I have been here, just not doing a great job of updating....sorry!  I have however started my daily snapshot which with dedication will be updated daily!  So, I have been doing a lot of thinking about a lot of different things lately.  I have to say, although it was just a dusting, it was nice to see that little bit of snow outside Christmas morning!  We have already had more this year (which is not much at all) then we have had in the 13 years I have lived here.....It is crazy!  There are so many kids around here that just have no clue what to do when it snows.  Should they look at it, ignore it, maybe walk in it......PLAY IN IT!!!  Of course they have never really had snow to play in so this is a new concept for them.  PLAY, PLAY, PLAY!!  I know it is not going to amount to anything but as I am writing the little flurries are falling outside my window.  It makes my heart smile!

I am very thankful that I am able to have my Mamaw.  She is over 75 and STILL works 40 HRS A WEEK on her FEET and is still kicking!!  I hope she lives to break the record for oldest person!  For some reason when we get together be it for Christmas or even her birthday everyone is always rushing her and pushing her.  It drives me mad!  I love to watch her open her gifts.  It is just pure joy.  Here is this woman that has worked her ass off her entire life and has no understanding of what the word retirement means.  She still works 40 hrs a week or more on her feet all day long.  Yes, she deserves more than a gold star for sure! I love and appreciate how she finds she joy in the smallest part of it.  Now, we have been brought up to save where we can so yes, we are that family that saves bags and uses them the next year, BUT Mamaw actually takes note of the small things.  The simplest little bow.  She appreciates the entire package not just what is in it.  She was so cute Christmas day opening her gifts and commenting on the bows and bags and then this one she picked up and she just loved the paper!  She says, "Hmmm well, I guess there is no way to really save the papers is there?"  She cracks me up.  Anyway, I guess that turned in to a long story rather than a short one but I guess it just really irritates me how everyone is always pushing her and rushing her on to the next thing.  Like and impatient room of children waiting for the final school bell to ring all clambering in line at the door about to run over one another. This year it seems especially here close to the holidays so many people close to me have lost the ones they love.  Parents, Grandparents, Children......I can say for sure that I don't want to be that person down the road saying to myself, "What I wouldn't give for an opportunity to see the joy Mamaw found in something so simple and small".  I want to appreciate every second of it.  So, as far as I am concerned if she wants to take 10 minutes to open her gifts of 45 minutes.....APPRECIATE THEM.  Tomorrow is not promised.  It just annoys me when she gets pushed.  At 75+ she should be able soak some things up and enjoy them.   Just my thought, everyone has their own opinion.

For some reason here on a daily basis I am learning how truly selfish and ungrateful people can be.  I had some one that has gone on and one for a year now about how hard things are for them and blah blah blah only to discover that they make 5xs or more what I make in a year.  All I can say to that is don't come crying to me that you have a car payment and I don't so your finances are SO flipping hard.  Good lord, you make more than 2xs what the owner of my place of employment makes so cry me a flipping river....nope, not listening to that anymore for sure.  Had someone say they felt bad for a salesman that has had it made in the shade for years because over 15 years later someone has finally stepped in and told them they had to actually get out of their chair more than once a day.  Well hello!  About time they quit paying you for nothing.  Some people have just been too spoiled for way too long.  Listened to another person talk about their Christmas.  Well I think when we started the conversation we expected to hear good things.  No such luck!  Got to hear how the two things they asked for were exactly what they got.  Well not "exactly".  The coffee maker was not cheap and was the good one but it wasn't the BEST one so they actually allowed this to cause a fight on Christmas morning.  Really?  What happened to just simply saying THANK YOU!  Heck, they didn't have to buy you anything at all.  Appreciate the fact that they paid attention and got you something they new you wanted.  If you didn't like the style exchange it later.  It is OK.  Say THANK YOU!  Well then someone else entered the conversation and asked about the other gift.....OH LORD........that is when it hit the fan!!  I mean apparently they got exact ring they requested but the size was slightly off (mind you they were wearing the ring during their entire rant) So of course, in true fashion this was absolutely unacceptable!  I have never seen anyone so angry over a gift before and just because they would need to make a 5 minute stop one after noon and trade it for the correct size.  I mean it was just unbelievable.  I just sat back almost in complete shock.  The only thing I could manage to get out was "It is the thought that counts" and they replied... "Oh hell no it is not and they didn't put any thought into it.  Did they have to return anything I got them" and so on.  I mean it was to the point that the person that asked the question to start with was apologizing for even asking and ended up leaving the room because the rant was still going on.  I have a feeling a lot of people are going to get a big reality check in the near future.

Even if my Christmas wasn't filled with everything I could have written on a wish list, even if we only got a dusting of snow, even if something I got didn't fit and needs to be exchanged, even if........It was still perfect because I had my family to spend it with.  I got another Christmas with my Mamaw and the joy she finds in the small things.  I go about an hours of sleep on an uncomfortable bed that kept moving around but I woke up to enjoy Christmas morning with my Mom.  There are a lot of people that didn't get any of that and that is what is most important.

Monday's I am currently not working.  I have had strep and everything else so I haven't done much with those Mondays.  This week Gracie and I took off to Panther Park for a little walk around lunch time.  It was nice.  It was cool but not freezing and the exercise was good for us so all and all it was a good day.

So tonight is my date night with my favorite little man Dawson.  Oh yeah, his mommy is coming along too....LOL  I don't know how my dear friend Julie ended up with such a cute little man....HA HA  j/k Juliebean.  He acts just like her though and it is hilarious!  It is like free entertainment for sure.  I am looking forward to it though.  I haven't seen him in weeks.  He wanted to come see Gracie on Christmas but I wasn't home.  Spending time with kids is always a good cure for stress if only for just a little while.  They manage to find joy in the smallest of things.

In 2011 I plan on changing some things.  We will see how it goes and how everything plays out.  I will always been making random postings on things I am thankful for.  Since Mamaw has been on my mind so much she was the first for the blog.....lol

Hope everyone is getting their new year started off in the right direction!

"The object of a New Year
is not that we should have a new year.
It is that we should have a new soul."

~ G. K. Chesterton