We're all guilty of it. Complaining. We complain about things that annoy us...red lights taking too long, traffic, work, friends, and loads of other daily things that don't go just the way we want them to. But, today I was rudely reminded just how fortunate I am.

We spend a lot of time at the VA hospital lately and this morning, while waiting for Keith's latest prescription I spent some time watching the other Veterans that were coming in for care. Keith is definitely one of the young ones. Most of the Vets are 40+ years older than Keith. Most of them have outlived their spouses so they come to the VA with children, nieces or nephews, or grandchildren. Today, one particular man caught my attention. He was probably in his 80s, given the WWII hat he wore, in a wheelchair, and very obviously confused. The woman with him, his niece, was trying to get him checked in for an appointment. He kept wheeling his chair around the corner and she'd have to run after him, "Uncle Bill! Come back here!" She was quite annoyed. The clerk asked for the man's VA ID card and when she turned to ask her uncle, he was rounding the corner again! "Uncle Bill! I need your VA card" "My what?" "Your VA card! They need to see that you are who you say you are" "Well of course I am!" "Well, they need to see your card, do you have it?" "No, Shelly always keeps up with it". The niece to herself, "Uncle Bill, Shelly's been gone for years..." then aloud to him, "Where is your wallet? Can you give me your wallet?" "Here you go. What do you need it for?" "Your VA card" "I have a VA appointment sometime this week, don't forget to get me there" "Yes, Uncle Bill. We are at the VA now" "We are? Well get me checked in then. The doctor won't see me until I'm checked in" "Yes, that's what I'm trying to do now!" She was growing more and more annoyed. It became quite obvious that this was her first time at the VA. She mentioned to the clerk that someone from a home health company usually brings him to his appointments. About then, Uncle Bill rolled himself around the corner again..."Uncle Bill! Stop rolling around!" A nurse came up and locked the wheelchair for her... "Thanks! Maybe I can get him checked in now" "Is Shelly going to pick me up after I see the doctor?" "No, Uncle Bill...Shelly's gone." "Where did she go?" to herself, "Not again...Just be quiet while I finish getting you checked in" "Checked in for what?" "You're doctor appointment!" "Yeah, I'm supposed to go to the VA for that sometime this week" She sighed, the clerk gave her instructions of where to take Uncle Bill to have some blood work done, then where to wait for the doctor. The niece sighed, thanked the clerk, and turned to Uncle Bill who was trying to unlock the wheelchair, "Let's go to the lab they need to draw blood" She wheeled him off down the hall and the sound of her voice explaining again where they were faded as they rounded the corner. It was really sad. But I'm not sure what was more sad... The fact that Uncle Bill had lost his memory and was unaware of his surroundings, or the fact that his niece was so obviously annoyed by her uncle and his aged body and mind.

It really made me think. There are so many things to be thankful for each day of our lives, but yet we seem to spend more time focusing on the things that annoy us. Next time you start to complain about something that's annoying you, please think about Uncle Bill. Even though his actions were extremely annoying to his niece, and even though he didn't realize it, he was depending on her and very fortunate that she was there to help him, but she was too annoyed to notice it.

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Wow! I'm really glad that 2009 is finally coming to an end! It's been a very difficult year! The death of several family members and friends, as well as several illnesses will make 2009 a sad year to look back on. Life can change in the blink of an eye, and this past year was full of life changes.

Overall, we have so much to be thankful for as we say goodbye to 2009! AJ & I are in good health and despite Keith's health, he was able to keep his job for another year. We've been lucky to have the support of a wonderful group of doctors at the VA as well as our family and friends. We've made some wonderful new friendships this year and found a great Masonic family and we're looking forward to all that the new year has in store for us with the Lodge and Chapter.

After 14 years of selling Avon, I switched this summer to Arbonne...a pure, botanically based line of skin care, cosmetics, and health products. With all the research we did when we started making our soy candles, I found that a lot of the skin care products on the market contain petroleum and numerous other ingredients that are not only harmful to the environment, but also harmful to our bodies! The changes we've made have already made a big difference in our lives and we're looking forward to sharing these products with more people!

The response this year to our candles and ceramic products has been astounding. After having a retail location during the late summer and fall, we realized that we could offer our products at much better prices without the overhead of keeping a store-front open. Orders continue to roll in on our website and we're working on our show outline for next year. We'll be exhibiting in several local shows and markets, and with a little luck, we'll even be exhibiting in some shows in Wyoming, Texas, and maybe even North Carolina!

We begin a new year with lots of hopes and plans, but really have no idea what the next 12 months hold for us. 2009 was proof of that! But, the excitement and hopefulness that comes with turning the page on a brand new calendar is unmatched.

Happy New Year, everyone.

The other evening, while pealing an orange, I thought to myself just how much I dislike pealing oranges! I was reminded of and evening some 20 years ago, when I sat in the living room anxiously awaiting a slice of a freshly pealed orange my Dad was pealing. There was a time when we always had oranges at our house and most evenings, while watching TV or playing cards, Dad would always peal one and share it with me. It was kinda our thing...Travis wouldn't eat them and every now and then, Mom would ask for a slice, but only one! I always laughed when Dad would squeeze the peal and make it spray a fine mist of 'orange' at Lacie (our dog). She'd walk off, half sneezing, half growling but would always return the next evening when Dad sat down and began pealing our next orange! I know it's silly, but I couldn't help from smiling as I enjoyed an orange with AJ and thought back on that childhood memory. I wondered if AJ would someday look back on that evening with a smile, too!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! What are you thankful? Me...well, I'm thankful for way too many things to list them all here, but here's a few!!

1.) My wonderful family
2.) My dreams, though sometimes they feel more like nightmares!
3.) My friends
4.) Songs and music
5.) The sights and sounds of the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Does anyone still read KeepingUpWithUs anymore? Our hits are through the roof every day, but we never get any comments left, e-mails about our posts, or anything. Are we just wasting our time updating here for people who are too cowardly to stay in touch?

Just checking...

I know, the new year is still several months away, but for me personally, another year is coming to an end. My 26th year. I'll turn 27 on the 9th and, as I seem to do in recent years I've found myself pondering many things as my next year in life begins. It amazes me how much changes in a year. In years past, I thought it was because I was still 'growing up'. Now that I'm 'grown up' there seem to be more changes in a year's time now than before! So when did I grow up? When did I go from loosing my first tooth, to starting high school, to moving out, to getting married and having a family? What makes you grown up? To a five year old, loosing your first tooth means you're growing up and to a teenager the start of high school marks the four year countdown to moving out! But then what? Once you move out do you instantly become grown up? Once you get married and have a family, do you automatically pack up your Friday night movies and turn on the news? Because you're grown up now, you know...responsibilities replace the carefree life you once knew. But are you really grown up then? Or do you finally grow up when a dear friend loses their life so unexpectedly that you barely have time to digest what's happened? Or is it having a grandparent think you are your mother and not remember that you're married now with a child of your own? Or, are you finally grown up when you rush your child to the ER after a terrifying fall? Or perhaps it's when you realize that having extra money in the bank is not nearly as important as helping a friend keep from losing their house. Or maybe you're grown up when you spend more time with your spouse in waiting rooms at the VA hospital trying to find answers and figure out treatment options so he'll be able to lift his son again. Or do you finally become grown up when you take a huge leap of faith and open your long awaited business? Do these things really make us 'grown up'? There is no age...no magic number that determines when we're grown up! Each of us go through things, many different things throughout out lives and at several milestone spots we think we're grown up. But in reality we're just growing a little more each time towards finally being grown up. I don't think I'm grown up yet. I still have lots of growing to do, and these last several years have taught me a lot about growing. I grow a little more each day... a little more in love with Keith...a little more proud of my son...a little more thankful for my parents...a little more fond of my friends...a little more hopeful for the future...and a little more grown up.

We're trying to help our Eastern Star Chapter raise money for one of their state-wide charities. They are selling little lollipop lapel pins for $4. (They're really cute...about 1 1/2 inches!) The moneys goes to 'Help lick cancer!' If you're interested in getting one (or more than one) please let me know!

Thanks for your help!

A friend of mine forwarded this e-mail out yesterday and I wanted to share it here! Hope you all enjoy!

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a
bitch.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a
bitch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a bitch..

Being a bitch means I won't compromise what's in my heart.
It means I live my life MY way.
It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.
When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a
bitch.
The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid, or when I act a little selfish. It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I 'should' be.

I am outspoken, opinionated and determined.
I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!
So try to stomp on me, just try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.
You won't succeed.
And if that makes me a bitch , so be it.
I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

B - Babe
I - In
T - Total
C - Control of
H - Herself

B = Beautiful
I = Intelligent
T = Talented
C = Charming
H = Hell of a Woman

B = Beautiful
I = Individual
T = That
C = Can
H = Handle 'anything'

Treat your friends like you do your pictures. Always keep them in the best light! - Unknown