[SANSDADDY] 2009 Christmas Holiday Greetings

Below is a copy of my annual Christmas Holiday Greeting email which I usually send out. However, since some of you who used to receive them are NOW on Facebook, I'm not sending you an email cause I'm basically stating the same thing. (There might be some emails which slip past me though.)

From: gregory edward johnson
Sent: Friday, December 25, 2009 3:00 AM
To: gregory edward johnson
Subject: [SANSDADDY] 2009 Christmas Holiday Greetings

Hi All,

I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of Holidays as well as a great start to 2010! What a year it has been...especially with all of the celebrity hoopla with deaths, affairs, etc. Also, a new decade is upon us. Weird, isn't it??? Just saying TWENTY TEN sounds so futuristic. Oh well. Time certainly flies when you get older.

Speaking of which, it's hard to believe that it's THIS time of year again...and I'm still breaking a tradition of mine and NOT sending out a long email (post on the blog/notes) since some of you are on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and can read up on what's happening in my life there. (Same goes for the blog. I've also been in contact with practically all of you this past year too in some form.)

Here are the web sites of my blog, Facebook profile, Fotki (photography) site, etc....

http://rettaman.blogspot.com (which isn't updated that much anymore since I'm on Facebook more)

http://public.fotki.com/rettaman (the same photo site which I've been using since 2003, but I've been uploading photos to Facebook more lately)

http://www.facebook.com/rettaman (FACEBOOK really has changed my life, especially how I've contacted people lately! It's rare that I send email now. In fact, I've trimmed my email list now since quite a few people on the list are part of my FB contact "friend" list. Maybe I should try to send them emails again??? Nah.)

There also have been other holiday traditions this year which have been broken, but not what I planned on. Fortunately, some traditions which were broken last year are coming back this year...and there is ONE tradition which will hold true and it's me spending time with my Grandma Thelma (Mom's mom) who's 94, still going strong mostly, living in her own house, and doing as well as she can at her age. I know she'll be cooking something as she always has. My Mom told me that Grandma did cook several things even though she is aging and not as agile as she used to be. It's good to be able to spend another Christmas with her because I know that these Christmases will be fewer as time passes.

Also, I know that some of you did know that a few days after Grandma turned 94 this past April, she fell and it was a very nasty fall. She had a bad gash on her forehead, lost quite a bit of blood, and fractured her left wrist. She was in the hospital for a week. My Mom spent the better part of two months with Grandma (at Grandma's home) tending to her and just helping the best she could. It's a miracle that Grandma is still here with us!!!

As far as my job, I'm still with the same company I've been with since May of 2008. I still am doing photography on the side as a personal hobby as well as a "business" (which has NOT grown as much as I would like for it too) and a ministry for various churches, etc. I am not quite as disciplined at doing some aspects (more like the editing and uploading) of the photography as I used to be. But, I still am glad that I am still doing it even though I was almost tempted to take a break from it in 2010.

Well, I need to close for now. (I think my long emails might be a thing of the past???) Anyway, take care of yourselves, enjoy fellowship with family & friends, and be safe if any of you are traveling! (Hope to hear from you!)

Sincerely,
Gregory E. Johnson

PS - As I mentioned to several of you previously, September 30th marked the five year anniversary of my Dad's death from brain/lung cancer. Hard to believe it's been FIVE years, but it has.

Ah, the Passing of Time...

Why can't the Facebook Mini-Feed be more PRIVATE??? BIG BROTHER is watching us and we're allowing him...

I'm still at Grandma's as I type this and I'm using dial-up and can't be too long.

Anyway, I'm just wondering why can't the FB mini-feed be more PRIVATE. I've had the ability to look at my own profile from another's point-of-view and have seen how much stuff I do is on the mini-feed EVEN when I take things off my wall. Also, I've seen my live feed...and it details everything...again, when I might "erase" what I've done. Not that I'm doing anything illegal or whatever. (For example, if I change my profile picture five times within five minutes, the live feed says that I've done so. I can erase it from my wall, but not from the feed.)

This really is becoming a concern for me and it seems as though BIG BROTHER (Orwell's 1984 type) is really coming into play now...and we've allowed it to occur through our FB profiles, cell phones, text messaging (which I do NOT do), online activity, etc. Does any of this concern you? I've been online for ten years now and FB is wonderful and great, but the feeds are beginning to concern me. I guess that regular email and even blogs might be safer than Facebook. (Yes, I know that I'm guilty. Just see how many photo uploads, etc. I've done within the past few months, etc.)

FB does have the feature of having certain things not being posted on the wall and mini-feed...but NOT everything. I do want to be able to share things, but NOT everything. Contrary to belief, I do not share everything....and I'm glad I don't. But, I'm alive and do have things to offer...at least, I hope I do in order to make this world a better place. Many of you do too and have been blessings to me. Thank you.

Well, I need to go now. Time to get ready to go back home so I can be at my job at 3:30 PM. I guess that's a good thing about the second shift. I at least got a chance to stay over at Grandma's last night.

I'm at Grandma's!!!

I'm at my Grandma Thelma's as I type this. I'm staying the night with her and it wasn't planned. As I probably mentioned in a note last week, one of her brothers (the youngest one) had a stroke and he's been moved toward the coast now. After going to church today (Sunday), I decided to make the trip there to see him and have Grandma go with me. I'm glad I did. Anyway, I'm tired and need to go to bed. Bye for now. (It's also good to see Grandma again. Haven't seen her since Christmas.)

The Day of my Actual Birthday - 2009 Style!

Well, another birthday has already come and gone. As for the actual day (February 19th), I woke up about 1 PM due to my work schedule which has caused my sleep schedule to be OFF. I went into to my job at 3:30 PM and stayed there literally with only ONE other person (practically alone, though!) from 8 PM until 1 AM.

So, I really didn't have as much fun and fellowship as I would like to have had. I can't do anything this evening (Friday the 20th) due to my work schedule and I have conflicts this weekend. Then I have to work every evening (as usual) next week. That only leaves me Saturday evening, February 28th when I'm hosting a private party for myself with a few friends. I hope my friends don't stand me up. I really wouldn't like that! I might then do some "unfriending" myself. (Just kidding.) :-)

I also had TWO people unfriend me on my birthday. I do know both of them are....and I have blocked one of them! (This person is still on FB...and I can tell that they did remove me. Can you say nerve? LOL! They probably were just culling their list.) As for the second person, they actually wished me a Happy Birthday...and they might've just disabled their account after the greeting. I can't find them anywhere. Oh well. I usually would be upset about it. (I'm smiling.) :-) (I know I am blessed just by reading what has been posted on my wall. I'm getting better at handling things.)

This is the "second" birthday I've "celebrated" on Facebook and I can say that Facebook birthdays are rather unique. Thanks for helping me have a great day even though I may not have a chance to literally spend it the way I want to in the physical presence of people. But, I will say that I feel better about this birthday than I did last birthday. May all of you have a good day as well.

PS - I did receive a gift card to the Cracker Barrel and did eat there on my birthday BY MYSELF (as usual). Oh well. I can't wait until the 28th!!! Life is good.

Might be taking a break from FB & disable my account for a while?

This needs to be a very short note since it's very late as I type this and I really need to be in the bed asleep so I can have enough energy and stamina to work and do all of that other crazy stuff life throws at you.

Anyway, I've been on Facebook since February 5th, 2008 and I'm very tempted to disable my account for a while. I've been unfriended a few times recently and it might be because I've been cramming too much stuff in the mini-feed of some of my friends. What friends they are??? Don't know. If I could separate the mini-feed from my profile, I would!!! Duh. (For example, this note might find its way into one of your mini-feeds even though I don't want it to.)

Maybe I've been posting too many pictures??? If people KNOW me as they do, then they know I do love photography even though at times the photography can be rather "whatever" to me too. (Does that sound cruel and harsh? I hope not. I'm just trying to sort more things out and not lose any more friends and sanity in my life cause I really do need it.) Better be glad that I don't have my status updates talking about LOST or 24. :-)

There are also certain FB features and other things on FB which I've found to be annoying...and no, I'll not share what they are. I will say that maybe a break from FB will be a good thing. I'm not sure when or how soon, but it might be within the near future. However, if I do disable my account, then it might appear that I myself have "unfriended" my friends...whom I would much rather refer to as followers because if I call them friends and they're not my friends anymore, should I freak out and even send emails to them asking them to remove my email address from their lists, etc.??? (Oops...getting off on a tangent.)

I guess that I just have to see what happens. It's a paradox of how I thought FB would make me feel closer to people and keep in contact with them better (which has been true) while at times I've been feeling distant. Fortunately, I've been readjusting my thoughts within the past few days...and I do feel better.

Oh, if I do go, I'll be back...I hope.

Peace!