Christmas visits

It's the day after Christmas and I have to say that this has been the happiest Christmas that I can remember for so many reasons. First, my biggest wish of having George propose to me came true, but I was able to see every single member of my family and George's this year, and that was very wonderful. My sister from South Dakota came home and of course that meant spending some time with my niece.

George's whole family was in on the proposal and I had NO CLUE !! He'd disguised the ring box in a bigger box and had placed it in the back of the pile so that everyone would be watching me when it became my turn to open my "gift". I open the bigger box, and inside is this ring box and it STILL didn't dawn on me that it might be THE RING. Probably because his family were all there, and it just didn't occur to me that he'd surprise me like that. So I open it and there is this diamond ring. My eyes got super wide, and I said "WHAT is THIS?? " And he took my hand and went on one knee and in this choked up voice asked "Jess, will you marry me?" I was already crying by the time his knee touched the ground. And then I threw my arms around him and I said "OF COURSE I WILL !!" mixed in with a few rounds of " Oh my God I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!" And as soon as his mom and sisters and grandparents heard me say "Yes" they all burst out in applause. So, I am SO HAPPY. And now I get to try and figure out when the heck I want to pull this thing off ! I have so many friends and family members spread all over the country. It helps that I want to keep the wedding pretty small. In fact, I want to go to Symmes Chapel in South Carolina which is this open air covered chapel on the side of a mountain with a gorgeous view. It's a much sought after wedding spot at certain times of the year. But I want George to approve of the place so maybe we'll get a chance to drive there and check it out soon. I would love that. So anyway, that's the latest on this weekend. More to come along with pictures.

Big News !!!!

I will be adding pictures soon !!! But I couldn't wait to get online from my brother's computer in Indiana to say that my wish for Christmas came true !! George asked me to marry him....and of course I said YES !! I'll be blogging the details soon, but I had to write now or just explode. Happy Holidays !!

Reconciling and remembering

Today's emails and blog entries have all surprisingly touched on a similar theme from so many I know today. We are all thinking about the past and wondering about past relationships, some with regrets, and some with a thankful heart that the past didn't have to be the blueprint for the future. I guess I learned that you can be be nearly destroyed by your soul mate. I personally believe that you have more than one "special someone" who could be the someone you could spend your life with and happily. But not always are the two of you in the same place at the same time. One of you blows it, and when you finally "wise up" and try to patch it up, the other has moved on. Then, thankfully, eventually, the timing is right with someone, and you have that wonderful relationship, at the perfect time that it's supposed to happen. That doesn't mean that your heart doesn't jump backward when you hear a special song, or see someone from a distance who looks similar. For instance, I don't think I will ever be able to go to Disney World again in my life. Because one of the hopeful future memories I was to have made with the one man who's broken my heart, included a trip there, and it didn't happen. And now the very thought of going there just makes me sad. And that's not the way you're supposed to think of Disney World. I am glad my heart has recovered and I am happy. And I wish the same for anyone who is still searching.

Mars vs. Venus

It hasn't been too awful of a Monday. Tomorrow will be a busy one, and it will progress through the 24th. This past weekend's party went well but I have to comment on the "Mars Vs. Venus" game that is on the market. Yes, there is A BOARD GAME based on the Mars vs. Venus series of books. Granted, there are some pretty basic, valid male vs. female facts that are true across the board and the books have interesting things to say and probably will help a lot of otherwise clueless people. But the game is doomed to fail from the beginning for the women. Basically, the very nature of our differences causes one side to have the advantage over the other. There are a few wonderful rare exceptions, but men by nature, and even more so by cultural influence, tend to not want to "talk about their inner child" or their soft sensitive side....and all that psycho babble rot, and women have been given that green light. So, we talk talk talk...and love to let a man know how we feel at most given moments. Unless we're so pissed we revert to silent treatment, which gets no one anywhere. But this game asks questions requiring the men to try and "guess" how a woman would react, or think, or feel in certain situations, and vice versa. The men know the answers because they have heard their women talking about what they want or need and over time, the familiarity factor just kicks in. Women don't know half the things the men are going to say or answer, because they just haven't "talked about" these things voluntarily...EVER!!. And if they do have to give an answer that they know wouldn't be popular to the female crowd, or to their significant other in particular, they are quite likely to just give they answer they think we "want to hear"...for whatever reasons-probably self-preservation. And if they're afraid to answer, they can choose option "D" which is to go to the "cave". So, after thinking about the resounding ass kickin' the gals got playing the game, it dawned on me just exactly WHY women probably can't win this game. But, I have to say, it was still a lot of fun, and pretty darn educational.