Last Christmas!

Last year I was able to spend with my family as I will again this year. I'm looking forward to it. Here's a pic of me and my sweet beautiful niece from last year. Not the greatest picture I've ever taken but, hey I was laughing!!! I'm sure we'll have a great time this year too!




Merry Christmas to all! Cherish all the times you have with your family and friends, they are precious!

Update for Anyone that May Actually Read My Blog

Well, here's the update:

Update one: I did get the little two year old girl I adopted for Christmas all the things I wanted to. I picked her from a group of children that needed help this Christmas:

• One little, little kid Red Ryder scooter, yep it's red and wide enough for two feet side by side!
  
• A Barbie helmet with pink and turquoise knew pads and helmet.
• A cute embroidered long sleeve white shirt and purple pants.
• A fuzzy on the inside, pink on the outside hooded warm winter jacket
• Two Magic Kingdom small Barbies.

I hope she has a wonderful Christmas!

Update two: I finally was granted my wish for Christmas, some time off from work! I don't have to go back for over two weeks! That is just so awesome! Although I've already got calls at home asking for help! Geez, maybe they do need me! Luckily I was able to handle the issues from HOME SWEET HOME!

Something to Remember...

Something to remember in hard times or anytime! This touched me so much I had to post it. This young boy knows where to turn in troubled times and wanted to share a special message. In good and bad times God is with each of us!

Can't wait to see it!

Hope its as good as the first!

Sicko, a Michael Moore Movie

I saw the movie Sicko this weekend. I'm not what you would call a Michael Moore fan cause I've never seen any of his other films, yet. I know there is a lot of drama around about him but, I don't get involved with that cause I don't know much about him to speculate one way or the other.

I saw Michael Moore on a late night talk show, he seems like a down to earth guy trying to spark attention to the things that we should be concerned about!

When I saw this show, I thought, "Oh sh*t, that's my insurance agency!" I really started worrying about insurance when I saw my ex bf go through extraordinary bill trouble after a totally unexpected medical catastrophe. Bill collectors are still hounding him and he had a good insurance plan with a Fortune 500 company.

The movie discussed health care in America or rather the lack thereof. The uninsured and the insured in America are in deep water where health coverage is concerned. He then went to other countries, Britain, Canada and even Cuba, which all had free medical coverage. Well not free, but paid for by taxes. A good point that was made that when you're very ill you shouldn't have to be worrying about the money, health comes first but seriously a lot of these Americans were faced with making serious decisions based on the money factor. One guy chose to save one of two severed fingers cause he could only afford to have one (the $12,000 one vs. $60,000 for the other one) reattached. How sick and sad is that. Others lost their life cause insurance companies wouldn't pay for medical care.

The people in the other countries were astonished when they heard these stories as they walked out with no bills, no payment at the cashier's office. Literally, no bills! In fact, one window marked Cashier's office was so the hospital could pay the patients money to get safe rides home from the hospital!!! Pharmaceuticals? Free or next to nothing in these other countries that vow to take care of their own.

Don't get me wrong I love America but when hospitals are pushing people out of hospitals or dumping them on Skid Row based on lack of ability to pay, that's just sick!

Each one of us could find ourselves in that situation here in America. Not many of us could pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and still pay a mortgage, rent, car loan, food, etc.

Its time we all take a look at where our tax dollars are going, stop paying for the jet setting politicians and start taking care of our own!

One should definitely take time to see the movie, it will open your eyes and make you think for yourself, something politicians in America are deathly afraid of.

I Just want a stinkin Vacation!

Last time I took a full week of vacation was about a year ago Monday...I wanted to take this coming week off. What's the big deal? I ask and they laugh at me!? We are sooo darn busy at work so they just laugh! Seriously at a white elephant (short) Christmas party at work today...I went to pick up my white elephant gift and my boss says..."all she wants is a vacation! ha, ha!" I said, "Yes that is all I want, is it granted?" And he laughed.

I'M NOT KIDDING, I WANT A VACATION WEEK! MY GOODNESS, I HAVE 191 HRS OF VACATION TIME ON THE BOOKS..! THAT'S OVER FOUR WEEKS OF VACATION!! NINE HOURS SHORT OF FIVE WEEKS!!! (no, I didn't say it but, I thought it!).

This SHOULD be the time of year for spending with family, shopping and fun! Not being stuck in an office for over 40 hrs a week! Its really starting to get to me and messing up my feelings of Christmas joy and cheer! I'm going to keep suggesting it next week! I shouldn't be penalized for not taking my vacation in the summer, I WAAAAAAAAAAAAANT IT NOW! THE WORK WILL STILL BE THERE WHEN I RETURN, it isn't going anywhere!

I wish I was a kid again 2 weeks off at Christmas and the whole summer off! For all those kids that want to grow up quickly, you'll look back like the rest of us adults remembering how grand life was, to be a KID!

Anyone have any suggestions for promoting my one week of vacation? We work too much in America and LIFE IS JUST TOO SHORT NOT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT!

Sorry, had to vent!

For those Cold Winter Nights - Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hardest part - opening all the cans and shredding/cutting up the chicken once its cooked enough in the crockpot- enjoy!

2 Big cans (14 – 16oz) of black beans
1 big can tomato sauce
2 big cans tomatoes
1 cup salsa
6 or 8 big green chilis cut up into nice size pieces or small can Ortega diced green chilis or about ½ of a big can of peeled green chilis if you get the big cans
6 to 8 pieces of chicken tenders or four boneless chicken breasts (I prefer the breasts to tenders)
1 can of corn or preferably a frozen bag of sweet corn.

Pour the beans with juice into a crock pot; add chicken tenders (can be frozen; or boneless chicken breasts) add everything else except for the corn and cook for 7 hrs. Take out the chicken and cut into chunks then put back in. Add 1 can of corn and cook another hour. Serve over tortilla chips, with grated cheese and dollop of sour cream on top. Cornbread or a leafy salad is good if you need a side dish with it!

Leftovers heated up on stove or microwave are yummy, too!

If I had a digital camera I could show pictures...note to self: gotta get a digital camera!

Rescue a Pet in Need...

I found my beautiful sweet husky through Petfinder.com. The owner was moving and had too many dogs. She was six years old and I was told she had an incontinence problem. It turned out after I took her to the vet, the vet said the medication that she was on probably was a greater risk and that he saw no reason why she would have that sort of problem. He had me take her off the medication and she's never had a problem at all.

T's dog is a three year old Australian shepherd. He was rescued from the Milo Foundation near Berkley, CA. T traveled from Southern California to pick him up. We found him through Pet Finder which links to Milo. Jack the dog is partially blind. My friend was afraid that they wouldn't ever find a home for him and wanted to give him a great home, with fun, attentiveness and loving care. This is Jack!

Both dogs get along well together and they both love my cat. They chase her a bit sometimes for fun but if she's in no mood for their kind of fun she lets them know to back off. Sometimes she looks for them to play with.

I'm so blessed to have all of these animals in my life..they bring me joy and laughter every day. The thing that everyone should keep in mind is these were both older dogs, not the cute puppies that everyone seems to choose first. Think about the mature dogs and cats, the special needs dogs and cats, not just puppies. Puppies and kittens will usually find a home. The others need homes and love of a family, too.

The rescues, Humane Society, ASCPA and SCPA are all great places to look...






Also make sure your pets are spayed and micro chipped. There is abundance of animals being euthanized every year because there aren't enough homes! If you can't adopt an animal send a donation to a local rescue or no kill facility. If you don't want to do that..one can always give old quilts, blankets, a couple of bags or dog or cat food...most of them list things they are in need of. Please help these animals, humans with a heart are their only hope!

I Adopted a Two Year Old...

For Christmas! A girl at work was showing me handouts from the local Social Services. One can adopt a needy child for Christmas, the handout provides their name, age, favorite colors and what they'd like for Christmas!

Well no lil one should go without (not at all ever) but during Christmas? No they should not go without! So, Friday I get to go on a shopping spree for the little gal and I hope I bring a smile to her face!

She likes pink and lavender which means an outfit maybe with cute tennis shoes or a warm winter jacket. She'd like a castle, doll or a three wheel scooter (is that a stand up scooter or like a Big Wheel, not sure).. She likes Backyardigins? (I have to brush up on what that is) and Dora (I know about her). If any moms know about Backyardigins please fill me in! lol.

I raised my ex's kids from 3, 5 and 10 for ten years but now they are 15, 18 and 22 so I know about kids but a lot of the stuff they like changes so quickly. Any help on what kids like today would be appreciated!

Anyway, I didn't adopt a child for life although I'm kinda thinking maybe I should, I hope to bring joy in this little one's life this Christmas even though I won't ever meet her. I'll sign the tags as: Merry Christmas sweet Jasmine, Love, Santa. I wish I could be there to see her open her presents! I'll let ya all know what I get for her in a future blog!

Just a smackrel of Chocolate!

I grew up with Pooh Bear, yes, that lil stuffed Bear and Christopher Robin were childhood pals, so knowing that and if you've read about them you'd have to know a smackrel of anything is pretty darn GOOD! Although Pooh's favorite is honey, I'd say mine would be CHOCOLATE or MINT AND CHIP ICE CREAM!

A few weeks back a co-worker of mine, a young guy who is pretty much high on life everyday (he's really an inspiration always a kind word to say and when you ask him how he is he always answers I'm FABULOUS or FANTASTIC!) asked me if I liked chocolate. My answer was "Sure, doesn't everyone?" while thinking in my head how I've sworn off chocolate bars cause they are just to full of calories and fat. And he walked up and placed a small tin in my hand. He then smiled and said I think you'll like this then, have a WONDERFUL weekend. And off he went to his weekend endeavors!

The picture on the tin was rather nostalgic it looked interesting! I popped off the top and lo and behold, small wedges of chocolate in two layers in a tin. And I must say they are delicious! Only one little smackrel of chocolate a day or every other day. Just enough to enjoy for a treat now and then! I discovered since then they come in different flavors in different tins!

Lots of fun, just wanted to share the find with others that just need a smackrel or would like to stuff a tin or two in a Christmas stocking!

Thanks J for your wonderful disposition around the office and for sharing your treasure trove of chocolate with me! Oh I almost forgot, you can find them at Trader Joe's Albertson's, Vons and Ralph's. They are called The Chocolate Traveler.

If you try them or have tried them, let me know what you think about them!