Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man....

I can’t believe that I haven’t blogged since Friday!! And that I forgot to tell my Dad happy birthday on my blog……

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!

Sorry bout that Dad, I think I got carried away visiting with you and the rest of the family. I would have to say that in the past couple of days I have been in better spirits as a result of my days off. I think sometimes if I don’t plug into my family, I just go bonkers. I feel like my batteries are recharged. Work doesn’t even seem that bad, which is amazing because I thoroughly dislike my job. I came in on Monday morning to find that they had completely moved me to the basement. I am down here by myself with no one to bother me. My work gets done faster, my life is not nearly as interrupted and my insides are not so screwed up. There are a few stragglers on occasion nosing around trying to find out what is down here other than me…..nothing. My boss and the rest of the marketing crew won’t be here until after the holidays. They are trying to give a Christmas gift to every doctor who refers to our services in the next three, four weeks…that is like eight hundred doctors a piece covering the entire state of Georgia, parts of the Carolinas, Tennessee and Alabama. It also means that I am here alone with little to no visitors. I think it really helps my attitude!

My vacation went well. I played a game with my brother and Dad called the “Settlers of Catan” which is similar in nature to monopoly, but not nearly as long or as treacherous. The really cool thing is that not once did I quit or was told to leave the game. That is really cool. I also watched almost the entire second season of the West Wing. I wasn’t sure that anyone else thought like I do until I saw that program. I recognize that I am a minority in politics here in Podunk County with a whole state that is “red.” Sometimes it gets overwhelming though and between the West Wing and my parents, I am recharged and no that I am not alone in my ideas of politics. Although the republican woman on West Wing did make me think and quite possibly change my mind on the era amendment. I don’t know, I still have to think about it. I don’t know that I could ever get enough of the West Wing. It is just good drama, kind of like Law and Order, good drama.

We also as a family went to a funeral. I don’t particularly care for funerals. They are not “Fun.” But I do care about people who are touched by heavy grief. I have never personally experienced heavy grief. I guess I use the term heavy incorrectly because what I mean is intimate. The people who have died around me make sense and I don’t have sorrow over them. My grandmother is fine. She is one of the best Christian women I know and have ever known. My friend Milton is fine. He was right with the world and God. My friend Jeff, who died of an overdose, is probably right where he is supposed to be. I don’t even pretend to guess in God’s judgment on issues like that. My God is an infinite God and can probably think of more possibilities than I can ever imagine. Just the same none of these people were my father or my mother or my best friend. Mostly they were at arms length. I think it meant a lot to the man’s wife that not just my parents were there rather that we attended as a family. He was a good childhood memory for me, but I can’t say when the last time I saw him was. I know to my parents, he was much more. I know that he was a friend. I know that as a family friend, he is a great loss because now when we share memories, and use the past tense verbs something will set in that there will never be another present tense for him. That is sad. I was glad that we went. There is something to be said for familiarity no matter how long ago it was.

Sunday was my slug day. I traveled and slept. I was grateful to be a slug. Sometimes it is just needed. I was grateful to get back to John too. I didn’t realized how much I missed him until I saw him.

I think I have decided to get a small, live tree this year. I am tired of not having a Christmas spirit home and it is something I have wanted since I moved up here and have never been able to have. I know that my living space won’t handle a regular tree, but there is a tree farm up the road from me and I am sure they will have all sizes. That would make a nice memory for me even if I have to vacuum every night. Christmas is here. I am excited because I have made another decision to attend the Episcopal church during advent. I don’t know if I will be a regular, but I want to experience advent again. I miss not going to church and I have been sitting in on their Sunday school class for some time and drop in on occasion to their church service. I really like the people and the priest. The priest has the ability that Dr. Gannon had a Smoke Rise: she has never forgotten my name after I introduced myself. That is a talent. I didn’t think I would meet another person like that, but I did. She doesn’t have the tear button though. I like her. I think Christmas will be good as a result.

Vacation and Christmas…I have a feeling it will get more intense through out the month. December is a hectic but entertaining month. I am glad it is at the end of the year. If it were a kick off, I would be worn out by February.