Think I'd Better Get Started on Doing This:

And while it may take me awhile to explain away the bad attitude I've cultivated most of this year, I did do one good deed for this holiday season. I made some fudge for Randey's office party. Thank goodness I don't like this stuff or it never would have made it out the door. lol Oh wait a minute...does the fact that I would have eaten it myself if I liked peanutbutter/chocolate fudge take away from the good deed of making it for his office party? Yeah...probably. Because I really would have eaten most of it and said to heck with his office party if this had been good, old fashioned Hershey's cocoa fudge. I do have my standards, you know. And bad attitude isn't always a bad thing anyway. Right, Santa?

Just Exactly Who's the Duck Here?

It's not like I'm looking to be ticked off, really. I mean, I'm truly trying to have a cheerful and optimistic view on life in general. This is the holiday season, after all. But sometimes, it feels like there are outside forces working against me. (And before you even think it, let me point out that it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you!). As some of you already know, my husband is a member of the United States Air Force Reserves, a fact that I am extremely proud of. As a member of the reserves, Randey does 2 days of military duty a month. These days are referred to as "UTA's" and are usually performed the first weekend of every month. On average, pay for UTA's is received approximately 10 days after completion. Well. Let's do some math, shall we? The first weekend of this month was the 1st and 2nd. Today is the 18th. That's 16 days, am I right? And the UTA pay has yet to arrive. Normally, this would cause me only a tiny bit of annoyance. But this month is the month where all our money traditionally races out of our personal coffers and into that of every store within a 50 miles radius (we do so like to support our local economy during the holiday season). However, since someone, who will probably remain forever nameless to me (they will if they're lucky, anyway!), failed to do their job properly, the UTA timesheets were not processed correctly and therefore, we gots no UTA mon-nay. This is making me unhappy. Waaaaaaaay unhappy. Upon inquiry, Randey was told that he would probably receive payment the 24th. Woo-hoo! Just in time for the last-minute run to the store for black olives and a roasting pan! So I ask you...just who is the Scrooge McDuck here? Me, for wanting that UTA pay when it was supposed to be here? or Uncle Sam, for dragging his butt and thinking payment on the day before Christmas is, while late, quite effort enough? I'm going with Uncle Sam on this one. 'Cause yeah, missing 2 lousy days worth of pay can make my Christmas experience just that much less cheery. Luckily, I'm willing to put my best foot forward and press on. (Okay, so technically, I'm willing to put my best credit card forward, but you get my point, right?)
Merry Christmas, Ya'll!

What Grinds My Gears, Part Deux

This is what I looked like yesterday afternoon as I left Cracker Barrel. Yeah, kinda "Grinchy", huh? You know, I swore I wasn't going to write one of those posts during the month of December. I just wasn't going to do the full out, can't stop running my mouth, gotta gripe until my lips are sore kind of complaining during this, our most joyful and happy holiday season. But geez. It's almost like I have to or I'll bust. That's right, folks. It's another "What Grinds My Gears" post! So get ready 'cause here. I. go.

These are things that really and truly just Grind My Gears:

1) Being seated at a restaurant and then forgotten. You know, like you've become invisible. You're handed a menu and then Presto! you're all alone. For days. Take yesterday afternoon for instance. I decided to treat myself to a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I go in, I get seated at a table, I read the menu, decide what it is I'm going to order, get out my Christmas shopping list to work on until the waiter comes by, dig for a pen, mark something off my list as being done, find my mini-notebook and turn to a blank page so I can rewrite the list in a more legible form, dig around in my purse again for my paperback book (I might want to read a little when my breakfast arrives), set everything up, go over the list of what I need to look for, file for my social security and complete the paperwork for my AARP membership that I started filling out back in December of 2007 - see because, by that time, I still had not been acknowledged by one single Cracker Barrel employee. That's not to say I hadn't been near any employees...why at least a half dozen of the apron-wearing blind bats had walked right past my table. And not one of them so much as said, "I'll be right with you" or "Have you ordered?" or "Piss off, lady. You don't look like you'll tip near enough for me to wait on you". So I put my list and my notebook and my pen and my paperback book away. I put my jacket back on and I headed for the exit. On the way out, I told two employees, who were lounging around in the gift shop waving at customers as they entered the store that they could tell the hostess that my table was available for seating as my seat no longer would be occupying one of the chairs at that table. I said I found it a tad bit annoying to receive absolutely no service because, well gee whiz, if I wanted to sit in an uncomfortable chair and write out a list, I'd of headed to the library, not a restaurant. Since I was looking for a cup of coffee and a little sustenance however, I was taking myself to a different location, preferably a restaurant more interested in customer service. And I flounced out of there with just a touch of Grinch like attitude.

2) Next on the list, forwarded e-mails that contain dire warnings of truly stupid things that the sender has not bothered to verify. For example, I was forwarded an e-mail about the dangers of letting your young children play in the ball pit at Burger King or McDonalds because - gasp! -a young child was bitten by a poisonous snake while playing in one and died! Oh wait a sec. After a minute or so of research, that was found to be false. And then there was the e-mail that told of the horrors a young child experienced after his mother washed his face with a Magic Eraser cleaning pad. Well, duh. The woman washed the kid's face with an abrasive cleaning pad that is used to get crayon marks off of walls. What'd she think it would do to a young child's skin? But the e-mail chose to say that the Magic Eraser contained "dangerous chemicals" and "wasn't properly labeled". People! It is a household cleaning product. Would you let your child play with a bottle of ammonia, too? And just yesterday morning, Randey forwarded me an e-mail about a "Merry Christmas Computer Virus". Very dangerous. No "cure" for it. You open it and your computer is dead. Kaput. No saving it. Yeah, right. One minute of research later (and by research, I mean I actually clicked on the Snopes.com link that was included in the e-mail) and I found that the "virus" was one that had been circulating back in 2004 and is now easily caught and disarmed by most anti-virus software and that the so-called "Merry Christmas Virus" that was supposedly spotted by McAfee and reported on by CNN does not exist. I beg you - don't pollute my inbox with your unsubstantiated scare-mails. Do a little research before you pass something on as fact. It's like cyber gossip, for Pete's sake!

3) Here's something that really twists my knickers. Listening to unemployed little minor children talk about how they (which in actuality means their parents, not them) never buy clothes at Wal-Mart and in fact, only shop in stores such as Aeropostle, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, blah, blah, blah. Well I got news for you, you entitled, egotistical, arrogant and annoying little snot...you don't actually buy anything from anywhere. It's your parents who are doing the buying and, while it probably seems absolutely wonderful to have nothing but the finest in life now, it might give you a few awkward moments later on in life if you ever have to actually fend for yourself and have to do so based solely on your personal skills and/or charms. Parents, I'm all for showering your children with love, affection and gifts. But how about teaching them the fine art of modesty as well. I don't care what your and, by extension, your children's standards in life are as long as they don't preclude treating the rest of us mortals like we're human and, as such, of the same value. (This particular rant was probably brought about by my Christmas shopping woes more than anything else).

4) This one is a personal favorite of mine...able-bodied young people (my daughter and her boyfriend for example) who can't manage to hold down a job, but feel fairly certain that they deserve the world handed to them on a platter. The boyfriend, who seems to believe that he has a "career" as a truck driver, can no longer drive trucks, namely because he's got too many tickets and wrecks on his driving record (I won't even get into the stupidity of that). And, according to this genius, since truck driving is a "career", he's quite unable to look for work in any other field. Well here's the deal, buddy. I have a career as a housewife. I do. But. Should things change and we require a little extra income, I'm willing to give up my "career" and cross-train into another field. You know why? Because that's what normal people do. They work in order to pay the rent, make the car payments, put food on the table...you know, all those little things in life that some people seem to think should be simply granted to those clever enough to have a "career". Do I sound bitter or just pissed? Hmpf. I'd say it's too close to call.

5) This is another thing that makes my eyes twitch; the news media and their stupid ass remarks, methods and practices. Here's what passed as news during the coverage of the wild fires in California...they showed film of the homes that were burned or threatened by fire followed by a long shot of the fires and then this! a close-up of the reporter saying ever so somberly, "Not quite a nuclear winter, but certainly a fiery fall". Say what? A nuclear winter? I mean, wow. The fires were quite devastating, obviously. And they might have even been caused by an act of man. But I don't see the connection between a jerk with a gas can or a careless toss of a lit cigarette and a nuclear bomb. Really. But gosh, it did sound melodramatic enough, didn't it? But I gotta tell you. I didn't need her dramatic words and delivery to better illustrate the horrors of wildfire. Really, I didn't. And then there's the "new" news...which is to say, not exactly reporting the facts as they used to do back in the day. No, no...this is something much more...oh what's the word?....ummmmm...let's see...how about "inciting". Yeah, that's the ticket. Inciting. Not to be confused with "insightful". I recently listened to this exchange between a news anchor and a reporter: Anchor: "Bob, have you been able to confirm that report?" (This being the very "report" the reporter had just spoken of which, if it hadn't been confirmed, probably shouldn't have been reported on to begin with!) Reporter: "No, but we've been led to believe it was a Belief in God argument". Anchor: "So we believe that this person may or may not have believed in God and the people around him, particularly the teacher, may have disagreed. Is that correct?". Reporter: "Well, that's what we've been led to believe". Okay. So tell me. What factual, beneficial and newsworthy information did the reporter and/or the anchor impart to us, the public? None. Zero. Nada. The entire segment was conjecture, opinions and salacious gossip for an ever increasingly numb public who can no longer tell the difference between news and B.S. because the esteemed (and I very much use that word lightly) Fourth Estate has become more of an outlet for fodder rather than fact. These two were merely filling the airwaves with garbage because they had nothing better to say. And we, the people sitting there watching that nonsense, are why they are able to do it. Our society loves that crap. Hyperbole as news. Perhaps a sign of what our society is becoming.

6) This kind of ties in with the previous rant...I saw a woman up in Colorado way back in October talking to a reporter about why Columbus Day should be outlawed. This woman was a Native American and was quite loud with her protests. Not necessarily cogent, but certainly loud. Why did this person feel Columbus Day should be abolished and made illegal? Because the celebration of that day, i.e, parades thru the streets, talk of it in schools, etc., was "terrorizing the Native American children". Terrorizing? My first thought was "Lady, what in the hell have you been telling your kids about Columbus Day?" Now don't get me wrong. Personally, I'm not sure why we celebrate Columbus Day, seeing as how we've been told for many, many years that Columbus is not the one who actually discovered America. My concern about the reason for this "holiday" is because it seems kind of stupid if it's based in something that just isn't true. But this woman was actually stating as fact that this very celebration was "terrorizing" innocent children. Yeah. Have one of your "terrorized by Columbus Day celebrations" Native American children talk to a child living under the rule of a cruel and murderous despot (and let's face it, Saddam Hussein was by no means the last one of those in this world). Have them compare their definitions of "terrorized". I think you might see a difference.

7) Oil companies. They really get me all kinds of jack-jawed. They had to raise prices after Katrina because it affected their refineries so severely. And then they had to raise prices again after Rita for the same reason. These oil companies are almost innocent bystanders in the whole gas-price-rising fiasco. I mean, geez, if its not natural disasters, then it's our own government, who just keep taxing gas at the pumps like crazy. Yeah - God and government. That's was causing our gas prices to rise. And yet...these poor, pitiful, hands-are-tied oil companies report profits in the billions of dollars every quarter. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it takes a math major or a culinary expert to tell when we're being fed a huge quantity of bullsh*t.

8) And speaking of bullsh*t...let's talk about insurance companies. Did you know some normal, regular, not-living-in-a-mansion people in the Florida panhandle had their insurance rates increased over 4 times what they were paying prior to 2004? My sister actually works with a person who is now paying $6,000 a year for homeowners insurance. Why? Because of all the hurricanes in Florida back in 2004. Didn't you know? The insurance companies took a huge hit from those! Sure, they'd been collecting premiums for years and years without any huge payouts, but well gosh! That year was rough! So they have been legally allowed to extort money from John and Jane Doe Homeowners in order to provide coverage in the event of another disaster. And then there was Katrina and Rita the next year. We all know what happened with them. (Okay, so some of us have forgotten that it wasn't just New Orleans that was affected - large portions of the Mississippi Gulf coast were completely obliterated and I believe even some coastal Texas towns were affected, but that's not the story from most of our trusty Fourth Estate.) Anywho, since the insurance industry had to actually pay out some of that money they've been raking in year after year, they've decided to just stop providing coverage in certain areas. It just costs them too much. But, since they've already had to pay out so much, they're allowed to raise rates nationwide to help them recoup their losses! Yay! And yet, many of those insurance companies that were so devastated by these horrific disasters (geez, imagine how the people who lived thru them felt!) also pay their executive staff, particularly their CEO's, exorbitant amounts of money year after year in the form of bonuses. I suspect that the more they are able to get away with having us, the insured masses, pay for their expenditures with our increased rates, the bigger bonus these CEO's get to take home. So tell me again why it's okay and downright "unavoidable" that our rates went up? Yeah, open wide, America....

WHEW! Okay! Glad that's out of my system. I can't imagine too many of you have hung in there for this whole angry, vicious and tactless post, but for those that did, my apologies. I think I'll be able to post happy, happy thoughts for the rest of the holiday season since I've released all this angst here. Or maybe not. I'm going shopping once more today. No telling what might set me off again! But, in the meantime, here's hoping that the day brings new wonders of Christmas magic for all of us! And if it doesn't, may I be granted the strength to just shut the heck up and press on as if it did!
Merry Christmas Ya'll!

S'more Fun Than I Could Have Imagined

One of the many fun traditions that I didn't do with my children 'lo these many years is the making of S'mores. Yeah, I know...what can I say? We never made them when I was a kid so it wasn't something I felt driven to do with my kids. Until recently, that is. I bought one of those pre-packaged kits at Wal-Mart for S'mores making. Kaleb and Jacob thought it was pretty cool, although I'm still not clear on the thrill of S'mores making in a microwave. But, given the lack of campfire in our backyard, a microwave was, by default, the method of choice. (Okay, so I guess that means it wasn't really a choice, so much as an "only option" but let's not split hairs, okay?) Here's Kaleb making a goofy face. (I'm sure it was the thrill of the S'more that caused this look.)

And here's Jacob, also looking a little bit dorky. Don't know if I can blame the S'mores for that, too, or if maybe it was the milk causing his look of smiling bewilderment. (Hmmm...a case of lactose intolerance developing perhaps??? Okay, maybe not. Odds are good he's just a dork.)
Here's Kaleb again....almost looks like he thought the S'more was attacking his fingertips, huh?
And lastly, here's Jacob again. Caught in the act, drinking from the jug of milk almost like he had good sense. (Oh sure...Milk does a body good, but I don't think it helps with manners!)Now that I've checked S'mores off the list, what fun tradition should we try next? Wonder if I could talk the boys into a little fun, festive caroling?? lol

Christmas Roses

I was outside, fixing my Santa display yesterday, when this caught me eye. Are roses like this supposed to bloom so close to Christmas? I want to fuss about the warm weather we've been having....but then I see something like this and think "eh - warm temperatures aren't so bad".
Hope those of you who got caught in the ice storm have gotten your power restored by now - and remember! ~ If the ice and cold get to be too much for you, mosey on down my way and warm up a bit. There's always room at this inn. lol
Merry Christmas Ya'll!

Traditions

Traditions are a funny thing. Sometimes you'll hear of someone's favorite tradition and you think "Oh how wonderful! We should start doing that!". And then other times, you'll hear something and say "Oh. Now that's just weird". lol I remember when Nicholas, my oldest son, went to spend Christmas with his father and his step-mother at his step-mother's parents' home. Nick was probably 10 years old at the time. He was appalled that they opened all their presents on Christmas Eve! That was one of their traditions, but that just wasn't how things were done, as far as Nick was concerned. He was downright upset about it, too. You see, our tradition was that the kids got to open one present on Christmas Eve. That was it. One present. And they, the children, got to pick the present. If they picked socks and underwear, well that was just funny. (Yes, people. Single income households with 4 young children sometimes do buy socks and underwear for their children as a gift at Christmas time. When money's tight, everything counts as a gift! lol). If they picked the toy of their dreams, that was funny, too. That was our tradition and I know it's one that is shared by many. Traditions bring you comfort and joy and a sense of belonging to something, don't you think?
Well, a few years ago, when the kids got older, there was a lot of "pilfering" going on with the packages under the tree. When Mom and Dad weren't home, the kids were sneakily opening their presents and then sealing them back up before anyone caught them. But, like most kids, something gave the game away. Somehow, we found out what they were doing. I don't even remember how we found out now, but find out we did. And that's when it came to me. I remembered something that my mom did to my sister and me a couple of times back in the day (and for the very same reason, too!). She "numbered" the presents instead of putting name tags on them. Yeah, numbered them. And she's the only one who had the list of what number went to which person (we all said extra prayers for her well-being during those holidays...whatever would we do if that list became lost or stolen or - gasp - if she was hurt in a car wreck and got amnesia and forgot where she'd stashed The List?).

So I implemented the Numbered Gifts Tradition in our home, too. Oh the groans, the moans, the cries of outrage! I was the cruelest, meanest, most awful-est Mom in the whole wide world! I was taking all the fun out of Christmas! (My children can be sooooo melodramatic when they try. Wonder where they get that from?). Sure, sure. I knew how they felt. After all, my mean ol' mother had done the same thing to me. But this time, I was the do-er, not the do-ee. Much better point of view, let me tell you! And I reveled in the madness. All the packages survived the season unscathed and ready to open at the accepted time (Christmas morning). The gifts were truly a surprise, like they were intended to be. Nobody knew ahead of time what all they'd gotten. It was great. I loved it. They loved it. All was well.

Until the next year. When I put the first wrapped presents under the tree and the kids saw numbers instead of names, they were back to feeling outraged. How could I do that to them? They'd learned their lesson last year and promised not to peak and pilfer! Promise, promise, promise! Cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die-stick-a-needle-in-my-eye-Promise! Ha. Ha. Ha. Like I'd fall for that. No, no, my little darlings. Mom has found the fool-proof method to keep little prying hands and eyes away from the gifts and I'm not about to give it up now. And so goes the birth of The Numbered Gifts Tradition in our household.
Well, a couple of years ago, Christmas time rolls around and it's time to start wrapping new gifts. I realized then that there were only 2 kids left in the house, Kaleb and Jacob. Surely it was time to go back to name labels instead of numbers. One night, we were discussing Christmas lists and I said something about not doing the numbers that year and the boys had a fit. Not do numbered gifts? What was I thinking? Mom! It's tradition! So here I sit. Caught in my own net. I continue to number the gifts, which means I have to keep a list of what's what and which number goes to which person. And I have to keep that list in a place where no one else can find it, but where I can remember where I put it! And as I get older, that last part just keeps getting harder and harder! (Oh and how do you do a mysterious enough list of numbered presents with just 2 kids in the household? You number some of your husband's gifts, too, just to keep the formula a little more complicated!).

So what's some of your holiday traditions? I'd love to hear about them!

The Importance of Christmas Cards

Did you know that there are 4 types of Christmas card senders? No? Well, read on because I'm fixing to enlighten you on these types. (Yes, guys. Words of Wisdom from Kari. Brace yourselves.)
Type 4 Card Senders, and by far the worst, are those who just don’t send them. Period. They have been afflicted with the “Bah-Humbug-I-Ain’t-Sending-Out-No-Stupid-Christmas-Cards” disease (okay, so that’s what it’s called in the south…perhaps other parts of the world call this disease a name that reflects better syntax, but I wouldn't know anything about that). These no-card-sending people totally and completely confuse me. Why would you not want to reach out and say "Hey - Merry Christmas - you've touched my life in some way and I appreciate it!"? How much effort does that really take? You know, if you're on a fixed income, I could see it. The cost of cards and postage could make sending Christmas cards a hardship. But other than that? Please. If you can afford dinner out more than once or twice a month, you can afford a box of Christmas cards and a book of stamps. (How's that for being judgmental during the holiday season? Yessir - leave it to me to do that!). Anywho, my point is, there's a reason behind sending Christmas cards and I think way too many people forget that. I send them because I want certain people to know that they impacted our lives in a good way and we don't want to forget that. Here's an example: I still send cards every year to Jim and Margaret down in Florida. I don't ever talk to these people, I never, ever see them these days and I have no idea what they do in their day to day lives. But they made an impact on my life way back when I was pregnant with Kaleb and then with Jacob. I used to work as a cashier at the Eglin NCO Club back in those days and Jim and Margaret were frequently at the club for dinner. They knew that Randey and I struggled as a young couple with little children - I had to work evenings and Randey worked days (he was active duty Air Force back then) just so we could save money on childcare expenses. Jim and Margaret had issues of their own. Their grown daughter was diagnosed with Lupus and she and her children had come home to live with them. One evening, they all came into the club for dinner and Jim and Margaret gave me a little package. In that package was a bundle of infant socks for my babies. Sure, that gift wasn't much, but it has always remained in my heart as a warm glow and a smile. These people, who didn't know me from anywhere outside of where I worked, were kind enough to think of my children and to give them those little socks as a gift. To this day, whenever I give someone a baby shower gift, I almost always include a pack of baby socks. It's my little tribute and thank you to Jim and Margaret for their kindness to my babies. And every year, just to say "I'm glad we touched each other's lives", we exchange Christmas cards.
Type 3 Christmas card senders are the ones who buy the pre-printed cards. I really, really, really don't like those cards. Not that I would refuse one, but I 'll tell you what it says to me. It says "Hey - we're very busy people here and are only going thru the motions of Christmas contact. Don't really have time to write our names, much less yours, but happy holidays anyway. Now don't bother me again until I want you to.". Okay, so maybe that's a pretty harsh interpretation but so what? That's what I feel like whenever we receive one of those cards. I mean really. I expect that kind of card from my insurance company (although honestly - they could save their money and not bother to send one. Maybe my rates would go down!)but not from my family and friends. The absolute worst of the pre-printed card senders are the ones who also use computer printed labels for the envelopes instead of writing out an address. Could you get any more impersonal with your Happy Holiday wishes? Sheesh! I know, I know. I've probably offended some of you with this particular viewpoint, but think it over for a minute, would you? You're supposed to be telling someone you're thinking of them. And you don't even write "Dear John and/or Jane, Hope you have a Merry Christmas!" in the card and sign it yourself. Yes, you could possibly suffer from a wicked case of writer's cramp if you actually wrote "So-and-so, Merry Christmas," and then sign your name in each and every card you sent out. Gosh, it might take you hours to recover. Then again, you'd have the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing you actually took the time to think of every person on your list personally. And that, my friends, is priceless!
Type 2 Christmas card senders are the Late Mailers. These are people who have good intentions but bad planning. Sure, they want to spread a little Christmas cheer, but gee whiz, life is hectic, time flies, there's not enough hours in the day...Blah. Blah. Blah. I am well aware of how much time it can take to address Christmas cards and sign each of them in turn. But it's time well spent because it's time you've spent thinking of other people. (In a good way, hopefully.) When I address my BFF Susan's card, I always picture her shaking her head at me sending cards out every year (Susan is a Type 4 Card Sender). When I think of Randey's brother, Andrew, opening their card, I always think of our little "competition" of who has gotten their cards in the mail first that year. When I write out my sister Sherri's card, I'm always thinking "is she going to get her cards mailed on time this year???" (Sherri is a Type 2 Card Sender most times. lol). When I was addressing the cards I sent to my blogging friends, I thought of each of you and how you have affected my life this past year, what we have in common, what about you I admire, what I think is funny about you and why our likenesses, as well as our differences, have drawn me towards you. I'm glad I took the time to write all these cards now, during the season, because that just adds to the Christmas Wonder I so love to experience every year.
Type 1 Christmas Card Senders are people like me, who feel like Christmas just isn't complete without sending out holiday greetings. As far as I'm concerned, sending and receiving Christmas cards is the best part of the season. I love it. It makes me smile to see the cards we've received displayed in our home. It makes me feel like we matter to other people. It means that other people have thought of us and have taken the time and effort to send us greetings. What better feeling can there be? I love that feeling so much that I want to give it to other people out there. After all is said and done, I'm glad that I took the time to make a card list, address each envelope and sign each card personally. Because it was time I spent thinking of the people who have touched my life. Christmas isn't just a day to me, it's a season. And all season long, I want to let some people know that I appreciate them. And that's why sending cards out on time is important to me. That is why I think that sending Christmas cards is worthwhile and not a matter of "commercialism" or "bother" or "bah-humbugging". It's also why people who don't do cards or do the least effort-causing cards or can't manage to get their cards out on time irk me so. Or maybe they just hurt my feelings. Yeah, that may be it. Actually, if I were to be honest about it, I'd say that was it. It hurts my feelings to know that my family and I aren't worthy enough in the eyes of some to send a card. Yes, there are those who think that's stupid. A card is just a card, right? I agree. Except during Christmas. And then a card becomes something magical and wonderful and warm and downright meaningful. So those of you who don't get that, how about you sending me a reason as to why Christmas cards just don't touch you as they touch me. I'd truly like to know what you think Christmas cards are all about. And why they mean so little to so many.

Oh heck. I've just re-read this post and it sounds like a flippin' plea for cards. That wasn't it at all. I don't subscribe to the "well, they sent me a card so now I have to send them one" school of thought. I believe in sending cards to people who mean something or have meant something to me in the past. And let's face it, it's a great way to keep up with addresses changes, etc. lol I'm also truly interested in knowing what other people think of Christmas cards. The older I get, the more mystified I am at their lack of importance and prevalence in our society today. Like so many other things in life, I. Just. Don't. Get. It. So educate me, people. Clue me in. Tell me why I'm crazy to put so much stock in a simple piece of paper. But I'll tell you in advance...you'll never convince me that a Christmas card isn't a magical and wondrous thing to receive and to give! 'Cause when I'm right about something, I just know it!
Have a Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Legend of the Christmas Spider

Have ya'll heard of the Legend of the Christmas Spider? I had not. Until yesterday afternoon, that is. That's when I opened a package from my friend Penny, that contained all of this: I love the set of nesting Santas. Aren't they great? Even greater was the little round white box (beautifully decorated, I might add) and the - dare I say it? - lovely spider ornament. Yes. Lovely. It really is. And the story that goes along with it explains the significance of a Christmas Spider.
By clicking on the above picture, I think you'll be able to read the legend yourself. If not, just google "Christmas Spider" and you'll be shocked at how many responses come up. As anybody who knows me can tell you, I am terrified of spiders. As in, I've been known to beat myself silly for thinking I had a spider on my chest and I will avoid an area of my house for weeks at a time if I've spotted a spider there and haven't seen its cold, dead, smushed corpse as proof that it won't eat me anytime in the near and/or distant future. But I'm going to make an exception with this spider. It's already hanging on my tree, right where it'll be every year from now on. Thank you, Penny. For introducing me to a new Christmas "legend" and for being kind enough to send me these gifts. I never did deserve you as a friend, but just like back in junior high - I'm grateful I know you!
In other news, the Christmas cards are done!! Woo-hoo! Yeah! Yippee! Etc., etc., etc.! lol I didn't think I would get it done, but I did. I so wanted to send out handmade cards this year. I don't know why I had such as urge...let's put it down to just one more of my many strange compulsions and leave it at that, shall we?The point is, I made cards, cards and more cards. If I can finish addressing the few I have left, they'll all be in the mail by tomorrow afternoon. And then it's on to wrapping packages and getting them under the tree.
Why is it that it's only the first week in December but I feel like I'm waaaaaay behind in everything already?
Merry Christmas!

Today is our youngest son Jacob's birthday! He's 16 years old. I can't believe it - seems like just yesterday we were laughing at him for wearing his pull-ups on his head. Oh wait a minute, that was just yesterday. lol I kid, I kid...(now Jake's going to be ticked at me if he reads this!). Happy Birthday, Jacob. I love you, son.

To Those Whose Blogs I LOVE to Read!

Attention those on my Blogs I Love to Read list (come on guys, you know who you are. If your blogsite and/or name is listed there on the left side of my blog, then listen up!). I've just about abandoned all hope of finishing the Christmas cards I had planned to make, but that doesn't mean I don't plan on sending out Christmas cards this year. They'll just most likely be those ever-so-carefully chosen-ones I bought from the store (not pictured, by the way) instead of those ones so-lovingly-made-with-my-own-two-widdle-hands (that is to say; the ones that don't actually exist at this point) that I had originally intended to send. Anywho, I would dearly love to send you a card. Yes, you. The person who is currently reading this and is also on my Blogroll. I'm a big believer in Christmas cards (just ask Susan, my BFF - who is not a big believer in Christmas cards. Not that I hold that against her, the cranky grinch). In fact, I'll probably feel compelled at some point to write a big old long post about the value of Christmas card sending. But not today. Today I'm just looking for your addresses. Please, if you'd like to receive a card from my family to yours, e-mail me with your address. And rest assured that I will hold your addresses privately and will not give them out to anyone else. Well, except maybe my Aunt Sandi, a fellow blogger and friend to many of you, but that's because I know she's not an axe murderer or anything, okay?

Merry Christmas All!

A Movie Giveaway! But not here...

Kari (not me - I'm talking about another Kari), the one over at Alas 3 Lads, is having a Movie Giveaway at her blog. The movie is a GROWN UP Christmas movie and no, my little pervs, this does not mean it's a porno. Please. Think Christmas movie (with war violence and a tad bit of sexuality thrown in for good measure). Keep in mind that not all Christmas movies have to feature cute kids and goofy elves to be good. For more information on this movie (called Joyeux Noel) click here. Now go on over and leave a comment! Kari will be accepting entries until 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 4th.

San Antonio Road Trip

I took a quick trip down to San Antonio the other day to visit with my sister, Sherri. She was there on business and it seemed like a good opportunity to spend a little time with her. The hotel we stayed in was a short walk down from the Riverwalk, which is where I spent most of Thursday. I think I managed to get some shin splints from walking so much! lol The Riverwalk area was very, very pretty and if you're ever there, I recommend walking it around 9:30 a.m. Not much is open before 10:00 (except Starbucks and a couple of places that serve breakfast), but it's wonderfully peaceful and quiet.
They have this lovely tree sitting out right in front of the entrance to the Riverwalk Mall.
And this is a view taken from one of the walkways spanning the water. Beautiful, isn't it? I want to go back with Randey. Sitting with Randey, sipping a latte while looking over the Riverwalk, sometime before all the hustle and bustle of the day begins, sounds like paradise to me. Anybody else know of any wonderfully peaceful and beautiful places to spend a few days with your dearly beloved? I think it's high time that Randey and I had a getaway all to ourselves with nothing better to do than relax. We've been saying that for years but haven't done anything about making it happen. Now's the time, though! Any recommendations?
Merry Christmas!

Edited to Add: Please do not recommend anything that requires FLYING! I can't do it. I just can't. I hyperventilate at the thought. I did fly to Pensacola when Conner was born, but that was an emergency and I had to get to Nick (and Jodie, of course!) as soon as possible. Flying for pleasure is just not an option for me. I used to love flying. Until I became a mother and realized that mortality is an actuality. (You know how crazy you can get when you first become a mom...things you never paid attention to before become glaringly obvious for some reason!). Anyway, maybe when Kaleb and Jacob are completely grown and out of the house and no longer dependant upon us for their entire way of life, I'll fly somewhere with Randey (not only am I afraid of flying, I'm also convinced that if Randey and I flew together now, our 2 youngest children would be orphans because the plane would crash. Yes. I know I'm mental. Knowing it doesn't help change it, however). So let's stick with locations easily accessible by ROAD, please. lol

Blessings

Allow me to introduce to you.............(drumroll please)..........Kara Elizabeth!Kara is my youngest granddaughter. Isn't she beautiful? Being the grandmother of Miss Maddy Moose (age 8) who is the cutest, most gorgeous and most incredibly adorable little girl in the whole wide world, I happen to know a little something about beautiful granddaughters. Oh sure, you can't really tell for yourselves just what a perfect child Miss Kara is (these black and white photos can be so unsatisfactory sometimes, don'tcha know) but trust me when I say that she is a breathtaking sight to behold. And she's due to make her grand arrival sometime in the first half of May (unless something changes). The doctor says she's a little big for her "age" so either she'll be born sooner than we think or she's going to be born chubby (and there ain't nothin' wrong with that, or so says her chunky granny!).

This next bit can't compare to the beauty of our baby Kara, but I want to share it with you anyway. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, Randey got tickets for us to attend the Home for the Holidays show at the Ft. Worth Symphony Sunday evening. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful it was. They performed some of my all time favorites, like Carol of the Bells, White Christmas, Ave Maria, O Holy Night and Sleigh Ride. There was even a perfectly charming duet of Baby, It's Cold Outside sung by the Conductor (Ron Spigelman) and the Soprano (Julie McCoy). I simply don't know when I've had a better auditory treat (excluding all my children's band recitals, of course. Those were a joy and a pleasure to attend all their own and nothing but nothing can compare to them!). When Ms. McCoy sang Ave Maria, I was transfixed by the sheer clarity of her voice. Each individual note seemed to stir my senses in a way that actually surprised me. And when the orchestra played White Christmas, I simply shut my eyes and was magically transported to a place of pure beauty and bliss. I've wanted to do that for so long....sit in a concert hall and shut my eyes while the music swells all around me. The experience Sunday night was everything I'd ever hoped it would be. Pure magic. Ahhhhhhh............ The only thing that could have made it any better would have been if my boys had been there. All three of them love music (in all forms) and I think they would have felt this musical event just as I did, with their eyes, their ears, their hearts and their minds. (And no, I'm not forgetting that I have a daughter. I'm just pretty sure she wouldn't have loved it. To Des, if it isn't country, it's not worth listening to. Sometimes that kid just baffles me.) We're going to look into taking Kaleb and Jacob to a performance soon. As for me, I could go every week and never grow tired of listening. Magic, I tell 'ya. Pure magic.

I was reflecting this morning on all the many wonderful things that have occurred in my life lately. I'm happy to say I suffer from an embarrassment of blessings! My boys and my husband, who showed me that Christmas means more to them than just the presents. My beautiful baby granddaughter, who is healthy and happily growing in her mommy's belly. A chance to hear a real, live symphony. Life doesn't always feel this great. My cousin's unexpected passing was a big blow to so many of us. The anniversary of my grandson's birth and passing always brings a feeling of bittersweet longing. But these sad and terrible events do help me to appreciate the blessings all that much more. And for that, I am thankful.

This is a real shocker (not)!

I was blog surfing for just a couple of minutes this morning when I went by Joy is my Goal to see if she had gotten her computer fixed. She has (thank goodness!) and she had a "What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like" link on her site. Naturally, I just had to do this, since it's already been proven that I'm an extremely over-the-top tacky Christmas babe. And guess what? I still am! lol Check out which movie we're most like:

Your Christmas is Most Like: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Christmas is a big, boisterous event at your place. And no matter what, something hilarious usually happens.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

I think I heard the nuclear generator kicking in down at the power plant...

The inside is glowing... And now, so is the outside! Randey and Jake worked hard to get the lights up and here's the first pictures of the season to show their efforts. If I know Randey (and I'm pretty sure I do), he'll continue adding more and more until either all our breakers blow or Al Gore sends a team of Nobel Nitwits down here to explain to us just how all our Christmas spirit is bad for the country's energy future. (And then Randey will light him up and he'll be a decoration, too.)

(You can see the "BELIEVE" sign over the front door that I mentioned a few posts ago if you click on the pictures.) These next two pictures were shots of the Christmas tree taken from outside the front window. You can just imagine a crackling fire and a mug of hot cocoa waiting for you in this house, can't you? (Well, imagine all you want, but you wouldn't have found a fire here last night...all those Christmas lights inside tend to warm up the place quite enough, thankyouverymuch! lol).
Now this last picture is probably one of my favorites. Look in that right hand window. Little Sydney the Wonder Dog was staring out at us as we were clicking the pictures. Gosh, I love that little guy. Me. A Chihuahua lover. I bet no one who knows me ever saw that coming. Tune in tomorrow. I plan on introducing you to a very special person in our lives. Just you wait and see who it is! And I also hope to get a few minutes to tell you about the symphony. It was magnificent. I almost cried, it was so beautiful. Yes....I'll have to go into more detail tomorrow because that was a night worth remembering. Until then...

Merry Christmas, Ya'll!

Christmas Has Begun

We're back from Oklahoma and boy, am I tired! Great family fun, wonderful food, exhausting shopping...who could ask for anything more? lol And can you believe it snowed in our home town while we were gone? Can you BELIEVE that? Sure, sure...it was only a light dusting, but still! I missed it! But life's too good to get mad about that now. We're all busy, busy, busy...Randey's adding more lights to the outside of the house and I've still got Christmas cards to make. In the meantime, I wanted to show you my boys and what they wore the day after Thanksgiving. Here's Kaleb in his Oklahoma Sooner Santa hat and his Santa shirt that says "Does this suit make me look fat?". (I love that shirt, cracks me up.)
And here's Jake with his Attack of the Christmas Squirrel t-shirt from Christmas Vacation. Remember when Margo, the neighbor, knocked on the Griswald's front door and the squirrel jumped out at her? Love, love, love that movie. In fact, I'd watch it right now, but I can't. I've got to go get ready for our trip to the Ft. Worth Symphony this evening. That's right! Randey got us tickets to the "Home for the Holidays" concert tonight. I'm so very excited. I hope to tell you all about it tomorrow. For now, I'll leave you with these:

You Are a Bright Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays are all about fun and seasonal favorites. You are into all things Christmas, even if they're a little tacky.

I love that last line "you are into all things Christmas, even if they're a little tacky". Well, DUH!

What Christmas Tree Are You?

You Are a Christmas Sweater!

Over the top, colorful, and totally flashy. You're not afraid to be a little tacky.

And again, I'm tacky. Who knew? lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol,lol

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

Oh yeah, it most certainly IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at our house!

This is what happened in our house Saturday morning... Randey, Jacob and Kaleb took charge of the Christmas decorating! As you all know, I pretty much wimped out this year. I just couldn't make myself unpack all the Christmas stuff. Figured it was too stressful and didn't want to take that stress out on the family. But, wonder of wonders, it seems Randey and the boys felt that seeing the Christmas glitter spread all over the house was worth them putting out an effort. A really big effort, as it turns out! They were all worn out by Saturday evening, but they'd gotten most of the stuff unpacked and put up. And here I thought they didn't even notice when the house was decked out every year. I guess they do notice and even better, they love it, too. Here's a few pictures of the "finished" product.

The tree. This is the prettiest tree we've ever had. I loved watching them decorate it and we all had some great laughs while they did it. Kaleb hasn't mastered the art of "spreading" similar looking ornaments all over the tree...he tended to want to cluster them together. Listening to Jake explaining to him how he's supposed to spread them out was priceless. Listening to Kaleb explain how he was creating a "Grinch Village" when he hung 3 Grinch-themed ornaments next to each other was even more priceless.
I guess it's kind of hard to see, but that's our "Christmas Town" there on top of the bookshelves. I wish I had a better place to put it, but I don't. Maybe one day, when we move into our 6000 square foot condo and have space for that grand piano I'll never learn to play, I'll set it up on top of that. (That strange noise is me laughing myself silly at that thought. lol)
Here's my Grinch. He has a microphone attachment so you can sing along with him. But Maddy's the only one who ever really liked doing that so the microphone didn't get unpacked this year. Okay, so actually, Randey likes singing along with him, too, but nobody wants to hear another rousing "Randey Rendition" of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch so we kind of forgot to keep the mike out. (Love you, Honey!)
These are two of my favorite Santas. Both of them were gifts from Randey. The Irish Santa is from McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin. Randey bought it for me in October 2001, right before he deployed to the Middle East. The other one he bought on a trip to Utah. And the lamp was a gift from my sister, Sherri.
This is the dining room. I replaced the panels in that wallhanging with Christmas fabric. I'm loving the look of it, although I'm not really sure why.....

This is a picture of the dining room taken while standing in the kitchen. See that large "candy" garland hanging over the bar? The kids love that thing. I made it about 12 years ago out of Mylar paper and empty 2 ltr coke bottles. The poor thing is starting to look pretty ragged. Every year I say I'm going to replace it, but never seem to get around to it. Maybe this year. Ah who am I kidding? The thing's already hung up...guess I'd better aim for next year to replace it.
Guess I'm really diggin' the dining room because here's yet another picture of it. See the Santa there on the left? Blu-boy came running into the house and skidded to a stop when he spotted it. I guess he decided it wasn't a threat because he didn't eat it.
See this log? This is one of my absolute favorite Christmas things ever! Sherri bought it for me....I think back in 1999. It's called Yule Burner (get it? It's a take off of Yul Brynner.) Anyway, Yule is motion activated and if you walk by him, he says things like "I sleep like a log at Christmastime" and "Don't stop me now, I'm smoking" and "Hey friend, got a light?". I laugh every single time I hear him. I really don't know why, though. You'd think I'd be used to him by now, huh? But...come on, if you heard him, you'd laugh, too. He talks like he's a 1960's lounge singer in Vegas. Funny, funny stuff. Trust me.
A couple of the "Believe" signs by the front door. There's a big "BELIEVE" set up in the window above the front door (not pictured in this shot). I had it facing the room where you could read it from inside, but then I noticed that, with the lights on inside, the letters can be read from the outside so I turned it around. Now at night, when you look at our home, you see "BELIEVE" glowing in that window. Cool, huh? I'll take a picture next week when Randey's finished decorating the outside of the house. By the way, is it just me or does everyone think of Annie and Izzy when they see the word "believe" these days?
And last, but most certainly not least, check out this wonderful card we got from Jayme . She's so talented, isn't she? And since I'm still attempting to do homemade Christmas cards this year, I can't even begin to tell you how much I admire her abilities. She did Halloween cards and Thanksgiving cards. Makes me feel like a total slacker. lol But I'm glad we're on her card list because her cards are so very beautiful. Thank you, Jayme! We all love it!!

Okay so that's about it for today's post. We're heading up to OKC to spend Thanksgiving with my Dad and my stepmother, Wendy. Can't wait to drag her and Leah, my stepsister, out for a little Black Friday shopping! They don't really seem as excited about it as I am. (I don't get it. lol)

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!