this little life of mine

Merry Christmas!!

Holidailies: Nutcracker Portrait

Just a simple picture for today's Holidailies entry. Enjoy!

My 2008 Christmas Letter

 Season’s Greetings! 2008 has really flown by, and while I’m still battling iritis, and work has been insane, I did manage to take a few trips this year and have some fun!

Mom and I took a weekend trip to Santa Barbara early in the summer. We toured the beautiful old Mission and Mission Rose Garden, and visited the sobering display of crosses at Arlington West.

   

In the fall I visited my best friend Julie at her brand new house in Ohio, and met her two new kitties, Fester, the all-black cat, and Dash, the little grey kitten.

   

 

I spent Halloween in Chicago with a group of my internet friends. We were so lucky to have nice, warm weather that weekend! It was awesome to see everyone again!

 

 

I hope you all had a fantastic 2008 and I wish you many blessings and joy in the coming year!

(Also seen on my journal for Holidailies)

Thirteen Things on My Wish List

I got the idea to do a Wish List themed Thursday Thirteen from Jennifer. Thanks, Jen!

1. An iPod touch. Yes, I have two iPods already, one of which can play TV shows, but the touch is shiny and new and it plays games! Games, people!

2. A shiny new red reel mower w/ grass catcher.

3. This Citizen Echo watch: Riva Diamond Chronograph.

4. A 2009 Green Bay Packers calendar.

5. A Canon SLR digital camera with a telephoto lens attachment.

6. A pink Sony Vaio laptop computer.

7. A funky laptop bag.

8. A new versa climber for the gym.

9. A pink Townie bike with a basket on front and a bell.

10. A large red suitcase with rollers.

11. A pair of funky Wellies.

12. This shearling coat.

13. A complete backyard makeover.

(Also used as an entry for Holidailies.)

The Annual Christmas Quiz

 

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. I can’t wrap a present to save my life!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. Real trees are nice and all, but trying to keep them alive and cleaning up all the dropped needles is too much of a pain.
3. When do you put up the tree? First weekend in December.
5. Do you like eggnog? Love it! Don’t forget a dash of ground nutmeg on top!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The Sunshine Family and their camper.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My grandmother – she always says she doesn’t want anything, but boy does she get upset if that’s what she gets!
8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom because she doesn’t want anything and she means it!
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I just can’t do the e-mail Christmas card yet. It seems too impersonal!
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A very oversized bright blue sweatshirt with a cutsie teddy bear appliqué.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It’s a Wonderful Life. Best movie EVER MADE!! My mom and I watch it every year on Christmas Eve.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um, right about now.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, if I receive something I don’t like or can’t use, I give it to Goodwill.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Gingerbread cookies (with eggnog)!
16. Lights on the tree? Oh yes, absolutely! What’s a Christmas tree without any lights?!?
17. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World ( I really like the version by Jump 5).
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home (well, travel up the road to either my grandparents or uncle’s place, but stay in town!).
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Prancer, Donner, Vixen, Blitzen, Dancer, Comet, Cupid and Rudolph!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A multi-coloured star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I always got to open one present on Christmas Eve and saved the rest for the next morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? All the stress and worry turns usually nice, normal people into assholes.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? All the handmade ornaments my mom has made over the years, and the Betsey Clarke ornaments from my Aunt Alice.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham (but I’m pretty sure we’re getting turkey this year).
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new suitcase.

2008 Toys for Tots

We had our annual Toys for Tots party at work yesterday. It was a great success and lots of fun! My Holidailies entry about the party can be found here. Enjoy!

Holidailies Entry #3

... is up here. I'm still behind, but hope to catch up soon!

Holidailies 2008

 

Yes, it's that time of year again! Holidailies started last Friday, and naturally I was late getting my first entry up! I know it was a stupid idea to revive my old online journal - I should've just used this blog. It's so much easier to update here - heck I can do it over the phone! Still, I made the committment, so I'm suck with it.

There are two entries up so far: December 5th and December 7th. I have one written for today as well, but can't post it to Holidailies yet. It'll probably be up later this evening.

Holidailies 2007

I have signed up to do Holidailies again this year. I seriously considered registering my blog, and just updating here, but I went ahead and used my sadly neglected journal. I am seriously thinking about closing self-portrait.net, so this might be its last hurrah.

In other news, the whites of my eyes are actually white now, and I can see close-up detail without the need for reading glasses (although I will still use them occasionally just to help my eyes out a bit). I have another appointment this afternoon, and although it's not with my regular eye doctor, I am hoping to get some answers as to how much longer I will have to use the drops, when the "floaters" will go away and when I can start wearing make up again.

New Year's Resolutions 2007

Yeah, it's that time of year again; time to make resolutions for the upcoming year. I've made resolutions every year, but rarely, if ever, succeed in keeping any of them. It's pretty stupid to keep making them, I suppose, but it's a bad habit I can't seem to break. So, without further ado, here is my list for 2007:

1. The obligatory "lose weight" resolution. The difference between 2007 and every other year I've had this as a resolutions: TrainerDude. Because he will continue to kick my ass at least two days a week (and with me working out at the gym independantly two other days a week, plus a walk or hike on the weekends) I really won't have much choice but to lose weight.

2. Figure out how to get myself to Hawaii in June. My friend DeeDee has a time-share in Hawaii, and has invited me (and Suzie) to go for a week in June. I'd love to, but I'm not sure I'll have the vacation time or money saved up to make the trip. I will work on it, though.

3. Make appointments for: my annual gyno exam, a mammogram (which I managed to totally not do at all this last year), an eye exam, a mole check, and an allergy assessment. Pretty self-explanatory.

4. Plan ahead for Christmas next year. PixieChick and I both decided we need to sit down around the first of September and plan out our Christmas cards, letters, gifts, etc., to prevent pre-holiday stress.

5. Spend more time outside. I need to go to the beach, go hiking, biking, or just sit in the back yard and bar-b-que; just be outside.

Okay, that's it, I think. Five resolutions is enough. Happy New Year!

Another journal entry for Holidailies.