GOOD BYE 2008!!

2008 has been a horrible, terrible, very bad, no good year!

That's sounds funny and flip but it was really a BAD year!
In Hubby's brother died--well he killed himself; leaving a wife and 3 kids.
In May Hubby's Dad died--he was 71.
In August Bruce died.
In October ML died.

On a good note we are closer to Jules and the kids then before. We talk and and email weekly.
We have become friend with Jules neighbors.
We have reconnected with old friends.
Hubby and I are making changes in our lives. As we start to raise from the ashes, we are discovering what is important.

So welcome 2009! I am glad to meet meet you! I hope you will be kinder than 2008!

Suburbs

We live in the woods.

Jules lives in the suburbs.--There is a big difference.

Yesterday we went to the grocery store. OMG-it was HUGE!!!!!

The section that sold beauty products was bigger than the entire Big Y in our area.
You could buy clothes, furniture, appliances,books, shoes and of course food.

And no this was not a Costco--this was the regular grocery store!

At our grocery store, we don't even sell wine!

I feel a little like Dorothy!
Todo-we are not in the Happy Valley anymore!

We're Off to See the Family

We head out to Ohio today.

Be gone for a week.

Will post when I can.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday

Christmas Eve

 I got all the shopping done!

6 hours of " last minute " stuff and Ta Da--shopping done.

Today's list

1. Wrap

2. Finish laundry

3. Wrap

4. Cook chicken and olive dish for Christmas Eve dinner

5. Wrap

6. The kids to pageant rehearsal by 4

7. Wrap

8. Church at 6

9. Wrap

10. Relaxing dinner here

Oh, crap I haven't wrapped yet!

A Little Corny

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow , let it snow!

Our Winter wonderland

This is our back yard.

I love that rock.

It seems to mark the seasons.

Yesterday's snow amount--10 inches.

More coming tomorrow

SNOW!!

Here it comes!

Up to a foot.

A Nor'easter.

Stay tune for pictures!

Old Traditions

Ever since Daughter was two, she has been baking Christmas cookies with Sue.

It is a tradition.

When they first started, it was sugar cookies.

They would roll out the dough, cut out shapes and bake.

After they cooled Daughter would proceed to decorate 

EVERY inch of  the cookie !

Only Sue's son Eric, was brave enough to eat them!

Over the years they have expanded their menu to include:

Peanut Butter Balls, fudge, Snickerdoodles, Grand Grahams.

This year they added Candy Cane Bark!!

A BIG HIT!!!

Christmas Overload?

First we saw this

Then the side view

Then the other side view

And finally the side yard.

I guess someone likes those  blow up Christmas ornaments!

New Traditions

Son no longer believes in Santa--I am crushed.

He is 8.

I was hoping for another year, but no.

I explained to Son that now that he knew about Santa, he had to become part of the Christmas magic.

Yesterday I took the kids to Target.  

They each brought money that they had earned.

Each of them picked out a toy.

Son a cute stuffed animal. Daughter a small art desk.

We took them to the library where they are having a toy drive.

Son looked longingly at stuffed animal and gave it to the woman collecting toys.

As we walked back to the car I told Son that on Christmas morning some little boy will see that stuffed animal under their tree and think Santa put it there.

" Wow!!" he exclaimed through a HUGE smile.

Maybe not believing in Santa is not such a sad thing after all!

Weather#3

This was one mile from our house!

We lucked out!!

Weather #2

Snow Day!

Well actually ice day.

Trees are covered with ice. It is still raining and the winds are excepted to pick up.

Only bad thing--the roof is leaking!!  YIKES

Weather

And the rain, rain came down, down , down

So Piglet started bailing.

He was unaware, while top his chair,

While sailing he was bailing!

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day

You guess it--It is pouring today.

Snow yesterday. Rain and 60 today, tomorrow ice storm

Welcome to New England!

Profound

I do Yoga.

I have a Yoga instructor--Beth.

She is Great and she has become my friend.

The other day I was discouraged.  Feeling fat and overwhelmed.

She told me the most profound thing--

The process is the purpose.

I feel like she gave me keys to the Emerald City.

Wondering Out Loud #7

We were writing about snow today--

What do you hear?

Do you hear silence or snow mobiles or whining or crunching or Jack Frost or sleigh bells or wind or nothing?  An undefinable hush.

What do you see?

Is it heavy snow, light snow, fluffy snow, drifting snow, snow blizzard snow or Charlie Brown snow?

Snow it is so much more than white.

Each snow flake is unique--just like us.

So what kind of snow are you?

Me, I am definitely Charlie Brown . 

Sorting

I am going through ML clothes.

I want to do it--I think she would want me to do it.

I arrive--I feel funny, strange, detached.

I start sorting. 

I run across things that have stories attached to them. 

I found myself thinking selfish thoughts  --

" I want that, I know the story, others do not."

Then I stop- 

Be fair, I think.  This is not about you

Then I run into things I have not been asked to sort.

" Ohh, I would love to have that because it reminds of something we did together."

Do I take it now or wait?.....

Now I feel like a vulture. Circling, picking out it's prey.

I go back and finish sorting. 

There are piles. 

Piles for us, piles for Jules, piles  for Hubby's brother.

And finally piles for the Hospice Thrift shop.

That pile is the hardest. 

It contains Christmas sweaters that she wore that don't fit anyone. 

It contains beautiful outfits that she wore and only she could pull off. 

I put the piles in the cars. 

The hospice ones go in the back. 

Those are the ones we will never see again.

Just like we won't see ML again.

I sit in the car  and cry.

She isn't coming back. She doesn't need her clothes.

She is really gone.

New Holiday Favorite

Trader Joe's Candy Cane Jo Jo's!!!!

Yummy!!!!!!!!!

The Nutcracker

We have a dancing Nutcracker!

It magically appeared in Son's closet on Saturday.

Saturday night it was on his dresser and Sunday morning it was next to his bed!

Last night he put it back on his dresser

This morning it was on the landing at the top of the stairs.

I wonder where it will be tomorrow!

December

You know it is December because you hear Christmas carols everywhere you go.

You know it is December because you start looking up cookie recipes.

You know it is December because you start checking the mailbox for Christmas cards from long lost friends.

You know it is December because lights appear on trees.

You know it is December because you are not worried about your diet.

You know it is December because your kids are too excited to sleep.

You know it is December because Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch are on TV.

You know it is December because you update your address book.

You know it is December because you actually read the ad section of the paper.

You know it is December because there is no tape in the house.

You know it is December because every weekend is busier than the last one.

You know it is December because there are advent calendars up.

You know it is December because there are candy canes in the store.

You know it is December because you smell pine.

You know it is December because there is a feeling of magic in the air!!!

Christmas Decorations

Christmas Village

Fireplace

Grammy's Creche

Freckles is getting in the mood

A little bit of everything.

Just the tree left!

The Monday After Thanksgiving

Did you notice how hard going back to work is the Monday after Thanksgiving?

You spent the weekend getting in the holiday spirit. You visited with family and friends. 

You started your Christmas shopping.

You decorated the outside of the house.

You decorated the inside of your house.

You started singing Christmas carols

and all of a sudden... it is back to reality.

The alarm goes off.

You leave your beautifully decorated house and return

 to the mess you left on your desk on Wednesday.

It is kindof like taking a cold shower.