Cardinals

In town they have Cardinals at their feeders.  I am jealous.  I have the usual..Nuthatches, Chickadees, Woodpeckers and some Finches that should be gone by now but are sticking around.  I keep hoping for a Cardinal, when we lived at the resort I had one at my feeders one year.

I thought putting up my Cardinal flag might help.

My Christmas mood is non existent today…too much to do in too little time.

10 days and counting..gosh time is just flying by.

The Music

Christmas Music..I never much cared for it.  The music that begins in the stores to get me in a Christmas shopping mood in October was a miserable failure.  I can sing rock and roll songs in my head to counteract all those here come santy claus songs. To date the number of gifts purchased..one. 

I have only heard one “Christmas Carol” that I really like and that would be Away in a Manger..and it is rarely sung..except in a  Christmas program that includes small children.  It is not exactly high on the play list at wally world or anyplace else where you throw your money away at this time of year. 

I can walk in a winter wonderland all day long, I can feel jack frost nipping at my nose and my toes.  I don’t need to dream of a white Christmas, I am living that nightmare.  I never saw my mommy kissing santa claus, the halls aren't decked here yet even though It’s beginning to look alot like Christmas other places.  There is no pretty paper or ribbons around here and no chestnuts roasting on any kind of fire and I refuse to watch out for runaway sleighs pulled by reindeer.

Some people think that this is the most wonderful time of the year because all they want for Christmas is their two front teeth.  Merry Christmas Texas You All might have been a big hit a long time ago..frankly I have never heard it.  Sadly or maybe not so sadly we no longer have a record player that will play it. 

Far Guys newest Christmas record.

I don’t listen to Christmas music..Far Guy can listen to it if he wants..he has head phones.  If I hear santa baby or holly jolly Christmas one more time, I will just stick my head in a snow bank till December 26 when all the insanity is over. 

Far Guy says his favorite Christmas song is Silent Night..for me all that conjures up is the time on Christmas eve where we were supposed to sing it as it was originally written in German..:)

**Far Guy wants you to know that Silent Night was originally written for guitar music…back in 1818 the Church organ was broken.

Christmas Exchanges

Do you participate in Cookie Exchanges?   I did years ago, I packaged up twelve dozen wonderful Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies.  I came home with broken cookies, burned  cookies, cookies my girls wouldn't eat. It was a  total waste of time.   One time was enough for me after that I would let the children chose one or two kinds of cookies that they liked and we would bake before Christmas.   Jen liked Rosettes so I bought an iron and made them a few years.  Trica liked Fudge and we invariably would try a recipe and it would turn out to be spoon fudge..which was acceptable to her.  They both liked Star Cookies a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate star on top. I always had to hide the chocolate stars in the deep freeze or they would be all gone when it was time to bake.    I have not baked any cookies this year..the girls will bring some of their baked treasures along..I heard that one of them made caramels, mints, and  Star Cookies, she is my over achiever.  Hopefully I will get some pumpkin bread made..the grands all love it.

Jen called one day last week..she said she was going to a cookie exchange.. I said "Great, I hope some of them are edible."  She said.."Well Mother, times have changed and the women that don't bake just get gourmet packaged cookies at ten dollars a dozen..they can afford to have someone bake for them."   I thought..what a waste..good for the cookie baker..but ten dollars a dozen??  I hope they were edible..and not burned or broken.

I participated in an exchange this year!  I signed up for an ornament exchange. I got two cute little ornaments from a gal in Florida..they look great on my tree!  I sent off one of my handmade loons and a tin spoon with a painted Santa on it that said "Ho. Ho Ho" down the handle.   I was pleased with this kind of exchange..it was a whole lot better than cookies.

Far Guy and I drug ourselves to a local shopping establishment last night armed with our "list".. we were confused.  Play Station Ones and Twos..DS... Wii..I pod.. all these thingys that we have absolutely no idea..what they do.  I approached one of the ASSistant Managers with my list, he said can't help you with your list..music isn't in our computer.. I asked him if the movies are?  "Yup" the ASSistant said.  I said "WELL could you look up -------?"  OK he could..but the phone rang..so he had to talk to his friend on the STORE phone while I waited.  ( Picture me standing by the counter, clicking my fingernails on the counter to the tune of some death march) Nope, no luck,  they did not have that movie.  Luckily we ran into a group of teenagers who knew where everything was..and then a store employee that actually knew something helped us to find almost everything on our list. I remembered to get gift receipts..because I am positive we messed up on something ..so exchanges will have to be made.  We headed home.. I have one final list..and IF I cannot find something..they are getting socks or mittens.  I have really had it with this shopping crap.  I don't like it, I hate that Christmas is a commercial holiday.  So far I have enjoyed this holiday..zero..and I am sure that when all the cooking starts next week I am really going to be happy..nothing like spending a day or two in the kitchen to perk me up.  

Far Guy is working on the Christmas Letter..the envelopes,  paper and stamps stand at the ready..I usually do them on a stormy day..haven't had one of those yet in December so the greetings remain undone.  I do have all that wrapping paper to use up..that part I don't hate..I find it rather freeing to slice into paper with a sharp instrument:)

December First

I do declare that the Christmas Season has begun..but only because the calendar says so.. the stores began their Christmas season in August..they better dust off that stuff they have been trying to sell since August.. either that or put it on sale. Who wants to buy dusty old crap anyway.


I would just as soon hibernate until New Years Eve.. that's right I could sleep from the night before Thanksgiving until the eve of the New Year no problem. If I didn't have children, that have children I would totally "ignore the hype" that goes with these holidays.

I just want an old fashioned Christmas, all homemade gifts, someone playing the piano and singing, stringing popcorn and cranberries to put on the tree, reading the Christmas Story out of the Bible by candlelight, going for a sleigh ride. I know, I know I was born 100 years too late. It kind of sucks, everyone else loves these holidays, I am the odd person out, my girls are quite used to my complaining, they tune me out over the holidays... Far Guy too. Yup, I must be related to Scrooge.. I must be his sister.

I believe that my girls always say "Mom and Dad are having Christmas" because they know that if it is at their house I won't drag out even one decoration. Don't mind me..I will plug along through the holidays..I will entertain you with some stories..I will show you some of my Christmas tree ornament collection, it is way to large to be shown in one year...last year I just scratched the surface. I will slowly decorate for the Christmas Holiday. With the emphasis on slowly..


So are you brave enough to meander along with this blog for the next 24 days? Misery loves company.. To my youngest daughter..who will call every day until the tree is up..cause "You know you have to get that tree up before we get there." It is only December first..I still have time:)

Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter officially arrived at 6:04 AM this morning. If you ask me, he came way too early and he might just outstay his welcome. I wish he would just send me a note ( I will be arriving on____, and you can wave goodbye to me on___. ) We got about six inches of the new fallen white crap, to add to the stuff we had, so we are well over twenty inches of snow here. Four more shopping days til Christmas..just thought I would remind Y'all to get your butts in gear!

The Christmas Letter has been written, Far Guy was dragging his feet so bad he was making heel marks all over the floor. So I wrote it and read my version out loud to him, he did rewrites. Now I tell ya, he told someone on the phone " Yes, the Christmas Letter is all done." Fine, and it was however there were still address labels and return labels to put on the envelopes, envelopes to seal, and the US Postage Stamp affixed which I consider an acceptable form of highway robbery. At least I do not have to lick the little buggers anymore. I only got a few nasty paper cuts..and they are healing nicely.

The tree is trimmed, and the stockings are hung. The tree still needs it's crowning touch the Angel on top. "It's my turn" "No, it's my turn" "'You got to do it first last year, I remember " "MOM. it's not fair, she always gets to be first." One year Far Guy held them both up one in each of his arms so they could put it on simultaneously. Then he actually kept track of who did it what year, then they got too heavy to lift, and then they left us alone, and now it is his job again. I am not doing it, I decorated the entire tree myself. He sat in his chair and said "Good job, honey" "The tree looks so nice, it is really pretty, just like you" " You are not in your Bah Humbug mood yet are ya sweetie?" Men..:)

Sunset on December 20, 2008 Offical Goodbye To Fall