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Shopping: The Christmas Miracle

Some of you might have noticed I failed to put up my daily post yesterday. No? You weren't waiting around with bated breath? Rude.

Anyway, it was in part because I just have so much crazy stuff going on. Parties, holiday planning, extravagant dinners....the usual. Also, trips to Target to pick up super secret presents that can't be featured on the blog.

Ok, fine. These stocking stuffers can go on the blog because I'm 99.99% sure my cats can't read this.



I bought these tiny little stockings a while back because I thought they would be adorable for the cats. Plus, they were 87 cents and I'm a sucker for anything that costs less than a dollar. But - NOTHING fits into them. They're that small. $1.74, wasted. Dang the holidays are expensive!



So...crazy exciting life at Christmas. Buying cat treats at Target. Hubby and I got there last night at 4:45, and went our separate ways to pick up a few top secret items. I was checked out and back in the car 12 minutes later, where I not-so-subtly made fun of hubs for taking ages (ok fine, 20 minutes) to finish his shopping.

The weather was INSANE yesterday, with tons of really heavy rain and wind. On the drive back we heard a loud siren but had no idea what it was for. When I lived in Hawaii that siren meant a tsunami warning, but I had a strong feeling that inland Georgia was pretty safe, tsunami wise.

It only took a minute or so to click that it was probably a tornado warning, and I started analyzing every cloud for....I have no idea. I guess I though they would look like funnels or something. Can you tell I've never seen a tornado?

In the next few minutes it got dark as the sun set completely and then all of a sudden the ground was COVERED in debris - mud, leaves, grass. What was black tar a minute before now looked like a muddy trail. A few seconds later we saw tons of downed pine trees blocking the other side of the road, but no emergency personnel yet. A tornado had come through a minute or two before, about 10 minutes from our house.

You guys, ask me if I am scared of tornadoes and I will probably say no. But when I realized how close that was to us last night I seriously started bawling. So emotional. We were fine, there were no major injuries reported, but a few homes and barns were destroyed.

I guess there's no better way to feel at Christmas than truly thankful for my life, my family, my health and my home. And yes, I told my hubby that his sub-par shopping skills that made us leave Target a few minutes later were what saved out life. I think he feels pretty good about that. And maybe, just maybe,  it was a good reminder for me that Christmas is NOT entirely about presents, fun songs and sugar cookies.

It's possible that Christmas is about more than cookies. 

What are you thankful for this Christmas?
A home that is perfect for Tim and me, two wonderful little cats who love me even if their treats won't fit into their stockings, good health and a loving family!

Have you ever been in a truly bad storm/hurricane/flood, etc?
I never have, that I can remember. Some bad typhoons in Hong Kong, but really everything is pretty safe and there is no real danger most of the time. 

Comments

  1. How scary is that? So glad you and yours were all ok! Perfect timing for a little reminder.

    Merry Christmas!

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  2. I literally choked on my water re: cat's not being able to read the blog. Easily amused - slow day at work today ;) MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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  3. Glad you are all ok xx

    I defiantly got my Ella-Bella christmas presents. A yummy beefy raw-hide bone & a toy fetch bone-stick thing.

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  4. Glad you are okay. How scary!

    I am doing a stocking for my dogs - just a few treats, a new toy, and some breath spray (that might be more for me then them.. lol)

    I have been through a few close calls in my life. Most of them I am too little to recall. But, in April my life could have been changed drastically. My mom, dad and sister live in Alabama and the were within 1/4 of EF5 tornado. I was on the phone relaying info to them, it was terrifying. I felt like I was right there with them... it was terrifying!

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  5. If an animal was going to read blogs, I'd put my money on a cat.

    That's pretty scary about the tornado! I'm not a fan of any extreme weather and after this year, I'm scared shitless of hurricanes and earth quakes. It's funny to be under a tornado warning with someone from the midwest...they take that stuff seriously!

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  6. SO glad you are ok! I have been in my share of earthquakes including the big one in 89 in San Fran. Other than that, no big storms! I cant imagine how scary that would be. I am thankful for so much including my new found addiction to kettle corn .. does it matter if I eat 5 packages a day if its only 100 calories a package? ha! Hope you have the best weekend ever!

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  7. So glad you are ok! I lived through a hurricane in FL, it was so scary!

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  8. That is so scary!! No big storms for me, I'm lucky! Love the cats tiny stockings. I keep thinking about doing one for the dog and the guinea pig, but I'm not sure yet... I have to go to Walmart today so I'll buy goodies then if I decide to.

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  9. Yikes that is so scary!! I am so so glad you are okay and you are right that events like this truly do put life into perspective. I am so jealous you went to target without me. I freaking love that place. :)

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  10. Wow that's crazy, I'm so glad that yall are okay...close call and freaky weather!

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  11. I live in New Orleans, so hurricanes are kind of the routine. After tropical storm Georges we were out of power for TWENTY NINE DAYS until my mother went ballistic with Cleco on the phone. She had a right to - she was 37 weeks pregnant! She gave birth 8 days after we got power back.

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  12. wow that would be extremely scary!! i lived in tornado alley my whole life, but oddly they only touched down in that area after i left, whew

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  13. Tornadoes in December... Welcome to the south!! Glad y'all are safe!

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  14. I love stockings for animals FYI and I am sorry you were in a scary storm. We've had tornados and bad storms at my cottage...I remember having to prepare and go down the basement when I was a child. However I was never scared, I'm always excited. I don't know why. Maybe some part of me believes life is a movie and I'll be fine???

    I am thankful for this blog community, friends and family. This year I feel truly blessed, humbled and loved. I like it :D

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  15. that is SO SCARY. growing up in the south has made me pretty afraid of tornadoes. I am glad you are ok!!!

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  16. wow....so glad you are ok

    Merry Christmas!!!

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  17. Glad you are safe!!!! SCAR-EY!

    I'm truly thankful for having a wonderful husband who supports whatever I do. I'm thankful for a job and a home and our little beagle.

    I have lived through MULTIPLE natural disasters!!!! 6 hurricanes in 7 years, my condo flooded in 2001, and a tornado in 1999.

    Merry 1st American Christmas, bloggy friend!!!

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  18. oh goodness, i remember those tsunami warnings. I almost got used to them. scary eh?
    be safe and stock up on cookies!

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  19. Im so glad to hear you are safe. What you two experienced is very scary and some how it really was a good thing your hubby was late getting to the car. I dont even want to think what would have happened if you two left a few minutes earlier. Again im so happy to hear that your family is safe. Merry Christmas in advance.

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  20. Drove through/followed that same storm from West Georgia to North Georgia for 3 1/2 hours! Not fun! Happy you're ok!
    Yes, we have 3 stockings for our baby cats! Santa never forgets them!

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  21. Wow!

    Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

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  22. Just wanted to stop by to wish you a Merry Christmas!!!!

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  23. How terrifying! Glad you guys are ok. We got hit by the tornados in April and it missed us by less than a mile. No power for a week and it was terrifying!

    Merry Christmas to you guys and the cats! Enjoy your first Christmas in your new house!

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  24. Yikes! That sounds terrifying! I'm glad you guys are ok! Merry Christmas

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  25. oh my gosh i'm glad u're okay!!! how scary! okay, as a kid i watched that Twister movie until the VHS tape was broken i was scared poopless of tornados and i would have been freaking out!! it really makes u thankful for wat u have and for just being around...sheesh, look i'm getting all sentimental!!

    yikes, but scary stuff and i'm happy that all's okay on ur end...wat better way to calm the nerves than dig into all those xmas cookies??? ;)

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  26. Oh my gosh, V, that's scary! I'm not too terrified of tornadoes either, but living in TN all my life I certainly have a healthy respect for them! A few years ago one came through the subdivision I lived in. It did t even so much as blow our patio furniture over but it took the roof off a house two houses down from us. That was a little bit close for comfort! So glad you and the hubs are okay!!!!!!

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