Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Twelve Days Of Christmas

I read recently where they have determined that the cost to give someone the 12 Days of Christmas for 2011 would cost $101,119.84.   This is just a mere 3.5% increase from last year, due to the current sluggish economy. I guess the Timex watch I was planning on buying my mom this year is no comparison.

I wonder though, how much would it really cost to customize 12 Days of Christmas for your true love?

The first day you could take your true love out to your local nursery for a live tree. A lovely 6 foot Douglas Fir would only set you back about $25, and what could be better than getting out in the mild night air and selecting a tree that will help set the tone for the season.

The second day you'll purchase 2 tickets to see the annual presentation of The Nutcracker being performed by the local ballet. The cost is around $25 per ticket and the show will have her reliving her childhood fantasy; becoming a "prima ballerina".

The third day of Christmas your true love will appreciate 3 glorious hours of being pampered at the Day Spa.  They will love the Hydrotherapy Session and a Full Body Massage for $105.

On the fourth day of Christmas, oh how they will enjoy 4 new ring tones for the cell phone.  At AT&T Media Mall you can purchase music or voice ring tones for just 2.49 each.

for the fifth day how about a sterling silver bracelet with 5 red hot heart charms from Kohls.  It may not be the $1500 breath-taker from 5th Avenue in New York, but at roughly $60 bucks it will set her heart a fire.

What could be better on the sixth day, than indulging in 6 decadent scoops of Winter Chocolate Marshmallow from Baskin Robbins!!

Everyone likes to try their hands at a little luck.  Give your true love 7 chances  on the seventh day with lottery tickets.  Its fun and anywhere from $1 to $5 a pop.

Help get into the spirit of Christmas on the eighth day with 8 Christmas Holiday Movies.  You can choose selections like Billy Bobs' Bad Santa to Jimmy Stewart's classic Its A Wonderful Life.

Nine gifts to distribute to a needy family, will allow you to spread your love and cheer to others on the Ninth day of Christmas.

On the tenth day give them 10 poinsettias  to feel their home with sparkle and punch.

The eleventh day will warm their hearts when you serenade them with 11 of their favorite holiday tunes.

On the twelfth day help them spread the love and cheer you have given to them by giving your true love 12 Christmas cards to send to those nearest to their hearts.

Your 12 days will come in well under the $101,119.84 price tag for 2011 and brighten the season for your love even more.


Saturday, November 26, 2011

One Down Two More To Go

With the Thanksgiving Holiday behind us just this past Thursday, we have officially made it into the Winter Holiday Season!!! Thursday, we reflected on those things that we are thankful for and gave reverence to the people in our lives both past and present that have helped us get to our current states.  We expressed our gratitude for their prayers, constructive criticisms, their time, listening ears, but most importantly for their love.

It is during this time that we realize how important and precious love is.  We know that love is action, and we show our love for others when we spend that extra hour or so just to find that right card or that special gift that will bring a smile to their face.  We show love when we sacrifice our time to take the ones we love to places that bring them joy.  We show love with a kiss or a hug.  We know that we are loved when we receive the same measure of kindness that we have given.

It is amazing how the marketing gurus of this world can evoke us to feel nostalgic of days and times gone by.  They remind us to say " I love you" when we watch one of their commercials, and the music in the background  is a song we danced to at prom, or was a special song we shared with one of our grandparents.

Christmas is coming and New Years is not far behind.  We can let our hearts hardened back after the season is over and await for the marketing gurus to tell us what to feel next.  Or we can keep the spirits of  "thankfulness", "giving", and "love" in our hearts despite the day on the calender and remember that everyday is precious.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Everyone loves a good riddle and this is one that has been floating around since the beginning of time.  Whenever we hear this riddle, our natural response is "To get to the other side"; and that's right huh?  Well what if I told you he crossed the road to change his way of doing things.  Maybe the chicken was stuck in a rut and he needed to find a way out.  He thought and he thought and the only solution that seemed viable to him was to cross the road.  Would that work?  You bet.

Crossing the road would give the chicken a whole new perspective on life.  It would show him a whole new way of doing things.  Everything on the other side of the road would be fresh and unfamiliar to him.  This would cause him to have to think things through differently and find new solutions to his same old dilemmas.

This could work for humans too.  How many times in the course of a day, while sitting in our cubicle cities do we say "Man I hate my job". or "I need to find something else".  Well in order for us to get to the other side, there are some steps we can follow.

-  Accept you have a problem.  Many of us know when something is wrong in our life that we try to make    
   excuses.  We say I got up on the wrong side of the bed.  If that's truly the case, then roll over and get out
   on the other side.

-  Secondly, we must determine what the problem is.  If the problem is that every time you get out of bed on
   the left side you have a terrible day, then the problem is that the left side of  the bed is not a good side for
   you.  If you work for a widget company and you hate widgets, then the problem is that you work for the
   wrong company.

-  Once you have assessed what the problem is, you can then look into finding solutions to the problem.
   If every time, I get out on the left side of the bed, I have a terrible day, then I should try getting out on
   the right side of the bed.

-  Select which solution will work best for you in resolving your problem.
    I don't like widgets, yet I work for a widget company.  I like gizmo's, so I should work for a company
    that makes gizmo's.

-  Next, and this is the hardest part for many of us; you must follow through with achieving your solution.
   This is hard for many of us because although we are miserable in our current situations, we would
   rather remain miserable then to move into a state that is unknown and unfamiliar to us.  We are creatures
   of habit.  We do not like change.

-  Finally move on with your solution, and you should find that you are happier in life and more pleasant
   to be around.

I'm not saying that solving our unhappiness can always be fixed over night.  For instance, if you hate working in a factory and would love to be a Radiologist this is not an instant fix.  Of course you would have to go to school for the necessary training before your change could come.  But in order for your fix to occur, you must take steps to enact your change.

So why did the chicken really cross the road?  I say because he wanted to succeed in life.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

My Blog Debut

Hello Everyone:

Well I guess I have proven to all my friends and family who said I would never actually start my blog wrong.  Maybe they kept taunting me about starting my blog to get me revved up enough  to go ahead and get out here.  I'm so psyched!!!   There are so many things going on.  The American adaptation of Stieg Larssons' The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be out in December.  I have been waiting for the American version for some time.  I didnt think the Swedish version did the book justice. If you havent read the book yet I would suggest you get your copy now and read up.  Also coming out is Hugo.  This is the film adaptation of Brian Selznick's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  This is a great season for book and movie lovers!!!

Gotta go now.  I'll be talking with you later this week.