Santa

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerindex?id=9387472

What's not to love about Santa Claus? He's jolly, kind, patient and, with a workshop full of scurrying little elves, he makes children's dreams come true. Santa depicts the soul of goodness and the spirit of Christmas itself -- at least in America.

Elsewhere, Santa has a much darker side.

The Netherlands' Sinterklaas does have a white beard and a big book with children's names in it, much like the gentle Santa who keep a list of who's naughty and nice, but he also goes about with a posse of soot-covered sidekicks called "Black Peters." If Sinterklaas' records show a child to have been particularly bad, legend has it he or she could be carried off by a Black Peter to be turned into a cookie.

Dutch journalist and filmmaker Arnold-Jan Scheer has studied St. Nicholas' scary side. He says some parents feel it's good for their children to be taunted and intimidated by St. Nick's helpers.

"I think the mother thinks, well, this is tradition, this is part of life, this is how it has to be," Scheer said. "Children need to be confronted with their fears."

In parts of France, St. Nicholas is accompanied by a cannibalistic child killer named P�re Fouettard (or the "Whipping Father"). He flogs children who have been naughty and dispenses lumps of coal, leaving St. Nick to bestow gifts to the good. In village parades this time of year, sinister P�re Fouettards grab children and whisk them along, while some cry in fear and others taunt him back.

In parts of Austria, it's worse still. When St. Nicholas makes a house call, he is accompanied by a demon named Krampus. While St. Nick rewards good children, Krampus beats the bad ones. Wearing fierce-looking masks, horns and animals skins, he overturns tables, sets fires, and grabs adults and children to spank them while St. Nicholas watches from the sidelines.

the next couple of days are going to be sucky

Funny Story from the other day....When I was at the ER the doctor had to do a pelvic exam. He told me to spread my legs like a frog! hahahahahahahahhaha Never heard that one before.

I have a gynecologist appointment this afternoon after which I have to go to work for the evening. Usually when I work I have to rest all day before hand but the doctor's visit shouldn't be too eventful. Hopefully I will be able to work the whole night. If I can't they will let me go home early (they'll even let me not work at all if I want) but I need the money.

Then I have to fast after midnight which I usually munch most of the night after I work because I am tired and I can't sleep. I always keep apples in the fridge for a quick midnight snack but usually after I work I need more substantial fare.

I have a stress test in the morning. Last time I finished it and the doctor was pleased, he didn't realize it would put me in bed for 2 days though and a few more restful days after that to recuperate. At least he lets me do it the normal way now (treadmill). The first 2 years he made me do a chemical stress test (they speed up your heart with drugs and you just sit there). The 3rd. year I tried to do a treadmill test and I couldn't finish it. At least I'm making progress.

Hopefully I'll have enough energy to play on the computer. I still have to do this month's edition of the newsletter. Oh well, if it has to wait a week then it just has to wait.

My Life in a Nutshell

I graduated from Logan High at Logan, WV in 1980. I quit Ohio State after 2 quarters. I intended to go to another college but life interfered with that although I have taken countless classes over the years that don't amount to a hill of beans - just whatever interested me at the time.

I went to Beauty School and graduated. I hated it. I liked doing hair, what I didn't like was interacting with people for a 1/2 hour to an hour at a time. I worked enough to pay off my student loan and other than cutting my hair that's all I do with that now.

I was married in 1982. We divorced in 1998 and I was blissfully happy until the day I left.

I found my calling when I started to train greyhounds in 1987. I knew I would do it forever the first time I stepped into a turnout pen. Originally I got the job to expose the big, bad track for greyhound abuse but I found out that most of the dogs were treated like kings and I could effect more change by staying in the business. Plus, I just plain loved it. My ex and I found homes for over 2000 greyhounds. When I first started finding homes for them people would laugh at me. I reeducated a lot of people in the business about what could happen if you found homes for the dogs. I am proud of my ripple effect with those efforts.

Unfortunately when I left my ex I had to leave the dog business. When I left him we were at the beginnings of financial and professional success. I got the bills and he got the money. I farted around at silly jobs for years and supplemented my income by raising dogs and finding homes for 100's of strays.

I bowed out of my life for 2 3/4 years to take care of my dying father.

Just when I was on the verge of financial success again, I went into the hospital with heart failure. I am alive. I am unable to work (except parttime). I no longer have any animals except for my fatty catty.

Life sucks but it is what it is.

more medical problems - sigh

Well I had to go back to the ER the other day. It is a shame because I had waited a month for my doctor to give me a referral to a gynecologist and he did not do it. (insurance requires a referral from my primary care doctor). I got tired of hurting so I picked a time I knew they wouldn't be busy and I went. (early Wednesday morning)

It turns out I have a cyst on my ovary. I have had fibroids for at least 20 years and it is probably the same thing. They are no big deal unless they are causing you problems. It has been causing me problems since last summer.

Now I have my referral. Unfortunately to get it I saw my doctor at least 4 times (he never did do a pelvic exam) and I made 2 trips to the ER to get to the root of the problem - one in September and one last week.

The trips to the ER were probably entirely unnecessary except for the fact that my doctor was just writing me antibiotics and the infection would clear up for about a week to 2 weeks and then start all over again. I learned in the dog business that after 2 rounds of antibiotics if the problem is not cleared up then check again for something else that could be wrong. If that had been done it would have saved the taxpayers at least $6000 in medical bills.

Anyway I am calling the gynecologist this morning to see what needs to be done to fix the problem properly this time. Probably surgery but we shall see.

An Answer to that All Important Question - When do the 12 days of Christmas start?

Dec 8, '09 6:02 AM for everyone

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
Swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were Not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone During that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

"It is always interesting to see how these songs came to be" - damnpamn

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

My Thanksgiving Weekend

I had a great day. I cooked the turkey the night before and ate a little turkey. Then I made my dressing and ate a little of that. When I woke up Thanksgiving morning I made sweet potatoes and ate one. Then I made brussel sprouts and helped myself. I made deviled eggs and I couldn't keep myself out of them. Finally when I knew it was time for a friend to stop by (I knew she had already eaten) I made mashed potatoes and gravy. While she ate a whole plate of food I had the mashed potatoes.

Basically I ate one thing at a time all day. I did not stuff myself and it was a relaxing holiday. I called my mom and my uncle and wished them a happy day and then I sat down to watch my movies.

I saw the man that the old bitties had been picking on so I asked him if he had a good holiday. He told me "no". I asked if he had at least got some food and he told me "no". I am sure he was telling the truth. So I fixed him a big ole plate of turkey and dressing and another plate with brocolli salad and deviled eggs. I gave him 1/2 a pumpkin pie with cool whip and almost a whole gallon of tea that Fruth had given me for free as part of employee appreciation week.

He told me he had a chicken but no way to cook it so I gave him a cookie sheet. I had 3 of them. It is not the best way to cook a chicken but it is better than nothing and I told him to keep it.

Then I ran into one of the old ladies who ran me off with their smoking and making fun of me earlier in the week. When she asked me how I was doing I told her in no uncertain terms not to speak to me. Her lip started to quiver and she was offended. I did not care. I pointed out to her that I had been nothing but nice to her and she should know how she affected my breathing because she is on oxygen too. SHE APOLOGIZED AND I ACCEPTED.

Then she told me her O2 machine was messing up and I looked at it and I fixed it for her. Now I am waiting to see if she meant the apology or if she just wanted somebody to fix her oxygen machine.

I worked last night and I am resting today.

Movies 11/28/10

1. Expendables It was good to see the old coots in action. Other than that....

2. Hannah and Her Sisters Why anyone would think this is a good Thanksgiving movie is beyond me!

3. Night at the Museum II Better than the first one. I would watch another.

4. Percy Jackson: Lightning Thief I liked it alot.

5. August Rush Heartwarming