Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Happy New Year

The new year is a scant two days away. I eagerly anticipate it, hoping that 2010 will finally the be the year my husband keeps telling me is our year. The economy has hit us pretty good, but we can say that we did not lay off or fire anyone this year. Next year is another story.

The new year brings me closer to my children leaving home, too. Oh, I should be so lucky as to lose the two oldest. But my baby...he still brings enjoyment and wonder. (For now. ;)

Son has been helping hubby run the fireworks store. I was down there this past weekend as hubby had dental issues and needed to make an emergency trip to the dentist. So son was taking care of the customers. This boy is a great salesman--he knows all about most of the fireworks, what they do, how long they last, which ones are the good ones, etc...

And he still loves his momma, showering me with kisses and hugs randomly.

I'll be working the at the store this year--we never had the stand open on New Years, but the store has a built in clientele, so open we shall be. And I'll be helping. Oh, boy...

Well, Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Potpourri...II

Well, we're just about down to the wire. I have about $300 more to spend between my daughters and a few more stocking stuffers. Now I have to brave the mall. Ugh... I started wrapping last night and will wrap some more this evening. I also have pumpkin cupcakes to bake and deviled eggs to devil.

On a side note, the dog got into the living room yesterday and licked all the frosting/snow from our Redneck Gingerbread yard and ate the graham cracker decking. Silly dog...

Maybe you'll get a chuckle out of this like I did. I was driving home last night and saw a yellow paper taped to the phone pole.

LOST BIRD

Frosted Cockatiel
Name Venus

REWARD

Really...?

Okay, so maybe the birds wings are clipped, but can you say easy prey for any other carnivore in the neighborhood??

Well, here's hoping.

Merry Christmas to all. See you after the holiday.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Potpourri...

Christmas ~

My house is almost clean from one end to the other for Christmas. The tree and some other decorations are up. Christmas shopping is approximately half done--the easy half. Ha Ha. (My husband and my son.) Tonight I'll be hitting Wally World to, hopefully, put a big dent in the hard half: my two daughters. Okay, well, only one is really hard. The other daughter is easy, plus she's shopping with me and can point out stuff she likes.

Tonight (before Wally World), we'll also be putting together our Redneck Gingerbread House. From 2005:

I wish I could find more recent pics, though. We tend to add or upgrade stuff each year. This year we're thinking about pink flamingoes. I'll post pics after Christmas.

~~

Have you ever witnessed a 40-year-old woman singing "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo"? I was shopping yesterday, trying to pick out a game for my son to play on his Nintendo DS (a hand held game console, Mom). My daughter and I narrowed it down to Super Mario. But which one--there were three. So my only recourse in choosing...yep. Eeny, meeny, miney, mo, catch a tiger by his toe....

Durango Envy ~

I've seen a lot of Dodge Durangos driving around lately. And every time I do, I feel a bit of envy well up in me. I miss my Durango. I really do. It was a great car. We still have it, actually, only it's not really drivable. With about $6000 it could be, though.

We're hanging onto it for when we have to help my daughter buy a car...we promised to match whatever she saved...sigh.

Well, that's enough of that. I suppose I should get back to wri--er, work.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Today's the day...

...fourteen years ago, at this moment, I held the most beautiful boy-child ever.

Okay, I was probably asleep by this time, but he was born @ 1:19 a.m. so it was much needed sleep while he was being doted on by the nurses.

He's taller than me now, which isn't saying much, but he's probably 5'7". And during his next growth spurt, he'll surpass his dad, too.

We celebrated on Tuesday since dad is winging his way to CA for the day. He loved the Wimpy Kids books and his yo yos and tricks book; but the best gift was the x-Box 360 game and walk-through book. Mom let him stay up past his bed time to play since he's otherwise grounded from electronics for the moment.

A good time was had by all...

Monday, December 14, 2009

Birthdays!

My baby turns fourteen in a matter of days. The passage of time for this particular child has always been a good thing. I was lucky enough to not have to work and I was able to spend a lot of time with this one as he grew from baby to toddler to elementary school kid. Each stage a joy and wonder to behold. He's a good boy, mostly. Our biggest issue is getting him to do his school/homework in certain subjects.

Now he's on the verge of high school and manhood. I'm not looking forward to the high school part so much, and the thought of having all three children out of the house by the time he graduates has so far overridden the possible sadness of the empty nest. I am mostly an unsentimental mother, definitely ready for oldest two birds to leave the nest. Unfortunately, it is most difficult for anyone to make it on their own, much less a young woman attending college and working part time.

Well, here's to birthdays and sons!

Happy Birthday, Son--

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

How do you write when...

...your muse takes a vacation.

I've been wanting to write. Oh, yes, I have. I've been trying to write. I have two--make that three--stories all needing attention, but I'm stumped. I switched from one story to another hoping it was just the one and that by changing characters and plot lines I'd be able to write. But no.

So I keep plodding along writing crap and filling my head with other stuff--feeding it, if you will--hoping that I'll get some inspiration.

I've watched the new Star Trek movie about thirteen times now; four episodes of JAG; the second to last ever episode of Robin Hood, listened to Christmas music, country music, rock music, read fanfic, written writing articles, and participated in fun things on the Internet with fellow fans of Robin Hood on various message boards and communities...

But nothing doing. I'm still struggling. But 'tis the season to be jolly, so jolly I shall endeavor to be despite the writing slump.

What makes you jolly?

Monday, December 7, 2009

Christmas

Well, it's December again. I'm in a bit of a Christmas mood, despite this being my least favorite time of the year.

I have my Time-Life Treasury of Christmas CD playing this morning. I've done a little decorating; mostly just some garland strung here and there. I dug out my Christmas dishes, too.

Next comes the tree...stay tuned.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

It's Snowing

Yes, here in North Texas, it is snowing. It's been going strong now for just under an hour and what a beautiful sight it is. It's accumulating on elevated places for the moment--the tops of cars that haven't been driven yet today. We're hovering right above freezing, temp wise, so it should stick for a short while.

The downside is the temps will rise and the snow will melt away (bye-bye snow). The upside is the temps will rise and the snow will melt away (no shoveling;).

Too bad I had to come to work this morning. It's a perfect morning for curling up with a good book (reading or writing, in my case) and a cup of hot tea or cocoa.