A BLESSED NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

For all of us, 2004 brought us many things in life to experience, some of them difficult and painful, some of them joyous and happy. This is life, and with our loved ones and friends, we get through all of it intact and stronger. I wish all of you a New Year filled with many blessings, much laughter, healing, and love abounding. Together, may we all continue to see the spirit that lives in all of us and give our love and compassion freely. I am blessed to know each of you and am thankful for the connections to you in my life. And I have a pretty good idea that all of you, like me, would say "My greatest wish for 2005 is to see World Peace........"
Happy New Year everyone, God bless you all!

Love Jude

TO MY FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES......

My newly married (remember, on the beach in Hawaii?) and dear friend Monica just sent me a beautiful little thing that I'd like to not only share with all of you, but to offer it TO you. (I've shortened it a bit) Thank you Monica, you are one of the lights in my life!
"I Wish You Enough....."
When I wish you enough, I want you to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain you.......
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright, and I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more....
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive, and I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.......
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting, and I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.......
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.....

And from me, I wish you all Peace in your souls.....
Until next time, take care and God bless,

Love Jude

GETTIN' READY!

Well today's my "Wednesday-Friday", as it's always the last of my 3-day work week, and tonight when I get home from work I must finish getting my den ready for my sister Linda, who is here for a visit. Right now she's staying with another sister, Brenda, who is on holidays right now, and tomorrow she's bringing her here for a stay over the weekend. Then she's going back to Brenda's for part of the next week, and then coming back here, before she goes home. Gotcha confused yet?? LOL

My den is actually a teeny tiny bedroom that serves as the little room that I "live" in. I mean, really live in. That's where the TV, stereo, desk and computer are. And my chair. I can't live without a glider rocker, that's my thing, you see. My whole life practically, is in that room, LOL. Anyway I will be taking a few things out of here tonight, like my chair for one, and setting it up for Linda to sleep in. SO!! While she's here, I won't be on the computer so much obviously, I'll be visiting with her mostly. I'll try to pop in a few times a day though, checking out the blogs and the Savage Attitude Forum. And my emails of course! So if I appear to have disappeared now and then, you'll know I haven't been kidnapped or something......

I was feeling pretty lousy when I got home yesterday ~ one of my managers, who is NEW to one of the areas of my job that I work with, over-rode a decision I made yesterday, which made me look foolish. He came to me with a very sheepish look on his face, so he knew, but I wasn't happy about it. And because of what he did, it makes me look like a complete bitch to the third party (who doesn't even know me, they're from another office) and one thing I don't think anybody who knows me would ever accuse me of is being a bitch. I'm the first to help out, but yesterday the request that was made to me to send some of our stock to replace theirs just wasn't possible, or I'd be running MY office out of that particular thing. Well, the lady that I said no to, got her manager involved, who phoned my manager (who admits he knows nothing about our stock, that's MY baby) and he caved in and said yes to her. Sounds like such a small thing, but the way it turned out made me look really, really bad. So I'm embarrased, hurt, angry, and feeling a little foolish. I'm just going to have to live with it and let it go. But I'm still feeling it as I get ready to go back there this morning.....

......which I had best do, or I'll be late. Never been late for work in my life! Just briefly, before I sign off, there are a few online friends who, like me, are really missing a loved one (or in my case, loved ones) right now, and the Christmas season always makes those hurts worse. KCfla, linked to my blog, posted a beautiful entry today about that, and I really appreciated reading it. Thanks KC, it was very timely. To those of you who are hurting right now, because of a loved one passing, or a loved one not home right now...... hang in there. You are never ever alone in it, and your loved ones have you always and forever in their hearts too.
God bless you.

And God bless all of you ~~ have a great day, take care of each other! Talk to you soon! PEACE!
Love Jude

IT DOESN'T GOBBLE, BUT A CLUCK IS GOOD TOO

Ever since Christmas dinner at my sister Brenda's, I've been frothing at the mouth for turkey dinner leftovers..... By now, some of you may have already had THREE turkey dinners in a row........ and if you've ALSO had turkey sammiches for lunches, then the way I figure it, you could already be FIVE WHOLE turkey meals ahead of me!!! So if you're already sick of the gobbler, then go park your butt in front of a salad or something, cuz you may not want to hear me whine about this! LOL I can still taste the gravy and mashed potatoes like it was just yesterday....... mmmmm..... and that's just the dinner, what about all the baked goodies that she had there too??? Having Christmas dinner at someone else's house SUCKS. You get a "tease" and then you have to go home and try not to think about the leftovers that are in THEIR fridge, calling to you day and night........ getting eaten up by some other lucky schmuck! Well. I know how to fix that, you see. For New Years, I'M having a turkey dinner at MY house, and I'M going to have all the leftovers HERE in MY fridge!! And my sister Pam, who lives downstairs, has this week off and she's even going to do a little baking! AND...... she's also going to make my favourite soup in the whole wide world ~~ BORSCHT!! And if I do say so myself, she makes the best borscht I've ever had too! So, yeah I might be lamenting and whining right now, but come Sunday, I'll be swan diving into the good stuff for a few days. Tonight, as I was feeling so turkey-less, it suddenly occured to me that I have something in my freezer that my bestest pal Michele gave me last week ~ her home-made chicken fingers! And let me tell you, you can't BUY them as good as she makes them. So I gots me a huge grin on my face and went to my freezer and kissed the frozen little suckers before I microwaved them ~ thanks pal, I had a great dinner tonight because of you! No it isn't turkey with trimmings, but the cluck was just as fine as the gobble anyway! Okay all you turkey'd out peeps, you can come back now............!

It was a weird time this Christmas in some ways ~~ it seems like all of North America has the flu in one shape or form, doesn't it?? The two other people in my house, my hubby and my sis Pam, are still sick too. Hubby is feeling better again today, but it's been coming and going with him, and it hits him hard off and on. And my friend Tina in Ohio has been ill with an infection (not flu-related) that's been very serious, so she's had to cut back on doing anything at all for the holiday, where usually she's a baking, cleaning, cooking cyclone. And another friend in Ohio, Debs, has been snowed in so badly that they couldn't go anywhere to a)celebrate Christmas with family, or b)get anywhere for groceries so they could have their own Christmas dinner. And my sista friend Janna in NYC has been so very sick that she ended up spending Christmas all alone in her apartment.......now THAT made me almost cry!!! I feel like even though she's thousands of miles away, I SHOULDA BEEN THERE FOR HER!! (obviously impossible, but just the same I felt so helpless) So yeah, it's been a strange one. To all of you who are ill, I wish you healing Angels by your sides!! And for snowed in Debs...... I wish you an early spring girl!

So it's back to work tomorrow for me..... hubby has tomorrow off yet before he goes back, and sis Pam has the week off, as I said earlier. But I can't complain, I only do 3 days a week now anyway, so I only have to do 2 this week and next week because of the Monday holidays. And on Thursday our sis Linda will be here, so I'm really looking forward to that! And Thursday happens to be her birthday too, so Pam and I are planning stuff........ heh heh. She'll be Queen for the day! (bless you!)

Well everyone, I guess that's about it for this time ~ and I suppose I should think about getting stuff ready for work tomorrow. So it's off to bed at a decent hour for me, and hopefully the chain saw I sleep next to will be out of gas tonight, LOL Catch you all later ~~ PEACE!

Love Jude

I FEEL LIKE THE TURKEY.....

Okay, every year, I SWEAR I'm putting less on my plate when I slap the turkey and all the trimmin's on it..... so how come I still always end up feeling like (not to mention LOOKING LIKE) the turkey with the stuffing still inside it?? YIKES. Let me tell you, I am FULL ~~ and my sister Brenda (just like my other two sisters) can cook up a storm! It was deeeeelish, and that's not even getting to the desserts yet.....she baked for a whole day, and man the table was a groaning board if I ever saw one! Hoo boy....

It was a relief that this Christmas was a lot easier than the last..... having lost our mom last year only 2 weeks before Christmas made the holiday non-existant for us really. But now I'm really feeling for my cousin in Ontario, who just lost his mom 3 days ago, even closer to Christmas. She was my Aunt Norma, my mom's sister.
So although we, the ones left behind, must brave our way through the grieving process, it is wonderful to know that our moms are having a beautiful reunion of their own in heaven, as my sister Pammie so eloquently put it. So we had a nice time with all us sisters together tonight, except one, our older sis Linda is coming in to the city tomorrow to stay for two weeks. So we'll still all be together for the rest of the holidays. I thank God for my family, and for my friends. I AM SO BLESSED!!!

So what did you all get from Santa? I was spoiled rotten, got bath stuff, some tree ornaments, some lovely household gifts, and a gift card from Walmart, where I'm gonna go crazy! (thanks to my dear hubby, who is probably trying to make up for all the snoring....LOL) Plus from work every year we get a bonus gift card from HBC (can be spent at Zellers, The Bay, and Home Outfitters) AND......the company's board members surprised us all this year with a one-time "bonus" bonus.... and sent us all quite a sizebable cheque!! Even the managers didn't know anything about this, so it was a huge surprise for everyone. It was a special bonus for the last year we've gone through with all the changes from integration mostly. You know, all the stresses that I've been venting about on this blog??? LOL So that was really nice.

So, we just got back home from Christmas Dinner at sister Brenda's, it's about a 40 minute drive out to the country from the city, and OF COURSE it decided to snow and blow and get a bit colder....so the drive back at night in those conditions was a tad nerve-wracking..... but we're here safe and sound, thank you God. Unfortunately even expending all that nervous energy didn't wear off any of the stuffed feeling I have from overindulging at the table tonight. I'm still stuffed, just like the freakin' turkey!!

Well peeps, I truly hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too..... those of you who are travelling, Godspeed safely home!! And as for me, I guess I'll waddle off to bed soon............
....."oinking" all the way.......

PEACE!

Love Jude

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FOR YOU

FOR CHRISTMAS AND ALL THROUGH THE YEAR........
MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE AN ANGEL BY YOUR SIDE

May you always have an angel by your side;
Watching out for you in all the things you do,
Reminding you to keep believing in brighter days,
Finding ways for your wishes and dreams to take you to beautiful places,
Giving you hope that is as certain as the sun,
Giving you the strength of serenity as your guide,
May you always have love and comfort, and courage,
And may you always have an angel by your side....

Someone there to catch you if you fall,
Encouraging your dreams, inspiring your happiness,
Holding your hand and helping you through it all.....
In all of our days, our lives are always changing
Tears come along as well as smiles;
Along the roads you travel
May the miles be a thousand times more lovely than lonely,
May they give you the kind of Christmas gifts that never, ever end:
Someone wonderful to love and a dear friend in whom you can confide,
May you have rainbows after every storm,
May you have hopes to keep you warm..........

And may you always have an angel by your side ~~

~Emilia Larson~

And from me, I hope that you, my friends and loved ones, will always have the love in your life that is present now, and tenfold to come. I wish you all serenity and a safe and warm Holiday Season. Merry Christmas everyone! And Peace to you and yours,

Love Jude

JUST GIVE ME A GUN

No, not really, but it's going on 1:00 a.m. and here I am, I'M BEING SNORED AT AGAIN! Aaargh! He's actually fairly quiet, but frig, it always happens just when I'm falling asleep ~~ it'll be quiet for as long as I'm reading.......then I turn out the light and just as I'm drifting off into la la land, out of his mouth comes this weird pig snort!!!! Then I'm startled awake, only to lay there not being able to fall right back asleep!
While he turns over and is quiet again........ **##@@!!

On a much lighter note (LOL) I'm getting so excited that Christmas is only 3 days away now...... it's always fun to watch everyone opening their prezzies...... especially the ones I got them or made them! I got the hubby some cologne, but now I'm thinking what I shoulda done was get him a little pig nose on an elastic band, LMAO!

Some of you may have been following some of the blogs where the ladies have been posting their "glamour photo shoots", and let me tell ya they are really great! If you want to see something absolutely gorgeous, check out Janna's pics, her link is on my blog. Janna is my NYC Southern Sista and is a 60's "flower child" like me, actually we're the same age! 29!! (lol)....... but what a classy looking lady compared to my ol' mug, LOL. Honestly you gotta check out those EYES and that HAIR. Wow. I know if she reads this she'll probably blush herself red and tell me to just shut up (how would a Noo Yawker say that? "shaddap?") ~ but like I told her, those pictures are model material! And you still got it girl!!
(sorry sista, I hope you don't mind!)

I tried tonight to post an audio blog again, and it still won't work!!! I tried a month ago too, and sent three emails to them asking for help and haven't yet heard back. It ocurred to me tonight, I wonder if it's because my phone # (which is the one I've listed with them) is an unlisted (silent) number??? I wanted to post an audio Merry Christmas!

Crappers it's been so busy at work........ it's so bad we're actually feeling cranky about the members coming in........ how bad is THAT? It's that pre-Christmas rush, they're coming in in droves to buy gift memberships and buy things like discounted movie passes and stuff for gifts. It's almost as if huge chunks of the population board buses and they pull up one after another..... all day. I can't wait until next week when it dies down to just a normal busy again...... this is exhausting! Okay now I'm feeling bad.......at least I have a job, and one I love. Boy talk about making myself feel guilty....... **bad dog! no biscuit!**

Well ladies and gentlemen, I guess I should try again to find la la land in my bedroom....... I still have a horrendously busy day ahead of me in a few hours and I do worse on little or no sleep. It ain't pretty!! LOL So I hope you are all having sweet dreams, and I'm going to try to do the same. Until next time, PEACE be yours!

Love Jude

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN BAKING

Okay Danni, this is what NOT to do when you bake that Lemon Square recipe, LOL. This is what happens when I don't pay attention when I'm pulling something out of the hot oven.....and move UP when I should still be moving OUT first...... I touched the top of the oven with both hands on the way out of it with the pan of squares...... OWIE!!! The squares were deelish, thank you very much, but the war wounds I got from making them will probably scar my hands for life....... sheesh! Moral of the story, always pay attention when working with HOT appliances. And if you happen to be extreeeeemely mentalpausal too, make sure you have responsible grown-ups supervising you......... heh heh.... I'm keeping them clean and covered in bandages (with a healing salve on them), and airing them out a little at night at home when I'm sitting doing nothing, then re-bandaging them again for bedtime. They are raw so I don't want to infect them. How lovely for Christmas huh? Hey, maybe this means I can get outta doing all them ##@@** Christmas Dinner dishes!! LOL

So all that balmy winter weather we've been having went for a shit-dive today, and we got snow and wind and COOOOLD temperatures. As I told my southern sista Janna tonight, I froze my bunyakas clean through walking to work this morning, and it ain't even THAT cold yet for this neck of the woods for this time of year. However, for Christmas Day on Saturday, it's going to be around +8C here, so that's nice in my books baby!!

Yeesh, I've got two sick people in my house. My hubby Albert (or "Albie, as Debs has officially named him) has come down once again with a bad stomach flu, and now my sis Pammie has taken a turn for the worse with her symptoms too. IF THERE EVER WAS A FLU SHOT GOD, HEAR ME PRAYIN' TONIGHT OKAY?? I feel as if I should keep rubbing the spot on my arm where I got the shot, for good luck. Or maybe to keep it working. Not that I'm crazy or anything, FYI. Or maybe I AM?? Well for those of you who REALLY know me well, that's just normal for me. Anyway I'm hoping to keep myself flu free even in the midst of all these horrid, gross and rather scarey germies floating around in my house right now. And more importantly in the big scheme of things, I truly hope that my two sickly loved ones will be all better by Christmas so that they can at least enjoy the day. And appreciate the cheap prezzies I bought them.

Well I guess if I'm going to get any beauty rest (yeah right) I better think about going to bed soon..... didn't get much sleep last night as hubby was sickly and tossed around a lot. So....... I wish myself a better night tonight (and him too) and all of you a good one! Until next time, PEACE BE WITH YOU.......

Love Jude

A CHRISTMAS POEM

Thank you to my friend Ruth, who sent this to me today...... this is a Christmas poem, written by a Peace Keeping Canadian soldier stationed overseas. This is what he wrote:
"Please would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our Canadian service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in some small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your part to plant this small seed......... Arthur Baier"

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

He lived all alone
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live.
I looked all about, a strange sight I did see
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by mantle, just boots filled with sand
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
With medals and badges, awards of all kinds
A sober thought came through my mind
For this house was different, it was dark and dreary
I found the home of a soldier, once I could see clearly.
The soldier lay sleeping, silent, alone
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.
The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder
Not how I pictured a Canadian soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I'd just read?
Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?
I realized the families that I saw this night
Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.
Soon, round the world the children would play
And grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year
Because of the soldiers like the one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone
On a cold Christmas Eve in a land far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice
"Santa don't cry, this life is my choice......
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
My life is my God, my Country, my Corps."
The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still
And we both shivered from the cold night's chill.
I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night
This Guardian of Honour so willing to fight.
Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
He whispered "Carry on, Santa,
It's Christmas Day, all is secure."
One look at my watch and I knew he was right
"Merry Christmas my friend, and to all, a goodnight".

PEACE FOR MANKIND,
Love Jude

I GOT WAR WOUNDS

We had my hubby's sister and her hubby over last night for our Christmas get-together, and I made a scrumptious meal, if I do say so myself. We had pork chops cooked in mushrooms and mushroom sauce, my aforementioned "smashed spuds" (mashed with sour cream, dill, onion powder), corn and broccoli slaw with raisins and pear pieces. And for dessert, the afternoon before, I baked yummy lemon squares ~~ now here's where the war wounds come in...... I burned both my hands in the oven really bad taking the squares out. It was my own fault I wasn't paying attention and did it HURT! Still does too..... wah! Both of the tops of my hands are burned, right where the thumbs meet the hands, if you know what I mean. Can't seem to do anything without touching, scraping or rubbing them on something either, so I leave them uncovered for periods of time if I'm just sitting, and then I cover them with some of my home-made healing salve (feels soooo good) and bandages when I'm doing stuff or when I go to bed. That way the open skin is protected at least. Methinks I'm gonna have scars there..... and to top it all off, my tendonitis is REALLY acting up in my right wrist, and I've gotta wear my brace..... whine, whine, whine! Anyhoo to make myself feel better I ate up all the leftover lemon squares today, LOL. ***looks for a "fat" smiley but doesn't have one***

My girlfriend that we had the "Mother Blessing" for, some of you will recall my description of that spiritual and beautiful event from about a month ago, had her baby on Wednesday!! Her firstborn, and little (?) 9 lb. 14 oz.baby boy ~~ Noah Bruce!! Good gawd he was almost 10 lbs. peeps!!!! 22 1/4 inches long!! Like my pal Michele said, "he's big enough for preschool!!!" No wonder she had a C-section!! Anyway I'm happy to hear that everyone is doing well and that the ordeal of it all is finally over for C.J., who appears to be one of those women who isn't exactly comfortable being preggers, LOL. Congratulations C.J. and Luke, little Noah chose his parents well!!

What gorgeous winter weather we are having here! I was teasing my Southern Sista Janna yesterday that it was warmer here in Edmonton Alberta than it was for her in NYC ~~ only by 6 degrees F. mind you! And now tonight I see it's exactly the opposite and she's 6 degrees F. warmer..... but whatever, it's pleasant as hell here! We're supposed to get a bit colder again on Tuesday but then back to the warmer stuff...... so we really can't complain, and I hope it stays this way through Christmas at least, especially for those of us who are going to be going outdoors for Christmas dinner. We're going to my sister Brenda's for it, she's about 45 min. west of us. So it would be really nice if the weather held, particularly if the highways stayed nice and clear and we don't get a dumping of snow of anything! We may be "snowbunnies" up here but that doesn't mean we like driving in it, LOL !

Well peeps it's time to check out some other blogs and get ready to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on TV......... so you all have a great Saturday night, and I'll catch ya later ~~~ PEACE!

Love Jude

KARMA TEST

Thanks to Tracey for posting this one! I took the Karma test and this is the result ~ it's interesting and makes you REALLY think about yourself and how you contribute to your relationships and, well, to the Universe.....

The Karma Test
How Much Do You Have?
"Jude, your caring nature is earning you the most karma. Caring for others is one of the most common understandings of karma.

Jude, in the last year you've earned 926 karma points

You've earned these points by doing good things, therefore allowing good things to circle back to you. There are 6 different ways people earn karma, and by looking at your responses to this test, we can tell that your caring nature is earning you the most karma.You seem to be one of those people who has an uncanny ability to anticipate and meet the needs of others around you. This nurturing quality has helped you earn your karma up to this point. Your thoughtfulness strengthens your current relationships, and suggests that such kindnesses will be repaid to you some time in the future. Through your concerted efforts to express how much you care, you generate good karma for yourself and the universe".

Give it a try ~ just click on the picture! PEACE!
Love Jude

HO HO HO, BELCH!!!

Thanks to my friend Debs, here's a link to a HILARIOUS online game to try..... you get Santa drunk and try not to electrocute him. Warning: you will pee yourself from laughing so hard at Santa as you get him drunk! If you're like me, you won't hardly be able to play from laughing so hard at him......... have fun! (** thanks Debs* *)
(use your arrow keys to move Santa to his glass of booze, and try not to let the train run over him or let him touch the electrifed tracks)
http://www.banditos.info/speles/sobersanta2.swf

Peace!
Jude

DID SOMEBODY FLUFF???

There's been a problem west of the city with a natural gas line or something since last Sunday, and let me tell ya, when the wind is blowing the right way, which it's been doing WAAAY too much, it stinks around here like a bad fart!! Like somebody needs to go the hospital or something, LOL. Eeewww! Today it even got inside our office, probably from so many members coming in and out ~ and my cashroom, being so closed in with no fresh air return at all, just about made me gag! Smells like something crawled up somebody's ass and died in there. Yeesh. I hope it gets fixed soon......

Had a lovely dinner out with two girlfriends tonight, and we had a great visit and lots of laughs. And exchanged Christmas gifts ~ that's already the second visit with friends and gift exchanging..... 3 more of those to go yet, plus the gifts I'm giving out at work. I love giving gifts! It's much more fun to me than getting them! Anyway these two friends I was with tonight both worked with me until recently, they've both gone to different departments at another AMA office. So they know everyone at my office and both of them know what I do there really well (one was my co-worker, and she's my bestest pal) and one of them was my supervisor.
So we had a good long talk about the changes coming for me once we move, and we were able to lament and bitch and I left there feeling like I had really needed to be with them, and felt better for it. Thanks Leona and Michele!!

I have the in-laws coming for dinner and a Christmas visit Friday evening, that's my hubby's sister and her husband. So tomorrow I have to clean like crazy. Too bad, really, cuz I've gotten to kinda like all my dustbunnies, hell I've even taken to giving them names ~ like Killer, Fuzzy, and Whiskers....... I'll miss them. Maybe once the company is gone, their offspring will creep out of the baseboards and from under the furniture and make my house look 'lived in' again......LOL I bought some nice boneless pork chops and I'll make a salad and my famous (well it is to ME) smashed potatoes with sour cream, garlic and dill. And maybe the good old standby ~~ corn. Yikes, I didn't even THINK about dessert...... crap! I'll have to dig out my Five Roses cookbook I guess..... Oh and I'll have to give my den a good cleaning out too, cuz on Boxing Day my sis Linda is coming for a visit ~~ hey Linda!! You're sleeping up here this time, and you'll have a room with a door this time!! The den is a tiny little bedroom really, that isn't used for that purpose..... it's where I live, literally. That's where my computer and desk are, my TV, stereo (rock on Def Leppard! ) and that's about all that fits in here! LOL But I can fit a narrow foam mattress on the floor and at least it's more private. I promise I'll even kill some dustbunnies in here too.......

Speaking of which, if I'm going to have enough energy to do any kind of housecleaning tomorrow, I'd best get to bed soon. So I guess that's my time on here tonight peeps, I wish you all a good day tomorrow!
PEACE!
Love Jude

PLANS ARE BEING MADE

Well, my older sister (a year older) is coming to visit with us for two weeks for Christmas ~ she will be spending some of the time at my one sister's house about 45 minutes west of the city, and the rest of the time here at our house, with me and my hubby, and Pam who lives downstairs. So our family as it is will be all together for Christmas, which is nice. Last Christmas, just newly dealing with Mom passing away 2 weeks prior, was a horrendously bad time for all of us, so this year maybe it will be better, albeit still sad. So I'm looking forward to some sisterly giggles and guffaws.
(that's the 4 of us!! The cutest one in the front is ME.)

It was the usual busy Monday today at work ~ actually it's so busy is just freakin' NUTS. At least the days go fast when I'm there.....I hardly have time to go pee, let alone think, LOL. The atmosphere around there was weird too, after the news about our no cashroom situation when we move. Everyone was kind of "what are we gonna do?" and "WHY??", so it will be weird for awhile. It feels different doing all the stuff I do and being so crazy busy with it too, knowing that it's going to come to an end. I would always do the best job I can do anyway, that's the way I'm built; but it's almost like "What's it all for? It's gonna be taken away soon....". You know?? Strange.

Debs in Ohio was complaining at me today cuz they have a cold wind blowing there, and they call it an "Alberta Clipper", if you can believe that! So I told her, we've been having a rather chilly wind all day today blowing in from the EAST, so don't blame us, whatever's coming from us is all Ontario's fault, LOL So there Debs!!! (and for all I know, what we're getting from the EAST could be from OHIO, and we're just givin' it right back!!! LOL) SO KNOCK IT OFF OUT THERE YOU EASTERNERS!!! You're pissing Debs off and I'm gettin' blamed for it!!! LOL Anyway really it's nice weather we're having for this time of year, I love it. You'd have to know the whole story about all of this......but her and I both have relatives from Ontario, and being as her and I are both such wacko's, we're starting to wonder if we have some of the SAME relatives, LOL. Hey who knows? She could be my great-aunt thrice removed or something........ heh heh heh heh.....just kiddin' Debs!

Question for ya......what's with some parents these days? Apparently on Saturday at work, somebody was in our center doing whatever, making a payment or whatever, and had their kid or kids with them, which in itself isn't unusual. But I guess sometime after they left, our staff started finding ink all over stuff in the office........I guess this kid stole one of our "paid" stamps from someone's desk and starting stamping it all over the place! On our photocopier, people's vacant desks, walls, fax machine..... etc. etc. I was told about this today and I thought....."and where, pray tell, were the parents???? Our staff, who were busy serving members, didn't notice the kid doing anything, the kid was probably quietly going around doing this when nobody was looking. I know Lors had a post similiar to this on her blog awhile ago, and I'll say the same thing again. When I was a kid, our parents could take us ANYWHERE, and we behaved. That's the way it was, we were taught good manners and to respect other people's things. Has that gone out the window with some parents these days?? You see more and more of it ~ and you HEAR more and more of it too ~ kids screaming, throwing temper tantrums, talking back to their parents, who don't seem to give a shit. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of great parents out there, with well-behaved kids. But I'm not the only one who has noticed that there is more and more of the opposite......and what a shame! How are these kids gonna raise THEIR kids? Pretty scary thought!

Well peeps I guess that's about it for tonight ~~ I hope you all have a good Tuesday, only one more day and it'll be "hump day", which is also MY Friday! Yay! And I get to go out for dinner with two of my girlfriends that I love to pieces too! Take care of yourselves and we'll catch up again soon! PEACE!

Love Jude

IT'S IN THE AIR

Photos courtesy wunderground.com and edmonton.com
This is our beautiful city of Edmonton in the winter. It's even more gorgeous in the summer or in the autumn, with all the greenery and colours.
Christmas is truly in the air here, the snow is crunching underfoot just as it should at this time of year, and the neighbourhood homes all have their Christmas lights sparkling and lit trees in their windows..... ah, the joy of it all~~~ until you hit the stores, anyway, LOL I'm just so glad I have my shopping done early every year, I simply cannot take the jostling crowds and last-minute frantic faces and elbows. Today my sister Pam and I will be braving the grocery stores for our weekly run, and we have to hit Canadian Tire to return a couple things. (for the Americans, that's a big chain here and is like a hardware/housewares/automotive/great place to buy Christmas decorations kind of store) Kinda like a mini-Walmart without the clothing, LOL. And that's about as close as I wanna get to Christmas shoppers at this late date. I wouldn't even THINK of going to West Edmonton Mall (largest indoor mall in N.America and I think the world), we'd have to be completely wacko to even consider it now until sometime after the January sales die down.

It's warmed up after that cold snap we had a week ago, thankfully, and is now much more enjoyable. Today the sun is shining and I'm looking forward to being out in the crisp, fresh air and poor Pam won't have to be brushing whackloads of snow off her car everytime we get back into it. Last night we bundled up all our Christmas gifts in a big box, complete with bubble wrap around the breakable items, and it's ready for us to send off today to our sister Linda, just north of Calgary. So one of our stops today will be at PakMail ~~ now that REALLY feels like Christmas ~ sending gift packages off in the mail!!

Hubby came down with a bad case of the flu yesterday ~ I woke up at 8:00 to him sitting on the side of the bed groaning, he had been upchucking and was dizzy and really hot...... so he spent most of the day in and out of bed resting, while I served him gingerale and sympathy and prayed real hard that the flu shot I got in October is a GOOD one!! LOL
Today he's been up, showered, shoveled the walks and is already out the door to do some errands of his own. So far, so good.....he doesn't seem to feel too badly....probably just really tired.

I've managed to work out most of my sadness and anger about the job situation in the last couple of days...... but I still have to go into work tomorrow to all the talk there'll be about it, the feelings everyone else will have about it. But I'm a tough broad, I can take it. LOL In the meantime, I'm going to have to get my arse off this computer and do something with myself and this bed-hair so I'll be ready to go when Pam is. (she's the chauffeur, I'm the princess) JUST KIDDING PAM!! I'd say I'm the "navigator" but I can't even do that worth a diddlysquat, LOL

So, I'm off to my vanity table to apply some warpaint to this wan and getting wrinkled face, and get some clothes on. Yes it's nice out there, but I don't think I can make do in my nightie..... so until next time everyone, have a great Sunday and be good to yourselves! PEACE!

Love Jude