New Year Hope and Happiness to all

My New Year Resolution is to give God all the wonderful thanks for making my life so blessed and joyous. I have a lot of things to look forward to in 2008. The new move down to Spartanburg, finding a place to live, getting to know new people-neighbors, joining a church down there. It must be Mom talking and how I don't go to church often enough. I never feel "welcomed" but yesterday Deacon was talking about how every family is not a Hallmark card and your lucky even if you get a Hallmark card from family members. He was comparing The Holy Family to all of us and how no matter what our marital status is, as long as we go to church, we are a family (church family). Made me want to belong to their family. Father was thanking everyone for their generous gifts during the holidays and how much he appreciated all of them. It made me want to be one of the ones who likes their priest to give him a gift at Christmas.
But what I would really want, is to be able to accept Communion without feeling as if I was banished from church due to being divorced. I know I carry a mortal sin on my soul for being divorced. But where I want to experience the body and blood of Jesus in my soul, I don't know how else except through communion.
Is there any Catholic Church that accepts divorced people and lets them accept communion?

Hopes diminished

For the three gifts that God gave us...Hope, Faith and Love and the greatest of these is Love.
I am upset today because team member and his 6 month pregnant wife just lost the baby yesterday. I am beside myself to think and concentrate on anything. I can only imagine what they are going through. My prayers to God to heal and help them through is all I can do for them. It probably wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't the day after Christmas and all the hopes that they had talking to their extended families at Christmas. Also we just all saw her last Friday night at our team Christmas party. She had a little bump sticking out from under her babydoll shirt. He was talking yesterday morning about how he reached over and touched her belly in the morning and thought he felt it move. His whole face beamed when he talked about becoming a father. My prayer to God is to help this beautiful young couple face this together with love, strength and divine intervention.
My thoughts and prayers to restore their Faith, Hope and Love in their hearts.

Talk about Moody

WOW what I day I had yesterday. I could of strangled anyone who looked at me the wrong way.
It started in the morning. I had a whole outfit planned to wear to the corporate Christmas party. Nice black shirt put on, with knee highs and went to put the pants on. Too tight. Then I pulled out another pair of black/white check pants. Okay so far so good. Put the dog outside and felt a draft in my crotch. There was a whole in the pants. Now instead of taking off the boots to put on another pair of pants, I pulled out nice sweatpants and said, "the hell with it". I still had on nice jewelry and nice black shirt.
Work had me doing testing from 11am right through to 4pm, when the corporate party was suppose to start. They were raffeling off a 42 inch screen TV but your name had to be put in the raffle ahead of time. I missed out on that. I came back to my desk to find my team leaving for party. I know I would have emails that needed to be replied on. I called R to let him know how moody I was and that I was heading home. It was snowing too so didn't want to travel too late in the snowy weather. While driving home, R calls to ask if I want to go out to eat. Hell Yeah....sounds like a plan.
We went to Me&Ed's and loved my Open Face Sirloin Sandwich. I didn't overeat which felt good. In the middle of dinner, tears start welling up when I talk about how I am afraid he will leave me after we move to Spartanburg. He reassures me that together we will make it as long as we have each other.
I LOVE THAT MAN!

Sledding & Tobogganing

Mom still has all the old time sleds with metal runners in the basement. I think people use those more nowadays as decorations than anything else. Think of metal flying with small children around. Not too child proof. But then again a lot of things in the past were made and then kids were hurt using them.
I also saw the blue metal sled that was suppose to be like a cool new improved sled. But again...made out of metal.
So the best sled was the toboggan except you had to stick your feet out to slow you down and that would cause ligaments to be hurt.
I remember while dating ex-T, we bought a inner tube at Child's World (Pete the Panda face on it) and we went to New Bedford Whaling City Golf Course. It was dark out and he tried it first. He flew down the hill and couldn't stop. I was laughing so hard but then...he went off the edge of the hill. I starting running down the hill screaming his name worried in what condition I would find him. He was covered in snow and was so pissed off that was the first and only time down the inner tube. I think it might of even broke. It was during the 1985 inauguration for Reagan because the Marching Band was invited to march in parade and they were saying it was like -10 wind chill. For us to even think about going sledding was a crazy idea.
I also remember those metal disc that I think someone lubed up with ski wax to make it go faster. Crazy brothers of mine!

Whoopie Pies

Now I can remember being not a Girl Scout, but a Brownie and going to functions with the Brownies that required my mother to make something. She would ultimately end up making "Whoopie Pies". I would sometimes help but always remember getting to eat the odd top half that didn't have a bottom. She would make them about 3inches around and use both marshmallow fluff and Crisco shortening for the center cream. Yes I love whipped cream but to me, Whoopie pies have to be made Mom's way. Also size matters. I have seen the Whoopie Pie lady on Phantom Gourmet and would love to taste one of those to see if she uses whipped cream or what her centers taste like. (http://www.wickedwhoopies.com/) I also wonder if this is a New England regional recipe. Will the folks down in Spartanburg know what a Whoopie Pie is? Now I just have to write down Mom's recipe and try it out for myself. Not to mention the Pistachio Cake, Bea's Coffee Cake and all her Christmas Candy recipes.
The bake off went well. My Egg Nog Bundt Cake did not win but the winner was fabulous looking cake that used fondant. Not a big fan of fondant because I thought the Tree cake took more time and effort and was a little bit more creative. But since I was not a judge, the best one won.

Old Time Christmas

I think Christmas is all about anticipation.
I remember shopping for a new Christmas outfit. That is where the numerous trips to Star Store, Silversteins, Cherry & Webb all happened. That was long before the Mall was built.
I remember having to put our hair up in curlers on Christmas Eve for Mass the next day. I remember Mom and Dad showing us how baby Jesus was not in the creche yet and that he would be born on Christmas day. We always did an advent wreath and prepared for Jesus birth by praying near the manger.
I remember anticipating if Santa knew I was a good girl and that I would get gifts and if any of them would be from my list I made. I remember wondering if it was going to snow the next day and if we would have to drive to Uncle J & Aunt D in the snow. It was all about the anticipation of what was going to happen.
Christmas morning was chaos of all the kids upstairs waking each other up. Then we would have to wait until we heard Mom and Dad downstairs, but Dad was always awake making the bacon for breakfast. Once we came downstairs we were not allowed in the living room until we drank our orange juice and went over to the creche and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Little traditions that are great memories to me. I wish for an Old Time Christmas again....

Things I need to get done

Flighty as I am, I need to get a few things done. Impending winter snow storm makes today a wash at things to get done. R's company Christmas party is tomorrow night and it start at 6:30pm. If I leave here at 5pm, pull into NB at 6pm, that means I have a half hour to get ready. Now is where the things I need start. I need an outfit, shoes, handbag, jewelry and not to mention terrific hairdo and makeup. I hate being a woman sometimes. I would wear a nice pant suit but I don't own one that fits. My gigantic belly (Get in my Belly!) makes the pants too tight.
I have to get Mom a real Christmas tree and if you read anything about buying a Christmas tree, it says to buy it, cut the end off, stick it in a 5 gallon pail of water for a week and then bring it in the house. I have a beautiful fake tree for my house that I love because it is a perfect shape you don't have to vacuum after you take it down. I hate to vacuum. It wouldn't be that bad if my vacuum worked good but it takes so much power to pick up a dog hair.
Then I am running the 5th Annual Bake-off here at work that will be held next Monday. I have to go out and get prizes by being creative and filling a few baskets with kitchen gadgets, cookbook, tea towels and whatever else Christmas Tree Shops have. Which is next door to Kohls where I am going tonight after work clothes shopping. Which if nothing fits, is next to Avenue big women's store that has snazzy outfits but out of budget. Which is near JCPenney where I could run in quick to get a trim/haircut for tomorrow but since they are starting to close schools early, I doubt they will stay open late.

Okay so was thinking about Star Store and how the redheaded lady would wrap our gifts and make her own pretty bows for them. I use to look at that lady and wonder if I was going to grow up and look like her. She always had a bob haircut with the ends rolled under and huge lipstick lips. She is the one who taught my Mom how to make a bow. Her wrapping booth use to be next to the Ladies Room. You had to pay a dime in order to get in a stall. But Mom would let us crawl under. That is gross nowadays. The toilets use to light up in purple to I think help dissenfect but never ever saw it at any other store. I use to love the way Downtown looked in full Christmas decorations and people passing by (just like the Christmas Carol). I remember going to Silversteins and playing under the cloths racks while Mom was shopping. It was always fun to see the brothers who were always nice to me.
I remember guy John who use to be like the Star Store cook down in the cafeteria. I would eat tuna fish with a coffee frappe and that was a special treat for sitting there watching either Memere or Mom get their hair done. That is another Ladies room I remember. It had a cranberry toilet and I use to like the crazy wallpaper in there. I have this thing for remember wall paper from my childhood of a all sudden. I remember the old wall paper in the upstairs hallway. It was ugly that is why I remember. I was going up in the attic last Saturday to take down Memere's Christmas wreath for Mom. I found a straw bag from Nassau, Bahamas and inside were all my wooden handle bag covers from the 80's! I brough them down and Mom said she just saw something in People Magazine that those were back in fashion. I took them home with me to start to be fashionable (HAHA me fashionable!)

Caroling etc

Remember Christmas long long ago when St. Anthony classmates of JIII came over and were singing Christmas Carols on our old porch. Mom I think let them come in and offered hot cocoa. Then I remember the "special" ball each one of us had and got our "Santa" present which turned out to be one thing we had on our list. Nowadays kids get everything on their lists and back then, with seven children, parents had little money to buy all seven us everything on the list. I remember copying the Sears catalog toy pages anyway. Holly Hobbie doll and roller skates were favorite gifts. I also remember going to bed anticipating Christmas day. My Mom and Dad ended up being so busy Christmas Eve filling 7 stockings with underwear, socks, and I always remember an orange sinking down to the toe of the sock. I wish I still got the underwear and socks because it wasn't until I was an adult that I had to buy my own and I didn't know my size.
I remember Mom singing with the choir "LORD OF LORDS..." which always made me smile because I could pick out her voice among the male Tenor/Baritones that she sang with. Mr. Ranville had the best voice along with Joe Scammons of course. I miss the old Sacred Heart Church and the warmth of the wood. Holy Name is so cold with the marble and although it is now our church, it doesn't feel right.