1.  I do not, I can not, I shall not like those commercials that keep coming on about pets who are treated badly.  They break my heart, and make me so sad.  One of them even had a famous singer singing Silent Night as pics of animals were flashing by.  I mute my TV.  It’s too sad, I can’t stand it.  Anyone who harms or mistreats a helpless animal deserves nothing but the harshest treatment.  How dare any human mistreat these precious creatures God made for our world.  It is just too sad.

2.  There is nothing wrong with The Little Drummer Boy.  It has served us well as a Christmas song for many years.  Why then did some child decide that it needed to be turned into one of those rap songs complete with the crazy tempo and banging beats in the background.  I know there is a segment that thinks that such noise is actually a form of music…I highly disagree…but it is not my call.  But, leave our beloved Christmas songs alone.  Make up your own nonsensical rhymes yourself and set it to your own drumming beat.  The Little Drummer Boy is a the composer and lyricist’s imagination.  It is sweet and touching…and you do not even come close to capturing that.

3.  The same movie played over and over and over and over for a full 24 hours?  Really?  What a cop out.  There are plenty of Christmas movies to play and enjoy.  Hallmark Chanel has done an awesome job this season playing good movies that anyone can safely watch.  Kudos to them!

4.  I live in a smaller town, and as such there are things here that we are lacking.  W miss good theater, quality musical concerts, and museums.  Though I must hasten to say that our local groups do very well in these areas…but it still lacks what is available in larger venues.  But, you weigh that against slower pace of living and the qualities of our fine town…and it equals out well.  My youngest who lives in Birmingham gave me tickets to a Broadway play that is coming to his city.  The play is Wicked, a smash on Broadway.  It follows the further adventures of the ‘wicked witch of the west’ from the Wizard of Oz.  Can hardly wait to see it!

5.  Our local newscaster just reported this breaking news…“GOING TO SCHOOL WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER”.  “Studies have found that those middle school students who attend school have higher test scores than those who are not schooled.”  There are no words to follow up on this…just passing on the info like a good citizen should.

6.  The best commercial ever…the one where the snowman slowly walks into the house and sits down to a lunch of chicken noodle soup.  As he eats, the snow melts and a little boy emerges.  So sweet.  It always gives me a warm feeling.  Which, I’d imagine, is what the purpose of the commercial is.

7.  I think taking Christmas decorations down and packing them away is a sad chore.  As good as it feels to have the house back to normal…the packing away of my Christmas treasures is a task I dread to do.  I have too many of these ‘treasures’ and therefore cannot even put them all out every year.  So, some I only see every two or three years.  That is totally ridiculous, I know.  But, I can’t bring myself to part with any of them.  I’ll leave the task for those who deal with my things when I pass on out of this life…for now it is enough to know they are all packed away safe and sound.

8.  Have you discovered Pinterest?  Well, I have…and I love it!  It presents you with a chance to build bulletin boards (as many as you like) and to pin whatever you so desire on the boards.  It is addicting.  Yes it is.  For several years, I have done much the same thing with picture files.  I love to categorize and put things in their proper place.  I can spend hours taking pictures and putting correct names on each and making all the categories to fit them into.  For some reason, my ADD brain can allow me to sit and do things like this for the longest without screaming at me, “GET UP!  GO DO THE IRONING!  NO, DON’T DO THAT, WATCH TV!  NO, NO, I MEANT TO SAY GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH FINN!  WAIT!  YOU NEED A DIET DR. PEPPER FIRST!”  You may think I’m kidding…but, it’s true!  But, doing something like sorting and categorizing items is like a pacifier for that ‘crazy’ part of my self.  (Now, you probably think I’m even crazier than before, don’t you?  Oh well!

9.  Who decided that, in the world of politics,  there should be polls?  Why are they even a good idea?  I see a poll for who is ahead in the race, a poll for who is favored by 18-35 year olds, a poll among senior citizens, a poll about who businessmen like the best, a poll about which candidate is favored by evangelical Christians, a poll for first time voters.  There are polls about whether Obama should have taken a vacation in Hawaii, whether Mitt Romney will allow his LDS beliefs to hinder his job should he be elected.  There are polls which say whether polls are an effective way of predicting outcomes.  There are polls and there are polls and there are polls.  Can anyone think for themselves anymore?  It seems to me that all newscasters and reporters must have lost the ability to interview and comment on a candidate’s qualifications and abilities until a poll tells them what to ask.  Has it gotten to the place where we can not listen to a candidate and review his political history and make an intelligent decision.  Every debate, every speech, every political activity, when finished, has a group of newscaster to tell us what they just said, why they said it and what it means.  Then they tells us how we should think about what they said.  One side says they have wonderful ideas, worthy of following…while the opposing newscasters tell us that they are dumb as dirt and flirted with a woman back in 1972.  UGH!  I am so tired of hearing about every time the candidates have pooped since the age of 30.  Enough! Enough!

I am so thankful for HGTV, and NatGeO, and H2 (History)….I at least have something to watch other than news and debates and polls!

Never let it be said that I do not think we should be informed citizens…I do.  We need to be informed, and make intelligent decisions.  But all this hoopla has me going nuts.  I can decide who I want to  vote for…no poll will make up my mind!  Excuse me now while I step down off my soapbox…and I’m sorry for the dirty word…

10.  I know very little about the game of football…don’t know the people who play…don’t know what position is what.  But, I like Tim Tebow!  God bless that young man for ‘walking the talk’.  What an example to other players and young people who watch.  What a shining example of letting God truly guide your life in all you do.

11.  I am going to publish this now.  The Christmas items are getting outdated and we need to move on to other things…I’ll be watching… for there is much nonsense in this world of ours.

PS…That first picture is not me…I would not wear that suit.  And, I NEVER wear white shoes, unless they are tennis shoes.

PSS…That picture of just the feet are not mine….I would not wear those shoes…because that is exactly what they would look like on me!

It is fine with me if you would wear either of those…but they do not belong on me.  Good day!

EDITTED TO ADD:  My dear friend Rachel just informed me that those are not ‘white shoes’…they are ‘spectators’.  I took another look and she’s right!  So, yes, I would wear those spectators with an outfit and accessories of black and white!  And, I’m sure they would look divine!  Thanks, Rachel, from your far away, blind as a bat friend!