!!!!

Imagine confetti and fireworks and spangles and bangles:

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

now excuse me, i have to go get kissed.  ;-)

i hear an owl...

On Friday, my mother called and asked me to call her clinic and see if one of the physicians there would see her because hers was out of town.  And I did.  And when I went to pick Mom up, Dad was trying to get her dressed.  She didn't have the breath to do it herself.

We got her dressed, I bypassed the clinic appointment and took her straight to the ER where she revealed during triage that it was not her cold that sent her there, but the chest pains for which she had to take nitro sprays.  I did not know this.  I thought she was having another bout with pneumonia.  She was admitted into ICU, moved out to a different floor on Sunday, and today she had the final part of her stress test.  She tolerated it well, but is very tired.

In the meantime, Dad has the same upper respiratory infection that Mom has and was spurred into seeing his own doctor.  He is medicated and in bed now.  Everyone is safe if not healthy, and they are where they need to be.

And here I sit on New Year's Eve.  As I type, I'm listening to an owl hooting somewhere nearby.  This is the first time I've heard one this close and at night.  I know it's my anxiety getting to me, and know, too, that my grandmother's voice echoing in my memory "Hearing a hooty owl means there will be a death!" is just an old wives tale.  But you know what - it still worries me.

And so I looked up owls and folklore just for the heck of it, and found some corroboration for grandma's dire warning, but also some very interesting facts that kind of make me laugh at myself for getting all nervous.  Read this link when you have time.  I'd like to read a little more in depth, myself.  http://www.pauldfrost.co.uk/intro_o2.html

Y'all...have a safe and happy New Year.  And thank you for your company in 2007.  You are all dear to me.

for all animal lovers. bring tissues.

http://wral.com/golo/blogpost/2214235/#commentform

:-D

 When four of Santa's elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not
produce the toys as fast as the regular ones, Santa was beginning to
feel the pressure of being behind schedule.
 Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her Mom was coming to visit. This
 stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were
 about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven
 knows where. More stress.

 Then when he began to load the sleigh one of the boards cracked, and
 the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys.

So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of apple cider and 
a  shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered that the
 elves had hidden the liquor, and there was nothing to drink. In his
frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider pot, and it broke into
 hundreds of little pieces! all over the kitchen floor. He went to get
the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw end of the broom.

 Just then the doorbell rang, and irritable Santa trudged to the door.
 He opened the door, and there was a little angel with a great big
 Christmas tree. The angel said, very cheerfully, "Merry Christmas,
Santa. Isn't it a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where
would you like me to stick it?"

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas
 tree.

Rambling

The shopping is almost done, still have cookies to bake and (i cheated) a cake to pay for.  Tomorrow is a day off, and everything should be done by Sunday (except the sausage balls), and then it will be time to sit back and relax.

Don't you enjoy the hustle and bustle?  I do.  Sure, you encounter a few sour faces out there in the trenches, but you also encounter some of the nicest people, and it makes the work of it go easier.  And how could you enjoy the quiet without it?

And soon it will be time for the New Year.  I have a very special project lined up for 2008, and Santa has helped make it possible.  He called me at work last week to tell me about it:

Santa:  I have your Christmas present with me, and it's bigger than a bread box.

Me:     Is it a stove??

Santa:  No.

Me:    Is it a dishwasher?  (I could hide the dishes in there).

Santa:  Nope.  It's a laptop.  And you can't have it until Christmas.

I had to smile and wonder what kind of bread box was the size of a laptop, or vice versa.  He was so excited.

But I decided right then and there that this present will benefit someone besides me:  my children and grandchildren.

There will be quite a few empty spaces around the table this year...my aunts and uncles, almost all gone.  And the stories my father tells...well, it's difficult for him to talk, now, post chemo and radiation to his face.  His salivary glands are cooked.  But I remember those stories well.

I used to love being the fly on the wall and listen to them all talk about growing up, about their parents and grandparents.  It gave me a sense of history and continuity, and after listening to how it used to be, I'm not so sure our progress has been for the best.  Or perhaps I romanticise the good old days I never lived.  Those cornshuck mattresses don't sound like they could compete with my Sealy.

But I want Sara Pie, Josh and Mason to know their great- great-grandfather couldn't read or write and "courted" his wife by having someone write postcards to her for him and he signed his X so she would know it was from him, and that my father used to make mom madder than a woman experiencing intense PMS by saying that when he met her, she didn't know what shoes were, until he bought her a pair.  They should know about AuntRobbie and Uncle Tracy, and how they baked together at Christmas (the best mounds candy and carrot cake you could ever sink your teeth into).  And the grandkids will read in disbelief of days when there were no drive-by shootings and you could leave your doors unlocked and windows open at night.

Omigod, this might as well be Little House on the Prairie.  But I want them to know where they came from, so I will write it - type it - on my bread box laptop, from wherever I might haul it...and maybe when they're older, perhaps their aunts and uncles and  my mom and dad will be a more vivid memory.  And if the world hasn't changed so drastically by then and there is a Christmas table at which they gather, there will be family there that can't be seen.

 

 

amazing...

About three weeks ago, I heard an unfamiliar bark in my yard.  I went out to investigate and there she was - a very beautiful yet scary pitt bull that did not like that I had stepped out into my own yard.  I thought she could have been a stray, but she was too well fed for that, and then found he belongs to my neighbor's son.

My neighbor Bill is a great guy.  He's always there if you need him and doesn't mind asking for help if he needs it, too.  Never had a problem with him at all.  He puts up with my dogs (they don't charge at him, though) and always has a kind word for Queen Teddy, the yard cat.  And..he doesn't mind my dogs because they stay on their side of the fence.

Well, Bill is seldom home, and to shorten this story, I decided to gain the dog's trust.  It wasn't working.  She charged at me every time I stepped outside.  And foolish me, I just stood still.  Frankly, I was afraid moving too fast would only incite her to the unthinkable.

I talked to her.  Every now and then I had to chase her away from the cat, but that had to be done.  She eventually started coming closer and I decided to lay in wait for Bill to come home (don't have his unlisted number) and ask him to put her in a kennel.

Wouldn't you know it...

Today when I got home, she came running like she always does.  Spike and You were getting there hello pats and she charged right in the middle..and licked my hand.  Apparently, You thought she was taste-testing, because he chased her away with bared teeth and lots of growls.  But she came back..and this time, she let me pet her.  An hour later, she went back to barking, charging and running circles around me.

I'm still very leary of her. I believe You would protect me if I needed it, but..I wouldn't trust her with my grandkids outside.  I wonder why people bother to have pets that they don't socialize?  And even more, I wonder why people have a breed that's known to be dangerous (although I've encountered pitts that were big babies) and let it run free?  I guess Bill and I will have to talk.

the best day

we were racing the rain - there was wood to be cut, delivered and stacked and kitchens to clean and trees to assemble. 

we started early, before the temps began dropping.  he cut the wood and i cleaned the kitchen - although he tried to swap jobs with me.  we took breaks every now and then for listening to my father reminisce, worry about the coming cold because he just can't get warm enough anymore, and the icy weather would keep him indoors.  he laughed and was glad of the company, and he offered us deer stew because he knew i was planning to make vegetable soup and he saw no reason we should spend money on meat when he had a freezer full of it.

mom slept the whole time we were there, and i took extra care in cleaning so she would be suprised when she woke.  a fresh pot of coffee.  the counters all scrubbed as white as she used to keep them.  her laptop in its customary place at the end of the table, a coaster for her coffee mug.  floors swept and mopped.  no vacuuming lest she should wake.

aaron and his friend stewart helped jim split the wood - small pieces so they wouldn't be too heavy for dad to lift.  they stacked it on the porch and filled the wagon dad keeps by the wood heater so he wouldn't have to go outside. 

and then we had to go - another delivery to make to a woman i call mama - the mother of my friend and coworker, roberta.  we pulled into the yard unannounced, and laughed at roberta trying to hide the scarf she had wrapped around her head.  mama thought she was going to help unload the truck - i think NOT - and by the time she found her gloves and came back out, her porch was stacked with small pieces, like dad's.  small enough for an elderly lady to handle with no problem.  she said, is this your christmas present to me?  and we laughed and said - Yes!

this isn't bragging or calling deeds into focus because in my opinion, it's no more than should be done, and not enough, by a long shot.  it's about feeling good about something, stepping outside of self and loving it, and i want to do it some more! - but most of all, it's about the smile on my dad's face and the twinkle in roberta's mama's eyes.  it doesn't get much better than that.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and other ramblings

It sure hasn't felt like Christmas in Carolina.  Last week, the temperatures climbed to 85+ degrees and didn't stray far from that mark for days.  Nights weren't much better - I would wake up, drenched, and think - this MUST be a hot flash!  But of course, it wasn't.  It was just plain HOT.

On top of the weird weather, we are in the grip of a dust-dry drought.  Luminaries have been banned this year...too much of a fire hazard.  I never thought I would want something to dampen the Christmas Spirit, but we have wished for rain, and today...

We're going to get it - significant amounts.  We and the weather station will be looking for raindrops the way we used to look for snow.  And it's turning c-c-cold.  And Jess and I are finally putting up the tree - I broke down and bought a pre-lit one and new decorations, and the baby will be here and there will be hot ginger tea, homemade beef stew and buttermilk cornbread.

Idyllic, we may not get, but cozy is not such a bad alternative.

oh, another meme! a christmasy one.

I got this from mary who got it from coelha, and i would hyperlink the names, but every time i try it screws up on me.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? 

                                 Hot chocolate, of course!  with whipped cream.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?   santa wraps everything that won't fit in a gift bag! 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?   colored and twinkly ones. 4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have, in the past.  I'm afraid one of the flock (lacy, george, coot or rosie) will somehow get one of the berries and become deathly ill, so no mistletoe in the house anymore.  5. When do you put up your decorations? the minute i find them!

                    6. What is your favorite holiday dish?

                      man, i'm not sure...chicken dressing, i think. we only have it twice a year, and it's a meal in itself.  who needs anything else after that?

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:  omigolly, i can't remember...what comes to mind is the family gatherings with my mom's sisters and all the cousins.  just being with them all was the greatest.   8. When and how did you learn the truthabout Santa? truth?  what are you talking about?  9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? no, we make everybody wait until christmas morning.  it's fun (and a little sadistic) to watch the mounting anticipation! 10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? i used to decorate it with all the ornaments collected over the years, the special ones (windchimes, etc) but...last year, SOMEONE UNNAMED HERE didn't put the lid on the box when it was stored in the shop, and somehow all my decorations disappeared..    11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Oh, I love snow.  We don't see enough of it to get tired of it, so bring it on! 12. Can you ice skate? No.  Never have.   
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It was a tape recorder.  I had the most fun with that thing.. 14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? fellowship with family and friends. 15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?  pineapple cake and 13-layer fudge cake. 16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?   that's hard to say.  i love getting together with the whole family on christmas eve or christmas day, but after all the hustle and bustle, i have made it a yearly tradition to stay up after everyone has gone to bed on christmas eve, turn out the lights, plug in the tree and light candles, and listen to music.  peace...  17. What tops your tree?   an angel. 18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?   I like giving; but I also like being surprised.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?  Away in a Manger, all male choir, a capella and Sinfonia. 20. Candy Canes?  Yes.  21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Or is it still magical for you? It's commercialized a bit too much...one store here had christmas stock out before halloween.  But I have found that the magic is there if you look for it (i've found it in the most odd places - among them, around the breakfast table on christmas day, in a barrel of popcorn, and kneeling under the tree, small hands holding a gift and excitedly giving it to someone else.