Guess What? I have done most of my Christmas Shopping!

You heard me.. almost all of my CHRISTMAS shopping is done! This is an absolute first for me. Of course I suppose I should provide "clear disclosure" and also admit, I have cut back substantially on my shopping this year as well. I am hoping my family follows suit, as I have some commitments :

1. Remember what the Season is really all about.
2. Do not buy anything with credit!
3. And, do we all really need more stuff?

So, who have I shopped for... yes, pretty much the Grandkids.
I did not go overboard. After all, they have more grandparents then most, and plenty of cousins, and Aunts, and Uncles to spare. This means plenty of stuff!

Every year we ( in my family) all say the same thing, stop the shopping madness! And then, as the big day comes closer and closer ... panic sets in, and the very clever marketing of the holiday sales sucks you in.
When it is all over, it is like waking up from a dream and you just want to say...what happened?

So.. I am going to try to make a very conscious effort to stop the madness... and hope my loved ones do the same.
This has been a tough year financially for us, as small business owners.
But hey...maybe someday we will look back and see that maybe we learned something out of this year of stress...

And to the original question you may have ,which is "How did you get that much shopping done so quickly?"
Cyber Monday ! How easy was that, I had Monday off, and didn't even leave my home office to get it done! Plus, it did not take as long as I thought it would either!

Now the tree is going up, and I am going to enjoy my December with Family memories (I hope), more pleasant Christmas music, and less stress.


And..yes I guess I am a bit early for the Christmas templates.
This gives me time to try several fun Christmas themes on my blog during the month. Please bear with me, I am getting into the spirit of the Holidays, my way!
HO, HO HO!

My 1 year Anniversary and why do we blog?

I had no idea what blogging was, last year at this time. I wasn't sure how to access blogs..and once I found out how to do so, I had to figure out how to find people with like interests. My world opened up! So here I am, 222 posts later, who would of guessed!

Initially it started because my daughters blogged. I really didn't think I had anything to say that anyone else may care to read about, but the challenge was there.

I guess I may be a closet " kinda, sorta, wanna be writer" (of what I don't know!) Maybe you are too!

The ironic part is I write for a living..sorta crazy I guess.
I write all day long, and then come home and (time permitting)
either write or read some more.

I have found new friends, and read about your lives and families (both two legged and four legged). Many of you I can so relate too, either because you are in a place I was in when I was younger, or you are in a place in this time of your life I am in now!

I have talked about my faith, my politics, my family, my critters, my roadtrips and the weather with our wet & gray Pacific NW.

I have rambled about miscellaneous nothing, and about personal loss. I have been encouraged and comforted by you, people who I don't know, but who have taken the time to hit the "comment" button to say something to me.

Blogging is huge, it is a means to communicate and have contact with others. Did you know we were created to need others? No wonder this blogging stuff is so huge.

People who feel lonely, or low, who feel something is missing in their lives...blog.

People who are outgoing and have so much to say, who are naturally like a magnet to other people, they blog as an extension of their outgoing nature.

People who have strong feelings about their faith, their politics, and their hobbies and interests...they blog.

People who are shy, can blog as if they are not.

If you have a lot or a little, no worries...we are all on the same playing field in the Blog-sphere.

I don't have to know what your house looks like, if it is big or small, new or old. I don't need to know how it is furnished, if it is clean, or a mess. I don't have to know if you shop at the mall, or at the second hand store...it doesn't matter... ( I will say it can make for a fun blog though to hear about your bargain finds!).

So, as my 1 year Anniversary is technically coming upon me, I want to say ...

Thank You, to all of you.

Thanks for coming by, and for letting me come visit you.
Thanks for having the faith to add yourself as a follower on my Blog, and for leaving comments to encourage me and make me smile.

I have had a fun year, and more then anything have enjoyed your Blogs during this time..
Thank You!
Jan

Giving Thanks..with an Attitude of Gratitude.

To all of you in the Blogger-sphere...I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner time...winter, spring, summer, or fall...

Some things do not change...

Even as I sit here and share Betsy's dinner time look, I know that when I get up in a few minutes and go down to the barn, this is who will be waiting for me.

Hello mom, where is our dinner????

When I was horseless after years of having horses and my kids were small, I would wake up feeling panic...

I forgot to feed the horse!

Oh wait, I don't have a horse...

That was not just once or twice, but many many times.
I suspect that the day will come when I may again not have horses, as they really are pretty expensive pasture ornaments.

There was a time when I was young, I could never imagine being without horses. As I get older..I understand how life brings change, and this may also be a change in my life someday, to again be horseless.

When that time happens, I suspect it will be like losing a part of who I am.
You know, we have "O Heavens To Betsy" who is 14 and have had her since she was 6 months old.

We also have Zoe (Nugget A Gold) who is 18, and we have had her since she was 2. Some of you folks don't have kids that old!

So, no matter what, I will always be a horse woman...with or without a horse.
It is who I am.

Heathcare Reform..gotta love this Van.. wish there were more like it....

I received an email recently, and could not pass up the opportunity to share this one.
I have asked this same question...shouldn't it make you skeptical of this government plan?

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.

--John Adams

Give the people the same health care as their elected officials!!!

Fight organized crime: Re-elect no one...

Veterns Day.. Thanks to all you Vet's!

What a great day to remember those who are serving our Country and those who have already served our Country. Especially those who have given their lives for us to live in this amazing free Country.

God Bless them, and their families, and I mean that in the most sincere sense. My prayers are with you.

When I got married in my early 20's my husband Mike was drafted into the Army shortly after we got married. I had two brothers who signed up for the Navy at the time, and my (current) husband Ken, was part of our High School group who also signed up for the Navy.

While we lived off base, my first husband was fortunate to be assigned duty at Ft Lewis here in Washington, for 1 of the 2 years he served.

The second year of his duty he went to Nam. He came home safe and sound, as my brothers did, and Ken did, and many of our friends did. We had very close friends who did not come home safe and alive.

I was in 4-H as a teenager, and we had a club member named Johnny Wolf. Johnny had a little palomino mare, named Cindy. We all loved Johnny Wolf, he was funny, and cute, and the life of the party... well our 4-H party!

He was the only son in a family with 5 sisters. Johnny was also drafted and went to Viet Nam.

He was not there long, before he came back home.

His name is one of those names on the Viet Nam wall. I will never forget Johnny Wolf, and in my mind and heart I see a 18 year old tall thin teenage boy with blond hair, riding his little palomino mare, Cindy.

My father is buried at the National Cemetery in Auburn Washington. He had been a member of the Army Air Corps during WWII. He told us of losing his closest friends in that war, and I know he never forgot them to the day he died.

One of my greatest fears is that our young people may forget what hero's were born and lived in the previous generations, as well as this generation.

My fathers generation is sometimes called the Greatest Generation... I don't doubt that at all, when hearing those amazing stories of WWII.

I fly the American flag in honor of all of them, and feel tingles when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. I really do love America.

Is it only me, or do others feel we are loosing what our Country was founded on.

Like a lobster in a pot turned on to boil... it seems like many are oblivious that our rights are being taken from us a little at a time (maybe not so little at this point).

So, back to the theme of this post. If you have a Veteran in your house, or a member of the Armed Forces... tell them Thank You from Jan. And give them a hug!