Gonna be a short one today

 Cause I get to go hang out with my boss this morning at the Christmas Ideas House!  Our yearly 'thing' to do together and I love it!  It may be our last year doing it as she is retiring officially on July 31 next year. Yep, she told her boss the other day that she has a firm commitment that effective August 1, 2026, she is done.  I'm not jealous; I'm happy for her.  Her leaving the company will be the biggest loss for me as she has walked me through many, many journeys in my life.  She has instilled, along with my big brother, a positive influence in my life and has helped me more than anyone knows.  I know I'm not her 'best friend', but in reality, she has been mine, in many ways.  We will still get together on occasion, but I do realize it will be somewhat less as we both are getting older - me now at 76 and she is 66.  Yep. 10 years and a couple months apart.  She always has said that she watches how I have aged to see how she will age. LOL She is truly an amazing woman and I am so grateful God put her in my life to walk with me.  

We got a fun surprise yesterday!  My big brother sent hubby and I matching Christmas pajamas!  And yes, we both wore them last night!  I'm not one of these 'must wash before wearing' people.  It was in a bag and clean.  Comfortable, for sure.  I've got to get my baking done this weekend so that I can ship out a package to each of my siblings on Monday.  So much to do - so little time!

I had several packages arrive yesterday from Amazon so now I have a lot of gifs to get wrapped again.  I did talk with a granddaughter last night and have for her little family now some ideas.  I still have plenty of time so am going to get everything wrapped up that I already have and then see where I am at.  And yes, for most, I have over done it again.  All I can do is shake my head.  

I got to watch my littlest great-granddaughter yesterday afternoon.  My youngest son called and he had things to get done and he has been watching his grandchildren most every day.  I told him I couldn't take the 3 year old as I was working and couldn't entertain him, but I could take the little one.  And she even surprised me - I kid you not!  After settling her down after her bottle (even hubby tried to help with her, but he just doesn't know how to hold a baby), changed her diaper (I think she saved that 'dump' for me), and got her burped good - and she went to sleep - and slept about 3 hours straight!  In fact, she stayed asleep while I took her home at 5PM!  I was able to get work done, and really need to jump on the computer real quick this morning to schedule one meeting.  But she was a good baby and I love getting to take care of her.  I put her in my wagon and just roll it back and forth and she eventually goes to sleep.  I did hold her for awhile, but when I laid her down she would wake up. She's so used to the car sear already that if I put her back in it, and set it in the wagon, she slept all that time.

I still can't get over the 'lost tree' that I searched all over the house for.  I told my little sister about it yesterday and she cracked up.  I just didn't remember it wasn't an artificial tree, but a real tree.  Well, now I have the small artificial tree and I've labeled the box - not going to happen next year! 

I am getting my hair highlighted today as well, after my trip to the southeast area for the Christmas house.  Today will be a 'me' day - for sure!  Tomorrow morning is Needles of Hope unless my daughter decides to have her yard sale - but I think she has decided to wait until after the first of the year.  I've got to bake and wrap this weekend.  But I'm nearly done with the wrapping!!  Maybe by the 15th I will have it all done?

Don't have much else to share right now and I need to get in the shower for I need to be on the road by 7am.  Hubby is driving to his bible study this morning - at least with it being early he won't have a lot of traffic going at least.  Right now, some things I still have to let him do.  After all, I have a life too.  

Our heat on the dryer went out the other day and he had one load of his clothes left to go.  Oh my. Could he lay them out as I told him to in order to let them dry?  No.... that wasn't going to happen.  So they were still wet the next day in the cold dryer.  Called my daughter and we took his laundry over to her house to use the dryer.  I should have taken my work computer with me as I was gone nearly two hours to drive there, get his clothes dried, and drive back home.  Yes, he had to go with me.  Yes, I drove him.  Was going to let him drive and remembered I am trying to wean him FROM driving.  The appliance company had to order the part for our dryer so it should be in within the next few days.  My laundry is done and I think his is now as well. 

If I wasn't working, all this extra driving would make it a bit easier.  But - once we both learn Lyft/Uber, it will be just fine.  At least in my mind.  I wonder how much Lyft/Uber would be to Mesa.  I'll have to google and ask, I guess. :-)  Yeah, some days I don't want to even drive down there anymore - and I have three trips if not four, down to Mesa this month alone.

I nearly forgot to share!  I don't think this is a 'time to retire moment' - but it did happen.  Sigh.  I forgot an important meeting.  Thank God that with the time change it went from 6AM to 7AM.  Hubby was needing me to help him find the model number on the dryer to give to the appliance company, so I brought my work computer up and started helping him.  Coming back to my work computer it was 6:58am.  No biggie, right?  I don't start work until 7AM anyway.  Except... yesterday I had a 7AM board meeting and I needed to have the powerpoint presentation up and ready for the meeting!  I totally forgot about the board meeting until I saw a message from my male boss, Brett, who told me he had made a change on a slide so to use the PPT in a certain location.  I had to hustle and get into the meeting and bring up the PPT to share!  And I couldn't remember what to do - I did, but my mind was in panic mode.  When I finally got into the meeting and the PPT up, it was like 7:02AM and there were 17 other people IN the meeting, waiting on me.  OOPS.  I told my boss, Sue, about it and she said exactly what I did.  We all forget something once in awhile - and this is not a meeting we have frequently - it's either once a quarter or every other month - and 7AM is early for a board meeting!  It's a 'quirk' not a 'forgetful moment.

And with that - I'm off here - sorry to bore you today - just need to get moving and get out of here on time; don't know how the traffic will be.  But then, it is a Friday and people take off - but also, the snow birds are coming in so there's that.  Lord, please give me protection from others and protect them from me!  

Blessings!

I look gorgeous....

 haha  that got your attention, huh!  I did go get my hair colored, or highlighted, I guess it is - yesterday.  It felt so good to have my head massaged as he washed it.  Best part of getting one's hair done.  The massage of the head. LOL  All I got was a trim - and highlights.  And my hair feels so clean and soft.  And, all hubby said was 'he did a nice job on your color'.  And I don't care.

Yesterday was a busy day workwise.  A hour before I was to leave for my hair appointment, my boss sent me several visio organizational charts and asked me to 'fix them' and resend to her for an urgent meeting.  An hour.  I said a quick prayer and got started.  I sent them all back to her about 5 minutes before I had to get out of here to make my appointment.  I would have been late for the appointment if need be, for I needed to finish those first.  After all, she was letting me off work an extra hour or so to get my hair done in the middle of the day.  I usually work my lunch hours for the most part, which she knows, and I sometimes have to work late to complete specific tasks, so if I take off in the middle of the day to get my hair done, it isn't a big deal.  I don't get overtime pay, so the occasional long lunch or whatever makes up for it.  I'm glad I'm working from home for it does make it much easier.

I know I already have tasks to work on when I sign on the computer this morning.  There were emails I left alone when I signed off, because I knew I could do them today.  I was tired, and I wanted to just rest.  Made ham and potato soup yesterday  afternoon so supper was done when I got 'off work'.  Leftovers today for lunch, I imagine.  If not lunch, it will be for dinner.  Thinking about it, it does sound pretty good.  I forgot to cut up onions last night.  Hubby mentioned it as we ate dinner... did I put onions in it... well, I don't usually while it's cooking, but do add crisp onions when we eat it.  But I forgot.  He didn't get up to cut up any, and neither did I.  But I will when we have the leftovers today.  It just adds that 'little bit' to it.

Amazon prime day came and went and I didn't care.  Seriously.  I did order a couple things I wanted (a book, some shampoo and conditioner) but I didn't get pulled into all the 'money-saving deals'.  Why?  Because there is nothing we need, and I have no idea what to get others for Christmas.  So why buy things if I don't know who to give them to?  I save a lot of money that way. LOL  Actually, I probably spend more money 'that way' because when I finally think of something to buy someone, there is no sale and I probably pay full price.  I'm 'tickled pink' that I have one child completely finished for Christmas.  But what about the others?  I have no idea.

I'm reading in Mark in my Bible currently and I underscored some of the passages.  One of which was:

Mark 9:33-37 (NKJV):  "Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Powerful verses, don't you think?  So many times we think we have to be first in everything.  We have to be greater than everyone else.  Sure, we all want to be successful and be the best in our field of expertise, and that is ok.  What Jesus is talking about here is not to push our way to the top.  Don't insist everything is about you.  We don't have to be the center of attention all the time.  It isn't about US.  When we step back and allow others to be themselves, we are allowing Jesus to work through us.  I am reminded that my oldest son will always be the last one to go through the line for food.  He used to eat a lot and that way he didn't worry about someone not getting any because he double dipped into the bowl.  (we never ran out of food)  We always thought it was considerate of him, in spite of the reason. But this scripture is sorta like that.

My son could have insisted he be the first through the line and helped himself to all he wanted.  But no, he chose to allow others go get their plates filled first.

Jesus is telling us that it isn't being first that counts; being first does not make one a great person.  Take care of others before taking care of oneself.  That is being great.

We need a lot more of that, don't we?  Not necessarily in ourselves, but what we see in others.  I've seen adults push themselves to the front of things just like a child would. Because they wanted to be first.  I've heard adults and children both clamber for attention.... when in time, if they had waited, they would have been asked and honored.  Being pushy to be first never makes one great.  It makes one annoying.

Step back, be last if you have to, but serve Jesus by serving others.  Be greater.

Blessings!