Tonight I'm just rambling.... I've got several ideas floating around in my head and I think I'll just put them all in one entry <g>
First, I've noticed that I'm not the only one in J-land that has expressed relief that the holidays are over and that a return to normalcy is upon us... Well, at least as close as I ever get to normal <eg>. I've often wondered why it seems that we have all of those holidays all crammed up together. It seems like you have Halloween, and then you don't stop until after New Year's. Can't we spread them all out a little bit more?? I mean there are basically 4 fattening holidays in a row!! (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years) AND they happen in about a 2 month timespan..... Geez! Enough already.
On the Monday after Christmas weekend, my Mother called us to let us know that my Grandmother (she will be 90 this year) had a heart attack. It happened on Christmas Day, but they didn't want to call my brother or myself and 'spoil' Christmas, especially since the doctors were saying it was a 'mild' heart attack... (Mild heart attack???? Like there IS such a thing??? Especially when you are 90???) G. was all for sticking my butt into the truck and sending me to my Grandmother's post haste. It is a 13 hour drive, and I can do it as a straight drive if I need to. Mom said No, Gram would be getting out of the hospital on Wed... Since then, the doctors have changed their minds and decided it was a pretty bad heart attack. They want to treat it with drugs though because of her age. My brother and I both told Mom that we would prefer to know rather than be 'protected'. Gram did come home on Wed and seems to be doing quite well. Mom said she was trying to clean 30 minutes after they got home and she had to 'send her to bed' <g> I kind of feel sorry for my Mom trying to keep Gram 'quiet'... She has always been very active and hasn't allowed age to slow her down very much!! I'm sure I will manage to worry about this a lot during the next few weeks, but I guess there are some things I can't control <sigh> and I will just have to wait and see what is going to happen.
I spent New Year's Eve dealing Blackjack for a private party. G. dropped me off and picked me up because he was worried about the other drivers out 
on the road. I got done about 11:30pm, and G. arrived about 5 minutes to Midnight. So, I got to spend the first minutes of 2005 with my sweetie.... Now for the bad part. If you believe the old wives' tales, then whatever you are doing the first few minutes of the New Year is what you will spend a large part of the next year doing... Well, good news is that we were together... bad news, we were driving <LOL>. 
The New Year does always make me think about the last year, and of the year ahead of me. This last year saw a lot of changes for my little family. We left jobs where we traveled basically non-stop 11 months out of the year and called a train room home to settle in one place. And we went from being a two-income family to a one income family at the same time. Both of these have been quite a shock. I look forward to at least changing us back into a two income family next year, one way or the other. If I can't find a job in my field... well, I'm going to find a job! I've managed to do a lot of here and there work, but I want to have a more stable income coming from me this next year. I've even been contemplating doing something from home...
On other fronts, it's been an interesting year also. We managed to move back to Florida just in time for the worst Hurricane Season in like forever! <LOL> I keep telling G. that what he experienced this year is NOT normal <bg>... He keeps looking at me and shaking his head. Not only were the Hurricanes nerve wracking on their own, but they affected the economy and kept me from finding full-time employment in my field. I am thankful to have found all the neat part-time gigs, but ......
My last thought of the day is the Tsunami disaster. It has brought things into perspective... I have food, fresh water, a roof over my head, and my little family around me.... I am blessed. Everything else just seems trivial in comparison to that disaster. I can't even wrap my mind around the number of people who are already known dead, and the number just continuesto grow every day.
graphics from Useless Graphics, cybergifs, and Mike Shaikun
30 comments:
The four holidays in a row...I never thought about it but you're right...I hid most of my daughter's Halloween candy and it's still hidden because next up was all the Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies! I need to just throw it away...
I'm glad your grandmother is doing well now. I completely agree with you, I would definitely rather know what's happening at the time!
I'm sending good vibes to your gran! I can kinda understand your mom's reasoning though. If there was a particularly useful thing you could have done right at that critical moment -- then absolutely you should be contacted immediately. But if it's all up to the doctors and God exclusively...why drive thirteen hours in a worried mood? That's just my feeling anyway.
My thoughts and prayers are with your Grandma.
Talk about perspective! It's been raining for 2 days in a row here in So. Cal. ... and the locals are whooping, moaning and wringing their hands!
As MY Grandma used to say, "JUDAS H. KRAUT!"
HI
READ YOUR JOURNAL, IM JUST STARTING THIS. I LOVED THE CHAMPAYNE GLASS BUBBLING HOW DO YOU FIND THE ANAMATION
CHERI
Wow...I have never heard that wives' tale..hehe..sat here and had to think real hard "what were we doing the first 5 minutes of the new year?" <giggling> I was in bed, kind of watching TV, reading, fighting with the cat and dog..they wanted to sleep ON me. Hubby was out sitting up, sleeping, kind of watching TV and waiting for our girls to call. so dang..what does that mean..hehe..we are going to sleep a lot..watch a lot of TV and be waiting all the time to hear from are girls. Ohh..and..have our dang animals wanting to get in bed with me all the time..hmmm..giggling..sure hope this waves tale is wrong!!! <giggling>
cool though..thanks for sharing that..think I am going to ask my friends and family what they were doing..write it down in my "pen and paper journal" and compare things at the end of the year. Hmmm..<smiles> Thank You!
Since I spent New Years Eve looking up at the fireworks from the space needle, what kind of indication of a year would that mean? I've heard what you said many times and now it has me wondering. Oh the other thing I was doing was kissing my husband, if it only means I'll be doing a lot of kissing, I can handle it! And I've also wondered WHY did we have to have the 4 holidays back to back! Then we have to wait so long for another holiday.
Monica
I was watching the ball drop on TV trying to keep my eyes open. Is that what I will be doing all year?
Quick question-can you tell me how to get my words around my pictures and graphics? Thanks
Hmmm, perhaps the hurricanes showing up in Florida at the same time you did should have been a sign? rofl -Kelly
I too am glad the holidays are over. Can you believe our stores started putting out Valentine's things the day after Christmas? Boy, they pound the heck out of them anymore. I'm sorry to hear your Gram had a heart attack, I'll keep her in my prayers. This year will be a great year for you!
I wish I had your grandmother's spunk and energy.....the fact that she wanted to clean 30 minutes after getting home from being hospitialized for a heart attack is amazing! It's a good sign! Nothing seems to motivate me to clean...I could learn a lot from her. I hope she recovers completely and quickly! I also hope you get to see her sometime soon. Wow, the thought of a 13 hour straight drive is exhausting....but there's nothing we don't do for those we love!
I'm with you on spreading out the holidays! After all we don't have a single holiday in the month of August...so one of those food orgy holidays could well be moved to that month LOL
Happy New Year!!
Vivian
I'm sorry for your Gram. I wish her a speedy recovery and all the best.
Blackjack is fun, but I prefer Hold 'em. That is so fun!
As for the tsunamis, I think most of the world is in shock at the powerful force of mother nature. I can't express how deeply sorry I am for all those affected.
Hope 2005 is a great one for you and for your family.
still laughing about the Gonzo, Conzo thing.
*** Coy ***
Glad Grandma is OK. Yup, the devastation and inconvenience we suffered from Ivan are minor compared to the tsunami victims. My heart feels heavy everytime I see what is going on with the victims.
Hope gram gets better soon....I still can't "wrap my head" around the tsunami disaster either, the enormity of it just boggles my mind....
~JerseyGirl
http://journals.aol.com/cneinhorn/WonderGirl
Sorry about your grandmother. I hope she's feeling better now.
Yes, I'm with you. All this holiday eating is cramping my style and my waistband! Enough already is right!:-)
Thanks for stopping by my journal awhile back. I really appreciate it. And yes, everything turned out so great on Christmas Eve. It was a warm and wonderful family evening. It's funny how things just seem to fall into place sometimes.
Best to you and happy new year! :-)
Wow. 90 is a pretty good tally. I had a great-grandmother who lived to about 102. Hopefully your Gran has more years left in her, too. I hear Dorn's interested in hiring her. ;)
-Paul
http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/
Hmmm, maybe that old wive's tale means that the two of you will do a lot of travelling this year???? :o) Sheila
Hi, thanks for stopping by my journal and commenting about the AIDS forum I participated in.
I'm relieved the holidays are over too. I think I actually reached a limit on chocolate consumption--I didn't think that was possible!!! --Albert
Blessings to your grandmother. judi
Happy New Year to you!
Sorry to hear about your Grandmother!! I hope that she's okay!!
Kasey
http://journals.aol.com/ikoiko33/TheReturnofKaseypalooza
Hey thanks for stopping by my journal :) With all of that great advice. I'll try and do what you said this time. But I an just hoping I won't have to deal with all of this again!! :) xoxo Nikki
Hey there, Florida here as well ;o) ...I look forward to reading more-Aventures of an Eclectic mind-interesting no doubt ;o)
http://journals.aol.com/peacelurfantasy/ElectricalGarden/
Peace, Renee
I AM SURE YOU DID TELL ME EXACTLY HOW TO BUT HEY TRIAL AND ERROR! THAT IS HOW I LEARN!!!!
Sorry to hear about your grandmother, a heart attack on Xmas, oh my. Hope she is comfortable and doing well now.
I haven't heard of that saying; I was with my sweetie New Year's Eve [good] but I was sick [bad], so hopefully that saying is only half true!
I hope you had a great holiday season [sounds like you did] and here's to a great New Year.
Thanks for visiting my J. and leaving a comment.
http://journals.aol.com/musenla/Amused
Hope everything is OK! You haven't updated in a while.
Do I have to send the search and rescue your way? Missing your entries, please update soon.
Your grandmother was born in 1914, the year many historians would call the most important year of the 20th century. Because it was the year that a crazed anarchist killed a little-known Prince of Serbia in the city of Sarejuevo on a hot day in August. Out of that minor incident grew World War I - a war that lasted until 1919; a war between royal families all related to each other, all pitted against one another: Serbia, Austrial, Germany against Russia, France and England. And later the United States. It was the first war where tanks were used - the calvary was dead; the first with airplanes, dogfights and bombs hand-dropped on the enemy; the first poison gas. Going into that war, England continued its role of two centuries as the leading super power in the world. They lost so many young men in World War I, that they could no longer rule the world. One by one their colonies became independent. Then, as a direct result of the way the allies treated Germany at the Peace of Versaille, we had WWII. And during and immediately after World War II, another nation became Number One. And so the U.S. is today. And so the U.S. will remain. Until about 2050. Because of Ronald Reagan, Nixon and the man who has sent so many boys to die in Iraq for nothing, we have become a nation of greed; a nation of indifference to the rest of the world. An arogant bully. China will be the next superpower. That is a given. Given to them by our own lack of goodness, kindness and love for all the human animals in the world.
And your grandmother watched the whole thing happen. A get well hug for her.
I'm glad it's January myself...I love the holidays, but enough is enough!
I hope things are going alright for your Grandmother....
~Tina
Hope your Grandmom recovers well, my Dad is 89 and still managing pretty well..would you believe that he climbed a ladder to remove his TV antenna during that last hurricane? We all yelled at him....he has soninlaws who are more than happy to help but he's stubborn. Missed reading the journals in journaland...glad to be back....Sandi
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