Christmas Cactus

I started off with 3 plants. I killed one almost immediately. One was puny and has almost died off a couple of times. Then there is this one.  It is loaded with blooms and is just gorgeous.  I had to share it here.  I will try to get more pictures when it is in full bloom. 

Dear Santa

I know you are not a miracle worker but I am hoping you are a wish granter. So here a a couple wishes I have for this Christmas.
1. I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas but of a Green one, all I am asking is for it to rain money. Yep you got it…money. It seems like that would the top wish on most folks Christmas lists. Even if you only let it rain for five minutes, that would be okay.
2.  This is a hard one Santa, but I think you can make it happen. Seize up all the utility company’s computers and while your at it all bill collectors phones. Let us have a peaceful and relaxing Christmas with out worries of bills coming due.  Maybe while your at it you could accidently cause the slate to be wiped clean so we can start over in the new year.
3.  Last but not least, Santa .. I am asking for JOY. And a whole lot of it, I am feeling sort of Grinchy at the moment, so leave me an extra dose.
Thanks Santa!
PS---I will leave you cookies.
PPS—There is a cold beer in the fridge with your name on it.

darkness and light

Just ten more days till the winter solstice.  Then it will start slowly getting lighter again. It is dark when we get up and dark before the 5 o’clock news comes on.  Today it is foggy and rainy with no snow on the ground to reflect any available light. Every day or so the sun comes out for a little bit and I squint gratefully into the light. Some people seem to like this time of year. They call it cozy.  Me, I feel all out of sorts and almost depressed. I will slog on thru this dark time of year and wonder why, even , when I know to expect this dark dismal time I let it affect me. 

 grateful

 [greyt-fuh l] 

adjective

1.warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.

2.expressing or actuated by gratitude: a grateful letter.

3.pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing: a grateful breeze.

Origin:
1545–55;  obsolete grate  pleasing (< Latin grātus ) + -ful

$5.37

That's what the kid behind the counter at Taco Bell said to me.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out some lint and two dimes and something that used to be a Jolly Rancher. Having already handed the kid a five-spot, I started to head back out to the truck to grab some change when the kid with the Elmo hairdo said the hardest thing anyone has ever said to me.  He said, "It's OK. I'll just give you the senior citizen discount." I turned to see who he was talking to and then heard the sound of change hitting the counter in front of me. "Only $4.68" he said cheerfully.
I stood there stupefied. I am 56, not even 60 yet?
A mere child!
Senior citizen?
I took my burrito and walked out to the truck wondering what was wrong with Elmo. Was he blind?As I sat in the truck, my blood began to boil.  Old? Me?  I'll show him, I thought. I opened the door and headed back inside. I strode to the counter, and there he was waiting with a smile.
Before I could say a word, he held up something and jingled it in front of me, like I could be that easily distracted!
What am I now? A toddler?
"Dude! Can't get too far without your car keys, eh?" I stared with utter disdain at the keys.  I began to rationalize in my mind!  "Leaving keys behind hardly makes a man elderly! It could happen to anyone!" I turned and headed back to the truck.
I slipped the key into the ignition, but it wouldn't turn. What now? I checked my keys and tried another. Still nothing.  That's when I noticed the purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. I had no purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror.  Then, a few other objects came into focus:
The car seat in the back seat.
Happy Meal toys spread all over the floorboard.
A partially eaten doughnut on the dashboard.
Faster than you can say ginkgo biloba, I flew out of the alien vehicle.  Moments later I was speeding out of the parking lot, relieved to finally be leaving this nightmarish stop in my life. That is when I felt it, deep in the bowels of my stomach: hunger!  My stomach growled and churned, and I reached to grab my burrito,only it was nowhere to be found.
I swung the truck around, gathered my courage,and strode back into the restaurant one final time.
There Elmo stood, draped in youth and black nail polish.  All I could think was, "What is the world coming to?"  All I could say was, "Did I leave my food and drink in here"?  At this point I was ready to ask a Boy Scout to help me back to my vehicle, and then go straight home and apply for Social Security benefits.
Elmo had no clue.
I walked back out to the truck, and suddenly a young lad came up and tugged on my jeans to get my attention. He was holding up a drink and a bag.
His mother explained, "I think you left this in my truck by mistake." I took the food and drink from the little boy and sheepishly apologized.
She offered these kind words: "It's OK. My grandfather does stuff like this all the time."
All of this is to explain how I got a ticket doing 85 in a 40 mph zone. Yessss, I was racing some punk kid in a Toyota Prius. And no, I told the officer, I'm not too old to be driving this fast.
As I walked in the front door, my wife met me halfway down the hall. I handed her a bag of cold food and a $300 speeding ticket.
I promptly sat in my rocking chair and covered up my legs with a blankey.
The good news was I had successfully found my way home.(adapted from an email)

Monday with Morgan

Last year was very traumatic for Morgan.

This year was tear free.

Light and Darkness Season

Just ten more days till the winter solstice.  Then it will start slowly getting lighter again. It is dark when we get up and dark before the 5 o’clock news comes on.  Today it is foggy and rainy with no snow on the ground to reflect any available light. Every day or so the sun comes out for a little bit and I squint gratefully into the light. Some people seem to like this time of year. They call it cozy.  Me, I feel all out of sorts and almost depressed. I will slog on thru this dark time of year and wonder why, even , when I know to expect this dark dismal time I let it affect me. 

 grateful

 [greyt-fuh l] 

adjective

1.warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful: I am grateful to you for your help.

2.expressing or actuated by gratitude: a grateful letter.

3.pleasing to the mind or senses; agreeable or welcome; refreshing: a grateful breeze.

Origin:
1545–55;  obsolete grate  pleasing (< Latin grātus ) + -ful