Monday, November 17, 2008

So here's the Christmas Letter


Happy Holy Days to You and Your Loved Ones from the Mule Mountains of Arizona!

You already know what’s important to know about me; I care about
you. Suffice it to say, I am in good spirits even if aging has impacted
my physical health.

It’s wonderful to have my daughter Sharon living down on the corner
of our street. She’s a great help to me, especially on tech stuff, or
finding lost things (she’s amazing at that), and naming things, well
the list goes on and on. I’m so proud of her! Her former-movie-star
cat, Turtle (she was in “Bewitched” the movie), is well and happy
with Sharon’s loving services. Turtle was kept hungry in training
and on the set, so now she eats the best gourmet canned.

My other daughter Wendy has the BIG news. She bought her own
home (in Marana, a town just north of Tucson) with land enough
to keep her two horses; her mare, Pepsi and her colt, Comanche.
Also her small pack of dogs (mostly German Shepherds): Johan, the
large affectionate male, Shotsey, Azure Blue, Mystic Blue, and Sassy,
the 14-yr-old Queensland. I’m so proud of her. And her son, my only
grandson, A.J., is very happy in their new place. He especially
loves his new room and having his own bathroom.

My pets, Petey, the Chihuahua, and Kooch, the cat, are both happy,
except with each other. Recently, Kooch trapped Petey in the
bathroom. They avoid one another as much as possible, but
sometimes they choose the same place for a nap, then there’s
a small ruckus. Petey runs to me for comfort while Kooch gets,
well, whatever Kooch wants. I’ve told Petey not to mess with
that cat, who, I’m sure could take this tiny dog, anytime,
anywhere.

Within the last few weeks, John has had to fix a broken
water pipe in the front yard, a broken light switch in the
kitchen, and a leak under the sink. And he gave the roof
another protective coating. He also installed a double door
in his shed so he can store his motorcycles, and moved his
small woodstove into his unheated bedroom.

P.S. The pets got the most press in this one, eh?

I Accept Myself


Continuing the affirmations from Dr. Dyer's Erroneous Zones


" I accept myself without complaint. I know I am a human being and being so involves certain human attributes. I know I look a certain way, and I accept it. If I'm overweight, that's okay, so is being underweight. Thin hair is fine and so is thick. I can live with sweat! I accept that I am a natural person. No hiding behind artificialities, no apologizing for what I am. I like myself and accept what I am. Similarly, I accept all of nature for what it is, rather than wishing it were otherwise. I don't complain about things that won't change, such as cold winter weather, heat waves, rainstorms, or cold water. I accept myself and the world as it is. No pretenses, no groaning, simply acceptance. Follow me around for years and you'll never hear self-deprecation or wishing. I observe the world like a child who enjoys it for all it's worth."

Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money and power and influence. It is no more or lessthan faith in action." - Henry Chester

Friday, November 14, 2008

To send a Christmas letter or not?

On a whim, I wrote a Christmas letter last night . I don't usually like the holiday-one-letter-fits-all. Some I've received over the years have down right pissed me off. But I fell under the spell of wanting to connect with the people I don't see at all, or at best, once, since the previous Christmas. A plain card, even signed with dearly meant love, is still just a greeting like you'd give the grocery clerk and I want to let these friends and family know that my everyday life with daughters, pets, and ex-husband is still lively and full of moments of happy events. Thus, the letter.
It was a lot of work. First some hand written ideas, then into Word to compose, then 1st draft printed, revised, 2nd draft printed, revised, and so on. So I get the draft I like with clipart and font of choice, on one page that fits. So I print a few up. They look pretty good, sound alright, but then I find out from my daughter Sharon that I've got my other daughter Wendy's colt, misnamed. So, does it matter? Well to Wendy and the colt himself it does. Sharon says, "Just right it in on her copy, Mum." I guess that's what I'll do. So, anyone reading this who gets the letter should know that the colt's name is not Cody, but Comanche.
"May the real spirit of Christmas - the giving of self to life - enter and abide in you now and through time." - Dr. Ernest Holmes