Bucket List

As I get a bit more....hmmmm, how shall I delicately put this???....worldly...As I get more worldly (don't want to use words like "older" or "more mature") there are many things that I'd like to do. For several years I have had things on my list and I've been able to check them off....Olympics - check - Salt Lake City. Italy - check - June 2011, Alaska - Check - did the land and sea tour and the cruise. Today, the air show was something I could check off. I just love aeronautics. If I didn't get to darn motion sick, I think I might like the G force and the heights, and the intense speed. However, I am totally satisfied to see some one else in the cockpit with the nerves of steal, a strong stomach, and a daredevil spirt to pull the maneuvers that were preformed. There were the MX planes, the RV series, the diamond jets, the F18 - now that baby can pull some G's, and the fantastically awesome Blue Angels!!! I was able to get some good pictures..yep, between the iPhone, the point and shoot, and the big baby with the 70-300mm lens. Of course, there a people there with far bigger and better equipment, but it doesn't matter, I got some totally amazing shots. Even a bit of video, just to relive the excitement. I had a great time. Unfortunately, the husband, didn't fair so well in the sun, so he took cover in the shade, I'm not to crispy....LOL I was good and applied and reapplied sunblock. Anyway, with happy memories captured on memory cards, and visions of biplanes, world war II fighter planes, and the mega jets dancing in my head .... I'm happy! Airshow - Check! :D

Leap Year!!!

Today is the 29th of February, and as we all know it occurs only once every 4 years. Manuel's sister was born on this day. This is the day when females can propose marriage to male! :D It was a beautiful day today, although in other parts of the country they were hit with horrid weather particularly those that had tornadoes. But here, it was bright and sunny. I got out of work early, did some housework and went to the gym! I'm off for my stretch off, nothing could be better than that :D
Happy Leap Year!

The end of January....

It is 2012 and the 31st of January!!! It just seems that we were celebrating the New Year...well, we didn't party or anything....it was rather low key. During the Month Natalie went back to North Carolina and started back to school. Caitlin finished school and was looking for work...both of them celebrated birthdays. Work was a zoo. I started Spring cleaning. Manuel has gained and lost accounts and got a new work van since the 22 year old Jeep with 450,000 miles pretty much started falling apart. I have shopped some, mostly online although I did visit William and Sonoma and got a few cool things there and found a Vera Bradley outlet!!! Had lunch and went to a Movie with Maria...that was fun! I have found a 365 online scrapbooking that looks good, but I haven't started anything.....only collected. Oh, there was that horrible Costa Concordia accident....we saw that cruise ship this summer when we were on our cruise. Sunday was a disastrous multi car pile up on I-75 near Gainesville. Today we have the GOP elections today. And in a short time, we begin February!!!

Merry Christmas....

It is that time of year again when we spend weeks preparing for Christmas. Some years it is stressful and other years things flow smoothly. This year it was a bit more stressful. Long hours at work with a cranky cumbersome computer system and days that provided no time for a break or a meal....I did get things done, but I wasn't most pleasant about it, I must honestly say. I was a basket case by the time my mixer decided that the measuring cup would be a nice asset....causing bread dough to splatter all over the counter, cabinets, microwave, stove, and floor (I am sure there are places that I have found the now hardened dough). After managing to get things cleaned, I preceded to start all over again, only to have the jar of yeast tumble over and spill all over the place, it is annoying to step on the little yeast beads. Aaaarrrrgggghhh!! So, through exhaustion and tears I managed to get that all taken care of, when my family arrived back after viewing the Christmas lights....I must admit I was annoyed by their cheerfulness and dwelled on my misery of being tired and all the things that went wrong. I really should have put it aside and looked at all the good. After a fairly decent rest, I was refreshed to start the new day! :D

Christmas day was spent leisurely. We ate breakfast, opened gifts, laughed, enjoyed, admired, oooohhhhh'd and aaaahhhed. We had lunch and then it was time for friends to make their arrivals. The true meaning of the season was about the Christ Child being born on this day. The church service was a reflection of the season. Seeing the reports on the news about the Church of the Nativity....I remember by going their several years ago through the tiny door into the church and going down the stairs to see the place where Jesus was born...a truly awesome experience. So with all the ups and downs leading up to December 25th....it's really about the birth of a baby who would teach the world about peace, patience, kindness, and love.....a very good lesson for all of mankind.

May the blessings of the season be with you! Merry Christmas! :D

The days past quickly...

Just after Thanksgiving we went own our cruise to the Eastern Carribean.

GIVING THANKS

As the years go by there are many more things that we have been blessed with and are truly thankful for. I think as time passes we are more appreciative of the little things that have impacted our lives and molded us into who we are as adults. Many things we may not have first hand knowledge or experience, for example, my ancestors came over on the Mayflower. Having been on the replica of this extraordinarily tiny ship that carried 101 passengers and almost half actually survived the first year in their new land. I am in awe of their resilience and hardworking ethic. They didn't whine and expect a handout....each family was given a plot of land where they were responsible to grow food....with the help of the Native American Indians that showed them how to use fish to fertilize the plant beds. There was a celebration feast the following year at harvest time giving thanks, which is now known as Thanksgiving.

One of the things that I LOVE about Thanksgiving is my childhood memories of going to my grandparents house where my cousins would also go. We laughed and had fun....we still reminisce about many things of those special days. Now we live thousands of miles apart, but on Thanksgiving, we stop and remember these special times and smile. It isn't the same for our children. This year three of the children were home, and one was with us via FaceTime!!! What did we do without technology? It is sad to see all the hullabaloo about Black Friday and now pushing it into Thanksgiving. Greed and selfishness seem to taking over. I have to say, we enjoyed our day being together, laughing, talking, playing games, walking off the meal, and just enjoying the day together. That used to be how our Sundays were spent. Amazing that we survived without the stores being open!

It has been a busy week. Manuel and I celebrated our 34th anniversary! The years have gone by fast. As we get older they go so much faster than when you are a child or teen. The work schedule has been horrible, but....in just over 24 hours, we'll be setting sail for new horizons. I am sooooo Thankful for that!!!

I am truly thankful that I am Blessed by God, for my family, friends, acquaintances, my life! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

(The picture - from The Shabby Shoppe Blog - awesome blog and wonderful digital scrapbooking items, not to mention monthly desktop calendars)!

November 11, 2011 (11.11.11)

Today was one of those rare dates where the numbers where all the same 11/11/11 for 11/11/2011! Today there was a baby boy born at 11:11 on 11/11/11! Of course there was!!! We didn't have inductions today :D even though I wasn't at work...there is time for 11:11pm baby on 11/11/11!! There were a lot of weddings for today. There is also a Full Moon!!!!
I didn't really do much today. As usual, I had a list and only a few things got done...I have the best of intentions though! I spent three hours at work practicing the new computer program....holy cow, could they have a nurse design it??? Once again there are several ways to do the same thing and the directions take you in a big circle to get there when I already did it in three steps! Progress???? It only takes 8 hours to admit a patient, so it should get better....LOL maybe we can cut it down to 7 hours!! Liz had a melt down, after all the PNAP work she got an email saying she got a level 2. She was beyond herself, even more than her rant for days on the Nook Tablet that she could have had if BN was honest and let people know that there was going to be a new Nook after her kids bought her the Nook Color three weeks ago for her birthday! Reading the posts, many people are upset with BN! What are you going to do they are the only bookstore around???? That's what happens, business get to big and executives don't have a clue as to what is really going on. If I don't do a good job, and people aren't happy our scores go down the hospital doesn't get paid (Patient Centered Care). Anyway, she shot off an email and she got an email back toot-sweet saying oooops it was a mistake she got a level 3! The world is at rest, but watch out BN....Liz is on the loose :D

I went to Kohl's and my purchase was free, thanks to Kohl's bucks and the discount coupon! Whhooo hooo! It was a lovely day, it started out a cool 43 degrees and got up to a whole 68 degrees, I'm loving it! It is amazing how much better I feel! The humidity is low, it is wonderful, a real treat :D

The evening ended with dinner at Panera with the husband and we took frozen yogurt home from Menchies, our first time having it. Then just a short time ago there was a lovely fireworks display just over the park! A photo op of course. Hopefully, the weekend will be kind an gentle, I work :-( I'd rather be enjoying this wonderful weather!!!