Early Bird Special

I've been pretty busy at work today. I'm taking some time out to fix Mother some dinner and then it's back to the grind.

I guess it's true what they say about the elderly eating dinner or supper early. When 4 o'clock comes around, she's more than ready to eat. I usually cook for us both around that time and it serves (pun intended!) as my lunch. Then I eat a lite dinner around 8 or 9P.

Isn't this jaw-dropping, earth shattering revelations? It's better than getting all wound up about world events like Benazir Bhutto's assasination. sigh...

Merry Christmas!

At Christmas And Always, I Treasure The Friendship We Share

Popping in to say Merry Christmas to you all! And sending love to all of you dear friends that have seen me through the rough times and helped me celebrate the good times. I'd glad I can share this day with you.

It's a little early for me to hoist a celebratory toast but later on I'll go to the liquor cabinet. Should I have wine? A Mimosa? Moonshine? Ha! Just kidding, although there is a jar of it way back in the back of the cabinet that someone gave us ages ago.

Anyway, I'll be in and out all day. Hope to see you real soon.

**UPDATE: Anybody out there? I've been trying to see if I could find Sweeney Todd online. You would not believe how many people, globally, go out and film the new movies and then upload them to the internet. I've watched many movies where they spoke English and had Japanese subtitles.

Think I'll go make myself a White Russian with vanilla vodka. Doesn't that just sound de-lish?

Christmas Blogging

Jane and I were talking about being without our families on Christmas this year and I thought we could all try to meet up online on Christmas day sometime.

Her kids are way over on the west coast of Canada and she's in the east of Canada, hoping to move out west in the Spring. My daughter is working on Christmas Day, like she did last year. So we decided that if we were home, we'd say hello (comment) to one another.

So if you are around a computer on Christmas Day let's share a beverage of our choice and honor the friendship of our blog friends with comments and shared links.

See you tomorrow. Cheers!

Just Joking

From the Inbox:

Last night my daughter and I were sitting in the den and I said to her,

"I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

So she got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch.

When Graphic Artists Get Bored

Christmas Cookies for Breakfast

With sheet marks on my face and the "my family tries to hide it" black hat covering my nappy bedhead, I munched on sugar cookies with my coffee this morning.

I couldn't find ANY cookie cutters this year at the house and when I was ready to bake sugar cookies I just used a round biscuit cutter to make them. Not the most elegant batch of sugar cookies. Maybe I should eat 'em all up before anyone else sees them.

What are you eating too much of this holiday season?

Christmas Links

It's A Wonderful Internet! - via: zefrank (who still happens to have some of the best timewasters around)

Holiday-O-Matic - Create a delightfully random holiday greeting.

Good Morning!

Took a photo from my vantage point. There's a photo of Robin behind the white rabbit. Happy Friday, friends!

Breaktime!

I've been traveling today to NC and back. On the road from 7A til 11:30A then and went shopping a bit for more baking supplies. I just made cookie dough for a batch of sugar cookies and am waiting on it to chill.

Mother is making fudge right now. She's sure come a long way in the past two years since I've moved in with her. She was so fragile and sick then. At 85, it's been a hard climb, but she's in great health now; getting stronger every day. I can gauge her progress by the more she participates in daily life. Baking cookies and sending Christmas cards is indeed a good sign.

Here are some cell phone photos of my Christmas Tree. I still have many more ornaments to put on and will take another photo when I get the presents wrapped and finish decorating the tree. I know they're terrible quality, but it's all I have.

Good Morning!

Who's still got Christmas shopping to do?







...me







Don't you just love it when you order a gift and when it arrives they've sent you the wrong size?! It's clearly marked on the invoice what size I ordered, but the tag on the garment indicates a different size. Grrrrrrr. I can't tell you how many times I was on the other side of this conversation when I worked in JCrew customer service. Do they just send another size when they're out of the one you ordered? Or is the item placed in the wrong bin in distribution? Grrrrrrr #2

Susie Crocker

This is Betty Crocker's Cookbook, my favorite cookbook. Inside it is signed "Wedding Gift, 1972" and was from my Mother. When I was small I watched her cook from well-worn cookbooks with notes in the margins and spots of cake batter stuck to the pages. When I received this shiny new cookbook as a new wife I didn't imagine it would one day look like it had been used. But it does. I've taped the spine back on and I still refer to it today.

I see where one in good shape brings $130.00!

I also had this cookbook. It's probably here someplace so I'll have to dig around for it. I loved this cookbook. Robin and I enjoyed looking at the book and even trying out some of the recipes. It showed how to make everything from Ice Cream Cone Cakes and Pigs in Blankets to Cheese Dreams and Sloppy Joes. Not long before, we had made little cakes from our Easy Bake Oven, which I though tasted yummy. Absolutely yummy. Remember how they just gave you enough cake mix to make like, two tiny cakes? And you cried about it? But I digress. Looking up the cookbooks I ran across another post on this cookbook by The Boomer Chronicles.

Tell me about your first cookbook. =)

My Christmas Tree

Hey guys and gals, I'm not real sure how this thing works, but I think you pretend to buy me a gift and it will appear under the tree. Let's try it out!

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

There's that word, "cheesy" again. Snagged from the delightful Shirl!

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Interview:: magazine
2. Army :: troops
3. Unwrap :: unveil
4. Evolve :: grow
5. Bus :: move
6. The real thing :: Coca-Cola
7. Streak :: naked
8. Gorge :: stuff
9. Spicy :: hot
10. Course :: of action

Neighborhood Luminaries

Neighborhood Luminaries
Originally uploaded by sujaco.

As my note on Flickr says,

"...we set the bags out at (5P) and as soon as we got them lit the rains came. As I sit here indoors, the bags are now soggy and most all of the candles have been blown out by the wind." :(

But the neighborhood is still festive and has on it's party clothes.

**UPDATED Sunday: We still had a nice crowd of visitors driving around looking at lights. Some people really have nice, elaborate decorations. I have a large wreath, garland with white lights and burgundy bows. And a big old Snowman on the front door that Robin made long ago out of that puffy white quilt filling. Looks pretty good if I say so myself. Going over the mountain later today to spend the night with hubby and see my grandbaby.

This Christmas Tree IS Robin.

Today would have been my sister Robin's 53rd birthday and I've been singing HB to her all day long! She loved for everyone to make a fuss over her on her special day.

It was also the date that she liked to have her Christmas tree up. Now that all of her ornaments and tree have been handed down to me I try to have it up by Dec 13th, but I rarely make it in time.

This year I made it in time.

So the tree is assembled, and I've hung all the lights and put the tree skirt around it and now I have to hang the ornaments she loved so much and took so much care to collect.

This Christmas tree IS Robin.

After a fire in the family home in 1989, along with the insurance settlement to replace the items that were stored in the attic, Robin bought all new Christmas ornaments and became an avid collector of specialty ornaments. Primarily Barbie items. She had oodles of other Barbie items she'd collected and saved from her childhood.

The tree lights are all on those little timers that made them fade in and out, or you can light them up one color at a time, adjust the speed and other fun things. I honestly don't think I've ever seen her as happy as when we were all gathered around the Christmas tree that she so lovingly decorated.

Two months after she passed I was putting up her tree for the first time and I was going through the ornaments and opened one up to find a surprise note from Robin expressing her love to us all. She may as well have been saying "I'm still here. Please don't forget about me!"

I feel extremely close to her this time of year. As soon as the tree comes out of storage I start smiling and don't stop until, well, I always smile each time I think of Robin. "I know you are still here with me and I'll never ever forget about you."

Being Silly, aka Avoiding Work

Okay, okay, that's IT! I've got to get my bottom up from here and finish decorating the Christmas tree.

Light Up This Saturday

Do you have a neighborhood in your area that does the lighting of the luminaries? You know, the votive candles set in sand inside a white bag that line the streets?

Our neighborhood (in Elizabethton, TN) does that every year. Someone collects the money for the candles and bags and delivers them to your door and you put them out on a certain date. You pick up enough sand to use that's in a central neighborhood location. (gotta go do that today!)

This Saturday at 5P, December 15, 2007, until 11P is the day to 'light up'. Cars come from all over the place and drive with their parking lights on only. It's bumper to bumper and the cops come out to direct the traffic. It's really quite a sight. They usually get an aerial photo which is astounding so I hope to find one to post.

With all the Christmas vs Holiday controversy, and with people of all faiths that also live here in our 'hood, I'm a little surprised they named the event "Lights For Jesus" but no one's said anything about it.

Fastest Thumbs In The South

I pay my daughter's cellphone bill. She can pay it when she goes back to work later this month. (Yay!)

I thought I'd been getting off relatively easy. There's the monthly fee and I add a message bundle of 1000 TEXTS for $9.99. I've been burned before by my over-zealous talkative, text-happy, thumbs-flyin' teenager so the package deal is terrific. Who could possibly use more than 1000 texts in a month?

Yep. She's used 1000 texts in 10 days! Sigh...

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Master:: Master's tournament (golf)
2. Tour :: riders
3. Input :: suggestion
4. Downtown :: Pritchard Park
5. Pricey :: expensive
6. Acceptable :: fine
7. Terrace :: deck
8. Sunday :: brunch!
9. Payoff :: extort
10. Jack and Jill :: clothing for kidlets

link

Who Wants Eggnog?

When I was a child, I thought that eggnog was the most foul tasting drink around. But I got a little older. And I learned that it wasn't so much the eggnog as it was what you added TO the eggnog.

I picked some up the other day for holiday cheer but what tastes best in the eggnog? Or is it better just like it is?

Eggnog is one thing I never did serve as a bartender, but I believe it goes best with Bourbon in it. But some people I know like to put in Rum. {{{shudder}}}

Ah, "Alcohol and Christmas trees." I could mention that to Robin and she would rattle off a litany of tales involving the both of us and then we'd laugh for hours about it. When Daddy was still living, the Christmas tree always had dozens of gift bottles around it from their friends and fellow workers. There was other gifts, too, they weren't lushes or anything! We though that they wouldn't miss a couple of bottles from all the others, would they? And still later, if we'd snag even more bottles from under the tree before Christmas, we'd refill the bottles of the white liquors back with water. The Rum, Gin, and Vodka.

Of course they found out. That was so long ago and it seems like it's almost another lifetime. From where I was at one point in my live to now being almost a tee-totaler? A little worse for wear, I still thank my lucky stars I survived it all.
Now, who wants eggnog?

**UPDATE** (Dec 12) found some good recipes on Wired.com

Elf Yourself!

Go make yourself a funny. Here's mine with myself, Skyler and Phoenix.

Elf Yourself!

If you make one, please leave me a comment with the link so we can all enjoy it! Thanks to Pam for sending the link!

Snow, Anyone?

I've not seen any substantial snowfall yet this season. Just whirling tiny flakes occasionally. The forecast for Wednesday calls for snow in the higher elevations and it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if we got a nice snowfall tomorrow in East Tennessee.

And while I'm at it... here's some little holiday images you may recognize -- snag something if you want to.

Crappy Gift

You Are a Losing Lottery Ticket!

Full of hope and promise. But in the end, a cheap letdown.

What Crappy Christmas Gift Are You?

via: Shirl

Golden Compass

This movie looks mesmerizing. You can visit the Golden Compass movie website and meet your very own Daemon. Mine was a freaking osprey. There is even a Golden Compass blog.

The author of the Golden Compass, Philip Pullman has 3 parts of the Dark Materials trilogy of which the Golden Compass book is the first.

Skyler & Phoenix Have Gone Home

My little grandson and daughter got to stay a good long visit with me but they left today.

In the 2 weeks or so they were here I got to see him change so much. He laughs a lot now and he is a happy, smiling baby when he's not fussing for his bottle or because he wakes up and needs a fresh diaper. He always smiles when he sees Skyler come near him.

He learned to roll from belly to back and from back to belly and began jabbering a lot more. But mostly he just is. His existence is remarkable enough for me.

Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Music :: life
2. Insanity :: insane
3. Curtain :: window
4. Nickname :: Sudie
5. Container :: box
6. Roast :: bake
7. Thong :: lingerie
8. Purple :: Haze
9. Holidays :: family
10. Christmas tree :: presents

I drew blanks on some of these and had to think harder to get that first reaction... more caffeine, perhaps?

Celebrity Collage

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

HYSTERICAL! Go ahead. Try it if you dare!

I've gotten SO many laughs with this fun little website. You take a picture of yourself and the website will tell you what celebrities you look like. Unfortunately, mine came back with male celebrities.

"MyHeritage face recognition technology discovers which celebrities you look like. Now, for free, you can create a collage showing your very own celebrity matches, and post it easily on your blog, or include it in your profile, or email it to your friends."

link