::Snow Princess::

It's funny that I have 90 followers but there's only a small handful who will  actually leave comments. I often wonder if they take the time to read what I write or if they just snag the graphics I make... 

Today, I met with the other candidates who are applying for jobs with the Census Bureau. As I filled out the application, I reconsidered applying for this job, because they ask you if you have ever been fired and if you owe the government any money (student loan) and did I mention that they say: READ THIS BEFORE YOU SIGN: If you don't tell the truth, we'll fire you if we hire you and you may be prosecuted if you are committing perjury for false information. Grrr... On the positive side, I am alive, I am available for work, and I do not have any criminal charges. 

I was a bit disappointed to miss some of the questions, but I scored a 90, which the woman said was very good.

XX

::Meet Me Under The Mistletoe::

Christmas is on Friday, so I am going to try to add more Christmas tags this week. I couldn't resist this picture of Bridget and Mr. Darcy. I hope I did it justice. I love it when she says good boys don't kiss like that! Way to go, Mr. Darcy! LOL

The lady who interviewed me on Friday said I would hear something today, but I would like to think they are still deciding because I didn't get a call. 

I was a bit nervous about going to the employment office,  because I used to work for them, so there is always a chance that I will run into people who are going to ask: What are you doing now? Thank God all the people in front were people who don't know me... The pickings onsite were minimal... very minimal... Still, I applied for a couple of jobs today, and tomorrow, I have an employment test for a different job... 

The employment office is close to the St. Jude shrine, but there is construction closing off the street to the shrine, so I had to go all the way around. It is usually very quiet and peaceful at the shrine, but today, there was a child that was very, very loud... Whenever I hear children acting like that, I am grateful that I do not have litle kids... The child's loud screams was a definite sign that I was not going to be able to pray, so I went into the shop to look around. I was surprised that there was hardly anything for sale in the shop.. What happened?!# I bought a green candle and walked back to the shrine. Fortunately, the child was gone and so were his screams. Yay! I put a little bit of holy water all over my body , asking God to bless me so that I can continue to bless others and I blessed the candle, too, before I lit it and knelt down to pray, hoping to find a little bit of peace within myself.

XX 


P.S... One of my friends says what I have is valour. I like to think so. =.)

Valor/Valour... The quality of mind enabling one to face danger or hardship resolutely: braveness, courage, fearlessness, foritude, gallantry, heart, spirit, valiance, spunk, gutsiness... The quality or state of being heroic.

::Naughty Girl::

Looking at Christmas lights in the Valley is more like a "who done it" mystery. When I drive past the houses of people who have money, there is very little or no Christmas spirit in their yard. If there is anything at all, it will be decorated with white or clear lights around the edge of their houses and maybe a few trees or there might be some reindeer in the yard, but usually, there are no lights and no decorations at all. If I drive past the houses of the middle class, the lights are colorful and their Christmas tree is proudly displayed in the window. If I drive past the houses of the poor, the lights are colorful and the lawns are full of lighted displays of the Holy Family and/or Santa Claus and snowmen, etc.

In the homes of the people who have money, the money is probably spent to buy expensive presents instead of spending money in the yard. In the homes of the middle class, they are probably overloading their credit cards trying to have it all: tree, food, decorations, and presents. In the homes of the poor, there are probably few or no presents, because they are trying to make it seem like Christmas with what they have.

I cannot say that I believed in Santa Claus in my childhood or not.  All this talk about Naughty or Nice never made any sense to me, because no matter how nice you were all year, Santa never came to our house. For us, Christmas was about going to Midnight mass and the birth of the baby Jesus. At CCD, we would get a Christmas stocking with an orange and an apple and a handful of old-fashioned Christmas candy... but presents, we never got. We never questioned it and we never asked for presents. Perhaps that is why I never think about what I want for Christmas, because Christmas has never been about me. 

In my adulthood, I do believe in Santa. He still does not come to my house to leave presents for me, but Santa is not about presents. Santa is about the spirit of giving.  When it comes to Christmas giving, my thoughts turn to the children, because even if children live being poor everyday, they do not understand the concept of being so poor that Santa doesn't come to their house. Every Christmas, the first present we get should be a gift for a child who might not get present. It's not so much about getting the most expensive gift you can find, it is the thought that someone thought about them enough to get them something. Poor children seem to appreciate things so much more than a child who always has everything they need. I am a great believer in that children should not get everything they want. I am a great believer in teaching children how to appreciate what they have and in teaching them to be grateful, but even if you do not have money, there are always ways to make the day special for the little children.

XX

Dear Santa: I Can Explain

Greetings! Yes, I got fired on Tuesday. The main boss really doesn't know the paperwork involved in case management so the way the Boss from Hell wrote it up, she made me look really bad, although it was minor stuff that could have probably been completed in an hour or two. Because I was planning to take three days vacation, I was busy trying to get as much done so I could turn in my remaining cases before the end of the week so the cases could be reviewed for approval while I was out.  But at 4:30, the main boss asked me in and the Boss from Hell was there, too. I was upset that they didn't allow me to keep the kids art. I had tons of it. They are jealous that the kids love me so much. They watched me pack and they walked me out. Fortunately, the kids were no longer in the building...

They actually did me a favor letting me go, because I was burned out with  my boss' bullying... and for the first time since this job began, I actually woke up in tears on Monday. She literally sucked the life out of me and crushed my spirit. The drive back and forth took two hours out of my day everyday, not to mention waking up so early just to get there in time.

I have never been as sick as often as I was at that job, and that's mostly because I never took a vacation the whole year I was there. It is amazing that I was unbelievably sick on Monday and Tuesday, sneezing and coughing like a dog. Yesterday, I took care of myself and actually rested. I couldn't go anywhere, because God has been crying for over a week. It has been cold and raining and raining. I can only imagine how flooded out Mother is.

I keep getting wet in the rain. Yesterday was so bad that I didn't go to the employment office, but I  requested three letters of recommendation from three of my friends. I hope they can write them up soon. I found an old paycheck, so I was able to figure out how much I was paid an hour. I revised my application and resume in the Work In Texas site and applied for three jobs. Then, I went to the grocery store last night, although it was still raining, but the price of my medications went up double the price! OMG... I bought some toilet paper and came home. LOL...

This morning, I applied for unemployment by telephone. I was on the phone for over 30 minutes. OMG @ I am going to have to buy more minutes for my phone. I don't know how this is going to work, because I usually only use my minutes for emergency and I talk to my daughter for a little while on the weekends...

Well, today, I was surprised to get a phone call from one of the places where I applied. I have an interview in the morning. They are opening a new center in the town where I currently live, but the interview will be all the way to Brownsville, which is an hour and a half from here. Grrr... I hope it is not raining tomorrow. I also have a test for a different job on the 22nd.

XX

::Tease the Season::

It finally happened... the She-Devils finally got their way. So tomorrow is the start of a new life for me... It's kind of scary to be without income again, but I feel relieved to leave the nightmare of working there behind me. The problem, of course, will be money... I will not be able to pay for rent and my car, so I need to get serious about packing to get my things into storage and to get out of this apartment by the end of January. 

xx

Waiting for Santa

Last Wednesday after work, I went to find an outfit for Saturday. That was hard, because there wasn't much to pick from and/or the items were either too big or too small. Most of the red or Christmasy items had a red ticket, so I had to settle for holiday festive. That was hard, too, because all I could find was a tank top with silver sequins at the neckline. I matched it up with a black ruffled wrap sweater and a black flippy skirt and silver accessories. After trying on so many things in the dressing room, I was too exhausted to try my final choice on, so I just hoped for the best and came home.

On Friday, I read somewhere that if you are bloated, beano can shed like three to four inches off your waistline overnight! OMG! Well, there's nothing wrong with checking it out, so I bought something similar at the store with hopes that it would do it's magic. The pharmacist explained that when you get gas in your intestines, it's like a huge bubble. This medication acts like an efferdecent. It breaks up the big bubble into a lot of little bubbles so that it is easier to come out. LOL...

On Saturday, I put on my makeup and fixed my curly hair, as best as it would allow, added a little rhinestone hairclip on the left side, and wiggled myself into a pair of pantihose. I wore my black hoodie with some jeans and my black pumps. When I got to the store, I went looking for some tops that I was considering to buy and put them on hold. Then, I went into the dressing room to change into my outfit. Well, it wasn't the best, but considering what I had to work with, it met the rules! When I came out, I noticed that all of the dressing rooms were full! One lady was wearing the red top I liked inside a pencil skirt, but they made her take it off, because it had a red tag. The bad part was that she had only minutes to find a new outfit. OMG at I am glad that wasn't me!

So, we finally lined up. I think they went by outfit, because the line went from Christmasy to holiday festive to non-holiday dressy to casual everyday wear.  There were eleven of us in all shapes and sizes. I was second in line. The first girl was wearing a red and black dress with a black shrug.  As per our directions, she walked to the right, stopped and posed while the photographers took pictures, walked to the middle, stopped and posed for more pictures, and then walked to the left to pose for the audience and for more pictures. There were a few customers in chairs watching us. Then, it was my turn. I was a bit more "top model," remembering Tyra Banks "fierce" runway suggestions, although not as extreme... After all, I AM in the Valley. LOL... I stopped and posed to the right, went to the middle, posing with the silver purse in my hands with my legs apart, and ended with a Marilyn Monroe pose on the left. Because there was no applause for the first model, I was surprised that there was applause for me, and a lady in the audience commented that I did "really good."  So then the other girls go up to model, but I didn't see them, because I was already at the end of the line. On the second round, we went in pairs. This was hard because all of this was unrehearsed and I couldn't see what the other girl was doing, but I got through it. On the third round, we just walked around the runway so the audience could see our outfits. OMG... so does this mean that I am Fashion Bug's next top model! LOL... I was really surprised at all the sales the store got from our modeling, so I guess we did really good.

In the end, I didn't buy the outfit I wore, but I got 30% off all regular-priced items that I wanted to buy. The red top had a red ticket, so I had to hunt for another red ticket item at the same price so I could get the second item at half price. 

So... I bought the red top with red roses at the neckline, the tank with silver sequins at the neckline that I modeled at the fashion show, a turquoise print top with silver embroidery and sequins at the neckline, a purple top with 3/4 sleeves and black roses on the left side, and a black velour hoodie, all for under $100 after taxes! OMG at Winivere models hard for the money! LOL @ not buying anything new all year, Winivere finally has some new things!

P.S... The drama at work continues... I have to meet with my boss every Friday so she can review my files every week. I hate it. People in the Valley have a different way of thinking. At this job, the only way to survive is to be passive, submissive, shut up, and do what you are told. As far as relationships with a man in this area, there is no difference: be passive, submissive, shut up, and do what you are told... Sometimes, or should I say: most times, I just want the ground to swallow me up.

Thank God for the modeling I did on Saturday! It was a lot of fun and a welcomed little escape from all that drama at work! =.)

He is the Reason

I had a dream last Saturday, so I need to write about it... In my dream, I was at my ideal weight and I was walking my Marilyn Monroe walk... I saw myself walking away, and then, turning my head to look at someone. I do not know who the person(s) was, but I was surprised to have been "discovered" so late in my life... That person(s) had me in mind for a very special role. I do not know what the role was or is. All I know is that the role is something very exciting, and they said that they wanted to send me to school for it at no cost to me... The dream was so wonderful that I overslept. Thank God it was on a Saturday. LOL @ I was just excited to see myself at my ideal weight again and that my legs were healed in my dream. If there is another role for me to play in my lifetime, I can hardly wait to know what it is!

I spent just about all day with Mr. Good Wrench, but he couldn't find the part to fix Jones' window. I wish he had told me so that I could have spent the time doing something else. He got after me, saying that I don't allow anyone to get close to me... It's funny how men who have wives think it's ok for you to be their girlfriend. I don't care if she is only a "common law" wife. In my eyes, she is still a wife, and even if he wasn't married, I am only interested in him as a mechanic. LOL

Hammer Guy had to fix the lights that are over my desk. He really tried. He kept bringing in lightbulbs, probably all the new ones he had, but I think it is an electrical problem, so he had to leave me in the dark. LOL... The lead worker had him look for some more chairs in the storage room, but there was a white owl in the storage room. LOL @ he was afraid the owl would attack him until he noticed that I was so calm about the bird, commenting at how beautiful it was... The other girls ran away when they saw it. LOL... I gave out Christmas cards to everyone last week. Hammer Guy was all happy when he got his. LOL... I don't plan on going out with him, but he is good eye candy. LOL

Skinny Girl finally looked at me. I have been going out of my way to make her feel that I have accepted her. I think it worked, because she gave me some chocolate kisses for Christmas! Boy, was I surprised! That means she has finally accepted me, so that was a good triumph this week...

Santa showed up this week. I have a desk now, even though it looks like a toy desk, because it is so small, but it has drawers, so one of the girls is jealous. LOL... The head secretary let me pick which desk I wanted. Mine is the only one that has all the handles on the drawers. LOL... It's good that she likes me...

We had our Christmas celebration yesterday... The boys played games and danced to music in the morning. They had a lot of fun and my group allowed me to take their picture. I had a family show up to see their son. I had to check their identities and make sure that they brough birth certificates to prove relationship to the youth. They had not seen their son since he was crawling. The boy is now 17. The visit was so emotional. There were lots of tears and hugging. The boy didn't know they were coming so it was a pleasant surprise for him. There was a chair set out for each famly member, but mother, brother, and sister all sat in the chair closest to the youth. LOL... At noon, I had to break up the visit, because the youth had to go eat. We had some girls from a local church who came to sing Christmas carols. The Christmas luncheon was very good~ tamales, chicken, a vegetable dish, coleslaw, fruit salad, and Tres Leches cake. I didn't like the cake, but the tamales were what I liked best.

We were supposed to go back to work on Friday, but our boss said that he got permission for us to have the day off. OMG... We were so happy to hear that... The only thing is that we had to complete a week's worth of work in two days. I wasn't able to see the boys until late in the afternoon, so I tried to rush to complete my work. There was only one that I didn't have time to file, but I will do that on Monday.

I hope that everyone will have a very Merry Christmas...

XX

Winter Song

Today is my favorite day of the year. It is the anniversary of my divorce from my girls' father. LOL...

Well, Jones & I made it through Monday and Tuesday. Driving with the window open for two days turned me into an Ice Princess. LOL... With my luck, this had to happen on the coldest days of the week... grrr... I wasn't able to see Mr. Good Wrench until Tuesday evening because he is closed on Mondays. Poor Jones had his guts taken out of the passenger door so they could get to the glass. The little part that holds the window up is broken. Mr. Good Wrench got the window to close, threw all of Jones guts in the trunk and told me to come back on Saturday so he could fix it... Well, there goes my Saturday!

His wife has been spending more time at the shop. I think she suspects that he has a girlfriend... LOL @ she was walking around, trying to see who the blonde was in the car (moi). Mr. Good Wrench has been after me ever since we met. I cannot remember how I discovered his shop. Perhaps it was on one of those occasions when I was having car trouble and Jones stopped at his place... Nevertheless, meeting him has been a blessing, because he lets me ride even when I don't have the money to pay him. I still owe him money from last month when I was having car problems... I don't even remember what it was for, but I am so grateful that he is always there when I need him.... Well, unless if it is Monday. LOL

I am not participating in the Secret Santa, but someone left a Christmas mug with chocolates in it and a box of Mocha Cappuccino on my desk! OMG @ I wonder who left it there. They didn't put my name on it, so I am wondering if it was actually meant for me. What if I eat the candy and it was meant for someone else? Oh, that would make me feel bad. Maybe I should wait to see if someone claims it...

Merry Christmas, Norma Jeane

Compared to my other "saucy" tags, this one must be rated G! LOL... This is Norma Jeane before she became Marilyn Monroe...

The lead case manager was very b*tchy today... I guess she wonders what I do all day, because there were groups waiting to be seen this afternoon, but I see most of my kids on Tuesdays. This is kind of hard, because we also have staffings on Tuesdays. They were scheduled by someone else, so I have nothing to do with that, but that means that my busiest day is Tuesday.

What helped me to get caught up was the day that the girls were out. Their absence was a tremendous blessing, because I was able to use the phone without having to wait on them to finish their phone calls. Also, although I still have to hand write my entries, I try to write my updates as soon as they happen so that I don't forget. This helps because my notes are always up to date.

In reality, I don't know what she has to gripe about, really, because she only has about 24 cases, which is a very low caseload. What makes some women get so b*tchy? I just don't get it. I never get b*tchy. Is there something wrong with me if I don't get b*tchy?!#

The Secret Santa started today... The stockings are hung in our office, so they come and check their stockings and leave things for the people they got... It is all too funny to watch them come and go, because they are all acting like little kids over their gifts...

The skinny girl was in the office today, whispering as usual, to the lead case manager. Guess her mother never told her that it is rude... I was shocked to hear that she loves sexy lingerie, because a stick figure probably has more meat on it's bones. LOL... Oh, my bad! LOL... She still can't seem to look at me in the eyes. She always looks away whenever I am around. I guess she must think I am beautiful. ha ha...

The brother of one of my kids was shot and killed in his home country. They buried his brother today. I contacted the social worker supervisor to ask her to help me with him, just in case he needed counseling after he got the news... And I don't have a phone, so I thought it would give him some privacy if we made the phone call from her office. The boy's brother who lives in New Orleans gave him the news over the telephone. The youth was in disbelief, hurt, and tearful, but he was a real little soldier about it and said he wanted to resume with classes the rest of the day... I checked on him later in the day. He was quiet but he said he was doing ok...

Normally, I would have handled everything myself... the phone call to the brother, the counseling, etc, but because this company only wants me to work as a case manager, I am limited as to how much I am allowed to do. It feels strange to limit myself, because it makes me realize how overworked I was in my past jobs.

I received my first paycheck today. George W. Bush (who is a republican by the way<-- read that Screaming Remo! LOL) took a huge chunk out of my paycheck, way too much! I am glad that I didn't volunteer for them to take any more money than what the company pays for insurance. Imagine how much smaller my check would have been! OMGGGG........

Another thing that happened today is that my car window won't close. The weather is supposed to get into the 30's tonight & I have to wake up way early tomorrow because we have a meeting at 7:00 a.m. My mechanic is off on Mondays, so I am praying that the car thieves don't show up tonight. My car has been broken into twice since I have lived at these apartments. I would hate to wake up not to find my car in the morning... Plz say a prayer for Jones' safety (my car) tonight....

XX

P. S... I had a good diet day today, but I was disappointed to hear that we have to buy our own water. It turns out that the only water available to us is the water that comes out from the bathrooms, so tomorrow, I will have to take my own water/drinks. I was going to start out the day with Tae Chi but I only have nine of the exercises. One is missing. LOL... Will need to figure out which one it is...

Dear Santa: It's Bettie Page!

"I was not trying to be shocking, or to be a pioneer.

I wasn’t trying to change society, or to be ahead of my time.

I didn’t think of myself as liberated,

and I don’t believe that I did anything important.

I was just myself.

I didn’t know any other way to be, or any other way to live."

~Bettie Page

@->----

Who is Bettie Page?!# OMG @ I can't believe someone asked that! Bettie Page was the most famous Pinup of the 1950's. She is known as the Queen of Pinup. Bettie had a Bachelor of Arts degree, but during the 1950's women were not taken seriously in business, so after college, she worked as a secretary. After she was "discovered" she posed for photographs that were shocking for her time. She knew how to sew, so she made her costumes and bikinis. She also posed nude and for fetish and bondage photographs. She stopped posing for photographs after she had a spiritual experience, and in her later life, worked as a missionary to spread the word of God.

@->----

In the movie "Clueless," Claire refers to her mom as a "Bettie." That means her mom was hot, a total babe... Although Bettie Page was a very pretty girl, she survived three divorces. It's funny how most pretty girls are not lucky in love...

@->----

I guess that must mean that I am really beautiful, because I am not lucky in love at all! LOL... Of course, there have been many men that I have ignored... I have men giving me their phone numbers all of the time, but I usually end up losing their number... be it coincidental or a subconcious act! LOL

@->----

Last week, I think the maintenance man, aka The Hammer Guy (sounds more hip~ LOL), was trying to ask me out. OMG @ how young is that guy? Thank God, I don't show my age... Besides, I work for a religious organization and it is never a good idea to mix in the office ink, so that sounds like a double whammy! LOL... I felt kind of pervy the other day, because I was physically attracted to the newspaper reporter, aka Clark Kent Stud. That one is only 21 years old... OMG @ I had to slap myself silly about that one! LOL...

@->----

Most people in the world are so busy trying to find someone to live their life with... Most of them do not know how to cook, do not have an education, do not have a career, might not even be a little bit attractive, but they are still looking... I have been too busy trying to survive... Are my priorities off balance?!

XX

::: Frosty :::

Just dashing by with another Christmas tag...

The moon is full... time to diet...

XX

P.S... OMG @ Bettie Page died tonight.

Birds In The Snow

LOL @ Jimmy's comment about my tags being so saucy that he plans to write to Santa himself! As you can see, I took a turn on this tag... a reminder that just as God takes care of the little birds, he will continue to take care of us...

@->----

I woke up at 7:00 a.m. this morning, which is the time that I have to leave to work to be at work by 8:00 a.m... I put my makeup on so fast, got dressed so fast, and flew faster than my Guardian angels could fly! To my surprise, I got into the building at 8:01 a.m., not knowing how bad or how good I looked! LOL...

@->----

I am pretty caught up on my cases, so I am a bit frustrated, because I wish they were moving a bit faster, but what is left to do is out of my control... We had our weekly staffing today, which took a big chunk of the morning... In the afternoon, I had to investigate the case of the boy who urinated on the arm of one of my kids... I only saw five kids today because three of them went to court, so I have to see them tomorrow. I am ok with that, because it will help me to look busy. LOL... My boss continues to keep a serious face. That continues to worry me... I still have to pinch myself about having a job... I hope the rug is not pulled out from under me...

@->----

The girls continue to stay within their own little click... They were a bit anxious today because they had to see the kids they didn't see yesterday and the kids they were scheduled to see today... so they were on the phone most of the day... I was able to make my phone calls when they were out at lunch time...

@->----

As for my rent, I have to pay late fees for each day that I am late so that's 12 days of late fees. It would have probably been cheaper to make a hot check. I do not know how much I will be paid, but I must believe that God will provide... Gasoline is at $1.49 in the town where I work and it is $1.45 in the town where I live. Too bad I had to gas up where I work. LOL @ it happens...

@->----

XX

P.S... It's awfully windy outside right now. I wonder if that means it is going to be cold tomorrow...

Waiting For Santa

It was already nine o'clock and the girls still hadn't come in to work... If I had not gone up to the front to ask, no one would have told me that both the girls were out sick...

.

It was nice to have the office all to myself, because I am still without a desk, a computer, and a phone. It was nice not to have to wait on anyone to use the phone... The mother of one of the kids finally returned my phone call, so I was happy about that, because the case is missing a lot of documents... The maintenance guy even came in to help me get rid of the spider webs in the corners of the ceiling... LOL...

.

Plus, I was able to check out the girls systems...

.

The lead worker files her case notes/packets alphabetically and uses a three-tier basket to separate the progress or lack of progress per packet separating each packet with a paper clip. She has been there the longest, but she only has things that pertain to work. Her area is neat and tidy. Behind her are drawings of art that the kids have given to her before they leave the shelter...

.

The other worker has personal pictures everywhere, and notes that pertain to work are all over the walls. Her forms are in file folders that are placed out in the open. Her case notes/packets are placed in file folders, labeled in pencil, because she says that she reuses the folders. The kids never give her anything, probably because her walls are full of work stuff instead of kids art. She also has a small Xmas tree and a Nativity set on her desk. Her area is the messiest. LOL...

.

This taught me a lot about the way people keep their work stations and how they organize their thoughts... The lead worker's way of doing things seems the easiest. When I get a file cabinet, I will try to do things the way she does so that my desk area won't end up like the other worker's. LOL

.

I know Mother always tells me that I am fat, but I am lighter than the other two girls that I work with and they are half my age... Is the button on my pants stretching or is my waist getting smaller? LOL @ probably I am the only one who notices the difference...

.

The kid that I see on Mondays complained that one of the other kids urinated on his arm. Gross! I talked with the dorm supervisor, but she said that those two boys are always playing around and after they tell on each other, they end up carrying on like they are the best of friends, as if nothing happened...

.

Oh, another thing that happened today is that I saw the director sweeping the hall with a broom. Wow! Unheard of!

.

Also, it looks as if all the apartments require for you to be at your job at least three months before they will consider you, so that means that I will not be able to move until February....

.

XX

Dear Santa: I Can Explain

I haven't found a Christmas scrap kit that I like, so I have minimal things to work with to make Christmas tags. I hope people like what I have made so far...

People always say that if you are naughty, Santa won't bring you presents. I think that is a sorry thing to say to children, because I was always a good girl, but I only got one Christmas present my entire childhood. When buying Christmas gifts, I always think of the children first. I think children should get at least one present on Christmas day.

I don't know what life will be like at the shelter this Christmas season. All I know is that the children that are not reunited with their families will be sad to spend Christmas at the shelter. I hope that we will be able to do something to keep their spirits up... Instead of the Secret Santa idea for the staff, I think we should have donated CD players or radios for the kids at the shelter... I don't know what activities they are planning, but it would be nice to have them do a play or something...

I think I have found a new church home... Well, for as long as I continue to live in this area... I have been going to a nearby Shrine for many years, but I never knew that they give Mass in Latin at the church! I don't know if it is a recent change or if they have always had Mass in Latin, but it has brought back memories of my childhood of the way Mass used to be...

First of all, it is a humble church, which I love, because that means that my money will be helpful instead of being spent on things that the church really doesn't need... The priest faces the altar instead of the people. At communion, people kneel at the pews at the front of the church instead of standing up to receive communion, and they receive communion on their tongue instead of in their hand. Even the music is in Latin! It feels as if the voices are voices of angels singing... The women cover their heads with beautiful lace mantillas, just like in the days of old. I love mantillas. I wish I still had my long mantilla, but I have lots of hats and a collection of pretty vintage gloves that I can wear. I just wish I had prettier clothes to wear... but I need to lose some weight before I consider making some pretties... I am so adorable but nobody knows. LOL...

This morning, I made some homemade corn tortillas to eat with breakfast. All last week, nothing seemed to satisfy my pallete, but this morning's breakfast was yummy. I think I will make some homemade chili today...

My scale doesn't work, because it needs batteries and I can't find the right kind... I am not sure if I have lost some weight this week, but I feel lighter so if I looked at a scale and my weight has not gone down, it would not be helpful, so NOT having a scale that works has been helpful. LOL... I am not eating diet food. I am just trying to eat less and I am taking vitamins. I wake up so early that when I get home, I am exhausted, so I haven't gone walking, and I have been going to sleep earlier than usual... But I have been able to stay awake all day at work, and so far, I have been able to survive wearing my two-inch heels. Yay!

There is still a lot to learn at work, but so far, I am happy to see progress in my cases, and I have been able to keep up with the paperwork. The phone people were in the office last week and they installed the plug where my computer will go, so that is hopeful. I hope I will have a computer and a phone at work soon. My desk will be by the window so I am happy that my boss said that is where they will put me!

Payday is nine days away. LOL @ I continue to count the days... It is hard for me to understand why my coworkers live paycheck to paycheck when they have a two paycheck household, but then, they go out to eat everyday... and it sounds as if they are wasteful with their money.

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