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What a wonderful Christmas

This has been one of the best Christmas’s we have had in a long time.  Even though money was tight, we were all together and that’s the best part of Christmas anyway.  It’s not about the presents even though we all got the one thing we really wanted or really needed.  It’s about the love of your family surrounding you.

Mom was home about 45 minutes before she saw the dishwasher.  She took a little time to relax before she went into the kitchen to start preparing our Christmas Eve dinner.  We always have a huge dinner and then open presents on Christmas Eve.  That way, we can go to our grandparents on Christmas day and not have to cook for a few days after Christmas.

Mom did just as I knew she would do and busted out crying.  She said “This is the best Christmas present I have ever gotten” just like I knew she would.  She even called everyone she could think of to tell them about it.  That was great because that meant she really loved it.  She couldn’t wait to use it either.  I can honestly say it has been a wonderful Christmas.  Now it’s on to a new year.

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Got Mom’s dishwasher

Every year, a couple days before Christmas eve, Mom puts together about a hundred gift bags full of fruit and socks or bedroom slippers to take to a couple of nursing homes (or retirement homes as some are called) to give to the people there.  She has done this for more years than I can remember.  That means she’ll be there most of the day.

Well we went and picked up Mom’s new dishwasher as soon as she left and now we are all installing it for her.  When she gets home, I wonder how long it will take for her to see it?  We have a big red bow to put on it so she has to see that anyway.  I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she finally spots it.  I know she’s going to cry and that’s cool.  I love to see happy tears on Mom’s face.  This is going to be the best Christmas present we have ever gotten her is probably going to be what she will say.  She says that even if we give her another sweater.  That’s my Mom.

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Family Tradition at Christmas

Every year for as long as I can remember, we always go to the theater to see either the ‘Nutcracker Ballet’ or ‘A Christmas Carol.’  We usually alternate between the two each year.  See my mother and my sister love the ‘Nutcracker Ballet’.  I have to admit as I got older, I found it quite interesting too.  Those Ballerina’s are something.  Even the guys have to be athletic to do what they do.  I’ve tried it and it’s not that easy and I’m an athlete.  Hey, don’t tell anyone I tried it, okay?

Anyway, this year it’s the play.  It blows me away how they can make you see so much on just one little stage from the shop, to the grave yard to the old school and you know the story but have you ever been to the play.  You have to go at least once because you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t.  That would make a great gift to someone ya know, theater tickets!!  Check with your local theater.  I bet they have gift cards and they could even pick which play they wanted to see.

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Headed home for Winter Break

Well today was the last day of the semester.  All the finals are over with and I’m heading home for Winter Break as they now call it.  It’s Christmas Break to me but we do have to be politically correct these day.  The only ones we’re allowed to offend is our own people it seems sometimes.

You’re not supposed to tell anyone ‘Merry Christmas’ anymore.  You’re supposed to say ‘Happy Holidays’ because they might not celebrate Christmas, they might celebrate Hanukkah.  That’s okay, I can go along with that.  I don’t want to offend anyone but I don’t want my rights to be taken away either.  It’s a tough tight rope to walk I guess.  What I usually do is tell someone “Happy Holidays” and if they say “Merry Christmas” back to me, then I say “Merry Christmas” too.  That works.  That way, everyone is happy.

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What to get Mom?

I really need to come up with something great for my Mother for Christmas.  She’s the type of woman that never asks for a darn thing for yourself.  All she ever wants if something for us kids or anyone else in the family.  I have tried getting her a gift card and she only uses it on someone else.  I really want something for only her, that she can’t give to anyone else because she thinks they need it more than she does.

I got it!!  She doesn’t have a dishwasher, believe it or not and that would make her house work so much easier on her.  I just called Daddy and asked if he will help us get her one for Christmas and put it in for her.  He said that wouldn’t be a problem and knows just where to put it the easiest in the kitchen.

I found a Whirlpool dishwasher that would be perfect for her.  She’s going to absolutely love this gift and it’s just for her to make her life easier. They even have one in stock at Lowe’s and are holding it for us to be picked up on Christmas Eve. PERFECT!!

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Have you heard of WorldVision.org?

Have you ever heard of an organization called WorldVision.org?   I just found out about it and honestly haven’t had time to really check them out but as with most organizations that promise to help, you really should see just how much what ever you donate actually goes to the people it’s supposed to help.

From what I understand, this organization will help children and or families in the country of your choice, even here in the United States.  You can choose if you want to purchase a gift like a goat for $75 to help a family have milk, cheese and yogurt.  Or you can donate $35 to provide $490 worth of clothing for children.  Just $25 will give help to sexually exploited young girls.

They offer a ‘Sponsor a child’ option too with what ever amount you can pay each month.  You can choose if you want to sponsor a boy or girl, what country, affected by HIV/AIDS or not and even what month and day they were born if you like.  Or if you would rather, you can just donate money.  They will show you what your donation can purchase for the needy and the hungry.

Like I said in the beginning, I have not fully checked them out but I thought maybe you might be interested in helping others and if I at least get you to check into this site, it might make you check into others too.  As I learn more about this organization, I’ll let you know, Okay?  If you know something about them or find out something, drop me a comment so I can let others know if they are as good as they sound or if they need to look elsewhere.

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Something silly for a change!

In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to be a bit too serious most of the time.  I want to take on the world and make a difference but Rome wasn’t built in a day.  They had to take some time out for pleasure once in awhile.  Maybe not the slaves but the Romans did I’m sure.  I don’t want to be a slave to my ’causes’.  I need to have fun too every once in awhile because like someone told me a few days ago, “All work and no play makes Cody a dull boy.”  We can’t have that now can we?

I’m sure you have seen a cartoon that has a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other.  Usually in the cartoon, the little angel gets knocked off.  Well I had one of those moments yesterday.  I should be ashamed but I still laugh when I think of it.

See I was driving to my local McDonald’s where I love to get the double cheeseburgers.  It had snowed about 8 inches last night so I was being really careful.  Then I saw him up ahead.  This guy had obviously been shoveling snow for quite a while because he had the whole front of his shop shoveled out.  The front of his shop would hold about 6 cars pulled in straight and was just deep enough that the cars didn’t block the sidewalk.  Get the picture?

I don’t know where that little angel went that usually sits on my shoulder but that darn little devil was working overtime.  As the guy was shoveling the last few scoops of snow out into the side of the street, I just couldn’t resist sort of running a little through the snow he had shoveled out of his parking lot.  I had no idea just how much snow would go back into his parking lot but when I looked in my side view mirror, all I saw was a wave of snow covering the man and then the whole parking lot.

I started to go back home a different way because I was afraid he had seen who had done this to him but figured if he came out cursing me, I would help him shovel his parking lot again but all I saw as I went back by was his snow shovel thrown down and he was nowhere to be found.  Did I laugh, heck yeah I laughed my ass off.  It was too funny.

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While we’re planning for Christmas

While most of us are busy trying to find the perfect gift for our loved ones for Christmas, there are local  families here that have a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan in harms way.  We worry about simple things like did we fix enough food for our Christmas meal.  They worry about their loved ones getting a meal that is hot and being warm and safe.

We hope we didn’t forget anyone on our list when it comes to the presents.  They worry that their loved ones will be forgotten for what they gave as they are placed in the ground.  We worry about trivial things while those that are in the military or have loved ones in the military are there to try and make sure we are able to worry about those trivial things.

Because of that, I volunteer at a local nursing home that houses a lot of old veterans.  I read them stories, bring them movies and bring them treats that I get approved before I bring them in.  A lot of patients can’t have sugar and things like that so I have become quite the sugar free cook when it comes to treats.  On any special day like Veterans Day, D Day or V Day, I always make sure to bring each veteran something special to thank them for what they gave and what they did.  To see the humility and pride on their faces when I bring them these little gifts is all the ‘Thanks’ I need.  What do you do to honor them?

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See this is what gets me!

They’re talking on my local news about what in the world to do for the homeless population that seems to keep growing and growing.  How in the world are we going to meet their needs?  I’m just a kid in college and I have a few ideas but what does a college kid know?

I know that I have seen just in the past two months, the city tear down two buildings that could have been made into great places to actually give some real help to homeless people.  The reality of it is most people are not homeless by choice.  Some are though because that’s all they know anymore.  Not all homeless are alcoholics or drug addicts either.  Yes some of them are.  Not all homeless have mental illness but some do.

So why not take these buildings and turn them into real help for each group of the homeless.  One of the buildings used to be a three story small factory.  There’s enough room on the bottom floor to turn part of it into a thrift store and another part into something like a McDonald’s or a cafeteria type restaurant and then another part that could have been turned into maybe a training facility.  Each of those places can help the homeless learn a new job skill, give them a temporary job to help them feel that they are earning their food and shelter

On the second floor there was enough room to make several units for single mothers and their children.  Maybe even a daycare for the people that live there so they could work.  The third floor would make several units for families.  This type of place will not be for those with mental, alcohol, or drug problems.  This would be for the people that have found themselves homeless because of the economy or factories shutting down.

Of course I don’t have all the answers but I do have ideas.  They may not be very good ones but maybe someone will read this and it will grow into an idea that will work.  I sure hope so.

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Ponder this

Scientist have told everyone that global warming is happening and yet there are some that don’t believe it.  If you check back through history, sure there are warming periods and there are colder periods.  Perhaps this is just a warming period, but what if it isn’t?  What if we’re causing it just like scientist are telling us we are doing?

I don’t think this is just a warming period or warming cycle if you rather because of several reasons.  First of all, there are so many people on earth now that are using cars, motorcycles, RV’s, boats, lawn mowers and all sorts of other things that use fossil fuels.  They used natural things in a warming cycle before like their feet or a horse to get around, canoe’s with paddles, or goats and sheep to mow the grass.  None of those threw harmful gasses into the atmosphere like the ones of today do.

Then there’s all of the rain forests and natural habitats that are being destroyed all in the name of progress.  Progress of what?  Killing trees and habitats so we can have more apartments, condo’s and houses.  There are enough empty housing around that I bet everyone could have a place to live without building a new housing unit at all most anywhere.

As far as all the empty buildings that used to be department stores or factories, why tear them down only to build something else there?  Why not take these buildings and breathe new life back into them with homeless shelters, studio apartments that young adults trying to get out on their own for the first time could afford or elderly people could afford?  We are such a wasteful people that it drives me crazy sometimes.