Christmas

Here's wishing you a great and MERRY CHRISTMAS!   :)

Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to wish everyone a peaceful, joyful and healthy Christmas!

Reflections of 2011

I can't believe we're just weeks away from counting down to a brand new year! I'm intending that 2012 will be a great year for all of my family, my good friends and, of course, me. :-)

Almost a year has passed since Mr. University College Graduate broke my heart. Rejection is one of those facts of life that every person has to and HATES to deal with; however, each person deals with it in their own way. Honestly, I'm the type of person who doesn't look back. I mean, if you don't like, then I say, "To heck with you!" Personally, I know we all have regrets and one of mine was telling MUCG that I liked him. Luckily, I quickly moved on and my life has been better since then.

Anyway, I was listening to Pandora and this song has been rotating a few times on my Christmas station. It's such a festive song! There are actually two versions of this video--one in black & white and one in color--and both are great. Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays

With Christmas quickly approaching, I wanted to take this time to reflect on what I've observed lately.

I recently received a Christmas photo card from someone I've known for about 20 years. In fact, one of her maternal aunts married one of my paternal uncles, so we have cousins in common. Back when I was in high school, we used to work together and we became really close. The last time I saw her was this summer when our aunt had a 60th birthday party. This friend works in town, so the other day I stopped by the store she works at and bought myself lunch before I headed to school. We only chatted for a bit, but she insinuated that her phone number was still the same and that I needed to keep in touch. I gave her a taste of her own medicine and told her that I had been waiting for her to return my call months ago! Anyway, in the brief conversation we had, she told me that she finally met a man seven months ago who is treating her well; however, he is much older than her.

So when I received her card recently, I noticed it had not only her and her two sons, but it also had her new boyfriend and three young children in the photos, which could potentially be his grandchildren. Anyway, I'm really happy she has finally found someone.

What makes me sad is that what I thought would turn out to be a great year for me didn't happen. The two major bad points were that I lost my job and that I got rejected by a crush--again. The good points were that I continued to progress in college and passed with decent grades, I had a few more stories published, my health has been good and I reunited with three childhood friends. The last two weeks haven't been so great. I don't think I've shed a tear since probably Tuesday. I think what I really need right now is for my heart to heal and for me to stop being so emotional.

A friend just asked me if I was ready for Christmas. I told her no. Then I told her that if she was referring to having Christmas spirit, then the answer was still no. I'm really happy that my family and I will be spending Christmas together, with the exception of my nephew, who can't make it home.

My definition of Christmas is that it's all about being together and sharing good memories with your loved ones. I intend that this will be a joyous Christmas and that whatever I'm feeling I'll be able to shake off before 2010 ends.

Season's Greetings

Well, Christmas is in two weeks and I haven't done anything to prepare for it. At the moment, I'm scrambling to study for my final, which is this Thursday. Unfortunately, since I took a job at my school, I've had to cut back on making purchases. Ok, so I treated myself to two mini vacations and a few concerts this year, so of course I've already given myself several presents this year! The only person I've bought a gift for is my mother because she's always been there for me. My family and I say every year that we're going to pick names, so this year I pick my mother!


I love this time of year and Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, but now that I'm older, it just doesn't have the same meaning as it used to. I know many people tend to get depressed around this time of year and I'm trying so hard not to be one of those people. I think being in the company of other people, you tend not to think about it as much. This weekend, I went to lunch with a group of women, who I shared one thing in common with: we attended the same high school. In fact, the organizer of the luncheon is one of my brother's good friends. She and the other five women were two grades ahead of me, though they're just one year older than me (there's a story behind this that maybe I'll blog about one day). Even though I knew only two or three of these women, I was happy to be included in their group because you can never have enough new friends!

A few days ago, something prompted me to read one of my local newspapers. As I read one of the articles, it mentioned the name of a high school football coach, who had recently lost his older brother. I immediately recognized the coach's name and as I read on further, I was shocked to find out that his older brother took his own life the day before Thanksgiving. You see, back in the summer of 1989, I had a crush on the older brother, "D". I met him at a popular store I used to shop at and would purposely go in every time I was in the area just so I could see him. I actually got the nerve to talk to him a few times and he seemed like a really nice guy. I'll never forget that he had hazel eyes! {What is it with my love for hazel eyes?!} "D" attended a rival high school in the neighboring city and had just graduated. We got to talking about school and he told me that he was attending college in the next county. I think this crush of mine went on for close to two years and of course I never admitted my feelings to him. One time when my brother & I were leaving the mall, which is where "D" worked, he was approaching us and I said something to the affect of, "Hey, how's it going?" and he responded back. Well, my brother would NOT let me live that line down because (1) I stole it from him and (2) he thought I was using it as a pick-up line towards "D"! My curiosity is bothering me because I want to find out what happened. What's ironic is that I have two close relatives that worked in the same organization as "D", so I'm sure they know something. What's really sad is that he had just celebrated his 37th birthday a few weeks prior and he left behind his wife and two young daughters.


Lastly, last week I found out from my Journalism instructor that the profile I recently wrote about on my guidance counselor will be published in the school newspaper after we return from winter break, in January. Also, the short piece I wrote for the publication I just completed an internship with will be published in their January issue. Well, at least now I'll have more clippings to add to my writing portfolio.

Please enjoy this Christmas flashback from 1994. It's one of my favorite Xmas songs and this video is actually one of two versions, which I recently got to see for the 1st time!

Christmas is just around the corner!

I just couldn't wait to say this, but school is over! I took my last two finals today and boy, what a relief it is off my back! :) I am FREE from the worrying and the STRESS that I was under for the last 3-4 months. Now I can relax and enjoy the next three weeks of vacation. I intend to do the following:

1) Catch up on some house work (including getting rid of all those papers I accumulated from doing research) since I've alienated it for a while.

2) Exercise/go running because I haven't had much time for it.

3) Meet up with some friends.

4) Go bargain shopping right after the Xmas holiday.

5) Finish reading this book I bought--from two years ago.

6) To go back to "Mr. Cutie's" p.o.b. and introduce myself to him--that's if he's ever there! ;)

So I started my Xmas shopping today. I didn't get a chance to do it earlier because I was inundated with school stuff. I bought something for my father, sister and 2 nieces, but now I need to find something for my mother, brother, and nephew. I swore to my mother that there wasn't going to be a Christmas this year because 1) I didn't have the $$ and 2) I wasn't in the holiday spirit. So much for breaking promises! :(

Finally, this week I'm supposed to be submitting the draft of the profile I wrote to the publication that didn't hire me. I'm hoping the subject of my profile gives his ok on the quotes I sent him tonight. And I'm praying that the publication will want to publish my first story! :) Ah...the life of a freelance writer. :)