Ringing in the New

This is it.  The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012. 

Just think, we will have an extra day in which to complete those many projects next year.  It is a leap year!  I've always felt a little sorry for anyone born on February 29th.  They are in limbo.  Do any of you have a leap day birthday?  When do you celebrate?  Inquiring minds want to know.

To all of my friends, Happy New Year!

To those who want to see smiling faces opening Christmas Presents, just click here....

Challenges

 

How do you like my dirty window?  Or did you only notice my pretty African Violet that is flourishing, but has yet to yield any drop dead gorgeous blooms?  Both are challenges.  The window is too high for me to just run outside and clean.  It takes an extension ladder.  Maybe we (Jim) can tackle that challenge this Spring.  I've watered and fed my African Violet and offered filtered light (admittedly through a dirty window).  When I bought it for 50 cents at Lowes, it was almost dead.  So I am obviously up for challenges.  But what now...  Less water?  More fertilizer?  A challenge.

We just paid our real estate and personal property taxes.  Talk about a challenge!  Of course the challenge of income taxes will soon follow.  Ugh.  Maybe I'll try facing that challenge head on and get it done right away rather than waiting until the last minute like I usually do.

Whether she realizes it, I don't know, but my daughter, Tessa, and her family, gave me a challenge for Christmas.  They gave me a gift certificate from blog2print to get my blog made into a book.  Now that is super cool!  It is also going to be a super challenge. 

I've been blogging since the end of 2007.   Many of my posts are not book worthy.  Admittedly, none of my posts would be book worthy to the rest of the world, but to me they are a point in time that I obviously thought noteworthy or I wouldn't have blogged about it.  I went to the website today and checked things out.  This is going to be great but... a challenge!  I've decided the simplest way to do this is to start from the very beginning (like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, singing Do Re Mi).  That's a very good place to start.. and label each post that I want included in the book.  Then I can process it and see where the cost is and add or delete.  Oh yes, this is definitely going to be a challenge.  A wonderful challenge.

Shoot, I just noticed cob webs behind my blinds.  Another challenge!  I'll be back later.  It looks like I have some cleaning to attend to.

Awayward in the Manger

Thirty or so years ago Jim gave me a Precious Moment's Nativity set for Christmas.  Every year since, I have carefully set it out for all to see.

It usually looks something like this.  Mary and Joseph and a little lamb watching over baby Jesus, and the Three Wise Men off in a distance.  After all, according to the bible, they are coming from Persia and aren't there yet.

This year the wise men saw a little action.  Jim's mom took a liking to one in particular and was bound and determined to take it back to the nursing home with her.  You can see his little crown poking out of the top of the kleenex in her hand.  When Emily asked her what she was doing, she told her that "Nana told me I can have it".  We now call her Cleptograndma. 

When I got up Christmas morning, all three Wise Men were back in place, safe and sound.  Apparently they couldn't wait to see baby Jesus, and chose to come from on high rather than from afar.  At some point the crib was re-roofed with a coaster.  I wonder which grandkid is going to fess up to the redecorating...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We certainly did.  Nothing makes me happier than see family spend time together.  We ate, drank, played, talked, ate, drank, talked, played, ate... and then  read the Christmas Story of the birth of baby Jesus right before opening presents.  We also took LOTS of pictures.  As I looked through them, I noticed an amazing number of pictures of people taking pictures. 

Since we celebrate with the family on Christmas Eve, after we went to Church Christmas morning, we had the whole day to ourselves.  The temperatures rose to the upper 50's.  What a beautiful day!  Other than taking a walk to the pond and back, we just hung out all day.  How did you spend Christmas?

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours

Merry Christmas!

An early Christmas present to myself

Every year the week before Christmas I give myself an early Christmas present.  Yes, I am selfish that way.  But I love myself, so each year I do it. 

This morning I headed to the outpatient hospital clinic and trudged down the long hallway for my annual mammogram.  We've all heard the jokes about mammograms... you know the lay down on a cold concrete floor with your boob wedged under the rear tire and have a friend back over it a few times... there are hundreds of mammogram jokes out there.  But.  Mammograms are no joke.  They save lives.  Eight years ago a mammogram saved my life.  If you are 40 or older, please do yourself a favor and get your annual mammogram. 

Every year I try joking with the technician, saying things like "you are going to give this to me half price since you only have to do one scan, aren't you?" or "don't get confused and scan the wrong side, it might pop".  They are always nice and joke back.  I'm sure they've heard it all.

So today was Merry Christmas to me!  Have you don't anything nice for yourself this Christmas?

Oh, and I'm not a complete masochist.  After my mammogram I treated myself to an afternoon at the beauty shop.   Cut, color, shampoo, and style!

That’s Amore

   
Our bunch had a great time several weeks ago when we came together for a Pizza Party. 

I’m talking home made dough, fresh ingredients, build your own type pizzas. 

The kids really got into the act of rolling out the dough and deciding which toppings were appropriate and which were not.  We did insist on one adult pizza, complete with onions, green peppers and mushrooms. 

With our tummies already yelling STOP!, we dug into whipped cream topped pumpkin and warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream.  Oh my gosh.  Does it getting any better than that?
Of course it gets better than that.  A few stretched out on the floor and couch for a nap.  I won’t post those pictures.  You’re welcome.

The rest got caught up in a rousing game of Apples to Apples.
Jim took so many pictures and as I looked through them, a song kept going through my head.  So, I will leave you with my version of “That’s Amore”.   (Forgive me Frank Sinatra and composer, Harry Warren.)  Just hum along as you read the titles under each photo.

When the family arrives to make pizza pie,
That's amore;

When the smiles are so wide as secret cards slide,
That's a - more.


Ingredients will swirl, flippy slip-a-tip-a-twirl, slip-a-a-twirl
And you'll sing "Vita bella."

Hearts'll play tippi-tippi-tay, tippi-tippi-tay
Like a gay tarantella.

When the old and the young come together as one
That's amore;

Here it is the clue, whatcha gonna do?

Family is love;

When you talk and scheme and you know you're living a dream, signore,


'Scusa me, but you see, back in old Mizouri, that's
amore.

This and that

No Radar, I don't have time to come out and play with you!

I'm too busy making a mess working

Some customer had the nerve to want these shirts by tomorrow - and then when  I called to tell him they were ready he apologized for not calling... he now doesn't need them until next week!

So I stared out the window and pondered... then decided I'd rather be inside working than outside playing.

Does fluffing up like this really keep our feathered friends warmer?



Happiness is an evening with my 91 year old Uncle Cy



Even happier when the rest of my Aunts and Uncles are there two.  Of eight children, these four are still keeping us all in line.

Did someone say Christmas is coming?  Am I insane to be making all of my Christmas cards this year?  This picture is prelude to another post.

Red solo cups all lined up - gosh somebody ought to write a song about that.  Oh wait, they already did!





This pile of kids created the red solo cup mess.  I see a blog post out of this one.