Farewell to 2014, Hello to Fiesty Fifteen

Goodbye 2014 and thanks for the good times. We enjoyed many blessings. Here are the top ten. 1: 1st grandson born with the name of Schmidt and son of Jory and Sarah, Max on February 20, 2014. 2: I had major surgery w/cancer-free diagnosis. 3: Three trips we took from coast to coast visiting - California, Washington, New Jersey, New York, Idaho, Montana and Pennsylvania. 4: Awesome family reunion at Fairview cabin.

Our three youngest grandsons met for the first time.

5: Allan got hearing aids & a sleep machine. 6: We bought a 2012 Honda Civic & Electra bike 7: I flew a plane over Davis County -what a thrill to be in control of the joy stick and look out over the valley.

8: Continuous work all year for Allan. 9: Jory officially hired as a Vice Principal. 10: Camille & James moved into our apartment. It has been a super year of many firsts with family and blessed all year long. Thank you, Lord! WE welcome you 2015. May you be feisty but not too much for us to handle.

Christmas Came Calling

When Christmas comes calling with its demands of gifts, goodies, and gaggles of other things, I get overwhelmed. My 'Scrooginess' sets in, and a 'Bah Humbug' feeling takes over. Like the winter solstice the time grows shorter with December 25th looming closer. The beautiful Christmas lights, musical programs and the radio's constant carols, forces you to take action.

There is no running away from gift giving unless you want to look foolish when the swapping begins. It can all be so stressful that the season is difficult to enjoy. The secret is to "Do It" early, take the gifts out, relieve yourself of the pressure that waiting too long brings.

Enter Allan, my husband, to the rescue. In October, he began cutting out wooden nativities and ornate 3-d trees. He worked on them every minute he had as he calculated how many we would need. It was fifty. He worked and worked, we planned and wrapped. Then began giving, and giving and more giving. Soon the relief came, knowing we had given all we had and then some. We were done and it was still a week before Christmas.

People loved Allan's creations. I loved not having the pressure hanging over my head. Allan got a taste of what getting the gifts for giving entails. He has become more involved the past several years. The last week before Christmas was enjoyed thoroughly because everything was done. Yeah! and thank you Allan for being prepared when Christmas came calling. We survived!

Goodies Galore & More

Every Christmas I haul out my favorite recipes to psych myself up for making goodies. It's not that I don't like to make them, but who is going to eat it all? Me!! No way! My tongue is already craving soft veggies & such. A family favorite from my youth is Cereal Candy. My mom was an expert at making it and we gobbled it up. To this day, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Munchie Crunchies is a fairly new cereal treat. I bought a bag at a boutique. My sister-in-laws sister had made it. The combination of lots of butter, Golden Grahams, Rice Chex, coconut and slivered almonds makes the flavor addicting. Everyone I know I have made this for raves about it. Who doesn't like to have a recipe like that? I make a batch and take it to work a few times a year. Here's to leaving two large platters in the lunch room and front desk a week early, before peoples tongues and tasters were maxed out.

I love fudge, but mine never turns out because it turns hard. Consequently, I rely on creamy, nutty pieces by others given as gifts and at parties to chow down on.

Chocolate covered pretzels are easy to make, but so convenient to buy. I found some Christmas ones at Winco for $2.98lb. Online stores wanted $4.99lb with $7 for shipping.

Now that your mouth is watering and you want some, I better stop. Five more days til Christmas and the goodies are at high tide.

Ten Years on the Job

I made it to the ten year mark at work. I was laid off at my last job when I reached the decade date. They out-sourced all the work to elsewhere in the world. The last gal worked here six years. When she left, I didn't imagine staying a long as she did.

I was honored in our company Christmas party. A man I work with quite a bit, has been here forty years this month. He has been around the block a lot. It's a good place to work for and benefits are a dream. Only a half dozen more years or less and I'm calling it quits. Retirement just looks too good.

$50 Lost and Recovered!

I was out shopping last week carrying a $50 bill in my pocket, because I didn't want to pack a purse around. I was going to treat my daughter's family to some fun. I had placed it in a pocket that I wouldn't be putting my hands in and out of, so as not to loose it. My son-in-law was too fast with his credit card, before I could offer to pay at the bounce house, lunch and such. At one time I put my phone in the same pocket the money was in. I got a phone call from my husband and pulled the phone out forgetting about the money.

Over an hour later we walked into an ice cream shop for a treat. This was my chance to pay up. When I reached for the $50, it was gone!! Oh no! I checked my six pockets each three times and came up empty. Thinking back of where I could have lost the money, into my mind, as clear as day came the thought that it had fallen out of my pocket when I answered my phone. I had been in a busy bookstore. Distinctly another thought came to me, It said to call the store. I asked my son to look up the number. We called and to my surprise and relief the money had been turned in. Thank you to the honest soul that returned my $50.