Tag: Christmas

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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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Go Owasso Rams, Take State!

I know I promised a review of Bitchie Belles, however I was sidetracked by Janet Evanovich’s latest offering. I haven’t laughed so hard reading a book since her last one.

Recently, several people, accused me of romanticizing Owasso, I plead guilty. Oh and this accusation will not change my romanticizing in the least. Just a public service announcement. Why is this important you ask yourself? well, let me tell you, my beloved Owasso Rams are in the State playoffs tonight, against Union.

I know, I don’t watch sports, but I do cheer for my teams, Owasso Rams, OU Sooners, OKC Thunder, I believe you get the point. I am a true hometown girl, no, homestate girl. I love my home state and will cheer for them all, I really hope the Rams win. Since yesterday was my Friday and it is Red day at work, I wore one of my Rams shirts. Today I will wear the other one. Showing support in this way is the very least I can do.

Let’s get back to the romanticizing of a town I haven’t lived in since 1987. Why do I do it, you might wonder, or not, I’m still going to tell you.

I do it because it was the place I finally had real parents, a mom and a dad who taught me so much. Who gave that unconditional parental love, which I had never had, yes, I had my grandparents, my great-aunt Effie and my many cousins and a host of aunts and uncles, but that does not replace that parental love.

I found a best friend that is literally my best friend for life, she and I are more like sisters than any bond I can imagine. Through thick and thin, miles apart and yes sometimes years without contact. The internet is an awesome thing and allows us to keep in contact way more. Through it all, that friendship remains intact, Owasso gave me that, something I cannot discount.

Owasso is the place I truly learned about God’s grace and forgiveness, I learned to be myself, my whole nerdy, geeky self.

I wouldn’t be the person I am without Owasso in my life, I shall romanticize that until the day I leave this earth. Then I will tell God all about it, He might be bored, because He already knows. The whole omniscient thing, He has that.

I can credit Owasso for me being the way I am, so if any of you have a problem with me, call the city of Owasso and tell them.

In other news, Christmas decorating is in full effect in this home, I am so excited, I have me and my fake boyfriend on the tree. If you follow me on Instagram or FB you can see us, together, hanging out, on the Christmas tree. We make such a cute couple, me as a snowperson, him in his Superman costume. So cute.

As usual, if you have any comments, feel free to leave it here or send it to me at angie@angieworld.com.

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Bumble and Other Stuff

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, the tree is up, lights are up and the decorations are up. I am missing some decorations, my candy canes and a lot of Christmas balls for the tree. I don’t know where they went, I think I left in such a hurry they might have gotten thrown out. Oh well, trip to the store in my future!
The last couple of Christmases have not been as joyous as they should have been. I will be making up for lost time this year, lights, hot chocolate, looking at the neighborhood lights. I am going to do it all, Christmas music playing as loud as I like, singing at the top of my lungs, yes, I do feel bad for my neighbors.

As you know, if you have been keeping up, I have been listening to a lot of Kellie Rasberry lately, especially on her podcast that she does with her husband Allen Evans. They met on Bumble and they talk about it a lot, incessantly, make it sound so great.

Well the other night I decided to take a look, what a nightmare, it paired me up with a creepy guy that works in my building. Let me tell you, I canceled that and deleted the app so fast it would make your head spin.

I know without a doubt it was God telling me to just wait, He has great things in store for me. So wait I shall.

No dating apps, no dating websites, none of it, plus I am still very broken. I fully realize I have nothing to offer anyone right now. I have massive trust issues, I don’t know if those will ever go away, not even if it’s Dean Cain.

I took Tess last week for her Christmas pictures, they turned out so cute. I dread the day she tells me she doesn’t want to do this anymore. I might cry, and I’m not a cryer.

It is stupidly hot here in Texas, we had a few days where I got to wear sweaters and boots. I am so very not happy. I bought new sweater dresses and new boots. Some really cute pink, over the knee boots, I have yet to be able to wear them. I am so very not happy. I know I said that twice but it needed to be repeated.

Can I ask you something? A serious question, answers would be appreciated. Why are people so mean and nasty to people they call for help? I get it that you’re frustrated and unhappy that your services aren’t working and by the time you get to my department you have had three to four or more technicians at your home. However, that is no excuse to call any company and say the most vile, hate filled and even racists things to the person on the other end of the line.

I was actually called the N word several times last month, me, yes, me. If any of you have ever seen me or seen a picture of me you will know that alone is the stupidest thing ever. But here’s the thing, why would you say that to anyone? I get that you believe you can say anything to people you can’t see, but this is beyond the pale. I’ll be honest with you, if you tell us your issue, don’t tell us to read the account, because I am here to tell you, when you talk to the off shore people, those notes don’t make sense. Tell us what is happening, and allow us to help you. Once you get to my level, you are in the advanced world, we have the tools to figure out why nothing is working and we also have the means to contact field managers and technicians. If it will never work, we’ll tell you the truth.

Stop calling places and screaming like banshees, it will get you nowhere.

I will tell you what has changed my attitude towards the people I speak to on a daily basis. Every morning, before I get out of my car, I pray, I don’t ask God to make people nice, I ask Him to change my attitude towards the people who come on the line. I ask Him to help me be nicer to them, to speak to them like they are human and their issue matters to me. And it does and it has made a huge difference in the way I handle my customers.

I love my job and I love my country, so there you have it. My secret to dealing with mean people is to pray for them before I talk to them and to pray I have a better attitude towards them.

I spoke to one woman last week that told me she wrote a book, I find that fascinating. I asked her if she minded sharing the title with me, I literally burst out laughing and on my break ordered the book. I will be reviewing it in my next post. Bitchie Bells, I cannot wait to read this book! It came last week and I have been waiting for some down time to dive in. This evening is my time, I will be reading it tonight, it isn’t a big book and well, I read fast.

As usual, any complaints or compliments can be left in the comments section or sent to me at angie@angieworld.com

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The In-between Week

Christmas has passed, and it was a good Christmas, filled with my beautiful children, Tess and the Irishman.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the overuse of superlatives in the American language, it has become ubiquitous. It’s ordinary now to see awesome, great, amazing or fantastic, when in fact what the person is talking about is good, ordinary or in some cases it really is extraordinary, however it is not amazingly awesome. I myself am guilty of this phenomenon, I must ask myself, when did this happen?
I don’t remember, in my younger years, using hyperbole so much, however in my middle years, I find myself doing it on, embarrassingly, an hourly basis.
Since this is the week of New Years, and a time when people typically make out lists of things they are going to give up, I thought I would start with my language.
So, here goes, my list of things I am going to work on in 2016:
1.) I shall give up the overuse of superlatives, only using them when they are warranted. Not callously tossed about, given without thought, without measure.
B.) I will only buy shoes I need, not have to have, will die without, I have a ton of shoes and refuse to buy things I don’t need. Elizabeth Anne, I need you to keep me on the straight and narrow on this one.
III.) I will learn to use Alexa efficiently, right now I am just bugging her to find Dean Cain for me. She is balking on that task, so, she and I will learn about each other and I will learn her ways.
A.) I will make more of an effort, that’s it, you can fill in the blank with this one.

That’s it, that’s my list, in a nutshell, I am not one to give up things I know I will not be able to. However, there are things I can change, and those I will work on.
I would love to hear what you are going to work on, try to change, or even give up.
It is time now to put away the Christmas decorations, get the house ready for New Years, I will be making my 15 bean soup with the leftover honey ham from Christmas. Also cornbread is on the menu. Jeffrey will not come over for that as he is allergic to beans and hates when I make that. I do fully expect to see Alex and Elizabeth Anne and maybe a few others.
Oh and I have one more, I will be going through my closet and getting rid of what I don’t wear. I seriously need to do that, it’s embarrassing.

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Merry Christmas

It’s here, Christmas, well, Christmas Eve to be exact, this is the day that we celebrate as a family. My family is bigger this year, with an added son-in-law and Alex is bringing his girlfriend; bigger is better. It was good with the four of us, now there are more and it is greatness, I love that we have more people at the table.

This time of year is a double-edged sword for me, I love it and I hate it, I hate it due to the fact that I miss my mom so much. This was our time of year, she would hide the presents and I would find them. It was our game, and we loved it, one year she thought she had out done me. That I had not found that years presents, however, I did, and she knew, but we did not confess until years later that I found them and she knew I had found them.

I still remember the first time I couldn’t go home for Christmas; I was pregnant with Elizabeth Anne, very pregnant to be exact. My doctor laughed at me when I asked if I could sit in a car for 5 hours to go home. I took that as a no, I called my mom to tell her I would not be home, she told me it was ok, she had been expecting the call. She told me not to do anything foolish, don’t do anything that would put the baby at risk. She then told me no matter what, she knew that my heart would be with hers for Christmas.

She was the first person in my life that made me feel like I belonged, my grandparents did their best, but I always knew I wasn’t like my cousins. I didn’t have a mom and dad that wanted me, I lived with grandma and grandpa and great aunt Effie. They lived with their mothers and fathers, I was different, I didn’t belong, I would like to reiterate here, they never said anything to make me feel like this. My cousins loved me, I just knew I was different, then God gave me parents.

A mom and dad that loved me, taught me things, accepted my nerdiness, in fact encouraged it, along with being outside and active.

I pray my children know that no matter where their lives take them, their hearts will always be with me, that I will always be in their corner. As of now, their lives are close to mine, I can spend time with them, see them and talk to them without hundreds of miles separating us. I am blessed beyond belief and am grateful for it.

So, today, the day we celebrate as a family, the birth of Christ, our Lord and Savior, I am reminded of how much I have been given. I was given grandparents, a great aunt, aunts and uncles and cousins who loved me. Then I was given parents that loved me and guided me into adulthood and prepared me for motherhood. I have been blessed with friends who became family, friends who have seen me through some of the toughest times in my life.

I have no complaints, no what if’s or druthers, I have a future to look forward to as I know God will continue to work in my life. Bringing me friends and new family members to add to my many blessings.

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The Most Wonderful Time of Year?

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year, while on one hand it is the most wonderful time of the year; on the other it is the most difficult. I love it for the reason we celebrate, the birth of our Lord and Savior, the lights, the overwhelming sense of love and goodwill that permeates. I love the sights, sounds, smells, everything about it.

I hate the sense of loss, the missing people that are not here, I miss my grandparents, my great-aunt Effie, I miss my mom and dad, most of all I miss my son who never got to experience a Christmas.

I am emotional this time of year, I am not a crier, yet I cry at every Christmas themed commercial, every movie, the sappier the more tears. I abhor myself for this emotional display that is not seen any other time of the year; it is disconcerting.

This year is particularly emotional, as Elizabeth Anne has begun a new chapter in her life, which is a good thing, however, it brings a new set of emotions. I am not good with emotion; I am better with logic, yes Angie logic, but still, logic all the same.

As I put ornaments on the tree, I couldn’t help but think of when each one came to be, I have one that my mom gave Jeffrey when he was little. Yes, it’s Jeffrey’s and yes I have it, just for the record I have offered it to him and he said he likes it on my tree.

I am going to try to keep my emotions in check, I do not enjoy a good cry the way some people do, I would rather not, thank you very much. I am going to enjoy the twinkling lights, the decorations, the sights, sounds and smells without one tear this year.

I am going to celebrate the times I spent with people who are no longer here; I am going to relish the time I have with the people who are still here. I am going to enjoy spending time with my children and granddaughter, with new family members such as a son-in-law and a new granddaughter. I am going to enjoy friends, seeing their pictures of loved ones and gatherings.

I will not cry, as tears do nothing but get my face wet, it doesn’t make me miss anyone any less, it doesn’t solve world hunger or world acrimony. All they do is make my face wet. This is my mantra this year.

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Owasso Dreams

Driving to work yesterday I realized how much I miss Owasso, not for the turning of the leaves, the friends, the Ram Cafe, the Tijuana Tater or for the frito chili pies. No, I miss it for the roads, the country roads to be exact, the ones where you can take your car out and open up the carburetor and fly. It seemed like flying to me when I was learning to drive and drive fast.
Driving fast appears to be genetic, my grandfather drove fast, my father drive fast as do I, it seems the old adage is right, I just can’t drive 55. There is nothing like the feeling of all that power at your fingertips, under your foot as you press against the accelerator, the numbers going higher on the dashboard. The realization that you are flying over the pavement, it smacks of freedom, there is nothing but you, the machine, the road and the music. One cannot drive fast without good music filling air of the car, it is intoxicating, better than any drug around.
All last week, while sitting in unbearable traffic, I missed Owasso, even driving down main street behind the old people from the retirement home that took up both lanes. You knew that it would end in roughly 10 minutes, there was no end to the traffic here last week. I have a shift that has me going in later, typically there is very little traffic. Last week we had ice here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and since Texans can’t drive on ice it was a mess. A horrible, frustrating mess, filled with people hitting their brakes on the ice, or just speeding up on the ice. Insanity was the word of the day. Ok, the week.
I learned to drive on the ice and snow thanks to my dad, I remember shortly after my 16th birthday, he told me to get in the car, we drove up Dalton Hill. It’s named after the Dalton Gang, google them if you are not familiar with them, the hill was named after them due to the fact they used to hide out there. I digress, we get to the top of the icy hill, he turns the car around, gets out and says figure it out. He then proceeded to walk home.
I did the only thing I could, I moved to the drivers seat and figured it out, I will say this, he got home before I did, however I learned to drive on ice and snow and every other condition one can think of. Well, not a monsoon, we didn’t have those in Owasso, or earthquakes, but Oklahoma weather, I’m good.
Next week is Christmas and I am way excited, I will once again take up the reigns of hosting our Christmas Eve celebration in our new home. I will cook the food, wrap the presents and we will welcome my children, granddaughter and a new person to the celebration this year.
I hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful pre-Christmas week. Remember the reason we even have this season, the Birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

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Inspired by Stephanie Lacy

Ok, so, I just hate it when this happens, I was convicted, if you are Baptist you will know what this means. The other day, on Facebook, of course, my friend Stephanie posted something provocative. She said before you begin your day, say a prayer that God will enable you to see others through His eyes, not yours. I thought hmmmm now this is interesting, then I couldn’t let it go, so I did.
You see there is a person that is an acquaintance that, well, without going into detail, is kinda gross, loud, obnoxious and generally not a lot of fun to be around. I was working behind the scenes to get this person away from my acquaintance area so to speak. So that day I prayed, and I meant it, you see it’s not enough to say the words you have to mean them. So I did.
I went about my day and I saw this person differently, I saw their loneliness, I saw their need to be a part of a group, to be accepted and I saw their heart. Their willingness to jump in and help and there was sincerity in that desire to help. I was ashamed I had tried to have this person removed from my acquaintance area. I immediately took steps to rectify the situation, begging God for forgiveness for my ignorance.
This person didn’t change, they are still kinda gross, loud and obnoxious, I was the one who changed, that is what happens when you truly look at others around you through God’s eyes and not your own. As I said, I was convicted, and man I hate it when that happens. However, it is truly better than praying for patience, in case you don’t know, God doesn’t give you patience, He teaches you patience. They are not easy lessons, in fact they are extremely tiring and frustrating until you learn your lesson.
As you go about your busy Christmas shopping weekend, buying the presents, wrapping them, if you come across a person who is not all that pleasant, say a quick prayer and look at them differently. You might see something you missed.

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Working on Thanksgiving

With all of the news stories regarding stores opening up on Thanksgiving I thought I might weigh in here. First and foremost let me start by saying I don’t see anyone posting anything about how horrible it is that tech support is open on Thanksgiving. Or, how horrible it is that radio stations are playing music, and DJ’s are on the air.
I work Thanksgiving and the day after, I have worked those days since being in tech support. My children are with their dad and his side of the family on Thanksgiving. That is the way we have done things since our divorce, it is the way it is, I am happy that my children can continue that tradition.
But here’s the thing, those two days, considering the holiday pay, pay for Christmas, it enables me to be able to give nice gifts to my children without breaking the bank. If stores are paying their employees holiday pay, and asking for volunteers, which is the way it is done, then I have no objections to this. People choose what they want to do on holidays, if they choose to work, then that is their right, some stores are open 24×7 anyway, I don’t see people objecting to this either.
As I stated before, I have never, in my entire life, seen anyone objecting to other people working and businesses being open. No one objects that the police station is open, that telephone operators are at work, or the gas station being open on this day.
I really do not see what the uproar is about, this is not a religious holiday, repeat, not a religious holiday, I have issues with stores being open on Christmas and Easter, however, have taken advantage of said stores being open. Does that make me a hypocrite? Possibly. I don’t really have an answer for that one.
If retail employees would like to make extra money on Thanksgiving by working, they have my blessings, as I will be doing the same.