Up since 5 a.m. assembling platters of cookies and candy. Today will continue to be a busy day with running, shopping for last minute gifts and food, and delivering the Xmas platters. Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining. I absolutely love the business of Christmas.

At this time of year the people in the stores and on the streets seem much more friendly and compassionate. I love that I can say "hello" to folks as they linger with me in the toy aisle, and a conversation ensues regarding the child for whom we're shopping.

My wish is that it could be more like Christmas all year long...the caring and sharing are amazing. With that in mind, please remember to smile at your sales associates, stay off of your cell phone while you're paying for something, be friendly toward your fellow shoppers, and be generous with your donations of commercial items, money and, especially time.

Merry Christmas, my cyber readers. God bless.

shel

Catching Up

It has been way too long since I have blogged. I need to make it a regular part of my routine once again. Perhaps that would calm my mind.

K-Mart was a big disappointment today. Mom got a pair of house slippers for dad and the price rang up higher. Unfortunately, I didn't think about it until after mom had already used her debit card. The sales lady ran back to check the sale price and when she returned she said "No, the $7.49 price is just for boys' Route 66 house slippers." I went back to the shoe section with her and showed her the sale sign, and she agreed; yep, the slippers were on sale. She took me up to guest services and told the very busy lady there that the shoes were on sale, and that mom needed a refund. The woman was rather snotty and argued the point. We waited and waited, but she woman kept telling everyone that she was too busy to help them, so we finally left. K-Mart service sucks. This isn't the first time that we have had a problem with incorrect pricing, either.

Bryan's Christmas program was last night. Chester-East Lincoln School did a wonderful CHRISTMAS show (not a generic holiday show, as is politically correct now.) They sang and did some acting, and many of them, including Bryan, did a little nose picking. At least his didn't go into his mouth! One of the songs that they sang was about Martha Stewart. It was hysterical! I suggested that Jessie send it in to Martha, but she's reluctant. (Yes, I'm a Martha fan.)

Tonight was Jaden's Christmas program. It was short, sweet, and to the point; not to mention adorable! The preschool kids were fabulous. After the program we had cookies and punch and visited. It was a very enjoyable evening. This program, too, celebrated Christmas and was not just a winter program.

It's 12:43 a.m. and I still can't get to sleep. Time to have a cup of hot chocolate with a shot; perhaps that will calm my mind.

Sleep well, my cyber friends. Dream of the magical time yet to come.

shel

Gabe's Toy Adventure

My grandboys have hundreds of dollars worth of toys to play with at my house. I have purchased some new, got some from rummage sales, have had many handed down or from Freecycle.org, and have some from Happy Meals.

What was the toy of choice when Gabe was here last night?

My pots and pans were the hit of the evening. Gabe spent the better part of an hour pulling them out of the corner cupboard, stacking and re-stacking them. He then decided that every pan needed to go into my sink, and stood on his little tiptoes to drop them in. After that Gabe found my two cookie presses and their various shape plates. He got into the Tupperware cabinet and pulled out a big green container to hold all of those pieces. Perhaps we have an aspiring pastry chef on our hands!

Gabe missed picking up one dutch oven. It was on the floor between the dining room and kitchen. Little Jaxxon, in the beginning stages of crawling, made record time getting to it. He enjoyed picking up the edge of it and dropping it back onto the vinyl floor. It made a very satisfying sound for him from the way he laughed each time it "kling"ed.

Alana, Max, David and I were able to play two good games of Rummikub while the boys played nicely with their "toys".

This morning I had a full load for my dishwasher. I don't mind...Gabe and Jaxxon had a wonderful time with my cookware. Maybe I should get them a child-sized set for Christmas!

Hope you all enjoy your day.
shel

Give the RIGHT Way

I work at Community Action, a not-for-profit organization that helps those less fortunate. Services offered include gas cards, car repair, rent assistance, commodities from the state (monthly), LIHEAP energy assistance, Angel Tree, and food pantry, among others. Certain criteria must be met before receiving any of these services (income guidelines, unemployment, etc.)

During this season of love and sharing, many businesses and organizations are hosting food drives, which is a wonderful thing. Our food pantry items go out almost as quickly as I can stock them, so we truly do appreciate the drives that are held. People are extremely generous.

Last week we had a donation of approximately $500 worth of groceries from a local business. It is my job to organize the donations and restock the shelves. While doing so I check the packages carefully to make sure that none are rusted, opened, or damaged beyond use. I also check the expiration date of the product.

I had to throw away dozens of cans and boxes of food that were more than a year past their expiration date. If something has expired less than a year ago, I give the product to DOVE. (Per regulations through the State of Illinois, they are able to give away food that is dated up to a year past expiration.) Food dated prior to that must be resigned to the garbage.

Our last donation held cans that were dated 1988 and Jell-o packages that didn't even have a UPC and had the blue cost stamped on it! I could almost hear the bacteria through the cans.

My point is that giving is a wonderful thing. Helping those in need is the greatest gift of all. Please remember, however, that no one wants to get sick from eating grossly expired foods, so please check expiration dates.

Your generosity is very much appreciated. Give not only at Christmas, but throughout the year. You're not only helping your neighbors, you'll get a warm feeling that money can't buy.

Hope all is well in your world,
shel