" We're going on a cruise!"

We've been saying that a lot since Saturday when we went to a meeting to hear all the details. But let me back up a few months.

One thing I intended to blog about (and I don't know why I never did) was about my school of nursing 40 year (OHMIGOD!) class reunion last August. I'd been to a few high school reunions a long time ago and probably won't go to anymore, mainly because I just don't care much about the people I went to high school with. I mean, if I did, wouldn't I have some sort of contact with them on even an irregular basis?

But this reunion was just unimaginably fun - I think the difference is that we all lived together - all girls (no guys) living together in the dorm; eating together in the hospital cafeteria; going through all of our classes and clinical rotations together; and even traveling to Cincinnati for our pediatric experience together - for 3 years. No summer breaks and only a few days over the holidays each year. Now that's togetherness. But we got an awesome education.

Many of us made lifelong friends (see one of my posts from early last year). And many of them kept in contact and saw each other often. I did at first, but I was one of the first ones to get married and have kids and Dick and I have always spent most of our spare time together.

The first photo here was taken that night. The two older women on the far right side (next to me) were instructors and the rest were my dear classmates.

There was only one woman I didn't recognize at all (she'd recently been on medication that added weight to her face) and I'll admit I had to take a sneak peek at a nametag or two.

I hadn't seen most of them in 40 years. Some looked really good, some looked - well, let's not go there. (But I will say that the women aged much better than the husbands I remembered from that long ago.) But the amazing thing is that everyone's personality was exactly like I remembered - the quiet ones were still rather quiet, the life-of-the-party types were still boisterous, etc.

Many of us met for brunch the next day and the fun and conversations continued. I found out many of them have lunch once a month and a few weeks after the reunion, they came to my store afterwards and shopped. (Thanks)

And now we're planning a cruise together for next February (2009). We haven't been on a cruise in years and we love them. We had a planning meeting this weekend and now we are pumped.

I'll blog about this more in the future, but in the meantime, let me ask you . . .

Wanna go? There's room and it's a really good deal . . . let me know.

Each situation is unique

Sometimes I’m just too quick to judge people - a woman has come into my store several times in the past week to look at a designer (Coach) purse. She really liked it and today she politely asked me if it would be going down in price any time soon.

I told her it had already been marked down and the consignor was going to pick it up any day as it hadn’t sold.

She really wanted it, but said she couldn’t afford it right now. I offered layaway but she said she still wouldn’t have the money at the end of 30 days.

She left the store and came back less than 30 minutes later and asked to look at it again. I kept an eye on her, if you know what I mean. And believe it or not, she asked if I would give her phone number to the consignor so she could buy it from her after it was picked up (!!!!!!!). Of course, I told her I couldn’t do that. That told me a lot about the woman, or so I thought.

She left the store and of course I was sure I’d never see her again.

She called a little later asking me if I would hold it for an hour and of course I said I would.

She came in an hour later with cash and bought the purse. I was shocked. So I thank the kind soul who lent her the money. I think she’s good for it.

When’s the last time a “quick read” you made on someone was totally wrong?

Today's new TV sets

My husband is a TV freak. I love it, too, and we watch a lot of it. We both have our favorite shows and sometimes watch them in separate rooms on separate sets. If we're awake, at least one television is probably on.

I never really cared what the picture was like, as long as it was at least a little watchable. I remember when I was young and all we had were antennae either on the top of the TV (good old 'rabbit ears') or on the roof of the house. If the weather was bad, the picture and sound were sometimes barely discernible. But I didn't care much.

So this recent hoopla about flat screen, LCD, HTLV, blah blah blah. Who cares? A TV is a TV, right?

We have a big screen TV in our family room that's probably 8-10 years old. Our sons don't make fun of that one. But we've had the big console TV in our living room for at least 25 years and they do make fun of that one. Always.

My husband retired at the end of '07 (a later blog post about that). Doggone if those kids didn't tell him they were getting him a new TV as a retirement present.

Well it came tonight. OHMIGOD! Do you know the difference in the picture is unbelievable? Dick is usually asleep by 9, but it's 11 and he's still wide awake and playing with guess what? He's like a little kid with a new toy. No, he IS a little kid with a new toy. I'm going to shower and then to bed. Not Dick - "I'm going to play with my new TV for a while."

Thanks so much, Paul, Angie, Dave and Jan. You guys are awesome!

So do you think we're the last household above the poverty line to get one of these new-fangled things?

Goals or resolutions? Which make more sense to you?

Like many people, I always think about making New Years' "resolutions" usually about December 30th. I not only usually break them by January 2 but I forget about them even sooner.

We spent New Year's Eve with good friends at a local restaurant (owned by good friends) and shortly after midnight, John said, "Okay, let's go down the bar and everyone say what their New Year's resolutions are." More than half of the people said , "Not to make any resolutions." I said, "To get on the treadmill regularly."

This is January 8 and so far, I've not been on the treadmill. I DO know where it is and thanks to my husband, it's been accessible since a few days before Christmas (it's almost always totally covered with 'stuff' but we had family staying in the room where the treadmill is).

I am not proud to say that I haven't used the treadmill since December . . . of probably 2005. I know I should. A physician friend told me that because of my strong family history (both maternal and paternal) of diabetes, that even if I stay thin, I'm likely to develop it as I get older unless I start to exercise regularly. But it's just so booooring.

And the usual resolution stuff doesn't pertain - quit smoking (late 70's), quit drinking (late '06), lose weight (late '07) (man, I'm boring).

And "resolutions" always sounds like it only pertains to January - that's the only time you hear people use that word in that context.

So I'm wondering if "goals" would work better. I can make goals anytime, and in fact, I do. If you notice, none of the habits I quit occurred in January or near the first of the year.

So some of my recent goals are:

a) figure out how to put my photo in my blog profile. My friend Debby told me I first have to put my photo in a blog post. So here it is. (Thanks, Ellen, for the photo.)

b) learn how to post links on this blog (Louise is going to teach me that).

Not very 'meaty' goals, but, hey, it's a start.

So what are some recent goals (or resolutions) that you have made?

Oh, great - now saying "Happy New Year" has rules!

Almost all the time, I believe in being politically correct. If a word or phrase offends someone, then it shouldn't be used. But give me a break - I just read in today's paper that saying "Happy New Year" is limited to the first few nanoseconds after midnight on New Year's Eve (okay, I exaggerate a little). Someone asked the syndicated advice columnist, Miss Manners, how long it was appropriate to offer that greeting. (She likened it to people who leave their Christmas decorations up too long, but frankly who cares?)

Well, I'm going to continue it for a while longer. I was careful during December to not offer "Merry Christmas" to customers unless a) they were sporting Christmas garb, b) they said it first, or c) I knew them well enough to know they wouldn't be offended. I resorted to the generic "Happy Holidays" but then I had a customer whose religion doesn't celebrate anything at this time of year and she made a point of letting me know that.

So "Happy New Year" it is - at least until I offend someone.

So what's your take on this?

My very best wishes for this New Year!

May 2008 be the best year we all have ever, ever had.

May it be filled with beauty.

May it be filled with love.

May it be filled with joy and happiness.

May it be filled with abundance, however you define it.

I am sometimes accused of being a pollyanna. I don't care - call me whatever you want. I just know that I am the happiest I have ever been. I have spent a great deal of time and effort in the last several months learning how to perfect the practice of making my life what I want it to be. And I believe anyone can do the same.

So this year, I am going to remain healthy, eat whatever I want but lose weight (only another 7 or 8 pounds to go :), have all the money and other resources I need, attract more good positive-thinking people into my life and continue to love anyone who will tolerate me.

Life is GOOD!

What are you particularly looking forward to in 2008?