Christmas Part II

Skylar LOVES his new X-Box 360 - almost as much as Bugg does ;)

Spence making Cotton Candy with his new cotton candy maker - he also got the Easy Bake Oven he wanted :)

Sharing his creation

Lily sampling all of the creme puffs

I was peeling a Clemetine for Spence and he asked what the sticker on it said. I told him 'Holiday Cutie'. He looked at it and me for a minute then put the sticker on my cheek. Best Xmas present ever!

Excited to watch Dad open his present

The Difference between Men and Women

After Christmas Dinner...

Just kidding - Dad worked too :) Love ya both!

Christmas Mascoutah Style

We went to Mascoutah last night to see Jerry & Rhu, Jared & Jewels; open presents, eat way too many homemade cookies and take the annual drive around the town to look at the Christmas lights.

It was a quick trip - turnaround less than 24 hours - but it was happy and festive - even counting Dad cussing at his biscuit this morning b/c it was falling apart. I understand though biscuits are
precious and you can't exactly put butter and jelly on the empty space left by a disintegrating biscuit.

To make a few brief comments on the pictures - my brother wanted that face mask you see in the picture so he could run in the winter cold and I think it's funny that he looks like a bank robber with it on and actually works at a bank.

My dad wanted a winter coat and as you can see in the picture Bugg and I got him a huge puffy Randy in Christmas Story kinda coat. He looks sharp in his down duds but what I don't really get is why he needs a winter coat when he's leaving in two days to spend the winter in Florida :)
And I love the picture of Jared and Jewels - they are so cute!

Hope everyone had a splendid Christmas!

Cookie Baking - Then and Now

Not the best pic but that's me at the Farm helping Grandma make cookies - and the flour container in the background - that now sits in my kitchen and makes me smile when I see it

I love how packed brown sugar comes out perfectly shaped to the measuring cup - in this case the heart shaped cups Kristin gave me

Christmas cards

When I got into work today I saw a new Holiday card had been added to the board - right next to the Jesus rocks card was one about my favorite fat guy - Buddha...

Happy Holidays!

I became borderline obsessed with making cookies last night - I had a whole thing of oats that basically screamed at me to be turned into oatmeal cookies so I went to K-roger and bought the rest of the supplies and baked up two batches of cookies. They were a bit dry but overall not too bad...added some chocolate chips and cinnamon for kick. Tonight it's chocolate chip!

I keep my flour in a ceramic container that my Grandpa bought my Grandma a long time ago - and was passed on to me when my grandma moved to a retirement community.

I was getting the flour out of the container and I felt compelled to smell it...it instantly reminded me of the pie baking both my Grandmas did when I was kid...It reminded me of the raisin pies my Nonnie would make every Christmas and the homemade ravioli and gnocchi.

It reminded me of the Farm house and the Evergreen tree my Grandpa and Grandma would decorate for me. The tree greeted us with its huge multi-colored lights as we drove up the lane for Christmas.

I feel lucky to have those memories and lucky to have the chance to make new ones with my family which has changed a lot over the last few years.

Blessed to be able to make new memories with family and friends but grateful too for the comforting memories the flour sifted up.

South Park Doppelgangers

Steve

Me

Sick ramblings

I've been sick with the crud for the last several days and while I was able to make it to work I didn't really feel like writing here while I was all doped up on 4 different kinds of cough and cold medicine. All those meds though have made for some interesting dreams...

I realize (fitting to ....and never mind I forgot what I was typing.

That's some of the cold medicine still hanging around.

Oh I remember - I realize looking back at the blogtastic blogs that I'm a complete narcissist - and I guess anyone who blogs has a bit of that in them - but really could I post anymore pics of me myself and I? Why yes - I could - and I'm going to.

Sometimes when I drive I like to snap random photos on me me me just for the hell of it and I like this one b/c I like how my eye makeup looks and I also like how you can't see my triple chins. And above all I like that I look happy and content.

I'll try to think of something meaningful/sentimental/witty to post to wrap up 2008 but in the meantime go snap some pictures of yourself and find three things you like about YOU YOU YOU.

Age is only a number

Having recently reached the age of 36 I have seriously contemplated a face lift - not in the immediate future but in the not too distant future. I would like an eye lift, a chin fat sucker outer, and a slight lift to the forehead and removal of the jowly jowls.

You may be saying to yourself - por que Natae - you look fabulous. Yes I think so too but if you'll go back to Halloween and the ma'am incident in Louisville you'll see where the seed was planted. That seed sprouted some shoots and leaves last night when my new hairdresser - a cute blonde of probably 23 - asked me what I did for Thanksgiving. When I replied I went to Ohio to see my Grandma she said "Wow - she must be really old".

*cough* *cough* *sputter* blah! I replied - "actually she is 'old' - 98 in a few days". But I so wanted to clarify with - she got married late and had kids late and what the hell do you mean exactly by 'wow she must be old'?? Do I look THAT old! Good greif!

36

Despite the look on my face I had a Wonderful Birthday!

Thanks for all the b-day wishes!

Turkey Day Pictures

Jesus in the Trees

This morning I read a 'news' article about a woman finding the image of the blessed Virgin Mary (mother of the sweet baby Jesus) in salsa splatter from her blender http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/35239524.html

I said something to the effect of "Why is Mary always showing up in food?" out loud to anyone within ear shot in the office and Heather said something about writing a blog about it - so here I am.

Holy figures popping up in food, remember the grilled cheese and cinnamon bun with Jesus/Mary, and in other places where they 'shouldn't be' isn't that uncommon and of course there is a scientific explanation for it (we can't just have random miracles in our salsa splatter now can we?)

According to an article in the LA Times the phenomenon is called "pareidolia," which is the perception of patterns where none are intended. Professor Steve Guthrie says it's a survival instinct, and the way that humans are hard-wired.

I'd like to say that as much as I think the salsa splatter and cinnamon bun stretch it a bit I too have had my own 'pareidolia'. It happened to me while I was in Boston. I woke up one night and looked out my huge bedroom window to the trees that lined the parking lot and there - illuminated by the street light - was the image of Jesus (complete with a crown of thorns and beard) in the leaves of the trees.

I was so freaked out that I called Steve (who was in KY) at 2 in the morning. I was pretty much beside myself, I think I was crying, I know he thought I was crazy as I was seriously flipping out about the whole thing.

I had to shut the shade in order to settle down and go back to sleep. I was not taking any sleeping medication or any other type of medication that would make me see things - I simply saw Jesus in the Trees. Kristin and I think Stefanie also saw my Jesus in the Trees - unless they were just saying it to make me feel better.

After that first night I was a little more comfortable with Jesus watching me and I was able to open the shade...and after a few days the leaves fell off the tree and Jesus was *poof* gone...all that was left was us singing "Jesus in the trees..." to the tune of "Jesus Take the Wheel".

And that my friends is my salsa splatter story - as God is my witness.

Thanksgiving - the Aftermath

Bugg and I had a great (though quick) trip to OHIO over the holiday. We got to visit all too briefly with Mom/Dad/Jared/Aunt Barb/Uncle Don/Grandma, we stocked up on Steve's favorite German spicy mustard courtesy of the German Village that comes to Akron every Thanksgiving/Christmas season http://www.lock3live.com/winterMarket.aspx

We had wonderful food - too much of it naturally and a warm cozy holiday - wishing everyone was closer so we could see each other more often. Jacob and Megan were cute and cuddly as always.

We got home yesterday afternoon and picked up the pooch, I put the Thanksgiving decorations away and pulled out the Christmas magic! We are going to look for trees today.

How was your holiday?

Happy by the Fire

I love his little feet and toes

Mutha

I need an attitude adjustment. I'm annoyed - all the time in a state of mild annoyance...it's been going on for the past several days...weeks.

Even bagel day didn't take the edge off for long.

Perhaps the new GnR CD turned up to 20 will help me work out some of my frustrations.

Perhaps the trip to OHIO and being around family and the Germans will mellow me out.

Perhaps a big hateful heffer choking on a ham samich will help?

Say what?

http://tv.yahoo.com/slideshow/382/photos/1

Please check out the first slide of the America's Next Top Model slide show in the link above.

Back? Pretty girl - very striking but...

It says "thanks to her athletic figure..." Really? She doesn't really strike me as an athletic build - more tall and thin. Pretty much like every other model. Oh but wait - maybe it's b/c she doesn't have boobs - but again pretty much like every other model. And if they do have boobs then they are 'full figured' or 'curvy'.

If you go through the rest of the slide show - and why not - it's a bit like a train wreck - you might have noticed the word "Fierce" several times. I'm going to go on record and say I am tired of the word fierce and unless you are a gay man who is a bit on the queeny side, stop using it b/c you sound stupid.

I know ANTM has lots of fans - I have friends that never miss an episode - but I just never understood how modeling/models could be taken so seriously. Look at some of those pictures/poses: Posing as a heat wave, Voting is Sexy...they are trying hard to make it relevant but it just comes across so cheesy to me. And Tyra Banks drives me nuts.

I'm not hatin' on models - and it's not the short fat girl playing bitter - it's just seriously annoying.

Fierce annoying even.

Quote

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

MLK

Tis the season to be broke

There's a song - from the early 70's (1972 to be exact) by Gilbert O' Sullivan called Alone Again...Naturally and I've been singing it this morning with my own twist. Broke Again...Naturally.




It seems everyone is broke - not just me. I don't know if they have a bit of a shopping habit like I do but despite the shopping habit it seems times are especially tight (tighter than in the past) for me and people in 'my circle'. Or maybe it's just that more and more people are talking about it...Talking about living paycheck to paycheck, using the evil credit cards, juggling payments, trying to figure out how the hell to pay for Xmas...(B has gotten that figured out thanks to his diligent contributions to his Xmas club).



It's flippin' frustrating - I want a bail out!



I'm not the best person when it comes to managing my money - as I usually manage it by buying or charging whatever I want without much thought about the consequences but I have been getting better - at least I like to think so. I try and buy my groceries at Wal-Mart even though I think they have crappy produce that I refuse to buy and I feel like it's sucking my soul out every time I enter, I try and use coupons (thanks mom), we don't eat out much at all - we've stopped ordering pizza twice a week and I have really really tried to stop charging things. Oh and I also cut out buying lunch from the cafe downstairs - saves at least 20 bucks a week right there. Now I stock up on a big tub of oats and have oatmeal for lunch - I can eat lunch for a month for like 10 bucks when you factor in the fruit and honey I add to make it extra yum.




Even with these money saving tactics it feels like we are always penny pinching and having to be careful. I want to be frivolous and carefree and spend what I want without having buyer's remorse or worrying about spending the grocery money on new lip gloss.



There are times when I get very indignant about the whole broke thing and think 'Screw it, I don't care if I don't have the money, I'm buying what I want'. Then I go and do something foolish like charge my instant gratification fix. It's a very mature and responsible way to deal I think. And yes I'm sure my actions represent something negative about my generation and contribute to the state of the U.S economy but on the flip side I have some fabulous new lip gloss!

Riddle

Q. If you toot in your sleep will the dog sleeping in bed with you hear it?

A. Yes. The dog will hear it, perk up her ears, look around quizzically in the direction of your butt, and sniff the air.