Month: December 2019

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Reflections

Christmas had come and gone and now we are heading into a new year, a new decade.

Christmas was amazing, as usual, filled to the brim with family, love and laughter. A lot of laughter, we are a family that loves to laugh. We had a new addition, Izzy Anne’s boyfriend joined us. I hope we didn’t scare him, he doesn’t seem like the type that scares easily.

Christmas is a double edged sword for me. I love it, the hustle, bustle, sights, sounds, food, music and people.

I hate it because I miss so many people, my mom, dad, son, brother, grandparents, cousins and all of my aunts and uncles. They’re all gone, and parts of the season went with them

The other day I took a picture of the sky, the clouds were dark and heavy with the light trying to break through.

It was a perfect representation of how this time of year makes me feel. Darkness with the light bursting through.

Isn’t that our souls as well? Darkness with the light of Christ shining through.

I know I’ve said it before but I feel it cannot be said enough, I very literally have the best children ever. I’m so proud of them, their accomplishments and the people they have become.

They are all smart, funny, generous and considerate. The people they have brought into the fold reflect those traits as well.

I have exciting news that I can’t share yet, after the 1st I’ll be able to.

I’m signing off for now, I have work in the morning. Then I’m off for 5 days. I hope you all had a great Christmas and that the new decade brings peace, prosperity and love.

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Christmas Past

Christmas Eve is here, the turkey is in the oven, the dressing started, to be fair, part of it was started a couple of days ago. I sit quietly with my coffee, reflecting, it’s the day for that. It started last night with a dream of Christmas at my parents house.

We all have those memories, the ones that are so warm and inviting that you almost feel as if time travel is a real possibility. Sam Beckett style, so you can really appreciate the experience.

I remember my mom waking up at 4am to put the turkey in, the sounds coming from the kitchen are comforting. When I wake again it is to the aroma of turkey cooking, bread rising and pancakes.

There was always pancakes on Christmas, with bacon and real hot cocoa.

Then everyone would come to the house, my nephews and niece, brothers and sister and their spouses. The laughter was the best sound in the world. My dad had this booming laugh, that would not only fill the house but one’s soul as well. He was always so joyful, that joy was contagious. He was a gregarious man who loved life and loved God. What a combination, he and my mom lived a life that was a true testament to how Christians should behave. Never judgmental (except for my music) always loving, generous and warm. Christmas always amplified those qualities.

When it came time for lunch, yes we had Christmas lunch, my dad would ask one of my brothers to say the blessing.

It was always Jesse, the youngest, I will be honest, I never noticed until my oldest brothers son brought it to my attention.

He said it really hurt his dad that my dad never chose him. So, on that last Christmas that we all spent together, we didn’t know it would be our last at the time, I was with my mom in the kitchen. I started talking about how much I loved our Christmas traditions and then I said did you ever notice dad doesn’t ask Jim to say the blessing? It’s always Jesse, I wonder if Jim would like to say it. Then I just left it there.

At lunch that day my dad asked Jim to say the blessing, Jim looked startled and his eyes got a little teary, darn Oklahoma dust. Then he said the prayer and it was beautiful. Later my nephew told me how much that meant to Jim.

I hope when my children look back at our Christmas times together, they do it with as much fondness as I have for my memories with my parents.

I don’t remember the presents, well, one I do, my cowboy boots that I wanted so badly. I kept them forever, until they literally fell apart. Urban Cowboy, anyone.

I remember the love, the warmth, the laughter and the wonderful dressing. There I said it, dressing, not stuffing, to this day I still make my mom’s dressing. I don’t deviate, I don’t add, take away, or anything else. With every bite I take of that dressing I am back in Owasso, Oklahoma, I can hear my dad’s laughter and see the twinkle in my mom’s eyes. I feel love.

I pray everyone has be the best Christmas ever and experiences the promises of what is to come.

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Christmas Presents to Me

Hello old friend, it’s been a while, I admit, I abandon you when I get busy with life. Tis the season for busyness, shopping, working, taking granddaughter to her dance, shopping.

I love this time of year, I know I say that often, but it’s true.

I went to Denison with a friend of mine, for those of you not in North Texas, Denison is a town in Texas that is very old and has the most delightful shops.

Ok, to back up a little bit, there is a boutique I shop online at that is actually in Denison. My friend Cheryl, shops there as well, she said let’s go to the physical store. I said I’m in!

So to Denison we went, Zelda Rose Boutique is the name of the shop and it is just delightful. It has clothes, accessories and even homemade doggy treats. We shopped until we dropped, then crawled.

There were so many cute shops and I found unique things to give people for Christmas. I can’t wait to give them their presents!

Don’t you love that? Picking out something fun and different and giving it to the person that it reminded you of? I love that so much, finding that one thing that someone might not give them.

One year I was able to find the book my mom was published in and gave each of my children a copy. I hope they cherish it as much as I do.

I always buy myself a Christmas present, this year I bought mine early, it was Dean Cain. Well, not actually him, well, yes, it was actually him, but they didn’t let me take him home with me. I had to leave him there. But I did get to meet him and hold a couple of conversations with him. Best. Christmas. Present. EVER. I don’t know what I will do next year to top it. I am going to have very high expectations of myself from this point forward.

After Christmas I’ll be busy getting ready to meet aliens (I hope!) do they still live in Roswell? And then on to Arizona to meet my new grand-nephew, very excited about that.

But first Christmas, I am so excited, I found the perfect present for my oldest son. I always feel like I miss the mark with him and this year I know I aced it.

This coming Wednesday is the ugly Christmas outfit contest at work. I don’t know why they are doing it on a Wednesday when everyone is at work on Mondays. Doesn’t make sense, oh well, I am not in charge of planning things.

Does anyone have any traditions they have this time of year? I make my mom’s dressing, yes, dressing, I am from the South so it is dressing. It doesn’t go into a turkey’s behind, so it is not stuffing.

I only make it once a year and it is soooooooo good! I’m not a great cook, but there are a few dishes I get very right, and this is one.

I read a book yesterday, by one of my favorite authors, Jude Deveraux, I love her books. I am not a romantic person but I do love romance novels, especially when a murder mystery is thrown in. But I’m sad now, because the book is done and I had to say goodbye to the characters.

Is anyone else like that? After you finish a book it makes you kind of sad, like you are saying goodbye to friends, I wrapped presents and then my gift was getting to read my new book. It was so worth it, I need a new book now, maybe I’ll make a stop at the bookstore on my way home tomorrow.

Well I am going for now, I have things to do before I go to sleep. I hope you all have a wonderful evening and a beautiful Christmas Season!.

As usual any comments, questions or criticisms can be left here or sent to angie@angieworld.com

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Dreams and More

So season three of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel came out on Amazon Prime. I watched the whole season today, was pleasantly surprised by the Zachary Levi showing. He had one of the best lines, I am not going to tell you because the show just dropped and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone.

Speaking of Zachary Levi, he was part of my weird dream Wednesday night. I dreamed I was at his ranch for an event and I forgot my workout clothes. Part of the event was a workout, so I asked if there was a workout clothes store in Austin. Yes, it was said just like that. So someone said yes, and I drove to Austin and went into the workout clothes store.

Jack Black was in there because he forgot his workout clothes as well. He recognized me from the event and asked if he could get a ride back to the ranch. He had taken an Uber into town. I said sure, not a problem, we pay for out clothes and hop in my car.

Godzilla is burning Austin, that’s right, we start driving and this giant lizard beast is burning the town. We think this is normal for Austin so we just casually chit chat back to the ranch.

We get back there and everyone is freaking out asking if we saw Godzilla. Why yes we did, but I was still not bothered by this.

That’s when I woke up, very disturbing, I told someone at work about all of my dreams and they suggested I write to Jenna Owens, she is the dream expert.

But then I was telling my bestie Shay about it so she says google it. So I did and it turns out my dreams mean I am worried about different things.

During my waking hours I have no worries but apparently I do during my sleep hours. Last night I had no dreams, thank goodness as today is my day off and I needed a good nights sleep.

I still say if I met Zachary Levi in person we would totally hit it off in the friends department. I love him, but not in a Dean kind of way. I just hope if I ever do get an invitation to an event at his ranch Godzilla doesn’t show up.

I did major Christmas shopping today online, I found out the most delightful thing. I can do same day delivery from Target! No one delivers out here like that! But Shipt does, with three different stores, Target being one.

I have never been so happy in my entire life, well I have, but still, delivery! Same day!

That freed me up to drink coffee, watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Christmas shop online and finish decorating for Christmas.

It was a great day, I’m not going to lie, I feel refreshed, I have a full day of shopping tomorrow.

Oh and who knew Ming-Na Wen showed up in the Mandalorian! Greatness.

Also, if you have Disney + I cannot say enough good things about The World According to Jeff Goldblum. His unbridled joy and enthusiasm is contagious! I have started watching an episode before going to sleep. I started this last night, probably why I didn’t have weird dreams.

Seriously, watch this show, it is so much fun and you learn some things as well.

That’s all I have for now, I am sure I will find other things to get out of my head later.

As usual, any comments, questions or criticisms can be left here or sent to me at angie@angieworld.com.

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Musical Taste

As I was leaving work a teammate and I were discussing a few of our calls from today. I told him about a man I was helping and the music he was listening to. It sounded like it came straight from a 1970’s porn movie. He and I laughed then started talking about our playlists. He and I are about the same age and listen to a lot of the same music.

Then I started thinking about my playlist and it is pretty eclectic, I am going to give you a taste here. Just a few because one playlist has 101 songs on it.

Number One by Tove Stryke (my current favorite)

Is This Love by Whitesnake

Good as Hell by Lizzo

Count On Me by Bruno Mars

Alison by Elvis Costello

All Summer Long by Kid Rock (this song reminds me of my last free summer)

Lido Shuffle by Boz Skaggs

A Girl, A Boy and A Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith

Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper

Feeling Good by Nina Simone

If I Could Write by Phillips

Leaving on a Jet Plane covered by Jeffster

This is just a taste of the music I am currently listening to, there’s more, Andy Gibb is represented as well as The Backstreet Boys.

I like everything, I even admit to having some Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw thrown in.

I would love to know what everyone else is listening to, I find I am getting a lot of things from television shows and movies.

Music has played such a huge role in my life, I used to play the cello and bass. Sometimes I miss it, playing in the orchestra influenced my love of classical music. I love instrumentals to this day.

I am looking forward to sleeping later than 4:30 on Friday, the new work that we are doing in my office is mentally draining. In a good way, I come home tired and sleep hard, except for last night. Last night I had a horrible nightmare, it woke me up, not screaming but very disturbing.

I dreamed all of my children were little and we were home but we lived in the country. Someone put three snakes in our house and I had to find them and kill them before they bit my children.

One, a huge black snake grabbed Alex’s face and I had to pry it off. I did and I killed it and Alex was fine but it woke me up and I said prayers for Alex. I don’t know if God was telling me something or if I need to stop watching Prodigal Son before going to sleep.

If anyone can interpret dreams I would love to know what that one meant. I’m still a little freaked out by it, number one, anything that hurts one of my children has to go and number 2, I hate snakes with a passion. So it was a double whammy, I am hoping I have a better nights sleep tonight. How do you sleep without dreaming? If you know, please tell me.

I have to go now, I find I have to look up how to write a contract.

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God’s Plan

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11.

I used to wonder what incredible future God had planned for me. Now I know the life I was living was what He had planned for me. I got to raise the most incredible humans I’ve ever known and I had the best parents. Most people don’t even get that much.

It could have been so much worse, my birth mother could have chosen not to give me up, that would have been a nightmarish life. I could have had different children, I can’t imagine.

I was telling my BBFF a few weeks ago that my ex husband and I should have never married but I wouldn’t change it because I have the most incredible children. He said something so profound that it struck a chord in me. He said sometimes God let’s the wrong people get together to create the humans He needs to be in the world.

I was seriously blown away by that thought. Like I’ve said before I only regret one thing that would have been within my control.

I’ve spent a lot of my life wanting something that God was never going to allow me to have. Looking back on my life I have lived the plans God had for me. It’s enough.

This is the time of year people start to take stock of their year. Mine has been really incredible. I got to travel to Florida to see someone I love get married. I not only got to spend time with some of my oldest friends I got to travel and spend time with my daughter.

I got to meet Dean Cain, which I never thought I’d get to do.

I got to meet some really nice people on Twitter thanks to a little show called Chuck. And I got to meet two of them in person. Bonus.

I got to spend time with friends and family and just be myself. It’s been a good 2019, oh and a certain little boy had started calling me Gigi and I love it.

As this year winds down I look forward to a really fin 2020 with a trip on the books to see aliens and a new grand-nephew.

I hope everyone has had a really great 2019 and I pray you all have a fantastic 2020.

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December

Thank God Thanksgiving is over, definitely my least favorite holiday. It is December and this is my favorite month. I love Christmas and all that comes with it. I love the sparkle of it all, I love the way people are just a little nicer. I love celebrating the birth of a risen Jesus Christ.

I also become a little sad, I miss so many people, my mom and dad, my grandparents and my son. I miss being part of a large family, Christmases at my parents was always the best.

My whole month is busy, shopping, planning, cooking I love it all.

Huge shout out to my sister Shay, once again she comes to the rescue. My schedule at work is messed up for the week of Christmas and she graciously offered to trade days with me so I can have off Christmas Eve. That’s the day we have our family gathering. If I didn’t have off I wouldn’t have seen my family. She really is the beat friend one could ask for.

So I did something shameful, I don’t even know if I should admit what I did. They say confession is good for the soul. So here goes, I came home from work yesterday and turned on the tv. I then went into the kitchen and started making my dinner. I came back into the living room and what was on my television was shocking.

It was Keeping up with the Kardashians, I picked up the remote and found that I did not change the channel. I was sucked in! For two episodes! I can’t even tell you what it was about. Someone got upset with someone else and then they worked it out. I have no idea what happened! I very literally lost brain cells!

I am ashamed and must pay penance, no Chuck for a week, no, not harsh enough. No Lois and Clark or a week, no, too harsh. I’ll think of something.

I just thought of something, I’m bust through February! Oh if anyone knows of a good alien hotel in Roswell, NM let me know.