MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS - Issue 52

Diary published weekly since 2001
Read a different version of this Diary on line HERE

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Hi Guys!!!! I just can’t believe that Monday is Christmas Eve. Some how this holiday has crept up on both of us. On Christmas morning I just need gifts to open and a stocking filled with ‘stuff’ to treasure – guess I will never let go of the kid in me. Soooooo right now both John and I are scrambling to find the things we are looking for. John is doing better than me but he may just receive some pretty wrapped packages with an 'IOU' note inside. We even spent a few hours at the Don West Flea Market for a few trinkets this morning. (If I work fast I will still get the Diary out today). Our problem is whenever we want something we buy it. So this makes it very difficult for Santa to find other things we think we need. Oh well we will be ready but hopefully this will be a busy, yet enjoyable fun time for everyone.

I think I may have screwed up my week #’s a bit over the past few months. But since this is the last full week of the year I decided I am not going to change them. Reference my title of this weeks post. To us and to many of our readers 'JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON' and ‘Merry Christmas’ is our standard greeting when I know your ethnic background. But our Diary Recipients and website visitors live in over 120 countries. Those in North America as well as many in far away places celebrate this season with a variety of alternate cherished RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS. To those supporters of RV Living.net – John and I wish everyone a very ‘Happy Holiday’.

Last of my bantering for this week – My DISH is still working after it fell over – it is fairly durable, but the bolts on the Dish skin (back of the actual Dish)' will not lock into place so over the next few days a new actual Dish will be on the way to Alamo. It is still functional but Alamo Palms RV Park does include WiFi (although my signal strength is not super strong it is a functional back-up) - cable too is part of park services. By the way both the BBQ and my fireplace are working beautifully – the local Wal*Mart even has similar fireplaces in stock right now but they are by a different manufacturer.

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MISCELLANEOUS HIGHPOINTS OF THE WEEK

This park offers a huge boost to ALAMO’s WORKING POOR at this time of year. Last Saturday at the parks Christmas service, residents brought numerous ‘GIFTS FOR THE NEEDY’. Requirements for age and sex were on tags hanging on the wish tree. Last Monday I participated in a gift-wrap bonanza transferring these donations into presents for 385 moms, dads and kids of all ages – it was a fun time. On Tuesday many volunteers added staples to a variety of packing boxes and this continued on Wed morning. A family of 5 ended up with 7-8 boxes of food plus a bag of gifts, oranges and grapefruit. When the packing was done, numerous cars, trucks and vans lined up around the park, waiting to be loaded up with boxes for each family before they followed the police Escorts to make the deliveries. Names were submitted by each of the 6-school districts - none of the recipients were on welfare. Participants of each vehicle also had several stuffed animals to present to other kids in the neighbourhood so no one would feel neglected. It was a moving experience.

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INTRODUCING OUR FRIENDS TO PROGRESSO, MEXICO

To many Valley Snowbirds, the short walk across the border is almost a weekly event. But to those new in the Rio Grande, it can be a bit intimidating. So last Thursday, we introduced Doug and Bonnie to the experience. John and Doug explored the area while Bonnie and I treated ourselves to classy $5.00 haircuts plus a $10.00 facial for Bonnie and an $8.00 pedicure for me. We closed our day off with shopping in the Canada store followed with a 10-Star lunch at GARCIA’S. While there we confirmed the EXPLORER RV CLUB (Cda Club) Dec Luncheon for the 27th Dec at this fancy restaurant – 12 noon. Everyone is welcome – but please let us know if you are joining us please email me . Hope to see many of you there – non-members welcome.

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MCDONALD’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS BBQ

Every Dec John and I try to host a special happy hour/meal close to Christmas. This year Dave, Betty, Debbie, (Nova Scotia) Marilyn, Keith, (Prince Edward Island) Doug and Bonnie (Ontario) helped us celebrate this year. (2006 we were stuck in the motel in Ontario during Dec, so this was a pleasant change). Main feature for our 2007 deal was decadent Chicago’s famous Portillo’s Baby Back Ribs – a Christmas gift from John’s sister Marilyn and hubby Arnold, plus an abundance of finger food highlighted by creations from our visitors. Good friends, a perfect warm sunny day (only a bit windy) – what more could anyone ask for?

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FINAL THOUGHTS

My email may have been screwed up this week. Last weekend I was being inundated with 100 Spam email every few hours. I reluctantly added a Spam Blocking system to ‘peggiandjohn’ email address. Sorry for all those who had to qualify to be accepted, I do not like those programs and I have since removed all the Spam blocking from my email addresses. If you ever have problems getting through, just add ‘info’ or ‘webmaster’ in front of ‘@rvliving.net’ and your email should go through without hassle. Please let me know if you continue to have problems.

One more time I send a special thanks to Matthew, chief tech at my very accommodating webserver ‘SUPERWEBHOST’ for walking me through this and other links problems that needed tweaking since they updated their customers websites. Are you looking for someone to host your website? Take a look at these guys – you will not go wrong - low prices and super service.

If you receive this a bit late it is because ALAMO PALMS RV PARK IS HOSTED A HAPPY HOUR/KARIOKE NIGHT this evening – it was a fun night but combine the jaunt to the Flea Market Sat morning and socializing tonight, I am still a bit behind. Have a very ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘Enjoy the Holidays’ everyone. P&J