Never wait to make someone you love happy

Dad and I have got the same sort of perspective on the holidays that me and mom had for years now. Rather than get presents and hide them away, waiting to give them on a particular day, we give the presents early so that they can be enjoyed rather than rat hole them away for a day that might now come along in time.

It is a lesson I learned the value of the hard way. Mom and I went to the Salvation Army not long before she passed away, just days before in fact, and I found a lovely dresser top candy dish there. I knew she would love it, and spent more than I should have to buy it for her for her and dad's upcoming anniversary. When I got out to the car I admitted I had got her a present, did she want it now or in a few weeks? She opted to get it then and loved it. It sat on the shelf by her bed, where it still sets today. Mom never would have seen it had I waited for her and dads anniversary.

That taught me to adore every day and not to hoard stuff I have bought for people just because someone said it should be given to them on a certain day that some guy hundreds of years ago decided sounded good.

So, I bought dad some presents the other day, including a good foam cushion for his wheelchair and a Snuggie. I can't say I am entirely impressed with the Snuggie, but the fleece in the thing is worth the price I paid for it.

The other night dad got me my big Christmas present from him. We had to run to the store for my brother and went on out to Lowes where Dad bought me the scroll saw that I had shown him a few days before. A Hitachi scroll saw that the first thing I did with it was make him an eagle cutout plaque.

I have discovered that I love working with the scroll saw, it is just as relaxing as working with a sewing machine, but the "quilt" is made on wood rather than out of fabric. Which I think I should try making a wood quilt just to see how it would work out. that could be very kewl. A wood coasters style table cover, wall hanging, or carpet type deal with scroll saw patterns on it.

I'll love the scroll saw just as dearly as the table saw and router that mom had got me before she passed away and want to build a good workroom where I can use them to make cabinetry and furniture and all kinds of things.

Unexpected memories stirred by common stuff

It is amazing just how sneaky memories can be, how they can be triggered by the oddest of things. I have been being very careful in my spending, so had not bought paper towels since before mom passed away - until a few days ago. Then after I got home I did not open them... not until this evening. When I opened them I could not help but think about how the last time I had paper towels in the kitchen, mom had been alive. It was one of so very many small things that suddenly trigger thinking about her and how much I wish she was still here. Even a year later, such thoughts are hard to push away when they hit.

Senate Votes Down Public Option on Health Care Plan

News just said that the damn Senate voted down the public option for the health care bill. That means that, as it has been all these years, the health insurance companies are going to screw over people like me who can not afford to buy health care and someday I will end up like my mom, putting off my own care to the point that my first trip to the ER is my last trip anywhere.

It pisses me off that the people who have $100,000 jobs and homes with "no worries" heaters, brand new state of the art kitchen stoves and a brand new Mercedes Benz in the drive are all throwing parties shrieking "We don't need that!" and screwing people like me, a hard working woman who is the proud daughter of a WWII vet who's family fled the Dust Bowl when he was a boy.

No.... what pisses me off is all the lies those people spread like wildfires to kill the health care reform. The newsman that had reported on it on CNN promised that he would look into what senators had got their bank accounts polished by health care companies before the vote and how they voted versus how others voted. I hope he pulls through on that promise, because I want to know who it is that runs this country - the people, the president, or the mega corporations that throw about money to keep themselves the big dog pissing on anyone that can not afford their private club fees.

Karisma Hotels Resorts

Located on secluded white-sand beaches on the Mexican Riviera Maya, the Karisma Hotels are a collection of resorts that offer luxury and relaxation to their guests.

The luxuries offered by their hotels make them ideal for Destination Weddings held on white sand beaches. When you are making plans you should note that the Karisma Hotels resorts include both adult only and family friendly resorts -

Adults Only:
El Dorado Royale Spa Resort
El Dorado Seaside Suites

Family-Friendly:
Azul Beach
Azul Blue

Naturalist:
Hidden Beach Resort

Some of the amenities to be found at the resorts include beach butlers, fine food, iced bartops, swim-up rooms, white gauze curtains around the beds, hot tubs, hammocks and more. Check out the listings for each resort for more details on which resort offers what services and for details on services offered exclusively by each resort, such as the milk baths and aromatic massages of the El Dorado Royale Resort, or the kid-sized bathrobes and coloring books offered by the family friendly Azul Beach Hotel.

Check out the link above for more information on each of the properties that Karisma Hotels resorts offers.

Physical Therapy Today

Today is a physical therapy day for my dad, he actually finished up his initial physical therapy stuff last visit, but they scheduled him for 2 more weeks and this is the first visit of that added two weeks.

I think I am a glutton for punishment, since I scheduled these sessions in the mornings, latest one starts at noon, others are 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning. It coaxes me to get up earlier, so it is not exactly a bad thing, but oh man -- I am not a morning person. Feeling sickly sitting up trying to wake up here, already had to lay back down for almost an hour and still feel "bleck".

Cappuccino should help that some, I'm going to make me some here in a few minutes. Can't event think about eating anything this early, so will delay breakfast until my dad's up then make eggs and toast or something for the both of us.

Why do women wear makeup?

I was asked my opinion on an interesting question by The Vahoo Info Connector blog...

"Why do women wear makeup?"

This seems like something that would have an easy answer, particularly when you take into account that mMakeup reaches a good 6,000 years back into history, ( Web MD has a good article on the history of makeup, as does Wikipedia.) but it really is not. There are many perspectives on this, enough that I decided that a survey was in order, so asked a few friends on AIM. A few examples of the replies I got were:

• to hide
• to conform
• vanity in wanting to look pretty
• social pressure to look pretty
• to hide a cosmetic flaw (such as a port-wine stain or acne)

The The Vahoo Info Connector adds in a fear of being the only one in the room not wearing makeup.

I grew up not being exceptionally social, so I skipped the whole "have to apply the makeup!" phase. I rarely ever wear any makeup and when I do it is just a little for special occasions. Can not even tell I am wearing it really. I think that my early disinterest in wearing makeup has been a good thing, since it helped me to feel more confident in my own appearance, so that I did not grow up feeling I had to hide behind makeup before I left my room like some people I know now.

Then there are the celebrities that can't go out without their makeup, Vahoo mentions one of them on their article about The Real Reason Women Wear Makeup. Dove had a campaign a while back that showed young girls just how much touching up was done to make the cover models that beautiful. It was an effort to stop the girls trying to look so much like the beauty that was more often than not no more than airbrush touch-ups.

Healthcare Bill Lies

The crud tossed back and forth about the Healthcare Bill just makes me mad, mad enough I should stop reading about it I suppose. Rather than present the facts and let people decide for themselves what is and is not a good idea, there are outright and blatant lies tossed up to scare people into a wild cattle stamped that will help to knock out the bill.

If the idiots that are trying to knock the bill down can not do anything more than lie about what it has in it, then why in the hell do they want to knock it down? What justifiable reasons are there for wanting to vote the bill down? Why don't they use those reasons instead of tossing up bullshit lies about what is in the bill?