bye, bye 2006

Nearly time to say goodbye to 2006

This year as seemed to zoom by hasn't it? It seems the older I get, the faster they go, and if time keeps moving along like this, I'll soon be one of those raisins I keep hearing about. (grin)

For 2007 I resolve to:

try not to be bothered this year by those who feel they are entitled to privileges and indulgences, and won't let it bother me so much that they also feel entitled to exploit other people without any trace of reciprocation.

to remember that families must change and grow and I will try to force myself to adapt to the changes.

to stop feeling responsible for the actions of others.

stop letting the chore of buying presents rouse feelings of financial inadequacy.

stop allowing snide remarks from those who harbor feelings of envy and jealousy bother me so much.

try to get rid of some of this butt baggage I'm carrying.

*

Jordan and Jaylen are here. Aren't they growing? They're such beautiful little ladies too!

Quickie

Time for this old gal to hit the hay. Got a day of training tomorrow to go over the new tax software and what's new with the IRS before beginning a new tax season on Jan. 2nd. I'll be sure to pass on any good news if it's to the taxpayer's benefit. The new satellite is installed and I'm excited that it doesn't take so long to load my favorite blogs,,now I just need some me time in order to play more with it.

Later friends!

Stuff

I received beautiful Christmas cards from family and friends (many from dear blog friends), some comfortable pjs, a whole bunch of delightful, delicate, hummingbirds for my collection, a new camera bag, a new scented candle, a new scarf that's so soft I wish I had a blanket like it, and I've ordered my satellite internet and the install dude should be here Thursday afternoon to get it going. I think the most precious gift was being with family. Trish and her girls will be here Friday and that will make my holidays complete. I was able to see Jordan and Jaylen for a short time on Saturday as they came with my sister when she visited, but they were busy playing so it was hugs and a kiss then off they went to hang with the other kids.



It's 9:22 pm and Zach has been in his room, supposedly cleaning it, for over 9 hrs today. What makes a child drag a chore out like that? He hasn't even been able to play with his new toys because he hasn't finished with his room. I'm past ready to hang him by his feet from a tall tree!



I went into town today and ran up on a bargain that Jerri told me about so I've got a head start on 2 of the 2007 birthdays coming up, at 50% off, can't beat that with a stick!



We had a really fine Christmas dinner, the ham was lean and sooo good, fresh green beans, chicken and cornbread dressing, gravy, mashed taters, some more of that broccoli casserole (my son loves it), some Banny-made, fabulous, bread pudding with a delicious sauce, a strawberry trifle (without the puddin, cause Jami didn't follow the directions for preping it, ha!), a pumkin pie, and delicious brownies (also Banny made).

Oh Holy Night!

The children were absolutely precious in their program today. I've put some of the photos in my December Webshots album if you'd like to take a look. I was so proud to be the Nanaw of some of these little ones and they were SO well behaved!!

Ho, Ho, Ho, Whew!

Been sittin here trying to get my head around the stuff I have yet to do and those cells are just a messy muddle. Tomorrow we have to be at the church before 9 so the kids can get dressed in their Nativity finery before the service, then back home after the service to get some housework done and a pasta salad made for the family party tomorrow night at James's mom's house. After we leave there we'll come back to our house so the kiddies can open presents here, then I'm start making the cornbread for my dressing, boiling the eggs, etc,,,so as not to have so much to do Christmas morning.

This morning Jami brought Alexis and Jillian over to stay with me while Jerri and Bubbie did some wrapping of the presents. We played for a bit and I took them back home around noonish, I think. I waited there so I could visit with my sister, Paula, and my two nephews, Fisher and Michael who arrived not long after. They brought their MinPin, Sparky, with them and we spent a good part of the afternoon laughing at Sparky being manhandled by Jerri's cat, Momma Kitty. Once, Momma Kitty even chased Sparky into the house from outdoors and if anyone had managed to have a video camera in hand, we'd have won the grand prize from Funniest Home Videos with that action shot. Sparky was making a beeline for the patio door with a look of panic and terror on her face, Momma Kitty right on her little stub of a tail with a look that said, "I could catch you if I wanted, you crazy little hound."

Mary, 2 Wise Men, and an Angel

Some of our kids are going to be in the Christmas program at the local Methodist Church
here on Sunday. The Baptist Church no longer has much of a youth program so Zach and his sisters have been attending children's church at the Methodist church. All that matters to me is that they're getting the religious guidance they need so I don't think it matters which denomination and as they get older, they'll make their own decisions about religious matters.

Anyway, Merikate is going to play the part of Mary, Zach will be one of the Wise men, Abby, who started out as an Angel, decided she'd rather be a Wise man too, and Alexis is one of the Angels. Jerri called a bit ago to tell me how much fun Alexis had at practice. She told her the songs they'd be singing, who everyone was, and then she said, "I'm going to be an Angel but I wish I was like Mousey (MeriKate), she gets to be pregnant." I can't wait until Sunday morning to see how this program is going to turn out!

Others news of note, and you could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me this,,,James told me to call Hughes Net and order satellite internet for myself for Christmas! I'm so excited, no more waiting for 10 minutes for a photo to load or having to depend on these ancient phone lines out here for a connection!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I'm Unpolitically Correct

You know what? I'm getting tired of all the politically correct BS we've got going on these days. It's become a sort of madness brought on by folks, who in my opinion, don't have enough to do except stir up a bunch anti-crock.

We drive out intolerance of so many things which might possibly be considered discriminatory and replace it with a worse form of intolerance - we take away the ability or the right to laugh at ourselves or others, we take away simple pleasures because they might infringe on others, we move from having celebratory festivals of our own which have developed over time because they might not be inclusive of the other people who may not celebrate these festivals but allow them the right to hold their own celebrations - we even tinker with simple childrens stories - like snow white and the seven dwarves - which now thanks to PC we can only call SW and the Seven Vertically challenged people - this is only one of the many pieces of nonsense that we get assaulted with day and daily.

We live in a society where the true meaning of Christmas can be lost. Christmas today has not only become commercialised but it also has started to change. The traditions we have taken for granted and have been passed down from generation to generation are, very sadly, being replaced with a 'politically correct' version or, even worse, stopped altogether.

What's happening to us?

I want my grandchildren, and their children, to know the true meaning of Christmas, to know the traditions, to feel the awe and joy of seeing the enactment of The Christmas Story in their school celebrations as well as their churches if they so choose, or to see a lighted Christmas tree, to hear and be able to say, with love in their hearts and feelings of peace toward mankind, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A Politically Correct Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the North Pole,
were alleged by the union, to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished without much propriety,
released to the wilds, by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear,
that Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his beautiful sleigh,
because the ruts were deemed dangerous by the EPA,
And millions of people were calling the Cops,
when they heard sled noises upon their roof tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe, had his workers quite frightened,
and his fur trimmed red suit was called "unenlightened".

To show you the strangeness of today's ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose.
He went to Geraldo, in front of the Nation,
demanding millions in over-due workers compensation.

So...half of the reindeer were gone, and his wife
who suddenly said she'd had enough of this life,
joined a self help group, packed and left in a whiz,
demanding from now on that her title was Ms.

And as for gifts...why, he'd never had the notion
that making a choice could cause such commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur...
Which meant nothing for him or nothing for her.
Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot,
Nothing that clamored or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls and nothing for just boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific,
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish upon the truth.
And fairy tales...while not yet forbidden,
were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden,
for they raised the hackles of those psychological,
who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone might get hurt,
besides - playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be sexist and should be passe.
and Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, disheveled and perplexed,
he just couldn't figure out what to do next?
He tried to be merry he tried to be gay,
but you must have to admit he was having a very bad day.
His sack was quite empty, it was flat on the ground,
nothing fully acceptable was anywhere to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might,
give to us all, without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy - with no indecision,
each group of people in every religion.
Every race, every hue,
everyone, everywhere...even you!
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...



A Politically Correct Christmas Greeting

Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all;

Additionally,

a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2000, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great, without regard to the race, creed, color, religious, or sexual preferences of the wishes.

(Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.)

You Just Might Be A Scrooge,,,

If your only contact with three spirits on Christmas Eve is gin, vodka and bourbon


If you turn on the lawn sprinklers on Christmas Eve to keep carolers away


If you buy all of your Christmas gifts at a store that also sells gas


If your favorite version of "Babes in Toyland" stars Michael Jackson


If you get your Christmas Tree at a rest stop at night


If you give bathroom fixtures as Christmas gifts


If your prized Christmas ornament is Santa Claus shooting the moon


If your favorite Christmas movie is Jurassic Park


If your idea of Christmas dinner is a six pack of beer and a cheese log


If you think "Ho, Ho, Ho" is a line from a Rocky movie


If your best Christmas tradition involves a fire and reindeer meat


If your favorite version of "Silent Night" is sung by OJ Simpson

If your favorite past time is putting defective bulbs in your neighbors' string of Christmas lights or defacing Christmas lawn charicatures with egg nog


And, finally - if your only holiday decoration is a rotting pumpkin

I Had an Aunt Ruth Too

Miz Sally wrote a post about her Aunt Ruth a bit ago and it set me to thinking about my own Aunt Ruth.

I've written about her before, how she was my mother's younger sister and was only 13 when I was born, how she was my Aunt but also my very best friend when I was growing up, how I'd sit on the bed and watch her and her friends get all dressed up to go out on Friday nights, how she taught me to dance soon after I learned to walk. I've written about how special she was to me and how devastated I was when she died soon before her 41st birthday. I wasn't done learning from her you see, I still had so much to ask her, to tell her, to share with her. I still miss her so very much but I think I miss her most during this time of the year.

Aunt Ruth loved Christmas and was the one solely responsible for bringing our scattered families together for a huge holiday celebration. She'd tease us unmercifully during the weeks leading up to the Day by giving us little hints about the present she'd bought each of us. The presents weren't grand or expensive but she always chose them with us in mind, always knowing what we'd love the most. I remember one year it was a snowman who, when you took his head off, delighted us with a belly full of candy. After the candy was all gone, we could use him as a sweet, little, container for storing all sorts of things.

Another year she hired a lady to make us darling little cat pajama bag pillows to adorn our beds. She knew our favorite colors so mine was blue and white, Paula's was yellow and white, and Terri's was red and white. I still had my pajama bag until the fire took it away over 4 years ago, it's one of the things I miss most.

My Aunt Ruth was also the clown in the family and she passed her joy of laughter onto my sisters and I. We never knew what she'd come up with and we often managed to get one up on her in retaliation.

She had 4 little boys and sometimes just needed to get away alone, even if it was just to the grocery store. One day she went to town and left my cousin and I to tend to the little ones and we waited until we knew she'd arrived and called the local Kroger, where we knew she did her shopping, and asked them if they'd please page Aunt Ruth because we had something important to add to her grocery list. We didn't give them her last name cause we knew when they paged Aunt Ruth, she'd know it was her. When she finally came huffing and puffing to the phone, we told her we were out of Hershey Bars and could she please add those to her list.

I can also remember times when we went shopping with her and she'd have to laugh when she got to the check-out over some of the stuff we'd added to her cart, a gallon jar of dill pickles, half eaten donuts that we'd opened and sampled before putting them in, a package of hotdogs with a couple missing. She'd just laugh, shake her head, and tell the guy to ring them up.

My Aunt Ruth was so proud of us and I sure wish she'd lived to see all the little ones we have now. She'd have loved them with all her heart and would have remembered every birthday and every other special occasion. She never forgot how to play.

I hope when I am gone that someone will remember me with even half the love as I remember her with.

Trying to get the Spirt

It's not easy when you live with Scrooge!

Photo Challenge and other stuff

To kick off the Photo Challenge, that's due in 2 days, I'm posting a link to my photo interpretation of The Meaning of Christmas. I'm going to be anxiously awaiting the emails with everyone's contributions, Please!

I've been chasing the kids around for a couple of weeks to try to get THE shot and finally gave up. It would have been too difficult to just chose one of our babies anyway, they're all so durned cute! I decided to post this photo of our little great nephew, Parker, who was 2. I took this shot last Christmas eve when he was trying SO hard to have patience while the grownups were visiting and eating cause he wanted to open the presents!

***

Jerri told me yesterday that she was getting hotdogs out for the pups the other morning and standing in line with them was Jillian. She was nodding yes, which meant she wanted a hotdog too, so Jerri gave her one when she gave them to Baby Girl , Skipper, and Bugs. A few minutes later the dogs were back whining, Jerri peeked around the couch and there was Jillian, the hotdog nabber, sitting on her pallet watching cartoons, with the hotdogs she'd taken away from the pups.

This evening she called to tell me about Alexis finding a moon cricket in the house. Alexis thought it was a spider and told her there was a "grand-legged dog daddy" in there! Jerri told her to kill it and she'd vacuum it up so Alexis ran over it with her doll buggy.

***

I went shopping over in Horn Lake, Mississippi (suburb of Memphis) with James today and we arrived back home unscarred and with enough toilet paper and paper towels to last a few months, 3 gigantic bottles of ketchup, my favorite virgin olive oil, a big box of pull-ups, a ********** **** for one of the kiddies, a *** ******* for some other kiddies, and a **** ***** play set for Jilly Beans. We've got to do a search for a couple other things and then I think we're done.

Tomorrow I'll be home for the morning and then pick up Zach for a doctor's appt. Afterwards we're going by to take Jillian her pull-ups.

I need a cup of coffee now. Hope everyone had a great day!

News of Note,,,,or Not

The big news down here in the Mississippi River delta today? The local Sears store in a nearby town got robbed. They broke in last night and took a turkey fryer and a blender. James got a firsthand update on the doings cause I sent him by there to buy my needed 5 gal. tub of laundry detergent, and since it was probably the most excitement the store owner has seen in 30 yrs, he had to share. My only thoughts on the break-in were, "Hmmmmmm,,somebody got their Christmas Shopping done."

A turkey fryer and a blender? Geez, if I were going to risk going to jail and possibly spend time being incarcerated with Big Bertha and her sisters, danged if I wouldn't have grabbed at least one of those big screen TV's in there. Some of our rednecks have loads of lights on but there's nobody home much ( could be they're all out robbing Sears, Ha!)

Another little thing I'd like to share is this holiday smack-down advice from WebMD Etiquette expert, Peggy Post.

Or to save some time, you could use my strategy;

Tell em to leave and then lock the door behind them! But I've not had to do that in a coon's age.

I'm getting kind of excited about Santa's arrival cause I'm anxious to see what Jillian will think of the present thing this year. Last year she wasn't all that interested in things. She was probably thinking we were having a storm of some kind what with all of the paper and stuff being ripped apart and tossed aside by the other kiddies.

I can't wait to take photos!

Ya'll having a good week out there?

Not Enough Shopping Days Till Christmas!

This month is going by much too quickly! Wasn't it just yesterday that it was Thanksgiving, and then Dec. 1st? I have some of the shopping done but I haven't wrapped the first thing,,not that I ever get in too big of a hurry to do that dreaded job (for me) anyway. I did go and buy some more bows and stuff today cause I can't find the ones I put away that were left over from last year. Some day I'm going to run across all that stuff that I put away and I'll be able to open my own shop with it!
I guess I don't have anymore excuses for not wrapping some presents to put under the tree so I reckon I'll get right on it tomorrow,,,maybe.

Zach and I went over to sit with the Chick and Jilly Beans on Friday evening so their Mom and Dad could go out to dinner for their anniversary (which was actually last Saturday but there was the wedding). I didn't do too bad, Jillian may be sporting a black eye though, where she met her rocking chair head-on. The child is a little dare-devil, both of them are, but Alexis has grown enough that it's not such a far fall for her now when she jumps off the couch. But then, Jilly Beans is right behind, she's gotta try it too!





I've got to go Christmas shopping with James some time soon (yep, he got home from his trip about 9:30 last evening), Ya'll pray for me,,,or maybe you should pray for him..

Tis The Season, Again

Christmas Cheer is in the air!



The kiddies are getting excited because Santa's coming soon.


Christmas Parties at work.


And I'm almost done with Christmas shopping.

Parts of my day could have been better.

Since He Who Wakes the Birds is off gallivanting around in South Dakota this week, I've had to dust off the ancient clock/radio/alarm and struggle to remember how to set the durn thing. I will no longer moan and groan when He Who Wakes the Birds comes in to growl, "it's time to get up" cause noone should have to wake up to that alarm racket!
Since I stayed up until after 1 a.m. last night to watch a really good movie, the alarm startled me so badly this morning that I ended up on the floor on hands and knees wondering where in the hell I was, and where in the hell that noise was coming from.

That was my exercise for the day, right there!

After I swilled a few cups of coffee and hustled the terrorist out the door, I had thoughts of going back to bed for a bit but instead I called Miz Bea down at the beauty salon to make an appointment to get my hair cut in the early afternoon. I muddled around here for a bit and left early enough so that I could go by and see the Chick and Jilly Beans. They're doing just fine except they're still sniffling.

I almost went to sleep while Miz Bea was washing my hair before she started in snipping some of the length off my hair but hearing all the local gossip woke me right up so that I managed to go to the grocery after to buy those eggs I've been forgetting to buy for days.

I was getting my second wind and had gotten into the house with grocery bags and purse when I dropped the bag with the 2 dozen eggs in it. Uncooked, scrambled eggs are sure do make a mess, didja know that? I managed to save about 8 of them,,maybe that'll be enough to last until I go back for more.

Right in the midst of the 4 hour homework wrestling session with Zach tonight, as well as cooking a couple of the salvaged eggs for supper, the phone rang. It was Jami telling me if it weren't for bad luck she'd have NO luck,,I was listening to half an ear and she went on to say she'd wrecked her car when a tire blew out, and I said, "well,,didn't you have insurance"? She said, "Yeah, but you'd think you'd first ask how I was doing". I said, "Well, I figured you must be doing ok, you're calling me to moan and groan about it!" but she'd hung up on me. I reckon I'm in the dog house,,,AGAIN.

And how was your day?

Something I'm good at

I'm quite good at a lot of things but one of my best attributes, at times, is probably sarcasm. I think that's most likely the reason that my favorite cartoon characters are

Garfield


and Maxine



There's just something about their attitudes about life that make you come to appreciate sarcasm and the things it will let you say that you normally wouldn't dare to. My favorite time to use sarcasm is when it zooms over the head of the receipient, like a fly attracted to the aroma of watermelon-scented hair spray. Although the effect of the sarcasm is lost, no feelings were hurt and you can get a little relief from those murderous urges that make you want to choke the shit out of someone.

Ok, so now I've got that off my chest.

Has everyone been working on the photo challenge that's coming up in just 10 more days?

Weekend photos

The Chick with Mom and Dad

The Chick

Jerri, Bubbie, and the Chick went to a wedding on Saturday.



We stayed home and played with the Jillybeans.

Still breathing

Just can't seem to get my stuff together lately. My soul is tired I reckon.