Acts of Kindness

Maybe it's the season to expect hearing of people helping people but it sure is good to hear it anytime.  These two just happen to have been in my state of NC.

A lady is battling cancer, no insurance and bills growing by leaps & bounds. A donation jar is placed on the counter of a store to help her with spare change. A guy is caught on film picking up and stealing the jar. A concerned citizen hears of this happening and tracks down the lady and gives her a check for $10,000.

A National Guard soldier is serving away from home while his wife and children celebrate Christmas without him. Someone breaks into the home and steals all the presents under the tree. News gets out and very quickly people rally around this family and they end up with many times more presents than they had to begin with and were able to help others with their blessings.

Hearing these touched my heart and I felt I needed to share. Merry Christmas everyone.

I Escaped

It's 3:45 PM and I just arrived back home by myself with Rocky comfortable in a chair next to me while I update my blog friends.

We made it to Linda's brother's place for her side of the family gathering. Just about everyone was there including ("4 dogs). What time they were not trying to hump each other they were fighting or jumping all over people as they tried to eat in peace. Made me think of our precious Rocky back at home being his usual sweet self and me wishing I was there with him.

The food was great and it was good seeing everyone but I had all the celebration I could stand so Linda agreed to let me escape and she would follow after dessert and knowing her it may be dark before she gets home unless Beth her daughter motivates her quicker.

Linda bought Rocky what is actually a large brown fabric bag with light colored interior fluffy lining that is I guess supposed to be a bed. I put Rocky in it and placed him on the kitchen chair beside me as I type. He is asleep now and I cannot even see him. Now that is peace folks.

One reason that prompted me to escape was that it started snowing very hard at one time and we were about 25 miles from home and I did not want to get stranded at Junior's house. Now that I am home it can snow all it wants to since I don't have to be back at work until tuesday.

I hope everyone in my growing blog family had a wonderful day today and of course some of my new friends are probably already asleep since they are in Australia or New Zealand or France or England. My friends cover a lot of real estate. Some are experiencing heat waves, some blizzards. Whatever your circumstance I hope this was a very merry Christmas for you and your family. I love the Lord and all this day represents but I am glad this holiday season is behind me so we can get on with life in general and somehow along the way be His representative as we encounter others and not wait until the next December 25th to do it all over again.

An ordinary night

To get an idea of what the actual birth of Christ was really like please read this story that puts it in perspective. Have a very Merry Christmas everyone from my family to yours.
Odie, Linda & Beth

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for my blog family specifically. I never would have thought back in June that I would be feeling the way I do today about life and Odie. Ordinarily I am a basket case this time of the year but through the helpful words of so many new friends I have met all around this wonderful world I am seeing this season through different eyes.

I have learned that it really doesn't matter what everyone else is doing, thinking or whatever concerning the Christmas season. All I have to be concerned with is what Odie is thinking and let this time of year be a blessing and it is happening. I have reached out to others and in doing so my life is better for it.

But the best part of all is that I intend to make this a life style change and keep doing it all year long so the gift will keep giving. Why stop a good thing?

Thanks to all of you who have helped Odie be a better person and I look so forward to 2011 sharing your adventures along the way. MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

Facebook like you have never seen it

Click here and see facebook like you have never seen it and so very appropriate for this time of the season. I was blessed and hope you will be too.

A couple places you need to go

Today was a good day for interesting posts and I felt my friends really needed to see a couple of blogs that really made me feel good today.

First was a site that tells the "real" story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer. It is not what you might expect but needs to be read so you will know the real story expecially at this time of year.

Lastly for today is something you really, really need to listen to. It uses technology that I cannot comprehend but is so beautifully done that you need to see it and share it with your friends. Go here and be amazed by their talent.

Got back a little while ago from the gathering at my daughter Karen's house and it was a wonderful time. All my 3 girls were there as well as my grandchildren. I had my Christmas today so I am set for the new year. Was a really good weekend.

"JUST & ONLY"

How many times have I been approached by a family member that has acquired something and it was "just" $10 or it was "only" $10. een I suppose that was said to convince me that it was a bargin that couldn"t be passed up.

Usually the item was not really necessary but we have become a society that constantly has to have more things. I am not totally against having things but if a lot of homes are like mine there are so many things that every flat spot is covered & any storage spaces are overflowing.

I guess that is one of the reasons I chose "The Simple Life" for my blog title. I admit that a lot of what resides at our address is because of me but I would certainly be happier if two thirds of it evaporated tonight.

Brings to mind the orphanage in Russia I have been corresponding with that spends every day without the basic things we take for granted. I guess this is the Christmas that I have had the less fortunate on my mind more so than ever before and we are working on doing better.

Christmas Party & A Christmas Carol

Last night was the annual Quality Office Equipment Christmas party and as always everyone had a great time. This is a picture of Linda, Beth and our friend Sarah in the Nashville Exchange where we had a wonderful meal and time to be together and fellowship.

They had a good selection of NC wine including Duplin which is our favorite.

After our meal we walked back up the street to the Nash County Cultural Center to watch a performance of "A Christmas Carol" which was wonderfully done.

Scrooge on the left with Tiny Tim in front of him. Everyone thought Tiny Tim was so adorable and did a terrific job.

My employer's daughter, Morgan was in this performance and did a marvelous job and is in the center of this picture holding the basket.

Morgan again.

Tiny Tim

Another scene with Morgan

One of the spirits that visited Schrooge.

Singing and dancing.

Scrooge & Morgan.

Bob Cratchet & Scrooge's nephew.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for a busy week. I had breakfast with my sister Linda yesterday like we try to do every week and it was great having that special time to start our day. It would be easy to say things are too busy and just not do it but we won't let that happen and we are better for it.

Tonight I have the priviledge of going to see my grandson Kaden in his Christmas program at church where he goes for day care during the week. It also give me the opportuninty to be with two of my girls and my other grandson Matthew after the performance. It will be quality time for my wife and I to spend with them.

Tomorrow night after work we will all meet over in my old home town of Nashville for my company Christmas party. We will start the evening at a place called the "Nashville Exchange" for a wonderful meal and time for employee's families to share time together and give thanks for yet another year being blessed to have a job and to work for a family that loves us like family. That is unique in this day and time. After the meal we will walk up the street to the Old Baptist Church which is now the Nash County Cultural Center for a performance of The Christmas Carol which should be wonderful.

So you see it is a busy week but a good week and for that I am truly thankful.