Arrival. After a brief overnight in Amsterdam, which was absolutely beautiful,  I arrived in Arusha Tanzania. It was evening when my plane landed, so it was dark and difficult to see everything that I’ve been waiting to see for many months- but that’s ok, because I was tired and would see it the next morning after some much needed sleep. On the way to my overnight lodge, I did get to see that Arusha seemed quite green and lush with vegitation. It was well after 9pm, and there were still people walking alongside the road. Not just 1 or 2 people here and there, but many people–all over.  Upon arrival at my lodge I found my room, showered and went to bed. I was so exhausted from my trip and the hour difference, so all I wanted to do was sleep.

One thing I really liked was that on my KLM flight to Arusha, they passed out these hot moist hand towels that had this really nice scent on them. They would pass these out shortly after boarding the flight, after a meal and before landing. I’m not sure where they got these little things, but a girl could get used to it! I think they were lemon, or eucalyptus or something. I need to find these for home- they were absolutely wonderful!

Day 2- When I woke up, I went to the window, and peered outside. It was drizzly. Not at all what I pictured Tanzania to be like. I was a little surprised, but I was still very excited to get showered and get outside. Walking to the main lodge I saw that everything was so very green and there was so much lushness. Before, when I thought of Africa and Tanzania I always thought of the Serengeti. Most everything on TV about wildlife and Africa always seems to have the golden grasses of the Serengeti, so I thought all of Africa was Serengeti like. Not true!

After a buffet breakfast, my guide picked me up and we went to visit a few other hotels in and around Arusha. Now, these are places that we would normally have our clients stay on their first night in town, or their last night before heading home. I was surprised at how busy downtown Arusha was. There is absolutely no organization to the driving in town. Everyone was driving every which way- pulling out infront of you, and there would be people just running inbetween the cars trying to get across the street. Arusha was not only much larger than what I imagined, but it was also pretty dirty. I’m sure is was clena compared to other places around the world,  but for me, who has never been anywhere but a few places in the US, it was a big eye opener for me.

My day ended with dinner at my lodge, and a quick check of my e-mail. Yes, they do have internet, but it is much slower, and hit and miss, especially is the hotel loses power like mine kept doing. Even out phones went out my second night at my lodge.

Day 3- I was awaken by my personal wake up call.. our phones were still out. Today we were headed to Tarangire National Park. It’s a few hours drive from Arusha, but since there was so much to see along the way ,  the time seeemed to fly by. The drive reminded me alot of the high desert.. especially when you’re on that stretch from Terrebonne to Madras.. that flat dry area.

After a quick stop at the entrance at Tarangire NP to use the restroom, and pay the park entrance fees, I was on my way. Almost immediately I started seeing the animals. First were the zebra…followed by many elephants and giraffe. At first, I have to say it seemed very Wildlife Safari like, but after a few minutes of getting up close and personal with the elephants, I realized this was nothing like Wildlife Safari. I was amazed at the vast numbers of animals. Just everywhere, there are animals. I even had the opportunity to see a pride of lions down along the river.

After a long day of driving all over the park and visiting other lodges and camps where we would have clients stay, we finally ended up aout over night lodge.. Tarangire River Camp. River Camp is beautiful open lodge with the dining room on one side, and a sitting room/lounge on the other side. Most all accomodations/tents are lifted on a platform about 7 or 8 feet off the ground, so you do have to climb some stairs to get there, but it’s totally worth it. My room had 2 beds and it’s own bathroom with hot shower and electricity. The rooms also have side walls that cam be zipped open to just reveal a screen. I found this out, after I was awaken in the middle of the night to all of this rustling noise. Now remember you’re sleeping in the National Park, so animlas are all over the place so you don’t want to just go outside to investigate.  So I inzipped the wall portion of my tent, leaving the screen entact (don’t want bugs inside) and I was amazed to see that all the noise I was hearing was from Giraffe eating from the tree tops right outside my tent. There was a full moon, so getting to see them was totally amazing, and they were so close and beautiful. it was an amazing experience! I went back to my bed and laid there watching them eat, and I eventually fell back to sleep.

The next few days was spent driving through Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater National Parks. I was still amazed at the lush jungle when you first drive into Lake Manyara. It seemed something out of Jurrasic Park.. I kept wating for the T-Rex to come crashing through the trees… but thankfully it didn’t happen!

Tanzania is so beautiful, and so rich in culture. As you drive through the small villages you would see these small roadside markets where people would sell their vegetable that they would grow in their gardens. The soil is so rich, that almost everyone even with the smallest lot or house have some sort of a garden. And what surprised me is that tanzania grows a TON of corn! Corn is everywhere! It’s like you took a wrong turn and ended up in Kansas or someplace in the mid-west. Corn is the main staple in Tanzania.

The best part of my trip was the Serengeti. It was so warm, and so beautiful there. The grasses were so golden, and you could see for miles in all directions! My days in the serengeti were always sunny and warm.. but it never got too warm. The night skies were so clear and bright. We never needed your flashlight to get to your tent at night. At night the wildlife seemed to come alive.

Our first night in camp in the Serengeti I guess there were lions either in camp, or right outside of camp, and everyone but me heard them roar, and make thier sounds for most of the night. Apparently even 1/2 an Ambien was too much for this first night because I slept through the night and heard asolutely nothing!  The next few nights we were visited by hippos, and hyenas. They didn’t bother us or our tents, although the hyenas did try to get into the kitchen tent for food and the camp staff hap to keep a close eye on the tents for a few nights.

I was amazed at the lodges we went to visit while on this trip. They were much more luxurious that I ever imagined a lodge to be in the middle of no where. They sometimes even had internet service, which was a real treat since I needed to check my e-mail while I was in Tanzania.

After my return from the Serengeti to Arusha, I stayed in the Aursha Hotel in downtown Arusha for a few extra days. I have to say that the food I ate in camp in the Serengeti seemed better than the food I got at the hotel.  They had a large variety of food to chose from for all meals, but I usually kept to the soups and lunch and dinner and fruit with toast for breakfast.

My last few days in Arusha Themmy, my guide, and I went to visit a couple of secondary schools, Simon Mtuy, and an orphanage. I was amazed at how many young children run away from home at the age of 5 or 6, and live on the rough streets of Moshi and Arusha.  The numbers seemed so unbelieveable, if I hadn’t seen all these children at the schools and homes myself. I can’t imagine imagine children being on the streets, to survive on their own at such young ages.

My flight home was good and seemed longer than my flight over. I was anxious to get home- I missed my family.. I missed my animals, and the planes just couldnt go fast enough for me. I tried to sleep and watch some movies as I did on the way over, but it just wasn’t the same. Once I was home Bend seemed so different. It was the same I was sure, but it was like I was seeing it with new eyes. Everything here was just so clean. There were no dirt streets, no piles of garbage on the streets. Although I had experienced so much in my time in Tanzania, and I can’t wait to go back, I was glad to be home.

You can see my video on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmbbPT7f06s

and I’ve put some pictures on www.Choroa.com. If you go to the gallery and look at the Laura/FAM pics from July 2008.

Anywho, My last stop was Macy’s. Now, I have a Macy’s card and all, but their prices are so out of my price range that I never ever shop there. Unless I find something on sale rack, and even then, it’s usually more that I really wanted to pay. Hey- I was scoffing at the price of the $14.99 pair of super cute jeans I got from Ross. When it comes down to it, I really hate to shop, and I really don’t like spending money….. but mostly… I hate shopping.

Again, everything ‘dressy’ at Macy’s had black in it. I know black goes with everything, but it just doesnt seem very summery or anything. I was just about to give up when a sales lady came to ask me if I was finding everything ok. I told her what I was looking for.. something with color…. and so she and this other sales gal started showing me clothes to try on… and they started me a room. Now, the shirts they were bringing me did still have black in them, and some of them even though they had color, they were darker colors, but some of the shirts they brought me were cute. Except for this one silky yellow, black and white shirt… made me look like a big fat bumble bee with ruffles. Cute I guess, just not the look I was going for.

So after they brought me all the shirts I thought were in the store, there had to be a million shirts in my dressing room. So, I tried on shirt after shirt, capri pant after capri pant. and after all of that I think I bought only 5 shirts. But it’s more than I started out with. All the shirts that I bought, I can wear to work, and a couple of them are more casual. But most of all, even though there is a black and white shirt, all the others are bright, and have lots of color. And, they’re super cute too!

I found that most every shirt out there is made the same way. V-neck with the panel or elastic that sits right below the girls…. you know what I’m talking about ladies… the babydoll type shirts. The ones that make you look pregnant when you’re the furthest thing from it. Now,  I get that we’re an overweight nation, and maybe this is a style that hides all those extra pounds really well, but I just dont like them. I’m a girl of 5′7″, and my weight is proportionate to my height, with no extra pounds to spare… but I do not care for a shirt that makes me look fat, or pregnant. This seemed to be the only style out there… what’s that about? Where’s the variety? What ever happened to the simple women’s dress shirt? Are they hiding them somewhere?

So after my shopping experience I called my boyfriend, and told him we would never need to worry about me shopping and spending all of our money, cause I hated shopping! Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love shopping for clothes for my son. And that’s good, because he’s 11, and doesnt have the whole style thing yet. I had to explain to him just yesterdat that when a man wears a button up shirt, he must always wear am under shirt. He’s sooo cute!

And I do have to say that over the last few years I have found a love for shoes. Precious, Precious shoes… and expensive shoes. I don’t buy these shoes, because I can’t afford them. I take that back. I CAN afford them, but I won’t spend that kind of money on something I wear on my feet. But I love to look at them… covet them… and dream about them. Now, if i ever get over spending money, then we’re in trouble, but until then… I’ll just keep saving my money… and not putting myself through the shopping nightmares.

Google Earth is such a wonderful thing! I am a girl who does not travel hardly at all, and I’ve never been outside the US, so this will be an adventure for sure. But, as you all know you can get onto Google Earth and check out pictures other people have posted from places all over the world, so I’ve been ‘touring’ all over Amsterdam, which had been both helpful and sometimes humorous. On Google Earth I get to see the Anne Franke House, all the shops and squares, the sidewalk potties..OMG- have you seen the outdoor sidewalk potties? Crack me up! I’ve never seen anything like that before! But it’s so much better than having people pee on the sidewalks….

Oh, and they also have a Prostitution information Center.. always helpful I guess, if I ever lose my job here. I mean, do they have brochures and pamphlets on the subject.. sortof like what you would get at a job fare? is there someone there to answer all my questions… is there vacation pay? Again, this is just something we don’t have here and it’s funny. And don’t forget marijuana is legal in Amsterdam. A friend told me the other day I could have some hash with or for breakfast, and seriously… my mind went straight to hashbrowns… or that corn hash stuff…. I never even went to the marijuana! It wasn’t until I was telling my boyfriend about the conversation that he pointed out what she meant by ‘hash’. We got a good laugh out of that one.

I went the other day and got my shots, but will still need to go back for the best shot of all.. yellow fever. Now, I’m going off my Humira just so I can get this shot right before I leave in July. So we’ll have to wait and see how all of that goes as there are no studies o fhow things go once one goes back on Humira. Will i end up getting yellow fever or not? We’ll have to wait and find out.

I’ve got my tickets and my passport, I’ll be buying a few travel pieces of clothing to take with me.. and soon I’ll be all ready. I’m getting both excited and nervous about my trip. It’s just going to be a very long trip!!

So I will go visit some of the lodges in Tanzania where we have our clients stay. Check out the lodge grounds, amenities, etc. I’ll stay overnight at a few of the lodges and then there will be about 3 nights of tent camping in the National Parks, which should be fun. An experience of a lifetime!

I will also spend my last 2 days touring some non-profit orphanages and secondary schools between Arusha and Moshi. Now most of these places will have AIDS victims, children mostly, but adults too. I am sure this experience will impact my life greatly…. we just don’t have this kind of sadness here. We have our own poverty struggles, but not like in Africa and other parts of the world. I have never thought about how I would feel seeing and holding an infant or small child that I know is dying. To them it’s a way of life.. what they know. It’s very sad.

I will post my pictures when I get back, probably on the www.choroa.com website, as that is the Safari Company I work for and will be using for my trip. Although I don’t think I will put the orphanage pictures on that site, but I’ll keep everyone posted as to where the other photos will be.

I will also be going to a village that Simon Mtuy of Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience does alot of work in outside of Moshi.. I think it’s outside Moshi. He was just here in Bend, and he held a few speaking engagements. Very nice guy. i met him one morning and we spoke about where he grew up, his Kilimanjaro climbing and the company he owns that leads guided trips up Kilimanjaro. You can check Simon out at www.nomadicexperience.com

Anyway, as my trip gets closer, I’ll try and write, and then I’ll for sure write when I get back

I had the idea when we were in Texas over a year ago. I had never had a tamale in my life, but we had some very yummy ones while we were there visiting his family. So, when we came back home I said we needed to find a good recipe and try to make some tamales of our own. The first time we tried making tamales, it took ALL DAY! I think we just needed to find our groove, because when we made them just recently, it didn’t take quite as long.

Anyway- We put it all on the web for other people to look at and use the recipe too- check out www.makingtamales.com

 You have to try them! They’re sooooo yummy!

Now, I know my friends, family and boyfriend may not understand my reasoning, but maybe someone else out there reading this will agree with me.

It never fails when I leave the house, looking less than presentable that I bump into someone I know, or someone who knows someone I know.  Every single freaking time!!

I was staying with my sister in Portland (no-not the cute one j :-)), and she asked if I was going to shower and all that before taking my son to the airport at 4am the next morning. I immediately said yes, but then after we talked about it a little more, I came to the conslusion that I wasn’t going to bump into anyone I knew at the Portland Airport at 4 in the morning. So why bother getting myself all dolled up, just to come back and go back to bed?

So the next morning I got up, brushed my teeth. Put my hair up in a clip, did the best job I could do with unshowered bangs, got dressed and was out the door. No shower, no makeup, no hair done just right. But I was proud I did it. I wasnt going to worry about who saw me… I had no one to impress…. I mean- who was going to be at the airport at 4 in the morning?

Well, so I was sitting there at the airport at 4 in the morning, when much to my surprise, the best friend of a guy who I had been seeing years earlier came up and said hi. Actually he came up and said “I know you don’t I?” Well, right there I could have died. I smiled back and said “yes.. yes you do.” After exchanging ‘hellos’, and meeting his new wife- they were off flying out for their honeymoon.

When I got back to my sisters house she was up and I had to tell her all about it. Told her I was sure he was going to tell the other guy he bumped into me and boy did I look like hell… and it would have been the truth!

Well, so this morning I said to myself… who was I going to see at the store while I got a coffee and some cat food? My loving and adoring boyfriend doesn’t understand a womans need to look presentable.. but bless him.. he’s a guy.

So there we are getting out of my car, he sees a couple getting out of their car, whom he and his ex wife knew. He’s told me about these people and how they’re a little anoying, and I’ve actually met the husband a few times, but never the wife. The wife works with the ex-wife- so I’m sure you can see where this might be going…. The guy seems nice enough, but then again, when you meet someone for only a few seconds it’s tough to really know anything about them, or how annoying they may or may not be.  And I didn’t want to see them, because of course my first thought is, OMG- my hair isn’t done, I don’t have any make up on, and I’m looking frumpy in my sweats…. and they’re going to go back to the ex wife and say.. “oh- we saw so and so this weekend, and man, is his new girl uuuuugllllyyy!”….. ‘You look so much better than she does”…. or “man, did he make a big step down after you”.

Ok- call me shallow, but as the new girl, you want to make an impression of the good kind.. not the man she’s scary kind.

Well, once my boyfriend sees this couple, he all of a sudden ducks sortof behind me and rushes me, almost in a walking fast sprint into the store where we proceed to walk as quickly as we can, without actually running, to an isle so we can hide out. And while hiding out, I found some really cute hair clips…..

 We wait there until it’s clear and we proceed as cautiously as possible through the store for the few items we came in for, do the quick self check out.. and we’re back out the door. A quick stop at the coffee shop, for coffee to go, and into my car.

I was actually surprised we didn’t bump into them on an isle.. thats usually what happens when you’re trying to avoid someone- you still end up bumping into them. And I guess you can’t very well, turn and run when you do see them round the end of the isle you’re on, coming towards you. I mean, I guess you could…… but that woud be a little too obvious I think.

So my lesson….(and I’m sorry honey) if I want a Starbucks coffee in the morning, I’m either going to have to put my sunglasses on, and go to the drive through over on 27th, or I’m going to have to drag my butt out of bed a little earlier and get all pretty to go to the Fred Meyers Starbucks so I can get groceries at the same time.

I have a trip to Africa coming up, and I wasn’t going to worry about make up and fixing my hair while on safari and all, but with my luck I’ll bump into someone else I know.. so I may have to rethink that one.

www.safariweek.com

www.expeditionreview.com

Over this past year, I think we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.. booking a few more safaris than normal. As of January we already had 2 safaris booked for 2008, and that’s pretty good if you look at where we were this time last year. We’ve recently appreared in Luxury Travel Advisor magazine, (http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/questex/lta0208/index.php), we’re on page 65- and this is a beautiful magazine by the way!

We’ve appeared locally in ”The Source” newspaper, which was exciting,,,and we also have an article coming out in April in an Atlanta based Mens Magazine called ’Tuxedo Road’.

So, for a girl who has never traveled outside the US, and really only been to a few states here, I have to get my passport, and a bunch of shots.Whoo hoo! Can’t wait for those! Actually, giving myself Humira shots every two weeks I’m used to needles, but I’m still only ok with them- they still hurt no matter how many times you get them. At least I won’t be doing the yellow fever one. I can’t have live virus injections, so we’ll bypass that one, and as long as I don’t stop in a country that requires the yellow fever injection, I won’t need one to get into Tanzania. And I say a big ol’ AMENto that one, cause I hear that one REALLY hurts!

So, there I will be, little girl in big Africa. This a trip that could not happen at any point in time, so I don’t want to get too excited about it, but inside I’m squealing like a 14 year old girl! This is such a great opportunity that may never come around again. And to experience a place I’ve only read about or seen on National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel.

And since this is business, I will be traveling around Tanzania, where the Safari company is based. Visiting lodges, hotels, and staying in camp. Yes, I said camp. I’ll be staying some of my time in a tent in the middle of the wild. A lion could easily walk through camp, or I could be awaken by a heard of elephants. Can you imagine, while eating your breakfast beans and toast in the morning, seeing a lion walk around your tent? ok- I’d probably crap my pants right about then.. possibly even before, but OMG- can you imagine? This is going to be amazing!

I won’t be there totally alone. I’ll be traveling with some people from the travel industry, and one of Choroa’s partners Themmy, a very big guy in African standards will have to be my protector. Is it ok to say that being that far away from home is sort of  scary? I mean to be in a  foreign place, where i don’t know where anything is, and I only know 1 person…this will definitially be different…

Even with all the wild animals running around, and the bugs, this is still just an extrodinary opportunity that I cannot pass up. I mean- who gets a paid trip to Africa? Did I mention this is going to be amazing?

Anyway- I’ll keep everyone posted as the trip gets closer, and I’ll take lots of pictures that we’ll post on the Choroa website for sure. 

Well, my boyfriends roommate moved out… back home.. and left most all his things still at the house. His bed, dresser, night stand, and a bunch of other crap. So this last weekend I went through and snapped pictures of everything and stuck them on Craig List at about 7pm. With in minutes WHAM! a fish- (as I call them), and within 20 minutes more fish! I was having a good time!

The next morning we sold the bed to a gal who I thought was probably single with a 2 yr old (or younger) and she said they’d been sleeping on an air mattress for months. So I felt good about her getting the bed. And then a guy came and looked at an end table I had stuck on the site…. and he took that. We were really rolling now!

Now- I’ve been going through my house and taking pictures of things I don’t use or don’t need and sticking those on the site. I mean.. there’s nothing wrong with getting rid of stuff and not packing it all over the place right..? And if it’s been in my garage for the last 2 years and I havent needed it, why not get rid of it?

My boyfriend is worried… is there a group for people addicted to selling on Craigs List? Should I call this a reverse form of gambling? I told him he didn’t need to worry quite yet, but if I get to the point where I’m selling his bed while he’s still sleeping in it.. or big furniture pieces seem to turn up missing with no explaination of where they could have gone… then he can sign me up for Craist List annoymous or something for loving help and support.

Anyway- I think Craigs List is a great little site, and it’s great if you’re looking for just about anything… I hear you can even find sex on craigs list.. although you really should have some standards when it comes to that, and besides that, its just icky!

Have a good day!! And Happy Shopping!

Of course, I didn’t know him, but I still feel it is such a tragic loss of such a great and talented man. I have watched almost every Heath Ledger movie, and I feel he was just beginning to make his mark in the movie industry. He’s alot like Johnny Depp, I think, in the fact that neither of these men seem to get the attention they deserve. They have each played such diverse and controversial roles, with very little attention. Sure we might like the movie, but these great actors themselves don’t seem to grab the attention they deserve.

Maybe it’s because these guys are just so down to earth, and just all around nice normal guys.  Humble. They like to live as normal as possible, out of the glaring spot light, which makes them a world apart from the Brad Pitts, and Matthew McConaugheys of the red carpet.

For those of us who did see “Broke Back Mountain” I have to say for me, I think that was Heath’s greatest role to date. I know it was a controversial film, but for me it was such a great love story. And yes.. I did say it was controversial! But you have to look beyond that part of it to see the real characters and the story play out. And towards the end of the film where Heath opens his closet and you see the two shirts hanging on the one hanger…. just made me cry. That was such a nice touch on that story.

I’ve heard recent chatter from the film industry, of possibly not releasing the newest of the Batman series “The Dark Knight” which is set for release in July. Warner Bros. isn’t sure how fans will receive this release, since it is Heath Ledger’s last full movie he filmed before his death. “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” the film Heath was currently working on has been suspended, deciding whether to re-cast or abandon the project.

This fan hopes they stick with their scheduled release of “The Dark Knight” .  There has been so much hype and advertising for this movie, and I have been patiently waiting for it’s release. Sure, it might be controversial to release the movie, but it could also be a way for his fans to honor him and his last great role. A sort of ‘going out in a blaze of glory’. I heard Heath did such a tremendous job with this character, and I for one would love to see him as the joker!

In Australia this year, they were telling store Santa’s not to say “Ho Ho Ho” because it may or may not be offensive to women. I’m sorry.. but when I hear “Ho Ho Ho” especially coming from Santa, I would have never even considered it offensive, or that Santa was referring to me as a “Ho”.  Never in a million years would this have even come into my mind. The only way I can imagine it being remotely offensive is if you are a “ho”.  And if you are.. that’s your business. But if you’re offended, then change your ways.. dont expect people to change years of tradition just for you.

And what about the people on the new campaign kick for a new healthy Santa…. that the current Santa portrays an unhealthy, unfit Santa….what the CRAP is THAT about? I mean, lets be serious here people! All the stories and books about Santa, show a chubby Santa…one who is ‘jolly’.. ‘and when he laughed his tummy shook like a bowl full of jelly’. Do you mean to tell me you are going to rewrite possibly hundreds of years of folktales, bedtime stories, and family tradition? I can’t picture a slim Santa being jolly and his tummy would definately not shake like a bowl full of jelly if he was all skinny! My Santa is not wafer thin!

And who wants to be politically correct about the holidays? Again, I’m sorry. But I don’t get offended when I see a Hanukkah card in the store, or Kwanzaa on my calendar, or Canadian holidays. for that matter.  I understand there are many religions, celebrations, and beliefs. And everyone should be able to celebrate their belief without getting crap from everyone else. What I AM offended by, is that I have to bend over backwards, and even tip toe around the holidays that I grew up with because someone else out there may not feel or believe the same as me. Tell you what, you believe what you believe in, and I will believe what I believe in. We won’t try to convert one another, won’t put down each other’s beliefs. I won’t snicker and sneer behind your back while you celebrate in the way your family has for centuries. I don’t want to say Happy Holidays… I want to say Merry Christmas!  And if you don’t like it, then that’s just going to have to be too bad!

I have to give kudos to Mike Huckabee in his Christmas message, where he actually wished people Merry Christmas. He wasn’t afraid of his beliefs, and if people would accept them of not. He said his Christmas message the way he wanted to say it. Way to go Huckabee!! 

I grew up with Christmas… Santa… Baby Jesus, the Easter Bunny, and all the other calendar holidays. Will we try and change Thankgiving to be something else, so that we don’t offend race or religion… or color? What about the 4th of July? President’s Day?

My question is, if you start changing the things that have followed alongside the building of our great nation.. the things that our ancestors believed in…holidays,  religion… whatever it might have been.. where does it end? People want to change my Santa and my Christmas. The things I have believed in all of my life.. the things my parents believed in.. the things my son believes in. Everyone is so afraid of offending someone by saying Merry Christmas, but what about those of us who are offended that we can’t say “Merry Christmas’ because it might be offensive to someone within ear shot? Instead of changing things so we don’t offend, why dont we all embrace our differences and be happy with that?

When you say Merry Christmas to someone, they don’t have to say it back.. they can say Happy Holidays, or Happy Hanukkah. We are after all a nation of different people, cultures and religions. Who said there is only one right way to celebrate or believe? I saw a sign years ago that read “God created so many different kinds of people, so why would he choose only one way to serve him?”

Now, I’m not saying I’m religous, but I loved that sign. Embrace your belief and let others embrace theirs. None is more right than the other…. but please, leave my Santa alone….. leave the “ho ho ho” alone.. and leave my Merry Christmas alone!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!