I am back to feeling like a human again! Whew!

 WOW!

What a past couple of days!

I feel a whole lot better than I did.

I think the meds are kicking in and doing their job.

It really is the pits to be under the weather.

I have acquired a lot of things for sale from a friend.

His wife was a collector, of EVERYTHING, and she has passed away.

He is shocked at everything he is finding,

(and I thought "I" was bad!)

Everything has been in storage for the past 20 or so years,

and never been displayed!

So if you are looking for that special gift for someone, 

or you need to complete a collection

now is your chance!

 I enjoy listing things on ebay, but if the items do not sell

(Which happens a lot as of late)

Ebay STILL makes their money and I am out the fees.

So I have started a new blog.

I am going to be listing items as I photograph them.

There are a lot of NEAT STUFF COMING UP!

Make sure to follow the new blog:

 NEAT STUFF 4 SALE

Check it out and let me know what you think.

I am Open to any offers too, so if you want the whole set,

make me an offer.

I will give you a hint of what is coming up:

Small collector plates.

Collector music boxes

Tubberware

Holiday items

Tins

Alaska themed ornaments

Plus I am not sure of everything yet because I 

have not made it through all the boxes.

I don't think I am getting dressed today!

The last couple of weeks I have been sneezing my fool head off.

With the weather situation my pasture is overgrown.

And I am sure there are things blooming there that have not seen the sunshine in years!

But then two days ago, 

I started to get a sinus infection!

UGH!

I bought a neti pot and rinsed my nose.

Got some goldenseal and echinacea

Downed some Robitussin.

All to no avail!

My nose burned!

My eyes watered!

My head exploded!

So yesterday I went to the doc and got some meds.

But it was not early enough.

Last night when I fell into bed, 

I coughed and coughed and coughed!

So I took some BRONKAID!

LIFE SAFER!

It opens your chest to be able to breathe!

That sinus infection has turned into a full blown chest cold!

I am misserable!

Yes I want sympathy!

I will take the Bronkaid until I can breathe good

a couple of days, 

then I will take Mucinex to

expel the crappy stuff in my chest!

I got this last fall too!

I have had two colds AND the FLU in less than 12 months!

Hubby sprays the house with Lysol so he does not get sick!

I hope he does not get it!

So I am not getting dressed today!

I am going to go back to bed!

And eat chicken soup!

Something I did not know!

Meaning of  Flag Draped Coffin All  Americans should be given this lesson.  Those who think that America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider that thought.  Our founding fathers used GOD's word and teachings to establish our Great Nation and I think it's high time Americans get re-educated about this Nation's history. Pass it along and be proud of the country we live in and even more proud of those who serve to protect  our 'GOD GIVEN' rights and freedoms. I  hope you take the time to read this ... To understand what the flag draped coffin really means ... Here is how to understand the flag that  laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and  widowers. Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun  salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the  year 1776? Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times?  You  probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we  learn something new every day! The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life. The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.   The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world. The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine  guidance. The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, 'Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still  our country, right or wrong.' The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie.  It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect  their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic. The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day. The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been  molded. The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first  born. The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King  David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son  and Holy  Spirit. The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, 'In God We Trust.' After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy  today. There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why. Share  this with the children you love and all others who love what is referred to, the symbol of 'Liberty and Freedom.' MAYBE  THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD READ THIS EXPLANATION BEFORE THEY RENDER THEIR  DECISION ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.   FORWARD  IT; MAYBE SOMEONE WITH THE NECESSARY POWER, OR POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL INFLUENCE, WILL GET IT TO THEM. IN  THE MEANTIME, MAY GOD PROTECT US ALWAYS. ONE  NATION UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND  JUSTICE FOR ALL.

How DID I do it?

I have had requests asking me how I lost my weight.

So I thought I would let you in on what "I" Did.

I know that this would of been helpful for me and I did try to research it on the internet,

but all I got were video diary's of how people were either successful or failing.

So here goes:

Before I ever started the diet,

(Because it cost's a penny or two)

I talked about it with hubby.

I explained that I would no longer be cooking his dinners

because that would be unfair to me.

He said to go for it, that he would be fine.

With that out of the way,

I went to my health coach:

Dr. Shannon McKinney.
(You can order from this site.)

Here are some FAQ's

Now when you order your meals, you have to order 4 weeks worth.

For the first two months you do get a free week,

making it 5 weeks for the price of 4.

Now what to order:

I found out that in the soup line:

They all taste WONDERFUL and so YUMMY!

Chicken soup is the best filler.

It has chicken and noodles and a few veggies

The Vegetable Beef is really good, but you don't want to look at it while you eat it.

has a bit of beef, and veggies in it.

Broccoli is very tasty but it is mostly broth and did not fill me up much.

In the Oatmeal line:

I liked them all!

The fruit flavors are awesome.

In the Crunch Bar line:

I have not met a crunch bar I did not like.

The Smores, Carmel Crunch and Mint Chocolate are like deserts.

AND THEY DO FILL YOU UP!

The Puddings are a treat also and very tasty.

They have Chocolate and Vanilla.

The Shakes:

I have tried them all.

The Orange Creme tastes wonderful! Just like Orange Sherbert.

I was not fond of the Swiss Chocolate

But the DUTCH CHOCOLATE and HOT COCOA are really good.

The Dutch Chocolate fills you up more than the Hot Cocoa.

The Cappuccino is very tasty too for a different flavor.

Now when you order, REMEMBER:

You are ordering for a month!

The free week, is at Medifasts discretion as to what they send you.

Each box has 7 days (Packets) worth of meals.

You will be having 5 of these each day 

PLUS

A lean and green meal.

(I will talk about that later).

So you should get 

4 boxes of soup.

4 boxes of shakes.

4 boxes of oatmeal.

4 boxes of crunch bars

AND

4 boxes of what ever you want to add.

I did a box of pudding

an extra box of crunch bars

an extra shake

and a box of raspberry Ice tea.

(Which by the way is really good, but I wished I would of gotten an extra shake instead.)

That is a total of 20 boxes.

I know you are wondering how much it cost....

Well first off you need a credit card because you will be put on an automatic ship.

You get an email two weeks before shipment, and you can then

go in to make any changes to your order you would like.

Because on Auto Ship they WILL Ship what they shipped prior.

It is very easy to make the changes to your order.

This is either by taking away something you did not like,

and then adding in more of what you did like.

Now before I tell you the cost....

I want to explain,

It sounds like a lot of money

BUT.....

For the BENEFIT!

for HEALTH,

AND the Budget,

I saved more on groceries than If I did not go on the program!

IMAGINE THAT!

So here ya go:

For each month it will run you right around $300.00

give or take a dollar or two.

That is $2.15 per meal!

AND you are doing good things for your body!

So my daily routine when I started was this:

I tossed out SUGAR AND CREAM for my coffee in the morning.

But I need my hot coffee...so instead....

I mix a DUTCH CHOCOLATE shake with my coffee.

It makes a thick brew, but it is tasty, filling and wakes me up.

I have tried all the chocolates, and like the Dutch Chocolate the best.

Why yesterday, because I have run out of my shakes, 

I used the ORANGE CREAM in my coffee. 

It really wasn't that bad.

Then between 9-10 AM I will eat an oatmeal.

Between 11-12 noon, I will eat a crunch bar.

Then between 1-2pm I will either eat a soup or cook me a lean and green meal.

I try to eat my lean and green meal at this time, because it fills me up.

Then about dinner time, if I do not eat my lean and green because I ate it earlier, 

I will have another Medifast meal.

Then around 8 pm I will eat a 

SUGAR FREE JELLO

or 

A SUGAR FREE POPSCICLE!

You can eat all the pickles you want.

Since I am not to much of a pickle fan, I did not do this.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE!

Before eating ANY MEAL

DRINK

8 ozs of water!

VERY VERY IMPORTANT!

You will pee like there is no tomorrow!

But you ARE CLEANING out your system.

The first three days on the program

You will be working off the sugars in your body.

Sugar is what makes you hungry.

After this 3-5 day period, 

your body will then be working off the fat cells.

It is also recommended that you do not exercise!

YES! I hate exercise!

But they do recommend that after about a month or two, 

depending on how much you need to loose,

that you start to move more often.

Park at the end of the parking lot, you know, create more steps in your day.

Now for the LEAN AND GREEN!

There are some You Tube Videos of some creative dishes....

Basically the Lean and Green is just that.

A lean piece of meat and green veggies.

I will give you a sample of what I eat:

I bake either a chicken breast or a Talapia fillet in the oven,

in a dish with a bit of water, sprinkled with salt, tarragon and thyme.

Then for me LEAN:

I saute in RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE,

1 TBL of garlic

1 Cup of Green Beans

1/2 cup of broccoli

1/2 cup of cabbage.

EAT ALL YOU WANT of greens!!

I actually did not measure my greens.

In the beginning, I ate a lot of them!

Now I have smaller portions and get full faster.

Celery is FREE so you can eat all of that you want.

I did have a tomato here and there.

NO FRUIT!

That is hard.

You get to add fruit in when you maintain.

Once you get to your goal weight,

Then you move onto phase two

which is a transition phase

to get back to regular eating.

Now I have only ordered 3 months worth of meals.

Yes that is 900.00 worth.

(It is worth every penny too).

(Because I feel so much better!)

I am now looking for replacements for the bars and shakes.

NOTHING compares!

So I will most likely keep those items (shakes and bars) on hand at all times.

This is the beginning, and I plan on sharing with you

my search for substitutes.

I hope this helps anyone out there looking into the Medifast Program.

It REALLY DOES WORK!

THE MEALS ARE GOOD!

If you have any questions, 

just let me know and I will try to answer them.

Ode to the past life.

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways... yadda, yadda, yadda 
 
And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of garbage like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!  

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.  You've got it so easy!  I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in Utopia!   And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it! 
 
I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet.  If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library (Big room with Books) and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!   
 
There was no email!!  We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen (No Spell Check - dictionary...In Big Room with Books) !   Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there!  Stamps were 10 cents! 
 
Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us.  As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to Bust Us ... No where was safe! 
 
There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes!  If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! 
 
Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up!  There were no CD players!  We had tape decks in our car.  We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless.  Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby!  Dig? 
 
We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting!  If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it! 
 
There weren't any cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH NO !!!  Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! To check in with your folks you had to stop and use a pay-phone (ask an oldtimer)  And then there's TEXTING.  Yeah, right.  Please!  You kids have no idea how annoying you are. 

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was!  It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!!  You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister! 

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics!  We had PONG and advanced to the Atari 2600!  With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'.  Your screen guy was a little square!  You actually had to use your imagination!!!  And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever!  And you could never win.  The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died!  Just like LIFE! 

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! NO channel surfing! (there were only 3-5)  You had to get off your couch and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!!  NO REMOTES!!!  Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!
 
There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning.  Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks! 

And we didn't have microwaves.  If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove!  Imagine that!    

And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long.  Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort.  And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!  

And car seats - oh, please!  Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on.  If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!  

See!  That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten!  You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!

I wish I could take credit for writing this

but I can't!

This is so very true though,

and wanted to share it.

Sometimes I wish for 

the days of old,

when life was simpler!

High School Reunion!

A different story about a class reunion.  Such fun!!! 

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS REUNION OF A 60+ YEAR OLD LADY 

I had prepared for it like any intelligent woman would. 

I went on a starvation diet the day before, knowing that all the extra weight would just melt off in 24 hours, leaving me with my sleek, trim, high-school-girl body.  The last forty years of careful cellulite collection would just be gone with a snap of a finger. 

I knew if I didn't eat a morsel on Friday, that I could probably fit into my senior formal on Saturday.  Trotting up to the attic, I pulled the gown out of the garment bag, carried it lovingly downstairs, ran my hand over the fabric, and hung it on the door. 

I stripped naked, looked in the mirror, sighed, and thought, "Well, okay,  maybe if I shift it all to the back ..."  Bodies never have pockets where you need them. 

Bravely I took the gown off the hanger, unzipped the shimmering dress and stepped gingerly into it.  I struggled, twisted, turned, and pulled and I got the formal all the way up to my knees ... before the zipper gave out. I was disappointed.  I wanted to wear that dress with those silver sandals again and dance the night away. 

Okay, one setback was not going to spoil my mood for this affair.  No way!  Rolling the dress into a ball and tossing it into the corner, I turned to Plan B:  the black crepe caftan. 

I gathered up all the goodies that I had purchased at Saks:  the scented shower gel; the body building and highlighting shampoo and conditioner; the split-end killer and shine enhancer.  Soon my hair would look like that girl's in the Pantene ads. 

Then the makeup -- the under eye "ain't no lines here" firming cream, the all-day face-lifting gravity-fighting moisturizer with wrinkle filler spackle; the 'all day kiss me till my lips bleed, and see if this gloss will come off' lipstick, the bronzing face powder for that special glow. 

But first, the roll-on facial hair remover. I could feel the wrinkles shuddering in fear. 

Okay, time to get ready!  I jumped into the steaming shower, soaped, lathered, rinsed, shaved, tweezed, buffed, scrubbed and scoured my body to a tingling pink. 

I plastered my freshly scrubbed face with the anti-wrinkle, gravity fighting "your face will look like a baby's posterior" face cream.  I set my hair on hot rollers. 

I felt wonderful.  Ready to take on the world.  Or in this instance, my underwear. With the towel firmly wrapped around my glistening body, I pulled out the black lace, tummy-tucking, cellulite-pushing, ham hock-rounding girdle, and the matching "lifting those bosoms like they're filled with helium" bra. 

I greased my body with the scented body lotion and began the plunge.  I pulled, stretched, tugged, hiked, folded, tucked, twisted, shimmied, hopped, pushed, wiggled, snapped, shook, caterpillar crawled and kicked.  Sweat poured off my forehead but I was done.  And it didn't look bad. 

So I rested.  A well deserved rest, too. 

The girdle was on my body.  Bounce a quarter off my behind?  It was tighter than a trampoline.  Can you say, "Rubber baby buggy bumper buns?"  Okay, so I had to take baby steps, and walk sideways, and I couldn't move from my buns to my knees.  But I was firm! 

Oh no ... I had to go to the bathroom.  And there wasn't a snap crotch.  From now on, undies gotta have a snap crotch.  I was ready to rip it open and re-stitch the crotch with Velcro, but the pain factor from past experiments was still fresh in my mind.  I quickly sidestepped to the bathroom. 

An hour later, I had answered nature's call and repeated the struggle into the girdle.  I was ready for the bra.  I remembered what the saleslady said to do.  I could see her glossed lips mouthing,  "Do not fasten the bra in the front, and twist it around.  Put the bra on the way it should be worn -- straps over the shoulders.  Then bend over and gently place both breasts inside the cups." 

Easy if you have four hands.  But, with confidence, I put my arms into the holsters, bent over and pulled the bra down ... but the boobs weren't cooperating. I'd no sooner tuck one in a cup, and while placing the other, the first would slip out.  I needed a strategy.  I bounced up and down a few times, tried to dribble them in with short bunny hops, but that didn't work.  So, while bent over, I began rocking gently back and forth on my heel and toes and I set 'em to swinging.  Finally, on the fourth swing, pause, and lift, I captured the gliding glands.  Quickly fastening the back of the bra, I stood up for examination. 

Back straight, slightly arched, I turned and faced the mirror, turning front, and then sideways.  I smiled, yes, Houston , we have lift up! 

My breasts were high, firm and there was cleavage!  I was happy until I tried to look down.  I had a chin rest.  And I couldn't see my feet. 

I still had to put on my pantyhose, and shoes.  Oh ... why did I buy heels with buckles? 

Then I had to pee again. 

So I put on my sweats, fixed myself a drink, ordered pizza, and skipped the high school reunion. 

 

I received this in an email and thought:

This really COULD BE ME!

So thought I would share! 

My Journey Begins.......Part five

My journey began late February 2010

I signed up to get the meals.

It is costly, but I figured out that the cost of the meals

is actually cheaper on the grocery budget than

what I WAS spending!

When I figured that part out, 

The excuse: "I can't afford it" would not fly anymore.

I actually had no trouble in beginning the program.

It is easy.

The meals are actually really good.

I really love my morning coffee, and I always have to use cream and sugar.

I now have my morning coffee with a chocolate shake.

Yep! Just mix my coffee right in there.

I tried all the choc flavored shakes, and found the dutch chocolate to be the best and most filling.

Then 2-3 hours later I will have some oatmeal.

They have many different flavors of oatmeal.

It is good,

and it is filling.

Then 2-3 hours after that, I would have some soup.

I found the broccoli soup is not as filling, and really creates gas.

The vegetable beef stew is really good, but you can't look at it while you eat it.

BUT the CHICKEN soup is the most filling an the best tasting.

Then about 2-3 hours after my soup I would have a 

CRUNCH BAR!

UmmmUMMM Good!

Love those crunch bars.!

They are actually very filling and I have not found one I do not like.

At dinner time, I would fix

my lean and green meal.

I have found that Subway's Salads are great!

For dessert 2-3 hours after that, I would have a pudding.

They have choc or vanilla pudding and 

BOTH are very good.

I would eat sugar free jello as a snack or sugar free Popsicle.

I DO NOT MISS

eating like I use to.

Nope!

I am satisfied,

Full and this is the first Diet where I am not hungry all the time.

I ordered a book called:

Dr. A's Habit of Health.

He has really put into perspective why we eat the way we do.

How to correct our eating behavior,

and is just a very good tool to get on the right track

and to stay there.

So many things make sense to me now.

I am still on a learning curve.

Keeping  that in mind,

I have managed to still lose 31 lbs!

So anyone can do it!

My Journey Begins........Part four

When I got into high school I had a regular job, and money was not as scare.

I helped with the groceries and we were eating a bit more better.

Although, meals were usually just something made of hamburger.

When Hamburger Helper was invented,

That was all we ate.

I did not have good eating habits.

It was due to very little money and you had to eat what filled you up.

 This meant, lots of breads, starches and high fat foods.

Fresh Vegetables and fruits were not on the menu!

I have battled my weight ever since I went through puberty.

I kept my weight down pretty good till I got married.

When I was out on my own, and learning to cook

I did not pay attention to calories, fat, carbs or any of that.

But boy, did all that food taste good!

I did not balloon up all at once,

No, it took me 28 years to get to my heaviest.

I tried various ways of dieting and got so frustrated.

I would loose a few pounds and then would gain it all back.

In high school I did join weight watchers and did very well on their plan.

But then got to busy to keep up with the meetings.

Finally I figured out that if I just throw away the scale, 

NEVER diet again,

At least I would 'maintain' my weight.

I was tired of the roller coaster ride.

Keeping active with the kids when they were growing up

helped me some.

Just to think if I ate right back then,

how skinny I would be!

But I didn't. 

Skipping meals was the worst of my problems.

I would choose fruit over candy, 

and I did watch what I ate.

But then there were times when I felt like eating all the time.

The kids grew up and moved away.

We bought some acreage.

I felt I was being active enough.

But I also felt tired a lot too.

Then I got introduced to:

MEDIFAST!

I was desperate!

I started to have back issues.

It hurt to walk, and I love to walk!

I knew I had to do something!

Stay tuned for part five..........

My Journey Begins......Part three

After my father died, 

Mom sat us down and said we were going to take a road trip.

We were going to travel around till we found a place to live.

Mom could not stand to stay where there were memories, and the docs told her she needed

to leave the damp Washington air.

So we headed out.

School was out, and we had all summer.

We stopped and visited a few family members along the way.

As kids we had not clue, but now I know,

Mom had a destination in mind.

She slowly worked our way to Milton Freewater Oregon.

There we settled and I finished high school.

Growing up with a dad was difficult.

Kids in school were cruel.

We did not have a TV so I read a lot of books.

Life settled into a routine.

Mom got a Social Security check for each of us kids 

which was 65.00 each.

Then she got one for 95.00.

Mom raised us on 290.00 per month!

This paid rent and utilities, food and gas.

I don't know how she did it, but she did.

She tried to make our life normal and for the most part it was.

I do not regret ANYTHING in my life.

Mom did the best she could by herself.

The food staple in our house was:

A loaf of bread.

A jar of Peanut butter.

A jar of Miracle Whip.

We lived on Peanut Butter and Mayo Sandwiches!

Whenever my grandparents came to visit though

we had wonderful meals!

Mom would take every dime she had saved and stock the shelves.
She was not about to let them know how poor we were.

She never accepted money from them either.

When I hit puberty, 

I blossomed over night!

It was a nightmare!

I am sure it had to do with our poor eating habits.

When I turned 13 I got my first job.

I helped to put food on the table and was finally able to buy my own school cloths.

I was never so proud as the day I dished out money to the cashier

for my own clothes!

I don't know how mom did it, but she ALWAYS made

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

It was my favorite time of the year.

It was always just mom and my siblings.

The anticipation  mounted it was hard to sleep on Christmas Eve!

Santa managed to bring all good things.

Christmas lasted all day long.

We would each open one gift, and then we would play with it, 

check it out.

Take a break and eat a good meal,

Play board games,

Listen to music.

Yes Christmas was good.

I tried to replicate it with my kids in their lives,

but I don't know if I have managed to or not.

Life was poor, but was good.

Stayed Tuned for part four.........