Hey everyone! Sorry I've been gone so long. I have been down in my back and not able to sit hardly any at all. I have 3 Titanium plates and 12 screws in my lower back. In January of 96 I had to have emergency surgery because my pain could no longer be controlled at home. I had 3 ruptured discs (L3, 4, and 5) in my lumbar region which was causing numbness in my big toe and pain in my hip and right leg. They did a triple bone fusion, plus the plates and screws when the discs were removed. You would think that after this surgery there would be no more back pain. Wrong! My doctor said that my discs would start going like the domino effect. He was right. I have ruptured L2 now. I don't think that I will have another surgery, unless it is absolutely neccessary. I have been out of commission since right after Christmas. Today is the 1st time that I have been able to sit for longer than 5 minutes. Once a person has had a serious back injury, you are screwed. I was. I injured my back in December of 75 in a car accident. Through the years I had minor problems with my back, but in December of 90 I injured my back on the job from repetitive lifting. That was the end of my career in the workforce. I was on workman's comp for almost 4 years. I had my first back surgery in February of 93. I was released finally by my doctor August of 93. I searched and searched for work, but no one would hire me because I had no work record for 3 years. I had to start my own business just so I could support myself. I ran a Taxi Cab Business for 3 years until I had to have that last surgery. I was stuck with all these restrictions; "No leaning, no bending no squatting, or sitting and standing for long periods at a time". I could lift 10 pounds frequently and 20 pounds occasionly. I supported my self by being a "Jack of All Trades but Master of None". I could not run my taxi cab business anymore due to all my restrictions, so I kept a few of my customers, contracted out to Bingo Halls and managed the snack bars. I worked at 3 Bingo Halls, plus I had my regulars from my business and I managed to get buy. I made pretty good money up until my heart attack. Now I am not able to work at all because of heart damage and back problems. Anyway I am happy with my life. I have hobbies that I enjoy. I have pets to love and they love me. What more could a person ask for? More money, I suppose. We all could use that.

Happy Holidays to everyone. This was the best Thanksgiving I have had in awhile. I fixed dinner and a few friends came to celebrate with me. These 3 friends of mine have been with me through the good and the bad. All of the holidays before, we each spent with family members. This Thanksgiving, we decided to go back to our old routine. Before, we use to cook, eat, smoke the peace-pipe, and play games. We finally got to do it this year. Gayle, Joyce and Pam spent 3 nights and 4 days at my house. We ate, indulged on the pipe, and stayed up till 3am playing the board game "Sorry". We all went to bed after that and got up and did it again. This went on the entire week-end. There was so much laughter and sheer joy just being able to reunite again. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided we were going to do it during Christmas and New Years Eve too.

Before going to bed, we toasted the evening with a Dr. Pepper (no alcoholic beverages for us, it inteferes with our meds), and we each said what we were thankful for. I am thankful for God letting me live to see another Thanksgiving and sharing it with my close friends. Gayle was thankful that she moved back to Texas from Arizona and was able to see green grass again. Joyce was thankful that she did not have to cook our dinner and that her 39 year old daughter was living in Fla. with her dad, trying to get clean and sober. As for Pam, she was thankful that she had finally got her medical problems under control and that her life was not as stressful now. And at the end of the night, we all sat around the table, held hands, and said a prayer for those less fortunate. We thanked God for the gifts that he has bestowed upon us and asked him to watch over our family, friends, and all the men and women in the Armed Forces who are fighting for our freedom.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
AND A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
LIKE THE BRAVE SOLDIER WHO WAS LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

"SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE
SOFT AND PURE, AND THEN HE WHISPERED,

"CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Marine many years ago, who was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....

Please,
Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your part to help plant this small seed.

On a recent weekend in Atlantic city, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to eat," she told her husband and she carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.

As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was big... very big... an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me. Her next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered, ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind, but knew they surely did; her hesitation about joining them on the elevator was all too obvious. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was on the elevator.

Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. My God, she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.

Then...one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her: Do what they tell you. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator carpet. A shower of coins rained down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed.

She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button." The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. She lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When I told my man here to hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor, I didn't mean for you to hit the floor ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing. She thought: My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself. She was to humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to say. The 3 of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor.

At her door they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter while they walked back to the elevator. The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.

The next morning flowers were delivered to her room-a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said:

"Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years." It was signed,
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan

What a wonderful day it is here in Texas. The sun is shining and there is a cool breeze blowing. All is fine on the home front. My animals are ok and so am I. The holidays are coming up on us mighty fast and I am already receiving invites from all my friends. I go through this every year and the answer is always the same. "Thanks for the invite, but I am staying home". Holidays are just another day to me. My Dad and brother both loved the holidays. My Dad's favorite was Thanksgiving and my brother's was Christmas. My Dad crossed over in November and my brother in December. My "Holiday Spirit" went with them. I have a small portion of it back, but I am saddened because the holidays are not what they should be. They are so commercialized and all about profit. Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks for family, friends, food, shelter, etc. Christmas is about the children and giving. Again, it is all about profit. I live on a fixed income and I cannot afford to buy gifts, so all the gifts I give are handmade and from the heart. I bake cookies, cakes, muffins, assorted breads and candy. I crochet afghans, scarfs and mittens, Christmas Stockings for kids, and I do beaded Christmas ornamates. I enjoy giving, more than receiving. It is nice to receive a gift, but it is not required to give me a gift just because I gave to someone. I enjoy staying at home during the holidays, the reason being is that for over 20 years I always went to family members homes to celebrate. Now I don't have to. MY family is scattered all the U.S., and my Dad and brother are no longer with me. I hear that "Home is Where the Heart is", so, if anyone wants to look me up, I can be found at home.