Almost Wordless Wednesday

Intricate Ice Sculpture

Unsettling Dreams

I go through phases with dreams. I won't remember any at all for a very long time and then suddenly I'll start remembering them again. And the ones I do remember are usually really odd. Like a recent one I just had where I went camping and some guy from Dunkin Doughnuts stopped by to deliver pancakes to us every morning.  'Cuz yeah, I'm pretty sure that's a service they offer!

Two nights ago I dreamt that I'd been gone all day and when I came home, I found some guy in my kitchen.  It wasn't someone I recognized from real life but I guess I knew him in my dream as I didn't seem surprised to see him.  Anyways, he had my little Chico on a cookie sheet and was getting ready to put him in the oven.  Chico was just standing there on the cookie sheet with his little tag just a waggin'!  I told the guy no, I didn't want my little dog cooked and he said, "Relax, I do this all the time!"  I woke up after that and made sure my little dog was still alive.

Last night I dreamed I had some woman and her two kids over.  Again, not sure who the woman was as I didn't recognize her from real life but I seemed to be friends with her in the dream.  So we're sitting there talking at my kitchen table when I realized that I hadn't seen Chico in awhile.  I went to go check on him and discovered that he had broken his leg.  I was really upset and trying to clean up the blood that was coming out of his leg.  I told the woman one of her son's had hurt my dog but she didn't seem to be overly concerned about it.  I was upset by her attitude and told her I needed to take my dog to the vet and that she needed to pay for it since her son did this.  She didn't want to leave though, she wanted me to sit so we could talk some more.

I don't know where Shiver was in these dreams.  I really hope these dreams aren't a forewarning of something to come.  They were really bothersome.

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Source: CDAN

My Babies

Shiver with Chico in the background

Shiver and Chico

I was hoping for more close up pictures but this is what I got so I can't complain.  I apologize for the carpet looking so gross.  I don't know if it's just the way the light hits it or something but it doesn't look that dirty in person.  Shiver got a treat too but he put it down so he could try to get Chico's.  He always does that.  You can see where he chewed up the corner of the baseboard when he was a puppy.

Shiver

Shiver here!  I haven't gotten to do a post on my own yet so Mama finally said I could do one today since Chico got to do one awhile back.  If you'll remember, I look kinda like the doggie on the right, only redder and probably a little taller. 

Goodness, Mama has sure the cleaning bug something fierce!!!  In the last 2 days she has vacuumed (twice), shampooed the carpet in the living room, mopped, done laundry, cleaned the baseboards, washed dishes and dusted.  She better be done  because I'm not liking all the noise that vacuum and carpet cleaner make and all the moving of furniture makes me nervous.  First Mama moved everything into the kitchen, then she moved it all into the living room and then she moved the kitchen stuff back into the kitchen again.  Plus when she's busy cleaning, that's that much less time to pay attention to me!  I heard her talking about cleaning the bathrooms but I'm gonna see if I can distract her for a little while and try to get her to play with one of my chew toys with me.

And when she's not doing that, she's busy looking for jobs.  Geez, when do I get a little face time? 

Mama was gonna ask for a digital camera for Christmas but changed her mind.  She felt bad asking for presents when she can't afford to buy nice stuff for anyone this year.  She did buy gifts but not as many and not as nice as what she usually buys.  She rrreeeaaalllyyy wants to post some pix of me and Chico for everyone to see to show we really do exist and not just in her imagination (BOL) so...she has someone coming over who does own a digital camera and they're gonna take pictures of us!  Not sure when but it should be some time this week.

Mama is apprehensive about how I'll act.  Chico is very outgoing whereas I'm very shy.  She thinks I might not cooperate.  Hmm...I just might not since she hasn't been paying much attention to me!

Wordless Wednesday

Advice Needed Please

Ok, I've been unemployed for two months now and NO ONE is calling me for interviews, no matter how many jobs I've applied for.  So far I've had exactly one interview and as well as that went, I didn't get the job. 

My career field is in banking/mortgage/loans so I've tried to stick with applying for those kinds of jobs when I see them advertised.  However, I've also been applying to a lot of administrative assistant types of jobs.  With absolutely no luck what.so.ever.

Two friends say that it's just the recession.  I disagree.  There are plenty of jobs out there but they either don't pay well, I'm not qualified or I'm just not interested.  Or I am interested so I apply and I don't get an interview.  Seriously!

I've been asking people for advice.  One friend mostly gives me really bad unsolicited advice like apply for any and every job you see whether you're qualified or not and whether or not it's really something you're interested in and don't worry about the pay.  Well, why bother wasting my and the interviewers time if you aren't qualified?  Yes many positions offer on the job training but I'm not gonna apply to be a doctor if I haven't gone to school and gotten a license.  According to my friend, I should still apply anyways.  And as for pay, I know how much my bills come to at the end of the month and I can't accept a job that will pay me any less.  I don't want to work 2 part time jobs because I'm having a hard enough time finding even just ONE job so I don't know how quickly I could find another one.

So!  I'm asking for your best job hunting advice.  Also, if you've ever been fired, how did you handle it with your next employer?  In the one interview I had, the lady barely even asked about my last job.  She was much more interested in a different job I held with another company and focused her questions mainly on that.  She didn't ask why I left my last job so I didn't volunteer the information.

Christmas At Arlington Cemetary

This is the final part of my email.  Hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!

You may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Twelve Days of Christmas

This is another part of the email that went along with the pictures of the Christmas trees in my last post.  Don't know how true this is but I found it interesting and wanted to share it.


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?

This week I found out.

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.

-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.

Christmas Trees From Around The World‏

This is from part of an email I got yesterday.  I found it interesting and thought others might too!

The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. is decorated with 3000 ornaments that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren.  Encircling evergreens in the 'Pathway of Peace' represent the 50 U.S. states.

The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region.  Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire, the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city.

A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's night time neon display is projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka.

Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountains in the southern Czech Republic .

Venice's Murano Island renowned throughout the world for its quality glasswork is home to the tallest glass tree in the world.  Sculpted by master glass blower Simone Cenedese, the artistic Christmas tree is a modern

reflection of the holiday season.

Moscow celebrates Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox calendar on Jan. 7.  For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with festivities in anticipation of Father Frost's arrival on his magical troika with the Snow Maiden.  He and his helper deliver gifts under the New Year tree, or yolka, which is traditionally a fir.

The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall) can be found in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal.  Thousands of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special enchantment of the city during the holiday season.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree:  Even in its humblest attire, aglow beside a tiny chapel in Germany 's Karwendel mountains, a Christmas tree is a wondrous sight.

Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette!  In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic.  With its monumental baroque dome plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

In addition to the Vatican 's heavenly evergreen, St. Peter's Square in Rome hosts a larger-than-life nativity scene in front of the obelisk.

The Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol is dressed for a party.  Madrid's two-week celebration makes millionaires along with merrymakers.  On Dec. 22nd, a lucky citizen will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery.

A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during World War II, the Christmas tree in London 's Trafalgar Square has been the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947.

Drink a glass of gluhwein from the holiday market at the Romer Frankfurt's city hall since 1405 and enjoy a taste of Christmas past.

Against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs, a rainbow trio of Christmas trees lights up the night (location unknown).

I've looked at all of the trees and just can't make up my mind which is my favorite. They're all so beautiful!   What are some of your favorites of the ones pictured here?