YEAH! Shopping is finished and gifts are wrapped!

Next on my list is to color my hair, shower and pack some clothes for a 2-day trip to PA. Then I'll be ready to sit down and enjoy some Christmas music and a late supper.

I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning and am SO looking forward to sharing Christmas 2008 with my family in PA. Oh....and a very Happy 89th Birthday wish to my mom who is in Florida for the winter!

A happy and holy Christmas to all......."and to all a good night" :)

Here's something new that this "country bumpkin turned city slicker" experienced today....

Thanks to my mother's Christmas gift every year, I have been a member of AAA (American Automobile Association) since 1993. For all those years, I haven't had too many occasions to use AAA services, but when I have, their services have been INVALUABLE in my estimation!

Today I had to call AAA today to recharge my mini-van's dead battery. (I attempted to start the vehicle yesterday at 10:30 am and found it quite DEAD!)

I've had some warning signals in the past month that the battery might be screwy, but after taking the van to the place where I purchased it they assured me, after a test, that both the battery and the alternator were fine. Today confirmed for me that the battery is, indeed, NOT FINE! The AAA service man reported that a cell (inside the battery, I learned) is dead, which means the battery will no longer hold a full charge and likely not start again. (That is my interpretation of the serviceman's explanation...from my very limited understanding of cars and batteries!). Anyway, the AAA man said he could put a new battery in for just over $100.00 or I could find another place to have that service done. I opted for the 'other place', thinking I could save some money, and decided to run into my house, with the motor running and prepare to head to the nearest autozone or back to my dealer. After a few phone calls, I realized that $110.00 wasn't too bad of a price for the convenience of having the service done IN MY DRIVEWAY! Autozone, locally, wasn't able to install the battery, the dealer wasn't yet open for business and on and on. My decision? I called AAA back and asked them to come back and install a new battery for me! I'm happy with my decision. Yes...it will cost a bit more but this is SO EASY and CONVENIENT. I'm willing to pay for that service on this cold and frosty morning as it is! I am now waiting for the AAA serviceman to return and install the new battery.

Now, the new thing that I learned this morning (among other miscellaneous auto details) was that here in the CITY in CT there is an actual AAA service center that sends out their own service van's, equipped with all the batteries, jump cables and whatever else it is that they use to assist clients. Back in good old rural PA, AAA is normally performed by a local service contractor. You know, a "service station" that contracts with AAA to serve their clients. Back 'home', the customer calls a AAA hotline number and the AAA organization then contact the nearest local contractor to serve your needs. I think in the town where I grew up, there was ONE service station (out of only 4 stations in town) that was associated with AAA service! So, I learned something new and was very happy with my service!

Now....my next question was, "Do I tip this guy, or what?" Ah....in the spirit of the holiday....I gave him a nice tip and wished him Merry Christmas!

It has been a good 'day off work' so far and no matter if I need a new ($100.00) battery or not, I am enjoying the holiday already!

Season's best to you all!

Anyone want to see photos of some craft projects that I made for Christmas gifts this year?

I just completed these three banners today. Whew...just in time for Christmas! Some ideas for these banners are to use them for wall decoration, as a drape over furniture, or cupboards, etc. or use as an accent or a window treatment.

The first photo is of two similar banners that I made for two wonderful little girls. Shhhh....don't tell them! These banners will be great to use as a 'valance' at the girl's bedroom windows and they match (co-ordinate with) the four wall hangings that the girls and I made a few years ago, which are now hanging over their beds. I used fabrics and scraps from that previous craft project and added some 'girly' embellishments. The banners really DO look much cuter in real life than the photo conveys.

The next photo is of a banner I made for my grandson's bedroom. While in PA over Thanksgiving vacation, I was able to get a pillow from the crib bedding that is in my grandson's bedroom. I purchased co-ordinating fabrics, added some embellishments to these flags and ended up with what I think is a really great banner! This banner looks great next to the matching crib pillow that I snatched from Tucker's bedroom and I'm hoping his mom will also enjoy this! (and is not reading this blog!) Of course, this grandma came up with an additional (more "fun") gift for Tucker, as well as a savings bond to start his investment portfolio!

What is pictured in this post is the extent of the craft projects that I did for Christmas gift giving this year. UNLESS, of course, I get a wild idea in the next few days!

Update on my cold...

I'm pretty convinced that I now have a sinus infection along with the cough and cold I am battling. I may have to see a doctor and am glad for Tuesday and Wednesday off work so that I can get treatment before I travel! Hope everyone is busily accomplishing their pre-Christmas tasks!

Happy Hanukkah!

What's new with me? Not much...I'm getting over a cold and cough and feeling MUCH better every day! Allow me to share this report about some over the counter medication that I've found to be very beneficial!

I am very happy to recommend the medication ZICAM to anyone who battles colds and it's symptoms during the winter. I heard this medication advertised on the radio and the announcer sure sounded very convincing! I went out and purchased the stuff and have been using this medication (off and on) since early November. At the first sign of a sniffle, I start using! I am convinced that my most recent cold was drastically reduced to only minor symptoms and the duration of the 'inconvenience' was shortened significantly. The initial cold symptoms that I had really never even materialized into a full-blown cold.

I did, however, end up with some chest congestion and then started some coughing. I then went out and purchased MUCINEX, which was highly recommended to me by my employer. I am happy to report she was CORRECT! After just two pills of this medication, I am feeling and sounding MUCH better today!

Just thought I'd share those two recent finds. It is so great to find some over the counter medicine that really does what it claims to do!

Unfortunately the down-side to being a nanny and working with children is that the kids bring home EVERY BUG that is out there! I wash hands, use anti-bacterial gel and still.....I get sick! Oh well, today I am happy that I found ZICAM and MUCINEX! Try it for yourself!

I suppose many of you have mile-long lists of things to do before the holiday! I've begun my 'to-do list' also but it's not too long. Life is fairly simple for me and I try NOT to complicate it!

I'm a bit Bah! Hum-Bug about Christmas, actually. You can read on "Walking God's Way" my feelings about the celebration of Christmas. In a nutshell, I'm not in agreement with the manner in which the Christian community has come to pass off Christmas as a 'holy day' or a God-ordained celebration. I've delved into the roots of the holiday and now take the position that Christmas is not a Biblical holy day and no where in scripture are Christians instructed to set aside December 25th to honor the Lord and worship Him. I view Christmas pretty much as a pagan holiday, complete with all the pagan rituals and practices, but now twisted, shaped and 'packaged' in a way that appears acceptable and palatable for Christian participation. BAH! (just my opinion)

In spite of all the negatives of Christmas, I must say, I DO enjoy the spirit of the holiday season, though. I appreciate the attitude of benevolence that is in the air, the special acts of kindness that people perform and the many occasions of fellowship and love that are shared during this season. I fully intend to embrace the season with a visit to PA, to visit family and loved ones. I will share my love in the form of special gifts and acts of kindness as well. I like the warmth of white lights and fireplaces, the smell of pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies and so much more! I like snow falls here in New England, vacation days from work, holiday carols and PEACE ON EARTH. I actually began enjoying the 'season' before Thanksgiving and will continue through the winter. In all of these enjoyable activities, I continue to keep Christ central and honor Him each day.

As for the birth of Jesus? I celebrate the birth of the Christ in my life EVERY DAY. I proclaim His Name, share His Love, spread His Hope and so much more; this is the manner in which I chose to celebrate His birth.

All that said, allow me to post a photo of an activity that was enjoyed by my charges on Friday. The oldest daughter hosted a "Little Ladies Lunch" for 7 of her friends and part of that fun was decorating Gingerbread Houses! In advance, I made 12 Gingerbread Houses from graham crackers and icing and then provided gobs of candies, cereal and goodies as decorations! The 8 little girls had loads of sticky fun and the two younger children got to make their own Gingerbread Houses later in the day! This was a very simple activity that anyone could adapt depending on age. If you'd like instructions, just drop me a note!

Enjoy the season!

I'm thinking that I might begin posting on this blog again.....

I am seeking a format through which I can share my life as a nanny, the projects I work on and the fun that I experience in my job; yet a concern is ever with me. As I attempt to share my daily activities on this blog site, my concern and struggle is how I can best capture and share the true essence of my experiences and yet NOT disclose any information that could potentially harm my employer, her family or others who may be inadvertently effected. It's a crazy world out there! One can never be too careful when accessing or divulging information on the Internet! Additionally, I understand that some folks simply prefer (or may require) to remain 'private'.

This writing struggle that I face today is a perfect example of my life as a "Country Bumpkin Gone City Slicker". Having been raised in a small community where "everybody knows your name and your business", I grew up trusting and relying on others to be discreet, caring and respectful of each other. Of course, there was always the neighborhood "busy-body" who found it a thrill to divulge certain tidbits of "information" when it was not necessary to do so, but by and large, people in my community were honest and respectful of others privacy, suffering or struggles. Within my own family, I cannot recall the sharing of slanderous or inappropriate 'gossip' at our dinner table or in a family setting. I was taught to display consideration and respect for others. Perhaps, therefore, I am too trusting today; I struggle when I encounter people who are skeptical, slanderous and just plain evil! Why ANYONE would want to do something hurtful or evil with small tidbits of information, (as found in a blog post) I can't imagine, but I DO know that the threat is real. In this world of the 21 century, it is all too common to observe heartlessness, self-centeredness and evil in people. It is with this great concern that I seek to share the fun experiences that occur in my life while at the same time, discretely honor the privacy of others!

If you recall, last summer, I shared many snippets of my daily life at summer camp, only to learn in September that my postings had left some people feeling violated, or at least they expressed the potential for that to my employer.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, please understand that as you read, you may find 'holes' in my writing or you may experience the feeling that there are "things left unwritten". I will utilize editorial liberty; all in an effort to maintain privacy of others. I may change names, use initials or simply use ______ (blanks) to avoid revealing a location, event or person. Mostly, I will just try to stick to 'general' information instead of person or location specific details. I WILL TRY!

Best to all as the holidays approach!