Charge . . . not of the Light Brigade but those little cards we carry around in our wallets and use so willingly and so often during the holiday season. The mail lady dropped off a bundle of mail yesterday, catalogs of sale items galore, a Democratic Survey which I had to tear up and throw away because of my negative thoughts on that whole shebang up there in Washington, D. C., and a couple of letters from friends who refuse to use e-mail. Maybe January second should have a name like "payback day", as we haul out the check book and write out the amounts to pay for our 'magnanimity' during the holiday season. My blood work came back and I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in. I'll see the doctor for my first visit of the New Year and he will have a few words of advice which I intend to follow, or at least give it a try. Maybe I should start 'lent' and give up sweets now instead of waiting for a few months down the road, that way I may lose ten pounds , but, yep, always a but . . . I do have that ginger crust pumpkin pie to finish and La Verne's delicious fruit cakes are just waiting patiently for me to find some room to devour them. I've never understood why people do not like fruit cake, maybe it takes one to know one. All I can tell you is our left overs were just as delicious as they were New Years Day, improved only by the fresh crab that LaVerne bought in last evening just as son John and I were sitting down to dinner. Daughter Pat was over to play a game of scrabble and let me save face for a change. The telephone rang and I had a long delightful call from a friend in Colorado which actually cut my calories in half as my dinner got cold and tasteless and I wound up with a half ham sandwich and my pie. That must be the secret of cutting calories . . . quick bring me the telephone! The Christmas puzzle with five hundred pieces, three bright orange kittens and two multi colored kittens is on the kitchen counter waiting for attention. It is going to be a 'nasty' one, who knows it may be there until Easter . . . have the stores started to bring out all that Easter candy yet? . . . oh 'no' it is Valentines first, aha, commercialism at its best and we thought it was only for Christmas. Get out the little card, there is work to be done.
I hope you our good intentions are met with ease and you hold off going on a new buying spree long before the holiday gets here. Should we talk about TV ads? Better not, I have a few opinions on them, as I bet you do too. Just take one day as it comes and make it the best one you can. Remember the friends who are in pain and need a special card, now that is worth spending your hard earned dollars. As the Marines would say, "Semper Fi" . . . now where did that come from? I know NCIS shows were on mathorn style and I didn't miss a one.
