Happy 27th Birthday Sugar Cookie

You are an amazing young woman...I love you and I am ever so proud of you! 

The Magi Effect

gifts

I'm all jumbled these days.
being out of town.
preparing for Christmas.
my Mama's healing.
my brother's birthday (he would have been 46 today had he not frozen in time at 20)
SugarCookie's birthday tomorrow    (27 oh my)
Little Missy's birthday friday   (21 legal at last)
It's a big week.

I've been dwelling on the gift of giving.

gift ~ as in presents
all wrapped up for birthdays and christmas...

gift ~ as in talents
grace, teaching, faith, wisdom, knowledge, mercy, prophecy, tongues..et cetera...
(a talented tongue is a gift...yes?)

the art of giving
the art of gifting

and maybe most importantly...
being mindful of what I have been given.
being grateful...
and thankful....
for what I have been given.

It comes to mind that I am thankful for YOU reading this.  I have been a less than faithful writer...and recently even an unfaithful reader...so I am thankful you surfed by...and that you have waded this far into my stream of consciousness... it is a gift that somebody learns what goes on in this pinball brain of mine.
(you are kinda like my flippers...ya know?)

I am thankful you are willing to "listen" to me ramble...even if it is not always an easy task to undertake.  Cause you see.....even though I am an "Earth Girl" I am NOT Easy...nor would I ever want to be. (cheesy film reference).

Tis A Gift To Be Simple... true...I strive to be simple....yet another gift...but it would be a total drag to have to be easy.

So...to those of you who read my little weblog out of interest...not out of obligation....
Thank you for your gift of friendship.

One of my top five all time favorite Christmas stories is:
              "The Gift of the Magi"

So much so that while in NYC for work I bullied one of my friends in to visiting Pete's Bar where O. Henry wrote his short story in 190-something.
( I even wore my own long hair pulled back in combs for about ten years...as if I could find true love with a pocket watch)

Not to be confused with THE Magi....The Three Wise Men (We Three Kings of Orient Are....) who followed the star to find the baby Jesus.  Our tradition of Christmas gift giving derives from their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. An event which is very well documented outside of the Bible and which most of the world celebrates in the first week of January as the Epiphany.

I have had an Epiphany about gift giving...it is....well...quite simply...a gift.

To be able to recognize what an individual would embrace...a gift they would appreciate...is not always an easy task.

One of my kids won't give a gift they covet...that sounds selfish...but they are honest about what motivates their behaviour. 

Another kid calls for a gift list..."what do you think [fill in the blank] would like."  I am surprised how many of my suggestions they follow through with.

The other had picked out the exact perfect gift...and scared the recipient.  They have become a bit gun shy in their personal gift giving... and as a result...are generous to a fault in everyday life.

Why do so many people get caught up in the hype?  The bargain?  The trendy gift of the year...that you have to stand in eph-n line for in the middle of the night? Do they really know someone who WANTS a gift like that?

If the giving becomes caught up in price and cost...it loses its value.  If the focus is on comparison and competition....it is merely satisfying an obligation.  If it becomes more about the stress and strain...it is not a gift...it becomes a present.  (don't even get me started about wrapping...you've seen the way I decorate cookies...)

Don't get me wrong...I like receiving presents...I do.

Gifts that are given are presents...but not all presents given are gifts.  To my way of thinking...a present is something that can be given to any number of different people...a true gift has been selected specifically for the recipient.

It is not always just the thought that counts.
I told you my mind is all pinballing....

Quintana Roo - dia dos

Needing to keep in touch with those at home...I have become acquainted with the cybercafe onsite at our beautiful resort.

I have never been to this part of the world.. as we landed in Cancun, I could see why people come to visit from all over the world.

As you know each airline passenger is allowed two pieces of "baggage".  From the plane window, Teamster watched his second piece receive special treatment from the baggage handlers as it came out of the cargo area.

Immediately following check in we opened his "baggage" to make sure his precious cargo had survived the flights intact. (whew!!)

Our resort is about an hour south of Cancun on the Mayan Riviera outside of the town, Playa Del Carmen.  We shuttled into town today to purchase supplies and walk around.

 

 

We had a late lunch a little place along the main shopping district watching tourists from just about everywhere. 

 

Since Sunday is the the Lord's day of rest, we are gonna hang out by the pools and beach front....all day long.  (I never even do that at home!!) Tonight we are having dinner prepared by a visiting French chef.....

mas tardes.

Quintana Roo ~ day one

blogging live from dallas fort worth....

With a bit of disorganizational craziness, a fresh passport...and too many pairs of sandals....I am heading off for about a week to the Yucatan Peninsula.  The Teamster and I have sorta vague plans for some tourista time.

Apparently being online is not as intrinsic to others as it is to me....so I will be limited in my "air time" while in country.

Regretfully....I neglected to get my act together and create posts to magically appear while I am on holiday....but promise to take an embarrassing number of pictures to post later...

no te preocupes. voy a regresar

wordless wednesday ~ last night's walk

cookie monsters

Today begins our annual three day Christmas Cookie baking extravaganza.  Some of you may remember the pictures from last year (if not, here ya go....)

We doin' it a little low key this year.  We are only making five different types of cookies and only four different flavors of tarts.

I will admit it is expensive to buy all of the ingredients.  I wonder if my prominent product placement would qualify me for one of those sponsored posts some of you make coin with?

With kids who have their own lives and jobs...finding a weekend in December when everyone can get here is sometimes a scheduling nightmare. (okay...since SugarCookie reads this blog upon occasion...I will admit that I am gonna be away a couple weekends...) 

The oldest arrived last night...finished the supply shopping and first thing this morning started mxin' with her GammerKay.
 (the BearCub texted me at 7:30 am sayin' he was coming over when he finished pouring concrete...Little Missy works graveyard and is going through one of her phases...)

okay...gotta get back to it.
mas tardes.

"this is the best [blank] you'll ever have, baby"

take the almost five minutes to watch the entire clip...trust me

cheese pie and chai lattes EVERY night...

laughing....Laughing.....LAUGHING

Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious! - A funny movie is a click away