April's New Car

My daughter-in-law, April, drove in this morning with this new vehicle ! It is really pretty and has so many options, it is unbelievable. It has a voice-activated navigation system so you just tell the car where you want to go and it takes you there.

It also has voice-activated other things such as you can tell it to find a jazz station under the entertainment menu or tell it to turn on the air conditioner, etc. - it is truly a technological marvel.

And speaking of technological marvels, this is the first picture I have taken with my camera phone and then transferred it to my computer so I could put it on my blog. Now considering my limitations, THAT is a technological marvel !

Wonderful Time of Year

There is no event I enjoy more than having all my family at Christmas. Everyone was here this year at the same time - that allowed us to enjoy all the things we like most. One night was singing, playing games, laughing and joking - then there were the church services that are so special at this time of year. The family brunch and gift opening on Christmas day was a new tradition (brunch instead of dinner) that we liked so much, we decided to do it again next year. My extended family consisting of about 40 people gathered at our house on Christmas afternoon for more eating, laughing, talking and catching up on family events that we may have missed during the year.

I am thankful for my family and all the joy they bring to me. I am truly blessed !

Famous Movie Quotes

This year's Official Oscar Poster is made up of quotes from movies which have withstood the test of time and have become household sayings among many of us. Some of my personal favorites are :

"If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight."

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

"You want the truth ? - you can't handle the truth!"

"Here's looking at you, kid."

"And to think, I gave him to you."

"Mama always says, Stupid is as stupid does."

"Fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp gumbo, shrimp scampi, shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole, coconut shrimp, barbeque shrimp, shrimp cocktail, grilled shrimp, and I guess that's about it."

"And I'd like to get you something for Christmas, too, Clark, something really nice."

"It's Christmas, Audrey, we're all in misery."

Do you have some favorite movie quotes that are repeated around your house? If so, let me hear from you.

My $.02 Worth

I am going to jump right into the middle of the Christmas tree controversy and give my opinion.

First, let me assure you that I am more liberal minded than most people you know, and definitely more liberal than most people of my generation. I pride myself on being non-prejudicial in regard to everything - sexual orientation, racial differences, gay marriage, abortion, religious differences, and all the "hot button" topics of today's society but the current hoopla over banning Christmas trees in public is just over the top.

Think about it - if we have to take the word Christmas out of everything we say, we will just become one big blob of confused mess around this time of year. I do not believe Jewish people, Muslims, or people who celebrate Kwanza or subscribe to the teachings of the Dahli Lama or any other religions other than Christianity really take offense to Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and the other trappings associated with this season.

To Christians, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, but there is also more to it than that. It is a time when all people celebrate family and friends. It is a time of love and respect and redemption and renewal and remembrance and sharing and expressing love and appreciation to everyone who is a part of our life. It is a time when the cares of the world can be temporarily put aside while we watch the glow of happiness on the faces of children who have just received a visit from Santa Claus, or the twinkle in the eye of a nursing home patient who is sitting listening to a group of children singing Christmas carols to them.

I think we should just "chill out" and enjoy this wonderful season of love,joy, sharing and giving. There are many battles in this world worth fighting - homelessness, world hunger, child abuse, the AIDS epidemic, drug abuse, poverty, and the list goes on and on, but a battle over Christmas trees is not one of them.

They're Multiplying !

Imagine my surprise when I opened the program which listed the orchestra members who are accompanying our Christmas musical presentation and the first viola player listed was named Susan Hawkins ! That makes four that I know. I've already had people tell me they didn't know my Susan played the viola as well as the piano. It's confusing !

Speaking of the Christmas musical, we spent several hours practicing yesterday and we rehearse with the orchestra for the first time tonight and the presentation is tomorrow night. I still get chill bumps when I sing The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah and now I am going to get to sing it with a professional orchestra. That will be awesome !

Serves Them Right !

Whirlwind Weekend

This past Thursday night, my daughter and I flew to Texas, spent Friday and Saturday packing and moving a family member out of her house she had occupied for about 40 years. Then all three of us packed liked sardines into her car with her beloved cat, and made a 16 hour car trip to Atlanta, arriving around 9:00 p.m. The final leg of the trip was my drive from Atlanta to Fort Payne last night. Needless to say, it was a long weekend but we accomplished everything we set out to do and it was a good feeling to have that major task behind us.

I think it always helps us to appreciate others when we see how hard other careers can be. I definitely would not want to be a professional packer and mover ! Although I'm told I'm pretty good at it.