Life is Good – December 18, 2009

It’s Friday once again! And this is not just any Friday. It’s the Friday that my Brad comes home from school for Christmas break! I’ll get to enjoy the company of my oldest son for the next few weeks.

This is also the last Friday of the year on which I have to work! So I am happy, happy, happy this week and looking forward to the next two weeks of eight-hour days, and four-day weekends.

Christmas is on its way, and I’m ready. (Sort of.) The shopping is done, and the wrapping too. Kacey begged me to let her do some gift wrapping. Little did she know that begging was not necessary. I was more than happy to let her take care of every gift except for those meant for her and the boys. And she did a spectacular job of playing Santa’s little elf. After the wrapping was done, she arranged all of the packages carefully under the tree and it is looking very festive!

I’m looking forward to Christmas but as I hinted earlier, I’m not quite ready. On Christmas Eve I’ll be hosting the family festivities with my siblings and their families. I need to make a grocery list and get out to buy all the food. And there are cookies to be baked and other goodies to make. It’s really the cookie baking that’s making me nervous. I’m not sure where I’ll squeeze in the time to do this, but I’ll bet my little elf will gladly lend a hand again.

So things are pretty busy around here, but when I can find a spare moment, I’m enjoying a special new book which just arrived this week from Amazon. Do you know what’s so special about this book? In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash was the basis for my favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story.

With all that’s going on in these days before the holidays, it’s nice to have a good book in which to seek refuge now and then. It helps me keep my sanity!

And what about you? What made your life good this week?

They think my hat is funny

And Kacey thought I might be embarrassed with photographic evidence. But I’m not embarrassed. This is a vintage 1970s hat, hand-knitted by Aunt Shirley (or crocheted by Aunt Shirley. I don’t really know the difference.) And I have not actually worn it since the 1970s.  I’m actually not sure why it’s still in my possession. I brought it out this evening because Kacey thought she had a cool winter hat. I wanted to show her my cool winter hat. But she didn’t think it was so cool. Whatever. I kind of like it. I think I’ll wear it the next time she has all her friends over to the house!

Mall Slippers

I did something really dumb. I went to the mall on Friday, with plans for at least a few hours of shopping, wearing these:

And it wasn’t just any mall that I went to. It was the Mall of America, with multiple levels and over 400 stores to peruse. And it wasn’t just any day of shopping. It was a special day, as I was meeting my way-back-in-high-school friend, Kendra and we had a lot of catching up to do.

I met Kendra in the parking ramp at 10:00 a.m. and we started our day. We both had a ton of shopping to do for Christmas so we just worked our way around each level. Along the way, Kendra would point out many lovely (read “hideous”) articles of clothing she thought I should try on. These included an orange paisley print dress, under which she recommended I wear a purple turtleneck. There was also a leopard print blouse with ruffly sleeves and matching leggings. I think my favorite was the black lace, sparkly bra top with coordinating mini-skirt, reminiscent of the Madonna years. I thanked her for her suggestions but passed on all of them, citing my need to spend my money on gifts for others, not myself. (Kendra’s sense of humor hasn’t changed a bit since we were in high school!)

As we collected our Christmas purchases, we made a few trips back to the parking ramp to deposit the bags in our cars, then would return in search of more gifts for those on our lists. Several hours passed quickly and I noticed my feet were starting to ache. Actually, I think they were beyond “starting to ache.” They were well into the “killing me” stage.

And it seems I wasn’t the only stupid one that day. Kendra had worn a very similar pair of boots and the realization that my feet were killing me came with her announcement that her feet were killing her. So we came up with a plan of action. We took a break for lunch and a much-needed foot rest.

It was difficult getting back on our feet after lunch, but we had a mission. We left the restaurant and headed straight for DSW Shoe Warehouse.  We browsed all over DSW, where Kendra was quick to point out a pair of tall rubber boots in a lovely giraffe print to go with my orange paisley dress and purple turtleneck. I am in need of something to wear for Christmas. I may have to go back and snatch up these lovely items!

Our visit to DSW though, was not about giraffe-print rain boots. It was about finding comfortable (and cheap) footwear to get us through the remainder of our shopping without causing blisters and bunions. We strolled through the flats and the athletic footwear. We browsed through practical shoes and fingered the flip-flops. And then, the perfect footwear appeared, ensconced in a halo of golden light like a gift from heaven above!

Yes, it was a pair of slippers and I swear I heard a choir of angels singing as I slipped my tortured foot into its fleecy softness.  It was a pair of SmartDog slippers, to be more precise, with a soft, thickly padded lining and built-in arch support with a patented, air-cushioned, honeycomb foot bed and full shock absorption that moves naturally with your stride. These slippers are a foot’s best friend.  And with a DSW coupon, they were only $16.95, a small price to pay for some major relief.

Kendra and I each bought a pair and proudly wore them through the mall for the remainder of our shopping excursion, which turned out to be a grand total of NINE HOURS and a highly successful mission. My Christmas shopping is almost done! And my feet? They are happy!

Life is Good – December 11, 2009

Brrrr! It’s cold here! Look what I found in my back yard after all the snow and dropping temperatures this week! (Okay, okay, you got me. I’m kidding.) There have been some sub-zero temperatures overnight and in the early mornings, but as far as I know, no penguins have migrated this way.

We had our first winter storm on Tuesday and Wednesday, ensuring a white Christmas. It’s really put me in the holiday spirit, but I wouldn’t complain if it would warm up just a bit!

Kacey had her first behind-the-wheel driving lesson right in the midst of the storm. Lucky for her, she’s had her driver’s permit for over a year now. She’s not been in a hurry to get her license, and that’s just fine with me. But she decided it might be time to start getting serious, so she scheduled her first lesson a few weeks ago. Wouldn’t you know, it fell on the evening of the big storm. It was a great lesson for her to have to venture out in the snow and learn how to handle a car in this kind of weather. Word is, she avoided being t-boned by a school bus that was unable to stop at a red light. WHEW! She returned home two hours later, smiling, (a good sign) and holding the instructor’s report. I read through it and it was filled with “excellents.” She was so proud of herself and so was her mom!

I am in the midst of enjoying a four-day weekend. Remember Kendra? My best friend from high school with whom I recently reconnected? (Thank you, Facebook.) She had asked me several weeks ago if I could be free today to meet her for lunch as she had a dentist appointment very near my house this morning. I took the day off and told her I’d love to meet her for lunch. As it turns out, the dentist appointment isn’t until Monday. (So Kendra is enjoying a four-day weekend too!) “Lunch” has turned into “shopping and lunch.” I’m going to meet up with her at the Mall of America and we’re going to make a day of it. I still have a long ways to go in my Christmas shopping, so I’ll get to kill two birds with one stone today.

I’m looking forward to Saturday night as well. That’s the night that I was supposed to get together with my sister and girl cousins to see the boy cousins’ band play. I don’t get to see the cousins nearly as often as I like, so this has been something I’ve been looking forward to with anticipation all week long. The event has now turned into a get together with the girl cousins and some of the boy cousins, as well as the eighty-year-old aunt (!) to see the boy cousins’ band play. (The terms “girl cousins” and “boy cousins” should be taken with a grain of salt as we are all well into our adult years by now.)

What things made your life good this week?

*Photo courtesy of  Alaska-in-Pictures.com

The Stolen Christmas Meme

I stole this from Rock Chef who stole it from WIGSF who actually created the meme a few years ago. To be honest, Rock Chef gave permission to his readers to give it a go. Actually, so did WIGSF, but he wasn’t quite as polite about the offer. He actually said, “You people who want it will take it and do it. The others? Well, you suck. Get in the Christmas spirit, dammit!”

So its not really a stolen meme. But “stolen” sounds so much more exciting and dangerous, don’t you think? Not that writing a blog post involves a lot of danger, but my life’s just not that exciting, so let’s pretend this is exciting and dangerous, okay?

There was actually a purpose to this post, and it’s on the verge of getting lost if I don’t shut up and get on with it already, so let’s get back to it, shall we? Here goes!

What do you really want for Christmas but you know nobody will get it for you?

I want a Wallaby. Doesn’t everyone?

What do you not want for Christmas but you know that somebody will get it for you?

More Christmas tree ornaments. Not a year goes by that someone doesn’t gift us with a lovely ornament or two. I love them, especially ones that have special significance or sentimental value. But between us and the kids, we have been over-run with ornaments. The kids could each decorate their own trees alone and I’m sure I could easily take care of two. Time to donate some, maybe, huh?

When do you open your gifts (Christmas eve or Christmas morning?)

We’ll have a Christmas get-together with my extended family Christmas eve. Gifts exchanged that night are mainly for the kids, and they will get to open those. But our own little family celebration and gift opening takes place on Christmas morning.

Do you prefer gifts wrapped or in gift bags?

Makes no difference to me when I’m opening them. But I like to wrap those I’m giving in paper and bows. I make a big production of hauling out all the gifts, turning on the Christmas tunes and going crazy with the scissors and Scotch tape while I’m wrapping away for hours. Bows, however, only go on at the very last minute because otherwise, the cat will discover the bows and will eat them. And then she will poop them. And it’s all very disgusting. That was probably more than you needed to know, huh?

Did you regift anything this year?

No! I’ve never been comfortable doing that.

What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

A Christmas Story for sure, with The Santa Clause coming in a close second.

What’s your favorite Christmas t.v. special?

A Charlie Brown Christmas. Love the soundtrack!

Do you like eggnog?

Love it! The store-bought kind, anyway. It’s got to be Kemps though.

Real tree or fake tree? Which do you prefer?

I love the real ones, but they’re such a hassle. I’m pretty happy with my realistic looking artificial one.

Would you actually use one of those fireplace DVDs if you don’t have a  fireplace?

Not me, but my in-laws will have their television tuned in to the local t.v. station that airs the burning yule log all day long on Christmas day.

Are you sick of Christmas music yet?

No way!

Are you getting up early to wait in line to do some Boxing Day shopping?

We don’t recognize Boxing Day here in the U.S. but I think it generally falls on the day after Christmas (unless that day is a Saturday and then it’s moved to the following Monday. Or so says Wikipedia.) Regardless, you won’t catch me out shopping the day after Christmas. I probably won’t even leave the house. That’s a vegetating day in my book!

When was the last time you sat on Santa’s lap?

I think I had that honor once, when I was about five years old. So, yeah. That was about 25 years ago, give or take a couple (or 13) years.

So, in the words of WIGSF, I’m not tagging anybody. You people who want it will take it and do it. The others? Well, you suck. Get in the Christmas spirit, dammit!

We are Minnesotans! We scoff in the face of winter! (Unless hunkering down under the blankets is an option…)

It’s official. The first winter storm of the season showed up to have a party here in Minnesota. It’s not all as bad as it could have been. We’ve got about five inches of snowfall so far. It is predicted to continue snowing and blowing for the remainder of today.

I could hear the wind howling outside my bedroom window when I woke up this morning. I can’t even begin to tell you how difficult it was to pull myself out from under that down comforter. The cats were cozied up around me, adding to the warmth and I was tempted to turn off the alarm clock, close my eyes and go back to dreamland. My new fleece lounge pants were so warm and cozy, I was seriously reluctant to get dressed. But I knew I was going to need a head start, so I gave myself a pep talk and ventured into the cold morning air.

I trudged to the family room and stopped in front of the windows, wrapping my arms around myself, shivering. The snow accumulation didn’t look as heavy as I’d imagined it could be. The frost on the windows told me it was the cold temperatures that would be the bigger issue today. The swirling snow under the streetlight also made it clear that strong winds blowing snow across the roadways would make the morning commute interesting.

So I resolved myself to making the trek to work today. I hurried to find something to wear and then tried not to linger too long under the hot water of the shower. Again, it was tempting to just hang out there for longer than was prudent, but the howling winds outside reminded me that the drive to work would be more of an adventure than usual. Remembering the cold temperatures in the office the past two days, I dressed in layers, determined not to spend half the day in my jacket and scarf again.

I hustled to get ready for work and threw a lunch together. Remembering that Corey, the milk man was coming, I stuck his check for last week’s delivery on the refrigerator along with a note telling him I had to leave early and I’d see him next week. Then I unlocked the front doors for him. He’d let himself in and back out again, no problem. I then grabbed boots, wool mittens and my heavy Columbia winter jacket and tossed them into the back seat of my car, just in case I had car trouble and needed to dress like an Eskimo until help arrived.

Finally ready to go, about a half hour earlier than normal, I punched the garage door opener and got my first serious look at the outdoor conditions. There was about a foot of snow piled up in my driveway and I began to wonder if I’d even get my car out of the driveway. But have no fear! I just gunned it and made it out to the street, where the plows had graciously paved the way for me to exit our development. The roads and freeways were pretty clean, the biggest problem being the blowing snow which made it nearly impossible to see the lines on the roads. The going was slow and I realized I was all kinds of tensed up with fear of black ice, visions of spinning out or crashing, and the minivan with one headlight whose driver insisted on riding right up on my bumper. I decided I needed to relax, so I quit thinking about the idiot behind me who eventually changed lanes and drove off to annoy someone else. I pressed the button on the car stereo for the radio station that is playing only Christmas tunes from Thanksgiving through December 25th. I took a deep breath and relaxed.

AND… I made it. It took me twice as long as usual, but arrived with plenty of time to spare. I even had time to stop at Caribou Coffee and pick up a White Chocolate Mocha, a nice warm treat on such a cold morning. A few of my coworkers had arrived early as well. I love days like this when we share stories of our driving adventures and pat ourselves on the back for braving such intimidating weather. We are Minnesotans! We are hardy and bold! We’re not intimidated by a little cold and snow!

Don’t get me wrong though. If they closed down the office, I’d happily hibernate at home for the day!

And I still have to get back home again tonight! Wish me luck!

Wintery Mix

The first significant snowfall of the season is sprinkling the ground as I write this. Snow has been falling most of the day. I watched it from my office window, a fine powder, actually blowing against the windows rather than falling to the ground. It really didn’t look that bad, but I heard a lot of reports of slippery conditions and slow traffic. There’s been a lot of hype about our first winter storm, but I’m not buying into it just yet. Reports say that we might see eight inches of accumulation by sometime on Wednesday. More in the southern part of the state.  I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ve come to regard meteorologists kind of like the boy who cried wolf. They always seem to make a big deal about the weather. We all get excited and hyper and rush out to buy an extra gallon of milk and some bread because god forbid we have to venture out in the snow lest we starve, and then…. nothing. Or at least nothing much.

The drive home from work was slow. It took me twice the normal time. But it was just slow, not icy or treacherous. There were no accidents.

Ask me how I feel about all this in the morning after it snows all night long. This might really be the precursor to a truly big storm. The kids are probably crossing their fingers for school closings tomorrow. I better get up early for work, just in case it takes me eleventy hundred hours to get there. The office won’t close for snow, no matter how much there is.

It’s been freezing in the office this week. It was 62 degrees in there. I had my scarf and jacket on for most of the morning. See?

How come when it’s 62 degrees outside, we get all giddy and rave about how warm it is, but when it’s 62 degrees inside, I can’t stop shivering?

And another thing that’s been nagging at me all day long – How come none of us are bothered by the fact that Mommy was kissing Santa Claus instead of kissing Daddy?

Cousins

It was a very busy weekend! I did some Christmas shopping, attended my aunt’s 80th birthday party, bowled, cleaned the walk-in closet, did the regular cleaning, did laundry, grocery shopped, created the Christmas photo-card…

But by far, the best part of the weekend was spending time with my mom’s family at my aunt’s birthday party. They all live in the next state, in Wisconsin. And since we live very near the border, they aren’t a huge distance away, but just enough that we don’t see each other often. It takes a major occasion for all of us to get together. I really enjoyed catching up with my family this weekend.

My siblings and I are on the younger end of the cousin spectrum, so some of our cousins’ kids are actually closer to our age than some of the first cousins. Jamie and Jen are two second cousins that my sister and I were close with growing up. It was so fun seeing them, swapping kid stories and laughing about old times.

Some of the “boy” cousins have a band that plays locally, and we girls have decided that we’ve had enough of going years without seeing each other. We’re getting together next weekend to go see the band and have some fun!

Don’t you just love that with family, no matter how long it’s been, you can just pick right up again where you left off?

Cory (my beautiful sister), second cousins, Jamie and Jen, and me.

Life is Good – December 4, 2009

Whoa! It’s December already! Can you believe it?

I’m sure you’ll all be relieved to know that Winslow the Thanksgiving Turkey has been found. I know you were just as worried about his whereabouts as I was.

So where was he? Winslow and friends were whoopin’ it up back behind some of the Christmas boxes.  They missed their big day and didn’t even care! When I dragged their sorry asses out from hiding two days after Thanksgiving, they were downing the last of a case of beer with Santa Bear 1986 and a family of snowmen. I swear. I don’t know where they learn these things. It’s disgraceful! That Santa Bear is a BAD influence!

I got the turkeys whipped into shape, gave them some Tylenol for the hangovers that were sure to follow their little escapade, and packed them safely away in their proper place so they might be easily located next year. Afterwards, we managed to get the Christmas tree assembled and decorated with new L.E.D. lights and lots of ornaments. We decked the halls around this place and it’s looking pretty festive!

And no, I haven’t done any Christmas shopping yet. I’m not one of those early shoppers. I like to avoid the stores on Black Friday at all costs. I’ll get started shopping this weekend and it will probably take me until the week of Christmas to finish. That’s the way I do things and I like it that way.

In completely unrelated non-holiday news, the highlight of my week came when Jake finally applied to the local community college. He’s going to school! We had to push him to do it, but once he filled out the application, suddenly he was full of ideas about what he might like to do with his life. Go figure. I guess it just took a little nudging from his parents to make him realize that living at home until he’s thirty probably doesn’t sound like much fun.

And in the “I’m not sure how I feel about this” department, someone in this family has a boyfriend. I won’t say who, as I make it a policy to try not to embarrass my children on the blog. He seems like a nice boy though. He came over to the house, met the parents, and was very polite. I guess I really can’t complain so Mr. New Boyfriend gets a nod in the Life is Good post this week.

This weekend I’m looking forward to seeing a bunch of relatives on my mom’s side of the family when we attend my aunt’s 80th birthday party. It should be fun. And afterwards? You guessed it! BOWLING!

How about you? Anything good going on this weekend?

Boutique Sales

The office boutique has been open all week and ends Friday. I’ve received a ton of compliments on my photography! I mean, a ton! Makes me feel kind of giddy  I’m thinking that once I get the hang of Photoshop, imagine what I might be able to accomplish!

Sales, however, are a different story. I’ve only sold three so far. One of them is clearly the favorite. It’s the macro shot of the rain/snow drops on the verge of falling off a branch. (Bottom, center in the picture below.) I placed this particular photo in a float frame and it was the first one sold. I have duplicates of all of the shots in a display album and took another order for the same print in the same frame. I’m now on the hunt for all the frames of that style that I can find. I’ve been to two of the store locations this week, finding only one more in that style. I am heading to another location today. Since this is such a well-liked frame, I want to have more on hand for future use.

I priced the framed photos at twenty dollars each and have been asked if I’m sure that’s all I want. I’m sure I just wanted to see if anyone is interested in these things. The office is such a small environment, I’m not surprised I haven’t sold many. But the feedback I’ve received is enough to tell me I could do alright in a larger setting.