"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." ~Edith Stillwell Sigh. Reluctantly I must now say goodbye to my lovely autumn for another year. It makes me sad, like an old friend leaving on an extended journey. Oh well, for now I will focus on living in the moment, rather than longing for the past, and the beauty of winter will carry me through. But how about a brief look back at the beauty that was...
Autumn 2013...
"There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood... Touch of manner, hint of mood; And my heart is like a rhyme, With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time."
~Bliss Carman Goodnight Autumn. See you soon! Mood: Sad ~Me :)
"Everyone wants a Christmas tree. If you had a Christmas tree Santa would bring you stuff! Like hair curlers and slut shoes." ~Janet Evanovich, Visions of Sugar Plums It seems that a lot about the holiday season comes down to very personal choices. To decorate or not to decorate? That is the question! Or maybe the question is to gift or to regift? And then there is the whole, have family over, or shut the door, lock it, and pretend you went to Paris for the holiday! LOL. Yeah... that's where I would go, but then again, I wouldn't turn down a trip to New York City, London or Las Vegas either! One year Alan and I spent a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obisbo, California. That was one of the best times we ever spent together. We packed the car with gifts, our 4ft artificial tree, Axel, and our favorite tree ornaments, and drove 5 hours down the California coast! It's an amazingly beautiful drive, and a memory I wouldn't change for the world! But I took some flack from my family over it! Why, oh why didn't I want to spend another holiday with people, and I use the term loosely, that hate me 364 days a year, but who rise above it by tolerating me because... its... Christmas!? Blech! The worst part was the gifts. Not that I want to sound ungreatful, I appreciate anything given in the spirit of love and friendship. I don't care if it is a funky looking candle purchased at the Dollar Tree, if it was bought with love, then I would consider it to be a treasured part of my home... PERIOD. I would never, ever dream of re-gifting it, ever! But when you know the minute you open a present, and you realize the gift just handed you was bought with contempt, well, that makes it ripe for the re-gifting, right? Well, no, that would be passing on some badness I think. But then, what can be done with gifts like that? Gifts Like... 1. A set of weight loss tapes from the 1990's. Anyone remember Susan Powter? 2. A 6 piece set of steaks knives with Pope John Paul II's face on the handle. 3. A copy of the movie ET: The Extraterrestrial on VHS. 4. A Book on how to give the perfect gift. Handy, but is there a bigger message there? 6. A complete set of Teletubbies... hello... I was 40! 7. A red Fedora. 8. A $10.00 book of gift certificates from McDonalds. 9. A $2 bill. (Shhh... actually... I kinda liked that one). 10. A one year subscription to the National Enquirer. No... JUST NO! I have actually received all those gifts and more! And I never could bring myself to say how much I wish I hadn't received them, and while I have always wanted to be that person, I am just not. If the gift came from someone who was clearly digging at me in creepy manner, I always figured accepting the gift with a smile did more damage to them than I could by refusing the gift or replying in kind. If it was simply a clueless person, like in the case of the Teletubbies, how could I hurt their feelings? A gift like that, given in the spirit of love and friendship, means I should accept it graciously, and remember, they didn't have to give me a gift at all! Sigh. Then there are the people who insist on buying you gifts, eventhough you had discussed earlier in the year, speciffically NOT buying gifts. AWKWARD! Another favorite is the office DICK who goes above and beyond the office gift limit, and spends twice as much as agreed upon, just so they can feel good about themselves!But that's another story! Clearly the problem is with me, I am too sentimental, because I simply don't have the ability to re-gift even if the possible re-gifty gift was given to me out of spite! Like the one year when my sister and brother in law bought Alan a brand new coat, and bought me a small pink desk clock they got at a swap meet! Yep, they told me where they got it! Alan was so uncomfortable. They sat feeling superior, and I was amused at their lame attempt to hurt my feelings, although I did feel bad that Alan got hurt feelings for me! That was the part that hurt... watching him feel hurt that they had treated me that way. Sigh again! It's so strange, I see families who love each other, and genuinely look forward to spending time together, and wouldn't have it any other way, but I have never had a family like that. It wasn't until Alan came along that I really even care for the holidays. He gave me that gift! The gift of love, friendship and fun for the holidays! That was a re-gift, because his family had originally given it to him, and he gave it to me! Love, friendship, peace, joyfulness, happiness, spirit, fun, cuddles... THAT IS A RE-GIFT WORTH GIVING... AND RECEIVING! Of course while we are on the subject, if Santa is reading this post, I LOVE that girly girl ornament! I know, it doesn't really say Christmas as ornaments go, but it is screaming... I'm CARLY'S Style!~ On the other hand, I will joyfully accept a hug instead! Mood: Happy ~Me :)
"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year... and yet... for all that, when it speaks, it's voice has strong authority." ~W.J. Cameron There is some special holiday magic in the air, it's making me smile from ear to ear! The magic is coming from a most unlikely source... Reality TV! That's right, REALITY TV! If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I do indeed watch my share of reality television. In fact, Alan, my husband, might say I watch more than my share, and okay, guilty. It's kind of a guilty pleasure, but to be honest, I have started to enjoy it less and less. I don't want to get in too deep aboutwhy, and what specific elements have begun to ware on me, I will save that for a different post, because right now I want to share only positive feelings, because I have finally found a reality program that truly spreads joy, and made me feel good about tuning in. If you are interested in such a show, tune into the new ABC reality show, The Great American Christmas Light Fight!
The show features different families from around America, who have such love for Christmas, and the holiday season, that they share it not just with family and loved ones, but with their neighbors and community as well, by decorating their houses and yards with twinkly lights, and holiday inflatables, and manger scenes, and every lovely decorative idea possible! Some include interactive decorations, some gather donations for charity, some share holiday heirlooms passed down for generations! Others re-purpose household items, while others feature decorations that are handmade or planet friendly! You, the viewer, are introduced to some truly joyous, loving, hardworking, creative people, and it leaves you definitely feeling the holiday spirit! The Great American Christmas Light Fight airs on Mondays, with 2 back to back episodes, and this coming Monday night, December 23rd, it will feature the only house in the Bay Area to compete! The Mize Family of San Rafael, in Marin County! When I heard we had some Bay Area friends to root for, I just had to pay a visit to the house, and see the artistry for myself! Let me tell you, I knew it would be lovely, but I wasn't prepared for just how amazing their holiday display was! Here, See For Yourself...
The Mize Family also included a wonderful old fashioned manger scene, kind of like the ones that graced lawns when I was a child. These scenes have gotten much more sophisticated over the years, but I really miss this kind. This part of their display really brought back some fond memories of the holiday decorations of yards on the street I grew up on. It was always a treat to see the decoration begin the day after Thanksgiving, and one particular yard had a manger just like this one! I miss the folks who lived there, all my old friends from the street who have grown up and moved away, so seeing this display made me quite misty eyed, in a good way, as I marveled at how many years have gone by! Sigh. :) Suddenly, while the air was a bit chilly, I was feeling really warm inside!
The prize for winning is $50,000 and a pretty nifty Christmas light shaped trophy! I can't imagine the Mize family not being victorious come Monday night, but I will update this post after the show!
Thank You Mize Family, And Good Luck Monday Night! Alan and I will Be Cheering You On!
:) Mood: Inspired/Happy/Nostalgic/Christmasy ~Me :) Note: The show is currently looking for new holiday homes to feature next season, here is the link if you would like to apply...
The Great American Christmas Light Fight... Apply Now
Dear ABC... Please create and air more reality shows like this one!
"The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished." ~Deng Ming-Dao, Everyday Tao: Living With Balance And Harmony Meet The Full Cold Moon. Although according to the Farmer's Almanac, Native Americans also call December's full moon the Long Nights Moon. Both names refer to December as the month when nights become long and dark. The winter solstice, happens in less than a week, on December 21st, at 12:11 P.M. EST.
I thought it would be a little fun and decorate the moon a little bit. Tis the season after all!
And One Of The Moon With A Few Clouds...
Spooky, like it should be accompanied by a witch or ghost. I just love a spooky moon! Mood: Happy ~Me :)
"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time."
"Tradition: Sit with husband in a room lit only by tree lights and remember that our blessings outnumber the lights. Happy Christmas to all." ~Betsy Canas Garmon It's just Alan and me. All our family has either passed away, or moved away, and while we have some really great friends, when all the shopping, and cooking, and decorating, and wrapping of presents is done, we settle down, wrap our arms around each other, and our little furbaby boys, and cuddle. Of course this comes after we track Santa At Norad. We have to watch the jolly fellow make his way around the world on Christmas Eve! This year we are especially blessed to have our newest furbaby, Joey, come into our lives. As much as we love the little guy, it was a surprise financially speaking, to have a little addition come along, So far, to get him healthy, we have put out in excess of $300! But when you look into his eyes, and see his unstoppable energy, and feel him cuddle up next to you, with a purr that would shake a room, we both know we did the right thing, and we also know what a blessing little Joey's love is.
This year, with the new addition to the family, Alan and I have scaled back our respective Christmas Wish Lists! We have set a $75 limit each, which is just perfect! I swear, the older I get, the more I understand why my mother and father always said they didn't need or particularly want anything for Christmas! One... I am getting to the point where I don't want to have to dust, put batteries in, wash & dry, or find a place for, another damn thing! Two... SEE NUMBER ONE! LOL. It just is what it is! I am happy with little things, and practical things. iTunes Gift Cards. (I know, those last two words should not have been capitalized, but they look good that way, don't they?) I also enjoy socks more now than I used to! Socks! The most boring present possible! LOL. You know you are old when the thought of a pair of socks for Christmas turns you on! Some sandpaper would be nice also, my back itches occasionally! LOL.
Well, anyway, here is my practical Christmas wish list...
1. 1 Hamilton Beach Panini Maker 2. 1 set of Mainstay Standard Pillows (Medium) 3. 1 set of Cost Plus World Market Floral Measuring Spoons 4. 1 set of Corelle Impressions 16-piece Dinner set 5. 1 RCA 7" Tablet with 4GB Memory 6. 1 set Cambridge Silversmiths Blossom Sand 20 Piece Flatware Set 7. 1 Presto Pizza Oven 8. 1 Panera Bread Cookbook 9. 1 Vera Wang Princess perfume 10. 1 Oscar de la Renta perfume 11. 1 Philadelphia Eagles Jersey 12. 1 Cal Bears Teddy Bear 13. 1 Pier 1 Imports Cranberry Balsam Filled Candle 14. 1 Pier 1 Imports Silver Snow Sizzlewick Candle 15. 1 Pier 1 Imports Sugared Cinnamon Candle Any combination, not to exceed $75.00. Although I would be really happy with a long back rub! :) Also, if Santa wants to give me the gift of the Philadelphia Eagles making it to the Super Bowl, I would be VERY happy! :) Mood: Happy ~Me :)
"Money's scarce, times are hard, here's your fucking Christmas card"
~Phyllis Diller I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit by lightening the mood of my blog a bit! We are getting closer and closer to Christmas, and I am really beginning to feel the holiday spirit! Everything is lovely outside, well, except for the lack of autumn leaves, but I did find some pretty wonderful trees, not too far from where I live, and I am going to do some photography outside later today!
I might even do some photography in my rose garden this afternoon, as I got a lovely surprise as I found one small yellow and pink rosebud on one of the newer roses in my garden! It is about to bloom, and I can't believe that the frost didn't damage it! It is so delicate! If the weather holds as it is another few days, I will have a lovely rose to bring in for the bud vase! Is there anything quite as lovely as roses in winter? I am a happy girl! :)
Now, how about some fun...
Christmas Humor... Q: What do you call an elf wearing ear muffs? A: Anything you want, he can't hear you! Q: What goes "oh, oh, oh?" A. Santa Walking backwards
Q. What do you call an obnoxious reindeer? A. RUDEolph. The Four Stages Of Life... 1. You believe in Santa Claus 2. You don't believe in Santa Claus 3. You dress up like Santa Claus 4. You look like Santa Claus Christmas Mondegreens...
The Christmas Song
(Wrong) Jeff's nuts roasting on an open fire, check for snipping at your nose; You'll tide carols being sung by the fire, and folks dressed like Eskimos. (Right) Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose; Yuletide carols being sung by the fire, and folks dressed up like Eskimos. Good King Wenceslas... (Wrong) Good King Wences' car backed out, on the feet of heathens.When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even." (Right) Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the feast of Stephen. When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even."
Christmas Time Is Here...
And Now The Answer To The Question Asked In The Post Title...
A: Eight! One to screw in the light bulb and seven to hold Rudolph down!
"Better to be strong than pretty and useless." ~Lilith Saintcrow, Strange Angels RRC: Pretty Paper I decided, since we are only a couple weeks shy of Christmas, to go with two of my favorite holiday papers... an advent calendar, and Christmas gift bags! Lets start with the advent calendar, shall we? In our house, it simply wouldn't be Christmas without the advent calendar! Alan had never had one as a child, and I hadn't had one either... well... except for the one we made for our classes in school. The way it worked then was the teacher would make the basic template, than each child was asked to draw a small picture for the door assigned to them for the calendar. So, if I drew December 1st from the Santa hat, than my drawing would appear behind that door, and I would get to stand in front of the class as the other children guessed what was behind the door for that day!
Whoever guessed correctly got a sticker star for their paper tree! The child who guessed correctly most often, got to serve as Head Elf at the Christmas Party. It was a fun time in my school life, and a part of me really missed it when I went onto Junior High... although I wouldn't admit it! LOL. So, when Alan and I first got married, and he said he had never had an advent calendar, we got one, and put a slight variation on what the prize is for guessing correctly most often! Usually, the winner chooses the holiday pie. Alan wins a lot more often than I do, but we have a lot of fun with it. Like I said, it just wouldn't be Christmas without it! So far I am 1 1/2 points ahead, but there is still time for him to come back from behind and knock me out of the lead! Wish me luck!
And Now For The Much Maligned Holiday Gift Bag...
Why do folks hate the holiday gift bag so much? I actually found a couple articles by folks who found them not only lame, but downright tacky and even peevish! Personally, I LOVE the bag! The holiday bag is just as pretty as the rolls of paper, and stores easier! Plus, it's fun to watch the cats dig into their bags to get their assorted gifts out! I have taught them to know when the holidays are coming, by when they see special bags with streamers and ribbons on them! Elvis was great about that also! He always knew when we brought out the hats, and the PRETTY PAPER bags, something special was about to happen! Plus, there is a lot less mess when the cats play with all the bags later in the day on Christmas, and this year that will be important with this being baby kitty Joey's first Christmas! Print Ads Can Be Pretty As Well...
I was in a coffee shop the other day, and someone had left behind a copy of a Wall Street Journal on the coffee table. I thumbed through it, and on the very last page was a full print Chanel ad that I found rather striking! That is the whole point... right? Ads that capture your attention, and your imagination, make a product more intriguing! I don't think I will ever own a Chanel watch in my lifetime, they are a bit out of my price range, but still a girl can dream! Just because I can't walk into Chanel and buy a gorgeous new suit, dress or watch, doesn't stop me from window shopping on Maiden Lane during the holidays! Chanel mannequins are some of the best dressed ladies of Union Square! LOL. I wouldn't miss it for the world!
My Favorite Year...
Okay, how could I participate in a Round Robin Challenge, when the subject is Pretty Paper, without including my favorite Pretty Paper of all time? This is the movie poster for the film Blue Jasmine, which was done by my favorite director of all time, Woody Allen! As you probably know, during August of 2012, Woody was in the Bay Area filming Blue Jasmine, and I got to watch the filming a couple times! I waited, and wondered, what the official movie poster would look like? I knew the beautiful Cate Blanchette would grace it, and more than likely the color blue, but when the two came together, it took my breath away! I had to have it! And look how gorgeous it looks on the wall of my office. It looks amazing against that cornflower blue wall! And it makes me smile. That August held a lot of good memories for me!
Sigh! Smile! Happiness! Okay, now that you have visited me, and saw my contribution to this round of the Round Robin Challenges, why don't you visit the other participants to see what they have all come up with? Better yet, join in the fun! Click the link at the top of this post, to be directed to the official Round Robin Challenge blog, where you can find the list of participants, and all the info you need to play along! Mood: Happy
"As we struggle with shopping lists and invitations, compounded by December's bad weather, it is good to be reminded that there are people in our lives who are worth this aggravation, and people to whom we are worth the same." ~Donald E. Westlake
Christmas shopping... BLECH! For some strange reason, I don't enjoy Christmas/Holiday shopping as much as I used to! In my twenties, I could work a full 8 hour shift at work, and still close the malls shopping! In my thirties, I learned to be a bit more reasonable with my time. Just because I could close a mall, didn't mean I had to! That was an unanticipated side effect of marriage! LOL. Suddenly, budgets were a good thing, but what goes with a sound budget? Strictly planned shopping! Gone are the days of impulse buying, nope in my thirties I learned to be a coupon clipper, sales advertisement peeper, and a bargain shopper planner! Not very spontaneous, but definitely less nerve racking come January! Now, my forties came with the idea of purchasing gifts throughout the year, and putting them away in a special gift box for the holidays! That way everything got paid off a little at a time! Can you tell what I am leading up to? My fifties! My shopping energy is now almost nonexistent, and so is my patience! Nothing makes me more irritable than rudeness! But it's especially bad when it's coming from someone 30 years younger than me! The other day, while standing in line at Walmart, a young woman of about 20 or so, who was standing in front of me, backed into my cart at least four times within a span of about 2 minutes! Each time she bumped into me, she would stop yelling at her boyfriend, who apparently lives in her cell phone, to turn around and apologize profusely! The first couple times I accepted her apology, but by the third time I was just pissed off! On the fourth, "I'm Sorry" I said, "No you're not!" You should have seen the look on her face! "No really ma'am, I am sorry." I didn't have the energy to shop that day, but shop I had to! I didn't have the energy to stand in line at Walmart that day, but stand in line I had to. Walmart frowns on customers who take items from the store without doing the heavy lifting of actually standing in line! So I was pretty much at the mercy of whoever was standing along with me. When the young woman was so deep in her own life, that she couldn't just put a little thought into her actions, it just rubbed me the wrong way! Sigh. I let it go at that, because thankfully, the line began to move again, and she was going to be out of my life soon enough!
Whatever!
As of today, I am 90% finished with my Christmas shopping! I have one more trip to Walmart, to pick up a gift for the cats, and a small gift for Alan. Tonight he and I are going to pick out our annual Tilden Park Carousel ornaments. The Winter Wonderland at the Tilden Park Carousel is nothing short of magical, and when we are there it puts me in the holiday spirit like nothing else! We have bought each other an ornament every year for the last 7 years or so! They have about 14 Christmas trees, that have every kind of Christmas ornament theme you could come up with! Including a Hunter's Tree, Fairy Tales, Sea Creatures, and of course, some that are more traditional! It is gorgeous! One of my very favorite is the all Christmas candy tree! It consists of lovely plastic candies, and cupcakes. It's hard not to feel like a kid when looking at all the candy, and that makes this old lady feel really good! Shopping isn't actually a sport, but it does take skills and patience! ESPECIALLY PATIENCE! Mood: Happy ~Me :)
"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." ~Angela Schwindt Alan and I are Furbaby parents. Don't laugh... it's a thing! At least try to understand, because I am here to tell you how rewarding and life affirming it is! Little boy humans, little boy cats, same thing! You might not understand that unless you are a pet person! But here is the point... you teach your human children values, and manners, and most importantly all about love! You do the same thing with cats. Do you think sibling rivalry only goes on in human families? If you do, you would be wrong! We brought Hendrix home first, Dylan followed about a week or so later. Hendrix is a wonderful, loving, joyful cat, but blending the two personalities took some effort on our side and theirs! Within the first couple months Dylan was already showing signs that he truly loved Hendrix, and Hendrix had assumed the role of Dylan's, and our, caregiver! He watches over all of us! Dylan and Hendrix are a little over 5 years old now. They are adult cats, set in their routines, and ways! A couple weeks ago, along came baby Joey! Dylan is no longer, "the baby," and he seems a bit upset about that! Hendrix isn't sure he wants another brother who may not want to play with him. Dylan is a bit of a stick in the mud sometimes, so I am hoping as we break out the toys which the 3 boys share, we will find that important common ground. It is already going amazingly well. Patience, patience, patience! Dylan's favorite game is chasing a ball down the hall, and bringing it back! He loves fetch! Hendrix runs through the house, but never interferes with Dylan's game! Hendrix likes to play with stuffed animals. He can throw them really high in the air, and is excellent at catching them! While he plays, Dylan sits on the sidelines, and watches his brother play! They both enjoy the laser mouse game, and Zhu Zhu pets RULE! Joey is really enjoying the laser mouse game also, and today all three cats played, with zero drama! It was amazing! Now, I bet you are wondering about how you teach a cat values. Well, Elvis was the best example of that. He would put his toys away every night, when he saw Alan and I go to bed. He insisted that 10:00 PM was our bedtime, by coming into whatever room we were in, standing in front of us, and staring. HARD. And he would refuse to move, until we got up and went to bed! He was an amazing cat, and he was that once in a lifetime pet, that you never get over! He has been gone over 5 years, and I still think about him every single day. I know one day, hopefully 20 or 30 years from now, I will have to face losing one of my furbabies again, and honestly I don't know how I will survive it! I just don't! But I try not to waste a single moment thinking about it. We are all in the here and now. Families come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and fur, and I wouldn't change that for anything!
"But frost, like the crystallized dreams of autumn, began to coat the clearing with it's sugar glaze." ~Victoria Logue, Redemption It's so sad. What leaves the wind storm didn't steal from the autumn trees, the bitter frost did! Oh a few trees are enduring the early insistence of winter, but for the most part the mourning has begun! I know it's the season, it's the way things are, but I will chase down ever last autumn leaf I can find, and hold onto that warm feeling for the season I look forward to all year!
"I'm sorry I bit you mommy, Love Dylan" ~Dylan Andrew Gordon
Is there anything more fun than being woke up by your cat hissing... and biting... you? Dylan is a special cat. Dare I say it? Dylan is short bus special! All kidding aside, he is either nearsighted or autistic. Wait... is that a thing? Can cats be autistic? I will have to run that question past Dr Barrett, when we take Joey for his baby shots later today. Yes, I know, I said I wasn't going to engage in any financial transactions today, but really, what could go wrong? It's a visit to Dr. B! But anyway, on the subject of cat autism, I will probably do some Googling on the subject before running it past Dr. B! LOL. It sounds like a dumb question, but I have wondered if there are some cats that have autism, or similar problems, because Dylan is a little, well, dim.
Now before you jump on me, I don't consider autistic human individuals dim, but humans can communicate a lot better than felines. Humans speak the same language, and have medical testing available, felines don't. At least not that I know of. If Dylan could tell me what's wrong, I could help him out... but he can't. He is a great cat mind you. Gorgeous, loving, full of personality, but it's taken me 5 years to teach him how to brush his face. Elvis learned within 6 months! But it's probably not fair to compare the two cats. Cats, like no other animals, are individuals. And in that I have been compared to a cat by more than one boyfriend in my past, I think being individual is a good thing!
Go Dylan! Embrace your individuality, but please don't bit mommy again! LOL.
"To Do Today, 1/17/08 1. Sit and think 2. Reach enlightenment 3. Feed the cats" Mood: Happy ~Me :)
"Christmas is a time when everybody wants their pasts forgotten and their present remembered. What I don't like about Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day." Phyllis Diller Good grief! It's the Eve Of December 10th! What is December 10th? Well, that's our cursed day! Yes, Alan and I have our very own cursed day, and it's tomorrow, December 10th! Why is it cursed? Well, you see, it has been an annual occurrence since the year of our marriage, in 1990, that on December 10th something odd, usually something to do with finances, takes place on or very near the actual day of December 10th! If you are new to my blog, and this is all a new revelation about me, let me give you some examples of December 10th oddness, in random order... Our storage unit was burglarized. Someone claiming to be me, rented a car, on December 10th, had an accident, and I didn't find out until the following March when the claims adjuster called to ask additional details. That was the year we thought we had beat the curse! How this person got my name and phone number, I will never know. One of my favorite December 10th hilariousness, happened when Alan was nearly arrested for stalking a neighbor! What he was actually doing was checking the roof at my mother's house for lost shingles, due to a wind storm the previous night! LOL. Thank GOD mom was home to identify him! I was there, trust me, he was looking at the roof's shingles! In 2011, I decided to just completely ignore the day altogether, that DID NOT WORK OUT! I got a call at 3:30 in the morning, of December 10th, from the fraud division of my bank. It seems someone in Illonois was trying to purchase $1,000 worth of assorted items from a dollar store, using a copy of my ATM/Debit card! They had been approved for $100.00 worth earlier in the day! Thankfully, I wasn't held responsible! Last year, on December 10th, someone did the exact same thing to Alan! Exactly one year apart mind you! They made a copy of his ATM/Debit card and tried to purchase first $100.00 worth of merchandise, then $1,000.00 worth, only this time, they were in Georgia! Another personal favorite was the year Alan tried to order a garden hose, on December 10th, using a gift certificate he won at an office party, on December 10th the previous year! He ordered the hose, which was free, but when it came it wasn't one hose, it was 2 hoses! No problem, right? Yes... PROBLEM! Two weeks later, another 3 came! It was difficult to deal with, but they understood we didn't need 4 garden hoses! They told us to choose the one we wanted, and send the 3 remaining back. Alan hadn't opened them, so NO problem. It was however, when he opened the hose he decided to keep, the following spring, only to find it was damaged! And there are other assorted incidents. I won't share all of them. My friend Paul, of the blog, Aurora Walking Vacation, a kind and rational thinker if ever there was one, has challenged me at times to consider that December 10th isn't really cursed, but rather I am noticing a pattern where there isn't one. Like if I suddenly noticed that on October 22nd, leaves tend to fall from trees, or more in the abstract, every year during our vacation, Alan and I will spontaneously encounter a celebrity. It's happened a lot, and I used to think of it as magical, but in truth I live in the Bay Area, and we do get the ocassional celebrity in our midst. No magic, more just the way things work! If you leave the house, and even if you don't, random things happen! And I believed that for many years, but how many police reports does one have to fill out before you come to the realization, The Curse Of December 10th is a thing? But does it deserve the respect I give it? I wish I knew. But good, bad or otherwise, 24 hours from now Alan and I are going to watch old movies, pop popcorn, make some cinnamon frosted pecans, play with our new kitten Joey, watch as many Woody Allen movies as we can fit into 24 hours, dance to disco music, play scrabble, play, Quiddler, and NOT ANSWER THE DOOR! USE OUR CREDIT CARDS OR DEBIT CARDS! WE WILL ACCEPT NO CODS! AND THERE WILL BE NO CYBER SHOPPING! Or for that mater, engage in any transaction of commercialism what-so-ever! There... I said it! I am not afraid to admit to this probably unfounded fear! In fact, I am a bigger person for it! And Paul, if you are visiting my blog this week, I will say it right now... YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT! But Happy December 10th Day Anyway! Watch your wallet and bank accounts my friend! LOL! :) Mood: Uncertain :) ~Me :) Dear friends, I will update you later this week if anything happens, so stay tuned!
"December's wintry breath is already clouding the pond, frosting the pane, obscuring summer's memory..." ~John Geddes
It rained on Friday night! It also rained in the wee early hours of Saturday morning! Snow had been predicted on and off all day Friday, and I really got my hopes up, but alas, there was NO snow come early Saturday morning. Well, at least, not where I live. In fact, you had to drive all the way down to Mount Hamilton to find snow, and that was at the very top of the mountain, at the Lick Observatory. Oh well. At least it cleaned the air, and made for an absolutely beautiful Saturday! Crossing the Bay Bridge into San Francisco, you could see forever!
I was tempted to ask Alan if he wanted to head over to Marin County for the day, after we finished at the Embarcadero, but I was a bit tired, so we just made it an early afternoon and came home and cuddled. We don't get Saturdays together very often, but I talked him into playing hooky so we could play in the snow. When it didn't come, we decided to just go with Plan B. That's what this year has been all about you know, Plan B! LOL. But am I complaining? Well... yes... but I am also thanking my lucky stars! Life is just one long adventure! You just have to go with it! Saturday December 7th, 2013 It's Not Autumn Yet!
The Embacadero Center
Embarcadero Center Ice Rink
Art About Town: San Francisco... "The Tulip" By John C. Portman
I love this sculpture. I photograph it every chance I get! It can be seen from all over the Embarcadero, while on the ferry and from Treasure/Yerba Buena Island. It stands three stories tall, and at night makes a lovely appearance outlined in tiny, clear lights. I have done posts about this sculpture before, but each year I have to revisit it and photograph it especially for the holidays! I only wish my photographs of it did it any real justice! It's breathtaking!
It was a good day! A crisp, bright, beautiful day, and time with the love of your life, what more can a girl ask for? Mood: Very Happy! ~Me :)
"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." ~E.E. Cummings Wow... this month is moving along! We are busy with the new kitten, Joey, and this weekend we are putting up the Christmas tree. That's going to be fun! Just when we got to the point that we could leave the kids home alone... with a fully decorated Christmas tree... what happens? Along comes an unexpected bundle of joy! LOL. We could have sent little Joey to a shelter, or tried to pretend we didn't see him at all, but can you imagine that Karma? Turning away a little one with no place to stay! No, there was no other way to go, but it's working out wonderfully, we are all falling in love with him a little more every minute. Even Hendrix and Dylan have been cordial... so far! A year from now I will be wondering, what was I so worried about? Or... I will remember why it was a good idea to be worried! LOL.
By the way, YIKES, I have been so busy I completely forgot to post my annual warning about Krampas Day, or actually Krampas night! Apparently I have been a good enough girl, as no Krampas has jumped from the shadows to spank me! LOL. But snow is predicted for the lower hills and peaks around the bay tonight, and who knows, he might be lurking somewhere! So, I am taking no chances, I am in for the night, but come morning, if there is snow on the ground, I will be out in the soft cold snow, doing my best to pretend it doesn't hurt my ancient old bones! LOL. Anyway, here is a pretty nifty podcast I found on YouTube that tells the history of Krampas. Seriously, if you are already tired of all the early Christmas overload, the story of Krampas is a festive, and fun alternative!
"The only thing a cat worries about is what's happening right now. As we tell the kittens, you can only wash one paw at a time." ~Lloyd Alexander, Time Cat
Yesterday, Alan and I discovered a sore on our new house guest, Foster, that we hadn't noticed before. We have had him since last Saturday, and we both thought we had checked him over pretty good, but somehow a gash under his front left leg had gone unnoticed. Foster doesn't complain much, in fact, the only real sound he makes is a heavy purrrrrrr. He is an amazingly beautiful, gentle cat. Anyway, we decided that if we were going to do right by him, a trip to see Dr. Barrett would be the thing to do. So, off to see Dr. B. we went! Dr. Barrett confirmed a lot for us. The gash could have been done by the large crows Alan had seen circling Foster, when he first found him last Saturday. He also confirmed for me that Foster probably wasn't a feral cat at all! That kitten is way too gentle and agreeable to be a kitten that has had to hunt and care for himself for most of his young life. I can't be sure, but I think someone owned Foster, but when it became too inconvenient for them, they dropped him on the freeway, or nearby, and Foster couldn't care for himself as an outside, wild one.
We will never know what happened. And to be honest, I don't think I want to know. I know there are well meaning people in this world that sometimes make bone-headed decisions. And sometimes there are people who don't understand the difference between a domesticated kitty and a feral one, assuming Foster would have all the instinct and skills to survive on his own. But I also know that there is an ASSHOLE born every minute! W.C. Fields used to say... "There is a sucker born ever minute." He was right. But he forgot to mention that there are a lot of different people born every minute, and among them are the, ASSHOLES. It doesn't matter. Little by little over the past week, Alan and I have both fallen completely in love with that little cat, but we were still sitting on the fence about whether keeping him would be the right thing to do. We live in a small place, that is completely filled with love already. Dylan and Hendrix are larger than life characters, and they have settled in nicely to their routines, but after a good long talk with Dr. Barrett, we decided to keep the kitten. So, we are now a slightly larger family of a Dad, Mom and three little boys. Honestly, I am not sure how it's going to work. Who will get super jealous? Who will be completely welcoming? Will Foster be able to blend in? Will Hendrix or Dylan get hurt feelings?
Am I too old to even try this? God, I feel so old. My Fibromyalgia exhausts me. All valid considerations I think. But somehow, keeping the little boy... well... just all feels so right! The only thing that didn't feel right is his name. Foster? Banana's Foster? Foster Brooks? Foster Freeze? Foster Child? Nope. That would never do! So, after some consideration, Alan and I chose a name in keeping with our love of music and musicians. So, let me introduce to you... Joey (Ramone)
We are all going to be fine! We are a family! And like everything else, we are going to take life one paw at a time!
And Now, My Favorite Ramone's Song... "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker"
Joey And Me December 5th, 2013 Joey's Official Birth Date October 13th, 2013
"It's hard to believe in coincidence, but its's even harder to believe in anything else." ~John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson It's really cold tonight, so cold in fact that the local weather forecasters are predicting snow as low as 1,000 ft, which pretty much means, that Mt. Diablo, Mt. Hamilton and the Santa Cruz summit will definitely be getting a dusting of snow... and so will Grizzly Peak Blvd here in the Berkeley Hills. That probably won't be until Friday, but our little house guest, Foster, who I told you about in yesterday's post, had to come in tonight. I am not sure Dylan and Hendrix are ready to have company over, especially someone so wee, but ready or not, we are all going to have to make it work! Sometimes people come into our lives quite unexpectedly. Sometimes people leave our lives quite unexpectedly. We don't have much choice in these matters. All we can do is... our best! When I think about all the human friends I have lost, for one reason or another, I get so sad. I remember the day I drew a personal line in the sand and said... ENOUGH. When Mr. November, ran screaming from my life, I decided I would never put myself in that position ever again. NEVER. And then one day, you find yourself making a friend, and you forget why you decided to shut yourself off so completely? It's funny how some of the best things in life, are so rarely convenient. I still love Mr. November, but I don't think about him much anymore. A fact that occurred to me just the other day, when I was thinking about the fact that I rarely think about him anymore. LOL!
"Of course, that's how life is. A turn of events may seem very small at the time it's happening, but you never really know, do you? How can you."
~Tom Xavier, Dark Curses and Faerie Dreams Although I do smile when I remember how he used to make me laugh! And how everything was okay when we were around each other, and in the last little bit of time he was around, before he moved away, we were... well... understanding each other a lot better. I know, what I am saying doesn't make much sense, but it does to me. It's all good. But I really don't think of it much anymore, time passes, and feelings fade, and light replaces sad feelings.
Right now I have a feline house guest who needs me. His name is Foster, and he is already my friend. He was put on the same path Alan and I are on, and maybe he will stay with us forever, or maybe one day he will move on to a new family, and it's what's meant to be. Life is sometimes not convenient. Sometimes it hurts like HELL. Sometimes it's the work we have to put into things, that pays off the most. Time moves us along to each new adventure, whether we want to go or not, but moving forward with an open heart, makes any adventure more exciting! Serendipity: noun; the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable things not sought for; also: an instance of this.
