Ever wanted to travel in space? If you have 12 minutes, stop at SpaceWander.

Wednesday Wonder.

Kathryn has started a new Wednesday meme. It's one that takes some time, and you can work on it all week (which I really really enjoy!) This week's is on color. There is a choice of exercises (I'm still deciding which to choose, I want to do them all!) and one everybody does it exercise, which is:
Have the color in front of you while you do this exercise. Glance through a magazine, look around for a color that catches your eye, look at a box of crayons. Now role-play that color. That means you are going to pretend you ARE that color and speak for it, since it cannot speak for itself.

Um. Eek. Okay, here goes.

I am lilac.
I am the color of the fresh spring morning sweetly awash with dew~~and the color of bouquets hand-gathered to decorate soldiers graves.

I am lilac.
I am the color of the lenthening afternoon shadows on snow~~and the depths of color in the far-sighted gaze of a man of the waters.

I am lilac.
I am the color of hope, the settler's bright spot in a new and unforgiving land~~and the color of remembrance of those homesteads long abandoned and gone to ground.

I am lilac.
I am the color of the contrasting striation in the lowering night sky~~and the first peek of heaven of a beautiful summer morn.

I am lilac.

TOMORROW I THINK I'LL BE RED

Box, of course, is from MandarinDesign.

It's Thursday!
I made it through Wednesday, but really lost steam. I was able to have the internet up at work in the morning, but kept losing my connection in the p.m. After a few errands in the evening, I came home and faded away like an old rose. But Thursdays shouldn't be too hard to get through. Right? Now if we were just done with all the inventory updates at work. Argh.

Congratulations to Susan! She is the mistress of her own domain now. Check her out at easybakecoven.net.

We had a heat wave yesterday...we hit 45 degrees F. We have a new service tech from Oklahoma. He called into the dispatcher. "You people are nuts up here! I see people out in their shorts and no jacket." He'll learn.

I find that I keep humming the end credits music from Field of Dreams. Maybe I need to go to Iowa.

I've forgotten how to do Wednesdays at work.

It's been so long! Isn't there supposed to be a holiday or something? Sheesh. December 18 was the last working Wednesday, and December 17th was the last full Tuesday (we got out at 2:00 p.m. both eve days). I don't think I can do this! Pacing, Shirl, pacing.

Ah, but the Wednesday Wonder is up! Great prompts for both writing and investigation. Thanks, Kathryn. I highly recommend a visit!

I'm not very familiar with various fonts. Do you have a font or fonts that you love? Thanks in advance!

Which "Natural Wonder" are you?


A whole dadgum Prairie????

Link via Bryn.

First This-or-That of 2003!
1. "Time" or "Newsweek"? Newsweek
2. "Wall Street Journal" or "National Enquirer"? National Enquirer
3. "Sports Illustrated" or "Cook's Illustrated"? Sports Illustrated
4. "Martha Stewart Living" or "MAD Magazine"? Martha
5. "Cosmopolitan" or "Maxim"? Maxim
6. "People" or "Entertainment Weekly"? People...People who love People yadda yadda
7. "National Geographic" or "Readers Digest"? Reader's Digest
8. "Good Housekeeping" or "Popular Mechanics"? Good Housekeeping
9. "PC World" or "MacWorld"? PC World
10. "Southern Living" or "Yankee" (magazine about New England living)? Yankee.

Link via cyber-toad! Thanks!

Oh my! I just got a birthday package from Texas. Kathryn...you are amazing. Thank you thank you! And packaging it in artwork...YAY! Made my evening! To make a Monday evening is a wondrous thing *grin*. Wow.

Prediction!
Weblogs will hit a new high today! Everyone is back from the holidays!

PromoGuy's Monday Mission 3.1

1. What is one of your favorite things to wear? My black sweater and my black skirt. *grin*
2. Did you get any "dud" gifts for the holidays? Will you return them? Nope…so Nope!
3. Let's do a few "Best of 2002" thoughts. What was the best movie of 2002? Why did you pick that one? I haven’t seen the last batch of the holiday movies, so I’m sure I’ll find another best, but right now it would have to be 8-Mile. I loved it, not so much for the music, but for the portrayal of the working class. They nailed it!
4. What world event of 2002 made an impact on you? Passover Massacre in Israel
5. What personal event of 2002 was the most memorable? There were several. The blogathon was one as it was a conscious act of remembering a beloved brother. Lots of ghosts were laid to rest. And oddly, getting a tattoo was a conscious act that had a huge impact. Hmm. Common thread here: consciousness.
6. Is there anything in 2002 (decisions, relationships, purchases, etc.) that, looking back, you would have done differently? Um. I probably should have done a relationship one differently (moved it faster) but I gotta be me.
7. Shine up your magic crystal ball and look into the future. What do you think will happen in your life in 2003? Or, what would you like to happen in 2003? Peering deep into ye olde crystal ball I see: a move. Freelance work in addition to my regular job. Weight loss. Three new men (oh shut up, it’s my crystal ball). Chose one by end of the year and have holiday of dreams. Great trip to Montana. Perfect weekend on Mackinac Island.

My Wednesday Wonder post is now up here. That was fun!

Stephen Hawking's 60th birthday party was featured on 60 Minutes. I think his will to live is even more awesome than his brilliance.

Around the Blogs:

Kathryn has joined the 100 Words project, and has set up a new blog for those entries. She also has a new blog featuring her Haiku. Sweet! Words matter.

Susan is in Tennessee with her mom and sister Robin...I think they must be having a great time, because things have been a leeeettle quiet there. Merry belated Christmas!

Lynn has a weird toolbar showing up on her browser. Can anyone help? And Joni loves Brian...

Cybertoad had some bad news New Years Eve day, and yet it typical Cybertoad fashion she's working right through it. You go, girl!

Bryn has a new lay-out for the New Year, chockful of facts and interesting stories.

I'm having trouble getting cyber-bro Jeeem's site to load. Hey Jeeem....You still stuck under all that snow?

Wendy at weepixie says her domain is about to expire, and she won't be renewing. She will be moving somewhere though...we want to know where, kiddo! Wendy had the most excellent project for the Blogathon (she won an award!!) and her project helped me make it through those 24 hours.

Jennifer has posted: Missing ... Motivation, Energy, Inspiration, Enthusiasm, Creativity and the ability to combine words into sentences. If found, please return to Jennifer. I'm sure it's a passing thing...go check her archives for a wide wide variety of subject matter.

I've been having fun with framing pics (see below). Code comes from...MandarinDesign. mmmhmm. Fred's been bitten by the Mandarin bug also.

I've just realized: I prefer RUSSELL STOVER to GODIVA. There must be something wrong with me.

Thank you, thank you!

Lynn and Kathryn and Susan and Bryn and meg sent folks here for my birthday: Thank you so much! I don't know if Lynn remembers, but last year I was bemoaning turning fifty and that I had made some poor choices and needed to make changes in my life...but how to do that? And Lynn said the simple: "One day at a time". Timing is everything, and that was perfect. This year, whenever I would panic, I would focus on those words. And on I would go, instead of retreating into my little corner. Thanks, Lynn!

Susan and Kathryn and Bryn have given the same kind of enlightenment to this year by both their words and example. I check them daily for their writings. *grin* Thank you!

I found Mandarin Design this fall. The generosity and patience meg shows in sharing her tech stuff is amazing.

And a big thanks to all of you who visited with birthday greetings. {{hugs}} This fifty stuff is quite all right! Now where's my rocker?

In the Fifties.

Big difference in years. Being in a decade is a lot more low-key than turning a decade. I do have this story to tell, though:
Ten of us had dinner last night at Old Country Buffet. I was up at the line, dishing up some baked fish, when the PA came to life. "We'd like to wish Shirl Peters a happy fifty-first birthday." Eek! I punched Boo when I went back to the table. "Okay, okay," he said. "Next time I'll say 39." But it was all in good fun. As we all know, or will find out...fifties really are nifty.

Oh NO!
Now how did that happen? How did that year go by so fast?

Oh look! Today is 01/02/03!

And speaking of inauguration, Michigan just inaugurated its first woman governor, Jennifer Granholm. Twenty-four degree weather...brrr!

Link via Kathryn, who has just inaugurated the Wednesday Wonder. I'm doing it!




Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz

The Nifty Little Christmas Tree
It was spring of 1969. Grandpa P had passed away, and we had all gathered out at the lake for the funeral. My youngest brother, Boo, was three. Boo had been his grandpa's "eye apple". (Hurrah for fractured Hollander.) Boo looked out the patio door and noticed a little blue spruce growing on the lawn. "That's a nifty little Christmas tree," he said.

Well, Grandmas and Aunts notice these sayings, and so for his fourth birthday that year they bought him a "nifty little Christmas tree" of his own: a blue spruce just his height. It was planted in the front yard and pictures were duly taken as the years passed and the boy and tree grew.

Of course, trees grow at a different rate than little boys. The spruce sprouted. Boo started hanging Christmas lights on it each year, adding strings frequently. Ladders had to be used. As the tree grew larger, he developed a method of using clothes poles to reach the upper heights.

Another thing happened as the years passed. The tree, which had fit fine when it was little, began to starve on the side that was shaded by a maple (which had also grown over the years). Eventually, even sentimental Boo agreed that the tree had to come down.

My brothers are big athletic "Michigan" men. They figured they could take down this tree. So they sawed and buzzed and used guy ropes (which weren't new ropes and which broke as soon as some tension was placed on them) and the angels were watching and the tree came down between my mother's and the neighbors houses.

And there, a few feet from where the old tree had been, was a new little blue spruce.

A "nifty little Christmas tree".

And the cycle continues...

And now, 2002 winds down. It was a year that on a personal level started with frustration and fear and ended with peacefulness and hopefulness. So many of you contributed to this feeling of well-being. You know who you are, and I thank you.

Gotta have some resolve. Ok-doke. Let's start with the two resolutions on my "How to Draw a Radish Calendar" at the office.

1. Learn to draw.
2. Make Noise.

This will probably be the last blog of 2002. See ya next year!

Happy New Year!

Yikes! Where did yesterday go?

Yesterday was one of those busy every moment types of day. Lots of fun, but a little draining and I crashed! It was up early to finish the 16th Birthday scrapbook for my nephew (procrastination, thy name is Shirl) then on to work to: finish the newsletter, send it off to the printer; finish payroll, send it off to the comptroller; finish setting up the inventory teams, go over it with the boss; and then go to Nephew's big party. Whew. It's not that I'm getting old (well, maybe it is *sigh*) but bed beckoned pretty early.

Today is inventory at work but we get out early. I've scheduled a NAP in the p.m., before the New Year gig. So all is well.

Speaking of New Year's, I did come up with my twenty words for the Mayfly project.

Bryn had a link to the Mayfly Project, which is an exercise in summarizing the past year in twenty words. The Saturday 8 also pointed to it.

Drumroll, please:
Turned fifty. Started tutoring. Guitar time. Ernest Hemingway. Charities at work. Blogathon. Wilderness State Park. Tattoo! Three funerals. Chasing moonbeams.

Uhoh. I hear sleet outside my window.

TIME A TREE Grows IN MICHIGAN . . . . . .....

hehehe...I just LOVE when fun stuff works! Thanks again, ever so much, meg! It's not perfect like yours, and there are a couple of edits that Blogger hasn't caught yet, but getting there!

Good afternoon!

I'm sitting here at work, playing on the internet when I should be finishing up the dagnab newsletter. I am so bad! I also wanted to check on the day-end computer operation, which was hanging yesterday. It went through fine, so Monday morning should be a leeeettle bit easier.

We're also gearing up for inventory. I know, yuck! Except that the thought of being cooped up in the warehouse with a couple dozen hunky construction worker types isn't ALL bad.

Okay okay...back to work.

My cyber-brother Jeeem is "Desperately Searching for Jesus Herrera", an old friend from his El Paso days. He has a request for help from anyone who might belong to classmates.com. If you can help him out, cool, and if not...it's a good read. Jeeem's been buried under eighteen inches of snow. I think he's waiting for the spring thaw to come.

Saturday-8: "Last Saturday, '02 - Woo-hoo"

1. What are the 8 greatest things about this past year?
   the young feller, my tattoo, tutoring, coming to peace (not pieces) with fifty, Blogathon, Wilderness State Park, new friends both virtual and real, and the holidays.
   
2. Who are 7 of the closest people to your heart?
   Can't do it in seven. Just won't work
   
3. What are 6 of your favorite rock/music bands?
   Oops!
   
4. Name 5 items visible to your eyes right now.
   Erin the Beanie Baby on my monitor, assorted computer paraphernalia (must do something about all those cords), bookcase cluttered with books and paper, painting of Many Glacier, Planters cocktail peanuts can (half empty).
   
5. What are 4 words/phrases that you use all the time?
   Oopsie, well dang, whatever (in varying tones) (it's a phrase that used to drive me nuts, now I use it all the time, go figure), ok-doke.
   
6. Describe yourself in 3 words.
   fearful but emerging
   
7. What 2 things are you going to do tomorrow?
   visit Mom, do the newsletter for work.
   
8. Ok... this is the last 1 thing you have to do. Go to the Mayfly Project 'o2 and describe this past year of your life in 20 words. Haha. Have a wonderful New Years everybody!!!
   I'll do that a little later....It looks cool too, and I've seen some very interesting answers!
   

Swiped the Saturday 8 from Kathryn, who surprised me with ladybugs (you rock!!) and who also says this about her Christmas:
'Twas an overwhelming holiday, and I'm spoiled. I feel--know--what years ago I couldn't comprehend, no matter how much I was given--and that is, I am loved. And it isn't the presents that tell me. It's simply the awareness that I am loved. It is good to be alive, well-fed, rested, and cared for. That's quite enough.

Sweet.

I've had great fun reading about holiday celebrations throughout the blog world.

I cried when I read Susan's and Robin's accounts. They are sisters who are very close but who were separated by a snowy mountain Christmas Day.

Their celebration is coming up...can't wait to read it.

This post is for all the sisters: sister by blood and sisters of the heart.

Trifecta

And now Blogger isn't publishing! Are we good or are we good! Happy New Year!

Lunch in the Snow
Yesterday I ran (oh okay, I drove) downtown for my lunch. I thought I would get a nice walk in as it was a bright sunny day, and the new snow made it even lighter.

Problem encountered: The parking spaces hadn't been plowed out.

No problem, I think, as I pull into a space, squarely, and climb out and over the snow. (Pulling in squarely is key: gotta keep those wheels straight to keep from getting stuck.) Must be the city employees are on holiday too, and that means ... NO METER MAIDS!

Wrong. The parking places weren't plowed, but the meter maids were busily going up the main street. Now that's the holiday spirit!

Right click and take this Baby New Year 2003. Leave a comment letting me know where you're taking him: I got mine from Bryn who got hers from Lynn. *grin*

Broken Images...Sometimes Comments

You can tell it's the holidays. My images are stored at geocities. Sorry that they keep breaking. I suspect it's a "holiday" thing. Come to think of it, I should be fussed. I pay a monthly fee there. Also the comments keep getting whacked. However, YACCS is a free service, and I guess I need to be more thankful for it!

And So It Was Christmas
And a very white Christmas it was.

Christmas Eve was a quiet peaceful night watching tapes of Trading Spaces and reminiscing about the days of yore. The grass was pretty visible when we went to bed.

I woke up about 3:00 a.m. and tiptoed out to the living room to check the snow. (And was drawn back in time, when we would have to get up in the middle of Christmas night and would try so very hard not to peek at what was under the tree as we made our way to the bathroom.) (And how on earth DID we manage eight people with only one bathroom????)

Anyway, the snow had started. The company this year was all from in-town, so there wasn't much worry about travelers. (Our up-north bunch is down in Florida this year visiting the other side of their family.) So I went back to sleep, that peculiarly restful sleep that I get when I'm "home".

Brother Crits called at 7:00 a.m. He's been my mom's wake-up call since the loss of her friend in August. He's been rock solid on that...I didn't think he had it in him *grin*. It was still snowing.

After a leisurely breakfast it appeared that the driveway might need some attention. Out I went, bundled in my jacket and red stocking cap. (Okay, okay, I only wear it Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.) My mother, bless her 74-year-old heart, cannot stand to be out of things, so she was out on the porch sweeping snow, when what to our wondering eyes did appear...but my brother Boo in his truck! And riding shotgun was his ten-year-old daughter Emma.

Out of the jeep they jumped. Never looking around, to the back they went. They threw open the hatch, and out came shovels. Quick work was made of the white stuff (it was the light stuff, not the heart-attack heavy stuff). Then they laughed and threw a few snowballs and Emma gave us a lovely Christmas present by asking if she could stay with Grammy and me while her dad went back home to the rest of his family.

We were glad Emma stayed because she did a lot to help us get ready. At noon Crits and Rog and Aunt N arrived, at 12:30 Boo and the rest of the girls, and 1:00 Sis and her boys, and 1:30 J.R.'s family. There were seventeen in all. Dinner was done buffet style. We played a neat pyramid type game while we were waiting for everyone to finish eating and wrapping (we're bad procrastinators) then did presents. After the gifts were cleared we had a good forty-five minutes of carol songs.

And then Christmas was over. It was a very sweet calm time. Just right.

M E R R Y
C H R I S T M A S

Christmas Eve Menu

Our Christmas Eve menu is a 40-year-old tradition.

Hot Dogs. (Ease and cheapness of creation.)
Potato Chips with dip. (Considered a treat back in the "old" days. Little nutritional value and not very filling. Much better to feed a big family with real potatoes. Also helped that Grandpa grew 'em back in the day.)
Heavenly Pie. Cream cheese/Whipped Cream base covered with cherries.

Some things just can't be improved upon. Merry Christmas!

T H E S E A S O N I S A L L A G L O W

Yay! It works. Thank you Mandarin Design!
Edit: Oops. I must have done something wrong. The words glow, and then go out. Kind of like a firefly. Sorry!

Problem...or Solution.
Two days before Christmas is not really the day you want to have network computer problems at work, but we don't often get to choose our problem day. So this morning, MONDAY morning, we were faced with the network being down for six hours while the system was beaten back into control. Ack!

Knowing that we would have to work late to get payroll out, the boss authorized longer lunch hours, as long as we didn't all go at once. It must have been fate. The extra half hour gave me time to go to the Lansing Art Gallery's Holiday Sale, where I found the perfect item for our office. It is, yes...it really is a marshmallow catapult. We've been trying to develop the perfect marshmallow thruster for the last six weeks, little knowing that just a mile down the road one was already on the market. I've already warned Dee to beware. (We've been curing the marshmallows for two weeks...when you want them to go stale they just refuse.)

I also found handmade soap and a crafted button pin to add to a couple of gift bags.

Now for an old gal I can move pretty fast when I'm on a mission, so I drove farther downtown, grabbed a sandwich, waited in line at the Peanut Shop (a throwback to the 40's) for the boss's order of nuts, then stopped in at the Way Station. Now, this is a perfectly good little new/used bookstore which normally would attract me like a bee to honey, but it is housed in the building where my friend Nancy used to have her store. Nancy left in June, and this store came at the end of July. I treated it as an interloper, but no more. Found several more presents (now I'm doing the double gift thing with some people, but oh well) and I do intend to go back.

Yay!
Yesterday I hosted my little family Christmas party. My brother Boo and his family, my Sis and her family, and my mother all converged on the apartment for food and hangin' out. The tree was decorated (I opted for the little table one I use when I can't get out for a fresh one), the packages were wrapped so that the partiers could do the appropriate snooping, and the food (courtesy of Meijers deli) was devoured. The football game was watched, but the watchers still played the trivia game, and the two youngest (nine and ten) busied themselves with Mancala and Boggle. I am blessed.

So now the crush is over for me. I will spend Christmas Eve at Mom's and then help her get ready for the hordes Christmas morning. It always cracks us up. Mom grew up the only child in a big old lonesome farm house, so now she has a tiny house that still somehow manages to shoehorn in twenty for holidays. Good thing we all like each other pretty well.

For those of you who keep Christmas I wish you peace and happy moments through the coming week. Come to think of it, that's what I also wish for those of you who don't keep Christmas!

And now, off to work. Argh. Someday I'm going to figure out how to not have to work the last week of the year. Yeah. right.

Family

& Friends

Oh cool! Thanks to MandarinDesign.

Gap tells us how to wear a scarf. Glad to know that.

Edgecurve is giving away free piles of Santas. I think I'd better go try to catch another hour of sleep.

Confessions of December is a Michigan blog by Deb. She lives on the west coast side of the state, over on Lake Michigan. Next to Montana, numerous places on Lake Michigan are my "heart" places. I was going to say I was jealous of Deb, but I guess I could have moved, eh?

All Deb wants from Santa is a piano. Her writings about tickling the ivories brought back some great memories. Now I want a piano too. Oh, but wait. I live in this one bedroom apartment with too much stuff -- on the third floor. I guess I'd better change my living arrangements before I ask Santa for that.

The Season of the Child?

I was reading blogs yesterday morning and came upon Kathryn's piece called Wretched, about a dead newborn found in a trash can in Austin. I read it and felt miserable. How do things like this happen, I think, here in the United States, land of plenty.

And then I read my own newspaper.

Lansing police are close to wrapping up their investigation into the fatal shooting of a 22-month-old boy.

Police say Todd Hodges shot his son Thursday night and then shot and killed himself early Friday after a nine-hour standoff with police.

They plan to reinterview the boy's mother and check toxicology tests and autopsy results on Hodges.

"The facts are straight forward," Lansing Capt. Raymond Hall said. "We just want to go over it one more time before we close out the case. This is typical for any investigation of this nature."

Amy Hodges told investigators that she and her husband were arguing about a lost wallet when he struck her and then shot their son, Hall said.

Isn't Christmas supposed to be the Season of the Child?

Right click and take this little wreath. Link back to the site you took it from. Leave a message in the comments if you do it - I'd like to see where it goes!
Let's celebrate the holidays around the web!
I got mine from Lynn I also stole her wording verbatim, hehe.

Bryn also has a link to the Mayfly Project, which is an exercise in summarizing the past year in twenty words. Hmmm. Gotta think about that.

Waking Up is Hard to Do.

So here we are, on the last leg of our journey towards Christmas. I have everything half-done. This is not good if you're on the wrong end of my card list or gift list. *sigh* Guess I'd better get cracking here!

Bryn is all decorated, and has some quizzes, and as I can't wake up, here goes: Thanks Bryn!





You're thunder! You can be very loud but very quick. You probably like to talk on the phone, because you are VERY talkative.
What element are you?

Good Santa Experience

I was six. I went to Christmas Eve
services with Grandma at the little
country church she attended. Santa
came, and I was sure I wouldn't get
a present, because that wasn't
my regular church. I was okay with
that. And then he called my name
and when I went up he had a dolly
for me.

I believe in Santa...and in Grandmas

A n g e l s

Bad Santa Experience

We went to see Santa Claus. I
think I was old enough to know he
wasn't real, that he was a "store"
Santa. But I SWEAR he said to
me "Will you come to my funeral?"
Kids have such a hard time. *sigh*

They just did the remembrance thing on Survivor.

Staving Off a Cold.
Ack! I fell asleep very early last night, trying to fight off a cold. I've been drinking lots of fluids. Any other suggestions of how to make this thing go away?

Kathryn writes about rituals. Not the big type but simple every day ones. I realized that I don't have any daily rituals, and maybe I need to get some. Might counteract some of the chaos around here, hehe.

J o y

Hey there, Meryl. I'm Boston too.


Congratulations, you're Boston, the rebel city.
What US city are you? Take the quiz by Girlwithagun.

Mike Sanders posts today that he is giving up blogging. You will be missed, Mike.

A w e

Time for Tuesday's This-or-That:

1. Christmas dinner: turkey or ham (or something else)? Roast Beef
2. Candy canes or chocolate? chocolate
3. Fruit basket or fruitcake? fruit basket
4. Mulled cider or mulled wine? mulled cider
5. Eggnog or hot chocolate? hot chocolate with lots of Marshmallows and candy cane stirrers...I'm making a cup now. Oh wait, I have whipped cream...that's better yet!
6. Holiday cookies: homemade or store-bought? Home-made.
7. Roasting chestnuts or popping corn? popping corn
8. On the buffet table: veggie platter or cheese tray? Both
9. Apple or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin Pie
10. Christmas Day breakfast: before or after gift-opening? After.

Survivors Ready!
This is it. The last and final week...ready to make your picks? I'm guessing, from 4th to winner:
Helen, Jan, Brian, Clay. How about you?

Looking For:

Chocolate Drops. Creamy white
on the inside, chocolate on
the outside. They used to put
three of them in the little boxes
of candy we got at church on
Christmas Day.

Hope

Mandarin Design uses icons to denote blogs that are being read. Meg pulled the candle from above for my link. That tickles me no end. That candle is at LEAST thirty-five years old. I know. I sold it to my Grandma Bea.

Grandpa Chris died in 1957. Grandma Bea lived with us from then until she remarried in 1963. She could always be counted on as a sale for a school fundraiser. Back then, the standard stuff for the schools was almond bark, white almond bark, pecan bark, coconut bark (only purchased by people without kids, for some odd reason) and candles. Grandma liked the sweets, but she also bought candles one year. She would light them for her annual Christmas buffet spread and then put them back in storage.

Florida beckoned earlier and earlier in the years after Grandma married Grandpa Larry. Eventually, they went south before Thanksgiving, and the candles and holiday paraphernalia stayed in a drawer.

A year ago we dismantled the old farmhouse where Grandma and Grandpa had lived. (Grandma had passed in '88, Grandpa in '00.) We found lots of treasures of the heart. And I got to keep the Christmas candles.

Grandma Bea's birthday would have been today, December 16.

L o v e

December 15th is one of those sad personal anniversary days that put me on the gloomy side. I'll be fine tomorrow. So for today, to point you to hope and light, please check out my cyber-bro Jeeem's beautiful A Christmas Story. You never fail to amaze me, lil bro!

Bryn has been posting ways to confuse Santa. Here's an example:

Ways To Confuse Santa Claus !
Leave a plate filled with cookies and a glass of milk out, with a note that says, "For The Tooth Fairy. :" Leave another plate out with half a stale cookie and a few drops of skim milk in a dirty glass with a note that says, "For Santa."

Check out her site for more holiday fun stuff.

P e a c e


and of course we're playing with stuff from over at Mandarin Design. Thanks MEG.

H a p p y


H o l i d a y s

Anne Lamott's Salon column is back after a three-year hiatus. I just finished The Blue Shoe, her new book and the reason for the time-off, and found it very Annie-ish. Great writing and characters that stick.

Sober Santa (not) here. Tip: Use the arrow keys to move Santa around the rooftop, and beware of falling off roof.

Been a little while since a quiz:

Welcome back, Lynn!

Lynn has been a blog buddy for a long time now. She's had some struggles in the time I've known her, but you know what, that woman just keeps getting back up after she's knocked down and WOW, what an inspiration. Be sure to stop by and say "hi"!

Survived the Christmas Party.
There has to be a certain magic in writing down concerns. I blogged about worrying about Thanksgiving; it went well. I fussed about the office Christmas party; it was fine. Hmmm. If I blog about how bad I am at relationships will a good one come along? Oh dream on, Shirl.

One of the salesmen just got back from a hunting trip in Montana. Waaaah! I missed my Montana trip this summer, and seeing the pictures made me soooo homesick for the state. How can that be, to be homesick for a place that I visit for a week every other year? For a place that would surely be too extreme for me to live in permanently? And yet, there it was, I was halfway to calling for train tickets to head out in January after looking at a few pictures. For now, checking out the video cam at Many Glacier will have to suffice.

Do you have a physical place that calls to you?

whoa whoa whoa....
I'll probably be late for work, but....
Happy Birthday to CyberToad! and ...
to Robin Dobber too!

Have a great Friday the 13th Birthday, ladies!

Oops! We all got sawed off on the Survivor bootee. Who'd a thunk it?

Gonna be a busy day, so I'll catch up with y'all tomorrow. Hope your day is super duper!

Uhoh. Office Christmas party tomorrow night. Hope I can figure out what to wear.
We're a funny bunch. We work well together, but the office Christmas party has gotten to be a stress point. I don't know if it's because it's off-site, or we're different when we dress up (not that we dress up TOO much), or there's a different karma with the spouses there, or just what. Oh well.
Hope I can figure out what to wear.

Geminids Meteor Shower Coming up

This from the Star Wanderer site: (by the way, they do a neat thing where they email you of upcoming meteor showers)

The annual Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 13th/14th. This shower is one of the better showers since as many as 100 meteors per hour may be seen. While this certainly doesn't rival
the recent Leonids meteor storm, this is still a very high rate for a regular meteor shower. This is an unusual shower in that the source of the shower is not believed to be a comet, but rather from an object known as 3200 Phaethon. This object is currently classified as an asteroid, but some scientists believe that it might be an extinct comet with a thick crust of interplanetary dust.

Another thing that makes the Geminids unusual is that one doesn't have to wait until after midnight to catch this shower. The radiant rises early and meteors can be seen around 10:00 PM local time, but the best view will still be after midnight local time. This shower also boasts a broad maximum, lasting nearly one whole day, so no
matter where you live, you stand a decent chance of catching sight of some Geminids. The actual peak will occur around 04:00 UTC on the 14th (11:00 PM EST, 10:00 CST, 9:00 MST 8:00 PM PST on the 13th).

Survivors Ready?!

Umm. They're advertising two more shows to go. How time flies!

I'm going out on a long limb here. I think Helen is going bye-bye.

Off-Day Update
Well, going slower than I had hoped, but these things happen. Oh, to have the energy of Cybertoad **grin** or a husband as super as hers. He's pretty awesome! Gifts are looking pretty special, if I do say so. For the ladies, silver paper with funky blue/purple ties, handmade tags with blue/purple lettering, and bows to mismatch. The guys aren't as cool, but they're all right. Getting the gifts in one place is helping to reduce clutter.

Young and the Restless. Dang. I remember getting ready for Christmas the first year it was on, making ugly ornaments on a TV tray in front of the set. I would have been twenty-one. I had never watched soap operas much. Grandma had her favorites, but Mom didn't like them, so I thought they were old lady shows. Hehe. But this one was for us.

Ah yes....blogger no publish. C'mon, elves, get to working!

I'm Off today!

Well, yeah, I know I'm a little off every day. I had a day-and-a-half left of vacation time, which I thought I would roll over to next year. Then I looked at what I had left to do before Christmas and figured...hey! use it now! So today will be a wrapping, baking, running out to find a dress for the party, cleaning type of day. And I'll be here too.

Brother Jeeem is studying hard for his nursing exam. Hey Jeeem...don't be reading this unless it is after 5:30 p.m. Susan has snow! Not on the ground, on her screen! And she shows where the code is if you too want snow.

Kathryn is back! Well, she wasn't away, but her computer was on the fritz. It's back now and it's so good to see her posting steadily again.

oh, now this is one really cool clock!

John at Cold Marble creates wonderful photographic art. A lot of his work centers around trains...one of my favorite things.

This-or-That: December 10, 2002

1. Real or artificial tree? Yes. Depends on the timing. This year a real.
2. Real or artificial wreath? Real Grapevine? With ribbon
3. Open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (or do you do another holiday such as Hannukkah)? One on Christmas Eve, the rest on Christmas Day
4. "It's A Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street"? It's a Wonderful Life
5. Outdoor decorations, or just indoors? Just Indoors...no wait....balcony lights.
6. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" or "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"? Rudolph
7. Miniature lights or the larger ones? This year, both...and bubblers!!!!
8. Store-bought or hand-made ornaments? Store-bought
9. TV Specials: The Grinch or Charlie Brown? Charlie
10. Will you be staying at home for the holiday, or going visiting? Visiting

Oh cool. Here's another Shirl. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Fantasies: do they ever become realities?

An Interesting Thing Happens

Check out your Sunrise/Sunset time for today. Now check it out for December 21. Interesting, eh? While December 21 is the shortest day, the earliest sunset is in this period between now and the 11th. The Sunsets start getting later, but the Sunrises get later faster, keeping daylight shorter.

Snowball Fight.
Obnoxious laughter when you lose.

Monday morning edit: Up to level 7.

Newest Angel

I have a collection of angels. Some I have purchased, many have been given to me. This is my latest addition, purchased at a craft sale last month when we were "up north". I couldn't resist her or the lady who crafted her. The crafter apparently had tons of antique materials: bedspreads, quilts, buttons, postcards. She felt she had to either use up her materials or open an antique stand. Fortunately for me, she went the use materials route. The body is from a chenille (YAY) bedspread. Her wings are quilted. The postcard is dated 1921. I think she's a beaut!

Susan and Jennifer have already pointed to Leslie Harpold's advent calendar. I've been remiss...I didn't realize she'd updated for 2002.

Finally found my Christmas cards. The hard candy is slowly dissolving. I need to simplify my life. No, wait, I need to quit buying so dad-gum much JUNK. No, but wait, a lot of the stuff around here is books and photos. Okay, I need to use my library card. And I need to develop a system for all the pics. And I'm exasperated about something else that I don't really want to blog about. Okay, enough!

1:00 p.m. and all is well.

The Warning System sirens are always tested the first Saturday of the month at l:00 p.m. They just went off which always gives me a warm comfy feeling.

However, I'm not very good at heeding them. The last time they went off for an emergency was September 10, 2001. I was sitting on my balcony, watching the windstorms, when the phone rang. It was Mom. "Where are you?" "On my balcony." "Don't you hear those sirens?" "Oh yeah, I guess I do?" "Tornado warnings....you go down to your laundry room."

Mothers...always keeping an eye out for the kiddies, no matter HOW old they've grown.

Domestic Goddesses...please help!
I just discovered that I left some hard candy in an antique candy dish and it melted and is stuck to the sides of the bowl. Right now I have it soaking in warm water. Any suggestions? I'll never win a Suzy Homemaker award this way!

Trying

any success?

Oh cool! Thanks to MandarinDesign.

Age.

Ages and differences in ages and generations is on my mind this week. Do you feel your age? Do you act your age? Do you hang around people your age?

To start it out: I'm the oldest of six. We range in age from 50-37 and I hang out as much with the 37-year-old as any others. I don't really notice a big age difference, but is that because of shared genes and childhoods? At work the office ranges from 27-66. There is a lot of overlap, but I think the 27-year-old and the 66-year-old feel on the fringes a bit. Any thoughts?

Okay, all you folks caught in that storm! Listen up! You be safe. I know your power may be off for awhile, but...sending warm thoughts to all of you!

Payroll Day. Frustration with coworkers. Dental appointment. Cold (but getting warmer). Confidence slippage. Can you say...Wednesday?

Why does the refreshment of a four-day week-end only last about....20 minutes? *sigh*

Ok doke...whine over. Go have some cheese.

Tuesday's This-or-That:

1. Go out and buy gifts, or shop online/mail order?Go out...and out...and out.
2. Gift cards/certificates or pick out gifts? Pick-out gifts.
3. Pay cash or charge holiday gifts? Combination, leaning towards the cash side
4. Are most of your gifts mailed or given in person? Person
5. Are you an early-bird or last-minute holiday shopper? I always save a few for last minute, other wise I'll just start over again and things will spin WAY out of control
6. If you shop in stores...big chain stores or smaller specialty stores? Big chain bookstores?
7. Wrap gifts yourself or have them wrapped at the store or mall? Wrap myself.
8. Shopping on *Black Friday* (day after Thanksgiving)...did you or didn't you? Did *grin*
9. Is your holiday gift list large or small? Large
10. Is it better to give or to receive? Give.

Link via Cybertoad.

Survivors Ready?

hehehe...picked up this quiz at Bryn's:

You Should Be On Survivor!

You're tough, athletic, and a strong competitor.
You'll eat anything to get that million dollars
- and crush everyone along the way!
What Reality TV Show Should You Be On? Click Here to Find Out!
More Great Quizzes from Quiz Diva

I'm thinking Clay is gone this week. Anyone else have a thought?

Susan has a link to a beautiful screensaver.

And the Secret Diary of Frustrated Writer #85 resonates after Nanowrimo. *grin*

Dang! It's eight degrees below zero out there. BRRR!

Do you like a writing challenge? This site is neat. You click on a button. A new page appears with a word at the top, a space for writing, and a timer at the bottom. You have 60 seconds to write about the word.

A Question.

There's a big discussion going on amongst what I loosely call the ClueTrain bunch regarding sexism/feminism/girlyism etc. It's an interesting discussion but has generally settled into polarized camps. But I have a question that I haven't seen addressed.

One of the women in the comments talks about not being good at math/science/tech stuff. She feels that perhaps that is gender-related.

That's the comment that pushes my buttons, because I think it's wrong wrong wrong. I remember hearing that sort of thinking in the sixties and it actually caused me some problems. (I'm naturally good at math and of course, if you hear that girls aren't supposed to be, it kind of...well, you learn to play things down.)

But...maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is a gender difference? I'm really interested in folks' opinions on this, so thanks for any input you have.

Ever feel like you aren't really your sign? I do. I have some of the Capricorn traits, but not a lot of them. Well, you can go here and find out what sign you REALLY are. I'm a Pisces, and definitely not a Libra. Cute.

ARGH! It's back to the END OF MONTH stuff at work! I'm not ready?!!! Where did those four days go?????

Dave Barry's Gift Idea List was in the paper this morning. It's also here. Being the dedicated HVAC person that I am, I was particularly attracted to items that could be found at the Duct Tape Fashion site.

Amblings.

Feel like doing a puzzle? This one will result in a beautiful winter scene.

Want to create your own country? Jennifer points to this site, where you can set up a country--your way. Speaking of Jennifer, her header pictures are worth the stop-by.

Lessons in dumpster diving here.

Bryn has decorated for Christmas. She also points to the retrogirl quiz, which I'm not, but it's been a week a few days since a quiz, so here goes:


What Type Of Retro Gal Are You?
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