Happy New Year's Eve!!!!!!

I might have a flare for the dramatic but I promise that all the events I am about to tell you are true to the best of my knowledge.

I thought you all might appreciate this little anecdotal story.

Sam & I had the most excitingly wonderful year that was full of much joy....including having him come from New Zealand, living in Los Angeles, moving to Florida, getting married in June, moving back to California for a short month before
moving back to New Zealand in late October. What a year!

While it was full of so much joy, all the transition & some personal situations left me bordering depression. I had been in that spot once before when I first moved to Los Angeles 5 years ago. I knew how to get through it so much better this time. Allowing myself to be okay not being okay, growing through the hardships & most importantly not losing hope I knew to be very important. I found last time that hope can be easily lost with me in times like this, but that one small thing I could do is to look forward to something each day & laugh a lot when you can.

5 years ago The Ellen Show became my "thing I looked forward to each day." I laughed. That's very important when you need to remember to hope. This time was no different except no DVR or TiVo :) I still knew that making sure I laughed every day would be important for me & my new husband. I didn't feel guilty at all when I stopped my day at 3 every day....even when I knew my Mother in law wondered what the heck I was doing. :)

As the Holidays approached I couldn't help but get excited for "O" Magazine that Ellen continually talked about on her show, since she had finally made it to the cover!! I looked once or twice in stores here, but it only had the November issues. Like I mentioned a few blogs back on Christmas Eve I opened a present from Sam and to my surprise was an "IOU" for one "O" Magazine. Evidently, Sam had gone to a magazine specialty shop to find the magazine for one of my Christmas gifts. The lady told him that they receive the "O" Magazine a month later behind the current issue. She told him she hoped it would come early and to check back. Well today (New Year's Eve) we finally were able to go and get my long awaited "O" Magazine!!! The lady even recognized my husband because he had gone in so many times. She even told us that she only received 8 magazines and typically only receives 4! And this time 6 of the 8 were already bought only leaving 2 on the shelves!! Funnier yet was that I actually stop and wondered..."Did Ellen really achieve her goal in making this issue of "O" the most successful selling one ever? It seems to me that these issues would not have been counted yet???" Makes you think, huh?

I had to laugh a little at the fact that New Zealand receives "O" Magazines so much later than America, for one very funny reason. Each day after The Ellen Show is over the broadcasting network airs this tiny little box with a very disturbing message...."Any promotions and contests are not available to those living in NZ." I always tease, with a smile, that this is the most "depressing" part of the show. Between the tardiness of the "O" Magazine to New Zealand and the sad little message at the end of each show, Ellen has still brightened my day. I laugh each day while watching Ellen no matter what I feel like that day. And sometimes to just have a fun thing to look forward to each day was enough to keep my going. Sounds funny, but little things really do matter!

Happy New Year to you and your families!!! I hope you thoroughly enjoyed my little story of HOPE!

P.S.
Thanks Ellen for brightening people's day...even at the bottom of the world!!!