That Matchmaking Gleam

Okay, so the ceremony was over, and there was a little cake and punch reception at the church before the dinner reception somewhere else, and one of my Mom’s old friends came over to talk to my sister and I. She asked about our ages and school situations and then she said, “Do you have beaus?” I wanted to laugh but held it together enough to reply that no, I don’t have a boyfriend and exchanged a look of amusement with my sister as she said she didn’t have a boyfriend either. “Well, you know, there’s plenty of time for that…let me tell you how my sister met her husband at a hospital.” (Remember my sister is a nurse.) So she told us the story and it was a nice one and I liked it…but then, she said sorrowfully, “But, she lost him five years ago, in his sleep, and now she’s dying of cancer…so it wasn’t a happily ever after story.” I was completely stunned but managed to gasp “I’m…so…sorry.” My mom’s friend is very matter of fact and a Christian so she wasn’t being morbid but, yikes! She moved on then and a gleam came into her eyes, “Now, I do have three nephews and two of them are about your ages…” “Horrors! A matchmaker!” I groaned inwardly and exchanged another look with my sister. So, then she told us about her nephews and how they want to go to Med. School and how they don’t have girlfriends and all their good points and ages…. Sounded like she was trying to start a clinic or build a bridge or something. Such a nice lady but, oh, for pity’s sake, I don’t want to buy your nephews! :-D When we politely got away, I dragged my sister out to the hall and groaned, “Wasn’t that just awful?!” And then we practically collapsed laughing...it was all so ridiculous…we just couldn’t help it. :-)

:-)

Things I Don’t Want to See in Your Christmas Letter

We’re being slowly flooded with Christmas epistles…from family and friends…and the boasters abound. Why is it that Christmas is used as an excuse to send out boastful letters? I don’t get it. Christmas is completely about humility―I mean, God came to earth and was born as an ordinary man in a common place―that’s about as humble as you can get.
So here’s what I don’t want to read or see in Christmas letters…I’m sure many of you will agree with me...and maybe I'll even add more things when more letters come. :-)

1. That your teenage daughter went to Japan with her “friend” Joe. (That actually makes me kinda sick. :-D)

2. That you managed to find a house in one of the fashionable parts of town. (We’re all real impressed.)

3. “I’m being tutored in Biblical Greek!” (At sixteen?! I like Greek but good grief!)

4. About your son or daughter’s new girl/boy friend. (Here today, gone tomorrow…tell me when they get engaged.)

5. Detailed lists of each child’s personal activities, hobbies, aspirations, and college perspectives. (Thank you…but we’re not looking to hire them for upper management.)

6. How you spent the past year in the car driving kids to various activities. (That’s actually rather sad…)

7. Brand-names. (We’re all so happy that you can afford a Lexus, Mac, or Coach bag and told us so.)

8. A list of places you went, what you did, and how great, great, great it was. (Never fails to be nauseating.)

9. Lots of posed pictures, edited on Photoshop, and strategically placed around the 2-3 page letter. (This isn’t a bloody catalogue cover…just tuck in one nice picture for us to put on the fridge!)

10. And in the last paragraph, tell us about your high-blood pressure problem or palpitating heart issue or breathing concern…and how the doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong. (We all know what’s wrong and how we know has something to do with how out of breath we felt just by reading about your life.)

I like hearing from people but why can’t they be honest and real? You’re supposed to be sending letters to people who care about you…so tell us what really happened and skip the bragging. Being blessed does not give you an excuse to boast.

P.S. Mom read this before you send out our Christmas greetings. :-)

:-)

What it was… was Hockey

My brother and I went to a pro-hockey game last night and I have to say it was pretty entertaining. I like hockey―though I prefer to watch the highlights on TV―but it is fun to go to a game once in awhile―especially since our team won. :-) However, I was very amused by the behavior of the season ticket holders seated nearby. (We know someone with season tickets and they got us seats about five rows from the ice. Sweet huh? :-) ) Its strange how the fans think that the players can 1: hear them and 2: care about what they say/yell. At one point, our team had a power play but they weren’t doing anything with it, and this one huge jersey wearing season ticket holder, who heretofore had been quiet, yells at the top of his lungs, “IT’S A POWER PLAY!” If I’d been holding anything at that moment I certainly would have dropped it but thankfully I wasn’t so I just giggled to myself. Our team finally scored and everyone jumped to their feet; then, the season ticket holders went around and high-fived each other and even embraced―I mean, you’d think that they’d been the ones to score and not the players. It was really funny. :-D So then, we’re in the 3rd period, a player swings a little too close to the referee, and jersey guy decides that it’s imperative to yell, “HIT THE REF!” And I’m sure the ref. heard it…the season ticket holders seem to hate the refs. Other season ticket holders yell at the players, and some of the things they say are kind of nasty…. I think the players must decide to be deaf or are so into the game that they don’t hear the things people yell at them. Though it was amusing when the jersey guy yelled, “THE PUCK IS RIGHT THERE!” and I’m thinking, “Yes, I’m sure the player is well aware of that since he's the one pushing the puck along with his stick.” Oh and having people yell “SHOOT! SHOOT!” as if the players need their advice is extremely funny too. The mascot came down by us―I detest mascots―and my brother and I sat there whispering, “Don’t come near us, don’t come near us…” (He didn’t come near us.) We also saw a fight…and the season ticket holders were yelling “FIGHT! FIGHT!” You know…I wonder why the players beat each other up… if I were them… I’d go after those season ticket holders. *evil smile*

:-)

‘Tis Pity, ‘Tis True

So last week, I ran into someone I used to know in the library at Ick. She’s about the last person I would have expected to see in the library because she used to pick on me for being studious. We didn’t always get along in the old days...I’m not sure exactly why…but I’ve always suspected that she was jealous about something. (Wish I knew what I have that was worth being jealous about… :-D) While she was talking to me, I spent most of the time inwardly laughing at myself. Why? Because I’d forgotten something that morning that I never forget on school days. But yes… it’s true. I forgot my make-up. So now, she’s probably telling all of our old “friends” how young/pale/blotchy/etc. I look. Oh well. I don’t like wearing make-up anyway and so it normally has lost its effect by that time of day because I forget about touching it up. (I know, I’m a regular Jo March…I’d probably fry my own hair with a curling iron if I wasn’t careful. :-D) And I’m pale no matter what I do unless I’m embarrassed and then I look like a lobster. At least I didn’t look like a lobster. Right?

:-)