Songs of the Season

I love Christmas music. I have nearly 100 different songs from iTunes to prove it. But which ones are my favorites???? Hmmm....If you go by play count on iTunes, the results of the poll suggest I love Frank Sinatra singing "The Christmas Waltz". If you ask Justin, he would tell you my favorite Christmas songs are sung by the great Burl Ives. Who doesn't love "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" or "Silver and Gold"? Although, " A Holly Jolly Christmas" is quite nice. But the truth is that my all-time favorite, can'tgetthroughtheseasonwithouthearingitsong is "Winter Wonderland". Yup. Without a doubt. Tonight, I was feeling a little blue and the most magical thing happened!!!!!!!!!! A large group of carolers passed through my neighborhood!!! They paraded up and then down our block singing merrily of j-i-n-g-l-e bells, and frosted window panes despite the fact that it is warm enough to stand outside and grill. I stood on the front porch watching as many of my neighbors came out to enjoy the sounds of the season. Now I think presents and twinkling lights are wonderful, but tonight I got that old Christmas feeling. The one that makes your stomach uneasy with excitement and your mind wiz with anticipation. What a delightful Christmas present from these singing strangers.

SIGNS OF THE SEASON!!!

THE COOKIES AND CANDY!!!!

THE SNOW!!!!!!

THE DECORATIONS!!!!

HAVING MYSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!!!!

Listen to me rant...

I am excited. Christmas butterflies and all. I worked very hard on some of my presents this year and I can't wait to give them. I am still waiting on several things to arrive on my doorstep from eBay. Surprisingly, almost every gift I am giving this year has some tie to eBay or the internet. I forget when I changed over from a regular store shopper to a confirmed online bargain hunter. At any rate, it surely beats dragging my poor body through any more stores. I used to love seeing all the holiday shoppers bustling around with holiday decorations in every window. Anymore it is just a contest to see who grab the most "stuff". And people fight over stuff. Right out in the aisle with everyone watching. Kids fighting in a playground have a better grasp on reality than these people. I saw two women screaming at each other over the last remaining child's table and chair set. Apparently having Dora the Explorer emblazed on the table top was a necessity for both of these women, and let me just say- neither of them were backing down.

You can't even walk through the mall without being bombarded with a dozen foreign, sales people offering to exfoliate your hands in the middle of mall or accessorize your cell phone. I despise that. If I need accessories, I'll call on you- not vice versa! So, I'm standing in returns at Sears and some lady cruises up with her flat shopping cart loaded down with what I can only guess was a snow blower and blasts it into one of my tendons. I will say, had I not cried out in pain/surprise, I don't think she would have even noticed. I then stated the obvious, "you hit me!" to which she replied, "oh, it's so crowded in here." Is that a backhanded apologie? or none at all? You be the judge! So, I like the internet cause it's easy on the tendons.

I love to wrap Christmas presents. I could do it for hours. I like making those neat creases and folds with Scotch tape. Actually, I will share a little secret here. I love the smell of scotch tape. Always have. It reminds me of our school library, where I spent the majority of my last two years in school. Smelled just like scotch tape.

So, I don't have any pictures to post. I have been too snug in the house since my steps have disappeared beneath a shelf of snow. I can't find my winter boots and my latest sneakers actually don't have a back in them. They're slip-ons. I don't wear coats or hats but boots I cannot forego. I hope the mailwoman is wearing snow shoes, because that is the only way she's getting to my mailbox!

Strangely Calm for December 13th.

Twelve short days before Christmas and I am strangely calm.
Worried about presents? Nope.
Worried about schedules and appointments? Nope.
I seem to be getting everything wrapped up early this year. No more stress like years before. I took my staff out to Hibachi for their Christmas dinner and we all exchanged presents. We had our Christmas dinner with Bj, Marie and Lily last weekend. I made all my cookies and candy early this year and they have already been distributed and likely eaten by now. Justin and I decided to each buy for our own families this year, so I only have a few more things to buy and wrap. I stood in the middle of Target, with hundreds of busy shoppers flooding around me and I couldn't think of a single thing I needed to do. So I went out for pie. Merry Christmas to me!! Meanwhile, if you are on Justin's list, I am sorry. You were not necessarily naughty this year, but your presents might suggest otherwise. He is finding out that there are certain people who are mighty difficult to buy for. I might take mercy on the poor sap and suggest a few places where he can buy them gift certificates.
As for Christmas day, it will be unlike any I've known since becoming part of this family. Justin has to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Night. So having him in a functioning state is nearly impossible. He insists on spending Christmas morning with his Mom, so we are meeting there after which we are going our seperate ways. He is going to bed and I am going to my parents. Maybe that's why I'm not very excited about Christmas this year. Most of Justin's Ohio family is moving out of state after Christmas, so I don't think he is very enthusiastic about Christmas either. I think he will finally understand long distance family life. My family doesn't live in another state, but there is 75 miles of highway that separates us. That's a buck fifty on the old odometer altogether and 2.5 hours traveling time. Next year, I think we are going to boycott Christmas traveling like my in-laws. No hustle or bustle or early morning attempts to cram thirty presents in your truck/backseat. No worries about being late or early. Just chillin' on the couch, watching old Christmas movies and snuggling. Sounds like a nice Christmas to me........

A Left-Handed Debate

A few weeks back, I was at dinner with Justin, Karen and Lily. We were eating and I remarked that Lily was left-handed. This seemed apparent to me as I have been watching her for the past several months feed herself and reach for things with her left hand. It was at this point in time that I was informed Lily is not actually left-handed. (?) She then proceeded to pick up a crayon (the nice lady at Parasson's gave her) and colored a picture with her right hand...and then when that hand became tired she switched. Who can say?!? Only time will tell. Lefty or Righty, we love her just the same, and it is certainly interesting watching her grow up into who she will become.

Happy Birthday to ME!!

And Elizabeth Dillow.

26 and downward spiraling towards 30. Bahhhh!

Happy Thanksgiving! and some note worthy snow and other ramblings...

November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving Evening

A nice dusting of snow settled over our little corner of the world today. It was perfect weather for a warm, family gathering. My house is glowing with Christmas lights already, I can hardly believe the season is already upon us. I'm going to celebrate this Christmas differently than ever before. I'm going to turn out all the house lights and sit down cross-legged on the floor and watch the tree lights twinkle. I used to do that. All the time. I'm going to use my Grandma's rolling pin and make lots of cookies and candy. My Grandma believed that cookies could make anything better. Anytime I would throw a fit or get hurt she would offer me a cookie. Come to think of it, Grandma fed me an awful lot of cookies. I blame Grandma for my thighs and bum! (haaa!) But, I digress. Baking has taught me a lot about patience. She believed in decorating for Christmas out of enjoyment. I definately like that. I had so much fun putting up my tree. But patient with Christmas lights, I am not. I ended up tossing last years remnants for crisp new sets that twirled around the tree with ease. It may sound wasteful, but I think I'll continue to throw out my Christmas lights each year as a present to myself in the coming year. The point of my rambling, is that I expect this Christmas season to be filled with the kind of peace you feel when nothing is wrong. Do you know what I mean? No worries, no hangups, no itchy demands- none of it! Just satisfaction with your little place in the world. This holiday season forget about mountains of gifts, do something good for others, and find a little peace on earth.

Something Funny

My niece Lily loves to repeat everything ANYONE says, so we are all very careful not to say anything that might sound...inappropriate coming out of a two-year old mouth! That being said, I never imagined that we would repeat something she said. Lily loves to jog/shuffle around in a circle chanting "I'm so fast, I'm so fast" over and over. I suppose if you hear this everyday it's not as funny, but for us it was a riot! Today when Justin got home from work he fell asleep on the couch. I came downstairs around 10:00 to send him to bed. He got up off the couch and as he was going up the stairs he turned, looked at me and said "I'm so fast, I'm so fast" and finished jogging up the steps. I nearly fell off the couch laughing! What can I say? Simple things amuse simple people.

Wait 'Til You See How Much Fun We Had On Saturday!!

I met Karen and Lily on Saturday for a day of dancing and fun. We had loads of fun and I now have a newfound respect for my sister-in-law. By the time Lily's naptime arrived we were both ready for a nap!! Lily is overflowing with energy and I can't imagine how Marie makes it through the day without passing out on her feet! I did not make it past Lily's naptime and fell asleep on the bed next to Lily's. The next thing I know I'm waking up disoriented and look over at Lily who squeals, "Aunt Heather are sleeping? Please read kitties!!". (Lily has a book at Mor Mor's house about kitties.) All-in-all it was a fun day and I can't wait to do it again!

Thankful

There are a million reasons why I am a lucky girl. Here are some of those reasons...

Some Recent Family Photos

Sugar the Pug has been a family member since I was a kid. She's about 15 years old and stone deaf.

Grandma and Sugar. She sure does love that dog!

I love mums. I think they are an under appreciated flower.

Some Not-So-Profound Observations

1.) Gas is back over $3.00 a gallon. I am so tired of head-hunting the general area for the lowest price on gas. Seriously.

2.) While we are on the subject of things sold by the gallon, let's mention milk. Milk is another fine example of a highly exploited neccessity! In a day and age when milk is the life support of about a zillion newborns, babies, and toddlers, our fine government has doubled the price of a gallon. Who says we're not in a recession?!

3.) I was in Marc's tonight. Everything is Christmas in that store. Everything is Christmas everywhere. I love Christmas MORE than the next guy, but there is something very rewarding about waiting to celebrate it until after Thanksgiving. I resisted all urges to buy Christmas decorations at a bargain. Hmmpf.

4.) Northeast Ohio is having a baby boom! Pregnant women are EVERYWHERE!!!!

5.) I am sorry for the language, but what the hell is happening to Fairlawn?? For reasons that make virtually no sense to me at all, road crews have been dispatched to both Market St and 77 North. This has made my life miserable on several occasions and I am boycotting Fairlawn all together until someone with good sense fixes the situation. I have tried to act out this decision in my mind several times. "Let's tear up 77 North for the holiday season. We don't have nearly enough accidents on this road, so let's have on-ramp traffic merge straight into traffic traveling at 65 mph. And can someone rip up W Market street and toss it in the back of a truck? Great! " I pray that people with power will get good sense, and that people with good sense will get power in Northeast Ohio one day.

6.) Chic-fil-a is nearly open for business. Oh joy of joys! If you've never had it, you will be oh so pleased!

7.) I dislike the new Target. I can't find anything now that the store has been reset and the whole place smells like burnt popcorn.

8.) I miss Kaufmann's. Macy's stinks.

9.) I love going home. And when I say "home", I mean where I grew up. There is no hustle and bustle there. The air is clean and smells fresh and sweet. I could stand and stare for hours at things like this...
10.) At this rate, we are going to be raking leaves in December. About half of the trees still haven't turned. But the ones that have are GORGEOUS!!!!

Imagine This.....

I'm driving down the road at 4 a.m. on a cold, fall morning in October. I'm half asleep at the wheel with Justin quietly snoring next to me. My car is quickly traveling up 77N through the a.m. fog when suddenly the silence is broken by the sound of my rear window exploding into the backseat. And what could cause this explosion you ask?? Why yes, some stupid hillbilly did fire off a semi-automatic weapon into the dark night, which consequently impacted my rear window and nearly killed us both!! The ever- helpful State Highway Patrolmen who answered our emergency call reassured us that, "this kind of thing happens all the time". SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?! I should feel glad that neither of us were killed by this wayward bullet, but I can't stop thinking about the injustice of having to spend $300 to replace something I didn't break!!! And let's not forget the fact that if I were carrying a passenger in my backseat, they probably would not be with us any longer. I encourage everyone to write their governor and get some sane laws passed in this state that punish/eliminate the selling and use of these over zealous weapons that kill more people every year than deer! If you want to kill a deer, do what everyone else does in this state and hit one with your car!!!

What Did I Do With My Weekend??

I was busy photographing the Koroshazi Wedding! This expectant mama and papa were so much fun to photograph. By the end of the day, I felt like one of the family! Congrats to both of you and I hope you love these pictures as much as I loved taking them!!!!!

I caught this as the bride was saying her vows. Those eyes.....