Busy.. Busy....

You Are a Traditional Christmas Tree

For a good Christmas, you don't have to re-invent the wheel. You already have traditions, foods, and special things you bring out every year.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

In Which We Find Eighteen....

Eighteen is how many school days we have left before our winter break. Eighteen is also how many Advil I will probably take before this week is over. I definitely don't have 18 nerves left.. more like maybe 3. Or perhaps negative three. I'm not sure. Today was a pretty crappy day and I'm just waiting on the boy to unload his work stuff and then I'm having a beer. On a Tuesday. Before 5pm. Ya'll, I know what you're thinking.. but I need the beer.

I am almost done with my shopping. We will finish up this weekend. I am almost caught up on having all my bought things wrapped. I haven't baked. My house is clean but the kitchen (well.. deep cleaned). The decorating is almost done (now that the roof is done I can finish the porch.) And tonight I have a meeting. Off for that beer.

That's the view yesterday morning across the street as the sun came up. That's why I get up each day.

Putting Fall to Rest

The days following Thanksgiving are usually a little hectic at my house. We take down all the fall decor.. drag all the Christmas stuff down from storage and Deck the Halls. This event usually starts in the wee hours of the morning, due to some "must get up at the arse crack of dawn and buy" item. This year however, there was no such item to be bought. And so we did something unheard of. We slept in.

As much as I am a fan of sleeping, I'm not such a fan of sleeping in. I feel like so much of the morning is wasted if you get up "late".

I'm Thankful...

I'm thankful that I have a warm, comfortable house, and a roof over my head. I am thankful that I have the ability to have the last of the non-slate leaky parts replaced with non-leaking roof material. I hope my roof guy had a wonderful day today with his daughter and partner. Some people not too far away from here have lost their homes due to a horrible explosion. They are in my thoughts and prayers this year.

In Which We Find Thanksgiving....

To my Thanksgiving Guests,

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm
telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't
be coming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries.
After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done,
rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy
china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match
and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will
refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa
napkins from last Christmas.

Bah Humbug

Ya'll.. I really didn't think I was going to make it. I had the number of days to focus on.. I had the countdown... the clips... the whole kit and caboodle.. and despite it all... I thought today would never come. These past 56 school days have been the longest in my carer. I'm not at liberty to discuss the whys and whathaveyou's... but lets just say that I'm already counting the days until Christmas break. (20 school days in case you are wondering). This year is kicking my arse. We knew it was going to be hard.. but no one expected things to be this hard. I hate to admit this out loud, but I've had days that were so awful.. I've come home and had to cry in the quiet of my own room. I walk that delicate balance back and forth across the edge every day, and some days I feel like I'm going to fall over and never make it back.

In Which We Find a Few Thoughts on Things...

Some Things I learned this week, in no particular order of importance:

1. Resolve Carpet Cleaner rocks! People.. a month or more ago I was away from my house. I can't for the life of me remember why I was away. Errands perhaps. A drumming gig perhaps. I might've been abducted by aliens. I really can't say. Anyhow, The Boy was home with the kids. Alone. Unsupervised. He's pretty responsible these days. They are too.. mostly. While I was gone there was an incident involving orange juice being sprayed in some sort of a semi-circle around the chair in my family room. They claim that Ms. Thang was drinking the juice next to the chair in the kitchen and somehow the cup propelled out of her hand (I'm not making this up) and sprayed OJ all over the rug. Now I have several issues with this story. 1. She shouldn't have been standing behind the chair drinking. 2. How does OJ spray out of a cup in a complete semi-circle around a chair, end table and contents in a drop-like pattern? 3. No one told me the extent of the damage. I came home, and inquired why the candle was on the counter. "Mumble, Mumble, OJ, Mumble, Cleaned Up, Mumble." Umm.. ok. FFWD a week later. Know what happens when sticky OJ gets on your rug and isn't cleaned up? Dirt sticks to it. I noticed a half ring of dots surrounding my chair area. (the other half of the circle is the kitchen floor). I inquired something to the extent of "What the hell is on the floor?" and was told it was more than likely from the juice incident. Which would seem to have been bigger than previously thought. I tried the Little Green Machine. Nothing. I was devastated. I hated the unsightly ring of dots on the rug. My eyes went there every time I walked into the room. We only have rugs in 3 rooms in our big old house, and while I don't like them, they're what we have right now and I don't want them horrible looking. FFWD to today. My dearest friend from work told me to get Resolve Carpet Cleaner. Told me it took EVERYTHING OUT, and it would certainly work on that mess on the rug. So I bought some today. In a spray bottle. Spray it on, wait 5 minutes, scrub with a stiff brush (this was my method, your mileage may vary). I left this afternoon for a drumming gig, and when I got back.. I thought tears of joy might leak out of my eyes. My rug... it's all better.

P is for... Pie

You Are Mud Pie

You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth Those who like you give into their impulses

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Thanksgiving is When?!?!

Ya'll... Thanksgiving is next week (NEXT.WEEK!)... how come no one told me?!?!?! How can Thanksgiving be next week. It was just October. We just had Halloween. We still have candy at my house. I'm not ready for Thanksgiving. And to make matters worse, Christmas is in 6 weeks, and in less than 3 weeks we will celebrate "Uncle Christmas." (my kids gave this name to the day my brothers/their sig. others and my dad come to celebrate Christmas. Due to step-mom's health issues we are celebrating early this year). Umm.. so.not.ready.

Sunday Letters and What Have You..

Dear Nephew Who Shall Be Named at A Later Date:
Throughout the many hours I have spent knitting for you... I have sent loving baby vibes your way. You've already shown us that you are fighter.... hang in there through these last 7 weeks. Your mom is excited about your arrival, and may have gotten carried away with her baby registry. That is OK, she's entitled. I thought perhaps you'd like a few more meaningful gifts, and I hope you enjoy them. This little blanket was by far the biggest project I've ever undertaken during my knitting career, and I'm rather happy with how it turned out. I hope it keeps you warm and cozy, and who knows... maybe you'll lug it around when you are older.
smooches,
Lovey

In Which We Find a Day to Remember...

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Rock the Vote...

It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican.. or neither.

It doesn't matter if you are anti-war or gung-ho.

It doesn't matter if you are pro-life or pro-choice.

It doesn't matter if you think alcohol should be sold in convenient stores or if you think it belongs at the Packie.

It doesn't matter if you want an income tax, a sales tax, or think we are already paying too damn much for taxes.

It doesn't matter if you are Black, White, Asian, Indian or other.

It does matter if you stay home. Get out and Vote!!

Saturday... In Wich We Find the End of Soccer

The sky over NH today is rather dark and dreary. Snow has been spitting down at random intervals, and it is cold. 41 degrees at 1pm cold. After a morning of errands, and a rather scary incident when I realized I lost my bank card (left it at the market last week it would seem, and the nice people saved it for me)... I ended up on the soccer field.

Last week we were supposed to end soccer with the championship playoffs, but alas it poured. All. Day. Long. So instead of a mild-ish day, we had a very cold one.

No We're Never Gonna Survive.....

Unless... we get a little... Crazy!

Ya'll. This week, was the mother of all sucky weeks. I don't know if it was the time change, or the sugar highs or the full moon... but... Oh. My. Gawd. I can't begin to tell you how many things about it sucked, so we'll just leave it at that. And thank the gods it's over.

But let's rewind to yesterday. Yesterday was a bad day. The kind of day where at 10:00 am you're thinking about how you could walk home at break and have a quick beer and walk back. The kind of day that you wish would just end but goes on. for. effing. ever. One of those days.