Hello everyone, Just wanted to let you all know I am okay. Have received many messages of concern because I have not been sending out a lot of messages but I am simply overwhelmed with work. The genealogical research business I started earlier this year has really taken off and I "RUN" all day at NYS Library and Archives. The bad part is that I cannot get home at night to catch up the computer work that needs to be done. I make it home by midnight or so and back on a bus to Albany at 7:30am. Been doing this for a few months. I planned on dropping the servicing of greeting cards and balloons in the stores around Saratoga Springs and have given notice for the stores with balloons sometime ago but my supervisor moved up to regional manager and also became a 1st time daddy a few weeks ago. He has been rushing around training our new supervisor as well as learning his territory from Boston to Buffalo and all parts in between. The new supervisor, although not new to American Greetings, is trying to do all the things he has to do to acquaint himself with all of the local accounts and all of the merchandisers. I told him that I needed to back out of this and he is trying to find someone to take my place but asked if I could hang in just a little longer. So I have continued a little longer. Weekends, I have also been taking care of a man dying of cancer in Clifton Park and he only had two months and that was 4 months ago. I stay overnight and sleep for 2-3 hours and get up and move him on his side and I actually got more sleep there than when I have been home. I took this on because they could not get anyone and his wife has been his 24 hour caregiver and just needed to get some rest. She has been caring for him for two years as he also has Parkinsons but he really has needed more care these past months. Well, I fell asleep in my car in Lowe's parking last night and when I woke up I decided to come home and sleep at 5pm. I had not been home for a few days so I just checked my email and found a bunch of messages which I cannot answer each one personally. I do want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas. I pray that you all stop and think about where we are going in this world, especially with this craziness called Christmas shopping. Few of the people I encountered out there yesterday were happy and many were outright fighting in the stores with family members. Remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. He is the gift of love from God the Creator and this is the farthest from what Christmas is all about. The best Christmas gift you can give to everyone is to let them know how much you love them and mean it. All the petty things that go on in our lives erode not only our family but the world around us. You do make a difference but are you making a difference or has the world around you eroded who you were? If life is like a merry-go-round that is spinning faster, maybe it is time to get off and think about where you are going. I pray that you all take the time to give this some thought. Think about Christmas when you were younger, when it was not so commercial. Take a step back in time to your ancestor's day and you will be closer to the real meaning of Christmas. If you believe that the Babe of the Manger is coming again, you need to be ready. There will be a new Millenium with his coming.....is that soon? God Bless Ruth Ann [email protected] ___________________________________________________________________ Why pay more to get Web access? Try Juno for FREE -- then it's just $9.95/month if you act NOW! Get your free software today: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.