Happy Holidays, especially you Linda Jean

I added another number to my yearly count this week. Hence, the change in the "about me" portion that referred vaguely to my age. My birthday was full, especially my stomach. I kissed some man fixing to ride off on a horse in Oklahoma and I ate at the Olive Garden in Wichita. I ate spaghetti at marg's house on the actual date and Pho Hoa that evening. Tuesday I ate at an office luncheon at a local radio station which the staff referred to as a "holiday party". I think it was called that so as not to offend me and include my birthday as part of the celebration (though I was not offered a White Elephant which makes me think the party was not really for my birthday). I ate cabbage rolls that evening at the farm along with pink peppermint cake. For birthday week today I went to Super Pollo which had a political message on the wall which loosely translated said something like "protecting the rights of the foreigner is peace" which loosely reworked in my mind means "peace for your birthday holiday season." I thought that was very sweet of the them and the pollo torta was so yummy. I haven't eaten my birthday week supper tonight on account of still being full and feeling sick. My headache spread to my body this afternoon. The big event for Wednesday of birthday week is that it rained tree limbs in my yard (It may inspire a new song-- "I'm dreaming of a barky birthday"). I hope you continue to enjoy the holiday season. Birthday season ends on Friday.

I need new pants for Christmas.

Advent Stirs

I watched The Nativity today. I enjoyed the movie, but I did find the music distracting. Yet, it is amazing the number of songs written for this event. It seems that every year I feel as though I've missed singing one of my favorite carols during the season. We did sing What Child is This? at church today which was nice. The second verse makes me cry starting with "the silent word is pleading". I love how song can express the deep treasure of Christmas. There are so many of them that can bring me to tears, expressing something I do not focus on daily, but without which I would not want to face each day.

O Holy Night -- And in his name all oppression shall cease.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel -- that mourns in lonely exile until the Son of God appear
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day --God is not dead nor doth he sleep.
We Three Kings --Guide us to thy perfect light
Joy to the World -- No more let sins and sorrows grow... He comes to make his blessing flow far as the curse is found. (I love every word of this one).

P.S. I did take my links from cyberhymnal which plays the song in that computery tone (which probably has some technical name, so you might want to turn down the volume if that annoys you. However, they do a good job listing the complete verses).
I'm certain there are many more that I could cite as example, but you get the idea. What lines have I omitted?

Thumbing my way to Tuesday

I don't understand what this day has against me. We had never met before and yet from the moment that my alarm went off and 7 more times after that in 9 minute intervals, the day had it in for me and especially my thumbs. There was no breakfast food in my fridge or my cupboard. When I arrived at the office at my usual time which to everyone else is 20 minutes late, I had to wait for the coffee to finish brewing before I left for court. I gathered my files and cut my left thumb on a file. No, not the paper inside the file, the actual file. It was deep. It was wide. It required a bandage. Then, the 9 o'clock court hearing decided not to come. At lunch I ordered a chicken fried chicken salad which is what I always get. Sometimes the chicken is warmer than I like at this restaurant, but today, it was piping hot with melted cheese on top. The waitress insisted that the salad always comes this way and in the interest of not being poisoned, I did not send the salad back. It was yucky and I was hungry. This afternoon included a paper cut to my right thumb. This evening I cut my right thumb on the razor edge of the parchment paper which I was using for baking cookies. I read the cookie exchange instructions wrong, or, more accurately, I stopped reading them after the first sentence. So I didn't bring enough plates of cookies for everyone. So good-bye Monday. My thumbs will be better off without you.


Ode to my Thumb
Oh thumb, thou art opposable
you are the appendage envy
of every mammal.
I prick thee, I split thee
Yet thou art still holding
my pen, purse, popsicle,
for me and my needing.
Thumb, you are thumbthing special!