Christmas Update, Better Late Than Never!

   I was just reading some older posts, and realized that Christmas came and went and I never revealed exactly why Hubs and son couldn't make the family Christmas dinner. As a surprise for his dad, my son purchased tickets for the two of them to attend the Christmas Eve Giants NFL football game. It was a big secret. Jess didn't want his dad to know about it.

   You see, the Giants are my Hubs' favorite team. But for many years he couldn't even watch any football games, as he worked Sunday and Monday nights. He worked every other Saturday as well. Since he worked nights, he would have to sleep through any football games that were on TV. But last year, he was moved to the opposite night shift, so he had Sundays and Mondays off! At long last he could watch the football games.

  Unfortunately, it seemed that whenever he would watch the Giants play, they would lose. Even if they were ahead when he started watching! So he kind of stopped watching, it being his fault that they were losing all the time. But ever since he saw them play in person, which was his first time ever, I should mention, it seems that the curse has been broken!


   And now the Giants are going to the Super Bowl. Hubs is beside himself. He was very surprised about his gift, and very, very pleased!  Now he has the memories that he will never forget, and the experience was very memorable indeed!


   There was a group that went to the game, my son, his girlfriend, her mom and sister, and some friends all went. Some of them are Giants fans and some are Jets fans. It made for an interesting mix! After the game, I went down to Julies house, and we all had dinner together. It was the first time we had met Julies mom and step-dad. At that point, they had been seeing each other for over a year. It was long overdue, don't you think?


   Anyway, this year marks the first Super Bowl that Hubs can watch in about 15 years. He super excited about it. As for myself, I have mixed feelings. I am used to watching to the heck I want to that night, and I may have to go into the bedroom to watch TV for the evening. Or maybe not...

In Which I Make a Confession

  That's right, I've been slacking off in the craft department. I apologise to all. The only thing I've really been working on is Samantha's scarf. And even that, only sporadically.I am a bad G-ma. I've not been working on Chloe's sweater. I have a feeling that by the time I get it done, it will need to be a bigger size.

   I have no legitimate excuse. I think I have just lost my oomph. I just don't feel like crocheting or knitting these days. I do still take something with me when I go out, just in case, but I really haven't worked on anything regularly, except for at Stitch n Bitch, where it's required.

   I did spin quite a bit on my drop spindle, but it's getting so full I think I need to take the yarn off of it. Then I want to try my friend's drop spindle. I do have more fiber to spin. I can't wait to get a lesson in using my spinning wheel! So here are some old photos, to remind you:

   Looking at that last one, I have to say, there is a lot more work done than is shown in this photo. I'm saying this in my own defense. I will take a new photo soon, so you can see the difference!

   Happy crafting, everyone!!

Fair Warning: Controversial Subject Matter

   This post started out as part of a collection of random thoughts, and took on a life of its own. This is the subject I mentioned in an earlier post, the one I was having trouble with. If you read further, Please keep in mind that these are my own opinions. I am not faulting anyone for how they live their life.

    Question: Could vegetarianism cause one to become mentally unbalanced? Obviously this doesn't happen to all people who choose this lifestyle; I see you, put down the baseball bats. I know one person who is a Vegan, what I call the militant kind, even if they might not be. She is so different since she went Vegan! She seems to have boundless energy now, it makes me tired just talking to her. Obviously, it's working for her. And I'm happy for her. She has answered my questions about the lifestyle clearly, and I get it, I do. It's just not natural, if you will pardon the pun.

    Our species evolved as hunters who ate meat to survive. We also ate vegetables and grains, sure. But we started out on meat. The other stuff came later. I hate to be the one to break it to the vegetarian/Vegan people, but animals are not our equals. We have been placed higher on the food chain. That is just how it is, a fact of life on this planet.

    Another thing that really bothers me is the way that animals are humanized, by such organizations as the SPCA. I am not an inhuman monster, I think people who abuse animals should be punished, but that being said, animals don't have the emotional capacity to feel the things that their commercials make you think they do. Animals are very realistic, they live totally in the now. They accept how things are, they are not dreaming of a better life, no matter how hard these organizations push the sad puppy-face pictures. PUT DOWN THE BASEBALL BATS! These animals, all animals, deserve a happy home, with nice people to take care of them.

   I just wish that humans were a priority. When there are no more children being abused, or wives being beaten, and no more kids in foster care or group homes, then, THEN, we can worry about the animals. I might sound harsh, and I don't mean to sound heartless. I am not. We had a rescued Greyhound for many years, and loved her dearly until her death.

   On a similar note, why do some people who do good things, have to go around announcing to everyone that they do good things? And how wonderful they are? Is there a point system I don't know about? Are they going to get into their idea of heaven this way? What I do is private. I am not looking for anyone's approval. If I wanted everyone to know about it, I would tell them. Or there would be a master list somewhere we could all look at and see who is doing "good works" and where they are doing it.

   OK, I think I'm done. Would someone help me down off my soapbox, please? And not announce it to the whole world?

The Joy of Sleeping In

   Today I got to sleep in! Of course, I woke up when Hubs got home from work, and it took a while to get back to sleep, because he was banging and cursing in the kitchen. He had decided to make an omelet and had trouble getting the lid for the pan out of the cupboard. But I finally fell back asleep! I didn't get up until 10. It was absolutely wonderful and indulgent.

   I made coffee when I got up, and Hubs had some with me. Shortly after that, he went in to try to go to sleep. By noonish, I got my coffee finished, and got dressed. I went to visit my beloved daughter Sara. We had a nice visit. Then we went to Adams Fairacre Farms, I needed to get some meats, and theirs are really good quality. It just so happens that Sara lives near there! I figured I might as well, right? I just couldn't get near the coffee counter. The meat was way too heavy in my hand basket.

   Another time, I will make the trip and get some coffee. They have loose tea there too. Perfect! Just what I need for my tea maker I got for Christmas. So now it's late afternoon, and I need to decide what to have for dinner. It will be pork chops, it totally depends on my son, whether he will be home for dinner or not. If he will be home, I will need double the amount of meat that I cook for Hubs and myself alone. He is that big an eater. But being a Karate instructor, six days a week, he uses up a lot of calories.

   I am assuming that at some point he will be traveling to his girlfriends house, but I see that she's working until late tonight. So he may not go until after dinner. Either way, I have two packages of pork chops out. If he's going to be here, I will cook them both, if not, I will cook only one and put the other one if the freezer.

   Can any of my dear readers take a wild guess why I can't wait for him to move out? My food bill will go down drastically! And I will save lots of money! Woot!

Another Busy Busy Day

   Yup, today I had another busy day. I left home at 9 a.m. and have been on the run almost the whole darn day. First was Stitch n Bitch, then I took care of my youngest charge for 4 hours. Then home to get Hubs off to work, and I got to relax for about half an hour. Then it was off to Karate to hang with my bud Kim, at least I hope she's still my bud... And from there I went directly to Bonny's for a Dove Chocolate tasting party. Whew. I spent the last of my grocery money on that one. Oh, well. Who needs to eat?

   I brought my camera, but didn't get to take any photos. It was a little dark in there. The chocolate was delicious for the most part. It just seems that lately every Friday turns into a busy day! My young charge is very adorable. I intend to ask her parents if I can take her photo, so I can show you how adorable she is. My older charge is 9, and very jealous. She wants me to be her babysitter exclusively. I will ask if I can take her photo too, I wouldn't want to be accused of favoritism!

   My post is late tonight, I just got home from the chocolate party. And I had to run to the store, we were nearly out of half and half. That would be a disaster! And I am really tired too. Working for a living sucks, even if it's babysitting, and part time. But I will say that I am learning a lot from Nick Jr.!!

   I walked in there yesterday, and they were teaching preschoolers sign language! I learned from a singing woman how to sign different emotions. I now can make the signs for "grumpy" and "silly".  I am sure I will find these very useful!

   The other day they were talking about art concepts. Pointilism! The moose explained about making a painting made up of different color dots. "Can you say Pointilism, boys a girls?" I KID YOU NOT. "From far away its a picture, but when you look at it up close, it's all dots!"

   I absolutely could not compete with that. Who needs school? Pretty soon they can issue kids a high school degree before they even go to a real school! It just blows my mind. If they had had this stuff on TV when my kids were little? Who knows where they would be by now!!

Seen at the Supermarket Today...

   Today I had to go to the supermarket, as I needed more meat for dinner. I picked up my package of meat, and headed to the checkout. I really detest the check-yourself-out check outs, I feel there isn't enough human interaction anymore. I only use it when I am really in a hurry and there's no one waiting on a line for one.

   I went to the line where there was no one waiting, an old lady was the only customer. She was almost done, the checkout boy was packing her purchases in bags for her. She was just standing there, leaning on the cart. He was finished with her order, so he started mine. The old lady was still just standing there. Her bags were not in her cart. How hard is it to pick up your bags and put them in the cart?

   The young man put my meat in a bag for me, And I walked around the old lady, who was finally putting her bags in her cart... Now, I know, I know, the kid could have put the bags in her cart for her. But she could have asked him to also. I almost always pack my own groceries in the bags myself. I prefer to. It takes a lot less time.

   I get sincerely aggravated at people who just stand there, expecting the cashier to pack for them. It takes sooo much longer, and these people look like assholes when they just stand there! I have even commented that it's faster for everyone if you pack your own groceries!!

   And don't get me started on people who don't even have a check written out until after their order is all finished!! I always had my check written out, except for the amount, by the time I got to the checkout line. Of course, that was back when I wrote a check to pay for my groceries. Now I just use my debit card. No fuss, no muss.

   I guess that this was my ranting for today! You can relax now, it's over! See you tomorrow!

The Power of the Coffee Maker

   What is it about the humble coffee maker that can make or break my day? The most horrible day in my memory is the day I got up, wandered into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker as usual. I try to have to all set up before I go to bed, or I could have coffee sprinkled all over the kitchen. That particular day, I patiently waited the prescribed amount of time in which it takes to brew my usual half pot (2 cups) of Heaven.

   I stumbled into the kitchen and to my utter surprise, there was a cold and empty coffee maker sitting on my counter. It had died. I was extremely agitated, as it was a relatively new coffee maker. It was only a few years old.  So I had to get dressed, and head out to buy a new one, with absolutely no caffeine in my system.

   It turned out that it was easily replaced, but I got some looks walking around my local supermarket clutching the box to my chest. I must have looked desperate. To anyone who looked sympathetically at me, I told my sad story. Most people were very understanding of my plight.

   I brought the new coffee maker home, washed its parts, and made a pot of luscious chocolate goodness. I was saved. It is still a traumatic event in my life.

   At least the last coffee maker I was attached to announced in advance it was nearing the end of its life. I still look back fondly at that one! I truly wish I had bought another one of that brand, it was the best coffee maker EVER. It brewed the coffee directly into a carafe and actually told us when it was done brewing! It rang out five loud beeps. It was so awesome. I would get out of bed, start it, and go back to bed to snuggle with the Hubs. When we heard the beeps, we knew it was really time to get up.

   Unfortunately, I had paid lots of money for that pot. And at this point I can't afford to buy another one like it. But I do look forward to perhaps buying a similar one in the future. I can't wait to see what new things they have built into the newer models!

   Final thought: Perhaps at some point I should go and buy a back up coffee maker, as my current one is acting up on occasion. I think if it knew there was a replacement waiting in the wings, it might behave.  And maybe I could save myself an uncaffeinated shopping trip...

Sunday's Movie Report On Tuesday

Written Sunday:
   This morning, there was nothing much to watch on regular TV. This continues to astonish me, that we have hundreds of different channels, and still can find nothing to our satisfaction to watch.

   Before he went off to bed, Hubs and I were watching a movie on Netflix. I had watches A Wrinkle In Time last night, and it was really good. After it was over, I went through the Science Fiction and Fantasy selections and pulled out some movies I might be interested in, and put them in the Instant Queue.

   The movie we were watching was one of those. I continued watching it after he went to bed. It didn't suck, but it wasn't very satisfying either. I was amused that it was narrated by Amanda Tapping, of the Stargate TV series, and now starring in Sanctuary. What I found really amusing was that other actors from Sanctuary were also in the movie. The actors who play Henry the werewolf, and her character's daughter Ashley were also featured in the movie with Ms. Tapping.

   Then I tried watching a Charlie Chan movie, from 1945. It turned out that I had seen that particular one already. Hubs got up for a cigar about this time, so we went through the selection together. We chose another movie, called Gamer, with Gerard Butler. YUM! I would watch him in almost anything. We watched this for about a half an hour, and it was very confusing, it jumped all over the place, the past, the present(of the movie), and between different characters. It was hard to follow. Shortly after Hubs went back to bed, I turned it off.

   Then I selected and rejected a few more films, then finally settled on a cartoon called The Secret of Kells. I almost turned it off right away, as the style of animation put me off. But I decided I wanted to see the story, so I got over it.

   Of course, all this movie viewing will come to an abrupt end when the Giants football game comes on later. But I have a few hours until then! I think I will try another Charlie Chan film when this animated one is over...

P.S. And the Giants WON! And they are going to the fracking Super Bowl!

We Have My Specialty For Dinner!

   I am not the worlds best cook, but there are a couple of dishes that I make that are awesome. The first is my mom's chili. I have changed a few things and made it my own. Now my beloved daughter has the recipe, and I can't wait to see what she does with it.

   Another recipe is Stroke. I have discussed Stroke in an earlier post, so I will just say that this was my Hubs' favorite dish when he was a kid. Again, I changed it just a little and made it my own.

   The third, and the one I am most proud of, is my macaroni and cheese. I make it from scratch, just like my mom taught me. It always comes out absolutely perfect. No matter what I do to it. I think the only change is have made is the type of pasta I use. My mom always used elbows, and I now use Cavatappi; which is elbows, but corkscrew-like. It's like they let it go through the machine longer before they cut it.  I have been tempted to use Rotelle at times, but we like the Cavatappi.

   I had already had one helping of the mac n cheese before I remembered to take a photo of it... So here it is, minus one helping!

   OK, so I like big helpings.... Anyway, it was good this time too! I was worried it might be soupy because the roux wasn't as thick as it usually is. But it turned out just fine. I was just informed that there are two servings removed from the dish, since Hubs had some on his plate before I took the photo.

   Tonight we had pork chops with my marvelous mac n cheese. I cooked them on my cast iron grill pan. I love that pan! Now, just as it has always been, the meat served with the mac n cheese is mentioned as an afterthought. Mac n cheese is the star, baby!

Lookie What I Did!

   I thought it was high time I showed off my outstanding spinning ability. So I took some photos of my spindle and the yarn I have produced so far.

   Here is a close up shot of the same yarn.

  I can't use the spindle for too long, my arm gets tired. I have been very inactive in the nearly three years since I lost my job. But, slowly but surely, I will work on it, and soon I will start to use my wheel. No photos of that yet. I had to tuck it into a corner of my living room for now. It's easily accessable, but still out of the way.

   With all the nasty snow today, I didn't go out, except to move the cars when our plow guy came. But my beloved youngest child took my Jeep to go visit his friend who works at a local pizza parlor, and I had him bring me back a giant slice pizza. I highly reccommend them and the pizza! The parlor is A Touch of Naples, and we love their pizza.

  Here is a photo of half of the pizza. It's so big, they need two boxes to put it in. And these are large size pizza boxes!

  Since I left it up to him, I deserve what I get, topping wise... He prefers plain cheese.

Pressure? What Pressure?

   Squee! I learned today that one of my fellow Stitch n Bitch ladies "loves" my blog! She told me that she looks forward to reading it every day. I loved hearing it, but it got me thinking, and it made me aware of how careful I should be. After all, you never know who is reading what you write. I love telling my stories. But some of them might offend people, especially if they think the story is about them.

   I go out of my way to really think hard about what I write, to mask any identifying features of anyone who might not want to be written about. And what about those who see themselves in stories that actually aren't about them? I can't control what they think. Guilty conscience on their part, I should think.

   So I kind of feel some pressure now. To entertain, to amuse, to hopefully not offend. I wish that more people would leave me comments, with their names so I know who they are, especially if I know them personally. I don't have a very large audience, as of yet, but I like to think that I am amusing enough that people will want to read me.

   I have several ideas for posts, that I have tried to write about. They are troublesome, and didn't turn out to match the thoughts in my head. I will continue to work on these. Maybe one of these days, they will be good enough to post. You have all taken my posts in stride, even the ones I considered controversial. Good for you, I'm proud of you. And thanks for reading me. Maybe someday I will write a book.

   P.S. The post from 1/18? Entitled Where did it go? I found it, it was in my documents in my laptop, as I suspected. I have since published it, it was Words Can Hurt.

Adventures in Spinning and Babysitting

   Yesterday:
   To be honest, I haven't really begun spinning yet. Tomorrow morning, I'm taking my drop spindle and fiber to Stitch n Bitch, and OFL (Our Fearless Leader) will give me a lesson in using it. I'm excited about it.
   I have yet to try my actual spinning wheel. Maybe at some point in the future I will get brave enough to ask for assistance and lessons, and get started. Woo hoo.

   Today I started my second babysitting job. My charge is one cute little girl! As opposed to the cute big girl I also babysit for. The little one was an absolute darling today. I just hope that at some point in the future, she doesn't start screaming as soon as I walk in the door, because that means that her mommy is leaving. I certainly hope we become fast friends before too long.
   And this takes some of the pressure off me, as I am now working part time. And Hubs is happy! So I babysit five days a week, two days for both kids, separately, and the other three for just the little one. And I am home in time to get Hubs up for work!  Another woo hoo!

   Today: 

    Stitch n Bitch went really well this morning, I spun on my spindle, and we both decided that I either need a new, heavier spindle, or I need to glue some pennies under the disc part to make it heavier. If it's heavier, it spins for a longer time. And we were very happy to see Bella today, as well! We miss her when she can't come to every meeting. I was so tickled to heat that she reds my blog, regularly! She even told me that she looks forward to it every day. I am just excited that I have at least one fan.

    My second day babysitting went really well, the little darling climbed up on my lap and promptly took a nap laying on my chest. Warmed my heart. On the negative side, I got to change my first poopie diaper in about 20 years. You look at the young ones with such nostalgia, until a poopie diaper comes along. Then you remember why you love that they grew up.

    I got home in time, Hubs was already up for work, and drinking his coffee. We got to hang out, and after he left for work, I got ready to go out. Again. For the third time today. This time, Kim and I were going to our first meeting of the Spinning Guild, in Red Hook. We were both nervous. She's been spinning for a while now, and she's actually very good at it.

   Still, it was intimidating. I mean, all these artsy types? That's what we imagined. Even though we knew at least some of the ladies and gentlemen who were there, from the much smaller spinning group that meets at the Clinton Library once a month. Everyone we knew greeted us warmly. That was nice. We wanted to join, but the membership lady disappeared shortly after the actual meeting portion was over. We didn't see her again until she had her coat on and was walking out the door to leave. Oh well, there's always next month. I also hope to take my camera next month and get some photos!

   So today, I left home at 9 a.m. and got home about 10:45. Left again at 11:15, and got home at 3:30 p.m. Left again at 6, and got home about 9:30. Tomorrow I plan on sleeping in, as late as I can!

Words Can Hurt

   Having lost friends in the past, I know from the emails that went back and forth that words can hurt. I think it’s especially hard when you don’t hear the voice saying the words. It’s impossible when you read the words, to know what tone the writer is using. You could easily imagine the wrong tone, say, sarcastic, when they meant the words as teasing.

   That’s why, when friends have a falling out, I think they should talk face to face. It is easier to end a friendhsip when you live far apart. Like with the friend I broke contact with a few years ago. She lives in another state, and it was easy to sever the contact. I never responded to the email that originally pissed me off. I tried, but couldn’t find the words, without sounding extremely bitchy, even to myself. So I never contacted her again. She didn’t contact me again, either. Maybe she realized she went too far, and said the wrong things to me.

   I, being a lover of non-frontation, rather than confrontation, am basically a chicken. When I was young, and even more naïve, I didn’t like the thought that possibly, someone doesn’t think well of me. Since then, I have grown up somewhat. I realize that you won’t always see eye to eye with everyone, and that people will come and go in your life. And it's not always your choice.

   It still makes me sad, however. And sometimes I wish that things could be different. To tell you the truth, I don’t miss that friend. I hardly ever think of her, except in negative terms. I find myself only remembering the negative things. And there are former friends that I don’t even think that much about.

 And then there are the friends that you lost contact with over the years, that social media, like Facebook, has allowed you to reconnect with. I am now in contact with more friends from high school than I ever thought possible! It is great catching up with them. Friends really enrich your life, and are precious, so keep that in mind. You love your friends in spite of their faults. And hopefully they can accept yours.

Where Did It Go?

   I have tried to get into the habit of writing a few posts ahead of time. That way, if I get stuck, I have a couple of posts to choose from and post one of them. I was two ahead as of the othe day.

   Today, I went looking for one of those posts, thinking that today would be a good day to post it. It was about friendship, and had taken me a long time to write. But it was gone! The one I wrote just yesterday was still there, but the one I wanted was gone. Where did it go? I am confused. I looked all through my posts, thinking perhaps I had posted it already. But it's not there, either. It's just gone.

   Uh-oh. I just had a thought. A friend suggested that instead of writing ahead of time as a document on my laptop, I could write it directly on my blog site, and post it whenever I want. That is what I have been doing ever since. It just occurred to me that perhaps the post I am looking for is still in my documents in my laptop... I will have to go look now.  If so, this post may never see the light of day!

Out of the Craft Basket

   Last month, I took all my WIPs and put them all in one place, in my big L.L.Bean bag, the one with all the pockets on the outside. I love that bag. Anyway, a few days ago, I decided to take out a project and work on it. I wanted something easy and mindless.

   I found a black wool tote bag that I was working on. It has a crocheted circular bottom, and I picked up all the edge stitches and am knitting it in the round. After it's done, I plan on felting it. I haven't decided about the top, or straps or anything yet. I know that the scarf I was working on was easy and mindless, but it's only 21 stitches and goes back and forth. Too much activity for my mind right now. I know, I will have to finish it soon, Samantha is very excited about her scarf.

   The bag is black, and doesn't photograph well, so I have no photos of it. And it's only about 5 inches tall as of yet. The bottom is about 15 or 16 inches across. It's my first experiment in mixing crochet with knitting, and it's my own design. I do, however, have a photo of the progress on Samantha's scarf!

   And that's how it goes. It is really pretty, I love the texture of it! You can hardly tell it's garter stitch!

I Had a Very Active Night!

   Last night, I had one of those nights where I wake up every hour or so. But I didn't mind, as I was having many very interesting dreams. It made the night seem very very long. Every time I woke up, I would look at the clock, and only an hour has passed. It seemed like very much more time should have passed!

   It is the subject of these dreams that I would like to talk about today. They were almost all about my friend, Steve. We met in high school, and continued our friendship over the years. He joined the military, and went away. The last time I saw him before he left, I gave him my high school ring, and he gave me a big turquoise man ring he wore.

   Unfortunately, on the base, his locker got broken into and all his stuff was stolen, including my ring. I had his ring for many years, but it also went missing somewhere along the way. After he left the military, he ended up getting married, and having a daughter. I was heartbroken, but kept writing. I was very curious, as he never wrote me back himself. His wife was answering my letters.

   His marriage didn't last long, and he ended up, still on the west coast, working as an escort. Use your imagination, I don't think you'd be wrong. Eventually, he came back to New York. I was so happy! All this time, we had been writing. I even asked him why he never answered my letters. He told me that he never got any. His wife had intercepted them all. He was shocked that she answered his mail. He thought I had forgotten him.

   At this time, he was having problems with his ex, she wouldn't let him see or communicate with his daughter, Stephanie. As far as I know, it never got resolved. We were finally able to get together when he came back. By then, I was also divorced, and Sara and I were living in our little apartment.

   We renewed our friendship, and were close. He would call me complaining about the young girls he was dating, wanting to connect with someone his own age. I kept telling him to give up on the young girls. He wouldn't listen.

   He was  my best friend. I still miss him lots. Totally out of the blue, in my opinion, he took his own life on October 31, 1988. He had eaten lunch at my brother's pizzeria just a couple of days before, and Chip told me Steve was planning on rebuilding a motorcycle. They talked about it, because my brother had done it already. Anyway, I was devastated. I was already engaged to my beloved Hubs, but this totally shook me up.

   My youngest child was born on October 31, 1989. I have heard that it takes a year for the soul to be reborn. What are the odds? Either way, Steve will always be with me.

In Which I Fantasize a LIttle

   I live in a house with two men. My husband, and my 22 year old son. Over the years I have several recurring fantasies. The first and most prevalent this time of year: I would to live in a house with NO men. I would love to have no football on TV on a Sunday afternoon. I would love to watch whatever I want on TV. It's that simple.

   I have a friend who lives with her mother and her daughter. I truly envy her for that. I imagine them sitting around, Kim knitting or spinning, with her mom and daughter, watching whatever the heck they want. My heart soars.

   I also fantasize about having servants to do all my housework. I don't want to do it, and somebody has to. Servants would be ideal. I would also love to be independently wealthy, and own a book store. Although I have amended that one, I want it to be a YARN/bookstore.

   Oh, the thoughts and fantasies that run through my head, you can only imagine!

The Great Tulip Tree Adventure

   Back last fall, when Hurricane Irene loomed, Hubs and I were worried about this one big tree at the top of our driveway. We thought it was perhaps unstable, and might not make it through the storm. You see, it's a big, old tree sitting on a small wet hill. With all the rain we had had, Hubs was unsure about it lasting. He was very relieved that the tree did, indeed, make it through the storm. But ever since, he has watched it.

   He says that last week, when we had a really windy day, he saw it move. That decided it, he called the guy back, who had come to look at it and give him an estimate. So a few days ago, the Tulip tree was taken down.

   Now, the man who did it turns out to be a lunatic. See, taking trees down is not his main job. He does it for fun, and the money doesn't hurt. He actually climbs up the trees and takes them down piece by piece. Our tree posed a problem, in that it was close to the road, and near the power lines to our house.

   Hubs wanted me to go outside and take photos of this guy up in our tree. The tree had to be 40 feet tall. Here are two photos of the tree, the bottom and then the top. It was too tall to get all in one photo!

  
   These photos were taken after his first visit, to cut off some of the branches. See, on the bottom photo, on the right fork of the tree? This lunatic climbed up to the second, yes, the second, fork above that!

   This is him at the first fork junction... ^

   And that ^ is him up on the left fork. WAAAY up in the sky. It was cool watching him do his thing. He had his son helping him, and he was all tied off with ropes for safety. It took them a long time to get all set up, with the ropes. One of the big branches he cut the first day, he had tied off so it hung there after it was cut, and wouldn't fall to the ground until it was lowered. It was awesome to watch.  It still blows my mind, that this guy does this FOR FUN! He enjoys it! I guess it does take all kinds...

A New Crafting Adventure!

   Last week, I acquired a spinning wheel! This is really awesome, since I have been interested in spinning, but never thought I could, since it is not budget friendly right now. I believe I wrote about this in an earlier post. Well, now a friend and I are looking into joining a local spinning guild. This is high brow stuff for me. I don't even know how to spin yet! My friend tells me that the guild will be the perfect place to learn, since that's where all the expert spinners are. We attend out first meeting next Friday evening.

   Does this mean I will become tri-craftual? Maybe so, but I'm not changing my handle. I would also really like to learn to weave too. In fact, this leads me to the main idea of today's post! I was out shopping with friend Bonny today. I wanted to buy the book about how to knit socks two at a time with circular needles. I couldn't find it, even in the bookstore. I decided that the yarn goddess doesn't want me to have it yet.

   But I did find what looks to be an awesome book in Joann Fabrics. It's called Spinning, Dyeing, and Weaving - Self Sufficiency and it's by Penny Walsh. I can't wait to read it. I have thumbed through it, and it looks pretty cool. It covers everything, from processing fleeces and combing and carding, all the way to wheel and spindle spinning, and weaving. It even tells you how to make your own natural dyes.

   So now I get to look forward to learning something new! This book even has information on how to make your own simple loom. And I have a Hubs who knows how to build stuff. Sounds like I might be able to get him to make me a small loom... Well, we'll talk.

Just the facts, Ma’am…..

Some facts about me!

1. I was born in Albany, NY

2. I spent my formative years in Lake Peekskill, Putnam County, NY

3. I have one sibling, a brother 2 years younger than me.

4.  I am stubborn. I know, it’s hard to believe!

5. I hate housework. I have sort of decided that in a past life I was a scullery maid in some medieval lord’s household.  That’s the only explanation I can come up with.

6. I am a cat lover.

7. I was born breech. My poor mom had to endure all the medical students watch her give birth from a gallery up above.

8. When I was a child, my hair was very light brown. We moved to Dutchess County, and a year later I went back to visit my friends, and they asked me if I had dyed my hair, because it had gotten very dark.

9. I love my chocolate coffee.

10. I have three tattoos, and have plans and gift certificates for another one.

11. I am an avid reader. Always have been.

12. Both my parents were teachers. Dad taught Math at Mahopac High School, and mom had her own  pre-school.

13. I have been crocheting for 35 years. I learned to knit from my grandmother, the Knitting Nazi, when I was about 10. She made it so pleasant, I quit until about a year ago.

14. I am lazy. If there is an easier way to do something, I will be the one to find it.

15. I still feel like a newlywed, after 22 years of marriage. We have lots of fun together.

16. My first marriage lasted three years. The nightmares lasted quite a bit longer. Years longer.

17. Hubs thinks I am addicted to facebook. I just have lots of free time, and like to see what is on people’s minds.  Several times a day.  Not counting Farmville time.

18. Wow, there are a lot more of these than I thought!

19. I love my Jeep, but I’m not “in love” with him anymore. I recently realized this, and it made me sad.

Living with Alopecia

    I have to say that living with Alopecia is an inconvenience. Always having to find a hat or scarf that matches whatever I’m wearing is just one.  I am just not brave enough to go bareheaded in public. I applaud those who are, but it’s just not me.

    Something that I have experienced that most people wouldn’t even think of! My head gets really cold in bed in the winter! Who would have thought of that? I worked with a man who was bald, and I asked him if his head got cold. He said no, it didn’t.  I had to ask. Maybe it was just me? Either way, I wear a soft fleece hat to bed in the winter. I have a few different hats that I wear in the house, and change when I go out.

    I went through the whole wig thing. They were fun at first, but after a while it gets old. They were so soft and wonderful on my scalp when they were new, but after a while, after they get washed a few times, they are scratchy and uncomfortable. Not to mention that they just don’t look the same after I washed them. I still have all my wigs, I just don’t wear  them anymore. 

    There are some positive things about Alopecia too, I must say. It has certainly saved me lots of money over the years that I’ve had it! Think about it, no shampoo, no hair stuff like barrettes or combs, no conditioner, and the biggest one: not having to pay a hairdresser for haircuts!  I have to say that my hairdresser has been awesome. When I was nearly completely bald, I went to him to cut the rest of my hair really short. This was after Britney Spears went psycho on her own hair. I thought it was a great idea! Anyway, George offered to cut my hair for free until it grew back.

    I have been there a couple of times since, but not a lot. I mostly have sparse long white hairs, and some short white fuzz growing. I usually shave my head in the shower about once a month.  I did have a small patch of dark hair growing on the crown of my head.  I couldn’t see it, but Hubs found it one day, and he thought  I had hit my head, that it was a bruise. The patch grew a bit bigger over time, but he tells me it’s gone now.  I also have about five dark hairs growing at the front, right in the middle of  my hairline in the front. 

   The original specialist I went to see, a dermatologist, took a biopsy. He phoned me with the results. He said that this was the type of Alopecia in which the hair grows back. Eventually. That was four years ago. I am still waiting.

January Craft Report and A Busy Day

   Craftwise, things are moving slowly this new year. I am still working on the first piece of Chloe's sweater, and have come to a stand still on her purple hat. I could keep knitting, but I'm afraid it to start the decreases until I try it on her little head. I don't want it to be too long. The sweater, I just have difficulty crocheting with such a small hook, and it hurts my hands if I crochet for too long. So I need to take breaks.

   But I do have some photos of the work so far! First up is the hat in progress:

And here is the shot of the sweater piece. It's the back, the biggest piece.

   I was supposed to go see my daughter-in-law and grandchildren today, but I got a text from her this morning saying we need to reschedule. And that's fine! I may have needed to reschedule anyway, I have a lot going on today.

   I don't like to plan things ahead of time too much, I have found that if I do so, something almost always happens to frack up my plans. So, I tend to live more spontaneously. Certain things, of course, need to be planned, but for the most part, I like to fly by the seat of my pants, so to speak.

   So, today, I find myself with too many things to do. It sometimes works out that way, I find. We had the tree guy coming to finish cutting down the big tree by the road. Hubs had told me he was going to take the night off, so he could be awake for this. He works at night, so he sleeps during the day, and tonight is the first day of his work week.

   Since he was going to be home, I made plans to visit with my grandbabies. I figured, he would be home, and awake, so I could go. Then he wasn't sure if he had the night off or not, so that part of the plan was in jeopardy. I might have to be home for the tree guy. Also, I have an appointment to meet the baby I might be babysitting for later in the day. I'm looking forward to that, she's such a cutie.

   We were waiting to hear from Hubs' boss whether or not he had to work tonight. The boss finally called, he is confirmed for the night off. Yippee skippee. On top of all of this, I need to go grocery shopping at some point. AND, today is the day I usually visit with a friend while her daughter is at karate class. If I get out of my "interview" early enough, which I doubt, I will go right to karate. If karate is over by that time, I will just go directly grocery shopping. I think that's all of it.

   I love days like this, when everything happens all the same day. But it usually works out. The grandbabies visit got canceled, and Hubs has the night off. Soon, I need to shower for my meeting with prospective charge.  After that, we'll see. As I see it, there's no point getting stressed about this kind of thing, because it all works out the way it's supposed to.

The Worlds Best Procrastinator

   Yup, that's me, the worlds best procrastinator. Let me put it this way: I have yet to write the thank you's from my wedding, Hubs and I just celebrated our 22nd anniversary. I'm thinking, at this point, they are not gonna get done. Many apologies to my very proper Victorian-minded mother. I have always said that she was born too late, she should have been born during the reign of Queen Vicky.

   Hubs was notified by mail a few months ago that his insurance company was going to require that all maintenance medications be done in three month supply, by mail only. This sucks on a number of levels. First, I have developed a deep rapport with the staff at my local pharmacy. They see me coming, they have my stuff ready by the time it's my turn. They know me. It's awesome.

   Second: It is up to me to call the mail order place and actually place the order. First we went to visit our doctor, and got all our meds straight. Here's where the procrastination part comes in. Today is the 10th of January. I just called this morning, to place the order. (Remember, we knew in November that we needed to do this!) I can't explain it, but I have to mentally prepare myself for doing things like this. I hate making phone calls, especially to people I don't know. Hubs doesn't understand. I don't either, really. It's not like the company or whoever I'm calling yells at me, or anything. I must have had a traumatic experience on the phone at one point or another. I couldn't tell you. But I am getting better at it, thanks to Hubs making me make most of the phone calls.

   Oh yeah, there is a third reason! It turns out that for three of our medications, I have to get a paper scrip for a three month supply, and mail it to them. I made that phone call this morning too. I was on a roll, what can I say?

   Another thing I've procrastinated about? The afghans I made for the Deckers? I haven't yet mailed them to Texas. They are done, all washed and dried. They just need to be properly folded and have the air sucked out of them, then get put into a box and mailed. I am really really good at procrastinating. What does that old lady cartoon say? Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? It works for me!

Rude People Piss Me Off

    I am thinking about rude people a lot today. It seems to me that sometimes people are rude without knowing it. Like what happened to me in the bookstore last week. I was standing there, looking at a display of new books. There was room between the display and myself, in case someone needed to walk past. I am thoughtful that way. This old lady walked right in front of me, stopped, and turned to look at the very same display I was perusing. I wasn't that far away, it was pretty obvious what I was doing. I just waited, and she didn't move. The friend I was shopping with found me, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. I remarked, not quietly, that I guess I was done looking at this display. I just walked away, shaking my head.

   I don't think she meant to be rude. She just wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. My Hubs says that's what is going on more and more these days.  People only caring about what they are doing, and not caring about their fellow humans. Whether they are shopping, driving, or whatever! After all, they are the most important person in the world, right? And YOU need to get out of THEIR way...

   Then there are the people who are deliberately rude. These people, I truly do not understand. Like when two friends in a group have a falling out. It is still possible to be friends with all the other members of the group! This has happened before, and it is managable. But when said friend breaks all contact with everyone in the group, even though they harbor no ill will? And said cut-off friends try to contact the person they thought was their friend? The rebuff hurts the feelings of the whole group now.

   How do you totally cut an entire group of people, who thought you were their friend, out of your life? What does that say about you?  I mean, some of us are likely to run into each other on occasion, there are a limited number of places to grocery shop, for example. I know that I, for one, would still smile and say "hello, how are you!", not ignore and pretend I didn't see you.

   As for the initial incident that started the whole thing? Only the two people involved know what happened. The friend who is still in the group won't talk about it. And we don't ask. We are just sorry we lost a friend when we did nothing to deserve such treatment.  Sounds like someone needs to have their meds adjusted.

A New Career Path?

   I have spent almost my entire adult life working in the manufacturing field. All of that time in different "clean rooms". But as some of you may remember, I have been out of work since July 2009. Almost three years! I know I have talked about the struggles of looking for work, and the frustrations.

   Now it seems that the Goddess has other plans for me. I started babysitting a few weeks ago, for a friend in need. It's only two hours a day, two days a week. They pay me very well. Now another babysitting job may happen for me! This one is five days a week, with hours that don't interfere with the other gig. Nice!

   I saw a facebook post from a friend of my son's, looking for a sitter. He posted this three or four times over several days. I thought about it. Then I decided that if that's what the Goddess wanted me to do, she would put us together somehow. And she did. The other day, I saw him in the drugstore parking lot. So I spoke to him, and went and talked to him and his mom today. I hope to meet his daughter and girlfriend soon, and I hope she likes me.

   As I am typing this, it seems familiar. I may have already told you about this. But I am excited about it, so you get to hear about it again. His little girl is just 1 year old, and she is so cute! I can't wait to meet her and get to know her. This could be fun.

   On the crafting front, I am still working of Chloe's hat. I am just worried it will be too tall. I hope to go to her house tomorrow, so I can check it on her personally. I will call her mom in the morning, when I get home from "work".

   I will let you all know, dear readers, how it all turns out!

Another New Project

    About this time yesterday, as I sat in the pizza parlor waiting for my Hawaiian pizza, which is my very favorite, by the way... I received a text message from my daughter-in-law, asking of I could make my granddaughter Chloe a new purple hat, as she has lost her favorite one. Of course, I replied that of course I could! I even have some dark purple yarn all ready to go.

    So this morning, I cast on my favorite hat pattern, the Elizabeth Zimmermann one. I love how easy it is, always the same number of stitches, all you have to do to change the size of the hat is change the size of the needles! I have made three, the one for Chloe is the fourth. They are all different sizes! The hat is coming right along.

   I have the evening to myself, just like last night. And I'm eating left over Hawaiian pizza for dinner. Since I am the only one in the house who likes it, I never get to have it. But last night I treated myself. So there.

   There's more excitement today, as well. It looks like I could have another babysitting gig. I saw the facebook post asking for help, and thought about it. I decided that if the Goddess wanted me to do this, she would put Anthony(the dad) in my path. And if she did, I would talk to him about it. So wanna guess who I ran into yesterday at the drugstore? That's right. So I spoke to him about it. Now we will just have to wait and see. Whoop whoop.

   Now I'm sitting here watching Netflix. So far tonight, I watched The Last Airbender. It was pretty good. Now I'm watching some movie about an ice age this year. It was in the family movie section! Something about how this dysfunctional family has to pull together in an emergency. Blah, blah, blah.

   So I will sit here and watch the movie, well listen to it anyway, as I knit on Chloe's new purple hat. Have a good evening, loyal readers!
   

An Uncomfortable Story

    I have written about my oldest child, and my youngest child. But so far, not my middle child. In order to be fair, this needs to be rectified. But unfortunately, it's not a happy story. I moved in with a man, and in a few months, found myself pregnant. He eventually asked me to marry him, and that took place in the town hall, in front of a judge, with no family present. About two weeks before the birth of our son.

   We had a very turbulent relationship, to say the least. After less than three years of Hell, I decided it was time to take my children and go. I found an apartment that I could afford, and it was when I was packing our things that he decided to inform me that he would not allow me to take our son with me. My need was so desperate that I eventually I agreed to this. If that was the price I needed to pay for my sanity and freedom, then that is what I would have to find the strength to do. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life.

   All I could do was hope that his father would be good to him. I also hoped against hope that someday he would seek me out and find me. And that I would be given a chance to explain the situation to him. Of course, I never forgot about him. Over the years, I thought about him all the time. I had a few pictures of him when he was young, and hung them on the wall everywhere I lived. Even after I found the man of my dreams, my current beloved Hubs.

   Well, eventually, there was a knock on our door, and my son's then-fiance spoke to Hubs. They were getting married, and she wanted his mother to be there. We had quite an uncomfortable reunion, but Hubs and I did attend their wedding, along with my other two kids. My youngest had never even knew he had a brother. He was shocked to say the least. Hubs and I had decided not to say anything, in case I never heard from him.

   We now see each other occasionally, and I now have two beautiful grandchildren. They are blessed with these babies, they are exceptional, to say the least. Of course, in the interest of privacy, I have omitted a great many details that you, dear readers, do not really need to know. But this story is factual, and it still pains me to this day. One of the things he said to me the first time we met, was that he had no idea what I looked like, since there were no photos of me in their house when he was growing up. This really made me sad.

   The funny thing is that I sometimes have to see my ex-husband at the family affairs. At first, I was terrified, but it seems he has mellowed quite a bit in the last 20+ years. But I still am wary of him. I may have forgiven, and that took many many years, but I will never forget. At least the ex has moved kind of far away, so I don't have to worry about running into him in town.

   I feel better having told this story. And again, in the interest of fairness, I thought it only right that I talk about it. So I missed all of the important things in my older son's growing up years. And that makes me sad too.

Yarn Adventures, Sweater Progress and Frustration

   This morning, I had it set in my mind that it was time to visit our local Hobby Lobby store. Let me tell you, I usually try to avoid this chain, and I will not usually shop there, unless I have no other option. The reason? I really dislike people throwing their religiosity in my face. And on a corporate level? I find it reprehensible. I don't like looking at the Jesus mints and Scripture Gum they sell at the checkouts. I know I don't have to buy them, but I am morally offended by this.

   Anyway, Bonny went with me. I was looking for sock yarn or DK weight yarn with which to make my granddaughter Chloe a sweater. I had planned on this sweater as a Christmas gift, but at the last minute had changed my mind, as I wasn't happy with the yarn I had been using. Today was the first time I could make myself go to Hobby Lobby. I have to plan my visits in advance. And I am very pleased to report that I did not notice any religiously offensive (to me) material on this visit. So this trip was a success.

   I found some really pretty DK weight yarn in a really pretty color, called Berry Jam. It's a purpley blue or a bluey purple. I took some photos, and I have to show them to you. With the flash, the yarn looks very blue! Without the flash, it looks more like the true color of the yarn. Here are both photos. You be the judge.

                                                             Flash:

No flash:

  So I got started on the sweater when I got home. I knew it was gonna be good when it didn't take me an hour to get the right number of inches on the first try. I believe I wrote about this in a previous post.

  Here is a photo of my progress so far. I am looking forward to taking it to Stitch n Bitch tomorrow morning. I just hope Our Fearless Leader (OFL) is well enough to
attend. She's been sick the last few days.

  
    One final topic, then I will sign off for the evening. As you may know, I have been out of work for almost three years now. Thank the Goddess my Hubs found a good job after only a few months. (we were both laid off from the same place at the same time) I have been looking for work, as you might well imagine. In all this time, I have applied for more than a few jobs.  And in all this time, I have had only ONE job interview. ONE. And they never called me back. I keep putting in applications, and I never hear anything at all. It is extremely frustrating. Thank the Goddess I have my crafting to keep me sane. Now I just need to get my etsy store going. I have one, but I have never listed anything for sale. I think it's fear related.

The New Year's Eve Cookies

   Just before New Year's Eve, my beloved son asked me to make my World Famous Deluxe Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies, so he could take them to the house party he and Julie were attending. Of course, I made the cookies. I even took photos this time, before and after the baking. It was a double batch, so there were lots. Three bags of them, and I had snuck enough cookies out of the batches for Hubs to have some too.

   Now, I have given Julie the super secret recipe, so she can make them for Jesse herself, but who knows if they will taste as good as my own. There's something special about a mother's love that comes out in the baking, and makes things taste that much better. So here are the photos:

     Don't they look good? I use three pans and rotate them on the oven. Of course, you saw the sil-pat type baking sheets I use. I love them, never have to wash my sheet pans again, just the baking sheets. And the bottoms of the cookies don't burn. Awesome!

   Today, I have a mission to bake some brownies, Hubs has requested them. Seems like I will be doing more baking than usual, I have four cake mixes and two brownie mixes in the pantry, and lots of cookie mixes too. Sugar, and macaroons. Yum, I'm looking forward to making those, I love macaroons! Thank the goddess that Hubs hates coconut. He won't be eating any macaroons!  

In Which A Dream Comes True!

   As a crafter, I have knitted and crocheted. I tried to sew, after Hubs bought me a gorgeous sewing machine for Christmas one year. It's strange, but I am actually afraid of it. But I did try it. At the urging of a friend, I started attending a local spinning group at a local library. These ladies are awesome, and welcomed me with open arms, even though I didn't know how to spin. I would sit and knit or crochet while they spun. It was fascinating to me to watch them create yarn out of fluff.

   I subscribe to a spinning magazine, and after looking at the ads in this magazine, I had completely given up on the idea of owning my own spinning wheel. It turns out that they are expensive! And I knew that as much as my Hubs loves me, I would not be getting one anytime soon. In fact, I wouldn't even ask for one.

   Before I knew my knitting friends, friend 1 gave friend 2 a wheel she had gotten from a third friend. With the condition that when she was through with it, friend 2 should pass it on to another would-be spinner. I am very happy to report that I have become the newest recipient of this marvelous spinning wheel! I am so very excited to have custody of such a marvelous wheel.

   Now I just have to learn to use it! My friend, friend 1, is a very good spinner, and I know she will teach me well. She had given me a drop spindle and fiber for my birthday year before last. I tried it but couldn't get the hang of it. I'm hoping the wheel will go better. I can't wait to start my lessons.

   Hubs even took me to go pick it up. I wasn't sure it would fit in my Jeep. We buckled it into the back seat of his truck, and it made it safely home. Now I just need to find a place to keep it. I know you can't see me, but I am doing what my mom referred to as my "Happy Food Dance"! Pictures to follow, soon.

In Which I Freeze to Death!

   This morning I was up before my alarm went off, I guess I was afraid I'd oversleep. Then it was off to my part time gig. 2 hours a day, twice a week. Not a bad gig! I was so sleepy, I planned on laying back down with Hubs when I got home. Unfortunately, he was up when I got home. And there was coffee a-cookin'. That was the end of that idea.

   After we had our coffee, Hubs expressed a desire for me to accompany him to the house in Fishkill. He really doesn't like going down there by himself, both his mom and his step dad died in that house. He tells me he's never liked that house, never felt comfortable there, even when his step grandmother owned it and lived there. Knowing his discomfort with the house, I went along.

   The Fishkill house has the heat turned all the way down, I believe it's to 50 degrees, since no one lives there at this point. There really wasn't anything for me to do, so I stayed inside and read my nook, while Hubs began disassembling the wheelchair ramp he had built for his mom. He just needed me to be there. Anyway, so I froze my patootie off! I left my gloves on, and had brought one of my heavy wool sweaters with me, knowing it was gonna be cold down there.

   After a couple of hours, I decided to plug in and turn on one of the heaters Betty had bought. I aimed it right at myself, and plopped right back in the dining room chair. There is almost no furniture left in the house, dining room chairs are the only place to sit. Unless you want to sit on the downstairs toilet that's sitting in the dining room...

   Eventually I warmed up enough to take my gloves off. But by the time I was really getting the feeling back in my feet, it was time to close up and go. I made sure I turned off the heater, then unplugged it. I also remembered to unplug Hubs' charging things for his tools.

   We are home now, and I am still cold. I have had dinner, and everything, but I can't get warm. I may have to resort to drastic measures and hit the hot tub later on tonight. This really sucks, I hate being cold. Unfortunately, when my hands get cold, they HURT!

    One time they hurt so bad, I had them wrapped up in a heating pad, the tears running down my face. The heating pad didn't help. People laugh at me when I start wearing my gloves in September, and I wear them until at least May. Better they laugh at me then I have to deal with that much pain.

   I am still really tired, too. I will probably go to bed early tonight. In fact, I believe I am looking forward to it!

Celebrations and Resolutions

   Welcome to 2102! I had a very nice evening with Hubs, and I am glad to report that things did not go exactly as I worried they would. He did indeed stay up when he got home from work, but he didn't go to bed in the afternoon! He managed to stay up and conscious through my dinner, and through the whole evening! He started to fade around 10 pm, but he said that he's made it this far, he wasn't going to quit until we see the ball drop.

   We did skip the Champagne, however; Hubs thought that might push him over the edge into oblivion. His exhaustion turned contagious, and by the time the ball dropped, we were both tucked into bed! We managed a kiss at midnight, then I'm sure I promptly fell asleep. My poor Hubs had been up for 32 hours, and I was sure he would sleep a good portion of today. However, he just got up and is sitting here next to me drinking coffee. What a nice surprise!

   It is traditional to make resolutions at the New Year. Most are unreal expectations, and never kept. I usually don't make resolutions, as I try to be the best person I can be all year long.  This year, I did resolve to try and be more patient. But I do that every year, and not just at the New Year.

   So let this New Year be a better one that the last. Many of my facebook friends have gone through some really horrible, life changing things this past year, and I am proud to say they have all survived and even thrived. The Human spirit will not be put down no matter what gets thrown in our way!

    There are some mean spirited people in this world. You know, the ones who quit when things get difficult? Then they like to bad mouth others. All the while proclaiming how wonderful and righteous they are, and they come off sounding like pseudo intellectuals.

   Well, this is another resolution I find myself making this year. To forgive these people. I will never understand them, but if they want to live in fairytale land, that's their business. This is not something I usually talk about, I prefer to leave them to their own devices. This will be the last time you hear of this from me. I hope.

   Anyway, Happy New Year!! May all go well for you this year, and may you learn the lessons you are supposed to learn. Blessed be!