Dear Christmas Letter Recipient,

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow!  Where did the year go?  Seems like yesterday when we were all ringing in the New Year and here it is the holidays all over again.  I hope that this letter finds you all well and enjoying all that the season can bring.

We thought that we would give you the updates on all the kids.  Boy they are something!  Our oldest, Bobby has been accepted to college (finally).  We never thought he would move out!  He doesn't go until fall but Bob Sr. and I have been packing his bags since last June.  He'll be 35 this year and as you know that is always a year full of wonder and change.

Stella, our beautiful girl Stella.  She's doing great.  She's still with the bank.  She's been promoted (again)!  We couldn't be more proud of her.  She's truly the apple of our eye.  Stella recently introduced us to her new roommate.  Her name is Maureen.  She's a handsome woman.  She is a personal trainer and does a lot of repairs around the condo.  I just wish Stella would meet a nice boy and give us those grandkids that we have been wanting.  It seems the girls are best friends.  They said that they were commited to their partnership.  We thought, isn't that sweet.  They even got matching commitment rings.  You know kids, so into showing their feelings.

Our youngest, Tommy.  He's still in rehab.  The doctor's say that he has to want to get clean.  It is beyond Bob Sr. and I why he would drink all the time.  We gave him such a good life at home.  We simply will not speak of it anymore.  We are above that.  We will just go on as normal.

That brings us to Bob and I.  We are enjoying retirement altough perhaps we have spent a lot more time together now than in our 40 years of marriage.  It has been interesting.  The first few months were splendid.  We saw the Grand Canyon and even went camping with the Snyders!  But then came the quiet of being together.  We have nothing in common and he's always around.  I've asked him to get a hobby.  He plays poker now.  Started 1 day a week but he's up to 3 days a week and is gone all hours of the day and night.  I truly don't mind as I get all that needs to be done here.  I've even hired a nice young man to do chores around the house.  What a nice young man.  He tends to my every need.  I've never been happier and I can tell people are really noticing the change in me.  I've taken up tennis again too.  My instructor is a god.

I hope you are all as blessed as we are.  We are living the life that we want you to see.  Please don't scratch the surface....I'm pretty sure we'd crack.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
The American Family

And Cupcakes for all....

It isn't often that I am rendered speachless and this time is no different!

I had to smile today when someone...suggested that I run for public office (altough....I have run for the school board...twice....unsuccessfully).  Boy, the face of politics would surely change then!  Let me take you on an imaginary tale of narcism and complete fiction...

Image if we were in a world where anything is possible...where even a slacker mom can achieve greatness.  You find yourself going to your local polling place to cast your vote for the town's public official of the day.  There are two candidates to choose from...the incumbent who has been in office for the better part of the last decade and a new comer....me, the cupcake candidate!

I imagine that I would run a clean and honorable campaign.  No mud slinging and saying things like, "the status quo is no longer for the Average Joe."  Corny and idealic campaign slogans stuck in your head for months at a time?  Not from me!  Wouldn't it just be nice to see just a name and a face and not some sort campaign trickery meant to have you think of an easier time or an easier way of life?  I'd like to just say: this is me, flawed, human and a bit brash.  I'd leave it up to voters to decide who to cast their vote for based on my positions and not my attack style.  Heck, you might even catch me heading to the grocery store in my cartoon inspired pajamas....where would my PR guy be then?

I would hope for a public forum for a debate.  I could thank the incumbent for their willingness to step up and serve when they did.  It is admirable no matter what their reasons once were.  I figure they stepped up when others didn't.  They were fairly elected and they showed that the system worked.  I would hope that I could use some of my humor too...a little dark, a little colorful and a whole lot of me!  I'm tired of seeing the mushed up and cranky faces.  Sometimes just being yourself is the way to go even if not popular.  Wouldn't it be nice not to see all the anger and bitterness?

I would make sure that I didn't make someone feel stupid or socially unacceptable for being in a different political party.  I sure wouldn't make them feel like less for dare I say it...disagreeing with me!  I would never want to make it about what we all have different about us but more about what makes us similar.  I certainly wouldn't post my opinions for all to see and then get mad when someone responded with a differing opinion.  After all, aren't we all out for the same freedoms and rights in the long run?

And then I would of course have to think of anyone surely possessing questionable taste in candidates when supporting me....sure, there would be cupcakes for all from the cupcake candidate!  Let them eat cake!  Wait...didn't someone else once say that foolishly too?