December 31, 2005
Happy New Year!
I found this poem on a card at Care2 and I just loved it so much I searched and searched until I found it at author Joyce Rupp's website:
A New Year BlessingI hope for you in this new year ...
That the single, most significant dimension of life is your relationship with the Source of Goodness who never ceases to sing love songs to your soul
That you find meaning, purpose, and vitality in what you do daily
That you treasure your loved ones and let them know how dear they are to you
That you make choices and decisions that reflect your truest self
That you look in the mirror at least once a day and smile in happy amazement
That you remember relationships are what count above all else - more than work or money, or all the material things we spend so much time tending
That you live in an uncluttered manner, enjoying the freedom to be content
That you keep your sense of humor when things don?t go the way you want
That you find adventure in each new day and marvel at the wonders of creation
which constantly present themselves to you
That you never give up on yourself when others turn away or do not understand
That you are attentive to the health of your body, mind and spirit
That you take risks and accept the growth-full challenges that come to you
That you draw on your inner strength and resiliency when you are in need
That you carry peace within yourself, allowing it to slip into the hearts of others
so our planet becomes a place where violence, division, and war are no more
? Joyce Rupp January 2004
Our Trip to Tennessee, Part I
TB came home from work on Friday (last week, not yesterday) and said that his boss was shutting down the company for the week. It was a big surprise, not of the good kind at first. Then we thought: why not go see Michele and David and the kids? We'd talked about visiting them and at first we decided against Christmas week because TB had so much work to do. It didn't make sense for him not to have the week off but who can argue with a boss? Anyway, we called Michele and got the name of a place we hoped to stay. Michele was very excited and needless to say, it didn't take much for us to get totally psyched too.
The first big drawback was that Heidi had to be back at work on Wednesday. It's too bad we didn't know the shop was going to be closed for a week because Heidi could have put in for time off. The second drawback--the nice place Michele recommended was booked up. Rats.
Right away I went online and started looking for a place to stay. There were lots of places where we could get a double room, I'm sure, but they have double beds and TB and I needed a much bigger bed. We also thought it would be nice for the four of us to have some privacy. I looked for places with suites. I found a few but almost all were booked. TB and I settled on one place that had a nice suite with a queen bed and a pull out sofa in the living room. We called Michele to see if she'd heard of it and she talked with David. Neither had and as we were all talking, the room disappeared! There was another one with two queens in the bedroom so I quickly booked that. Now...that should have told us something.
David called back a couple of times with the names of places that were closer to their place. One was a room with two beds and the other was a place with cabins but we'd have to stay in one Monday night and move to another for Tuesday night. Nah, we decided we'd stay where we were. David and Michele both warned us that the traffic there got crazy because of all the attractions and the outlets. Eh...we'd been in NJ and NY traffic, how bad could it be? Heh.
On Monday morning, TB was up bright and early. I was so excited or something I'd been unable to get to sleep until way after midnight so even with a shower I was still pretty dopey...and I was the navigator! We got the girls up and were out the door on time at 6 a.m. Billy stayed behind to take care of Buddy.
The first part of our trip went very quickly because we were going over familiar ground. When we got into the Baltimore area, I enjoyed pointing out Camden Yards and places I'd lived and worked. We stopped for breakfast in Jessup and went past the maximum security prison there--scary looking! Now, I'd been under the impression that Maryland was entirely smoke free and was bragging on it when we went into this truckers' diner. Imagine my surprise to find the place full of smoke and the non-smokers consigned to a little room off to the side! What's that all about? Well...it turns out that smoking is banned in public places but not everywhere. There's been voluntary compliance for years but the entire state isn't supposed to go smoke free for another year yet! Duh!
We made more great time into Virginia, passing Tyson's Corner--usually that's a real traffic nightmare! We passed Manassas--it sure is different! When I was an interpreter in 1978, the sixth grader I was signing for went on an outdoor education experience to Manassas. We stayed a week, visited the battlefield and learned about the area. We tramped through the woods learning to navigate with compasses, learned to identify trees and plants and all kinds of fun stuff. I'm sure the battlefield itself is preserved but the area around it looks like just another sprawling strip mall town. Too bad.
Then we got onto I-81 South. We were to be on that road for 375.5 miles and there was nothing to look at but cows and farms!
The girls were totally entranced...with their music and sleeping.
For fun, I tried taking a picture out the window as we were rolling along at 80mph:
Not bad, eh?
There was other lovely scenery as well.
Well...to me, anyway.
I wish I'd still had my camera out when we got into the Blue Ridge Mountains though. Those were totally awesome! I want to come back and drive along them when the fall colors are at peak and take pictures!
We'd been driving in Virginia for what seemed to be hours when we finally saw what we thought was our Exit--1B. We were so excited! Finally! We'd made great time! We'd get to see the family soon! As we exited though, I said--"Wait, this isn't I-40." Worse, up ahead in the distance I'd seen a sign for Knoxville 160-something miles *and* I'd seen a sign for Exit 73. I had this sinking feeling we weren't in Kansas but that we also weren't in Tennessee.
Sure enough, TB pulled off and we learned that many people make this mistake. We were looking for Exit 1 on the Tennessee side of the border and this was still Virginia, Dorothy. We sure didn't like to hear we had another hour or so of driving on I-81 but there you go.
Still, we made great time and it was 5:00 when we exited onto the road to Sevierville. I got on the phone with Michele who was totally surprised we were so close. We were hoping to all get together that night, once we'd checked into our hotel. No sooner had I hung up when we stopped dead. We were at the end of a barely crawling traffic jam that stretched on for miles and miles. It was the worst traffic I'd seen in years. Uh-oh.
At nearly 6, we'd barely covered 2 miles and still had 11 to go to the hotel. We were getting hungry and very aggravated with the traffic. What was causing it? No one was getting off the road! I suggested we pull off at Ruby Tuesday's and eat dinner. By then the traffic must surely get better! So we did....
to be continued....
December 30, 2005
Feline Friday: Happy New Year
It's been so quiet around here...the human pets went visiting in Tennessee and left us all alone except for ADD and Billy!
Oh, but Heidi left her shoes and her scent behind!
Hey, what are you up to? Did you find a stash of catnip?
What do you mean, 'no'? Let me have a whiff!
No catnip, you just miss the human pets! Pathetic!
Okay, I admit it, I missed them too and am glad they are back!
And pictures of the trip will be posted soon!!!!
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Resolve
In the new year...
1. List one person you've lost touch with that you will look up.
A friend named Holly I've lost touch with over the last 5 years or so
2. List two places you want to go.
Sevierville and Baltimore/Washington
3. List three habits you want to change.
Procrastinating
Leaving things to the last minute
Being disorganized and unable to find things
4. List four things you hope to learn.
Time management
More patience
Breast stroke
Yoga
5. List five goals you would like to achieve.
Exercise everyday
Lose at least 52 lbs
Make photoalbums for the kids and TB & me
Keep in touch with friends more often
Plan a really nice vacation!
A happy New Year! Grant that I May bring no tear to any eye When this New Year in time shall end Let it be said I've played the friend, Have lived and loved and labored here, And made of it a happy year. ~Edgar Guest
December 29, 2005
Vicki's Memory Bears
The kids have been wanting something that belonged to their late dad and I gave them a few things but I always wanted to have an item of Rich's clothing made over into a stuffed animal for them. This year I found Vicki's Memory Bears and I thought this was a good time to do it. I still had Rich's grey coat and so off to Vicki it went.
I was so impressed and pleased with the beautiful bears Vicki made. She put a lot of thought and care into making the bears and there was enough material left to make a small pillow for me.
We took these pictures on Christmas morning when the kids opened the gifts:
You can't see the bears fully and so the pictures don't quite do them justice. I'm going to take another picture of them together and post them.
Vicki's a real artist! She can create lovely memories from a baby's blanket or from a tablecloth or a coat or many other things. She also can work with photographs. If you are looking for a special gift, please check out her website. You might be inspired by something you see! These are truly precious gifts because they come from such wonderful memories.
::Driving you crazy!::
Onesome: Driving-- Hey, what are you driving this winter? Same old, same old? ...or was Santa very nice to you (and if so, please pass him/her along to the gang
I'm still driving my wonderful Toyota Sienna van. :)
Twosome: you-- Hmmm... If you could, and money were no object, what would you be driving? ...and sure: taxes, license, dealer fees, gasoline, tires, insurance, etc. would be covered by Santa!
A luxurious Lincoln Continental Town Car or a Cadillac.
Threesome: Crazy!-- ...and it's crazy, but we've made it through another year. Are you going to be doing any celebrating to ring in the New Year? Yes? What's going to be your way to say "Hello" to 2006?
I'm going to watch the ball drop on New York City's Times Square (on TV) if I don't fall asleep first and then I'm toddling off to bed. TB and I were just talking about it. We rang in plenty of New Years when we were younger; it's no big deal to us anymore.
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas Day!
Everyone had a very merry time this morning, even Amber and Mouse!
Mouse sat and waited for her gifts to come to her...
while Amber wanted to be more "paws on"!
The best gift, of course, is that we have each other to love and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We enjoyed a Chinese dinner with Ted's mom and tomorrow we are on our way to Tennessee.
Merry Christmas, everyone! :)
December 24, 2005
Merry Christmas Eve!
Tomas and Linda came to visit today and we made merry 
These pictures are from Linda's cell phone; TB took a slew of pictures too with his camera and we'll be posting those too.
One of the gifts was one of those ball poppers. At first he didn't seem too interested--Tomas was having a fine time running all around the house and try to slow down an active toddler!
Once he did take notice of his toys, though, he really got into them. He's a fast learner and when the popper stopped, he'd push the red button to get it going again.
What a sweet face!
We hope to see Little T again real soon.
Meanwhile...TB found out on Friday that his office was going to close down for a week after Christmas! We took the dismaying and shocking news and found some good from it--we decided to make a quick trip to Tennessee to see Michele, David and the kids. It's got to be a quick trip because, unfortunately, we didn't get enough notice of this for Heidi to be able to request the week off from work and we want her to be able to see her niece and nephews too. So we're off to TN on Monday!
December 23, 2005
Feline Friday: Ho Ho Ho Edition
There's been a lot of foolish hustling and bustling about the house lately. The pets come and go and bring back wonderful bags to crawl in...except for some reason the pets are hiding them in the closets! Well, for the most part, we've been just doing our thing...resting and looking beautiful.
What's that Mommy's saying? Move? Move? Moi? I don't think so!
Well, I am moving to safer ground. You'll see, you'll be sorry!
I think you're the one who'll be sorry, this looks like fun! Bet I can flip this over and get inside the box!
Hey...what's this? You're not wrapping me up in this stuff, are you?
Help, I'm all boxed in!
I hope some of this is for us! Well, ho ho ho and Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
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1. Do you have any holiday plans?
Not really. We're having Gram come over and will be bringing in Chinese food, a tradition we picked up from A Christmas Story
2. Will you be traveling?
Not this year
3. What is the worst thing about this time of year?
Being so far from other family members and friends
4. Do you have any favorite holiday foods?
All the fattening ones :( ... cookies mostly
5. Is it a Christmas tree or a holiday tree?
It's a Christmas tree and yes, I do know its history. Still, it was introduced to us as a Christmas tree by the Germans.
December 19, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
Normally this is where I'd link back to the Baker's Dozen meme but it doesn't seem to be working at the moment. 
Ever try to take pictures of teenagers who don't want to be photographed? TB did on Friday during Kristin's party and he got a lot of hands over faces and blurriness. Here's what I mean:
1. On Friday night, the halls of our house were filled with the sounds of teenagers as Kristin hosted her first ever Christmas party. The kids were only shy when the camera came out!
2. Why are teenagers so camera shy?
3. Fortunately, they began to warm up and allowed the paparazzi to do his thing...for the most part. Some kids still didn't want to be seen. See the kid with her back to the camera? I don't think TB got a picture of her face once. Even in the last shot above she managed to get her arm up in front of her face! :D
4. A good time was had by all...
we think! No, seriously, all clowning aside, everyone had fun. No Christmas music was played nor any Christmas movie was watched, though.
5. Billy came home for the holidays on Saturday!
6. We went to see King Kong--what a great movie! Make sure your seat is comfy though. It's a long time to sit on a saggy or low seat with broken springs! :P
7. The best time to take a bathroom break: when you see the giant bugs appear. Trust me. It's a good time to go!
8. I realized I'm not as done with my Christmas shopping as I thought I was. TB and I went into Target with the kids after the movie and right away I was overwhelmed with the crowds.
9. I'm not working now...why would I shop on the crazy weekend before Christmas?
10. I wanted to watch a Christmas special last night and President Bush interrupted with a speech about how we need to be in Iraq. Just what I want instead of a nice good-feeling Christmas movie--a message of war. :P And on a Sunday! What was he thinking?
11. I'm not tired of Christmas music yet...
12. But where is the snow?
December 18, 2005
Hodgepodge
I wanted to see King Kong for my birthday--which is tomorrow--and so we went today. What a great movie! Peter Jackson is a movie making genius, sort of like Stephen Spielberg and Norman Jewison (I didn't realize who he was until today) and Ron Howard. I don't want to give any of it away. The special effects and the acting was just amazing...and King Kong, well, I could believe he was real! Jack Black really reminded me very strongly of Orson Welles, it was almost eerie. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie very much! You need to see it in the theater to really appreciate it, but I have to say that sitting in those seats for 3 hours was very uncomfortable!
I finished reading We Were The Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates the other day. This was another story about a dysfunctional family but with a difference. You didn't see the dysfunction until something really bad happened to one of the family members. Again, I don't want to spoil it. The Mulvaneys seemed to be one of those close knit, well-to-do, very happy and successful families people secretly envy. Then comes this tragedy...and the family just totally falls apart. Why? If they were so happy and close knit it shouldn't have happened, should it? Well, now we see that the communication doesn't seem to be there and unconditional love doesn't seem to be quite there. The victim in the family is totally ostracized and that bugged me the most about the story. How can you treat an innocent member of the family like that? Joyce Carol Oates is not easy to read--I found myself either re-reading or just skipping stuff entirely. Supposedly the story will hurt and heal, well, I didn't feel any healing. I guess I was just too ticked off at the "parental units". I just didn't enjoy it that much after that certain breaking point. Oh well...
I say...and you think...
- Replenish:: refill
- People:: us
- Trend:: popular
- Girlfriends:: boyfriends
- Spirit:: Holy
- Banshee:: Irish spirit
- Oasis:: spot of Paradise in the desert
- Thrills:: chills
- Fountain:: fountain
- Boxes:: containers
December 17, 2005
Christmas is coming...
...and I feel like my goose is getting cooked. It's been busy and hectic and I just don't feel ready for it! Last night Kristin had a lovely (read: noisy) Christmas party with her friends and it was both fun and scary having all those kids around! Billy is coming home on the bus today; the girls have another party to go to and my head is spinning!
1. what kind of car do you currently drive?
A Toyota Sienna
2. what is your dream car?
a fully loaded Cadillac or Lincoln Continental
3. how do you feel about SUVs? yea or nea?
Nay...gas guzzlers and they roll too easily.
4. my car, due to it being 13 years old, needs a few tweaks here & there ... BUT i have no car payment. would you rather have a car that didn't need fixing from time to time, or a car payment?
I'd rather do without the car payment. My Sienna suits me just fine right now. It's paid off and I only have 50,000 miles on it. It's 4 years old.
5. are you happy with your car now, or would you rather have a different one?
Oh...see above. When I need a new car I'd probably go for a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord.
6. i have driven a truck, a convertible, and an antique automobile in my lifetime. if you could have a different type of car for your different needs (family, fun, road trip), which kinds of cars would you choose, and why?
7. my heater & a/c alternate between working & not working, but what is really dangerous is that my wipers sometimes don't work for no apparent reason. what quirk on your car do you need to fix the most?
8. when do you see getting a new(er) car? six months? a year?
December 16, 2005
Feline Friday: Away From The Bustling Crowd
Now that Christmas is getting so close, it's so busy around here with people coming and going, the doorbell ringing almost every afternoon and Mommy hiding boxes in the bedroom. It's enough to make a kitty quite dizzy! It's nice to have a private little retreat away from everyone...uh-oh!
Found! Photographed! Oh no, another rout!
Time to find a new hidey-hole!
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1. How many books do you read per month? How many are for work/school?
I read anywhere from 1-4 books a month, depending on the length and intensity. I don't read any for work or school.
2. What is your favorite genre of book (fiction, self-help, etc...)?
I love most kinds of fiction, particularly horror/sci-fi/fantasy by authors like Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
3. Do you subscribe to any magazines? Which? Are there any you'd like to subscribe to but haven't?
Let's see...I get:
Readers' Digest
Writers' Digest
Entertainment Weekly
Prevention
and several for the kids
4. Where do you get your reading materials? Online? Bookstore? Library?
All three and another source: Paperback Swap
5. List 5 books you recommend people read:
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Stand by Stephen King
Koko by Peter Straub
December 14, 2005
Two Book Reviews
Lately, I seem to be on a "dysfunctional families" kick. The two most recent books I finished dealt with alcoholism in the family and how it can deeply affect each member. One dealt with it humorously and the other wasn't funny at all.
Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man is a touchingly funny story written by Fannie Flagg. Daisy Fay Harper keeps a journal chronicling all of her adventures from the time she is 11 to when she wins the Miss Mississippi pageant. She's a tomboy sort of girl with a Dennis-the-Menace type penchant for getting herself into trouble. She doesn't mean to, it just seems to happen. Her father is an alcoholic ne'er-do-well with lots of grandiose ideas. The kooky locals in the story are lovable, particularly Jimmy Snow. I laughed out loud a lot when I read the book and the story has to be pretty funny for me to do that! I recommend it highly!
Songs in Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris is also about a family touched by alcoholism, the Fermoyles. The father is a ne'er-do-well drunk as well and as totally unlovable as can be. He is obnoxious and sloppy and violent when he's drunk and Marie Fermoyle had to get herself out of that marriage too. The difference is that she and her children struggle on alone in the same town, suffering the indignities and embarrassment of the drunken father staggering around. There are lots of interesting characters in this book and each has a tale of their own. All of their lives are threaded together in a way that wasn't cumbersome at all. A con man arrives in town...and there's a murder ... I just loved reading this book! It's not a quick read but well worth it!
How do you let your significant other know what you want for Christmas?
If I know what I want, I just come out and tell him. This year, I showed him several things I liked so he could help the kids pick out stuff too. And...I answered a meme online yesterday
December 13, 2005
Ten Things I Want For Christmas
1. Peace in the house
2. a walkman so I can tune in to the TV when I exercise
3. Celtic music--not Christmas music, but other kinds
4. Irish tie dye T shirt from the catalogue
5. Irish sweatshirt or poncho or cape
6. Any lavender or burgundy sweat shirt with cats, cardinals, butterflies or flowers on them
7. More picture frames for the kids' artwork so I can hang them up OR new pictures of the grandkids!
8. one of those hand held computer planner things that TB and Billy both have
9. Computer puzzle games...like: alchemy, Super Collapse II, Diamond Mine, Noah's Ark, Twistingo, Family Feud etc.
10. Cinderella Man
December 12, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
1. I have a huuuuge box of photographs and I've been slowly going through them, organizing them and putting them into photo albums. I spent several hours doing just that this weekend.
2. We've got a gazillion digital pictures, too (like the one above)! I guess I need to organize them and ask TB to download them on CDs?
3. The girls and I worked out at the gym on Saturday...it was great to have Jason's advice. I've been curling my toes when I pedal and that's one of the reasons I was having leg and foot cramps!
4. TB and I had another Lost marathon and are finally caught up into the second season...but it's not enough!
5. Oma celebrated her 95th birthday on Saturday, God bless her.
6. The Christmas cards have been arriving!
7. I meant to do our Christmas cards this weekend but never got around to it...:P
8. I also meant to do some more Christmas shopping this weekend but .... there's still 12 shopping days left, right?
9. We treated ourselves to dinner out on Friday after running around all over town. I love diners!
10. I resisted making Christmas cookies another weekend!
11. Richard Pryor and former Senator Eugene McCarthy died over the weekend
12. Here's another picture I put into an album this weekend, from 1993:
December 08, 2005
More Snow?
It doesn't look or feel like it'll snow anymore but we have a warning up for now. The accumulation amounts are down big time and it sounds like we're just going to have a royal mess! Snow, sleet, ice and slippery roads! I wanted to go to the gym and work out but I guess we'll see how the roads are. I'd like to have a major snow before Christmas to help boost my holiday spirit.
::Seventeen Shopping Days Left!::
Onesome: Seventeen Shopping-- Malls? ..or one Internet? Are you doing more online shopping this year? The polls say we are, but I'm curious about what the real people are doing.
I'm doing a lot more internet shopping...almost all of it. I just need to pick up a few things and I'll probably get stocking stuffers from the mall or stores. I just can't walk the malls like I used to, not with this collapsed arch. It's nice not to have the hassle of crowds and finding a parking place.
Twosome: Days-- ...or "Daze"? Are you finished with your shopping? Do you still a few things to go? What? Not even a game plan? ...or is there just one person you're having trouble finding something for?
I still need to get stocking stuffers, a few more things and shop for one person who isn't giving us a very long list!
Threesome: Left!-- What's left to do at your place (or where you are going)? Is the tree up? ...or maybe you're just happy you found the Christmas coffee mug and are calling that good?
I'd like to pick up a few more festive decorations for the living room and family room but basically we're good.
December 06, 2005
Oops--it wasn't a snow day!
We had a small snow storm last night. We were supposed to get 3-5" of snow, last I heard. When my alarm went off this morning, TB said I should turn it off. Schools would be closed. Wow, there must be a lot of snow out there, I thought. He didn't go to work either. So I went back to sleep.
Just after I woke up again around 8:30, Kristin came knocking on our door. She'd been trying to verify that schools were closed and there was no information anywhere. It turned out TB figured schools had to be closed...but he wasn't familiar with the policies of Burlington County! Many times they are open when it would be better for them to at least have a delayed opening...we don't have sidewalks and the kids have to wait in the streets for the bus. This morning, we didn't have a plow come through until 7:30 a.m., well after the high school bus is supposed to pick up kids.
What is with this school district? Sure, I think if weather conditions aren't terrible then the kids should go to school. BUT we do live in a rural area (no sidewalks) and I wonder why the administrators aren't more concerned about kids waiting for buses on unplowed streets?
Anyway, TB drove Kristin to school. She's really conscientious about going I'll say that for her!
Good for you, Kristin!
Gas prices jumped! It was nice to see them dropping to a low of $1.86 but then all of a sudden they climbed again by as much as 20 cents a gallon at the place nearest us. Why? Oh...it's because it's winter, it's cold, and the companies want to jack up the prices in time for the poor schmoes who have to order oil for their houses. :P
10 Household Chores You Hate
This list includes chores I don't handle anymore now that I have younger hands and TB to help. :)
1. Cleaning the toilet
2. Cleaning the rest of the bathroom
3. Dishes
4. Kitchen clean up
5. Mopping the floors
6. Dusting thoroughly
7. Sweeping the floors
8. Vacuuming thoroughly (moving furniture around and stuff)
9. Laundry (when I used to go to the laundromat)
10. setting & clearing the table
December 05, 2005
My Baker's Dozen Weekend...
1. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."
2. Most of my shopping (90%) is done! Now I just have to wait for everything to arrive so I can wrap!
3. We bought some decorations for our windows so that the house has a much more festive look this year
4. We're supposed to get some more snow! "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"
5. A beautiful red cardinal flew over the car as we drove home. I love cardinals
6. TB had a taste for crab cakes and so we had some from Phillips, a wonderful seafood restaurant I first ate in years ago in Ocean City, Md. Now they're in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore and maybe elsewhere?
7. We also had coleslaw and potato wedges...a sort of summery supper on what was a snowy day
8. TB and I have been watching episodes of Lost from the first season while everyone has gone into re-runs. What a great show!
9. I took out boxes of Christmas cards and looked at them. :) Next I have to get the address book.
10. Tried to eat sensibly but didn't get to the gym at all over the weekend
11. I slept for 12 hours Saturday into Sunday--must have needed it!
12. Best of all--we spent several hours visiting and playing with Tomas!
December 04, 2005
First Snow
I was so excited to see snow on the ground when I woke up this morning! Many years, we don't see snow until later in the winter and it's always so much fun when it arrives early. We're expecting some more next week.
TB took some pictures with his awesome new camera.
Okay, it's less than 2 inches but it still stuck!
Gee...could this be the year we have a white Christmas?
The cars belong to our neighbors; the air conditioner is in our bedroom.
I say...and you think...
- Amazing:: Race
- Delights:: Turkish
- Inspired:: by God
- Disgusted:: yuck
- You:: Me
- Vagina:: Penis
- Palm:: Hand
- Sweetheart:: TB
- Guilt:: blame
- More to come:: future
December 03, 2005
A Special Visit
It was so good to see Tomas again! He's getting to be such a big boy! We had a nice visit and lunch with Linda and Tomas at a mall. Tomas got a good look at Santa too. No pictures though, just a walk by and a hello.
We'd brought along a Mrs Potato Head to entertain little T while we sat and visited.
He got a much bigger kick out of the box, though! He enjoyed opening and closing the lid as well as putting the pieces in the box and then taking them out.
A sweet picture.
What a wonderful day!
Before I Was A Mom...
Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Spit on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom - I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom - I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
And before I was a Grandma, I didn't know that all those "Mom" feelings more than doubled when you see that little bundle being held by "your baby"...
Send this to someone who you think is a special Mom or Grandma. I just did.
And remember that behind every successful mother.... Is a basket of dirty laundry.
December 02, 2005
Feline Friday: Oh No Not Again!
In the continuing saga of cat humiliation and torture, Mouse realizes to her dismay why the travel crates haven't been put away!
Why is the Heidi pet hugging me and saying sorry sorry sorry? Wait a minute! Where are we going?
Nooooooooo! Not this again! Run, Amber, run!
Thanks, Mouse, they won't get me and then I'll come rescue you!
Foul! I say, foul! I was tricked! That wasn't real turkey! I was had! Trapped!
Oooooh, you human pets are in big trouble now!
Where are we going? Not back to that scarecrow in scrubs!
No...it was to a groomer for a bath and brush. TB and Heidi are allergic to cat dander or fur and it was really getting to them. It was time to do something because we'd gotten out of the habit of applying Nova Pearls (something that Amber and Mouse absolutely detest as well).
We have to find a place that's closer! On the way Mouse yowled so mournfully and so loud no one could hear the radio or what another person was saying! The groomer said they did very well, except that Amber tried to claw her way straight up the wall.
TB and I really wanted to take pictures but we figured we paparazzi'ed the kitties enough at home and we didn't want everyone, including the groomer, to freak out and so we restrained ourselves.
Once back home...
Oh, stop trying to make up to me! I know I smell pretty!
I'm still very mad! Let me go now and maybe I won't wee on you!
Meanwhile...
I'm saved, I'm saved! Mommy, mommy!
Okay, so all is forgiven now. You human pets must have misread our Christmas wish list. Smelling pretty is nice but wasn't exactly what we had in mind when we asked Santa for wonderful treats!
More Cat Friday stuff? Try these:
The next Carnival of the Cats is being hosted at When Cats Attack
Friday Friendships
1. Do you think it is possible to find true friends on the internet?
Absolutely! I've met my closest friends online!
2. Do you still have the same friends that you had in your school days?
No, we lost touch. :(
3. Do you have close friends of the opposite sex as well?
Yes, I do, and around the world! :)
4. What are the 5 qualities you find most attractive in a friend?
Honesty, kindness, understanding, supportive, loyal
December 01, 2005
Traumatic Tuesday
You won't believe what humiliation and torture those human pets subjected us to this time! Tell them, Amber!
Oh, the horror! I'm still recovering from the shock of it all...no, you tell it, Mouse!
Flashback...
Here I am...minding my own business doing what cats do naturally...and then the human pets swept down on us ...
and stuffed us into these kitty jails when we didn't even do anything!
Then we were dragged out into the night and catnapped to this awful place that lets in all manner of base animals--like dogs--and we were assaulted by a tall skinny man in blue scrubs who stuck us with sharp needles and told our pets that we were fat and had to go on diets!
The nerve!
But that's all right...what goes around comes around. The pets were paid back for their cruelty when all the power went out in the house later that evening. There was silence in the house...no television, no music, no computers, no lights. We were the only ones who could see in the dark without flashlights!
The two adult pets couldn't sleep because there was no electricity for their CPAP machines. That'll show you, we thought, able to make our way into any nook or cranny without walking into a wall. Bet you pets will never try that again!
Wrong...tune in tomorrow.
::Christmas Elf Gifs::
Onesome: Christmas-- "Christmas is coming; the goose is getting fat..." Nope, I'm not going there, not by a long shot! How about: Even though we just finished up the Thanksgiving meal, what dish are you looking forward to most at Christmas time? ...and yes, Christmas cookies count!
Irish soda bread--if I make it, usually it's only around Christmas. Then, of course, there's all the Christmas cookies -- that I won't enjoy unless I find some from Weight Watchers!
Twosome: Elf-- Who is your favorite Christmas Elf? Mom? Dad? Will Farrell? That guy who helps you at the tree place each year?
TB
Threesome: Gifs-- How about your favorite bit of Christmas artwork? Is it a painting? ...a cartoon? ...your special ornament? ...the tree in the town square?
There's someone in the neighborhood who does up the house and we can see it when we cross the bridge to and from our development. I call it "the showboat" and Kristin calls it the "Titanic".
I have too many favorite ornaments to try and choose one.
I love Renaissance art. Here is just one example, a wood cutting of Joseph, Mary & Baby Jesus by Albrecht Durer.
There are other famous works, too, by Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo...check them out online!