The Town

A few years ago, I thought that owning a small Christmas Town on my fireplace mantle would be charming. It would bring on a diorama of fantasy and charm to our Christmas displays. Ohhhh, I started collecting town pieces with the help of loving friends and family who finally thought "AH, the perfect gift - a piece for her town"! The town grew and grew and grew, until it no longer was a town, but a large metropolis, one that outgrew the mantle and spread out onto end tables, bookcases and computer desk tops.

The town also has a life of it's own with it's little characters...

The METROPOLIS - the downtown section - complete with school, church, library, strip mall, movie theatre, coffee shop and of course, Jack's diner.

The "Gated Community"...where the manor houses collect the elite of the village. Rumors abound that the house on the left is Oprah's winter get away. Personally, I can't verify those claims.

I can however, attest to viewing Kate Gosselin and her brood, shoveling snow, making snow angels and such. The paparazzi always after a good photo op.

Uh oh, every town has it's bad section, where crime and urban decay seems to creep in. See Santa? See the "ho-ho-ho"? Yeah, it's hard to stop crime even in your dreams

This is Darrell and his other brother Darrell. KIDS STAY IN SCHOOL! The Darrell's never finished their GED, therefore they work maintenance at the brewery on the edge of town. Shoveling snow, and still dressing alike after all these years...

This is the radio station owner, Mr. WXMS, who is legally blind. His loyal assistant, Mr. Washington guides his every step. Mr. WXMS bought the radio station after loosing his sight, but not his hearing! He's making lemon aide out of lemons - what a "It's a Wonderful Life" moment here in the Town.Ahhh... Young love abounds. Folks getting married on Christmas...(how do they fit into that little tiny church door, I'll never know. It's all just part of the charm of the town)

This is the rural scene on top of the computer desk. There's the farm, Grandma's house and the tree farm/stand. (note: none of the pieces are of the same scale - imagination is a must here) Let's wrap it up with some holiday carols from Boyz 2 Men in an annual rooftop concert on the top of Jack's Diner! Nothing says Christmas more than four guys singing A Capella near the hustle and bustle - don't you agree?

Attention Germaphobes!

So, I return to blogging because of a controversial practice I witnessed and wanted some feedback.
No, really, I thought that this would be a good time to post. It’s not about my absence, nor about my aging mother, or about my new grandson (that I could talk about until you swiftly hit Esc) but rather about Dairy Queen.

Now, don’t we all love a good DQ? I know I do! Love me some blizzards, some dilly bars, buster bars, or a small cone dipped in chocolate, the kind that hardens and cracks in a oh so luscious chocolatey way. So, when my friend and co-worker suggests an afternoon snack at the local DQ, I accepted! As we sat slowly scooping and savoring our mini blizzards, we were watching the DQ staff who was answering the telephone, acting as cashier and stocking the grated cheese bin with cheese she scooped from a large bag of grated cheese taken out of the fridge - with her bare hands. Fingers that just recently typed on the cash register, accepting dirty yucky money from a couple of high school students, now returned back to reaching into that bag to scoop out more cheese, if you please.

UGH! The thought of it makes me want to run out and get a flu shot and then scrub my body with a bristle brush like I just encountered a nuclear reactor gone bad. (Insert the shower scene from Silkwood, thank you very much for not commenting on the reference’s age)

Thinking that the DQ staffer must have some education in hygiene, my friend, a nurse pondered calling the manager of said Dairy Queen to ask about the sanitary conditions and the absence of say, gloves. The manager informed her, it wasn’t their policy to wear gloves while handling food – only to, dramatic pause, wash their hands!

Now, begin to discuss amongst yourselves, and leave a comment if you please. AHHHHH, personally, I’m going to go and gargle.

It Flys By

So, yesterday, with a day off and some time to spare I made a trip out to visit my mom. I had a plan in mind. a) to get her out of the house b) to take her for a ride in an air-conditioned car to do a drive-by to some assisted living facilities c) to bribe her with a sandwhich from her favorite sandwhich shop.

She didn't have time to "wrap her brain around it". So she was befuddled. We went on said journey, within a five mile radius of her house. Got the sandwich and she was ready to go home.
We looked at one (1) facility-from the parking lot.

It wasn't all gloom and doom. Nope. It was a lesson in understanding. These lessons are getting more frequent, for both me and my aging mom.

I've been trying to get her to wrap her brain around getting out of her 45 year old house that needs so much up keep, out of her comfort zone and into the world around her. Partly because she is so very lonely, (self imposed exile from the world we live in) and partly because she really isn't safe anymore in her home - alone.

All this plays on my mind. Taking her back home (total trip time, 25 minutes-10 minutes spent on sandwich prep) we talked about her finances. I placed a call to her financial planner, who it turns out is an acquaintance of mine. She returns my call, telling me that because of privacy restrictions, she cannot discuss mom's finances with me unless I have power of attorney or mom says it's ok. My mom got on the phone and told her it's ok. AND that she granted me POA about four years ago (never told me).
{heavy sigh}
So, mom decides now would be a good time to go through her drawers looking for the POA documents. She sits on the bed, I rifle through her assorted belongings to go through large brown envelopes of papers from cars that she no longer owns, from home-made Mother's day cards from an 8 yr. old me, a 6 yr. old brother. I find spectacles that have one lense..."Mom, what are these?" "oh those belonged to my mother" (she passed some 51 years ago). Hankies, still smelling of spray starch and scented drawer sachets, an old driver's license held on to because the photo looked pretty good (seriously???-same weight I might add, who knew?)
I found the POA, an original and a copy. I reasoned in my mind that she didn't tell me because she feared that I might use this as a control tactic, a weapon to put her away into a nursing home against her will. Cause I'm like that right? As I spend every day off, every vacation day, most of my weekends, trying to take care of her needs, trying to bring her some speck of relief, of happiness in her clouded view of the world. Into her living room.
I'm struck by the tidbits of her life that she's saved. Savored even? 50 years pass and that's all we have, hankies and broken eyeglasses. Touch stones to the life we once lived, tangible reminders that once we touch - take us right back to that time, that place.
Later, she called me at home to tell me she remembered why she didn't give me the POA when she had it drawn up. She confesses to me that she didn't want me to sell her home and put her into an awful nursing home. "they are just awful Jack, everybody knows that you aren't treated well in those awful places".
Torn, I tell her I had already figured that out. But assisted living could give her some support. She wouldn't have to cook anymore, since she really hates cooking now. She wouldn't have to worry about who is going to mow her lawn, who is going to pick up the weeds, how is she going to go out and get her mail, what is she going to eat for supper, there's no one to talk to...
Or maybe I'm kidding myself. She might be more withdrawn in an assisted living apartment. What to do...what to do.
Keep looking, something will come my way. There's one constant in life and that is it's always changing.

Can't Believe That It's Been So LONG.

So blog buds, it's been some time since I've posted. BAD Blogger! I'm kinda in a rut.
Right now, my mom's in the hospital, so, the time factor for creating is minimal. She'll be home possibly today - if she does well. She's 80 years old, with multiple health issues, so any type of surgery sets her back some. She lives alone (her choice) and this means that I have to do all the things she no longer can. See? Time, how it becomes the enemy.

Speaking of time, in the post below, we left Sarah in the aftermath of the baby shower. She's now very ready to deliver. Tapping her fingers impatiently on the counter, trying to hurry this along. I grin, no need to remind her that mother nature is in charge, and all the tapping in the world won't help. It doesn't help that her doctor is on vacation, so even her weekly visits have been postponed unti he returns on the 9th. She's due on the 15th technically, but all first times mom's in thier 9th month feel like they could go earlier. No one really wants to be 10 months pregnant.

I'll do a real post soon, about the time we spent with our oldest granddaughter Isabelle in Indianpapolis. Took some cute photos too. But scooting out for now, gotta catch up and read a few blog buddy posts.

Shower Snaps

We showered my daughter Sarah (and baby on board, Jack) with celebratory gifts and good friends and food on this Sunday last. Thought I'd share a few pictures of the festivities.Here's Sarah, acting like a game show hostess showing off her gifts. Cute little bump huh?
With help from her nieces, she begins to open the baby loot. As much as Sarah hates it - we touch her tummy - that's me, Sarah and my youngest daughter, Abbie.

This is my mom (the baby's Great Grandmother) with Sarah and her sister Abbie. Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes, the wonderful boy toys and amazing baby wear!

Random

• It’s been awhile since I posted such randomness as a Fun Fact Friday – so I thought I’d give it a gander. Bear with my randomness.
  
  *I have a smidge of poison ivy – where I contacted that I’ll never know. It’s a few tiny dots, much like the period at the end of this sentence. Makes me itch like a crazed maniac that tiny little speck.
  *Does anyone miss regular old fashioned handsets to telephones? The size alone is better for tucking under your chin/shoulder for multi-tasking during the conversation. The tiny new phones are more apt to “chin hang up” and dropping into sink or toilet, don’t ya think?
  *A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a blog that featured a talented card-maker, and she had a giveaway contest. I won! This wonderfully talented creator can be found here. Stop by and visit her will you?
  *I’m irked to no end this week with stupid human tricks. Hence I’m in my office with the door shut. Shielding the people. All people, from my irked wrath.
  *This weekend I am hosting a baby shower for my eldest daughter – first baby, truly a miracle. I’m probably just as excited as she is. If not more.
  *Can I go home now?
  *I need to up date this blogs “places I wander” list. Much of the bloggers I used to read have ceased blogging. I’m finding that more and more, it’s probably related to lurking and non-commenters.
  *I am a lover of all comments. Except for those in spam or non English speaking. I do not speak Japanese. Just thought you all should make note.
  *No vacation plans in the works for this summer. Really. Although I could use an adventure.
  *Any suggestions?
  *I’m ending the randomness now – so you can dash out and read other blogs that haven’t been updated in nearly a month or so.
  *Wait that’s me.
  Xo
  J

Check Out the new Swagger!

So, opinion poll please...

What do you think of my new header? Compliments of my daughters creative handiwork.


So very darn glad it's FRIDAY everyone, I am so tired I can hardly type. Comments on the header are welcome.

A Word Store! Not Word Whore!

Some of us bloggers are mom’s and some of us are single and some of us are skinny and some of us are not. Some of us keep their blogs constantly updated, others are slackers, more readers than posters. Some of us take awesome photo’s to illustrate our day-to-day, and some snap shots straight out of the Kodak (or Nikon or Polaroid or swipe them out of Google images). Some of us are talented writers and some of us write like we speak, and some are just plain PROs with the prose…that’d not be me. It’s the latter I speak of when I tell you. If you need some help with your WORDZ than go to the master and pop on over to my blog bud Jules, at Pankcakes and Frenchfries. She’s a talented blogger, among many other descriptions, and she’s just opened a Word Shop, freelancing for copy, and from her menu of wares, I’d say her prices are awesome – no job too small. Give her a try why don’t you!

Shower Crafts

So, I spent Saturday getting the favors, centerpieces and the table game ready for my daughter's baby shower. It's not until June 13th, but this Grandma is ready!
The centerpieces are Yankee Candles, the theme is Sweet Pea, because that's what I call the grandbaby to be. Although the ultra sound predicts a boy - we went with the color green instead of the traditional baby blue. The table game, with the centerpiece as it's prize, is something I stole years ago from a shower that I went to. Each page of the little booklet asks the reader to survey the table of ladies and see who has the longest hair, largest purse etc. Then the final rhyme winner wins the center piece at the end.

The tag on the wrapped candle has a sweet little sentiment..."To all the family and friends of mine, thank you for sharing in this joyous time. To celebrate my life on Earth, Please light this candle on the day of my birth". Cute huh?

The table will also be flanked by green and white polka dotted cupcakes. YUMMMMY! That way we'll not have to worry about cutting the cake. We can visit and generally swoon over all the adorable baby gifts. Which is what happens at most baby showers anyway, am I right?

The favors are Hershey bars wrapped in a special wrapper, thanking the guests for thier gift and their special thoughts. The honoree is a HUGE chocolate lover, and well, so am I. I ate one while wrapping them. Sorry future guest, had to try out the chocolate.

The favors will also have a hidden number on the back, for door prizes.

I'm a little bit excited about the arrival of this 1st grandson - can you tell?

Now all that's left is the invitations! Anyone care to help address them? Stamp lickers unite!

the one where we were training for disaster

It’s a really windy day here in N.W. Indiana. The kind of day that not only messes up your hair, but blows your pant leg and shirt making all of your clothing form fitting. Not always an attractive look, I will admit. It’s the high wind and warm air swirling that makes me think of tornado weather. If you live in an area that isn’t frequented by tornado’s, well, “sucks to be us”, doesn’t it? Nah, I mean, people who live in parts of the country where tornados frequent just know what tornado weather is.

I like that kind of weather. I’m a safety girl, I don’t cross against the no crossing sign, I don’t go around the gates at a rail road crossing, I don’t spit into the wind, but tornado weather, I mean come on really – what are you going to do when you see one coming. Duck.

I remember when my children were young. I prepared them for all types of disasters. (safety girl and scared young mother of three, natural worrier, that’s me) I told them that if I should alert them of a tornado’s impending peril, they were to grab a couch cushion and go into our bathtub. We had a bathroom that was placed kind of central to the house, and the kids could easily grab a couch cushion versus a mattress off the bed. A mattress off the bed can be quite cumbersome when you are three or four years old. It never happened. BUT WE WERE PREPARED, incase it did happen, so don’t laugh.
Yeah, I also had a prepared “password” that only my children and I knew, incase that I had to send someone to pick them up from school in my stead. They were not supposed to go anywhere with a stranger OR a friend posing as a concerned person who might wish to steal away my small children, kidnap them and I wouldn’t see them ever again. Pffft. Gone. Unless said friend knew the password, then my children could rest assure that I sent this person to scoop them up for me. We were prepared.

My children and I had a fire drill – so that in case of a fire, they would know what to do, what exit to take, how to get out of the house safely. See, I was worried because the kids bedrooms were on the second story of our Cape Cod style home, my own bedroom on the main level. If a raging blaze broke out and they couldn't get downstairs, they should go out of the window in my son’s bedroom that ran adjacent to the garage roof. Cool, they could sit on the roof and wait for the fireman (or mom) to rescue them. They were instructed to crawl close to the ground, yadda yadda …all that. I was a FREAK for disaster preparedness.

I labeled all the cleaning products with “Mr. Yuck” stickers from poison control. (and still my three year old son licked up some Miracle Grow thinking it was blue sugar…who knew?)
I put red stickers in the window corners to alert the fireman of the presence of small children.
I taught them how to call 911 should I mysteriously pass out and become unconscious. (Used to make my daughter Sarah cry, but I wanted them to be prepared!!!)
Freak. Now as I type this, I sound like very freaky, but better safe than sorry right? Right?
Don't be so judgey.

Ahh, young parents, relax would ya? They made it safely to their adult hood almost unscathed …well unscathed by natural disasters anyway. We had our share of emergency room visits. Don’t you all?
Any of you parents out there do similar preparation with your children?

My New Ride

I don't really care - as long as it gets me there.

That could be my motto. For my ride, you know. I don't care what it looks like, what bells and whistles it has, what color, make or model it is. I want it to get me there in one piece.

From this....

My last car I rode until stuff started literally falling off! If I went over a bump or pot hole, the armrest on the door handles in the back seat would shake loose! The body was in good shape. Indiana winter's and the salt started to erode the paint at the bottom of the doors. The heat/air conditioning worked at a minimum. It has 183,000+ miles on it. My 1998 Olds Intrigue, lovingly got me there! So, it was 12 years old - and starting to show it's age. Everyone was buggin me to get a new car...but my heart wasn't in the payment.

So, we began the search. All I really wanted was a CD player, heated seats, and a decent cup holder.

I got it! And it's a racy red color too!

To this...my new Impala!

Whew-made it past the day unscathed

Ah HA! It's the day after April Fool's day. Poissant D'Avril for you odd frenchies...{i never did understand the fish foolery}
I have come through unscathed.
See, It's taken me years of looking over my shoulder and doubting every phone call, or bit of April 1st news or gossip to finally settle down on the first of April.
I had been quite a bit of a practical joker in years past, and my children liked to take pride in "getting me back" in creative ways.

This year I went by without anyone trying to pull a prank. Whew!
With the temperature at an unseasonal 64 degrees and it's only 7:13 a.m. I'm off to have a Good Friday, off fromwork, enjoying the weather and preparing for our Easter weekend. Going to my mom's to make Easter cheese and wash her bedding. I MAY even get to hang her blankets on the clothes line outside!
Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

It's the End of the Week, and Now it's Time for a Nap!

“Whatever you give a woman she will make greater. If you give her sperm she will give you a baby. If you give her a house, she will make you a home. If you give her groceries she will make you a meal. If you give her a smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So if you give her any crap, be prepared to receive a ton of shit”.


I think I got that quote in one of those annoying email forwards, but I liked its content and thought I’d share it with you two readers.

No, I didn’t forward it on, kind sir or Madame. Smarty pants.

This was a rough and busy week but it flew by! Starting with 55 degree days (as compared to bitter cold and tons of snow) which melted the large dirty ugly piles of leftover snow and grungy ice. I saw groups of people enjoying the weather – sans coats and other garb. Hurray for me, job security!

I took my mom to the doctor for a second opinion on what I think might be seizure activity. She has a nonchalant neurologist, nice lady, who just “Isn’t that into HER”. So, after a few episodes of her losing consciousness, I decided to take her to the wonder doctor who helped me so much. Her being a new patient and all, he ordered a ton of diagnostic tests and appointments with other specialists, and my 80 year old mom can only handle a few hours at a time, so I spread them out over a few weeks.
I’ll be busy.

Besides the mama drama, all the ladies I work with are having personal problems. Not that they don’t hide them, they do…some do…and some need to share. I consider myself lucky that things personally are even keel. Wonderfully sane even.
We’ve got a few (three) divorces going on, one whose mother passed away yesterday, and some with personal self esteem issues that make them feel inferior to their peers and definitely interfere with their work performance. Those require alot of hand holding and support that saps you of your strength. So by today I’m spent. I decided to take the weekend off. Do some house work, do some reading, blogging or scrapbooking. Maybe hit the mall. Peace out folks, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Truth Or Dare

I can’t even remember the content of my studies in Health & Safety class. It was a required course for all freshmen and it was BORING. I was of course at the top of the food chain in my middle school, by being a freshman, the head of the class. Our local high school was jam packed with sophomores, juniors and seniors so the freshman stayed one more year at the junior high school level and became the big cheese for one year before plummeting to the bottom again with big time teens ready to burst upon the world.

The Health and Safety teacher was also the track coach and chess club sponsor. Nice man, who wore a shirt and tie, carried a brief case full of track strategies and statistics and stood before the bored freshman to lecture about the lesson plan. For that hour, he could easily be distracted from health and safety instruction, by say one smart aleck kid asking a well thought out “track or chess question”. Turning to the chalk board he would draw out long diagrams, and the rest of us could play hangman, write love notes, draw or do our homework for 4th period - sort of a laid back study hall. He never knew.

Of course, I was not that smart aleck kid, but being creative I was known for being fun and a ring leader of sorts when trying to create an atmosphere of fun and games. So began our Truth or Dare sessions. We would engage him in the art of chess or track lectures and while his back was turned drawing a diagram of plays, we would take turns with Truth or Dare tasks. When it was my turn, I was “dared” to get out of my seat (I was at the end of the row) and slip out into the empty hallway, travel to the next floor and swipe the attendance slip off the door of my boyfriend’s English class in progress. Brilliant strategic move for the kid who wanted me to fail at a dare- so that I might have to divulge a “truth.” I slipped out of class, skipping lightly in my navy blue Charlie Brown flats. Oh, the glory of those stylish duds! They matched my red brushed denim hot pants, matching navy tights and navy turtleneck bodysuit. Hey, no digs at the duds! It was 1972 and the student council had fought for the destruction of our school’s dress code and we fully took advantage of the odd assortment of outfits we could create.

I naturally was successful, triumphant even to the task at hand – had to stand outside of the classroom until the teacher turned his back again – he never wondering why my seat was empty. I slid into my seat quietly, mission accomplished. I felt WICKED naughty, totally cool, hoodwinking that silly teacher as such and getting away with 9th grade murder. Oh, he (the teacher) got his revenge, as I was getting a “C” average in that class, learned not a Safe or Healthy thing and by the end of the semester was sequestered at home with a nasty case of mono. My friends brought me my school work and upon my return to school I had to take all of his weekly quizzes and one final test in one after school session of test taking. His version of murder. The end to that story is a whole OTHER blog post. The reason for this here post?
The moral of this story, the end-all-be-all for the reason this memory popped into my head?
Impending spring fever reminding me of school, nah.

It’s the Truth and Dare’s of life that make us go out on the ledge and live to challenge ourselves.
It’s FRIDAY – go out and live life this weekend! I dare you!

Oh, and Gah - I’ve miss you all.

Good News! I'm alive!

I feel sorry for those who came to read my blog posts. I've been so absent. So sorry about that.

This week has been one hectic chaos after another.
At work we had a sprinkler head freeze and BLOW! Spraying a continuous flow of water all over our waiting room, pouring through the floor, under doors and seeping into my office and conference room, several other offices and through to our business office. We are in a state of shock, and yet, staying open and still seeing patients. We've put chairs up and down one hallway, rerouting the traffic through the side employee entrance.

It's a hot mess.

and a humid one.

Even though the temperature outside is close to zero, the inside is hot and muggy due to the fans and dehumidifiers trying to soak up all the water.

I miss my desk.

So, I've not had time to blog - by the time my tired butt reaches home, I am half asleep with fatique.

Oh, and by the way, if you are the spammer that keeps leaving wierd comments in my comment section, kindly move on.
I'll try to be more vigilant in the future. Maybe in March. Could still be in February.

I MISS SUMMER

As we dig out of our snowfall of about two feet and temperatures drop to below zero, I just want to


A. curl up under a blanket.


B. Eat ice cream over hot soup


C. Watch movies that take place at the seashore.

Casper loves the gigantic snowflakes.

I may just get out of my pajama's today!

Thursday Thoughts

The snow is steadily falling in the rate of a scary 1” per hour and has been since sometime early this morning here in N.W. Indiana. Brrrrr. Really cool if you are a kid with a sled or tucked into your warm abode, complete with hot beverages and cozy snuggly blankets. But if you are out in it, driving or working it’s a nightmare!

I was thinking on my slippery, all white drive into work this a.m. (Thinking can be dangerous) I was thinking about random posts that lack real direction, and AADD. When I was a kid and was daydreaming or distracted and couldn’t learn my fractions, no one suggested that there may have been a DISORDER to blame. No, sir! It was your own thick numbskull head that wouldn’t focus or REFUSED to pay attention.
*blink*
*blink*
Where was I? Oh, yeah, AADD, I think that my husband and I both have a touch of attention deficit handicaps. I tell him some tidbit of information; he’s watching a commercial that he’s seen a thousand times before, later when I remind him that I’m not coming home after work tomorrow, he says “hey, how come you never told me”. Stuff like that. I do the same. The point? Um, not much other than a random post, one that is scattered and bears no rhyme or reason in correlation with each other. Hey, I’m not to blame, it’s my AADD. Natch.

*I had another brilliant idea for discussion. (All while driving) Let’s talk it out. While driving in, there is always someone going 15 mph below the speed limit and some whacko who is weaving in and out of the semi-trucks that are stopping and starting on the highway. I hate em. I’d like to roll the window down really close next to them and A. knock the cell phone out of their hands or B. announce in a loud voice “I’m telling on you”. Or something just as sinister. So, what if when you register for your license plates they use your cell number or home phone number as your plate number? That way when you drive like an idiot, you have to take the heat, later on the phone or listen to obnoxious voice mail messages from all the people you cut in front of. Just a thought.

*Really, you know what is under-rated? Ear muffs. Think about ‘em. They don’t mess up your hair, they keep your ears toasty – sometimes you can hardly see them! I never get that annoying static cling from them, they tuck into your pocket when vanity prevails and you whip them off your head so the cute guy at the next pump at the gas station pulls up. I really like them. Go on and grab yourself a pair. Even more to think about is what if you could buy hair extensions for your ear muffs…ok, maybe not, but like I claimed before this is random thoughts. Not good thoughts, or brilliant thoughts, just random ones.
*blink*
*blink*
I think I may have more when I can sit at home and discuss from my cozy electric blanket and my warm new LAPTOP the awesome hubster bought me for Christmas! Thanks to my son I’ve got a WiFi hub and thanks to my daughter I got a cool little mouse so I don’t have to use my fingers…they might love me a little.

Bye 2009 (as said through a sleepy half closed eye, dreaming of 2010)

Dry fur needles embedded in my carpet. check.

Crumbly Christmas cookies "still too good to throw out". check.

1/2 bottle of stale wine "still too good to throw out". check

Piles of laundry, even though I do a few loads every day "Who the hell wears all these clothes?" Check. Check.

Fine furry layer of dust on all shiney surfaces. Check.

Ah yes, the holidays are over, the house a mess. Clutter seems to be everywhere and I lack energy to do much else other than read blogs on my amazing NEW GREEN Laptop that hubby who thinks that he is Santa got for me for Christmas! Yeah, I've only been surfing, because I've not been thinking of a post.

So this is it. Read on.

2009 was a really good year, even though I sound as though the enthusiasm has been sucked out of me (it has) I'm reclined and lazy after taking down the tree and shoving post diet carbs past my jaws down to my tummy. Too many points to count. I know I've gained 5 lbs. this week but it's the holiday's and I DON'T care.

We had the bestest ever Christmas present, in that my daughter Sarah and her husband Brian, found out unexpectedly that they are EXPECTING a baby in 2010! They had been trying to conceive over 2009, and 2008 and had all but given up! Such joy for us all, even though she made me keep a secret until she could announce it to everyone, and that part was pure hell for me. Keeping the secret when I was bursting I mean.

Also in 2009, I lost 30 lbs. (although 5 found me again) and that was something I had struggled with for the last 6 or seven years. But perhaps the best is that I sought out second opinion from another neurologist and found out I had been misdiagnosed, weined off all the terrible medicine I had been taking, and through physical therapy and exercise, found a "cure" for the facial pain and headaches.

Now I have to keep that up. CHALLENGE!

2010 will be a good year, I'm excited to begin!

Excerpts from Grandma's Christmas Girls below.

Grandma and Savannah (age 8 months)

Isabelle, me and Angie. Newest addition to the all girl tribe, Lilly, who found sleep over socializing to be the bet way to endure the large family gathering.
Happy 2010 everyone!