Good and Bad

First - the good news.

This week, I talked to Curly's high school counselor, a lovely person with an adult bipolar son who's off his meds.  She's very sympathetic of our situation, and we commiserate a lot.  I found out that IF Curly finishes all his night school classes (and he is on track for this), he will graduate May 29th with his high school class.

Whew. 

I'm not thinking too hard about this until Curly actually finishes his classes.  Night school ends before regular school - he will be done May 13.  And he has to take two end of course tests.  But I'm not worried about these tests - he's never scored below a 95 (out of 100) on any end of course test.  His first test on Monday.

I'm not sure what he will do after graduation - continue working at Target, I guess.  But I'm not sure what else.  And he is completely off his medicines, still living in the tent in the backyard.

(BTW - my MIL is coming for the graduation, as the Stooges' cousin Amy is graduating from the same school.  My MIL could not be bothered to come for Larry's graduation.  The good part here is she is NOT staying with us, so murder will not happen.  God is good.)

Right now, Curly is off to a prom in the next county.  He wanted me to foot the bill for a tux, which I wouldn't do.  We finally convinced him to wear a suit.

And he looks quite fine in his suit. He's very excited about the prom. And I hope he has fun.

I just tatted this item for my bloggy friend Julia.  Her mother in law died suddenly right after I started to make this, so I've sent this off with a nice sympathy card.  Julia is a lovely person, and very talented.  Go see her blog.

Now the bad news: DH did NOT get the damn dog spayed.  And now she's very pregnant.  Anyone want puppies in July?

What I've been doing

I've been tatting a bit, not much.

This is Mary Konior's Large Cross from Tatting with Visual Patterns.  It's my favorite go-to pattern - I have it memorized.  This one is done in Coral Reef HDT size 20 by TatsKool.  I'll been sending this cross (after I block it! and put a tail on it) to someone from church who is having a really hard time.

I like this color of HDT a lot - it's cheery and fun.  And the pattern looks nice either in a plain color or in HDT.

I've been enjoying watching this video. 



Larry snorted a lot when he saw it.

Things are much the same with Curly.  I fear he is starting to crash - he's been off his anti-depressants for 2 weeks. He's been sending me odd random texts.  And the school just called me and said he's acting weird.  I hope he's ok, but I have no control over this.

This is a something Curly left for us in his room.  He's still living in the tent defiantly.  The guitar next to the sign is broken in many pieces.  So self-destructive.

And now for something completely different: today as I was riding the train, an older lady got on pushing a baby carriage.  I see people with baby carriages all the time - no big deal.  But this lady had an animal carrier strapped to the stroller.

I asked her what she had in the carrier. "A puppy!" she said.  And when we got off at the central station, she stopped so I could look in the carrier.  And there was a little dog in there - a small black terrier type dog with grey whiskers!

I guess there is more than one way to walk the dog.

Chilly willly

Ya'll, we are snowed in.

I know you folks from the hinterlands are laughing, but you don't understand what it's like in the South.

For one thing, we don't have salt trucks or snow plows.  I think there is one snow plow in all of metro Atlanta.  No kidding.  They use road grading equipment instead.

The big problem is not snow - it's ice.  Because it's warmer here, when it snows and the temperature drops, the snow turns to ice on the roads.  Everywhere.  And it's nasty.

Here's my front yard and my street as of this morning.  Not much snow.  But look - the road is glazed with ice.  Please notice that at 8:15 am, my neighbors have not ventured down their steep driveway.  Atlanta is hilly.  And the part of town I live in is almost mountainous.  The only neighbor I can see that has tried to get out of his driveway is a recent transplant from New Jersey.  And he failed.

Curly think we are silly for not wanting to venture out.  "I can drive in this, Mom!"  Foolish child.  (He was actually outside barefoot in the snow yesterday.  And then he had the nerve to complain that he was cold.)  He's wandering around in a t-shirt and jeans at the moment.

There was a 29 car pileup on the interstate this morning.  Officials are pleading with folks to stay home.  I want to see you folks from the North try driving on this ice.  I'm working from home, all schools are closed.

And here's something you don't see often in the deep South:

A frozen lake. 

This was taken yesterday before most of the snow.  It's a pond I pass on the way to work, not far from my house.

Yes, I can hear you guys from up north chortling.  (Wow, I spelled that right on the first try.)  No, nothing freezes over in Atlanta, so this is amazing to us.  We don't have winter sports, because we don't have much in the way of winter.  Even when I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina (where it's -2° F on my mom's front porch right now), we didn't have frozen lakes.  I went ice skating exactly one time as a kid - when the pond down the street froze in about 1971. 

(In Atlanta, it's Summer about 9 months of the year.  We have about 3 weeks of Spring, 3 weeks of Fall, and the balance of the time it's usually Not Summer.)

I want to see you folks from the North try driving on this stuff.  And for us, it's cold.  16° F this morning, fells like -1°.  Not supposed to get above freezing until Monday.  Brrr.

Changing subjects - Moe and I took the last of the puppies to her new home yesterday.

Here is Buttercup in Moe's lap.  She was good as gold on the drive.  The new owner called back later to say that Buttercup was frolicking with his young dog and having a good time.  She'll make a good pet.

So in between things, I'm going to try Jane's TIAS.  I've never done a TIAS, didn't have the time.  I've got a few other projects to do in between keeping up with work emails.  It will keep me from murdering the Stooges.  Which will keep me out of jail, a good thing.

toodles

The weather outside is frightful...

Ya'll, it's cold.

I live in Hotlanta.  Where it's really hot most of the time.  But damn.  It's colder 'n' a witch's t.....

See what I mean?  The normal low this time of year is about 34 F.  This is the South, Darlin'. This ain't nachrul.

When I went to church yesterday, it was really cold.  There had been a problem with the wiring and the heat had been off for days.  So it was figid.  The choir members were wearing their coats under their black robes..

Today it was 16 degrees F this morning.  The wind chill made it fell like 6.  Brrrr.

I'm not taking the train in this week - it's way too cold to be standing on those train platforms and wait.  (Especially with a hurt tow.) But there was big ice on the downtown connector.  They shut it down to spread sand on it.  Slow going.  Took forever to get in.

My office was cold too.  This was a day I was glad NOT to have a window office.

Not much in the way of tatting done.  But a good thing happened today.  We have homes for all the puppies!  Yup, all of them have been promised out and all but one are in their new homes.  The last little girl will go tomorrow.

Now I'm going to burrow under the covers in my bedroom, the coldest room in the house.  Reminds me of those scenes in the cottage in Dr. Zhivago.  At least I have DH to curl up with.  He's no Omar Sharif, but he's here and warm and snuggly.

The boys go back to school Wednesday.  Can't wait!  But it may snow Thursday night.  Can wait!

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!

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?

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....

Thanksgiving

Before.

During.

After.

Now - silent night.

A better day in which I say Squee!

Things are a bit better at my house.  The job situation hasn't changed, but I did get pulled aside by my boss today and she apologized for how this happened.  Things were out of her control and she was forced to do this.  She told me that she would never have told someone this on a Friday afternoon, but her management made her.  She did offer me some additional time off without charging it to my vacation.  It's better than a poke in the eye.

Oh - and my management duties?  Will have to continue.  They fall under "other duties as assigned".  Ain't life grand?

But not all is icky....
I had a terrific surprise waiting for me when I got home yesterday.  I was one of the winners for Heather's Birthday Giveaway recently, and my package arrived.  Bonus!  I got the goodie bag!  Heather was soooo generous to me.  She gave me 2 packages of pearl beads (which I've already got on a shuttle), 2 skeins of her gah-juss HDT - Stormy Skies and Mulberry Dreams - in size 30, and a dynamite handmade crimson shuttle.  I'll be seeing how this red baby flies really soon!

Made me feel really lucky - and really blessed.  Thank you Heather - you are so generous.  If your birthday was even a tiny bit as good as your gift made me feel, then you had a truly wonderful day.

Another bonus awaited me today when I got home.  Like you, dear readers, I read a lot of blogs.  There are a few that are daily must read blogs.  You know these blogs - you feel like you really know the writer and have to know more about them.  One of my all time favorite bloggers is Blackbird.  I love her work.  She and I share the certain things - three sons, a long commute, a love of family, etc.  So I was reading her blog today and suddenly I stopped short and shouted Squeee! 

Because Blackbird has given me an award!  It's the Honest Scrap Award. 

Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will.

(In typing the name of the award, I initially mistyped it as the Honest CRAP award. Heh.)

I'm honored.  Blackbird, you are far too kind.

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.
2. Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.

3. Present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.

4. Tell those 7 people they've been awarded Honest Scrap and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

Okay, so I've got to be honest.  Do I have to?
 
Here goes:
1. I've been stress eating lately and it's bad things.  Candy bars.  I've got type II diabetes (though usually it's well managed) and candy is BAD for me.  Got to stop.
2. I see people dressed beautifully at work and say to myself "They make more money than they have a right to", when really I'm just very jealous.
3. I love singing harmony to all the songs on the radio when I'm driving alone.
4. Things that are awesomely good make me get teary.  I'm kind of a sap.
5.  I don't like my given name.  But who really does?
6.  I'm a loyal friend.  I treasure all my friendships and feel lucky to have them.
7.  I love reading good southern literature, like Flannery O'Connor and Thomas Wolfe. (I lurve Flannery.)  I also love classics, like Dickens and Victor Hugo and Jane Austen.  I'd like to teach a class on Christian symbolism in Southern Literature.
8.  I have freckles and am a natural redhead, though my hair has turned from auburn to brown in my old age.
9.  I wish to God that DH and I were on the same side of the political fence.  I'm one way.  He is - something else.
10.  Though The Stooges can each make me crazy, I adore them all and would do anything for them.  I would die for my boys.  And all of my family.
 
And for the list of great Bloggers, drumroll please!
 
1. Victoria.  Love her art, love her aesthetic.
2. Julia.  Wow - can she ever sew.  And such a nice lady.
3. Grumpy Granny. An old friend from way before the Internets. We go back to before the Carter Adminstration.  Always encouraging.
4. Fluid Pudding.  Makes me snort.
5. LadyShuttlemaker.  I feel a real kinship with her. And I love all her work.
6. Heather at the Tarnished Tatter.  We've been sharing some great and funny emails.  And such a good mom!
7. Ree the Pioneer gal.  Love me some Marlboro Man and those kids.
Badger and Jen from KnitterKnitters were already awarded - I love them too!
 
All right bloggers - go to it!
 
And I leave you with a funny, a not safe for work funny.  A Thanksgiving NSFW funny.
 
Before you see it, you have to sing a Sesame Street song.
 
One of these things is not like the others
One of these things just doesn't belong.....
 
Now look here!
 
Hee!  Now I have to go and start defrosting a big turkey....