NWSS Activities Director
First Dixie National
New Little Sister, Kathleen
Jamie, Sonya, Shelia Weekend
MAJAC, first D.C. experience
RENO in April
Turned thirty-something, at the Atlantic National and met new friend
Young Cattlemen’s Conference, met more new friends, expanded interest and knowledge of the greatest industry on earth—BEEF
1st NJAS in different capacity, judged the CAB Cookoff—another great week
Weddings: Jeana & Dustin & Cortney & Tyler
KJLS—Grace “Sweet 16”;
Cooked Thanksgiving dinner
Online Bible study with great girlfriends
One year in house
Discovered meaning of unanswered prayers
21 states
Discovered meaning of true friendship
Very Blessed.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wanted: My Christmas Spirit
Eleven days and counting until the biggest day of the year, and I can't seem find my Christmas Spirit anywhere! Oh, I've gone through the motions--purchased and wrapped every gift on my list; mailed the ones that needed mailed; wrote and sent the annual letter; listened to Christmas music in the car, home and office. I even set out my Nativity scene and decided against putting away my decorations at home until AFTER Christmas this year (I usually don't like coming home from the ROV show in Phoenix after New Year's faced with cleaning the decorations before Denver!). I even made it to the church Christmas program where I saw Ella as an Angel sing so many wonderful songs. I just can't seem to find my Christmas Spirit anywhere!
I have a pretty good life. I have a roof over my head, my health, a full belly and a car that runs. I have family and friends. I have no reason to run around like the Grinch. And, I'm not even grumpy. I go through the motions of exchanging gifts. I bought countless gifts for the adopt-a-family at work; I bought a toy for the Angel tree at church. I am thankful for the blessings in my life and that I can give. I just wish I could find my Christmas Spirit.
I have been wearing socks with candy canes and snowmen and wreaths on them. I even wore a jingle bell bracelet last Friday. I'm trying to be festive. I read my friend's KCK Christmas blog, and that helped a little, as I thought of some of my Christmas' long ago. But then I slept, and during that sleep, I lost my Christmas Spirit.
I sincerely hope that somewhere over the (Missouri or Niobrara) river and through the woods (or Halsey Forest) on my way to Grandma's house on this Sunday, as I take a few days of R&R to spend with the grandparents I find my Spirit. I know my Grandma has three things on her agenda when I get there: 1)playing cards, 2) cooking and 3) eating. And, none of those will help me find my Christmas Spirit; I'll just get fatter and sassier.
So, if you have any ideas on how to catch the Christmas Spirit, please let me know. I hope this doesn't happen to you. After all, it is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
I have a pretty good life. I have a roof over my head, my health, a full belly and a car that runs. I have family and friends. I have no reason to run around like the Grinch. And, I'm not even grumpy. I go through the motions of exchanging gifts. I bought countless gifts for the adopt-a-family at work; I bought a toy for the Angel tree at church. I am thankful for the blessings in my life and that I can give. I just wish I could find my Christmas Spirit.
I have been wearing socks with candy canes and snowmen and wreaths on them. I even wore a jingle bell bracelet last Friday. I'm trying to be festive. I read my friend's KCK Christmas blog, and that helped a little, as I thought of some of my Christmas' long ago. But then I slept, and during that sleep, I lost my Christmas Spirit.
I sincerely hope that somewhere over the (Missouri or Niobrara) river and through the woods (or Halsey Forest) on my way to Grandma's house on this Sunday, as I take a few days of R&R to spend with the grandparents I find my Spirit. I know my Grandma has three things on her agenda when I get there: 1)playing cards, 2) cooking and 3) eating. And, none of those will help me find my Christmas Spirit; I'll just get fatter and sassier.
So, if you have any ideas on how to catch the Christmas Spirit, please let me know. I hope this doesn't happen to you. After all, it is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Do You Believe?
Disclaimer: If you are under 12-years-old OR still believe is Santa Claus please stop reading this now, and send an e-mail to cowphoto73@yahoo.com and tell me why I should also believe in the big guy in a red suit that drives a sleigh. If the above description doesn't fit you, you may now continue reading this installment of my blog.
During the Thanksgiving weekend while my parents were visiting, we watched a late 1990s remake of a Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street," which basically is about a little girl, Susan, who doesn't believe in Santa Claus because her workaholic/realistic mother has convinced Susan he doesn't exist. Then, the mother hires Kris Kringle to work as "Santa" in an upscale NYC department store during the season to listen to all the good little girls' and boys' wishes. Susan tells Kris she doesn't believe, and the only way she will believe is if HE grants her wishes--which she's told no one else. Well, come Christmas morning both of her wishes come true! And they all live happily ever after . . .
So, flash back to 1979 when Susan, I mean Shelia stopped believing. There was nothing more that little cowgirl wanted from Santa than a saddle. And guess what? On Christmas morning, under our little tree in my favorite house on Dunlap Route, there was a SADDLE!!! But it wasn't just ANY saddle, it was the saddle that had been in our tack shed for a while. You see I pretty much went all over the ranch, and the tack shed was no exception. And I put 2 and 2 together, and right then and there, my Santa died. As I recall, my parents even tried to convince me that since the saddle was big, Santa had to "store the saddle" in advance; but like Susan's mother, I too was a realist, and the truth was out. I really don't know who was more crushed, me or my parents, but we moved on, and we still exchange gifts and Christmas morning is still a special time when we open our stockings of fun small gifts from each other.
Now, fast forward to 2010, when I watched "Miracle on 34th Street." I realized that maybe I gave up too easily. Or maybe I believed in the wrong person. You see, I quit writing letters to Santa; why waste my time? And, so I stopped asking. But, I also stopped believing in something more important than a guy in a red suit. I stopped believing in the Spirit of Christmas. Oh, I celebrate the MEANING...Jesus' birth, and the spirit of giving...but watching that movie made me think about MIRACLES. They do exist. They happen every day. We just have to talk to someone bigger than Santa. We have to talk to the LORD. We don't have to wait until December. We can make a list, big or small, every day. And we can write that list down or whisper it or shout it out loud.
It's only taken me several decades, but I finally figured out the miracle of Christmas! It took some remake of a TV Show, and a childhood memory, but this year, I'm sending my wish list to someone much greater than Santa. My Christmas wish for you, is that you too, find your Christmas miracle this year.
During the Thanksgiving weekend while my parents were visiting, we watched a late 1990s remake of a Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street," which basically is about a little girl, Susan, who doesn't believe in Santa Claus because her workaholic/realistic mother has convinced Susan he doesn't exist. Then, the mother hires Kris Kringle to work as "Santa" in an upscale NYC department store during the season to listen to all the good little girls' and boys' wishes. Susan tells Kris she doesn't believe, and the only way she will believe is if HE grants her wishes--which she's told no one else. Well, come Christmas morning both of her wishes come true! And they all live happily ever after . . .
So, flash back to 1979 when Susan, I mean Shelia stopped believing. There was nothing more that little cowgirl wanted from Santa than a saddle. And guess what? On Christmas morning, under our little tree in my favorite house on Dunlap Route, there was a SADDLE!!! But it wasn't just ANY saddle, it was the saddle that had been in our tack shed for a while. You see I pretty much went all over the ranch, and the tack shed was no exception. And I put 2 and 2 together, and right then and there, my Santa died. As I recall, my parents even tried to convince me that since the saddle was big, Santa had to "store the saddle" in advance; but like Susan's mother, I too was a realist, and the truth was out. I really don't know who was more crushed, me or my parents, but we moved on, and we still exchange gifts and Christmas morning is still a special time when we open our stockings of fun small gifts from each other.
Now, fast forward to 2010, when I watched "Miracle on 34th Street." I realized that maybe I gave up too easily. Or maybe I believed in the wrong person. You see, I quit writing letters to Santa; why waste my time? And, so I stopped asking. But, I also stopped believing in something more important than a guy in a red suit. I stopped believing in the Spirit of Christmas. Oh, I celebrate the MEANING...Jesus' birth, and the spirit of giving...but watching that movie made me think about MIRACLES. They do exist. They happen every day. We just have to talk to someone bigger than Santa. We have to talk to the LORD. We don't have to wait until December. We can make a list, big or small, every day. And we can write that list down or whisper it or shout it out loud.
It's only taken me several decades, but I finally figured out the miracle of Christmas! It took some remake of a TV Show, and a childhood memory, but this year, I'm sending my wish list to someone much greater than Santa. My Christmas wish for you, is that you too, find your Christmas miracle this year.
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