Kia Sorento and this will be his first snow to drive in..

   I just looked it up to get a photo and find they have been recalled for bad brakes.   Hummmm.   Had to text Dan and let him know before he gets out in it.  Bummer.  But they should fix it.    I like the Kia Sportage in red.   They have one where Dan got his and it is so pretty.   Might have to see if they would give me a good deal on a trade in for my van.

          I brought my popcorn cake to work and it was a great success.   It vanished quickly and turned out pretty good if I must say so myself.  I just had to have a piece,  heck with the diet for a minute.

       Last night we went to a Templeton Rye speakeasy party.   Man oh man whiskey is not my drink of choice but it was fun and everyone was dressed up like gangsters from the 30's. so the mood was light and fun.   It was a late night for us though.   We are usually home and in our PJ's by 9.   I don't know how you do those late nights Jimmy.   In our defense we had been shopping all day.   I bought a couple of books.   One is called A big little life, a Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean  Koontz.   I have heard it was good.    The other is called A Secret Gift by Ted Gup.   It's about how one man's kindness-and a trove of letters- revealed the hidden history of the Great Depression.   It was recommended by a friend who is a historian and knows I like books like this.  So I am set for a couple of days.

   Next week I have to had a class all day to get renewed for my ACLS,  or Advanced Cardiac Life Support.   Then the next day I have a skills lab class.  So much for my days off of laziness and joy.   But it has to be done.   After 30 years though I think I have it figured out.

    Zoey,  who is laying next to me just sat up and gave me a hug,  isn't that sweet.   I promised her I would cut her nails today and I have to clean the other critters cage.   My hands are weak enough that clipping Zoeys nail is difficult but she won't let Rick do it. I am blessed with the job.   Last time I had it done at the vet they trimmed 2 too short and she remembers that also.

   Oh man,  I just heard some banging and looked outside,   it is really snowing and blowing.   Maybe I will skip the gym and work out at home today and have hot chicken chili for supper tonight.   A good book, and hot meal and a cuppa tea.   My idea of a nice night off work.   

Well enough rambling on.  Time to get my breakfast of a green monster and start my chores for the day.   Have a great weekend all.