Happy Easter, Dear Friends

My "little Mommy" (she's 4'11" and 97 lbs.) always asks me to come to church with her and Sunday morning I am going with her and then we're going to eat afterwards.

I hope you're all able to spend some time with your family this holiday week.

Elf Yourself!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

From left to right: Me, My Grandson Phoenix, and Daughter, Skyler
link

Planning For Thanksgiving

I'm halfway through with my grocery shopping. I still need to get the broccoli, rolls, and Mr Turkey.

Mr Turkey is already paid for since I always get the free Turkey at my local store, Ingle's and I'll pick it up in the next day or two.

I'm forgoing that decadent Caramel Pie this year. It's just too, too rich and I'm trying to cut back on sweets. Pumpkin Pie and perhaps an Apple Pie will have to do.

I don't have many to cook for but I'll remind those of you who do to be thankful for your large guest list. It's almost a mantra of mine because I always say to be thankful for your big and/or extended families. No matter the mess, the craziness, etc, because your guest list and your dining table may get smaller before you know it.

two pumpkins!

Originally uploaded by sujacojust a little blurry but was enough to satisfy this Grammy who's been missing them across the mountain.

Halloween Day

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I'm just finishing lunch and settling in to read my email and blogs and news. Phoenix has his pumpkin outfit on and Skyler sent me this photo.

I'm able to accommodate about 100 Trick or Treeters tonight. So, what's new with you? Are you staying in or going out? Got any photos to show us?

Happy Valentine's Day

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I really should type something up here in this fine new year of 2008. But I've been so busy. Even right now there are many other things I should be doing. I'm through with my training so I can contract out for a lot of work online now as a home agent. I'll get more into that when I can because for one, I'd love to tell you how YOU can stay home and work from the comfort of your own home office. Nothing in it for me but a pay it forward factor.

I'm taking today off to run errands. I'll work Sat and Sunday. I have to take Mother to the hair salon and get groceries. I bought another printer and it has a scanner. This is printer #4. I had to have it for work. I uploaded 2 photos of Robin on Flickr and believe me when I tell you there are many photos I want to scan and post for you while I have everything working. These 2 happened to be in my reach at the time.

Better slap on some war paint and get moving. I will make some time soon to see what everyone is up to.

Did you remember to tell Shirl Happy Birthday yesterday?

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!

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.

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

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!

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.

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