Sunset

This was the sunset Saturday evening. T.S. and I took this while we were waiting for Sadie to finish showing at Claude.

Conversations at Wal Mart

I have to share this conversation that I overheard at Wal Mart last night. A young man was telling his son/sibling (not sure which) the following as they walked down the aisle I was on.

"They are supposed to ask you what kind when you order Coke. They ask me what I want to drink and I say 'Coke.' They never ask me what kind so I always end up with Coke instead of Dr. Pepper."

I really, really wanted to say, "No way, I can't imagine why they'd give you a Coke instead of a Dr. Pepper." But, I did not.

• Our checker was a lovely young thing--no smile at all. She literally threw our items into the sacks as she was checking us out. Then she told us the total and crossed her arms until I handed her the check. I guess it is hard to keep the holiday spirit when you are a checker and have been listening to Christmas music and seeing decorations for two months. I won't tell you what I wanted to say to her.
• I know all of you are already planning your Valentine's decorations and are worried if you'll be able to find any. Never fear, JoAnn's already has them out--right next to the Christmas items that are already 60% off.
  I just love having to go to stores this time of year.

Gift Ideas

So, it is officially December. Now the mad rush begins. Decorate the tree (and now days the whole house--even the bathroom--and yard), buy lots of presents, wrap them all, bake, make candy, run, hurry, see about checking into a home for crazy, frazzled Christmas people....

On this site, Granny Sue's News and Reviews, she offers some very simple, very thoughtful Christmas gift ideas. Check it out.

I was exaggerating (but not much) in the first paragraph. This Christmas, try to go with the flow. Don't stress about the small stuff--you can't even see the floor where our tree is supposed to go. Take time for yourself, take time for your family. Make an attempt to savor the moments and memories. Have fun! And, most of all, don't forget the real reason we have Christmas. Celebrate the birth of Jesus with everyone you come in contact with. Maybe if we all started trying to go back to the basics of the holiday we could start a national trend or something (I can dream, can't I?)

Visit the North Pole

Okay, I'm the first to admit that it drives me nuts that Christmas decorations, etc. are in the stores and we haven't even gone trick or treating yet. I always feel like Thanksgiving is skipped over. But, I found a site today that is worth a look, even if it isn't even December yet.

You can go here and visit the North Pole. Play games, read stories, write stories,write a letter to Santa. (Santa will write you back) All kinds of stuff awaits you. There is even a quiz you can take to see where you rank on the Naughty or Nice list. What caught my eye today, though, was the "Good Deeds Calendar." You can print one out for the month of your choosing. It is pretty much what I call a chore chart. It has several things your kids probably are doing or supposed to be doing every day. The kids are to keep track of what they do and leave the calendars under the tree for Santa to see.

Brilliant!! Instead of saying--"Santa might not come if..." You can just say, "What do you think Santa will think of you good deeds calendar?" What a fun thing to do as a family as you head into this hectic time. Keep track of your good deeds--emphasize the positive.

Have fun at the North Pole!

Thoughts of Halloween

I've been thinking about where we'll take the kids trick or treating this Friday. It is an away football game so lots of people will not be home. But, I remembered that most of the homes we are expected to "haunt" will have eager candy givers just waiting for our arrival. How cool is it that my kids will trick or treat at many of the homes I did as a kid? That got me thinking of places we must stop and places that I wish we could still visit.

Here are a few places I remember going to as a child:

• Hobart and Anna Mae's--Anna Mae always had those spiced muffin/cupcakes with the ghost made out of a sucker (Tootsie Pop, I believe) and Kleenex. It was always in the middle of the muffin. I never cared much for the muffin or the sucker, but I thought the whole thing together was way cool and I had to have it.
• Grandmother Sims--she always made popcorn balls. Have you ever tried to make them?
• Burnett--she had reserve candy for her "special" friends. (Sadie was fortunate enought to get to visit her some)
• Si and Willa--Si would always make us say our name, etc. for the video camera. We really should all get together with Si to view those someday--he turns ninety soon. I imagine Aunt Louise will be there to help him this year.
• Ruth Mann--She'd always take our picture and send it to us later. I remember the year we went with the Whites and were Star Wars characters. (there's another post--costumes you remember)

We'll probably drop in on Si, Roberta, Cone, the Butlers (Sadie went in their house one year and started up the stairs), and Bob and Pat's for sure. Only in Happy does trick or treating take awhile because you are sometimes expected to go in for a short visit. Robby and I will probably score some candy, too. If you are in Happy Friday, feel free to join us.

Hooray, it's holiday time!!

I know that all of you are just as excited as me. The first Christmas catalog arrived yesterday; you know, September is when we should all be thinking of shopping for Christmas. T.S. has managed to find a $80 racetrack and a $40 remote-control plane (yippee). He has been carrying the catalog ("magazine" as he calls it) around all afternoon. "Mom, this is only 6 dollars, I'm getting it. See, Sadie, this is what I'm getting." The countdown begins...

an update: T.S. took the catalog to bed and fell asleep with it. This morning (Thursday), he met Jay at the door showing him all of the "stuff" he is "going to get." I cannot be more thrilled...