Ringing in the New Year, with a new attitude

Wishing all of you a very Safe, Blessed, and Happy New Year.

There was a lot of excitement in Crowley earlier today as they evacuated the WalMart after a bomb scare was called in by some crazy person.

Well my New Years Resolution is to be a kinder person, not let anything get to me and just stay positive. I really don't need to lose weight, but I'm sure I will. The doctor wants me to start walking a little each day, at a slow pace and then see how much my back and heart can tolerate. My tailbone is still very sore, even after a week, so the "donut" is handy. I guess with 6 injections in the lowest vertebrae doesn't help much and it will be sore for about 2 weeks. I also had an angina attack while Donnie was in, but he was asleep and we did not tell him until the next day. The Nitro worked so we didn't need to wake him. I miss him already, but looking forward to our trip together. Al burned the wrong pictures on a CD, so I have to wait until Saturday to post the pictures from Christmas.

Well I may not stay awake to ring in the New Year, which is going to be my greatest year. Many wishes that your New Year will be your greatest also. Love and Hugs, Pat

This could go on Forever

I am having the time of my life and I wish it would last longer, but this has been one of the best weeks I've had in a very long time. The guys are gone to watch the Saints play, so I have a day to myself.
Last night Donnie and I went to play bingo and he won $150. He was so excited because when he would go and play with his mawmaw and pawpaw, he never won. He will be leaving in the morning and visit his friends in New Orleans, then fly out New Year's Eve. From there he will be leaving on a train for Montreal for New Years. He took lots of pictures and I am hoping he downloads them to my computer before he leaves---I still haven't found mine.
We did a lot of talking about things and he has helped me make some big changes, so the New Year will be a good one. We are looking forward to taking a train ride to Washington in May. This will be new experience for me and on my Bucket List. Next will be Niagra Falls when I go to NYC.

The only thing that could have possibly made Christmas better was having Chris and David here, along with my parents, but they were all with us in spirit.

Chris sent me a box full of vintage pillow cases and doilies, plus an Ole Soul Angel that she and David picked out when they went on a weekend trip to a Bavarian town. I always believed I was born with an old soul, so she knows me well. Also got a gift card to Micheals and some vintage wrapping paper. I will post pictures as soon as I locate my camera.

My hope this year is for people to pay it forward if you have received many Blessings.  My wish for everyone is to enjoy Life to it's fullest, because it's gone in the blink of an eye. Our friends across the street lost 2 cousins that were brothers, just 20 days apart and both were very young. So please keep Steven and his family in your prayers.

Not sure if any of you watched the weather, but Tornadoes ripped through here on Christmas Eve morning. We were lucky because it just passed above us and touched down on the other side of the I-10. Donnie and I both heard the roaring and the winds were blowing things around the  backyard like crazy. We went to bed with them saying it was only a watch, so we didn't worry about it. Please pray for these families. Donations were picked up quickly and 2 huge trucks with wrapped gifts were delievered, while men were up on roofs trying to cover up empty attics. If you are interested you can go the Crowley Post Signal and see the devastation it caused. Minor injuries, so no deaths except in Scott where a tree fell on a young man's trailer.
Well got to get going and get dressed. I hope you all continue to enjoy the rest of the holiday. Love, Hugs, Prayers, and Peace. Pat

A Blessed and Merry Christmas to All

Today is a beautiful Day for us with no rain, just cold. We are having a Christmas Supper tonight with all of my children and gc, except for our daughter. But she is in our thoughts and prayers today, just as David is, who lost his beautiful mother 2 days ago.

My wish for all of you is to enjoy the day and Celebrate Christ's birthday. The New Year wishes are for great health, happiness, and a kinder person. With so many people hurting, my New Year's Resolution will be to help those in need and to take better care of myself and to get back to creating. My 400Th post giveaway will be posted after the New Year, so I think everyone will like it. I am putting my Heart into it--hint, hint.

Well,, we have time to bake cookies before we start Supper, so have a wonderful day with your family and friends. Life is too short to think of the hurts, so I am burning that bridge behind me. Many Blessings to all of you. Love, hugs, and Blessings, Pat

A Blessed and Merry Christmas and Sympathy for David's family

Well today did not start out good. Chris has informed me that her boyfriend's mother died late last night. Thank you for the prayers and David can really use them now. Chris said he is better today, but most of us know what is to come next. Death is no stranger to us at Christmas time. I think we have had our share.
Today I am Blessed that I have my son here and the other son and family will be here tomorrow. We just visited them and the ride there was really rough on my spine, but the pain meds have kicked in and it's much better. They want me to bake cookies tonight and I just don't know how to tell them NO, so with a smile, I will bake them with their help.
My Blessings and Joys:
I have a roof over my head, while others are forced to sleep outdoors.
I have food to eat, while many will go hungry tonight.
I have a God that loves me, but there are many who don't know Him.
I have warm clothes to wear while others have none.
I have a small family that loves me very much and there are those whose family have turned their backs on them.
I have friends who take me as I am with unconditional love, while I have lost friends because they couldn't handle my bipolar.
I have so much to be thankful for and the only thing I really want for Christmas is Love, True love that comes from the heart and that is my gift to all of you who accept me as I am.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

Love, Hugs, and many Blessings. Pat

Donnie is here and we need prayers.

My baby boy is in from NYC and we are having a wonderful visit. Here he is when he first came home from the hospital. He was average size-19" and weight was 7lbs 11ozs.

Now look at him. In my eyes, he is still my first born and he is doing so great. He just told me they added Canada to his District. He is District Manager of Training and Development for Niki in NYC and has the Eastern Seaboard, so he travels often and gets to visit his sister when he goes to Corporate Headquarters in Portland, Oregon. He will be going to Montreal for New Years.

Today he took me for my epidural and then let me sleep it off by taking Theresa (my gd) shopping. He is a wonderful son and uncle and we love him so much, as do we love our other children. I guess you could say I did a good job---he told me I did today. The company just gave him an Iphone, so he doesn't need the 6 Ipods, so I get one of them. Yeh!

My doctor was so funny today. He said I was nothing but skin and bones and I had no butt! Then came the next fun---I had 6 injections before starting the procedure and it still hurt like the dickens! The bad thing about steroids, it causes insomnia for a couple of days and I don't want to take the other Valium. He pushed as much meds into my spine as he could, but it hurts to sit down for long periods. Tomorrow should be a better day and I can do things, like bake cookies and make candy. The nurses all know me and noticed my hair and liked it short, but then they asked me if I cried when they cut it---NOPE! Donnie was very impressed by the service at the Surgical Center. Everyone is so friendly and seem to like what they do, so you never feel stressed out.
Not sure what we will be doing today, but it's raining hard and we are under a tornado watch until morning. The rain will be over as the temps drop during the afternoon, then a very cold Christmas Day.
Well my eyes are getting heavy, so going to try and sleep. I'll be back later today to send greetings to all of you.
Please remember my daughter's boyfriend's mother in your prayers. Her name is Ruthie.  They gave her a couple of days and she was very upset today. I can't possibly have 3 people in a row die the day after Christmas. It just doesn't seem fair. My best friends dad died the day after Christmas 4 years ago. Love, hugs, and Prayers, Pat

Samaritan Women Blog part 2

http://samaritanwomen.blogspot.com/

I forgot to post what Denise said I could. Now this sounds exactly what I am going through, even down to the brother part. It's almost like I have a twin out in the world who knows me and is just like me. I know that she was sent by God just in time to start a fresh New Year.
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"........ Getting back to T.D.Jakes.... I hate it when I know someone does not like me or accept me and I work hard at trying to change that...... I will talk and do and go out of my way to figure out how to change their minds toward me. My older brother thinks I am crazy...hahahhah and maybe so... There are those that will love and accept me and there are those that will not and that is life........ I just have a hard time letting go... There are some relationships in my life that case me grief because I love these people but cannot reach them.... I try, I really try but everything I do is twisted and turned back to hurt me.......... soooooooooo while cleaning out those pesty boxes of paper I found this............ Tell me what you think:"



Let it Go: 2004 T.D.Jakes



There are people who can walk away from you and hear me when I tell you this:



1. If they can walk away let them!



2. Do not talk one more person into staying with you , loving you, calling you, coming to see you, or staying attached to you.



3. Hang up the phone, do not try calling them one more time. ( I started to do that this morning)



4. Your destiny is never tied to anyone that has left you.



5. The bible says that they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us, for had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. (1 John 2:9)



6. People leave you because they are not joined to you, and if not joined to you, you cannot make them stay.



7. We need to learn the gift of good-bye.



8. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go.



9. If someone cannot treat you right, love you back, and see your worth, let them go.



10. If you keep trying to help someone that will not help themselves , let them go.



11. If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship then Let it go!



T.D.Jakes 2004

The Most Wonderful Christian Blog

I found a wonderful new blog for Christian Women through Deena's blog and she has allowed me to post something that I needed so much. This is the link to her blog and if you get a chance and whether you Love your Lord or want to know Him, Please visit her at http://samaritanwomen.blogspot.com/
Her name is Denise and she was sent by God, I know, because everytime I needed help, someone led me into their direction.
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Rupenzel, let down your hair

Well, I feel a little naked, but it was time to let go of the hair. One of my friends showed after they cut it and she just couldn't beleive that I cut the long hair. I told Lou that I was only growing it for Locks of Love and now I felt like myself again.  We usually adopt a family at Christmas time, but with things the way they are, this is the best I can do--give my hair so some little girl will have a wig to wear. As you can see it was at my waist and very hard to wash and dry, not to mention the headaches that long hair can cause. Guess I should have put on a light colored sweater, so you could actually see how long it was.

Now this is the new Pat with my very short do. Wish I knew how to put make up on, because it still makes me look old, but I earned those wrinkles from all the smiles and illness I have been through.

I hope you all like my new do. I feel sassy now and feel like I can handle anything that comes my way. I am opposite of Samson, in that I feel stronger now with the hair shorter.

I am packing away all the gifts from my sisters because it's only a reminder of the pain in my heart. I am ready to start a New Year with nothing but positive attitudes. Someone told me they spoke with my adopted brother and he told them it was a good thing he wasn't there when my oldest brother assaulted me. I thank God for that.

I pray that the Storm of the Century doesn't hit NYC before my son can leave. They are expecting it to be the worst snow storm ever, so please pray that Donnie can leave the city before it hits. He will be leaving by train on Sunday and arriving in New Orleans on Monday, then driving to the country to meet us. He likes the train ride because he can catch up on reading and see the scenery along the way, then he will fly back.

Well I have more things to get done, so I hope you all have a beautiful weekend. Love, hugs, and prayers, Pat

What to do when you humble yourself?

This is one of the tags for the 12 Days of Christmas that is being made and sold at my favorite scrapbook store. You can  go and see the wonderful scrappers by going to Treasured Memories. com. It is in Lafayette. I should have brought the direct link, but my mind is not where it should be today. Janet, the owner is just the sweetest person and Paula Abshire is my favorite scrapper. She now works at Micheals, but she is on the design team at Treasured Memories.

Well, I honestly thought that Brenda would answer my emails, but I was wrong. I sent her and Martin a Christmas Greeting and said I was sorry for things getting out of control. I then called her and Martin answered the phone and I could hear what she was saying in the background. Needless to say, she said for me to stop calling her. It just feels like another member of my immediate family has died. What do I do now? I humbled myself, only to get shot down. I can't say the pain isn't there, but I'm sure with time, my wounds will heal. The only thing that stays on my mind is why she turned on me 2 weeks after my brother assaulted me and she is the one who told me to call the Sheriff's office. Guess I will never know.
Anyway, I have to try and mop the kitchen floors, because with the rain, it's horrible and the kitchen is huge. It is raining again and more expected for tomorrow---I think I would rather have snow or a hot Christmas than all this rain.
I still have to get Chris's package off to her before Christmas gets here. Sending priority, so she should get it on time.I just wish she and David could come for Christmas also. What a wonderful gift that would be. Well I am going to finish some more packing, so the room will look bigger and more presentable. I hope you  all have a great weekend. I will be busy with Donnie, so you know that I am excited. Love, Hugs, and Blessings, Pat

400Th Post----Gotta love those Saints

Had to show this cute picture of what the New Orleans sky looked like 2 weeks ago. The Saints are doing great and I hope they make it to the Super Bowl. I thought it was held in New Orleans, but it will be in North Carolina this year.

Well today is my 400Th post and although many have been negative, my New Year's Resolution is to get back my mojo and start creating again. As I said, I will have a giveaway, but it will be posted after the New Year and since it's too late to make a Christmas giveaway, this one will delight the Heart. No hints-lol.

Donnie will be arriving on Friday and I am very excited and I know there will be many tears of Joy shed.

I am having another epiduram next Wednesday, so I will have help in the kitchen, as I am supposed to take it easy for 48 hours and this time, I will!

The weather here is nasty and wet and more rain expected tomorrow. The ground is so saturated, there is no place for the rain to go. Thank God, that we are in the South and it won't freeze up. Would be fun to slide on the ice, though---well not me, but the children.

I see the end of the circle, so only good things ahead for me. I know that 2010 will bring lots of Joy, Happiness, and praying for better health or at the very least, not get worse.

My neighbors in Crowley are both moving, so Al doesn't know what to expect. They were both wonderful families and it will be sad to see them move.

My daughter is after me to open an Esty shop. She started one, but I haven't looked at it yet. Dial up is soooo slow and I can barely visit one blog and it takes almost a half hour to load all the beautiful Christmas decorations. Al pulled out 2 trees that stay decorated and I am hoping that he can bring an empty one out and get Donnie to help.

One of our friends son died and he was so young---in his 30s. His dad had MS in his early married years. His mom is a very dear friend of my aunt and she picks her up once a week to go out and eat.

I will be posting again before Christmas, but I hope you all are enjoying the wonderful festive lights and visiting family and friends. As for me, the True meaning of Christmas will be in my Heart more than ever this year. I have stayed away from the stores and malls, but had to make one trip for some bath gel and get Christmas cards for my children. It's crazy out there and this was a Thursday, so I can't even imagine what it is like on weekends.

Well Al brought me some huge plastic containers, so I am packing things that I don't need and sending most of my craft things home. Brenda wants the house to be presentable, so I don't feel the need to fight about this one. I am keeping my case with beads and stitching cards to keep me busy while watching videos on my laptop. Wishing you all a Happy fun filled weekend. Love, Hugs, and Prayers to all who are fighting illness right now. Pat

Decided to Stay

This is a cute little picture I found and it is from Italy. I also found a Fontanelli Nativity set, but forgot to take a picture of it. It is in great condition, so going to check out Ebay and see how much they are going for.

With a lot of thought, I have decided that I am going to stay until our parents house is sold. I have sent all my craft things home and kept one thing that I can work on---stitched and beaded cards. Not sure how long I will be able to stay on line, because it will hard to pay.
I am doing fine, except my heart is worse than we thought and my cholestrol keeps getting higher. I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and he told us that stress can keep it high, so I will try and stay stress free. I need to have eye surgery as my sight is getting worse and night driving is horrible.
It is raining really hard right now, something we don't need. The ground is soaked and parts of cities and towns around us are flooding. One town was flooded so bad a week ago and now we are having 100% rain and 80% during the day today.
I will be working on my 400th post giveaway, so this will be my last post until I have it ready to post. I will continue to visit until I lose my internet service. I have to see how beautiful everyone's decorations are, because there is nothing here. I may just get me a tiny decorated tree for my bedroom. I will be making a new blog next year, but will leave this one open until I notify most of you on your blog. I want the New Year to be a good positive one and I know this coming year good things will happen to complete the circle. Wishing you all good health. I got my H1N1 shot and it wasn't bad, so now I need to find someone who has the seasonal flu shot. The doctor told us because of my heart, I really need to get it soon. Love and Hugs, Pat

The Snow is gone and Who Dat?

How about our Saints! Wow who would have thought they would come this far. Guess we can throw the brown paper sacks away and do away with the "Aints"! If they win tomorrow, they will be 12 and 0----Super Bowl is looking good and will bring lots of money to the city and state. Hotels are booked already and for those who can't afford the tickets, there will be many tailgaters out there and parties in every house and sports bars. I like college football, more because of the outrageous salaries that the pros make. Did I fall asleep when the sport became a business! I have some orders for candy bouquets if they make it to the Super Bowl, so guess I have to hope that they get there.
Well we didn't think that it would last, but it was cool just the same. There is still some on roof tops, but melting and making a mess.
I am not sure if this is my 400th post or not, but if it is, I will still keep my word for a giveaway, but things are happening fast right now and my computer will be going home tomorrow. Not sure how long it will take me to get on my laptop---it's old and slow. So if you don't see me post, you know why.
Donnie, my son, lifted my spirits so much and he will be spending an entire week with me. He usually divides his time between family and friends, but I get him for an Entire week, so baking cookies will be done.  Not sure how much decorating I will get done, but it will be simple this year.
A dear sweet blogger has helped me through some things and I can't thank her enough. She knows who she is and is very humble, so no need to mention any names.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Well who would have thought that we would get snow---real snow. We live about 1 1/2 hours from the Gulf and this sure was a , but it was so beautiful coming down in huge flakes. It is supposed to snow all night, so we will see what things look like in the morning.

Snow in Louisiana

Has anyone seen Pat? She seems to have vanished off the face of the Earth. I don't know where she went, but I need her back soon. This is her time of the year and it isn't looking like Christmas as usual for her. Now you know it's me and I am here, but I am not the person I once was. I am praying that she returns to my body soon-lol. I have become MY SISTER!

Can you believe that we will be getting snow this afternoon around 6pm. This will be the 2nd year in a row that it has snowed. I hope we get the 3 inches they predict for our area---should be fun throwing snowballs at myself-lol.
I have been busy trying to organize and pack things in case the sheriff shows up with an eviction notice. What a Christmas this will be! I am usually baking cookies right now and making things for Christmas, but I feel like The Grinch, but I would not steal anyone's Christmas from them and only wish the best for them.
I have no heat here, because of the gas leak in the central heating system, but I do have a little space heater for my bedroom, where I spend 90% of my time. Yesterday I cook the most wonderful shrimp, okra, and sausage gumbo, so that warmed up the kitchen a bit.
I will let you all know when I will be back in Crowley. I know for sure that I will be there when Donnie gets here. I have to be happy or at least pretend to be happy around him. They don't read my blog, so I know he won't find out.
My sincere wish for all of you is to have a very Blessed Christmas. I do have so much to be thankful for.
My Blessings
A God who loves me for who I am
wonderful children and grandchildren
Many thoughtful and caring bloggers
A roof over my head, such that it is
Food for my tummy
Caring Doctors
I will continue to visit my favorite blogs, but not sure if I can post very much. Many Blessings to all of you and remember I do love you all, even though I have only met 3 people from the internet. Well it's nap time for me---no energy, so I should find something out next Thursday from my doctor. Love, Hugs, and Many Prayers, Pat

Sorry about all the negativity on my blog

I realized how many people have stopped coming by and I believe it is due to all the negativity that I post, so only have one more to get out, then I am going to start a new blog after Christmas.
Brenda emailed Al and said to tell me to be out by the end of this month, so not sure what I will do. I have been down since the 28th and just don't know what to do. The only choice I have is to move back in with Al and that's not the place I want to be 7 days a week.
Her husband used to come to my apartment when I lived there and want to talk about things that were bothering him about her, so I would listen, then she would do the same thing. But now I wanted to talk to him, but he said he didn't want to get involved. Guess I should have told them the same thing. My heart is so broken by the one person I would have done anything for, short of breaking the 10 commandments and now she is treating me like the scum of the earth.

I know this will sound like I am bragging, but I am being humble by saying that I am a very giving, soft hearted person and if money were available, I would be helping more people. Al used to say that I was the one best friend every person would like to have. I met 2 ladies from our crafting group and if we lived closer, our friendship would be eternal.
I started making my Christmas cards and got 5 ready to put together, then picked up everything to pack up. I love crafting and it has been my outlet and therapy since 1982 when my doctor told me I needed a hobby to get my mind off of my pain and heartache and it worked.
I know that God is watching over me and will take care of my needs.

The only thing I wanted to know is Why Brenda turned her back on me. When my brother assaulted me, she told me to call the police, then 2 weeks later, she wouldn't talk to me. Maybe this is God's way of telling me I don't belong with them. I know through my faith that He has a reason for everything, so I need to put my Big Girl Panties on and pull myself up out of this darkness. Please pray for me, because I can't do it alone. I have never in my life felt so alone in all my life.
I'm sorry for laying all this on you, but somehow, it helps for a little while.
I hope I haven't run you all off and if I did, I am truly sorry and miss everyone that visits. Love, hugs, and Prayers for all those who are ill right now. Pat