Smiles and Sharing

Recently, Scott posted a gift to those of us who will be needing it:

And so when I ate my Christmas dinner with my family, I must have cashed in on this token unknowingly. I used my dual wave bolus, hoped I had guessed right on my carbs, and checked my blood sugar 2 hrs later. I was 95! We were ready to eat dessert at that time, and I somehow managed to have a 112 a few hours after that. So, thanks, Scott, for your token, and the smile it brought to my face as I remembered it when that 95 appeared on my screen.

A holiday favorite

You may all recognize these following lines from the beloved tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss. For reasons I may or may not explain later, I've been thinking about it a lot since yesterday. It's one of my favorite holiday stories, for the reasons in the lines below:

"It was quarter past dawn...
All the Whos, still a-bed
All the Whos, still a-snooze
When he packed up his sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit,
He rode to the tiptop to dump it!
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"The all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,
"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad!Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!"
It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
And what happened then...?Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!

***************************
So as the year draws to an end, let us all be clear, the best gifts of all are of good cheer.
Hugs from family, well wishes from friends, time spent together- that's what lasts to the end.
Happy Holidays everyone!

Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see. -Corrie ten Boom

This quote was on a friends website and it is so true- sometimes it's hard to see what's down the road for us and and we just have to have faith that even if we don't understand now, it will work out for the best in the end. It was a reassurance I needed now that I'm trying to figure out where my talents best fit. I haven't quite found my niche yet and it's been a frustrating though educational. Michael W. Smith, one of my favorite songwriters/singers expressed it well with his song Missing Person:

1st Verse:
Another question in me
One for the powers that be
It's got me thrown
And so I put on my poker face
And try to figure it out
This undeniable doubt
A common occurence
Feeling so out of place
Guarded and cynical now
Can't help but wondering how
My heart evolved into
The rock beating inside of me
So I reel such a stoic ordeal
Where's that feeling that I don't feel

Chorus:
There was a boy who had the faith to move a mountain
And like a child he would believe without a reason
Without a trace he disappeared into the void and
I've been searchin' for that missing person

And his song "My place in this world"
Words: Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Music: Michael W. Smith

The wind is moving
But I am standing still
A life of pages
Waiting to be filled
A heart that's hopeful
A head that's full of dreams
But this becoming
Is harder than it seems
Feels like I'm
Chorus:
Looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need Your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

If there are millions
Down on their knees
Among the many
Can you still hear me
Hear me asking
Where do I belong
Is there a vision
That I can call my own
Show me I'm

Chorus

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I know I'll find my niche, I'm just slowly running out of patience for it to happen.

Busy season, remembering the reason!

I've been keeping busy lately. As you can see I put up my Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and had fun creating my blue and silver theme for this year. I've also started knitting again as a way to keep my hands busy and make some scarves for friends for Christmas. Last night I attended a neat church service that was developed with U2's permission using their songs and reminded us all that during this time of year it's important to do something for those whose holidays may not be so bright. Whether that be simple gifts or cards for your local nursing homes residents who don't get many visitors, to reaching out to a local food pantry or other community services that need a helping hand at this time of year. U2 also requested that churches who used their songs donate their offering that day to an organization such as the One Campaign: http://www.one.org
Jack and Grubby are getting bigger and they just reached another milestone-the all important 6 month all day vet visit. They continue to manage to get into trouble though, especially since Jim has his tree up. One time he found half the garland pulled off of it when he had been busy doing chores in another room. Here are some updated pictures of them. They had been running around after their new laser pointer and were a bit parched, which is why Jack is sticking his tongue out.
And here's one of the two brothers hanging out near one of their favorite rooms- the bathroom. They are forever playing in the bathtub, teasing eachother from the other side of the shower curtain.
"Must....conserve....energy for next play fight...."