Count Down

It is the last week before Christmas, and the rush is on.

I took some time to myself last week, to fortify myself against the onslaught.

Thursday, I drove down to visit my sister.
We had a fun day - we did lunch at a cozy little diner, then took a tour of the town.
I always love visiting that area - it feels to me like going back in time to when life was simpler.
I know that's probably a silly thought - I'm sure life is just as hectic for the people who live there, but it's nice to imagine that anyhow...

We went to a new little ice cream shop and I tried a flavor that intrigued me - chocolate pomegranate.

Oh my gosh - it was so delicious!

I had it running all over me before I was finished, but I enjoyed every bite.
My tummy was a little confused by it though, it took a while to process.
( Ha ha.)

I met some of her friends, and we played dolls a little - I have a favorite saying that I rand across years ago - it goes something like this:

"Having a sister is like a little bit of childhood that is never lost."

So true, so true.

When I got home from work Saturday, (after the fiasco of not getting it off for my daughter's friend for her special day) I found out that she had gotten the dates mixed up, and she wasn't planning to go until Monday!

...So I DID make the right choice not to take the day off, because if I had, I would have been sitting home frustrated and angry.

Sunday things fell into place too - even though my daughter in law didn't make it to church, the other guy did. He sang beautifully, and it was a really nice meeting.
He brought his wife with him this time - I haven't seen her in years.
It was like old home week. :-)

Sunday night was our big family party at Grandma's. I usually dread that, because I'm such an introvert and there are so MANY of us - but I really enjoyed it. (I'll post pics when I have more time.)
The hardest part was figuring out who all the kids were! They have all grown since I saw them last, but some not just a few inches, but several feet!

(Wow, when did that happen?)

Earlier, when I drove down to the valley, I had grabbed a couple of CD's to listen to on the road, and one of them just happened to be the sound track from "Home Alone."

This song is one of my favorites on that album:



It made me think of Christmases past, and of family and old friends.
I've seen a lot of them at work lately, and it's been really good to catch up with them a bit, and reminisce about the "good old days." Almost makes the hustle and bustle of the season seem worth while...

Speaking of the past, Sunday morning, my daughter gave me the longest hug and said that she had dreamt of my mother the night before.
I asked her about the dream, and she told me that mom had been trying and trying to get a message to me and couldn't get me on the phone, so she had left a heart wrenching (daughter's words) message on the answering machine.

...The funny thing is that right after my mother passed, I took the tape from the answering machine and put it in my drawer because I knew her voice was on it, and I couldn't bear it if it were accidentally (or otherwise) erased.

Years have passed, and I still have never been able to bring myself to listen to it.

Maybe it's time... (?)

On a not-so-good note, I learned today that I'm getting canned after Christmas.
Pretty bummed about that because, believe it or not, I do like my job.

That's a subject for another day - don't want to bring this post down.

Like Scarlett, I'll think about it tomorrow...
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Another Week

...Has gone by, and I'm one step closer to being finished with the shopping.

Much relieved.

Yesterday was the day I have been stressing about all month - Jen's best friend had invited us months ago, to go shopping for wedding dresses with her.
i put it on the calendar at my old job, but when i changed jobs, it took so long to figure out how to put in for it (it's all done on computer) that i missed the deadline and got scheduled anyway.

i stressed over that for weeks, I talked to people - who always put me on hold...
Finally, i just decided that i would call in sick when the day came.
But Friday night, i just didn't feel right about it.
You're only allowed 3 call in's in a 6 month period - if you have more than that, it's possible termination.
I've already called in once, when my nephew broke his neck - so a second one so soon would look bad on my record.

As it turned out, it was kind of a good thing i didn't go. Everyone was SO overwhelmed at work. We had a big exec. coming, and he didn't want to see any empty spaces between merchandise.
We all worked so hard all day bringing stuff out of the back room to try to keep the shelves stocked - but it was a fruitless effort. Stuff was flying out of there faster than we could fill it.

When i left the place, it looked like New Orleans after Katrina. if i had bailed on a day like this, it would have looked very bad for me indeed.

...When i got home, i learned that the girls hadn't even gone dress shopping.
By the time they got to Logan and got all her stuff loaded in the truck (She's moving home between semesters,) it was too late.

I think i made the right choice. I hated disappointing the Rachel (who practically grew up in our house,)
...but the way things turned out, i would have been a nervous wreck the whole time, and that wouldn't have been good for anyone.
instead, i got my shopping done, showed my support at work, AND had some quiet time to finish some projects...

Today will be interesting - my music program for church got all messed up.
My daughter in law (who was my main musical number) bailed on me at the last minute - and that guy who I didn't think was coming this year, may or may not show up.
No one knows for sure.
As far as I can tell, it is just a rumor come down from a person who knows a person who knows his wife on Facebook.

If there's one thing i've learned on this job, it's to roll with the punches.
I'll have a practice Hymn on standby...

One more week to the big day - doing my best to hang in there.

*Sorry about the grammar issues - some of the keys on this computer stick - hubby won't admit it, but I'm betting dollars to doughnuts that he spilled Pepsi on it at some point.
He spills Pepsi on EVERYTHING (even me!) sooner or later...
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Santa Lives!

...And I know because I got my wish yesterday.

Hubby took the car to be worked on, so I had the day all to myself.
I got all my sewing done just as he returned - just in time to go meet my daughter at the mall.

I wish I had her shopping skills! I told her what my budget was and told her to pick out 3 items that would fall into that amount, and she ended up with 5 and spent less than I had allotted her - so I took her to dinner.

We were in separate cars, so I drove home alone. It was so peaceful - just me and the lights, my MoTabs in the CD player.
Felt a little Christmas spirit creeping into my soul...

Just a few more odds & ends, and my shopping will be done - then I can concentrate on the next phase - menus, and then packing for vacation.

This is one of my favorite songs from that "MoTab" (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) album:



Got another work day ahead of me - got to run.
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Dear Santa...

My wishes are few this year, but come from my heart -

Please give every family in the state lots of Disney Cars vehicles, Transformers, Zhu zhu pets and Hot Wheels,
I am so weary of picking them up.

There are so few Giant baby dolls and Bouncing Babies left, please find them all good homes - they give me the creeps.

...And be sure to leave a lump of coal for whoever invented Talking Elmo - that was a bad BAD thing! ...And while you're at it, banish all things Nerf from the earth - they are a bane to society!

Be advised that there is a great need out there for an orphanage for Crib Life dolls - no one wants them, and there are so many!
I'll donate the first 20 bucks.

As for myself, my wants are few - shoes that pillow my feet as I go, squish me like Flat Stanley so I can make my way through the mobs of people easier, and please schedule my husband to work all day on at least one of my days off, so I can put my feet up and relax!

Also, could you please send a tracking number for that warm fuzzy Christmas Spirit I ordered?
It hasn't arrived yet, and I fear it is lost in the mail...

Most of all, dear Santa, please bring peace to my family and dear ones, and bless them all with Christmas joy.

Most sincerely,
Granny T
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Sunday

Having a quiet moment this morning - the calm before the Sunday storm...

It's still crazy in retail land, and it's keeping me busy and kind of stressed.
If you've ever dealt with the public during the holidays - well, lets just say it doesn't do much to encourage holiday cheer.

...And the mess at home doesn't help either.

I appreciate all that hubby has been doing around here, and heaven knows it has needed doing for sometime - but there are times I just want to come home and relax - and it's a little hard to do that...

My Church job is stressing me out too. There is this guy who has been performing "O Holy Night" for us every December for 20 some odd years - and I haven't been able to get him this year.

I don't know what they will do to me if I fail in this task - run me out of town on a rail? Have me drawn & quartered in the square?
I did not want to be the one to break this tradition - but I'm afraid it might be out of my hands.

I should never have put it off for so long, but I've been busy...

I have a Santa I've been trying to paint, and I can't get to him either.
He's been my only bargaining chip with hubby "If you make me do this, I won't have time to paint your Santa..."
He's a freak for my painted Santas, so it's the only thing that registers with him.
I'm about to ask the jolly old elf if he could arrange to schedule him to work on my days off so I can have some time to myself.
(Ha ha)
It's frustrating to me to start a project like that and not be able to finish it.

Before I started working, I tried to join my local chapter of Decorative Painters. I called, I emailed, I tried my best to contact them, but never got a response.
(In my paranoid mind, that is equal to a snub.)
So, I joined the National Chapter instead.

No meetings, classes or benefits, just a bi-monthly magazine, but I'm joining the painting community again. (Even if in name only.)
Hopefully, some time in the future I'll actually have time to do something with it...

Time to get ready for choir - it's been real.
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