An e-mail to my co-workers...

Dear Friends-
I wanted to give everyone a special gift for Christmas. So, if you have hung your coat, used your locker, if you read the posted items on the bulletin board, if your name is Ally, if you take the cart anywhere, if you use your mailbox or any item in the break room in OP you may notice a new fragrance surrounding the area. This is my gift to you. Please enjoy!
This all came about unexpectedly. I was graciously trying to get one of my diet Dr Peppers off of the top of the lockers. The problem was (and I saw it coming), the one that remained in the box decided it wanted to be free and went flying down two stories of lockers and bounced across the floor. It was a Christmas miracle. So please, appreciate the 23 flavors of goodness that now surround the entire OP pharmacy and maybe the Twin Cities area for that matter. It is my gift to you!



My day started off by using an industrial sized broom to sweep about a foot of snow off my car. I then drove an obstacle course to work. Once I got there I was so tired that I knew I needed a soda...stat. The rest, is history! Merry Merry Christmas!

Merry Memories!!

As promised, the walk down a lane filled with candy coated memories will continue. For those that have asked:

A.) I am not trying to get a book published. My grammar is poor and my life is not THAT interesting.

B.) No, I did not eat paint chips as a kid

c.)Yes, I do find humor in the simple things...and the immature things, and the boring things, and the non-humorous things. Again, refer to point B!

Now, here we go:

14.) Going to my very first Hollidazzle at the young age of 26. It was here that my sister and I realized that we do indeed have the cheesiest parents ever. I will challenge ANYONE on this! Examples include but are not limited to: When the Joe Mauer float drove by carrying a bat in it's right hand and my dad yelled "Hey Joe! You're a lefty!" Also, when the Excel energy people were walking around passing out what normal people call "light bulbs", my dad, the electrician, is sure to yell out, "Sure, I'll take a LAMP!" My dad is always sure to remind the lowly novice light fixture owner that it is a lamp and not a bulb. My mom had some cheesy lines as well, I just can't remember them.

15.) The years we spent at The Marie Sandvick Center on Thanksgiving. I will never forget the joy on people's faces when they received a real turkey dinner to enjoy in a warm room and a bag of groceries to take home. Those years reminded me of what I had to be thankful for and how to enjoy the simple things in life.

16.) The year my sister and I received matching Mickey Mouse flannel pj's. I was thrilled to say the least. My sister, not so much. I can't think of what 16 year old wants to be just like her 11 year old sister!

17.) Watching my two nieces walk around the Macy's display this year, holding hands and sharing their excitement with one another. They grow up SO fast and it is so fun to watch them mature and enjoy each other's company.(see photo)

18.) Watching my nephew devour his gingerbread cookie the last two years!(see photo)

19.) The year I asked for a particular Leann Rimes CD for my birthday. My mom didn't know which one I wanted so she bought a few and asked me which one it was. It was of course "You light up my life" which I loved SO much. That year at Christmas, I had asked for the Anastasia CD. Yes, I have THE BEST taste in music. On Christmas morning, when I was handed a package that I loudly proclaimed to be my Anastasia CD, I was thoroughly disappointed to find it was actually the Leann Rimes Cd I had rejected. Once I discovered this, I of course started to bawl. Mostly out of embarrassment. There were a few Christmas' with tears on my part. I am ashamed to say that but again, I do believe I have come a LONG way.

20.) The year my brother bought me a Hansen t-shirt. I told him I wouldn't wear it and so he kept it. I believe he still has it to this day and may have even added another one to the collection.

21.) Eating Prime Rib every year for dinner. My mom buys real horseradish to put on the meat and it never fails that you can tell who may have eaten too big of a bite of the spicy stuff. Who needs Sudafed on Christmas? Not the Allens!

22.) My dad is the original Creator of the ugly Christmas sweater party. He wears the same reddish but mostly orange turtleneck sweater every year. My Grammy made it, but I believe the year was 1971. My dad doesn't understand that sweaters are not at all like a fine wine.

23.) My dad would always tell me, throughout the year, that if I did something nice...there would be "something a little extra in my stocking". One year, I called him on it. I said, "You always tell me that there will be something extra and...there never is!" That year, when I opened my stocking, there was a cute teddy bear notepad with a piece of paper taped on it that said, "Here's your something extra!"

24.)All the Christmas movies! Some of my favorites include: Rudolph, Love Actually, White Christmas, Little Women, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, The Holiday and Prancer. I love sitting and watching any of these while knitting and drinking hot chocolate!

25.)Sharing the time with my family. Sitting around the tree or table and talking about all the memories and laughing until our sides split.

26.) Remembering the true reason for the season. As cliche as it sounds...it is SO true. As much fun as this time of year is, I like to sit and think about why I really celebrate. I like to celebrate all He has given me and all there is to be thankful for. I like to remember the fact that without the birth of that little baby, all those years ago...I would be hopeless.

You may not share all of my thoughts on this time of year but I would love to get some of yours. If you have a favorite memory, a laugh, a thought...a whatever to share about this time of year. Throw it in. For those of you reading this on my facebook page, all future wordy posts will only be posted on my blog. Feel free to read, comment and follow me at: absofsteel26.blogspot.com. Also, if you have a blog, please let me know what it is so I can follow you. I LOVE blogging!

A Christmas to remember!

Well, Happy Holidays to you and yours! I've been pondering this post for quite some time. You see, Christmas is my favorite time of year. Now, I know what you're thinking....get in line. I understand that a lot of people like this time of year and I am ok with sharing. There is so much to love about this time and I am glad others see that! Now...back to the pondering. I thought I would give you a glimpse of all the reasons why this time is my favorite. I am going to tell you about my favorite parts and my favorite memories. Feel free to read along as I am sure it will put you more in the spirit! I will try to narrow it down to 26 as that is my favorite number as we have previously established and I find that to fit somewhere between a blurb and too wordy. Here goes:

1.) This first one I experienced firsthand but do not remember it. The stories that have been told to me though make me glad I do not remember. The way it went was that I was about 2 and my mom left me in the living room with the freshly decorated tree. She and my brother were in the kitchen doing something, when next thing they hear was a loud crunching coming from the living room. My mom walked in to see what the commotion was all about and found that I had grabbed a red glass ornament off of the tree, and bit into it. She of course screamed and ran to get it away from me. She believes it was a miracle that I didn't have any cuts in my mouth. Apparently I thought it was an apple!

2.) All the years where I begged to "sleep" in my sister's room, only to wait until mom and dad had gone to bed, at which time we got up and went to look at all the presents. One time my mom must have heard us and got up to see what the commotion was. We ran to my brother's room and hid under the bed. My mom never guessed we were in there.

3.) The year my brother asked for a tee, meaning a football tee. He spelled it tea on his list and so, on Christmas morning....my parents gave him a box of tea. He used a spell checker every year after that.

4.) The year my brother taught me how to carefully unwrap and re wrap my presents to figure out what they were before the big day. I made the mistake of trying it on my own when he wasn't around to help. I did the best job I could and pushed the present to the back of the tree to try and cover it up. The minute my mom walked through the door I burst into tears and told her everything. The worst part was, on Christmas morning, she made me unwrap that present in front of everyone and relive the pain!

5.) Going to the 8th floor Dayton's/Marshall Field's/Macy's display almost every year for the last 20 or so. I love going back now and seeing the joy on my nieces' and nephew's faces!

6.) Driving around every Christmas Eve growing up, and looking at the lights on the houses together as a family.

7.) Going to the midnight service on Christmas Eve. This is still one of my faves. Especially if it is a candlelight service.

8.) The year my Great Grandma lived with us- I will never forget the joy on her face when she found her stocking full of pickles!

9.)Christmas morning quiche!!! My mom makes this every year for breakfast!

10.) My parents tended to hide the presents in 2 places. The trunk of mom's car or under their bed. One year when they were gone we scoped out hiding spot number two and found a hockey stick for my brother. On Christmas morning, after all the presents had been opened, the hockey stick was nowhere to be seen. I of course was the one to remind my parents by saying, "um, I think you forgot one." To which my dad said, " How do you know?" My brother tried to jab me but was not quick enough and I said, "There is a hockey stick under your bed!!"

11.) One year, as we were leaving Daytons, I saw the most beautiful little business suit my 9 year old eyes had ever seen. It was Burgundy with sheer sleeves. Yes, I know I am a dork but this was during my "I want to be a news anchor" phase. I showed it to my mom as a hint for Christmas. My brother (we were quite the team) in turn told me when mom had gone back to purchase it. I was so excited for it that Christmas morning I could barely contain myself. When I opened the box, inside was not the suit I was dreaming of, but instead a floral dress that had been hanging next to my suit at the store. I am ashamed to say this, but I cried. On Christmas morning, I cried because it was not the dress I wanted. I sometimes hate having the youngest child syndrome. I like to think I have come a long way from those days when I cried because things didn't go my way. My co-workers my disagree.

12.) Making Christmas candy with the fam. We Allen's...we go ALL out in that department. Fudge, Peanut Butter Cups, Toffee, Peanut Brittle, Puppy Chow, Nut Goodies...it is a dentist's and a dietitian's worst nightmare!

13.) Doing The Angel Tree ministry. Finding families with a parent that is in prison and getting gifts for them as a reminder of the parent who will be missing that year. It is such a joy to see their faces and to know that in some way there Christmas will be brighter that year.

I will leave it at that with the promise to give you the other half sometime in the next few days. Here's hoping that your days are merry and bright...and for sure that all your Christmases will be white!