Goodbye 2010

I can't believe we're already saying goodbye to another year. Where has the time gone? There's been some huge news stories, such as the BP oil disaster, Iran's nuclear defiance, the housing meltdown, Chile's miner rescue, WikiLeaks, and one that I won't soon forget-the accident that took the life of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a training run at the winter olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. So young, and such a tragic ending for a wonderful athlete.

This past year we've also lost quite a few celebrities. I was sad to learn of Tony Curtis's passing. I've always enjoyed his films, especially "Some Like It Hot". It never gets old seeing him and Jack Lemmon dressing up in drag. One thing I never knew about him until recently, is that he was an accomplished artist.  If you care to see some of his artwork, you can do that here.

If you'd like to reflect and remember more of those who were famous but have passed on this year, you can find them here .

So much can happen in a year's time. People move, they give birth, they divorce, they get promoted, they lose their jobs, they get engaged, they lose weight, they gain it back, and so on, and so on. Such is the way of life. We go about it on a daily basis, leaving every day behind, one after another. Hoping that a better tomorrow comes with the next sunrise. Sometimes it does, and sometimes we shake our heads and mutter, "Why does everything bad happen to me!" Alas, we go on. Still forging ahead, making our way to wherever our lives and fate leads us.

I hope to be able to look back at 2010, and remember the highs and lows fondly.  Not for too long though. I plan to be busy greeting 2011 like there's no tomorrow!

Wishing everyone better days ahead,  and a 2011 filled with hope, good health, prosperity, and love.

~Happy New Year~

Deb

The magic of Winter

Brown grass, brown trees, brown leaves wrinkled and crumpled, have all been replaced by a winter wonderland today. White and fluffy it came. Falling on treetops, buildings and streets-covering everyhing in it's path. Cars driving by with their wheels making a slushing sound, made me wonder where everyone was going in such a hurry? Slow down, look up. Do you see the wonder of it all? Do you see the magic that is winter? Take time to step out of your car, your warm house, and look up, look around you. See that snowflake falling down? Stick out your tongue and feel it's coldness, it's sweet reminder as it melts slowly into your mouth. There's magic to be found there, in that one tiny snowflake. It's telling you that the earth is renewing itself. Blanketing all the despair and misery with hope. Hope that the season will bring kindness towards others. Sharing what you have, no matter how little you have to give. Let this canopy of white be what you need to rejoice, to remind you that a simple snowflake holds the power of faith and rejuvination of spirit.

And don't forget to look up.

12_12_2010.mp4

Mrs. Smith Treat and Tweet Giveaway

Is there anything better than a slice of warm pie on a cold day? It would be hard to beat for sure!

From the contest website:

"Nothing brings the family together like a delicious Mrs. Smith's® pie. Now, just in time for the holidays, we're giving away free pies to more than 100 lucky pie lovers! And every entrant has a chance to win the grand prize: a $500 Visa® Gift Card!"


 http://sweepstakes.mrssmiths.com/

Dearforms Contest Link

Dearforms has a great instant win game contest going on now thru December 31st 2010. You can enter once everyday to try and instantly win a pair of slippers, and also for two of your friends!

I love Dearforms, because they have a slipper for any season, and are so reasonably priced.

Enter here to try and win the slippers.

http://dearfoam.promo.eprize.com/slipperadaygiveaway/

Back To The Future

I seriously love the Back To The Future trilogies. I've given up counting how many times I've seen each of the movies. It seems like you can flip through the tv channels at any one time, and at least one of the movies will be on.

These days it's rare to see Michael J Fox, except for the occasional talk show gig, so I was thrilled to find this clip on Youtube. It did my heart good to see him looking so well, and Lea Thompson looking as young and pretty as I remember her. The years since Back To The Future was filmed, have certainly been kind to her!

ICS

ICS is Instant Cash Sweepstakes. I've been a member for quite a few months, and I really like it. You can answer a few short survey's every three hours, and have a chance to win some cash, and/or tickets and coins, that are entered into their daily $50 cash drawing. 

Refer your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, or whomever. and when they win, you win!

You must have a Paypal account, so they can deposit your winnings when you cash out. 

http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/53853

Speaking Of Snow

The frost on the lawn is slowly melting this morning, as the sun shines unobstructed by clouds today. It looks to be a good day here in lower Michigan. As I looked out my window, I started thinking about my sister in Buffalo, Ny where she and I grew up. While I can only reminisce about those extreme winters, she still lives there, and battles the elements.

In 1977, there was a blizzard in Buffalo, so intense, that to this day it is still talked about by the unfortunate ones who got caught up in it, and by those who just read or heard about it.

My brother-in-law, happened to be out shopping at a mall that very night, when the storm hit it's peak. It was so bad that the mall closed it's doors and wouldn't let anyone leave, for fear that they wouldn't make it home safely. They handed out coffee, and hot cocoa, to the stranded shoppers, and allowed people to sit and lounge on the display beds and chairs in the major stores.

                                     

   A familiar winter scene in Buffalo. I wonder how many kids were listening for school closings on this day? lol

My First Thoughts

Well here I am. Let me say a few words about myself. I'm the wife of a retired military man, Air Force to be exact. Retirement has only been two years for us, so we're still adjusting to civilian life. When you live in base housing for twenty-five years, believe me, re-adjustment to life outside the military doesn't come easy.

Our first mortgage payment for instance, was a two-fold experince. On one hand, we were totally exhilerated that we were making the first installment on our own home. This wasn't base housing. We could paint the walls any color we liked. We could put purple carpeting in the living room if we wanted. Well, we could, but as much as I like purple, I don't feel the need to walk on it everyday. On the other side of the coin, gulp! We were making our first house payment. As we sealed the envelope containing that precious first check, my husband and I looked at each other in terror. Could we take on the responsibility of being  homeowners? We hadn't had to pay a utility bill in twenty-four years, Or pay a plumber to fix our garbage disposal or toilet.  Yes, this was all brand new to us, and two years later, it still feels a little strange.

I thank my lucky stars for the experiences my husband's service to our country, gave to myself and my children. I hope to write more about that in the near future, and more about adventures in what I lovingly call Civilian Land.

I also want to write about my favorite hobby. Contests and sweepstakes. I may even have a giveaway or two down the road~!