In the little light that we had left when I got home from work, I tried very hard to get a Friday Eye Candy photo. To no avail, really. It was really windy out so all of those pictures are fuzzy. Mitchell did not cooperate. Knitting is not growing so fast to be interesting. The bathroom? Such a mess as we have had a T.B. (toilet bowl) that was sinking a bit into the floor, a new found leak and ripped up flooring, plywood temporary flooring: A MESS. And a certain male member of this family really thinks and believes that it is FIXED for now and does not need attention.
Cripes. I am now going out to dinner and then to bed. The best way to deal with a problem is to eat some great food, drink a glass or two of wine and then sleep, right?
right???
~On these frosty mornings, I am thankful for the scarves that I have knit. Nothing makes me happier than a warm neck!
~I am thankful that I have the ability to knit something, to warm my neck.
~I am thaaaankful for all the sheep who gave their wool so that I can knit a scarf to keep my neck warm. (you did notice the sheep’s bleat in the word “Thankful”, didn’t you?)
~I am thankful for Seinfeld reruns which gives me so much fodder for my life. (“Can’t spare a square”, “Moops”, “He took it out” (I could go on for days) )
~I am thankful that I decided to stop playing Cafe World on Facebook. I got a bit obsessed and had to leave it behind. Good riddance, I say.
~I am thankful to places that will take my donated stuff. I am definitely in a “Less is more” phase of my life, although it is not showing yet in the house. Progress is slow. I’m NOT thankful for that.
~I am thankful for Skinny Vanilla Lattes at Starbucks.
~I am thankful that I found out how damaging an Eggnog Latte at Starbucks can be to the healthful diet before it was too late. I will be having one on Christmas Eve though. Try and stop me!
~I am thankful for some commercials that get me humming. Love that.
Like this one. (No, I won’t be buying an Amazon Kindle any time soon or in the future! I love reading books too much for that. And? I will never run out of batteries when I am in the middle of a book either!)
~I am thankful for my feet (This one is for Susanne!) that do not hurt anymore. (My heel used to hurt pretty badly). Although I did twist my foot, I was going to say ankle but it is more my foot than ankle, the other day and that keeps reoccurring but it is not too bad.
~I am thankful for Susanne! She is my virtual Canadian pedicurist. She has given me sound advice regarding my feet and if she lived a wee bit closer to me, I would be knocking on her door for regular pedicures because even though I have never personally met her, I think there is not another person I would trust more with such an important part of my body. I would beg her, I would knit for her, I would cook for her, but I WOULD get my pedicures by her. However, it seems excessive to travel to another country to get my feet tended to. Thank you, Susanne, for caring.
~I am thankful for YOU, of course. If it were not for you, this blog would be a journal, a DEAR DIARY. I would be lonely and isolated. YOU are who I am most thankful for.
~What are you thankful for? I hope your list is long.
One of my favorite memories of our camping trips in New Hampshire when the kids were small was when Bethany was about 3 years old. She had to get up during the middle of every night to use the bathroom (which you like to encourage in a 3 year old, if you know what I mean). But on a camping trip this meant coming out of our nice warm, cozy tent into the chilly August night air. We would make the familiar walk towards the bathrooms and along the way I’d notice how the way was lit by the moonlight, shining so brightly we did not need our flashlights. And how the stars blanketed the sky. And because we were always there during the peak Perseid Meteor shower time, we would be treated to many wonderful meteor sightings. Not just a garden variety shooting star either. The kind with the long tail. Just gorgeous!
It has occurred to me over the years that something that I did not want to do turned into something so memorable it is one of my treasured memories of family life. That’s a life lesson, is it not?
But I did not learn it well enough. Last night was the Leonid meteor showers. My family, for the 2nd year in a row, planned to go out at 1 am to a dark place locally suitable for sky watching. For the 2nd year in a row, I did not go. You see, I treasure a good night’s sleep. I NEED a good night’s sleep. And I get up at 5:15 in the morning, which comes pretty fast if you are traipsing around town at 2 am!
However? It dawned on me today that as Bethany, Derek and Andy say to each other, “Remember that awesome huge meteor we saw last year?”, I get to say, “Remember that great night’s sleep I got last year? That was awesome.”
But of course, I don’t’ remember that night’s sleep. It is not special. So perhaps I should have stayed up, sucked it up (buttercup) in the morning and have a great memory when it was all said and done.
Well, apparently bargain hunters everywhere got a memo that I did not get. Bethany and I did a little Christmas shopping at the Christmas Tree Shop this afternoon and it was MOBBED. Mobbed like there was a giveaway of something wonderful and expensive mobbed. Mobbed like Christmas Eve at 3 pm mobbed. Mobbed like Black Friday 6 am mobbed.
It was quite a mystery as we circled the parking lot looking for any open space. We finally landed way out back, kind of a dark alley and all. We walked the 1.2 miles (exaggerated) into the store and could not believe the people everywhere. I have to hand it to the Christmas Tree Shop shoppers, though, they were always polite and orderly. Unlike the Market Basket shoppers who would run over your foot if you were stepping towards the sale ketchup and they took mystery offense. Srsly, those Market Basket shoppers are scary.
Anyway, back to TCTS. (The Christmas Tree Shop, of course) About 2 minutes into the shopping excursion, after the mile and a half park and walk, a woman stopped us to ask if we had our coupon. “Do you have your coupon?” she asked. We shrugged, looking at each other with that quizzical “what coupon” kind of look when she handed us a Friends and Family 20% off entire purchase coupon.
Holy Mother of Ebenezer Scrooge! My lucky day! The coupon sale lasted until tomorrow (You can get one here, if you want CLICK FOR COUPON) ) This kind of explained the early afternoon Monday shoppers coming out of the woodwork.
I was thrilled when we bought quite a few Christmas gifts, all for under $50, saving myself $11 in the process (thank you, mystery woman!). I am seriously trying to keep the Christmas budget reasonable this year. (If I play Norma, I won’t have a Christmas budget at all! No gifts? No budget! but that seems extreme for the 1st step, doesn’t it?) (Maybe next year!)
But keeping a reasonable gift giving budget does not not mean giving crap. I refuse to do that. So the question of the day was “would WE like it if we got that as a gift” If the answer was yes, it is in the cart with a recipient noted.
I got a good start on the list today. And I had a wonderful Cherry Limeade from Sonic to boot!
I went to see A Christmas Carol in 3D at the Imax theater today. What an awesome experience! I thought for sure I would have to brush the snow off of my lap when it was done! The 3D was superb! Unlike anything I have seen!
The movie was well done. I enjoyed it very much. (it is not for very young children in my opinion, the ghosts can be a bit scary, especially Marley) It stayed with the traditional storyline, which it really has to. One cannot call oneself A Christmas Carol and not be about Ebenezer Scrooge and ghosts, you know what I mean?
So, I am sitting there, enjoying the movie experience, the Marley ghost comes and tells him of the 3 ghosts that will visit him. I’m sure I”m not ruining the plot for you, right? The Ghost of Christmas Past arrives and that is when it happens. They fly through the air willy nilly, to get Scrooge to where he has to be, certainly, but also to give us the 3D flying experience, I am sure. SO, I’m flying along and I start to feel a bit warm. Which is weird because I was freezing a minute earlier. I’m sweating a bit in fact. Then I notice the awful taste in my mouth. Oh, dear. This feels a lot like being CAR SICK! Crap. I reach in purse to get a Bonine (Yes, I carry them around, what of it??) I chew it, closing my eyes to the onscreen onslaught to my equilibrium. Scrooge lands at home and I am feeling a bit better. There, I proudly think to myself. I conquered it.
Here is the Ghost of Christmas Present, what a fine looking ghost he is too. But HE is particularly heinous in the showing off department. I close my eyes. I take off the glasses (you can’t see anything then, it’s all blurry. But I can still see the movement, dammit). I hold my stomach. I’m FINE, I keep repeating over and over to myself. It is all in my MIND! FINE!
Now I’ve had my eyes closed for about 4 minutes, feels like a lifetime. My stomach is rolling and things are not getting better.
I opened one eye a crack and they were off again, stupid ghost. Can’t we take a cab? Can I meet you there?
That’s when I decide that I will either heave and ho right there or I would have to LEAVE.
I left.
I headed straight for the bathroom, hoping and WISHING that maybe I WILL throw up so that I can get rid of this feeling, you know? (Did not happen) (TMI) I glance at myself in the mirror (a 48 year old woman having to rush out of a movie theater, honestly!) and I see that I am pale as a ghost! (Of Christmas present, no doubt)
The rest of this afternoon and early evening has been spent sipping bubbly things and closing my eyes.
Wimpy indeed.
(The movie was great though, Go see it! ONLY if you are not movement sensitive!)
~If tomorrow is Saturday, it must be rain in the forecast.
~As I drove up to the hairdresser’s yesterday a woman was walking around the parking lot (it shares a lot with a lot of other businesses) with perm rollers in her hair, a plastic bag wrapping her head and wearing a cape. And she was smoking. With perm solution in her hair. She was flammable. And looking quite NON chic, I must add. I just wondered about people. I mean really.
~Perm solution is something I had not smelled in years and years. But you do not ever forget the horrible smell. It is heinous.
~I got 2 perms in my life. I deeply, immediately regretted both.
~I am now embracing the straight haired me.
~At lunchtime today, the local radio station started playing Christmas songs through to Christmas day. NOTHING could have made me happier today. Nothing.
~I love Christmas music and enjoy hearing it for this length of time. I do realize that some don’t enjoy it as much as I do, but I cannot get enough. They are uplifting, beautiful, funny or touching . I love them all. Before the radio stations started playing a month or 2 months of continuous Christmas music, I never got my fill. It was too haphazard. I listened to CD’s, or cassettes or (heaven forbid) 8 tracks or albums. But then I was out of touch with the world.
~Christmas music makes the world a nicer place.
~I so much more enjoy Christmas in November the last couple of years. It is before the stress of the holiday sinks in and spoils it.
~We are watching Annie right now. Love it! (It’s a hard knock life, for us..)
~Cat hair. I wish there was a way to bundle it and sell it.
For now, just go ahead and listen to one little Christmas song. It won’t kill you.
Here in the US, it’s Veteran’s Day, the day to honor our veterans. Although I did not have the day off, I have had this thought on my mind all day long.
So many of my fellow Americans have taken the call to protect our country. To protect me and my family. I could never find the words to express my deep gratitude to each and every one of them. All of the mothers that are awake at night not knowing how their son or daughter is, how they are feeling, are they scared, are they safe, are they cold?? All of the wives not sleeping next to their husbands at night, the children not having the daily hugs of their mother or father.
I salute you, US Military. Thank you for giving such a big part of your life to make mine better.
