A Little Christmas Mistletoe

A friend of mine came to work the other day with his pinkie finger all bandaged up.  Seriously - from knuckle to tip, it was all cozy and snug inside an enormous wad of bandages.  I asked him what happened and he said that he nearly cut his finger off Sunday cutting mistletoe for his son's Boy Scout fundraiser.  OUCH!

He went to the ER right away - where he promptly waited 5 hours to be seen.  Shortly before the doctor came in, he went out and asked someone if they thought his finger was still viable for a repair; they looked at, said 'Yes, there's still a little bit of pink left'.  A few minutes later the doctor came in and stitched it back together.  He didn't know how many stitches they'd given him, but he said it circles the entire pinkie in something that looks like a blanket stitch.  Again I say OUCH!

He brought the mistletoe in to work to sell.  A dollar a bunch.  Boy, that seems like a mere pittance compared to what I'm sure his doctor bill will be!

Anyway, here's our Christmas photo … oddly enough, with mistletoe!  (**Disclaimer:  No fingers were harmed in the photographing of this mistletoe.  Pinkie swear!)

I Like Pie

At our school, we do our morning announcements on closed-circuit television.  Which is fabulous!  The kids love love it and it gives them a chance to have a live, in-studio, on-air performance.  ...the only caveat is that sometimes, 7th and 8th graders don’t necessarily possess the best on-air presence.  Often, the word ‘photograph’ comes out pho-TO-graph.  And though they’re learning, their inflections aren’t exactly, well, accurate.  For instance, years ago our Home Economics teacher had planned a food sale for after school.  It was around the holidays, and her students made various kinds of pie; the sale was a slice of pie for $1.00.  To promote the pie sale, she asked to have a blurb put in the student bulletin to be announced over the air the day of the sale.  The two student announcers that morning were supposed to have a  witty repartee about the pie sale; the final line was to be an enthusiastic ‘I like pie!’  However, the young announcer who delivered the line did so with a very somber - almost sad - face and a downcast ‘I like pie’.

Bless her heart.  She has no idea how many hours of entertainment she has provided our family over the years.  Every time, and I do mean every time, we talk about pie, invariably we all put on the most somber face we can muster and solemnly state ‘I like pie’.  Then we giggle and guffaw until the next time we say it --- no doubt an hour or so later.

Thanksgiving is a big pie holiday.  You guessed it … we like pie.  

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

It's Finally Back!!

Someone came into the office the other day and announced that, my all-time favorite, pumpkin spice latte has returned to Starbucks for it's annual fall run.  YAY!

She said 'It just seems too early,' and at that point, I had to agree with her.  That was last week when our temperatures were into the triple digits with nearly triple digit humidity to match (Speaking of which: when did we move back east? Man, I hate humidity!).

Our temperatures have dropped this week and, this morning on our early walk, it was actually pretty cool outside!  So cool, in fact, that I wished I'd worn a sweatshirt.  And then it hit me:  I'm going to stop and pick up my first pumpkin spice latte of the season!

Mmmmmmmm.  I have to say that it's just as delicious as I remembered, and it was such a treat.  I was talking to Deb on the way to work and asked me what the occasion was.  I told her I didn't need one - I was getting it just because I wanted to!  She smartly replied "Well, then I'm going home ... just because I want to!"  Well fine.  Go ahead.  But you won't have any money for pumpkin spice lattes, so neenerneenerneener!

Cheaper by the Dozen

August 18, 2013.  Our 12th wedding anniversary.  How on earth can it be twelve (TWELVE!) years already?

For all the right reasons, it seems like we've always been together.  Still, it seems odd to think that twelve years ago we were getting ready to say our "I Do's" and commit our lives to one another.  It's a thrill to think that we've enjoyed twelve years already, and an exciting mystery to anticipate what lies ahead for the next twelve years.  And the twelve after that.

Kevin and I have always thoroughly enjoyed our anniversaries, and this year was no exception.  Kevin made reservations at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (yumyumyum!) and had a gorgeous bouquet of flowers delivered to the restaurant to be placed on our table prior to our arrival.

Without a doubt, Kevin is the sweetest, most romantic man in the world - which makes me the luckiest girl in the world!  The meal was delicious, the wait staff quietly attentive, and the company was perfect in every way.  We truly both feel that we are more in love now than the day we got married.  Very blessed indeed.

Happy anniversary, my love.  I'd marry you again every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  Just this much more.

So...

Is marriage really cheaper by the dozen?  Who knows.  I love that phrase, and loved even more, the original movie by the same title.  The family in the movie had twelve children and when they would ask the dad why he had so many kids, his reply would always be "Well, they're cheaper by the dozen, you know!"

Let's give it some thought - is marriage really cheaper by the dozen years?  Hmmm...

Year one you're busy setting up a household, which can be incredibly expensive.  Figuring out where to live, buying a bit of furniture that represents your new married life, and figuring out how to set up paying your bills.   By year two, you're still in the settling in phase.  You've gotten into the swing of things, but now you've decided your living arrangements could definitely use some improvement, so you begin saving for a house.  Cha-ching!  Year three you've decided that going to the laundromat is ridiculously expensive and, if you bought a washer and dryer, you'd definitely save money.  In the long run.  But...not in the short run.  Year four your beloved's car breaks down beyond repair; add a car payment to your monthly bills.  Ugh.

Years five and six, if you have children, all bets are off.  Your 'cheap' years are definitely over!  If you decide not to have kids, you're still in the process of saving for that elusive home of your own.  It would have been easier, but there was a job change this year and you need to build yourselves back up.  Year seven is looking pretty good!   ...until you're asked to be in three weddings, your cousin in another state suddenly passes away and you find out your tax returns were wrong and you owe the IRS some serious caish.  Ouch!

Year eight is a relatively good year.  No major life or lifestyle changes and you're chugging right along.  Yeah, baby!  Finally an easy, relatively cheap year!  Then...year nine comes along and you're ready to buy that house.  Oh.My.Goodness.  The piles of paperwork to complete the loan isn't nearly as worrisome as the number of zeros you see on those loan docs.  And if you happen to be buying said abode in California?  Plan on retiring at the ripe old age of 70.  Maybe even 75 if you can eek it out.

Year ten comes along and you're thinking "Wow, ten years!  I hope it's a cheap year - we are still spending like crazy on the house!"  In fact, you're not just thinking it, you're actually doing it.  Which is a good thing, because by the time year eleven rolls around, miraculously, there are no huge expenses looming.  The year comes and goes and suddenly, it's year 12.  Danged if that year isn't looking pretty darn good, too!  Things are lookin' up!

Well, there you have it - I guess it's really true.  Now that we've hit the dozen mark, while not 'cheap', it's certainly manageable.  Just a word of caution, though:  Look out for year thirteen; that fridge is starting to make some interesting noises....

Hoppy Easter!

This year we celebrated Easter at our house.  You kinda just have to - this is the place where we've held all of our Easter egg hunts over the years.  I mean, would it really be an egg hunt if no one looked under the ceramic ducks or gnomes?  And who could forget the floating egg in the pool, or the 'ooops, dropped that in the rain gutter above the office' egg.  Can it really be the spring celebration without these fond memories?  We thought not.

And wouldn't you just know it ... after all the work we'd put in out in the backyard to get things in shape, it was cold and drizzly on Easter!  It had been beautiful all week and then - POOF - overnight the weather changed and we had cool, gray skies.  Thankfully, we did manage to ward off a full on rain storm and we were able to hide and hunt eggs, and even eat a late lunch/early dinner outdoors before we called it too cold to be outside.  

Here's a glimpse of our Easter celebration:

I've included a few photos of our little neighbors enjoying their morning egg hunt, as well as Pat and Drew on the hunt in the afternoon and a few photos of our front yard since most things were in bloom at the time.

Our little next door neighbors were very cute; they shared one egg each with Kevin and I.  They were a true treat indeed as their plastic eggs contained candy - a very rare treat for them!  In return, we gave each of them one of the eggs from our upcoming hunt; the moment I handed it to them, 'O' (the little boy) has a gleam in his eye and a huge grin on his face.  'MONEY!' he said.  I asked him why he thought it had money in it - it hadn't rattled or made any noise at all.  He told me that he 'just knew!'  And he was right! 

Happy Valentine's Day

(With apologies to Darius Rucker..)

We don't need no five star reservations, we got In'n'Out burgers and a cheap bottle of (root)beer.
We don't need no concert in the city, we got an iHome and the best of the Weirs.

Happy Valentine's Day, my Sweet.

I love YOU more!

Happy (almost) New Year - Family Game Night!

WooHoo!

This year I was chosen to host a Hasbro Family Game Night Party!  HouseParty, the company who selected me to host, sent us four games for the party: Twister, Yahtzee, Draw Something and CatchPhrase.  We invited family, friends and neighbors to join us on Sunday, January 30th to join us for a night of food and fun.

And was it ever!  We had a total blast!  The consensus was that CatchPhrase was the favorite game of the night, but I have to say that the Yahtzee table had some pretty intense moments, while Draw Something kept everyone guessing.

Here are a few pics ... don't you wish you'd been there, too?!

Christmas Tree Lane

Funny how there are just some things that escape your notice.  I grew up in this house and lived in this area for years before I moved out on my own.  Every single year I've driven down Christmas Tree Lane as one of the many Christmas traditions I enjoy.  I've even donated to the Christmas Tree Lane Association - the organization responsible for decorating the many deodara trees that line the street.  And I had no clue until just a few weeks ago that they have a huge ceremony before lighting the lane the first night.

Really?  How could that be?  Where on earth have I been?

Anyway.  I know now, and I'll not let it pass me by again.  It's just a small community celebration, but it's oh, so worth it!  We walked the short distance to the library - ground zero for the festivities.  It was the perfect temperature to be out enjoying a brisk December night; cool enough for scarves, but not so cool that we needed to bundle up.  After some Christmas carols and a few words from local dignitaries, we began the countdown to light the trees. Ten. Nine.....Three,Two,One: LIGHT UP THE TREES!!  

So cool!  We had a great time and we're already making plans for next year's tree lighting ceremony!   Starters and grog at the Weirs, dinner and aperitifs at the Finnermans.  See you all there!

Birthdays with 0hs

Last week I celebrated a birthday.  One with an ohhhhhhhhhmanIcan'tbelieveI'mhavingabirthdaywithanO!

As a part of my gift, Kevin prepared a fabulous dinner for our family celebration:  roasted prime rib, homemade horseradish and steak sauces, twice baked potatoes chock-ful of sour cream and cheddar, and creamed spinach - all from scratch.  It was amazing!   The aromas mingled all afternoon until you could smell the delicious scent of garlic and spices all the way up the street.  He set and decorated the dining room table with gingko leaves and shimmery gold stars.  He even folded the napkins to look like birthday candles - how sweet is that?!

Debbie, Bill and the boys, and Vicky joined us for a wonderful dinner and birthday celebration.  It was so nice to have everyone here to help me celebrate my special day.  I missed mom and dad, but I know they were with us - I could feel their presence.  Deb made me a very special gift: a scrapbook filled with photos of when I was a child, and cards I'd given to mom and dad over the years.  She even found an essay/gift I'd written and given to dad on his 50th birthday.  Isn't it amazing that in all of the pictures and memorabilia we have to sort through she found that particular item?  It was wonderful.  I read it aloud and we all teared up.  Thank you, sis, for this special gift.  I will treasure it always.  Kevin's gift to me was amazing as well.  A beautiful gold heart studded with shimmery diamonds.  WOW.  It's just beautiful.

On Thursday, someone at work asked me how it felt to be old.  I told her I haven't the faintest idea.  'Good answer!' she said.

Good answer indeed.

Giving Thanks

What a year it's been.

Our lives have changed in ways we never could have imagined. And while there have been some very difficult times, we have so much for which to be grateful. A wonderful family, true love, good health, delicious food, a warm home, and good jobs are at the top of a very long list of things I'm very thankful for.

We also want to thank Deb and Bill for loaning us the boys for an overnight visit, and wish you both a very happy 25th wedding anniversary!  And thank you for hosting our wonderful Thanksgiving Feast.

30.23255%

Happy Birthday to my (Insert adjective here. Choices: wonderful, amazing, awesome, babalicious, thoughtful, warm, kind, loving, sweet, charming, smart, funny, talented, handsome, generous) husband.  Do you realize that we've been together for 30.23255% of your entire life?!  

Kevin, I love you with all my heart and I am the luckiest woman alive because I'm married to YOU!

Here's to the next 30.32355%

Happy Halloween!

I don't recall Kevin and I ever carving pumpkins together, which means, of course, we haven't carved pumpkins in over 12 years! We've bought pumpkins with the intention of carving them, but never actually made it to the carving stage.

Well this year, we finally made the effort and got a little 'pumpkin gut' on our hands (charming terminology, don't you think?)

Thankfully we didn't carve them too early. In fact, our timing was just right; we carved them Tuesday night, lit them for our trick-or-treaters on Wednesday, and by Saturday morning they'd grown hairy and my little punkin' had sunk-in'.

No matter, we had a really fun time carving them, then seasoning and roasting the seeds. After the jack-o-lanterns were complete, we sat down to a snack of warm, freshly roasted pumpkin seeds and some nice, cold apple cider. Mmmmmm.

I just love fall, don't you?

End of Summer BBQ

A couple of weeks ago our little neighborhood held an impromptu end of summer BBQ. Because there are lots of little ones, their parents got together and decided to rent something fun for the day. And boy was it ever fun!

At first we thought they were renting a jump house, but because it was so hot, they went with something a bit, um, cooler. A water slide! The kids - and adults - had a blast.

The BBQ started about noon or so, and we finally pulled the plug about 8:30. The kids stopped playing on the slide around 7:00 because the sun was just starting to go down and it got a little cool to be in the water. To warm things up, we pulled out our fire pit, put it on the front lawn, spread out lots of blankets and provided the provisions to make s'mores.

It was a great way to wind down a busy summer. The BBQ was a casual affair where, because we all live in the 'hood, we came and went as we pleased. Kevin and I came home for a bit to make a potato salad to share for dinner. One of the neighborhood pups went missing for a bit and we all headed out on a hunt for him (he didn't get too far, just a few houses down the street). People left and came back as it suited them. It was great! Here are a few pics of the event.