Three strikes and I'm out

I did bad today.  It was a big faux pas.  I completely forgot it was Valentines Day.

I got up this morning and come downstairs to have my coffee and on the kitchen table was a little present and card from Auntie and a special card that Mom had made a Day Care last week. 

I had nothing - no cards - nothing.  I felt like crap.  Strike one.

Then I arrived at work.  On my desk is a card and a chocolate heart.  Again - I felt like crap.  I ate the chocolate though. Strike two.

Later in the morning a friend arrives with a coffee and a chocolate donut filled with raspberry jelly and sprinkles.   And again - I had nothing.  (Oh yeah, and I ate the donut)  Strike three.

I swear if someone had brought me a flower today I might have jumped off the roof!

I can't believe I didn't even get a funny card for my family.  Who completely forgets?

Please friends - give me a 2 week reminder for Easter.  I'm likely to forget that too. 

It's the thought that counts........I didn't even think.

Three Strikes, I'm Out

Maybe I can redeem myself on St. Patrick's Day?

A New Year Mystery

I stayed in last night and the highlight of New Years Eve was skyping with Baby Emerson in the Netherlands.  He is usually sleeping when I call (those 2 month olds are so lazy).  But last night he was wide awake and ready to party.  He has grown so much.  It is so amazing to be able to video chat half way around the world.    Then I fell asleep on the sofa.  I am a PAR-TAY  ANIMAL.

This morning I got up with the mission to wipe out Christmas decor from the house.  I'll probably find the odd nick-nack here or there for a few days but I think I made a pretty good sweep of the house.  Countless treks up and down the ricketty basement steps and super-hero feats of strength as I lifted large heavy totes up on the high shelves.  I was really missing the handy-man today.

Then sometime later in the afternoon (here is the mystery part) I got up from the sofa and my right foot hurt.  Each step a little worse.  ? ? ?   So, what happened . . .   I have no idea.  And before you say it - I had nothing to drink last night or today.   How can it be that you can barely walk on your foot and have absolutely no memory of hurting it ?

I don't know what happened but I can hardly put any weight on it tonight and the top and side and kind of burning a little now.  Sheesh.    I mean seriously, how can you hurt your foot by doing nothing?  I'm hobbling around tonight like I'm a 90 year old.

And not only am I starting the new year lame, I am also starting out looking like a sexy beast

 
Don't ya just love the sexy red jammies and super-hot purple socks.  I mean  really - - - - Lol

The outfit is partly due to the fact that it is just so darn comfortable but also because I did not do laundry today.  I read on someone's blog recently (sorry, I forget which one) that it is bad luck to do laundry on New Years Day.  Has anyone ever heard of this before ?   I didn't want to take any chances - my foot might actually fall off

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone so quickly.  It has been quite a year.  As I prepared to write this post I tried to reflect on the past 12 months.  There have been a lot of changes, some wonderful new experiences and some tragic losses.

I’m not for making New Years Resolutions – they tend to just be a reminder of failure J    Although, I always strive each year to gain more patience.  It often eludes me but I do think I am a bit better in this area than in past years.  I guess it’s a work in progress.

I’ve learned

- that being stubborn can have its price.

- it’s never to late to try something new.

- sometimes the simplest of gestures can mean the most.

- There are times when you just need to let some things go - And that's OK. 

This blog has been such a positive experience for me.   I have interacted with some wonderful people and made some very special connections.  I have discovered that what may appear to be a random thought can often create a relationship that has multiple benefits.  Though blogging I have learned a lot of things.  There are many people dealing with the same issues and we have been able to help each other.    There are many different forms and stages of caregiving and often when you are the most frustrated, someone steps forward to share their experiences.  Being able to share, vent, rant (if needed) is an invaluable tool. 

I so appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to visit here and leave a comment.   Thank you so much for your coming along for the ride with me.

Health, Hope, and Happiness to each of you in 2012

Christmas Blessings

We had a wonderful day full of so many Christmas blessings.   Starting last evening we hosted some friends after the church service.  Good friends, food and laughter - a great start.

By the time we went to bed we were about ready to drop.  Tired but a happy tired.

Santa  found all of us, even little Millie.

One of the greatest blessings of the day was that Mom was in a great mood.  There were even a few funny moments from her.  This is rare and was a lovely gift for me.   We had a morning visit from my cousin Mike (you know - the boy who killed Santa for me) and he brought a cake. 

I had Christmas Dinner ready at around 1 pm.  I cooked a 20 lb turkey and all the fixings.  Yes, I said 20 lbs - for the 3 of us.  Lol  But that means I get a couple of days off from cooking.  Mom ate a huge plate of food.  Another rare treat, as her appetite is not the best anymore.  She seemed to be on her best behavior for me today and I was so grateful.

I want to show you my most special Christmas present.  Two weeks ago when I picked up Mom at day care the supervisor handed me this package with instructions not to open until Christmas.

 
Despite being curious, I wanted to wait.  I knew this was going to be special.  Their project that week was to make something special for their loved ones.  I am blessed that the staff at Mom's program are caring enough to think of something like this.   What was held inside this little package ?

A simple little beaded bookmark.   A few beads on a simple white ribbon.  But it was enough to bring me to tears.  It has been so long since Mom has participated in holidays, the fact that I knew she actually made this has made it so special. 

Sometimes it just the little things that make a day special - like a small gesture from an angel.   I hope you all had a blessed day and have some angels in your life.

Merry Christmas

Merry  Christmas

from our house to yours

Batteries not included

I'm officially on Christmas vacation.  So this morning, instead of sleeping in (which was what I really wanted to do) I jumped out of bed early and started knocking things off the list.

I was organized and I had a plan.  That in itself was like a minor Christmas miracle.

I took Mom to her Adult Day Care program and came back and grabbed Auntie and we headed out to tackle THE LIST.  I was like the Energizer Bunny - I just kept going and going and going. 

And conveniently near lunch time we ended up near Bella's Cafe, so I convinced Auntie to buy me lunch.  (Convenient or a devious plan on my part ? Hmmmm)   We had a lovely lunch and patted ourselves on the back a lot for all that we had accomplished so far.

We continued shopping until 1:30 pm and then I dropped her at home and she wrapped and bagged and I delivered.  This took the rest of the afternoon.  As soon as I finish this post I have to go to the grocery store - - -  That's it.  I think I'm done.   Maybe I shouldn't say it out loud just in case.   But I "think" I have thought of everything.

If I'm right (please, please, please) then all that will be left to do tomorrow is have my annual pre-Christmas lunch date with friends at the tavern.

So my dear friends, it appears as if my goal of not visiting any stores on Dec. 24 is going to happen.  A first for me.   I think I feel some of that holiday "zen" happening. 

I'll close with a picture of my last hooking project.  I don't think I ever showed the finshed product.  I delivered it to its recipient this morning.  I hope she likes it.

I hope you all get that last burst of "energizer bunny"

and experience a little holiday zen.

Merry Christmas

As it draws nearer . . . .

Several blog posts today reminded me that it is indeed December 20th

The big day is approaching very quickly.

So I thought I would show you how that makes me feel . . . .

So very relaxed and zen-like

***

Come on people - I hope none of you believe that crap

This is actually closer to the truth . . .

There are still a list of gifts to buy, wrap, deliver.

There are still things to bake.

There are still ideas for the hard-to-buy-for that I am hoping will pop magically into my head.

There are annoying, crabby, pushy people in the stores that I want to run down with my cart.

(Hmmm, Is it possible I am one of them . . . . . . )

My dream of starting vacation at 4:30pm today is not going to happen.

Plan B - Noon tomorrow (fingers crossed)

This is starting to look plausible . . . .

Ho, Ho, Friggin Ho

What matters . . . . .

This weekend was full of reminders of what this holiday season should be for everyone.  Its not about shopping, spending, and driving yourself crazy trying to do everything perfectly.

What should be the focus is spending quality time with family and friends.  And that is exactly how I spent my weekend. 

Saturday I travelled to Truro for a family cookie exchange.  I listened to Christmas music in the car for my hour drive and had a lovely afternoon visiting with the Jones family.  My cousin hosted and prepared some appetizers and cider and of course, the table full of cookies.  We talked and laughed and spent way too much time trying to complete what appeared to be a very simple little puzzle.  Nine pieces . . .   How hard could it be ?  Well, according to the box there were approximately 300,000 wrong combinations.  Well, we never did solve it.  (The key has to be in the double club piece . . . .)  It was frustratingly fun though. 

I drove back home, singing Christmas carols all the way, to arrive at party #2.  My friend's family hosts an annual Christmas Family & Friends Extravaganza the Saturday before Christmas.  Their home is always packed with people and there is just no end to the food.  Huge pots of chili, seafood chowder, meatballs, rice, noodles, sweet and sour pork.  Then a fruit/cheese and dessert spread on the dining room table.  And lots of Gloria's famous divinity fudge (my favorite).    I'm sure I gained 5 pounds just this weekend.

The perfect end to Saturday night was coming home to discover my favorite movie was on TV -  It's A Wonderful Life.  I'm sure I have seen this movie 100 times, but I can't resist it.  I love those old Christmas movies - the cheesier and hokier the better. 

AND FINALLY - - -  I decorated my Christmas tree this morning.  Yippee - now it actually feels like Christmas in this house. 

And in a tradition that began after losing a beloved uncle about 15 years ago - I hid the "Christmas Frog" within the branches of the tree.   Can you see him ?

Just a few more close ups of the tree.  My overall tree shots were all blurry.  I'll try again another day.

A little Christmas Spirit

It was bound to happen.  Three Christmas parties in 2 days has let a little Christmas spirit creep in to my previous Grinchy heart.

Last night's staff party was great.  The meal was excellent, the performance was very funny and the company was entertaining. 

Now it is a road trip to the Jones Family Christmas Cookie exchange. And as a bonus, the weather is perfect for travelling this time of year.  I think these look great and passed inspection/taste test from Auntie.  (She is quite a critic, so I consider these good cookies)

It has been a few months since I have seen them and I am really looking forward to it.  Then this evening is supper with a group of great friends.  Busy day but all good.  Spending a day with all the people I love. 

CHEERS  (yes there might even be a few opportunities tonight to raise a glass)  wink

Dear Santa

I think the first thing on my Santa's wish list this year is a few extra days between now and the 25th.  Do you think Santa can deliver that ??  Not likely I suppose.  My tree has been up since Saturday and still has not been decorated.  I plan (hope) to start that tomorrow in between baking cookies. 

It is definately time to put myself into 2nd gear and push forward.   I have tomorrow off and have a list of to - do's

The rest of the weekend is jammed packed with 3 parties.  Our staff party is tomorrow evening - a local dinner theatre production with a hip of beef buffet.  Then two back to back events Saturday.  I am looking forward to a little fun.

It has been a week that has dampened our Christmas spirit at work.  Earlier this week we lost a long time employee suddenly.  Such a tragedy at any time yet it seems so much worse this time of year.  The funeral service is tomorrow afternoon.  Not exactly a good lead in to a holiday party.  The mood will certainly be more subdued than in the past.

So that is what is happening around here.  Wish me luck with my cookies tomorrow. 

P.S.  Santa, it would be great if you sent an elf to decorate my tree while I sleep tonight.  Just thought I'd throw that out there.    Isn't there a saying that "ask and you shall receive"?  Just testing, in case Michael was wrong and you ARE real . . . . . . .

Faalalala

I feel a little more Christmassy now.  Attending the performance of the Nutcracker Ballet was a great idea.  I went with my friend Teri and her Mom.  We had some special little girl's in the performance.

The youngest was one of the mice and later a dancing gingerbread.  Her sister was one of the toy soldiers.  They looked adorable and did a fantastic job. 

I was impressed with the whole production.  Very professional and well done.  And some of those ballerina's were just amazing.  Not bad for a small little town.


Before the performance started we did a little shopping in downtown Sackville.  I found this great little carrier.  It looks perfect for when you have to take treats somewhere this time of year.

When I got home I discovered the beautiful pointsettia garden (in the first photo) had been delivered.   And one of Mom's Home Care workers stopped by and delivered this cute little mug with greenery.

He makes one for each of his clients, as many of them live alone and don't have a Christmas tree anymore so they enjoy the little wisps of real greenery.  It is so sweet and thoughtful. 

And the last (but certainly not least) bit of Christmas spirit I found this weekend . . .

A bottle of Chocolate Vodka Martini

Now that's some Christmas Spirit - Right . . . . .

I'm thinking garnishing the glass with a peppermint patty or maybe a mini candy cane

I'll let you know my review after I "test" it tonight. 

Remember - Be Nice

Sometimes we all need a little reminder to be nice.  Everyday stress plus all this holiday hoopla can take a toll on the nerves and common sense.

And especially at this time of year (you know, with Santa watching and all) we should all be on our best behavior :)

Do you remember in a post earlier this week I mentioned getting low on a pretty piece of plaid wool?  Well, last night I got a message from a friend that she found a piece of it in her stash and was willing to part with it.  Another example of the generosity of hooker friends.

So on my lunch hour I stopped in to pick it up (before she changed her mind  LOL).  As I was leaving I mentioned I was on my way to a local store to raise heck about an trouble-filled purchase.   I was all wound up and loaded-for-bear.   And then she hits me with this . . . . . "Now Kim, Be Nice"     Dang it.  Don't you hate it when someone is right ?   (And I had a really good rant all worked out for the store manager too)   And even worse, she had to remind me to be nice after just giving me a kind, nice gesture.  Sheesh, sometimes I need a bonk on the head. 

As I left and was driving to the store I realized I was smiling.  I looked down at that pretty piece of wool on the seat next to me and giggled all the way to the store.  And as I arrived in the parking lot I was repeating "Now Kim, Be Nice"    So I WAS and got my issues all straightened out.  Sometimes we all need a little reminder to be nice. 

Tomorrow I am going to see the Nutcracker Ballet.  That should help with the Christmas Spirit.

Hooking and Cooking

I have another holiday rug started.  I hope this one turns out nice as I have it planned for a special family lady.  Here is a little peek

I like it so far.  If it turns out really nice I wouldn't mind making another.  I usually don't have success hooking the same pattern twice.  It my notorious short attention span - I lose interest quickly once its done. 

Now, as promised, here is the Gumdrop Cake recipe.  I can't believe how many of you commented that you had never heard of this cake.  It is such a staple this time of year around here.   I did ask a few more questions about the mystery of the green gumdrops. 

Some of the family say that the green gumgrops have a stronger minty flavor than the other colors and that may be why she didn't use too many. 

Susan suggested that green candies make you amorous........LOL  Well I don't know about that but I doubt that was Grandma's reason for omitting them.  She thought my grandfather was the "cats pyjamas" so if Susan's theory was true, she would have used ALL green.

Here is the recipe: 
1 cup butter or margarine
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp each vanilla, lemon, almond extract
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
16 ounces gumdrops - cut in half or thirds

(save 1/2 cup of the flour to toss the gumdrops in - otherwise the gumdrops will all sink to the bottom)

Bake at 325 for an hour and a half.

Try it - you'll like it.

Too close for comfort

Well, here we are again - less than a month from Christmas.  This startling revelation hit me this weekend.  And then that sick, panic feeling started to creep in.   I better get my crabby, bah-humbug butt in gear.   So far I'm not feeling the holiday mood.

Even putting up the Christmas Shower curtain (you know - the naked santa) didn't help.    I did get a few little decorations up and I hooked another small table mat.  I'm not going to blog it until I decide what to do with it.

I did make a list.  Not a naughty/nice list like Santa does - but a OMG . . . . this is what's left to do list.  Now if I could just tackle it quickly.   Actually the list made me feel better. 

Because I read about all your Thanksgiving menus, I am hungry for a big dinner with all the fixins.  A chicken is in the oven and the vegetables are waiting to be peeled. 

I hope to draw out another little gift mat tonight and maybe make the Christmas card list.  I am also going to continue my subtle campaign to switch to an artificial tree this year.  Dear old Auntie is holding out for a real one.  (But she isn't the one who does all the work)  I may have to get devious to get my way.

I realize this is a bit of a rambling, dis-jointed post.  It sums up the day as it seems I have hopped from one thing to another.  I hope this is not a pattern for the month.  

Thankful ?

Even though it's not Thanksgiving in Canada, I am going to jump in on the Thankful theme . . .  well, sort of

Naturally I am thankful for all the usual stuff - family, friends, blah blah blah  (FYI this is not a mushy post)

Most importantly today I am thankful that every day doesn't start like this morning.  Did you ever notice that however your morning starts it seems to color the rest of the day ??

As you know, we had our first significant snowfall yesterday, about a foot and a bit.  So last night I had the bright idea that I should re-adjust my car in the yard to make it easier for the plow driver.  Well, that didn't work and I could feel I was starting to get stuck so I left it in its awkward position and figured I'd move it in the morning.   (Dumb move #1)

So this morning I mis-calculated getting up early enough to shovel the walk etc and was pushing it for time as I had a meeting first thing.  I haphazardly shovelled and jumped in my car and tramped on the gas pedal.  (Dumb move #2)  Well, I started to slip and slide (in the wrong direction) and ended up off the driveway, onto the lawn - - -  the still unfrozen lawn.  So now I'm really mad and you know when I get mad I sometimes get stupid (no comments please Lol)  and I started giving it more and more gas. (Dumb move #3) Which of course just spun my front wheels deeper and deeper into the lawn.   Geez Louise - the air in the car was blue.  I'm glad none of you were in my yard to hear some of the crap coming out of my mouth.

Almost late for work, I left that car sideways in the yard and grabbed Auntie's keys and hijacked her car for the day.  So I arrived at work just in time for the meeting but completely red lining.  I swear I could have burst a blood pressure cuff if someone had taken my BP.

I won't go into the details of the rest of the day at work but the trend continued.   And I still had to worry about how to get my car out.  I was tempted to leave the friggin thing there til Spring. 

Then after lunch a White Knight appeared and offered to meet me at my house after work to push the car out.   Yippee - It worked.  I was so happy he offered because I wasn't going to ask - mostly because I was embarrassed but also because I knew I would get teased.  The Knights silver armour was only tarnished a teeny bit when he laughed and asked me how in the world I manged to get the car in the bizarre position it was in.   Don't you hate it when they do that ?  However I was so grateful  I let his mocking go was just thankful for my White Knight.

Tomorrow will start better. I'm ordering new snow tires.  

Oh and for those of you who invited me to travel across the border to have Thanksgiving Dinner with you - I really did plan to come but now you know why I didn't arrive - Stupid stuck car.  LOL  But I really did appreciate the offers :) 

P.S.  Thanks Michelle for confessing that you also had to get half naked in front of co-workers for your flu shot.  I feel better now!

JOY

Last night was a blast.  We had a great time at Sandy's party and the Parade was lovely.  And before you ask - Santa was all lit up.  Not in our "Baileys" kind of way - his float was covered in tons of twinkly lights.   Murphy's Law was visiting someone else last night.  :)

However the weather has taken a turn today with gale force winds and scattered rain showers.  It is so windy I am considering putting ankle weights on Millie the next time she has to go out to pee. 

This morning I got busy and finished binding the last of the 4 little holiday rugs.  Woohoo.  You have only seen a sneak peek of the final rug.  Here is Joy

I decided to whip the border on this one.  I could not find the off - white whipping yarn.  I am sure I have a half a ball left but I couldn't find it anywhere.  So I decided to try something different and whip with a contrast color.  It was either that or put it aside to sit with all the other unfinished projects.  And I did promise to bind all four rugs.  This soft green was a ball of Bernat Roving yarn.  Very soft and pretty but I would not recomment it for whipping.  It broke and frayed so easily.  But in true stubborn fashion, I kept going.

And so it begins

It is officially the start of the Christmas season in my town.  Let the hub-bub and chaos of the holidays begin.

Last night was the Official Town Light Up.  Our crews have been working for 2 weeks to get all the Christmas lights and fixtures ready to go downtown.  Last night we hosted a celebration in our newly renovated downtown square.  The streets filled with people and the Mayor flipped the switch to turn on all the lights at once.  After the light up and the Christmas Carols in the church, people headed to Dayle's Department Store where they revealed their Christmas window displays and lights. 

This morning I headed to the "Bethlehem Market" at another downtown Church.  There were lots of treats and goodies to buy and all the workers were dressed as sheperds.  Very cute, plus I got to see lots of people I don't regularly see.  I think half the town was there.  One booth was staffed by one of my favorite people.  He retired from my office a few years ago and is just the loveliest person.   His booth was selling hugs for 50 cents, but I got mine for free . . . .  SWEET

And then tonight is the main event - SANTA is coming to town.  Yes, it is the Annual Santa Claus Parade.  Our Parade is held in the evening and all the floats are covered in lights.  It is beautiful.  I'm invited to a friends house for her Parade Party.  She lives right on the parade route and each year we get a front row seat on her front lawn.  Plus she has a huge buffet of treats and in case we get cold there is an ample supply of hot cocoa or coffee sweetened with Baileys.  And you know how I love that !

I have to tell you a little story about the Santa Float.  My office is responsible for Santa's float.  About 5 years ago I was tasked with re-designing the town's float.  Its kind of important to make sure Santa's ride is impressive.  If I do say so myself - it turned out fabulous. His sparkly sleigh and the reindeer are on top of a roof and we even had a smoke machine so smoke would be coming out of the chimney.   The night of the Parade that year I was so excited to see it make its debut.  I stood out in the cold and waited patiently for the parade to end as Santa is the last float.   All the other floats went by all brightly lit and festive.   And then I saw our truck . . . .  Santa was sitting on top of the float - - in darkness.  We had put hundreds and hundreds of lights on this float.  Darkness. 

WTF ??  I got on the cell phone looking for answers.  Apparently about 10 minutes into the parade route, the driver looked in his rear view mirror and the generator was on FIRE . . . .   Can you imagine ?  I guess you just can't prepare for everything.  It's never happened again, plus we have a back up now.  I can laugh about it now but I wasn't laughing about it at the time. 

Small and simple

In my quest to get my hooking mojo back, I decided to just draw out a small, uncomplicated little pattern that didn't require a lot of color planning and thought. 



This little mat is approx. 12 x 12 and I am amazed at how quickly it is hooking up.  I dug out my #8 cutterhead for the background.  Now I can't remember why I put that #8 away - I love it.  I will be leaving it in my cutter for awhile.   



I think I have my mojo back.  I still have some room left on the end of this burlap.   Any suggestions for the next little 12 x 12 project ?

Trick or Treat

Hi everyone, it's me - - - Millie

My Momma dressed me all up today.   Don't I look pretty ??

Hmmm, wait a second - - I remember this orange dress

Gasp . . . . . I only wear it once a year . . .

It's that terrible night when creepy looking people bang on

the door for hours . . . .

Oh no - I'm gonna get a sore throat from all the barking I will have to do.

And even worse than all the banging and barking . . . .

Mommy gives treats away to all the little beggers

Hmmm, she always told me it was impolite to beg . . .

What's up with that, huh ??

Oh, Momma says to say . . .

P.S.  I hope no clowns come to the door or Momma's gonna freak



Thankful and Overindulgent

Thanksgiving dinner 2011 is now just a memory.  I had enough food prepared for all of you, but there were only 4 of us.  We ended up with an extra at the table.  One of Mom's friends plans fell through so I picked her up and brought her here.   It's a good thing I cook like my Grandmother

and prepare way more than I need. Lots of leftovers for tomorrow. (So Michelle, you can come over)

I didn't make the pie yet.  Yesterday a friend called after lunch and said she had the coffee pot on and a fresh bottle of Baileys.   So obviously sitting out visiting her on the deck took priority for a few hours. 

And when I got home another friend had dropped off a pumpkin pie and a pan of pumpkin squares with cream cheese icing.  I figured that was enough dessert for now.

That picture is pretty much the scene here.  We are all stuffed to the max.  But poor Millie is worst of all.  It would appear that some people at the table (not me) were sneaking treats under the table.

Miss Millie has been sick twice so far.  All her blankies are in the washer.

Poor little thing is lying here looking all sick and pathetic.  

Aside from that little glitch it was a wonderful thanksgiving.  I have so much to be thankful for - wonderful friends and family here and away.  I am especially thankful for the family members who were with me last week at a difficult time.

We shouldn't need a holiday to remind ourselves to be thankful.

It should be a daily mantra.