Have a Blessed Easter

more about “Facebook | Home“, posted with vodpod

Christmas Cookie Rules

1.      If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2.      If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3.      If a friend comes over while you’re making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend.  Because your friend’s first cookie is calories free, rule #1 is yours also.  It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4.      Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move.  This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5.      Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6.      Cookies colored red or green have very few calories.  Red ones have three and green ones have five – one calorie for each letter.  Make more red ones!

7.      Cookies eaten while watching “Miracle on 34th Street” have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one’s personal fuel.

8.      As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9.      Any cookies consumed from someone else’s plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.  We all know how calories like to CLING!

10.     Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories.  It’s a rule!

Flicker…?

So, when I was little, I fit the stereotype of  the kid ecstatic, excited, and elated about Christmas. Granny’s cookies, decorating the trees, listening to Mom  and  Dad, from behind my closed bedroom door, wrapping presents long after I should have been asleep. Christmas dinner, Christmas carols at church, all the Christmas shopping and decorations.

I even  carried it into this so-called adulthood.  Especially when  I married and Mr.  Man and I set up  our own household. I was ANNOYING with my Christmas spirit.

But these last few years, that special something, that spark  of joy, has eluded me.  Since Daddy died, I guess.  And last year, Granny. Then a  lot of other stresses I’ve already blogged ad nauseum.  Along with things being so unsettled on the house issue, and the never-ending money questions, this year it seems Christmas has just snowballed on me. Most of our kitchen  stuff is packed, so making Christmas  goodies is a little difficult. Decorating the house, well,  not the usual deal either, since  we’re showing it.

But the other night, Mr. Man and I dressed up  the PTs and took part in the Christmas light  parade downtown.  As we trolled along our main street,  the youthful, exhuberant voices of the children shouted “Merry Christmas!’ into the cold December air while they waved us along.

And then there it was.  A flicker.

It reminded me of the scene in  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, where  the Grinch’s  heart grew and grew.  Except it was  just a flicker.  I recognized the potential of it blooming  into a larger seasonal  flame, though, that might blaze brighter and brighter, if I choose  to nurture it.

That tiny flame was in danger of blowing out yesterday.  It was a rough day at work, and I’m not getting the hours I need, and how’s that for a kick in  the pants at the holidays?

So, how does one get a fire going again?

Well, first, I reminded myself the Reason for the Season, to celebrate the birth of  our Lord. He is the reason my family and I observe Christmas.  He is the Spirit I should concern myself with, not the trappings of man. So, I prayed awhile, and took comfort in knowing that Jesus knows the dreams of our hearts, and it’s  up to me to surrender to His will  and know that whatever we need, He will provide.

Not only that, but I have my family.  I am supremely thankful  for that. Flicker.

When I got home  from work yesterday afternoon,  Mr.  Man was especially sweet to me. Flicker.

Mr. Man’s folks came over to see how  great our floors looked, and unexpectedly took us out for supper. Flicker.

Mom called and invited me out Christmas shopping  with her. We had a great time. Flicker.

My week at the salon is shaping up nicely. Flicker.

On the way home from WalMart this afternoon, I saw a giant rainbow off to the NE. Flicker.

Mr.  Man got his bonus today. Flicker.

This morning,  I got to sleep late, and as I lay there, awake but watching a news program, the scent of Granny’s sugar cookies overwhelmed me. As I tuned  into that, a picture of her in my kitchen, which used to be her kitchen, flashed in front of my eyes, packaging cookies, some shaped into her well-loved Santa Claus cookies, as well as her other Christmas goodies. The kitchen is bright and sunny, which was weird, since at that time, the sky was overcast.  She looked  at me and smiled her wide  smile, and cheerfully told me to get with  it. 

Well, okay then. FLICKER! FLICKER! FLICKER!

Good luck for the new year?

Let me  count the ways…

I’ve learned a lot lately while working at the grocery store.  Among the things I’ve learned is a whole plethora of New Year’s traditions, each applied with the hope of good fortune in the coming year.

Now, in my family, it’s always been eating black-eyed peas and cornbread on New Year’s day.  I HATE black-eyed peas, but would try to eat at least one.  If I didn’t, I’d double up on my cornbread.

Early in our relationship, my husband took me to an annual open house held by a German couple who were friends of his parents.  There I learned of the German tradition of eating saurkraut and sausage for luck.  No, I didn’t eat the saurkraut, but that sausage was delicious!  Did that mean only half a year of good luck?  Which half, the first or the last?

People bought all sorts of things this past weekend.  Once you see similar items bought by various families, it’s pretty easy to tell there’s another tradition afoot.  Or maybe just one unusual item someone buys.  I had one man purchase one green candle, and he offered the tip that if you burn one green candle on New Year’s Day, that it means money coming the whole year.  I could use that, I thought.  I have green candles at home.  But I volunteered to work an evening shift (ugh, I didn’t like that at all, very boring and slow!)  and forgot all about lighting one of them.

Lots of people bought grapes.  One customer told me that if you eat grapes on New Year’s Eve it brings luck.  Later, I learned it was 12 grapes.  One for each month, I wondered?

Then we had a lot of people buying pork chops.  I thought it was because we had a buy one get one free sale, but I guess it was a combination of that and that, you guessed it, some people consume pork for luck on NYD.  Of course, along with it, saurkraut, sausage, and cabbage sales were up, too.   I didn’t check out one bottle of Beano, though.  Phew.

A lot of fruit passed though the lines, too.  Late in the day I learned that some believe if you have 12 different pieces of fruit in a centerpiece on your dining table that it’s sure to bring luck.

Another lady wanted to change out a five for five ones, because her daughter told her that if you have 27 ones in your purse, and she was short by five…yeah.  It’s lucky, too.

Cleaning products.  Lots of people bought cleaning products.  I thought they wanted to start off the new year all sparkly and with a  clean house.  Well, I guess they did.  But also I heard that the order your house is in on New Year’s Day is the way your life will be the next year.

Uh oh.

Well, I did clean house and it was kinda okay….sorta.  It wasn’t as bad as before, so maybe there’s hope for 2008.

I think I’ll just keep saying my prayers and clinging to my Faith in God, though.  That’s the best thing I can do for my life. 

Oh, one tradition I will be sure to keep is kissing the one I love at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. I figure I’m already lucky there!  Luv ya, Mr. Man!

Happy Halloween!

Memorial Day

My Daddy is a veteran of the United States Army.

I guess if one wants to be technical about it, that sentence should be in past tense. But I still have issues about putting him in the past, even though he died six years ago. Six years. Wasn’t it just yesterday?

The hole in my heart, mended with a Saran Wrap-like substance, still tears open if I let myself dwell on how much his absence haunts us. Most of the time, it’s like only a thin veil of breath that separates us. He’s there beside us on birthdays and holidays. He’s there when we need the hard questions answered, or even the easiest ones…a whisper in our minds when we least expect it. Or a holler when I should check the oil in my car.

Valentine’s Day plus 3

How was your Valentine’s Day? Mine was nice, all around, even if it was cold and cloudy and slippery and snowy. My Mom gave DH and I a nice card and some candy. I went to WalMart to do my V-Day shopping, and when I left, I saw something heartwarming. At the stop sign exiting the parking lot, the lady in front of me fish-tailed on the ice and bumped the truck in front of her. The occupants of the truck got out, and when the other lady made to leave her car, she slipped right down onto the ice before ever getting upright. The truck folks made to help her, and after inspecting the bumpers and determining there was no damage, the truck people hugged the car lady. Wasn’t that nice? Instead of getting all hot and angry? The poor car lady went back to her vehicle, and *bing* she made eye-contact with me, and turned as red as a tomato. Ooops. I guess I should have made an attempt to pretend I wasn’t watching, but of course, I was. I mean, I was in line behind them to leave the parking lot, I had to watch, so I could know when it was my turn to leave. Poor lady.

Then that afternoon, I saw a news report where a family who’d moved to Oregon had had their moving van with all of their possessions stolen. Evidently, a Miami Dolphin’s quarterback, Joey Harrington, a University of Oregon alumni, heard the news, and went around getting donations from various businesses regarding household appliances and furniture and then went shopping himself to help the family get a fresh start. He brought the news and the items to the family in person, along with a laptop computer, a printer, a fax machine, and a $3000 gift certificate from Nike.

How cool is that?

Then that afternoon, my husband brought me a dozen roses, a wonderful card (he always picks the PERFECT cards) and we went out to eat. Since it was snowy and icy, the restaurant was practically deserted, and we didn’t have to wait! After that, we went to Hastings and browsed the music and books.

Perfect!

But one of the neatest things, is I finally got DH’s blessing (and not just a surrender to my nagging) to get another Mini-Dachshund puppy, so Dodger will have a companion. She will be ready in about two weeks to bring home. She’s a little doll, too! But that means we’ll need to get Dodger fixed pretty quick now. I have NO interest in breeding. Ick. I’ll leave that to others. Anyway, it’s been a sore subject for us, because he had been saying NO. And NO and NO. Then all of a sudden, when I made a joke about it at dinner, he wasn’t so rigid about it, and TADA! We have a new puppy on the way. It wasn’t a grudging okie dokie either. That’s what made it better. Now I don’t have to be a rebel and do what I want to do anyway and have him mad at me. Anyway, the puppy is from a litter that another writer friend of mine is getting one from. So we’ll get to compare notes on their growing up. She’s naming hers Harry. We don’t have a name for ours yet. I thought it would be nice to have hubby name her…the one he’s come up with so far is Hermione . . . Oh. I just got it. I was thinking Harry from When Harry Met Sally. DH was obviously thinking Harry Potter…. Well, we’ll see. Hermione is a mouthful when you’re yelling at a pup to stop eating your socks…But maybe it is kinda cute…

Bonnie was too busy for a Super Sabado this week. Perfectly understandable, what with the swim meets and all. An Gabrielle has taken a hiatus from her blog for awhile. *sigh*

I guess I’ll grab a book and cuddle up. Not that that’s a chore or anything!

OR, I could switch on the TV and sneak a peek at news reports about Britney Spears bald head. Evidently, she went into a salon yesterday and asked the stylist to shave her head. The stylist refused, and Brit grabbed up the clippers herself and went to work. NOT IN MY SALON, SISTER. Hands off my clippers. But if it had been me that had been asked, I would have shaved it. Heck, why not? I might be smart enough to get her to sign a release form first, though. Personally, I think the chick needs a time out. And for more than a day, too.

I bet you wondered, why don’t I write?

Well, I’ve been Christmasing! And when I wasn’t doing that, I was working, or eating or sleeping.

We all had a really nice Christmas, and it was even cold enough to SEEM like Christmastime. We had an ice storm last week that left a lot of our branches laying in our yards, and a lot fo town is still a mess. And we were supposed to get snow yesterday and today, a real WHOPPER of a storm, but it seems to have missed us. The weathermen really hyped it up, but it seems they’ve been laying low today. OOPS. They’ll have to answer for us on the news tonight though and tell us what happened. Or why it DIDN’T happen.

Toddler was precious to watch this Christmas, as we knew she would be. She was just as happy helping her daddy hand out gifts as she was to open her own. Though she was really happy opening her own! And her mommy and daddy took her to her first movie, Happy Feet, and now she’ll occasionally break out into the dance herself! She is so CUTE!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Oh, yes, I know. It’s a cliche. But that song’s been playing through my mind for two days!

Yesterday was the annual Santa Claus Cookie-making day. My grandmother (95) has been making Santa Claus cookies for over 60 years, using The Santa Clause Cookie Cutter. I mean THE cutter. Her cookies are legendary anyway. People from all over have raved about them, she used to make dozens and dozens and dozens. Graham cracker fruitcake cookies, ranger cookies, fudge marshmallow cookies, oatmeal cookies…but the absolute iconic cookie Granny has always been famous in these parts for is her sugar cookie, and at Christmas, the ones shaped and decorated like Santa.

So yesterday, Mom, Granny and I set everything up and got to work. This might sound funny, but the weather was perfect for it–overcast and cool. Somehow, it just sets the mood for making Christmas cookies better. Our little assembly line turned out the treasures like nobody’s business, Santa cookies for everyone! Toddler was amazed. She let out a little two-year-old whisper, “Wow!” when Mom took some to Brother’s house.

And today, Mom braved the ice and rain to bring us some Milky Way Cake and Haystacks. Toddler stayed with me today, because her parents thought the daycare might close in the midst of worsening weather. We’re supposed to get quite bit of snow by morning, so I might get lucky and get to keep her tomorrow, too. Anyway, Toddler is so full of energy! Whew! And she’s so funny! I don’t know what this little guy did, but every time she comes over, he gets a spanking and put into time out!

Fa la la la la . . . .

Christmas shopping. EEK! I went out with Mom and Granny Christmas shopping the other day, and I had a good time. Really. I mean, it’s a life-long tradition. Nowadays, We push Granny in a wheelchair because of her arthritis. We tease her about how much we like to push her around, and what a great pack mule she makes for all the shopping bags.

The mall was surprisingly busy for a Monday afternoon. Out of all those people, most were full of Christmas cheer, from the Salvation Army bell ringer, “Be careful, it’s like going to the Fair in there” to the Hickory Farms guy who was glad to help with a gift who people would be sure to steal during the Chinese gift exchange game at Mom’s company party.

But there were some real ring dingers too. What is it with people who are close walkers, anyway? I mean, where you can practically feel them breathing down your neck they are in such a hurry to get by you? It’s RUDE. And inconsiderate, especially since we are helping my 95 year old grandmother in her wheelchair. No patience or consideration whatsoever. GET OUT OF MY SPACE. Merry Christmas. We ran into it leaving the parking lot, too. The light had barely turned green, and some junior brat honked for us to go, then sped around us as fast as he could. He got to the next red light first. Good for him. Merry Christmas.

The bell ringer was right though. It was kind of like going to the fair. Lots of people watching. And since DH got his bonus, he’d shared it with me, so I was geared up to shop. But I didn’t buy a blessed thing that day. I could hardly believe it myself. I don’t know . . . I was all ready, then poof. I think it was mainly because we started out at Penney’s, whose air conditioner was apparently broken. It was an oven in there, and I’m no good when I get too hot. Then, I realized I am so out of mall-shopping shape. I haven’t really gone to the mall since I quit working there several years ago. I mean, I’ve gone, just not on an everyday basis. I’ve taken advantage of the resurgance of the strip mall. Another sign of my evolution, I guess. When I was in high school, in those wonderful 80s, you couldn’t get me out of the mall. Then I worked there, for like, another 10 years.

Tuesday, I went shopping again, and this time, I blew my budget. But I’m almost done!

Snowstorms and Parades and the Flu! Oh, My!

Well, a couple of nights ago, we got a whopper of a snowstorm. The weather service said our town received 8.2 inches of snow. It didn’t really seem like that much, but what we got was more than we had all last year! It was also Dodger’s first snow. He asked to go outside, then looked at me as if to ask, “What’d you do?” Bless his heart. It didn’t take long for Little Bit to get too cold. DH said if Dodger stayed out there long enough, we’d not have to have him fixed because his little bits would freeze off. Bad Daddy! But it was funny. His first step out, the look on his face was priceless. His expression let me know he thought the snow was all my fault. But I can tell Dodger likes the little parka I got for him! And he looks sooo adorwable!

 

 

Last night, our PT Cruiser club participated in the Christmas Light Parade.  As you’ve no doubtedly figured out, this is an annual event where different business and organizations decorate an entry and toodle down our main street, ending in the lighting of the community Christmas tree and the arrival of Santa Claus.  It was great fun, and though the temps were still frigid, there were many who braved the night air and came out for the fun! Even my DH, who was sick, sick sick.  He is such a trooper!  He dolled up Phantom Cruiser (our Cruiser is themed around Phantom of the Opera) and I dolled up Texas Red as our other members did the same.  DH  cranked up the Trans-Siberian Orchestra music as  we entered our place in line, and off we went!   And as soon as  it was over, DH  vroomed toward home and his easy chair while I went to get him some soup and sundries from the grocery store.  Bless his heart, he was so hard asleep when I got home, he must have been really bad off.  And my Sis-in-Law and my brother were both ill this week too.  I’m dodging those flu germs as best I can!

 

If you want to see pictures of our dressed up Cruisers, just click here. 

I’m a parade float…

I love Thanksgiving. I love ALL holidays, period. But I’m overweight anyway, and when I indulge like we did this weekend, ooph! Just tie strings on me and put me in a parade. We had dinner on Thursday, and on Sunday, too, since part of our family couldn’t be with us On T-day.

Menu:

• Smoked Turkey
• Glazed Ham
• Dressing and Gravy
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Mac and Cheese
• Homemade Yeast Rolls
• Carrots
• Green Beans
• Corn
• Cranberry Sauce
• Pea Salad
• Relish Tray
• Ambrosia
• Fruit Salad
• Chocolate Pecan Pie
• Lemonade Pie
• Caramel Pie
• Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate Pie
• Cherry Cheesecake Pie
• Pineapple-Coconut Buttermilk Pie
• Lots and Lots of Iced Tea, which always tastes better at Granny’s.

And lots and lots of leftovers.   Which is really great, we munched out all the rest of the weekend and have lunch all week.

But GEE WHIZ, roll me down the hall!

We also went to Lubbock for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert. If you’ve never heard this music, or if you’ve never seen the show, I highly encourage doing at least one, or preferably both asap! I can’t even begin to describe it here– go visit their website to get a peek at that special kind of Magic!

Then we went to the Science Spectrum there and visited the Titanic Exhibit, which was truly fascinating. The documentary Ghosts of they Abyss played on the Omni screen,  which really made you feel like you were beneath the ocean scoping out the wreck. Then, as we entered the exhibit of artifacts, we were given a “boarding pass” that had the name of a person that sailed on the doomed vessel, and at the end, we could look on the wall and see if our character lived or died.  DH didn’t have to look on the wall…his character was Bruce Ismay, the one who decided the Titanic didn’t need to have any more lifeboats than they did, then scuttled away on one of the lifeboats with the women and children.  DH wasn’t too pleased about that!  But my character was Lady Duff-Gordon, a high-falutin’ fashion designer of that time. She survived…but was on the boat called the “money boat”, that only let 12 of the richest people onto it when it could have saved at least 20 other people.

The exhibit was eerily fantastic.   If you click on the link above, you can check out some of the items we saw.

DH and I had a very relaxing, pleasant time together.  Funny how even a short trip away can recharge your attitude!

Hope your Turkey Day was fantastic!