Friday, December 28, 2007

Blogging Been Bery Bery Good to Me

Today marks two years. From my first post listing gratitudes to yesterday's post about our new home, blogging has been quite the experience. It is not what I expected. I expected simplicity, posts about everyday, normal things, crafts, kids, cooking, and what not. So that is what I did. What I did not expect was how posting about those things would be so wondrous, so thought provoking, so eye opening, so healing. I am truly amazed.

Thank you, to those who read. I know there are many out there who read and lurk. I'm cool with that, but for today, for my accomplishment, for my curiousity, would you leave a comment? I will enable anonymous comments so you don't have to open a google/blogger accout, just leave your first name as your comment or at the end of your comment. Thanks.

So, here is to another year, a new year, a year of change, for aren't they all?

Salud!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Downy Ocean

We crossed the bridge

signed our names a million times,









and entered the little town of Dagsboro.

















Our door is always open






















Won't you come visit?























We went to settle and just check things out. We packed a few dishes, our new pillows courtesy of Mom, new towels and bath matt courtesy of My Sister and family. We figure we just need air mattresses, sleeping bags, a coffee pot, mugs, toilet paper and we can survive New Years at the shore. We will move in little by little, take our time. We went looking for water access which we think is only a few miles down the road, did not find it but do know there is some within 5 miles in Millsboro. We ended the day here, and yes it is the best margarita in town.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Excellent Mens Choir

Check this out. You'll enjoy it.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Memories, Traditions, Nostalgia

When I was a young girl, during the advent season, my parents would wake us at the crack of dawn, Monday through Friday, to attend a short advent worship seervice. We would sit in 2 rows of chairs that face each other in the frigid church. Ten would be a large crowd. We would sing hymns acapella, listen to scripture and be on our way in 30 minutes. At that time of day, that temperature, outside and in, and our age, it was 30 minutes of not quite, but almost, torture. Yet, we did it. I'm sure it was difficult for our parents to get us out everyday. It was important to them to expose us to this discipline. It remains a constant memory and something I wish I had the discipline to do with my children. It was a way to wait in spiritual awareness. To depart from the commercial. To be Holy.

Christmas Eve, my sister and I would sleep together. We would gather games to play in the wee hours of the morning, although I don't remember actually playing them, just planning. We were not allowed out of our rooms until 7am. Our house was open on Christmas day, both sets of Grandparents came, cousins, aunts, uncles, and usually a person or two from church who might have found themselves alone otherwise. My best friend lived across the street. I don't really remember exchanging gifts with each other but I do remember going back and forth, visiting.


Christmas eve, candlelight, and Silent Night have always inspired awe, except last year. During the service, communion prayer to be exact, my daughters in front of me, laughing, shaking the pew. I tapped them and gave them "The Look". Then during candle lighting, all is forgiven, I give them another, softer, look, and look behind me to My Handsome Prince, who holds his hands up and mouths "I lost mine". If you have not seen Claymation Christmas bells, check out this link. I asked the girls what had them laughing, and they replied that the prayer started "Sweet Baby Jesus" and they had watched "Taladega Nights" the night before. It was not a holy night, per se, but it was memorable.


The four of us have continued the tradition of a Christmas list. This is no ordinary Christmas list. We list our Reasonable Wants and Outrageous Desires. It is interesting to look back on lists, or even the current one and see what changes from outrageous to reasonable and vice versa.

My sister and her husband host an adult party every year that starts very tasteful, adult, and soon turns raucous when the gift exchange begins.

We celebrate with 4 different sets of parents/Grandparents every year. We open our presents, one person, one gift at a time so all can see. We usually attend Christmas Eve service, National Guard Family Day, Christmas concerts, and have hosted our own holiday ornament exchange.

The constant is church and family.

What are some of your traditions, memories, and plans?

Friday, December 21, 2007

Down to the Wire

Today's To Do List:


  1. Address Christmas cards and put in mail (they just arrived yesterday)
  2. Finish stocking for Emma
  3. Clean kitchen
  4. Start wrapping gifts
  5. Buy present for Davy
  6. Buy stocking stuffers for MHP, Em, Audrey, and Mom
  7. Make chocolate covered peanut butter ritz crackers (mmmm)
  8. Buy stuff for dinner tonight, having company
  9. Frame posters
  10. Make 2 ornaments
  11. Make gumdrop wreath
  12. Buy copy of Bladerunner
  13. Buy wire to make above ornaments
  14. Bake molasses cookies
  15. Make potholder and apron
  16. Buy wine and beer
  17. Look for sisters ipod in my bags from last Saturday
  18. Buy a rubber chicken and a six pack of Natty Boh

Not all of this needs to be done today. I'm just making my list and checking it twice! Of course, I still have to work this morning too. Ugh. I'm having my quiet time now, coffee in hand, computer on the corner of the couch. There is no one home, no one to get to school, just me and the dogs. Honey is just happy to be out of her crate for a little bit, unfortunately she's just going to have to go back in while I'm at work. Poor thing, in, out, in, out, in, out. I may be checking in later (adding to the list).

  • Add turn in time sheet at work
  • Straighten rest of house

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ornament

It's my house! It was great fun to make. They are off to Michele at Calico Daisy, Gail at Runnergurl, and Chris from the Holiday Traditions Exchange.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Moments

Sunday night, a small darkened Sunday school room, Audrey playing the part of Mary, My Handsome Prince, the part of Angel Gabriel, Emma and I operating the light. We sat together in this small, dark room, waiting for the crowd to come through every 1o minutes or so, waiting for the birth. We had no ipods, no phones, no tv, no lights, no games, no books, just us. We waited in quiet peace (disturbed only by fits of coughing by Emma and me), we waited in laughter, we waited making silly noises, we waited by singing (ok, it was Backstreet Boys). We waited what seemed forever but was only a couple hours. At the end, the baby was crying, the donkey pooped, the angels still sang, and the crowd stood in awe. Do you think that's how it was?

Sunday, December 16, 2007

It's Safe Now

The hat I knit for my Father









The purchased blanket that I appliqued ginkgo leaves on representing the leaves I see on my walks in Hanover

At the table

I Want to be a Rock Star!


My sister told us to wear our best rock star outfits for the Christmas gathering at their house with our Father. We took this as a personal challenge. This is the image I am using for our Christmas cards.
I lack skills but am working on giving good face.


I couldn't drum, I couldn't guitar, I couldn't sing, barely survived the tambourine but...

Li'l Sis and I rock on the penny whistle and recorder!

For the record, yes we did allow the children to play also.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Snow Day


Walking down the hill to get the car that got stuck at the bottom.

Honey's little legs are so short the snow came up to her chest and yes she loves it!

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes"

Tuesday was just a tease. Today the real stuff came down. Honey and I were the only dog walkers. It was so peaceful and quiet, walking in the snow. It kept falling, enough that I cancelled my last class, got stuck going up the hill and had to hoof it with dog and crate. We went back down to get the car after the road had been plowed. Audrey and I had fun, walking back down, catching snowflakes in our mouths, slipping, but were quite happy to get back in our warm house.

Can You See Me?

It was freakin' cold yesterday! I bundled up for my walk, not looking forward to it, windy, and...
snowy. We got a light dusting of snow during the night, as much as a half an inch, which makes the entire neighborhood go crazy. The buses were 45 minutes late although school was not delayed, neighbors calling, traffic crazy. I'm surprised there was still milk, bread, and toilet paper on the shelves at the store.
What is this stuff, Mom?