YES, I'M READY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

OK, My last blog was very serious so I thought I would just post some nice Christmas pictures from around my apartment....

Yes, purchased, wrapped, packaged, and postage paid, ready to go to post office

 Yes, I'm ready for Christmas...packages are all sent by the time you read this!! The only thing left to do are Christmas Cards. You know, no one sends cards anymore, like they used to. I used to love getting all the cards from those far and near. I loved reading the newsletters and catching up with everyone. Now, all I have to do is get on FaceBook and I catch up with everyone in 15 minutes. There are the select few who do not so social networking and those people I remember with a card and usually a small remembrance.

I got a cute little 4 foot fake tree this year. It fits in my apartment just right. I have all my packages wrapped for my family here in Seattle and they are around this tree and will be opened in January when everyone gathers back from their various travels....me back from Alaska (where I'll be spending a couple of weeks over Christmas), my son and his wife back from China, and my daughter and her husband back from San Francisco.....or is is Los Angeles?? I can't keep up!!

I have a smaller tree, which is covered with fake snow and is about 3 feet high (so cute!) and under this tree are reindeer and gifts to those who are not family member, but who live here in Seattle.

I have been told that Costco actually genetically alters their florals and the huge red poinsettia that I have proves it to be true. I have never seen one this huge. It is almost 3 feet high!!

Over the small fireplace I put a real evergreen wreath and I keep it moist with water spray so it gives off the wonderful smell that we all associate with Christmas. It came with the cute polka dot bow and the lights over my fireplace highlight it.

I have yet to have a fire in the fireplace, mostly because I have had bazaar things in front of it in large boxes. But now that the bazaars are over with those things are packed away and perhaps I'll have a fire when I have the kids over the first of January for a "second Christmas". 

I have added a picture of the one of the Snowmen and Santas that I made for the bazaars.

I am wishing all who read this a Very Merry Christmas, a Most Happy Holiday, and the Best New Year ever!!!

Love, Janie

THE HELP....Something on My Mind

Gone are the days where every white household had at least one black maid and possibly a black gardener. Thank goodness!! I just finished watching the movie entitled "The Help". I have always, ever since I was a child, had a soft place in my heart, even a fondness, for folks of other races. Black, Yellow, Green, whatever....it never made any difference and for some reason I always wanted to be extra nice to them because of my white skin. When I watched the movie "Dances with Wolves" I was totally ashamed to be white when I walked out of that theater. I don't remember how old I was then but it was a very profound feeling. 


The movie, "The Help" is a story about a southern white girl who is aspiring to be a writer right before the Civil Rights movement started. She was literally raised by a Black nanny as were all her friends. The book she writes is stories from Black maids who were even afraid for their lives because they talked to her in secret. I urge you to see it, if you haven't already.

I have always been so enraged by man's inhumane treatment of their fellow man!! It angers me when we are rude to each other, when we treat someone poorly because they are somehow different than we are. Who do we think we are? Do we think we are better than anyone else? Because of the color of their skin? Because of the clothes they wear? Because of the cars they drive/or don't drive? Because of the political party they are a member of? Because we have more/less money than others? We are each WHO WE ARE and should be thankful for our individuality. 


We will be most fortunate if we leave this world a better place than it was when we were born. Usually we have about 80 years, give or take, to make that difference. It's called a lifetime...but I'm here to tell you that some of us take a whole lifetime to figure out who we really are and what the hell we are here for. We are lucky if we figure that out and then can move forward to make some kind of difference for the good. 

Let's face it, we have very limited power to really change things in the world. Why we even have limited power to change things in our own towns and cities. And most of us have trouble making changes for the better in our own homes and lives. Some of us get at least one chance to get it right and some of us are lucky enough to get it right maybe on the second try or the  third try. 

When I look at my children I see in them much of what I myself believe...though I didn't really set out to teach them to be open-minded, or good to their fellow human beings. Some how along the way I at least didn't teach them to hate or to be bigots. I don't think I could live with myself if I had. Perhaps it's because they are 1/2 Asian that they see the world through a different filter, but on the other side of that, they also see it through a 1/2 Caucasian filter too....so go figure. 

If I had only one wish today and it was my last day on earth and my wish would come true, it would be that people everywhere would lay down their arms, would be humbled, and truly open their arms to those around them as they walk through life. There would be no war, no crime, and no hatred. 

Now there's an idea!!!

Janie