Christmas At The Gulley's

Well in case you haven't heard, Gene and I had a wonderful Christmas! I of course got this great computer, (early), and that was quite the expense, so Gene and I agreed that it would be my Christmas and birthday gifts for this year. I thought that would be all, but just a few days later, a friend of ours was moving out of his house, and he offered to sell us a car that he had that is A LOT better and a lot newer year than ours. We got what should have cost us 1500.oo, for only 200.oo! I can't remember anything about it, but it is a K-car, and its dark blue, with new tires and a perfect interior, and that it is all automatic. We have not got it all registered and insured yet, but as soon as we get the chance, (and we can dig it out), we plan on getting all of that done. The dang snow plow guys did the trailer park, and plowed it right in about 4 feet or better before they got all done! I love that they tried to help, but come on!! for all they knew we could have needed that, as it was Gene had to dig out the bad car at like 9 in the evening just so he could go to work the next day! We got 2 things of cat sand and 2 things of extra course salt to keep the driveway cleaned out. Now its warming up and melting off a little at a time though so it should be ok in a few days. I know my blogs are boring compared to all of yours but I thought I would let you know what is going on here. For Christmas I got Gene a handmade fishing pole, made by someone in our group in aa, and I got him some tackle and a tackle box, and a pair of wool socks, and some long johns, and a hand carved bank with pics of his dog and me on the front and back of it. From a friend of ours, I got a coat, and another friend got me a salad shooter, and I got some other stuff. Grandma Sears got me an egg separater, and Mom sent me money. I am so very blessed with a warm home, now 2 cars, and pets and a family that loves me so much. I am blessed to be clean and sober and have a husband who loves me more than life. I guess some times I forget just how very blessed and lucky I am to have been born in a time when freedom states that I can believe as I wish, love who I wish, and be who/what I wish.
Our open house went well, Christmas eve we had no one, but Christmas day we had 5 people show up, 2 couples, and a single man. We played pinnochle, and ate cookies, and drank milk and soda and gabbed for hours. Gene and I won the first game and lost the next one and then played one hand went set, and gave up! It was my fault, as I bid with no marriage, but I had 3 legs, and Gene had the one I needed for a 300. I was so mad at myself, we lost the whole thing! Since Christmas, Gene has been a working fool, and I have been busy as there are some friends of mine who do not have washers, and /or dryers, doing their laundry. They bring me soap, and bleach, and I try to make sure they get it all done once a week or so. It makes me very happy when I see them in clean clothes. Here is the irony of the whole thing though, my dryer went out about 3 days ago, and the next day we went to the grocery store to get a few things, and on the bulletin board, there was an add that someone had up, for a 5 year old nearly in brand new condition dryer for sale for 100.oo! We came home and called them, and so yesterday, they actually came about 10 miles and delivered it to us, and set it all up and made sure it would work, and the whole thing. They didn't even charge us for bringing it to us, or hooking it up and making it balanced and get it running. Again another reason to be thankful for my life, and for all the things I have and I can do, and friends who care about me. It is so weird how life seems to be working out that way for Gene and I.
On New Years, Our group is having a dinner, and games, and meeting, and gab session, at the church across from our meeting place. The group is paying for the Turkey and ham and then each of us are taking things like side dishes. The group is also paying for soda, milk juice, and bottled water. I am taking some cookies, and a potatoe salad. Some other people will bring mashed potatoes, and gravy and soups, and breads, ect.....It should be a lot of fun, and we are taking a couple that we have befriended along with us!
I hope that at least some of you will read this and enjoy it. Some day I will be able to post pictures, until then, enjoy all the blabbing! Julie and Gene

It Is December!

Well, its now December, and things in the Gulley house are pretty normal for the most part. We have decided to let a couple friend of ours use the travel trailer since we are not using it. They will be moving it to a different park, where travel trailers are allowed here in town. From now til the 20th though, they are in it in our back yard. He just got a job where Gene works, so that makes 2 of our friends that have received jobs there in the last 2 months. I jokingly say, its becomeing an AA family affair, but with jobs so scarce right now, any job is the best job you could ask for. Out here especially everyone you talk to almost is on layoff, or recently been "downsized". Because of this, many have been downsized right out of their homes as well. Its a very sad state of affairs. On the lighter side, but in part because of that side, Gene and I have decided to host a 2 day holiday open house for the folks we know in program, both here, in Ontario Oregon, Vale Oregon, Nyssa Oregon, and everywhere else that my fliers have run off too from the meetings. Hahahah. I saw it done in Emmett, by Gene's brother and sister in law for a fact! She would open her house on both days so that people who didn't have a place to go, or at least a sober place to go, could come there, have food, listen to holiday music, and enjoy fellowship, and play games, ie....Cribbage, sorry, battleship, clue, ect....., so I began to think, that maybe, just ,maybe if I did the same, it would catch on here and others would have them, so that by chance if there were a few going on, people could wander from one to another, and pick up new ideas, new fun things, and new foods, ect.... then the fellowship would grow even more, and there would never be a time when there wasn't at least one safe spot for people during ALL holidays. On the working front, Gene is still steady at it, time alone together has become very precious, and very wonderful, as we are not taking eachother for granted as much as we used to, and things really get done, because that is the only time we have. For instance, today Gene was home by noon and doesn't have to go back for his second shift, so we are going to spend time doing some bills, we watched some tv (cable), and just talked about what is going on with each of us, and how wonderful and blessed our lives are. We always try to know what is going on in the world, and in some ways, that helps us to understand how blessed and wonderous a life we have! So we hope that those of you who find yourselves in tight spots and hard times this year, just tune in to some of what our soldiers, and even those families of our troops is going through, and remind yourselves just how lucky/blessed and filled with joy and love, your lives truely are. There is a saying in our program, and it goes:"There but for the grace of God, go I". How truely appripoe in a time like this. Just look at those who have lost their homes, and their jobs, and their pensions, and retirements, and take heart at what your life is made of and how you could be there! Speaking of retirement, Gene's mom just found out that she lost ALL of her retirement money when AIG went in to the toilet! The company/people she worked for as a nurse at the doctor's office in Emmett, had put all of the money on the 50/50 deal into AIG. The doctor's office sent her an apoligy, but that won't pay bills, so now she is into her own individual savings account, and doesn't know how long that will last. She has sold a few of the baby calves from last year, and had some from sales of cows before, but now she has to have a constant accounting of every single penny just to get by. We are praying for her that somehow she will be able to make the money last another 10 years, which sounds morbid to say, but that is the absolute life expectancy for people in Gene's family on both sides. On to better news; Gene and I are sending out Christmas cards via snail mail to everyone this year, and they will go in the mail later this afternoon, so in the next week, look for yours in the mail.It has been wonderful that the price of gas has gone down. Here we are paying about $1.60 a gallon. Milk has gone down too, we pay about $2.20 a gallon for that, and bread is .70-.86 cents a loaf, but I have been doing some of my own bread baking with flour and sugar, and salt down. I am hoping to get a web cam or a digital for Christmas so that I can download pics to go with this blog, so please read weekly to keep up. Know that we think of you all, and love you all much! Julie