Still Smiling
 

A call.....

Not Impressed!
 

Phone calls... lots of phone calls.

Craft projects with my daughter.

Making breakfast on a lazy Saturday.

Hym calling me on Hys lunch break :) Telling hym that I bought Hys second Christmas present!

Zimmeh

I am watching the 2003 movie Love Actually. It starts playing around this time of year.

It always makes me smile.

I just love it as an all-around sweet holiday movie (not in the traditional sense).

chicken -n- noodles, a clean garage, afternoon nap... big smiles.

Pictures in the mail, a handsome butch & nice.... tires, yeah tires. :drool:

Joy...
 

One of my neighbours playing badminton in the back alley with one of his sons. The son is maybe 7? And was really into it. Lots of small boy giggles and grown-up effort sounds from whacking the shuttlecock. He was having lots of fun with his dad. :)

The tempature is 19 degrees and I don't have to walk into work. My workmate is coming for me :)

The thought of the chocolate that may be awaiting me!

This thread makes me smile! :)

This made me smile thinking of when my daughter was last here and we were driving my stick. hehe. She will be here again for xmas break and I think I will be cracking up and smiling at her and my babe trying again to drive stick, while they will probably be both ready to kill me. :)

I smile too that you hopefully are happy with your gifts and that you get all giddy trying to give me mine early and get yours. :p Even though we both know most of what we are getting it's gonna be the thoughts, time together, and memories made that make me smile the most mi amor. :)

long one...
 

Remembering family traditions of holiday cooking....
My mother taught me a lot about holiday cooking. My mom is awesome by the way, so you know she is right.

1. If you aren't cooking with a diet coke and a window open you aren't doing it right. In the early years this would have included cigarettes.

2. Dressing up for a holiday meal is not required, remember you're sweating. A bra is optional as well. If you aren't sweating then something is wrong with the meal.

3. The people to pie ratio should be no larger than 2:1 preferably 3:1. Also, the people to roll ration should be 1:5.

4. You should have a cookie sheet scared from pie drippings past that one of your juiciest pies is stuck too when it is time to serve desert. This doesn't jive with my mother's idea of a perfectly decorated holiday however the only other option is a seriously smoky glob of berry goo blackened to the bottom of your oven.

5. You will serve real butter, cook with real butter and make whip cream from real heavy cream. This is a holiday for Christ's sakes.

6. You are allowed 2 shortcuts in holiday cooking: stuffing mixes and frozen bread dough for rolls. Not the brown and serve but the dough that rises and then you bake. The stuffing mix must also be enhanced with celery and onions sauteed. That is it. Any other short cuts and you are doing it wrong and must not love those you are eating with.

7. More about pies.... if you dare to use a store bought pie you will be openly mocked. You don't even want to know what happens if you serve/bring a frozen pie.

8. If someone loves a type of pie or food make it or get it. Summer sausage for 1, better have plenty. Cranberry sauce in the shape of a can that only one person will eat, serve it. Special allergies accommodated. This is a holiday for Christ's sake people will have what they want to eat! Unless it is giblets then they are out of luck.

9. Polite conversation is for people uncomfortable with stating their minds or wussies. There better be a loud discussion with differing ideas.

10. Grand kids can eat as many olives as they want, skip the main meal and get pie (or cake if they want it, cause we have that too) but her own children are screwed if they don't finish their meal.

11. Paper plates are a cop out. Barely allowable for dessert. What is a holiday with out massive clean up.

Are you sweating yet? Open a window already!

Being able to spend time with some friends and family I hadn't seen in years

A friend of mine I like to refer to as Mr. Magoo fell off the ladder today while helping me paint. Oh it only has two steps so....... no injuries occured or paint spills for that matter. Just a thud and alot of laughing. hahahahaha

Christmas shopping with a friend for her nieces and nephew ...had an awesome time hanging out and looking for a Furreal pony.

Made plans to go home for 10 days at the beginning of December. I will get to see my Grandbabies. :gimmehug:

everything she said :)

counting the hours makes me smile :) ~U~

waking up to a text i missed last nite
a cool crisp morning and starting a fire in the place fresh hot coffee and hearing a freight train pulling the mountian behind me... realizing just how much i love life.

Getting to my delivery over 2.5 hrs early AMD nothing to do I talked to my love and she drove a little over hr to have breakfast with me

God knows I love that woman

Digging the short week!
@:byebye:

Playing a game of chase with the my wheelchair bound student and the other kindergartners today.

Smile at U
 

Mistakes make me human.Failure makes me stronger.Love keeps me alive.But its you who keeps me smiling.

I got off my butt and had a nice 2 mile run. It's not much, but after bring pretty much inactive for 6 months... It's a good start!

Getting back into my pointe shoes today after an ankle sprain a couple months ago...looking forward to starting up my ballet classes once again...:hk14:

Jack surprised me with a new oven!

My old one was terrible and had cold spots in it so a new stainless steel Samsung is on its way to my home. YAY for new ovens for Thanksgiving!

walking out the work door and
 

currently sitting on my deck overlooking autumn colors. My dog sitting quietly at my feet.

remembering recent events that made me smile ...like last night's dinner company and all the fun we have laughing together...and how she tries to suppress laughing when my dog misbehaves after I tell him to lay down ...she tries so hard not to encourage him but he's a rascal that loves attention ..

today was a good day...getting my heat fixed, hearing back from my payroll department that the county retracted the wage garnishment because they made a mistake ...my apartment is very comfy...enjoyed my hot bubble bath ....enjoyed relaxing and not stressing today ...enjoyed a long walk with my dog...many smiles from a long distance friend ...

smiling at the good feeling that resentment, retaliation and bitterness has no place in my life ... only good positive things and healthy relationships and a healthy outlook ...smiling at the progress I have made over certain negative influences in my life and my health ..

smiling that only a few months ago I could hardly walk and had daily awful back pain and migraines to today where I'm getting my quality of life back and can enjoy physical activity again without dread of being bedridden with pain. ... that's a smile indeed ... pain isn't the norm lately ...at least it's tolerable when it does hit.

smiles from blue skies and watching my pup's face light up whenhe hears a familiar voice over the phone say "I miss ya buddy"...

Receiving a text message from a friend back home. 'I was thinking of you today and wanted you to know.' :)