Guess what happens....

When Curly borrows my computer to check his Facebook page and then stomps off in a fit of pique, leaving himself signed in?

Why, I take advantage of the situation and update his profile picture.  With a charming school picture from 3rd grade.

Hee. 

I am wicked.  And I revel in it.

New use for old present

Back in the early '80's, my Dad was a confirmed Dog guy and had no use for Cats.  He only came to understand the value of a Good Cat after his heart attack and subsequent triple bypass surgery.  During his recovery, Mom's black and white cat Consuelo would sit quietly in the bed with him.  This helped Daddy as he got better. He still wasn't an utter convert - that took twenty years and a cat named Honey.  Honey is a fine cat.

Back in the early '80's, I got Dad, the cat hater, a funny present for Christmas. I got him Earl the Dead Cat.  Earl was advertised as the Last Cat You'll Ever Need.  I thought this was most hilarious, and entirely appropriate for a cat hater.

Daddy did not find Earl as funny as I did.  Too bad.  I snorted a lot over Earl.

(Amazingly, you can still get Earl on Amazon.  Earl came (and still comes) with a death certificate,  You can view it here - look at the place of removal for a laugh.)

Fast forward to Christmas 2009.  Whan I met my extended family for our traditional Boxing Day gathering, Mom handed me a Bag Full o' Stuff.  (She is de-stashing in a big way.)  And lo and behold, there was Earl! He had somehow survived - or at least, his corpse did!

I brought Earl home for the Stooges to enjoy.  Which they did.  And now I have found that the family member who enjoys Earl the most is -- Sophie.

Yes, Sophie has recycled Earl into a lovely cat pillow.  See Earl's cartoony dead eyes?  Pretty.

Ah, Sophie.  So sweet, and yet so dim.  Sing the somg with me: "Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free"....

Toodles!

Christmas - I am grateful

Some of the things I am grateful for on Christmas, in no particular order.

Faith.  I am grateful to God for everything. This is a lovely folk art wreath a lady in my Sunday School class made for me.  Isn't it charming and lovely?  All of us went to the Christmas Eve service together.  The music was wonderful.  We had communion and passed the Light.  It was great - He's the reason for the season.

Bounty.  We have all we need and then some, even after serious belt tightening.  The Stooges got a lot of practical gifts and they were very grateful.

Family.  Here is Larry, ready for church last night.  This is a suit we found at the thrift store prior to my brother's wedding.  A friend altered it, and it looks great on him.  My family is wonderful.  And I have a great extended family, and a lot of friends.  I am very lucky, and grateful.

Love. I love all my boys a lot, and they love me. And DH too!  But there's nothing like puppy love.  Abby is a good mama. 

Aren't the puppies cute?  They were frolicking in the back yard this morning.

Unexpected pleasures.  Here are the cats enjoying the Christmas detritus.  It pleases them; they love the mess.  Then they come and love on me.  I love my kitties.



A sense of humor.  You may have noticed I'm a little quirky.  (Only a LITTLE bit....)  This year, all the Stooges got some sort of wierd windup toy in their stocking.  This one made us laugh and laugh.

This is a crèche that is set up in the living room.  I looked down and there was Santa in the middle, why?  DH said, "They're all gathered 'round watching the game."  So bad.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Christmas Eve

The Christmas Elf has much work to do. Baking, wrapping, filling stockings, mailing cards, beating children, smothering husbands, you name it. The Elf is a busy elf.

The Stooges keep coming to the Elf with MORE things they desire for Christmas. The Elf laughs, and it reminds the Elf of a story from her childhood.

When I was about 14 or 15, my sister J saw an ad on TV for some new crap item called The Skin Machine.  I think it was something like this.  So a day or two before Christmas she started pestering our beleageured mother to get this.  "I've got to have this, Mom.  I really NEED this," she begged.  Mom (my own Elf) got a funny look on her face.  I'm sure she was done with Christmas shopping and had no extra time or money to spend on this.  "Santa KNOWS what you NEED," Mom replied.  "But Mom, I'm serious!" whined J, a young teen.  "Santa knows!"  said the Elf.

So on Christmas morning, J found the Elf's version of The Skin Machine in with her stocking loot.

It was a bar of soap and a Brillo pad.

Santa knows......

So from chez Crazy, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Almost Christmas

Shopping is done.  I made a trip to the mall and went to the book store.  (I hate the mall - the only reason I ever go is to buy books/go to book club, or go to the movies.)  This was my only trip this Christmas season.  I'm so glad I'm done with the damn shopping.

Today and yesterday my company's lobby was jam packed with toys and bicycles which were given away to needie kids.  Many bicycles.

Lots and lots of bicycles. 

The smell of plastic and a zillion tires assaulted my nostrils for 2 days. 

But it was all for a good cause.  The bikes and the toys were bought by the employee-run charity; they do this every year.  It's a good thing for the community.

I'm having to take my laptop in to work while my work PC is being fixed.  So I'm bringing it in a rolling backpack, which will also hold my lunch.  When I unpacked my bag this evening, Sophie got really interested in the backpack.  Sophie loves to be in a box or some sort of small container.

Sophie tried to get in my backpack.

She failed.  So she wedged herself into my purse, and she's been happy ever since.  Silly kitty.  Hee.

And I'm hoping my mom will be able to come down from NC for Christmas.  But she's snowed and iced in - and there is more snow coming Christmas Eve.  It's mighty pretty, but it's sooo icey and the road she lives on (on top of the mountain) doesn't get hardly any sun.

But it's so lovely.  Wish I had this view.

Still no baking done....

Checking off my list

Done - Tree decorated.  House decorated.

Done - Christmas pictures of the Stooges in front of the tree.  Also printed out a gazillion copies to put in family Christmas cards.  (Here's an out-take, with Moe and Curly horsing around.)

In Progress - Christmas cards with the above pictures.  I figure as long as they are out before the New Year, I'm good.  After all, it won't be Old Christmas for a while.

Mostly done - Christmas shopping.  I may get a few items at the bookstore, but that's all.

Started - Wrapping presents.  I've done about 15.  The pile isn't too bad, especially since we cut back this year.

Not started - Christmas baking.  I make fudge, 5 kinds of cookies, 2 kinds of sweet bread, and sometimes flavored pecans.  No one makes me - I just like to do it and share.  The Stooges (and their cousins and the neighbors, especially Bubba) wait for this and drool in anticipation.

I think that's it.  I'm working through Christmas Eve.  I'm on furlough after that, going back the first Monday in January.  The only really good thing about being on furlough is the office can't call me.  This is good - I'm normally on 24 hour call.

Larry has successfully  finished all the parts of his EMT-I exam and is awaiting the arrival of his license so he can really job hunt.

On another note, the puppies are getting big and FAT.  They are a little over a month old now.  The boys have been named Rocket and Beauregard, and the girls are Roxie and Butercup (she's the white one).  Beauregard is the most wrinkly.

And Rocket is the biggest and has the longest hair.  Curly thinks he looks like a bear.

I was working from home today (my work PC tried to die on me and is in the hands of tech support), when I overheard this conversation between DH and Curly (who is 17)

Curly (looking at Boy's Life): Hey Dad, this 16 year old kid sailed by himself for a year.  That's so cool!  Can I sail by myself for a year?
DH: Sure, when you're 16.

DH is a card.

On a sorta sad note, we no longer posess suburban free range chickens.  A neighbor complained too vocally, and they went to DH's sister's yard.  I'll miss the eggs.  DH and Moe will miss just having them. They were kind of sweet. 

Bwaaaaack.  That's a chicken noise, isn't it?

The tree

Decorated.  Moe and I finished this last night.  It's kind of a Charlie Brown tree, but at least that much is done.

Rambling Thursday

I am working from home today due to the memorial service I have to attend mid-day. 

So I'm sitting at my desk and freezing.  I have an automatic thermostat and it sets the temp back after the time people normally go to work.  So I'm sitting here and it's cold and I'm thinking why did I set this to be so COLD and maybe I should up the temp but no that would be wasteful for just me and the cats and I can't feel my toes and damn how did it get so cold I should put on a sweater I can't feel my toes oh I don't have shoes on much less socks maybe I should do something about this WTF was I thinking about this temp I want a cat to come sit on my feet my rings are falling off because my hands are so cold and what good are these cats anyway they don't do anything to keep me warm after all I feed them and what to I get for it but a dirty litter box and fur covered clothing but my toes are still cold maybe I need a snuggie for feet and now I understand why cats wrap their tails around their toes to keep WARM and I have too much Xmas shopping to do and I haven't wrapped anything but my back is starting to get cold where's a blanket and maybe I'll go turn up the thermostat NOW.

(scurry scurry)  (furnace noises)

Whew.  Better.

I'm testing some some work things in between other stuff today.  (Database version upgrade.)  And I'm once again at my wits end with Curly.  I caught him smoking pot out behind the house this morning - he owned up to it after I confronted him.  (I know that smell....)  I'm looking at what to do next.  Larry says that he's certain Curly is doing a lot of drugs and drinking - Larry's friends tell him about seeing Curly at parties, high.  (Curly is sneaking out at night after we go to bed.)  Curly has admitted to doing cocaine.  I want to drug test him, but I'm sure the medication he's on will throw out false readings on in-home tests. And even if I get accurate results, then what?  He's to see his psychiatrist on Saturday, and I'm contacting his therapist to see if he has suggestions.  DH (who had bad up-bringing) is sick of this and wants to throw Curly out of the house when he graduates.  I can't in good conscience do that.  I wish he could do the military option, but they don't take bi-polar folks.  So, I'm between a rock and a hard place.

A funny for today:

Later today - finish decorating the tree.  Here is the tree after Christmas 2 years ago.  Someone did bad.  See if you can find the culprit.

ttfn

Some sad, some not so

The other day coming to work, some poor soul jumped onto the train tracks at the main station.  I was a ways down the tracks in the station.  I heard a woman scream and everyone craned their heads to see what was going on.  I could see a person in a dark jacket crouched on the tracks, likely not in his right mind.  Fortunately, no one was hurt.  The local transit police are well trained and handled it properly, stopping the train at the prior station until they could get the person back up on the platform and into custody.  It was a sad situation, but it could have been so much worse.

I'm a bit sad today because my Stephen Ministry Care Receiver (the person I see/help) died last night.  She was 90 and in hospice care.  She suffered from dementia a long time and was ready to go.  I couldn't do much for her, other than pray with her and be a cheery presence and some reliable company.  She was a lovely person.  Her son took wonderful care of her for many years, and this is really hard on him.  Her memorial service is Thursday.  I'm ok about this, just sad for her family.

Curly had two chorus concerts this week, one on Monday at the courthouse and a bigger one tonight at the high school.  The courthouse one was televised.  Both were pretty good, mostly Christmas music.  He's had such a good time with chorus.

Today I was tatting in the train station and someone asked me about it, a frequent occurrence.  Do you have a card, she said.  No, I don't sell this, I just give it away.  Can you give that away? referring to the necklace I was tatting.  I replied, 'You're mighty hopeful!'  I told her this was for my mother and we both laughed.  But I think she would have gladly taken it....

ttfn

Puppies and avoidance

The puppies are getting bigger.  The two on the left are girls, they're a bit smaller.

Our mama dog is taking good care of them.  They are mighty fat.  The white girl is very calm.

I've still making necklaces.

And I'm doing my best to avoid Christmas shopping.

A weekend with no Christmas decorating

Friday night I had a great evening murdering coworkers hanging out with some old college buddies. I went to a single gender institute of higher learning and my graduating class was small, so we know each other and enjoy hanging out.  This time, we went to Ms. G's place, a gawgeous restored Victorian home that had been in her husband's family since forever.  I want that house.  We ate great food, but mostly we sat around and told funny stories, like one that was told by Madame R, whose 94 year old mother called her up and demanded to know where the shotgun was.  You know, just in case Mama needed to shoot an intruder.  Hee.  I told about being called borderline retarded by Curly, and about the unexpected joy of puppies. 

When she saw Ms. G's spectacular 10 foot live fir Christmas tree, decorated to the nines, Ms. L asked us if we all got warm fuzzie feelings and had happy family times while decorating our Christmas trees.  We all roared.  Many stories of fights with spouses while putting up trees were told.  Stories of trees falling over, how trees were now lashed to the walls, how husbands cannot put up Xmas lights (they throw them all up in a clump and think they're done), broken ornaments, and other joy.  (A friend recently told me of how as a kid, he brought his BB gun inside and had fun shooting out the glass bulbs on the tree.  He did this once.  Then his mama like 'ta kilt him.)   We collectively assured Ms. L that it was NORMAL to not have those warm fuzzies with putting up those decorations.  Frankly, I don't know of anyone who gets that happy feeling, unless it's newlyweds.  It don't last.

In short, a very good time was had by all.  We were sorry to have to depart and go back to our own homes, where we each would face prospect of Christmas decorating all too soon.  (I have a wreath on my door and that's all I've done.)

Here's someone who's gone overboard decorating.  This house is just outside my subdivision (isn't it ginormous?) and there are vast quantities of Christmas Crappe in the yard.  Only part of the yard is visible here.  Trust me, this is about a fourth of what is strewn about their yard.  Pretty.

Today, Moe and I helped at church by lighting the Advent Wreath at the 11 am service and leading the accompaning responsive reading.  Moe had to carry a lit candle in, and I was afraid he might light some people on fire, particularly the elders marching right ahead of us (we were having communion).  Fortunately, it all went off without a hitch and Moe's candle was doused without having to use a fire extinguisher.

This afternoon I went to my book club.  I almost didn't go - I hadn't finished reading the book.  Then I found that no one else had either!  I was greatly relieved that I was not the only person who hated the book. I'm usually very good about being ready for the meeting.  The book was Guard of Honor by James Gould Cozzens, which won the Pulitzer for fiction in about 1948.  All of us hated it, couldn't slog through it no matter how hard we tried.  Made us question how Pulitzer Prize winners are chosen. 

Try as I might, I haven't been able to pawn off a puppy on anyone yet. Damn.

ttfn

On towards the weekend

The puppies are getting bigger and starting to open their eyes.  I'm not a dog person - but they are kinda cute.  The mama is taking fine care of them.  Moe is holding the pup Curly has laid claim to.  He's named this one Rocket.  Isn't he chubby?

Friday night I'm getting to escape and have some fun with some college buddies.  We're going to meet at a friend's home in metro Atlanta for some fun and food and memories.  I get together with these folks about every 3 months or so.  It's nice to be able to escape and enjoy folks who knew you back when.  No pretences.  Heck, I've all of them in curlers and night gowns. We're not putting on any shows for each other now.  It's nice to have friends you can relax with.

Sophie is enjoying the box that my recent Handy Hands shipment came in today.  (I needed some colors of Lizbeth that I couldn't get at the local Hobby Lobby, and a couple of new Sew Mate shuttles.) (Like I really needed shuttles....)  I'm glad she's in the box - she had been trying to wedge herself into my purse.  I don't know why she likes a box.  I guess she likes to feel held.  I'm feeling held down by her at night - she wants to sleep on me, and scrambles to stay on top even when I roll over.  When I pull the comforter up high. she tries to sleep on my head.  Makes me feel like Hungry Joe in Catch-22. (Now look that up!)

Finally - what is with people who die their hair in designs not known in nature?  Especially folks over college age.  I saw this woman in my grocery over the weekend.  She was in her 50's and had gray and black hair on top, and her hair was dyed red, almost fuscia on the bottom.  Not a good picture - snagged on the fly with my cell phone.  Wierd, huh?

Still tatting necklaces and Christmas ornaments....