Christmas Review

To daughter's house for Christmas
Presents in the Elvis Room

Movies for later

THE CHAIR! Christmas present to make gaming even more awesome!

My youngest daughter's house

This a man dog?

Oldest Grandson with lst born daughter

Leopard Skin Shoes done and ready to hang

Youngest grandson - can't stay off the computer

Nana & Christian

Shop stop for some seafood



We had a great Christmas. Good snacks, fun together, a new puppy, Weezie (which I really wish they could clone me one - he's adorable and soooo good. The weather a bit drizzly with rain, today sunshine. Too many lemon drop martinis - whoooooo - too many calories - but good times - even remembered how to jitterbug much to the grandkids, or at least the one who was "jitterbugging" with, delight.

"H" is out shopping day after sales, I'm too broke for that, so youngest grandson and I are watching movies -

My granddaughter would not permit any pictures on Christmas day - :(

"H" and I went to NINE and IT'S COMPLICATED yesterday, both about men who were egotistical womanizing butts - but the casting, costumes, unique presentation and plot behind NINE made up for that many many times over - and Penelope Cruz who never seemed more than a shadow did a number that was really powerful - she won't be forgotten. And even a few moments of Sophia Loren were worth the whole movie as well. I would give it a "9!"

We laughed so hard through "IT'S COMPLICATED" and cheered at the ending, she made the right choice.

That sums it up - now on to New Year's then Mardi Gras......

Happy Holidays

Hope everyone enjoys the slowdown and holiday(s), whichever, or however you choose to celebrate!

We're having a hodge-podge - Christmas eve with youngest daughter and grandson, and older daughter and grandkids coming from Mobile - then not sure when we'll put in a small turkey over here - need to accommodate those coming and going - "H" and I can always plan snacks around them.

Then celebration with friends on the weekend - but right now feel too tired to do one more thing tonight/p!

Snowbird friends will arrive to their place over the bridge after Christmas.

And I still don't have my fall yardwork done.

The pantry, however, and the laundry room have been painted and are fresh!

The poor potted plant's bows are beginning to droop - my visitors today made fun of our tree - well, they should come and put us up a proper one!

The Nutcracker Ballet was a good show, a bit non-traditional, but delightful as always. Grandson has gathered two additional new nutcrackers for his collection, one picked up from the ballet. We went to eat at Red Lobster and he had a proper Christmas with Grandma. Hope for some special time with each older one when they are here!

Time to find a snack! Happy Holidays!

Testing 1, 2, 3

"H" bought me a new camera for Christmas. So far it looks really super - I wanted one with a less limiting focal length than I now have, where I could print large format should the whim hit me, one that had good macro and the possibility to change lenses for wide angle, yet digital, rechargeable batteries, small - she's all that, plus does HD video! Now I wish he had saved this money before buying me the Flip video camera. Well, they won't go to waste! The only limitation I found is that the SD cards, I think are expensive but they can load - $19.95 for 490 photos not bad, the internal memory is really limited! Only two pics. I have the option of setting the camera for the large format size down to the size for emails and posting on web. Oh yeah, do I feel spoiled! I can't wait to hit the great outdoors!

An SD card that will hold the info for over two hours of HD is really espensive though.

The top photo was a night shot - the only illumination was the flash. Powerful for a little digital.

The berries - well, I know the macro works fine! The "natural" folage in our yard - from the swamp it was before homes - is not lacking in detail. I happy.

Christmas prep charges on - have to take a break and take grandson to doctor - he has an infected foot! His mom is sick. Stepdad on way to pick up his cousin for Christmas visit!

I'm not cooking much for Christmas - not like I did Thanksgiving - that cost me ten pounds (not pounds, but too much weight.)

Ok, someone sitting in the chair I need to get rid of so I can work or whatever in peace.....

Better call that doctor!

The 60's - 70's and Men

Shouldn't do this - but as Manic Street Preacher says - tonight I am knackered. And I'm walking down memory lane to the tune of music from the Pandora on line radio station.

Willie Nelson wrote a song to to all the women I've ever loved - - - here's to the men....some of them....whom I've thought I loved.

Sarge McClintock - I found him on Facebook tonight. I thought I loved him. A disc jockey extraordinaire of the 60's - wondered what ever happened to Sarge - we were all into protest back then - he drank so much and look at him in the photo - must have been taken a few years ago.

He worked for the radio station where I was Miss KATI Icecycle. Which meant I had to walk around the mall in the winter in a bikini and five inch heals.....and a banner on the front of my bikini and have my picture taken - KATI!

Then, oh my gosh, Steve, a real screwball who asked me out and wanted me to become a stripper in Denver! I dumped him. Fine aspiration. Needless to say sometimes I wasn't too picky about my dating - but then I was rather naive as well.

The soldier from Mississippi I met in a Las Vegas night club that wanted to marry me - he lost his leg in the service . . . our worlds were too far apart - I really didn't mind he was handicapped, but so far apart....

Then, the music teacher in high school that had contacts in New York and called my parents in to talk about a career for me in the Rockettes - well, I sure was excited, a hidden dream of mine was to become a dancer. I don't know what happened - I never heard anymore about it. Why did he do that?

The night club outside of town - with steaks and dancing and lots of drinks - such a small dance floor - but in an isolated place, surrounded by pine trees and regulars...the Goose Egg Inn. What men were there - ah, Terry, Bill - and Bill's brother from Memphis (tall men who danced like a dreaming). I was married to Terry for two years and he fathered my son. He is an artist - I think still alive. I don't know. I'm angry at him, my son needed a father, and he ran.

The 60's dragged on into Iowa - and Faber - the crazy Irishman who carried me on his back from bar to bar - man, that guy was fun crazy. Asked me to marry him, but then I decided he was too fun crazy for marriage material. Faber is dead. I didn't cry. Then Mike, the guy I did marry who drove his truck down the road and I barely saw him - and I finally packed my little kids up and left him.

Before that, there were the boys, no, men, all supposedly "family" men at the insurance company in Baltimore - all but one were hustling me in some way - or maybe wistfully wishing, who knows, I was always so tall - they didn't make panty hose back then, so my garter and nylons peeking out from under my pencil skirts - - one took me for martinis on Wednesdays after work, but was very proper. What did a 40 year old man have in common with a 20 year old? I don't know. And then the other guy who gave me rides to work and slept with me once - Milt. Another, a crazy chiropractor who dated a stipper - where was I in the lineup? The middle eastern men who stalked me in Baltimore......the Pakistani I married before going to Baltimore who left for his home country three days after the marriage....and I later found out he had a wife and eight children in Pakistan.......An Iranian student who wanted to marry me in Baltimore, but didn't know how to break it to his father back in Iran....told ya'll I was a middle eastern man magnet....

Then - Alvin - the Indian who brought me into his world where I almost became lost - I will never forget the smell of woodsmoke, the taste of pork and corn over an open fire, and Indian bread . . . his skin smelled of smoke.....

Mike in Baltimore - the artist who broke my heart - and whose sculptured pieces of jewelry I still wear....

Jim in the 70's in Rawlins, who was my protector - who loved me from afar - got me a good job -and with whom I worked hand in hand for many years......

Mike, my soul friend for so many years in the 70's, I loved him, but nothing improper there . . . except perhaps he depended on me too much.......

Lonnie, who called me, stricken with cancer - a youthful sweet friend and sweetheart who apologized for taking advantage - we were Jr. High sweethearts - all I could do in the future time was to love him because he needed peace for the end - - - I have my suspicions that he killed himself rather than face the debilitation of cancer.....

Then men who were stuck in my skin like porky pine quills = = - that i have a long time since shedded.

I met God somewhere along the line - He reigned me in, he made me HIS lover - and men have dropped by the wayside - still some times I remember - maybe I shouldn't.

I have always been a wanderer - I will never know what or who tomorrow will bring to me.

Shocked - well, yes! I am a bit myself. Perhaps tomorrow, sober, I will delete this! I don't know.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Wrap me please - don't forget to stick some sardines in my box, maybe tuna too....

Not a Good Day

It started out good enough today - got my first mile in on elliptical, drank all my green stuff, vitamins down - yes - shower, good hair day - grandson spending two days here - fun!

Well, grandson was dropped off with a present for the birthday party he was to attend. I was invited to a Christmas party. We left the house in the rain for the Christmas party and had a nice enough time, then left there for the birthday party.

Now, I really like kids, all ages, I really do. I adore them. Individually. In a group they scare me. The little varmits are like dogs - they are pack animals and they all want to be alpha. Nothing cat about a little kid. Thankfully grandson is 12 and super well behaved, didn't worry about him, and just tried to stay out of the others way and read until the ordeal was over.

This "birthday party" business - dozens of kids running around, screaming, screeching, dim light, about 8 things, 15 feet high, with slides, filled with air which hissed every few seconds, another sound that closely mimicked a car horn honking every 60 seconds, and Alvin and the Chipmunks singing something about "Christmas time...." and a dog barking to the tune of "Jingle Bells."

Two hours..........two looooooooooooooong hours. I wanted to put my head in my arms and cry.

I have decided that, despite the fact a 50 year plus person has much more experience and wisdom (theoretically) under their belt, their nerves are worn out, and that is exactly why God saw fit to give children to younger people.

Then, bright idea to take the recycling bags (three large ones that wouldn't fit in the pick-up bin) to the drop off point at the fire station. It was dark by then. I stepped in a deep puddle, slipped and my cell phone fell from my pocket into the puddle. I threw the recyclables into the air, retreived the cell phone and laid it on a paper towel where I thought it might drain the best, disposed of the recyclables and came home to dry the phone out with the hair dryer.

Blackberry acting like a crazed robot from the worst of Sci Fi movies. Sob. I am incognito - stranded - no phone!!!! It still beeps, I know people are trying to reach me, but no can see them or who is calling! Panic!

That led to another cookie binge - oh heavens, I feel like a complete failure today!!!!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen...

While South Florida schemes for a rail system to connect two major cities, northwest Florida, the "stepkid" of Florida, skimps on all things including Christmas decorations this year. However, I found the somber mood of downtown the other day rather beautiful in a goth sort of way.

Not much eventful has been happening - I can't seem to get much done. Maybe its Farmtown, dunno. Something tempting about creating a virtual world that is mostly "perfect." No spots on the carpets there - no dust - no litter boxes - a barn that never gets dirty.

Grandson has been here this weekend - don't see him too much, so have enjoyed - much. Today took him for shoes - it was so cold and his toes were coming through the old ones, we got haircuts, ate at Olive Garden, he did his shopping for Christmas at the Dollar Store. I always find it delightful to see what children chose for presents!

I have some projects to do for Christmas and hope to get on top of them so I can make some Kringla - but no more baking than that because I eat it.

"H" home in bed fighting off a bug - probably just really tired. It is a proven fact that cold weather takes more energy, and for us chicken hearted sub tropical peeps it is COLD. I love letting the cold air in at night and snuggling into a warm nest of bed, infared quilt, and lots of pillows and puffy beddings. This morning it was 42 degrees - I forget - Farenheidt or Centigrade - oh dear, how old is THAT!

Hope to get to Mobile this coming week to see my oldest daughter's family. Plans sometimes don't work out!

My decorating is done, I think, except I'm looking for a bargain for a white poinsettia, and perhaps some more bird trimmings for my tree if I can find more bargains - the Dollar Stores are sometimes full of surprises. I found some pretty little white ones on twigs that fit into the tree. Don't know why I'm getting so taken with birds - is it an old age thing? If anyone knows where I can buy a tiny bird sized Santa hat for Nevermore, let me know.

I have a "real" wreath for the door that I'm adding redberries to - and when the door opens and closes, a whiff of fresh pine fills the air for a few minutes anyway!

Have to procure tickets to Nutcracker - always have taken the grandson - Ticketmaster seems to have changed this year and I am having a problem purchasing tickets where we sit together. There HAS to be a way!

That's all - life is comfortably boring - I like it that way.