Dec. 29

Blizzard, the sequel.

I got called in to work early today.
They had predicted another big storm last night, so when I got up and saw only about an inch of new snow, I thought they goofed again...

But the last couple of hours at work, the snow started to fall again, and the wind kicked up. I had to go 20 MPH all the way home because it was so slick.
I was in my in-law's car, and I don't know it very well, so I didn't know how far I could trust it.

I wish I could stay home tomorrow, but I have to go to work again...

Hubby's third day post-surgery, and I can tell he's starting to feel a little better. He's getting antsy and irritable.
He's been a pretty patient patient until now, but he's going stir crazy now.
He's supposed to work tomorrow night, I hope it won't be too much for him...

The girls are suffering from boredom too. Melissa had plans tonight, but had to cancel because of the storm.
Jenny plans to go up North for New Year's. I wish she'd change her mind - not crazy about the idea.

I think we're all ready to get back to normal - I know I am!

A week's holiday vacation is apparently plenty.

:-)
.

Dec. 28

Another big storm coming tomorrow - guess who is the only person in the family who has to work?

Lucky me.

We've had a visit from my-child-from-another-mother this week.
Jenny's best friend since grade school. It's been fun to have her around again. She's calling me "mom" these days. The girls' a hoot.

The Christmas stuff is starting to bug me. Not ready to give up the tree yet, but the boxes, wrappings, and kitchen disasters are getting on my nerves.
When we got home from spending the day at the hospital yesterday, we found the kitchen floor covered with soaking wet towels - dirty dishes everywhere, but the girls were chatting away happily at the counter cooking up who knows what...

Can't leave the house for a minute. The sink backed up and the dishwasher overflowed. Rather than just mopping it up, the towels were just left there soaking up my laminate floor. (The only thing it's not guaranteed against.)

Never a dull moment. *Sigh*

We've been up late having another Big Bang Theory marathon tonight.
Hubby's still recuperating, and we're doing our best to keep him entertained.

Time to call it a night I suppose...
.

Dec. 27

*Disclaimer* I wrote this this morning at the hospital - it made perfect sense then, obviously I was more tired than I thought...



The days of the week are getting all mixed up in the post-Christmas aftermath.
If it weren't for going to church yesterday, I would never have known it was Sunday.

It's my job to choose the hymns that are sung in Sacrament meeting, and I never quite know what to do with the week after Christmas.
I love Christmas music, and we only have four short weeks to sing it, but I'm always somewhat afraid of what the grumblers will say: "Christmas is over - move on already" I've tried it both ways, and it's a no win situation.
You just can't please everybody.

Since it was only the day after Christmas this time, I thought it would be OK.
Not only did we open and close with Christmas hymns, (Joy to the world, the Lord is come... that's appropriate, right?) - But I had the Primary children sing a couple of numbers too.
...Which they did really well, by the way. They were shy and pretty quiet, but they really sang together as a unit. It was sweet, and really beautiful.

...Anyway, I'm afraid it all fell flat for me yesterday. Maybe it was just me - so much has happened around here lately, it's been really hard to feel any Christmas joy amid all the hubbub.

Holiday meals have always been a big deal to me - I always want them to be exotic and beautifully spread, as if from the pages of Victoria magazine - when in truth, what my family prefers is much simpler fare, more like... Farmer's Almanac.

I'm thinking it's time to restructure my thinking about my traditions.
Plain old pancakes make my girlie's much happier than my fancy schmaltzy experimental recipes.
I'm not organized or forward thinking enough to pull off the big productions.
I'm no Martha Stewart, after all.
(...Then again, without her hoards of minions - neither is she.)

That's what I need. Minions.


I had planned to spend the day in creative pursuits today, but I forgot I was on nurse duty. Hubby had his knee scoped, and I was his designated driver.
No matter - time to think, read, (and even had a brief nap in the waiting room.)

He'll be laid up for at least three days - I've been ordered to go out and stock up on movies tomorrow.

Compulsory shopping. I'll try to deal.

Christmas Day

Too busy to blog yesterday.

My lovely boss sent me home early, so I had plenty of time to get dinner prepped and ready - but not without being sent out in the fog to pick up a few last minute items.

Our evening went pretty well - we were able to Skype our son, so we got to share opening gifts with them. What an awesome thing Skype is! It was like having them here with us.

My oldest made me a video of his girls singing Christmas carols. It was so fun to watch, with a few special effects added here and there...
Everyone got their new jammies and put them on here before they went home.

After they left, our... adopted son (daughter in law's brother) came by to visit. We were just on our way up to the cemetery to put lights on the family graves, (Something new they just started here this year,) So he rode along with us.

I was expecting it to look festive up there, but it looked rather creepy - even though there were still lots of people driving around, the candles had an eerie effect on the place...

Back at home, we called it a night fairly early.

No children to wake us early like in years gone by - only the dog raiding the garbage and spreading all over the house. (What happened to creatures not stirring?)

Today has been busy with our traditional family breakfast (the very word 'tradition' implies that you have to do it forever, so be careful what you start! LOL. I enjoy doing the Christmas Eve dinner, and the Christmas morning breakfast, but it puts me in the kitchen for much of the holiday.)

After the kids left this morning, (to go visit the other grandparents up north) we've had a quiet day. Naps, movies, and snacks. That's what Christmas day is about around here.

Well, that, and this:


Everyone has the week off next week, even me. (Well, most of it.)
Hubby goes in to have his knee scoped on Monday, so forced rest for him. Hope he can handle that.

I plan to spend much of the week holed up in my room doing all the projects I haven't had time to do all month.

Ahhhh.
.

Merry Christmas!


.

Dec 23

Treats to neighbors - check
finish project - check
meals planned - check

Everything else? - scratch. There's always next year.

I work all day tomorrow, so today was it for me.

Merry Christmas, and God bless us, every one!
.

December 22

Feeling kind of bummed today.

I thought the holiday let-down wasn't supposed to come until after the holidays.
I don't know what my problem is - I'm just having a really hard time caring that it's Christmas. Nothing feels quite right this year.

Surprisingly enough, work has stayed busy this week, even though it's kind of late for sewing projects...
I have a project of my own that won't get done unless I can dedicate all day tomorrow to it. Things have been so crazy this week.

We had 3 feet of snow yesterday, and now it's raining on top of that - if all that snow melts under the rain, we'll soon be part of Utah Lake.

Hope Santa brings a raft.
.

December 21

Snowed in today.

A little thing called "Lake Effect" that is common to this area - dropped about 3 feet of snow on us during the night - and nobody wants to venture out in it.

So, we're all stuck here together, like it or not.

One of the trees in the back yard lost a major limb - but we were planning to cut that tree down eventually anyway - just saved us some trouble...

Sad news this past weekend - a treasured historical landmark was lost to fire.
The Provo Tabernacle burned after a Christmas Concert Friday night.

So sad, it was such a beautiful building. They don't make them like that anymore.

I found an interesting story as I was looking for pictures this morning;
 
I like the gentleman's comment about God being in the little things.
Who says He doesn't send messages to us still?
.

December 20

Surprise!

Snow by the boat load today. It will definitely be a white Christmas, but did it have to come today? My baby & hubby will be on the road all day.

Praying for their safekeeping (and mine) as we all navigate through it.

December 19.

Panic mode.

The cards have all been mailed, the gifts are wrapped, now is the time you remember everybody who should have been on one of those lists, that you forgot.

Now is the time people start bringing treats to work, which is something you haven't even thought about.

Now is the time when friends of the kids drop in, and you probably should have done something for them too...

It is the time that you realize that the shopping and wrapping, the baking and cleaning will never be over until the day is here and it's beyond too late.

No rest for the weary.

We had our Christmas program at church today. All those long hours of rehearsal, playing rehearsal CD's in the car on my commute - all of it is over now.

Things went really well - even though the meeting went over by a quarter of an hour.
My choir director had a slam-bang finish planned, which we had discussed about a month ago, but I wasn't sure it was going to happen.
I'm glad she did it - (Silent Night, with a special piano/organ arrangement for the closing song.) But it was a little embarrassing when we both got up to lead it...

Tonight is our big (or should I say "ginormous"?) family party. Baby brought her boy home to show off to the family. He seems lost and confused here (poor boy) and I don't think baby is feeding him very well - I hope he survives meeting all the relatives.

Hubby is nagging me to finish up some last minute details...

Later.
.

Dec. 17

Wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap

~ Work ~

Wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap...
.


“To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year”
E.B. White

December 16

I've been possessed by old Mr. Grinch today.

I've been out shopping ALL day long.
I had a short list, and thought I could finish in a couple of hours, but I should have known it wouldn't be that easy...

I had an impossible time finding everything.

About 2pm, I dabbed on the warpaint, and headed for shoppers hell (Toys-R-Us.)
I'm sure there was smoke spewing from my ears when I found that even they didn't have what I needed!

By then, I was angry, I was starving, and I didn't care anymore.
I just decided to make do, and go for the next best thing. If that isn't good enough, that's just too bad. I'm not going out there again!
...I have too much that needs doing here.

Had a bit of a scare while I was out running - I took the back roads from K-Mart to Walmart, and while I was watching for which road I needed to turn on, I apparently started to drift into the oncoming lane...

I looked up just in time to see a pick up truck coming straight at me!
I yanked the wheel, and managed to get out of the way just in time.

Whew - that could have been messy...

I was also looking for containers for my neighbor gifts.
You know, those thoughtful little things you make by hand, just to show you care?
I had an idea that was supposedly inexpensive and easy;
(like these little paint cans from Archiver's)

...but after visiting 3 shops for supplies, I realized that if I kept going along those lines, I would be spending about $20 bucks per household just for a little jar of candy!

Crazy!

Found something else that will work just great - at the dollar store.
Cute and simple, and hopefully, a thought that will be appreciated...

I have to work the next 2 days, and I have company coming, so I'm through running around. At least out there.

Bah!
.

The Grinch hated Christmas — the whole Christmas season.
Oh, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

December 15

Crazy day yesterday - up all night, slept in this am, late for work, more Christmas shopping, 3 inches of new snow...

Makes a body kind of wonder ...what would it be like to spend Christmas at the beach?







I could decorate my tree with sea shells...
[ A Room for Everyone Blog ]

I could build a man made out of sand...
[ Sandbars to Sunsets ]

...While waiting for Sand-ta Clause - he would still find me, right?


...And I'll be hot in the new bathing suit he brings me;
[Etsy Moth to a Flame Studio]

*Sigh* I might as well stop dreaming - It's another COLD Christmas for me.

I think we're finished shopping now (after 3 full days!), but someone's still got to wrap all this ...crap.

Sunday is Grandma's Christmas party, and baby is bringing her boy to meet the family. I hope the experience doesn't scare him away...

I think I'll try something new tonight and get some sleep.

'Night.
.



Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you

December 14

Responding to the outcry of my fan[s,] (all one of them) I'm back. :-)

It's crunch time now - all extra-curricular projects are on hold until further notice. Shopping is giving me a headache - can't seem to find what I'm looking for in the real world,
...and it's too late to order online.

Stress levels are high in our house. Still reeling from all the events of the past couple of months, so nailing down a little Christmas spirit is a tricky thing at this point.

Generally I turn to books or Christmas movies, but there haven't been a lot of good films lately, and I'm thinking that the Christmas murder mysteries that I have ordered were probably a bad idea. (Wrong kind of Christmas spirits.)

It's time to shift gears anyway, and concentrate on the details.
I've got two big meals to plan - Christmas Eve, and Christmas breakfast. (I wonder every year why I started that tradition, but as hubby would say; "which one would you give up now?" )

Truth be told, I enjoy doing them both - it just feels like a lot when the time comes.
Paper plates now take the place of the family china, and pre-made items like rolls, etc. are no longer tabu.

Simplify, simplify, simplify is my new mantra.

Ham and funeral potatoes are becoming a tradition for Christmas Eve.
I found this ham recipe on Gooseberry Patch.com

Apricot-Glazed Baked Ham

Submitted by: Debbie Donaldson from Florala, AL

1 T. all-purpose flour
6 to 7-lb. fully-cooked ham
18-oz. jar apricot preserves


1/4 c. spicy brown mustard
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. orange juice
Shake flour in a large oven bag. Place ham in bag; set in a roaster pan. Combine remaining ingredients, mixing well; pour over ham. Close bag with nylon tie provided; cut 6 to 8 slits in bag. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours to 2 hours and 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham reads 140 degrees. Serves 10 to 15.

I also love Breakfast Casseroles with fruit and croissants.
Always on the lookout for new recipes to mix things up, but I usually end up falling back on the same ones - because they're familiar and fairly easy.

...As I was looking up recipes on the Gooseberry Patch blog, I found a link to this tutorial - these cookies are too dang cute!

I may have to try them too - you know, in my "spare time." Ha.
(There's lots of cute treats there - check it out!)


Carol of the day:



"Christmas is a time of little time.
How we get there is a mystery.
Racing madly mall-to-mall, we climb
Into fields of sunlit harmony.
Shopping, cooking, clearing walks and yards,
Trimming house and tree while working, too;
Making phone calls, wrapping, writing cards,
As all worn out we do what we must do
So that this day of joy might joy renew."
- Nicholas Gordon

December 12

On the 12th day of Christmas, my gift to you?
I'm going to stop the daily blather and go back to only posting when I have something to say.

Old granny is as dry as toast - even I am bored with the snooze fest - apologies.

Nice day today though. I was pretty stressed out this morning that my guest singer wasn't going to show at church, but he didn't let me down. It was a really nice meeting.
Our choir director tried a daring experiment a few months ago - she calls it the "Instant Choir." It's an open invitation for anyone who wants to, to come up on the podium and participate in singing.

We were pretty nervous the first time she tried it - fearing that nobody would come up - but it was actually a huge success.
Turns out a lot of people (even a few of the kids) who don't want to commit their time to the regular choir, are totally willing to lend their voices for just the one meeting.
It's really fun.

After church, we went to visit a lady who helped out a lot with the funeral.
She lost her husband a couple of years ago, and could commiserate with what the family has been through. It was really nice visiting with her.

I was just going to lay down for a minute when we got home, but ended up having a 3 hour nap. When I woke up, hubby had dinner ready - turkey, dressing, the whole schmere just like Thanksgiving.
I'm thinking I should turn all the cooking over to him from now on...

Melissa and I made the drive to take the youngest back to school tonight.
I really don't like going after the sun goes down - those country roads are awfully dark, and the deer lie in wait along the road to jump out and scare the bejeevers out of you.
We saw quite a few of them, but luckily they minded their manners.

Hoping to wind up the shopping this week, and get the neighbor gifts put together. The clock, she is ticking away...
.



"Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An' I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers."
- Edgar A. Guest, Thanksgiving

December 11

Spent some quality/quantity time with the grans this weekend.
Last night we drove them around the Festival of Lights in Spanish Fork, and around Salem pond.
It was fun to see them so excited and listen to their chatter. That's the only way to see Holiday sights - through children's eyes.

This morning, we attended the oldest gran's testing session for her Karate class.
It was really interesting to see all the moves they go through, and all that they have learned.

Unfortunately, we had to leave before it was over - hubby and I both work today.
I'm sad to have missed that, because she was going to get to break her first board!
Hoping her dad gets video...

Star of wonder, star of night -
Star with royal beauty, bright,
Westward leading,
Still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
.

December 10

Son #1's birthday today.
He'll be celebrating by going to the Jazz game, and we'll be celebrating by watching the kids. Planning on a fun evening, but we'll see how that pans out. (LOL)

The other kids dubbed him "The Golden Boy" because he was always so "good" that it was hard to live in his shadow, but the more I talk to my daughter, the more I'm finding out that what he was really "good" at, was covering up his misdeeds, and passing the buck.
...The little dickens.

Anyway, kudos and best wishes to him.

I've been out doing my visiting teaching rounds today.
I just love the ladies that we visit. They are so sweet and fun to talk to.
It's nice being part of a neighborhood family.

My neighbor commented on the weather as we drove around - we started out thinking it was going to be a record-breaking winter, but it has been so mild lately, that we may have a wet Christmas, but probably not a white one.

I've been a bit concerned about hubby lately.
All his care-taking work is behind him now with the passing of his father, but I remember how that grieving process was for me, and I worry about how he will deal with that. He's been on that adrenaline high that comes with living through crises, and I worry about how the crash will manifest itself when it inevitably comes.

No big plans today, just hunkering in for the weekend.
.
P.S. The pictures I've been "borrowing" for the 12 days of Christmas are from This Blog of Nature photos. Which also lists some fun information on the background of the song The 12 Days of Christmas.


"I speak cold silent words a stone might speak
If it had words or consciousness,
Watching December moonlight on the mountain peak,
Relieved of mortal hungers, the whole mess
Of needs, desires, ambitions, wishes, hopes.
This stillness in me knows the sky's abyss,
Reflected by blank snow along bare slopes,
If it had words or consciousness,
Would echo what a thinking stone might say
To praise oblivion words can't possess
As inorganic muteness goes its way.
There's no serenity without the thought serene,
Owl-flight without spread wings, honed eyes, hooked beak,
Absence without the meaning absence means.
To rescue bleakness from the bleak,
I speak cold silent words a stone might speak."
- Robert Pack, Stone Thoughts

December 9

I went back to work today.

It was kind of nice to be there, really.
It's slowing down to normal again, and just nice to mingle with people.

I gave up on the library book - I couldn't even get through a page without getting interrupted, so I couldn't get anywhere. It's hard to stay interested that way.

I've always liked Garrison Keilor as a story teller, but I've never really enjoyed his books for some reason. Too much potty humor or something...

Anyway, the one penny books from Amazon have started to trickle in, so I'm good for a while now.

This song has been on my mind a lot lately - with all that's been going on around here, it's been kind of hard to feel any Christmas Spirit.
Faith Hill


My girlies begged me on Sunday to have another card making day.
They'll be here tomorrow night, so maybe we'll do that - I've been wanting to do it too...
I have some new gadgets for them to play with - it will be fun.

Going in for another ultra-sound tonight to see if my little lump is breaking up on it's own, or if it has to be drained (ick.)

I'm all for quick and easy solutions.
.
"Holly and mistletoe
Candles and bells,
I know the message
That each of you tells."
- Leland B. Jacobs, Mrs. Ritters First Grade Critters

December 8

Not much to say today, went to the doctor again and demanded some attention - so glad I did.
I finally feel like I got the answers I've been looking for.

Hubby finally went back to work - now I can concentrate on my Christmas preparations. I picked up one more item while I was out - now I'll do some wrapping and tallying, get some cards in the mail.

Then who knows, maybe a nap will be in order.

And later that same day...

I was thinking today, as I wrapped a few gifts, what a boring December Daily this will be! It may not even make it to the album stage...

Last night I got an angry phone call from a sister who hadn't got the message about hubby's dad until just then. She let me know that she would have liked to come to the funeral.

What can I say? I posted on Facebook and here and figured that everyone would be covered - I guess I just forgot to take into account that not everyone is an internet junkie like me.

*Blush*

On the other side of the coin is my hubby's family - I just have to tell one of them, and not only the whole family - but the entire town knows within 5 minutes!
(I kid you not.)

...Didn't even call hubby after the doctor visit, because I ran into his sister at Walmart.

I'm sure he knows by now. ^.^

As I was looking around at Walmart, I found a DVD compilation of Christmas specials from old shows such as "I Love Lucy" and "Leave it to Beaver."

Where are the ones from Murphy Brown, Newhart, or Home Improvement? That is one that I would buy.

I'm sorry, but I'm getting a little tired of all the sappy made for TV movies - 90% of which the holiday is in grave danger and has to be "saved."
Oy - sometimes I'm inclined to believe my son's theory that there is only one writer left out there, and he's not paid well enough to have a new idea.

Maybe I can talk hubby into going for a drive to look at the lights...

"Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny, a half penny will do.
If you haven't got a half penny, then God bless you."
- Traditional English Christmas rhyme
.

December ...7?

Losing track of the days again...

The funeral is over. It went very well - such a nice day.
So many friends and family, it was so good to see them all.
Brad played his piano piece perfectly, and everything fell into place.
Such a lovely tribute to a life well lived.

...And that sheet music that we searched the entire state for - tried so desperately to find someone to sing or play to no avail - showed up in the mail yesterday.
After the funeral.

Hilarious.

The kids all made it home safely last night. It was really hard to let them go - but they have lives of their own now.

In the news -

I've been following the Elizabeth Smart case on the news. Having a son who works at the Federal Court building is very convenient - he has been able to sit in on a few of the court sessions. He was there the day that Elizabeth testified. He said he was very impressed with the way she handled herself.

He missed the day that she got up and walked out during the (lawyer?'s) testimony, but he said that he knew the man and talked with him later - he said that he hated having to say the things he said, but that he was bound by law to do so.

...And of course, the defendant is acting out - trying to play the insanity card, no doubt. (If he's in a snit - you must acquit.)

Can't wait until the trial is over, I plan to grill my son and get all the details.

Going to try to get in to the Dr. today, still not feeling up to par...

Things are slowing down at work already - they very kindly gave me a few days off to decompress.

Hoping for a quiet week.
.
God rest ye merry gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas Day
....Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

December 6

Confucious say; Best to keep words sweet for you may have to eat them.

Just a quick one today - (today since it's officially after midnight.)
I'm going to have to take back what I said about viewings. At least this one.
As much as I was dreading it, it turned out to be a pretty wonderful evening.

So many people came to pay their respects - friends, neighbors, co-workers, relatives we haven't seen in a coon's age. Happy happy reunions, hugs, and tears.
Feeling the love.

I've been trying to sleep, but sleep won't come. Funeral tomorrow - busy busy day. Then off to the airport for the son, and back to college for the daughter.

Arrivals and partings -

Life.
.
"How bittersweet it is, on winter's night,
To listen, by the sputtering, smoking fire,
As distant memories, through the fog-dimmed light,
Rise, to the muffled chime of churchbell choir."
- Charles Baudelaire, The Cracked Bell

December 5

I will not be gloomy today.

I refuse.

...Even though today is the viewing (which, may I go on record as saying I hate. I understand people need them for closure, but to the immediate family, they can feel like cruel and unusual punishment.)

My children are all home and safe, even though Brad flew home practically alone on a small rickety jet, and though when Melissa went to Ephraim to pick up Jenny, and as they were loading the car, they placed her sketchbook on the roof while getting everything else situated - and you guessed it - it stayed there.
...But not for long.

They didn't even realize it until they got all the way home and unpacked everything.

Jenny anxiously called her room mate to go find it - yep, it was still there in the road, luckily undamaged. She needed it to do her final project, and couldn't be persuaded to a plan B (buy a new one,) So I donned my shoes, grabbed the keys, and grudgingly headed off down the road, repentant daughter in tow.

I've been at a boiling point all day - nerves, blood pressure, tension, etc. so it was good for me to get out of there. I was so tense in fact, that I couldn't even speak.

Fearing that my daughter would think I was angry, I told her that if she wanted to sing or something, I was okay with that - I just didn't feel like talking.
(And she was plugged in to her headphones anyway.)

We made the entire trip in silence. A first.

Something about that drive is so good for me. All the open spaces, and watching the storms move across the sky - it calms me.
By the time we reached her apartment, I was able to be civil.
We had lunch at McDonald's (I had been to upset to eat earlier, and was starving.)
On the ride back home, we happily chatted and got caught up on what's been going on in her life.

~*~

I started reading "The Christmas Blizzard" by Garrison Keilor this week (keeping a Christmas novel on the night stand at all times this month - finished the last one, and the next is still in the mail, so I found this at the library.)

Haven't been able to get far, but the first couple of chapters are a perfect description of how I've been feeling lately...

"The snow and the cold, the bleakness of light, the sheer horror of 'The Little Drummer Boy' coming at you when you least expected it"

"Mr. Sparrow wished that the mice would carry Clara away and lock her in a dungeon and that the Hallelujah Chorus could be embargoed for ten years and that Tiny Tim would learn a useful trade and stop blessing everyone."

Well, you get the idea, but gosh darn it - I don't want to feel that way. It's Christmas, and I want some Christmas cheer!

Jenny is home now, with her incessant chatter that could coax the hind leg off a mule, and Brad is here with his interesting and humorous stories - there's always so much laughter when Brad is home.

No matter what else happens, today will be a good day.

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."
- Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing
.

December 4

Holiday Stress

There is never a good time for a funeral, but during the holidays it seems to be extra stressful.

Hubby and DD have had extra time off, and have been under foot and undermining my regular routine while I'm trying to bring some order to the house, or they are gone and leaving me feeling anxious and feeling like I should do something to help, but not really knowing what.

Christmas planning has been put on hold.

We've been going nuts trying to find a copy of a song that hubby wants sung.
We have called or shopped every music store in the state it seems, and we get the same story from all of them - "We had that in stock, but we sold out yesterday."

...I'm beginning to think that grandpa doesn't like that song and is putting the kibosh on it.

On top of everything else, a member of the bishop-rick came by the other night, (the night Oral passed away, in fact,) and asked have I done this for the music, and did I get so-and-so to come and sing - and when can he be here...

It's a small thing, I know, and something I have been working on, but at that moment it just pushed me right over the edge. I have been a basket case ever since feeling the pressure of it all.

I'm so behind on the house because every time I go to do dishes or something, someone wants me to run here, or call someone, so before you know it - I have dishes in the sink from last Thursday...

While I was making dinner the other night, I had this fantasy of turning on the Nutcracker ballet, and dipping chocolates in my frilly apron and pearl necklace.

...Just so you know, that is not me - that has never been me, but it was such a comforting thought at the time.

Gathering day today - getting everyone home.
Melissa went to pick up Jenny from school, and Brad will fly in tonight.
It's the end of the term for both, and the timing couldn't be worse for them, but we don't get to have a say in these things, do we?

My neighbor helped the family write a dialog for the funeral until 1 am last night. I read through it this morning, and it is so nice.
It will be a great tribute.

I've been wanting to tell the family, but haven't found the right moment yet, what a great example Oral was to my dad.
It wasn't until he met him that he realized what a father could be - and he tried so hard to be better afterwards. I'm really grateful for him too, he made hubby the person that he is, and he gave me my dad.

"In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago."
- Christmas Carol
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P.S. Just in case you might want to know, I've been getting the December quotes from a site called December, Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo, Valley Spirit Center, Red Bluff, California.
Awesome - I love it.

December 3 You Again???

I see you scratching your head - "What gives?" you ask.
Granny has blogged 3 days in a row now...

Well, I'll tell you;
I have decided I want to do a December Daily album this year.


So many Christmases have passed, and so many precious memories lost of when our kids were small - wouldn't it be great if all those Decembers had been documented?
...All the Christmas concerts, all the letters to Santa, all the Christmas morning reactions?

Maybe this isn't the best year to start this tradition - with the father-in-laws' passing, the job loss, etc. But you know, things are learned, and relationships strengthen during hard times, so why not record those too?

Life is not always a bed of roses - sometimes it's a mess, and we have to figure out on our own how to survive it.

Anyway, I haven't got an album put together, or time in which to do one now, but I can start recording each December day, and later when I'm out of work again and wondering what to do with myself, I can pull from the thoughts jotted here and pick and choose which ones we may want to keep.

Frustrations today - hubby is finalizing funeral arrangements.

When we woke up this morning, we each found a note from our son in our email boxes.
He had not only composed a song for his grandpa during the night, but he recorded it, and transcribed the sheet music to go with it.
(Poor boy, I wonder - did he sleep last night?)
I wish I knew how to share it here - it is so beautiful!

As for me, I'm be cleaning house, doing laundry, and fussing with the computer trying to get the Sunday music printed.
(Grrrr - computers are so awesome - when they work. >.< )
...A little cyber shopping on the side.

Things are looking up here, there's hope for the Christmas mess - it's starting to clear up now.

Off to the library - I need another book...
.

"The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown:
O, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir."
- Christmas Carol

December 2

At 9:25 this morning, Grandpa's earthly body finally succumbed to age and disease.

His spirit, however, is alive and strong somewhere - I have no doubt.
I have never seen anyone fight so hard to stay on this earth - such a strong love for home and family, that he just refused to go so many times before...

Rest in peace Grandpa Taylor - you have justly earned your reward.



"Come, come thou bleak December wind,
And blow the dry leaves from the tree!
Flash, like a Love-thought, thro'me, Death
And take a Life that wearies me."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834, Fragment 3
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December

Woke up with a bee in my bonnet the other day - getting anxious about Christmas and getting things finished up.
I made a list and went shopping, but at the end of the day, while chatting with my daughter, I discovered that I didn't do well at all. :-(

When will I learn that impulsive actions almost always go awry...

There's a whole month to go, I know, but only one more paycheck - and my hours at work are getting cut back already. It's going to be a lean year this year.

This has been a different sort of week - hubby has been spending his nights with his folks - he switched days with his sisters so that he could have some time at home on the weekends. I don't know how he keeps it all together with his crazy schedule - but he does.

He took half the day off yesterday, and actually spent it with me!
Okay, so he was messing up the basement with his Christmas crap again, but sometimes that's the price one has to pay...

We sat and talked some - no TV, no phones or computer.
(Wow - how long has it been since we did that?)
We talked about the situation with his parents - we're worried about his mom, she seems to be going off the deep end - and he asked me the "why" question...
Why his dad has to linger and suffer so much?

That's it, isn't it? The ultimate question.

I wondered the same thing so many times when it was my mom wasting away in a hospital bed.

Later, as I was flipping through my notebook looking for a blank page to write my grocery list on - I found the answer. (No empty pages, but plenty of quotes!)
I found this one by Joseph B. Worthlin;

"Our adversity not only precedes our glory - it produces it."

There's so much in this world that we don't understand.
I always felt that there was some kind of purification process going on with mom - like the good life that she led was being sanctified for the eternities by what she went through.
...Or was the trial more for us - the ones left behind?
I know that it unified us as a family, as it is with hubby's kin.

Some questions will never be answered until the next life, when we can ask the One who's in charge of it all...

I started another painting last night - the third in a set of 3.
I hope this one goes better. I'm beginning to think that the tole fairy died... (She used to come and "fix" my work while I was sleeping.)

...And I finished my book - Six Geese a Slaying. It ended well, but it sure took a long time to get there! I almost didn't make it LOL!

Sitting in my jammies this morning, watching it snow and dreading work.
I saw a movement at the window, and noticed someone was out shoveling my walks - I was expecting neighbor Bernie, but to my surprise, it was neighbor Ed!
He's a kind soul and a good friend, but when it comes to snow and cutting grass, he usually stops right at the property line - not a centimeter further!

I am truly touched.

...Like I said, good neighbors are a blessing.

"On the first day of winter,
the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.
Snow knows no other recourse except
this falling, this sudden letting go
over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.
Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,
into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way
winter insists on nothing less than deference.
waiting all its life, snow says, "Let me cover you."
- Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter
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Sunday

Had a nice Thanksgiving in spite of the bad dreams warning otherwise.

I usually get overwhelmed at the in-laws events, and have to leave early, but I quite enjoyed them this year. We had to gather around Grandpa's hospital bed, and the noise and racket seemed to irritate him at times, but when it was over, they cranked up the bed and took photos around him. He seemed to enjoy that, and even smiled for the pix.
...He's still hanging in there...

I'm so thankful that Black Friday weekend is over. With the thyroid issue and a nasty cold on top of that, the extra long shifts have pretty much wiped me out.
Hoping the coming week will be a bit less stressful.

Meanwhile, have I ever mentioned how much I hate Christmas decorating time?
Hubby thinks he has to fill every inch of the place with crap of some form or another, and there are boxes and furniture piled up in all the rooms - it's like trying to get through a maze.
I'm claustrophobic as it is - I can't even go downstairs through the whole Christmas season, because all the air is eaten up by the scads of zombified Santas everywhere.

*Gasp*

Equally exasperating are the comments I always get - "Oh, that's so cute - you are so lucky to have a hubby like that"

Oy, people, you have NO idea! LOL

Been on Nyquil the last three nights trying to conquer the cold - I don't know about you, but Nyquil always gives me lively dreams, not always in a good way.
Last night, however, I dreamed about my mom. For the first time since her passing, she finally told me that she loved me. I can't even tell you how much that means to me. (Amid the screaming at the fast food jerks for REALLY bad service - and conjuring up the ghost of a former neighbor - weird.)

Anyway, it's Sunday again. Celebrating a daughter in law's birthday today. A light snow fell through the night, and good neighbor Bernie has already been out scraping the walks for the whole block with his snow-blower.

Good neighbors are such a blessing.

Hoping for a good day.
:-)
.

Happy Turkey Day!

To all my Friends & Family - I am so thankful for YOU!

Snow Day

We had a blizzard warning in these parts yesterday.
They shut down the government offices, closed schools early - the whole 9 yards.
I even got sent home from work an hour early.

*Fizzle*

Where the storm may have been a lot worse north of us, we didn't get more than a bluster.
Oh, the wind blew the snow horizontally for a while, but visibility was fine, and I made it home without a hitch. Woke up to 2 inches of snow on the ground. Period.

It was supposed to be the biggest storm in 7 years - all I can say is that there must be a new guy in the weather station who came here from Hawaii or something.,,

Never had a less impressive snow day - but I'm ok with that.

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. We'll be spending it with the in-laws this year.
I had a nightmare last night that they were holding me captive, and that I escaped and was having to climb mountains, wade through streams, and fight natives to get away. Hmmm... I wonder where that came from?

Meanwhile, my daughter is home from college for the weekend, hubby and Melissa are off from work, and we can have lots of good old fashioned family time.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING from all of us!
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First Impressions

My youngest brought her latest beau home to meet the folks Friday night.
Always a scary proposition - will we like him, will he like us?
...What has the child gotten into this time?

Super nice guy.

Yep, we all approved. Even my oldest daughter who, I feared, would be looking for reasons not to like him.

First impressions are a biggie around here - I remember when I met my oldest son's bride to be. At the time she was seriously dating someone else (his friend and co-worker).

After chatting with her for a while, I remember thinking "too bad she's taken - she would be the perfect match for him."
Two years later when the tides turned in that direction - I couldn't have been more delighted.

Son # 2 was smitten early in high school. His girl was adorable. When they broke up shortly thereafter, I mourned right along with him.
I felt so strongly that they belonged together.

Happily, she returned to his life, and they are a pair again.

I'm not saying Jenny has met "the one." They just met, and are just getting to know each other.
All I know is that I get a good feeling around him. When you find yourself thinking "Wow - how did she find him?" as they walk out the door, that's a good sign.
I know that my precious daughter is safe with him, a feeling that is priceless.

Meanwhile, my oldest son works for the Federal Court system and has access to all kinds of public records - he actually ran a background check on him!
...It's ok, he's clean - no priors, no arrests.
LOL - I wonder if the kid would still like us if he knew that little tidbit of information...

Now that my children will all want to strangle me for gossiping...

I went to the Quickutz warehouse sale yesterday. Fun, fun, fun!
I wished so much that my daughter in law could have been there.
I walked out with over $900 worth of product for around $100, and came home feeling like Christmas had come early.

...But then, as always, the buyer's remorse sets in - why did I spend so much with Christmas coming and only 2 more paychecks to spread over everything?
Chastising myself for being greedy and selfish...

What's a girl to do? *Sigh* What's done is done. No returns.

It's Sunday again, and I woke up with a wicked sore throat. Supposed to sing with the choir today - I don't know how that's going to work.

There's 3 inches of snow out there that fell during the night, and Thanksgiving week is upon us.
Black Friday is coming, and I work all weekend *shudder* (thousands of crazed shoppers frothing at the mouth for bargains.)

Pray for me...
.

Wacky Week

Got a 5 day weekend for some reason, and I was all excited anticipating the lovely projects I would get done....

Wednesday morning, I loaded up in the car and headed for Orem.
The chain I work at has a larger store there that carries art supplies (we don't) and I needed another canvas.
(I did a couple of paintings a while back, meaning to sell them, but hubby has grown attached to them and wants a third to complete the set.)

Wouldn't you know it - I got pulled over.
Apparently I've been driving my car unlicensed since March...
Amazingly - I got off with just a warning.
...Could it be my glowing smile? Could it be that I just Oooze charm?

Maybe.

...But, as Archie Bunker used to say; "God looks after babies and Dingbats."
I believe that to be true.

Anyway, I got my shopping done and spent a miserable trip on the freeway coming home (road construction - traffic at a standstill for miles), as I was nearing my exit, I noticed a couple of helicopters. They weren't criss-crossing the valley as they usually do - they were just hovering over one spot - the elementary school that is a couple of blocks from my house.

When I pulled into my driveway, I saw my little neighbor was outside.
(Remind me to tell you about her sometime - she's awesome!) She carries a police scanner, and knows everything that goes on in town...

I asked her what was with all the helicopters, and she told me that there had been a plane crash - right across the street from the elementary school!
I ran inside and turned on the news - sure enough - it had dropped right into someones driveway...

 

Always a tragedy, but when the news puts names and faces to the accident victims, it really brings that home.
The student was a young man who was about to celebrate his first wedding anniversary - the instructor, somebodies wife - somebodies mom.

So sad.

Wed night, we visited hubby's dad for his birthday. He was awake, and in good spirits. Still hanging on to life with all that he has.

When we got home, hubby announced that he was taking the next 2 days off.

- "Earth to Granny *static* all plans cancelled, shift to plan B immediately."

No painting, no Christmas card making - just running circles.

...We did get a little Christmas shopping done though - might as well accept it - it's coming whether we want it to or not...

Last night, I went to my book club. (I haven't been since last June.)
It was good to be there, the group isn't quite as big as when it started out - but the usual suspects were there.
The scary part is that they wanted to know about everything I've been reading and who my favorite authors are.

Admittedly, I spend way more time on facebook than I do reading these days - and I'm a very boring reader. I stick to the same authors all the time, because I know that they are safe.
(No offensive language, etc.), because you just never know when you pick up a book these days...
When I do branch out, I'm usually sorry.

I like mystery, humor, light romance (light meaning no heaving, thrusting or throbbing) and also biography and history - period. End of story.
If it weren't for the book club, and having reviews from people I trust, I would never try anything else.

It's Friday already, and my time off is coming to an end - next week will be a nightmare with all the holiday sales (and yes, I'll be working - I only hope they have all of our machines up and working this time.)
Winter storms have been predicted all through the week...

Look out, ready or not - here it comes.
.

BuZzzz...

I woke up with a bee in my bonnet Saturday - didn't even stop to eat breakfast, just threw on some clothes, grabbed the keys and ran off to the hairdresser.

Very nervous - usually when I do something that impulsive it ends in disaster...
But this time I lucked out - the stylist I wanted was there, she wasn't busy - and when I told her what I wanted, she literally rubbed her hands together with glee and said (giggling) "Yay, I love this cut!"

She gave me highlights, low lights, and a new style. I would be a red-hot smokin' granny, but unfortunately, she couldn't do anything about the face. (Or the bod - LOL)
It was an expensive tantrum (been feeling neglected lately.) But at least it turned out well. In fact, since I got it done I've had 2 people ask me if I've lost weight - I really should have tipped her more!

Saturday night was manic at work. Customers kept coming up to me and asking "what's going on?" Durned if I know, I haven't seen it that nuts since... well, ever!

I was supposed to leave at 8, but that would have left only three people on the floor and I just couldn't see how that would work. I ended up being there 2 more hours finishing up and cleaning up the devastation.

And the holidays are just beginning... *Shudder*

I guess I'm just going to have to accept it - it's definitely November.
It tried to snow last night, and is stormy and cold today. Winter is here whether we want it or not...

We started rehearsing our Christmas songs for the church choir almost a month ago (yes, we DO need that much practice!)
The songs are pretty, but there is one of them that gets stuck in my head and has been there 24/7 eight days a week - it is driving me mad!

They've been playing Christmas music on my radio station since Halloween, and I've been avoiding that - but talk radio is just SO annoying... Been trying to chase that song out of my head, especially on the commute to work, so I went searching desperately through my CD's to find something else to listen to.
Not much into music lately - but I stopped on the Carpenters - the Singles.
Ah yes - has there ever been anything more soothing than Karen Carpenters mellow alto? ...I don't think so.

I may be saved yet...


Speaking of being saved - *News Flash*

I finally got word from my doctor that my biopsy was negative. All clear, I'm going to live.
It was just a message on my voice mail, so it kind of leaves me with more questions than answers, but I'll talk to him when I go in for my check up.
Meanwhile - one less thing to worry about.

(Yay)

Work the next 3 days - time to get back on the treadmill...
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Waiting it Out...

It's my last day off of the week - just trying to keep busy while waiting for the results of my... I keep wanting to say otopsy - but no, it was a bi-opsy...

(When the time comes for an otopsy - I'm not going to care what the results are! LOL)

...Anyway, everyone tries to cheer me up by saying "No news is good news, right?"
I hate to be disagreeable, but there are times that no news is just no news.
I know that there's something there - I just want to know if that something is going to kill me or not. Ha ha.

I made a HUGE mistake yesterday by saying that my gut was betting that it will be benign. Those are the kind of things you never say out loud!
I'm just superstitious enough to believe that if the news is otherwise, I brought it on myself...
(*tossing salt over shoulder,* *knocking wood,* *spit, spit*)

Meanwhile, I had to talk hubby out of re-arranging the house.
He wanted to move my craft room upstairs, my daughter downstairs, the bookcases back out in the hall, etc. etc.

He's preparing for me to be an invalid and not having to use the stairs...

I had to tell him that I don't plan on being an invalid - besides, the mere thought of the mess he drags out to decorate the house for Christmas is enough to send my blood pressure through the roof, and me right over the edge!

No moving please! He doesn't have time to finish what he starts, and I don't have the energy to clean up after him! LOL

Moving on - I'm almost finished with my second painting.
Having to be patient and work on it in intervals between work days.
Sure wish I could show you - I kind of like this one. Maybe soon...

Much on the plate today - cleaning up workspace, playing with new crafty stuff I got in the mail yesterday...
(I order little surprises for myself once in a while to cure the boredom and lonliness - bargain books I find for a penny on amazon, new crafty supplies, etc. Nice to have fun mail trickling in to have something to look forward to, right? Nope, BaM! ...they all arrived on the same day. *Sigh,* Oh well.)

I want to play at designing my Christmas cards for this year, and planning & sketching the next painting project.

Happy Veterans Day - and a BIG thanks to all who serve!
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Quickie

Just a short one tonight.

I'm a little more nervous about my procedure tomorrow than I thought I would be.
It's just that "Biopsy" is such an ugly word - and so often followed by the even uglier "C" word.

The other night the three of us (Hubby, Melissa and I) were talking about possible outcomes, and about the financial implications - hubby brightened up and said; "...But we have really good cancer insurance, we could wind up making money off this!"

Good ol' hubby - always looking on the bright side...

My daughter in law's sister surprised us by bringing dinner the other night just as I was leaving for work. Seriously the best lasagna I have ever tasted!
Libby's family is so awesome - hubby made the comment that if Brad & Lib ever split (Heaven forbid) - we want custody of her family!

Good people.

It's that time to set back the clocks again today. It only takes a few minutes to change all the clocks - but it takes a lot longer to re-set the body clock. I'll still be waking up at the usual time, regardless of what the clock says, but wanting to go to bed at 8 because it's dark and will feel so late...
I'll be driving home in the dark now - not looking forward to that.

Time to try to force myself to sleep again...

Wish me luck in the morning - Prayers gratefully accepted.
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Grattitude *WARNING* Long One...

It seems that this past year, for some reason, the heavens
have been raining trials.
Just when we think things can't get worse - *Surprise* - they do.

I wrote to a friend this week, because I was feeling low, and just wanted to reach out to someone who could commiserate with me...

Her reply was not the comforting response I had been hoping for - instead, she poured out her heart too; that her husband had broken the news on Halloween night that he was being laid off - for the second time this year.
...That was only the beginning of a really bad chain of events for her.

There was more I would have liked to talk to her about, but after her story,
I just couldn't. She needed my comfort as much as I needed hers.
She is a strong woman of faith, and I knew that she would pull out of it - but there are times for all of us when we feel weak and lost and in need of something or someone to lean on.
She wrote the most beautiful blog today. It rings so true and touched my heart - just makes me glad I know her.

I went to visit my daughter at her college today - hubby took the afternoon off to go help her with her financial aid. Sitting there watching the two of them handle things in the office, I couldn't help feeling proud - she's coming out of her shell and learning to take charge of her own affairs - and my husband, who no matter how much he has on his plate, always takes time to help his kids.
I should be more afraid of his impending job loss, but because of the kind of person he is and the way he has treated people, folks from the past have come out of the woodwork offering him help when the time comes.
We may have to tighten our belts - a lot, but I think we're going to be OK.

We took her shopping afterwards, to one of those giant all purpose stores, to get some groceries for the week.
I can be a bit of a shopaholic, and am always on the lookout for the sparkle and bling no matter where I am. But as I looked around, I felt let down - I just couldn't see anything that I couldn't live without.
I really truly don't need anything - (I just wish so much that I could stop wanting things!) ^.^

I had the opportunity to go to South America after my son had finished his mission there. We stayed with a friend of his who I had come to know through email.
My eyes were opened to what a struggle those people have just to meet their most basic needs, and yet, I was so amazed at how happy they were, and how grateful for every little thing.
When that friend came to visit us later, I felt embarrassed at all the superfluous things I have in this house (Like the doll collection, and the scrapbook store I have accumulated in the basement.) I wished that I could hide it all so she didn't have to see how frivolous and foolish we can be when we have all we need.

When we got home from shopping, hubby packed up and left.
(Friday is his night to go take care of his invalid dad.)
He's getting so weary of this, (just because of everything else he's been dealing with and being able to spend so little time at home) that it's getting really hard for him to go there.
Having been through something similar, I try to remind him that even though it doesn't feel like it now, it really is an honor and a privilege to be able to serve his parents that way.
Looking back on what we went through with my mom - it still doesn't feel like I did enough. After all she went through and sacrificed for us, it could never be enough.

...After he left, it was just my oldest daughter and I. Friday nights are Ghost Hunter nights, so we settled in to be entertained.
One of the episodes took place in Cape May New Jersey. She got excited for me because this is a place I have been.
They mentioned Cape May Diamonds, and I told her I had some of those in my scrapbook - which she immediately wanted to see...
As I flipped through my book (the special travel one,) I couldn't help but think how lucky I've been to see all the places that I've seen.
Small town me, who never thought she would so much as cross a state line!

(I really do have a point to all this - I promise!)

...What it's taking me so long to get at is, that no matter how bad things seem, or how bad they may yet become, I really have had a blessed life.

I had a call from my youngest sis tonight, expressing concern over my upcoming procedure. (Biopsy this week.)
She always reminds me what an awesome family I have.
It is so true. From the oldest, to the in laws, to the youngest gran -
(OK, and maybe even the dog)

I love them all so much.

This talk showed up on my facebook page the other day, and it has been haunting me ever since - I just can't get it out of my mind.
It was given at General Conference last month, and touches close to the heart...



*Favorite quote;

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.

Amen.
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All Saints Day

I am SO done with Halloween - Adios, vamoose - outta here.

Don't get me wrong - it had it's moments, I guess it was the night my daughter had me watch "Sleepy Hollow" with her. I actually thought the story line was ok - it's just that it over stepped my cardinal rule of "no blood - no guts."

If it wasn't for Johnny Depp fainting every five minutes for comic relief, I never would have made it through. Way different than the old folk tale.
(...When I sat down to watch, I was craving chocolate - by the end, I couldn't even look at it!)

When it was over, Melissa popped in "The Addams Family" to ease the tension, but by then I was done with the whole Halloween genre. I had to go upstairs and get my head in a different place so I would be able to sleep.

Melissa has been a dear - she orchestrated, planned, and pretty much made us a fun Halloween dinner on Sunday.

We had a yummy tortellini, served with eyeballs (my daughter-in-law's special meatballs) mini mummy dogs, (mini sausages wrapped in bread dough) and blood punch (pomegranite 7-Up topped with orange and green sherbet.) She even planned for the fact that the grans would probably shy away from the tortellini, and helped them make and decorate mini-pizzas. The dining room was draped with spiderwebs, and the table setting was a creepy candelabra with a black lace table cloth.

For desert, we had pumpkin pie and green sugar cookies, (which started out as witche's fingers, but flattened out so much after baking that they morphed into monster toes...)

The effect was awesome. (And the food - delicious.)

Fun finish to the holiday.

Hubby hates Halloween. Always has. His birthday is November 1st, and he has always resented having to have costume parties for his birthday. (Odd little man - hates dressing up.)

He usually stays up late Halloween night taking down all the decorations, so there will be none of it left for "his" day.

He was too tired to do that last night, so I removed them this morning.
We celebrated his birthday as a family last Sunday, so it will be a quiet night for him - which is just what he needs, truth be told.

The kick-off to the holiday season has begun - the radio stations are probably playing Christmas music already... (I've been avoiding them like the plague.)

I have a heavy work week ahead of me again - sure hope I am done cutting tulle!

Ha.
.

So Ends Another Month/Week

Is it Friday - already?....Really?

Pooh.

All those days off I had this week got eaten up by visits to the doctor, laundry, visiting teaching, and nursing a sick dog. No fair!

I started another painting, but I didn't get very far...

I've been craving some gooseflesh-raising entertainment, so my daughter obliged me last night, and we watched "The Changeling."
Maybe in another decade it would have scared the bejeevers out of me, but for some reason, all I could do was critique it.

*Why did the ghost wait so long to get his revenge?
*Why didn't he haunt the dad who killed him instead of the innocent stranger who was suffering from his own tragic loss?
*Why did he kill off his replacement/brother when he was an old man and would have croaked soon anyway - and who was as much a victim in the situation as he was?

(It's an old movie, but sorry for the spoilers if you haven't seen it.)

Have I become so blah that I can't even enjoy a decent scare any more?

~*~

I mentioned nursing the sick dog - he is in his hundreds in dog years, and his mortality is inevitable, but my family is so not ready for that. The creature is so beloved that I think he will be mourned more (and longer) than I would.
- Hoping it's just a tummy thing that will pass. (Literally - ha!)

Meanwhile, he is about the worst patient I have had to take care of in decades. He whimpered and whined, and if I got up and left him even for a minute - he howled and had panic attacks.

Hubby thinks he's milking it.

~*~

Worked on November's music for church yesterday - Oy, I did not realize I had four weeks to fill with musical numbers.
That is definitely the only part about my job I don't enjoy - having to find, call, and beg people to do intermediate musical things.
Call me a chicken, but I have issues with that. Not only that, but now it's going to be really short notice.

Buggar.

Do you want to come and sing for me? Just let me know.

It's back to work today - not looking forward to the last minute costume making frenzy. Hoping that's over by now.

Happy Weekend.
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Scary...

The weather has taken a turn for the somber lately - stormy and overcast - rain, and even in some areas, SNOW.
I kinda love it in a way...

The gray cloudy skies bring everything in closer, and makes the colors seem brighter and sharper.
Makes you want to hunker down indoors and be cozy.

My daughter wants to start a petition that humans should be able to hibernate.
I'm all for that.

This time of year also makes me want to plant my nose in a scary ghost story.
...As Tigger would say, "I want to scare myself, and everyone else."

So, I've been on the search for some good stories - but they have to fit my criteria, which makes it difficult.

a) No blood, guts or gore
b) No demons or evil
c) no psychological thrillers (they make me feel crazy)

...See my problem - what else is there? Ha.
(My kids have to sensor movies for me - they see them first, and tell me if I can handle them or not. Shouldn't that work the other way around?
Yeah, I know. *Sigh*)

I guess I'll have to be content to watch movies with the grand kids. They are on my level. :-)

Other Frightening Things...

I went to the hospital for an MRI today.
- Sheesh - if you want to be scared, just spend a few hours there!
It took them half an hour just to get me signed in, because the lady couldn't get anyone on the phone who could tell her if the test had to be pre-approved for my insurance or not.

Then, I got to Radiology and found that the test that the doctor ordered was the wrong one, and wouldn't give them the information that was needed.
Of course, my doctor was out of the office today, so I sat there for a good half hour trying to get that issue ironed out.

Luckily, I had taken my happy pill (I'm very claustrophobic, so had the prescribed sedative), so by then I was beyond caring.

I had a lovely nap while they shoved me up the tube.

No idea what the results are - you know how doctors are - they order every expensive test in the books, then treat you like the results are none of your business.

Who knows when they'll let me in on it.

*Shudder*

What else is scary?

This past weekend, I had a day out with my girls.
We had plans to go to Witches Night Out at a local shopping center, so first we drove to the Halloween store to get all decked out, but as we turned in to the parking lot, they saw that their favorite media store was having a HUGE sale, so we had to go there first. (Give. me. strength.)

That place is so overwhelming to me. Acres and acres of CD's, video games, and DVD's - The place gives me panic attacks.
We spent at least 2 hours there. I swear the kids are giving me paybacks for dragging them to the craft store when they were small...

*Tremble*

We spent a similar amount of time at the Halloween store. I kept losing them, and they kept losing me - just when I'd think they were done, they'd see something else...
By the time we came out of there, it was pouring rain! ...And since the event we were planning to go to was mostly outside, we decided not to go.
(Too bad too, seeing as how there was a full moon :) )
...So we went to lunch, and then to Pier 1. (A place we all enjoyed.)

~*~

We celebrated hubby's birthday on Sunday because my youngest won't be here next weekend. (She has a date aboard a pirate ship - can't wait to hear about that!)
Anyway, had a nice little party and got him all celebrated.

Three whole days off this week - I'm lovin' it.

Going to go sleep off the meds now...

Meanwhile, if you know of any good ghost stories that fit my criteria - let me know!

BOO!
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