You Capture - Christmas Decor

I love Christmas. Seriously. A lot. I'm what is known as a Christmas Dork.

All year long, I look forward to this magical time from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Because I truly believe it IS magical. It has the potential to bring out the very best in people (although it sometimes brings out the very worst, if I'm to believe some of the things I see in various stores....). There is this feeling (yes, I'll say it) in the air that truly good things are possible. That maybe, just maybe, people really do care about each other. That maybe they want to help each other. Maybe they want the best for each other. I think that all the time, but this time of year, other people seem to think it, too.

I believe in Santa Claus.

I cry when Frosty melts (every single time). My heart breaks for Rudolph and Hermie and the toys on the Island of Misfit Toys. Don't start me on Cindy Lou Who who was no more than two. And Charlie Brown and that tree.... Oh. My. Gosh.

This is My Time. Everything about it is full of tradition and special-ness.

Witness the following.....


I begged Mom to buy this for me when I was about 7. (I think. But I also seem to think that most things in my life happened when I was 7, so I could be wrong about that.) I have no idea what he is, but I love him. Something about him is too adorable for words. He went with me when I moved out of my parents. He is the first ornament on the tree (and the last one off) every year.

These two have been around for every Christmas in my memory. They have faded and changed slightly over the years. They no longer hang from a branch, but must be strategically affixed to one. But they captured my imagination as a small child and never let go. I have made up many, many stories about these birds and their lives and adventures. I wish I had written them down rather than just said them to myself. I stole them from Mom's tree when I moved to my own house. It is the second ornament on my tree every year.


This is the first really nice Christmas thing I ever bought on my own. It's a pottery dish. It's shaped like a star. I think it's beautiful. Every year I have to make up a reason to use it, but that's okay. I find one. If only just to look at it.

I saw this and it reminded me of that dish up there. I find it quirky and odd and I love it. It makes Hubby laugh. And it makes me sing Cherry Pie by Warrant in my head. (Or sometimes not in my head.) This is the third ornament on my tree every year.

Does this even need an explanation? You would have taken him home, too.

This really isn't decor, exactly. Except that I don't really eat them. (Okay, I eat about three.) Mostly I just love the way they look. Grandma used to have these in her house at Christmas time, and I thought they were sooooooo cool. So every year I buy them and put them in my candy dish and just look at them as I pass by.

I am not really a religious person. But I do have a nativity. This is it. It's painted on a seed.

Take in everything this week before Christmas has to offer you. Enjoy every moment.

And take a trip to Beth's to see how everyone else spruces up their homes.

Christmas Baking With Grandma

I started baking when I was small. I would bake with my Grandma. At Christmas time, we would bake big. And complicated. And fun. It would take all day. And sometimes into the night.

I would sleep over. She'd let me drink Kay-O late at night. She made toast with butter and honey for a snack. She read me stories. She knitted me sweaters (I still wear the hat that matched the green and blue stripped one). She'd take me to Burger Chef to get French toast for breakfast. Let let me go to the library with her while she was working (and sometimes drink a bottle of orange soda from the little refrigerator behind the desk). She took me to see My Fair Lady at the high school, then played the songs on her piano so we could sing them. When she was in Florida, she would tape record herself reading stories and send them to me. We always heard Lay Down Sally on the radio when we were falling asleep.

She passed away when I was in fourth grade. And I miss her every day.

But every Christmas time, we have a date. She meets me in my kitchen, and we bake, just like we used to.





I'm so glad she can make it, even if it's not quite the same.

The Big Metal Graveyard

So it's 7:30 on Sunday morning. I have yet to stretch, run, shower, etc. But I am waiting for the Sears Man to come and install the new dryer.

Our dryer died on Wednesday night. It was a sad occasion. It was running. Then it wasn't.

Granted, this was a long, slow process. We knew it was coming. But it's still a bit of a shock, and very sad when it does. I mean, let's face it, you're never really prepared.

And this seems to happen often over here. I'm pretty sure my house is where big metal goes to die.

The stove? We didn't even give it a chance. Bought a new one before we ever even moved in. Next week when you're watching 24 Hours of A Christmas Story check out the stove. That's what was in the house when we bought it. Not as retro decor. As the stove.

Then the washing machine passed on.

Then the air conditioner.

Then the air conditioner.

Then the air conditioner.

And the furnace.

(You've heard that story already, though.)

You could even throw in the garage door opener.

All that's left is the refrigerator. And that's on it's last legs, too.

And we've only lived here for five years. Is that a lot? It feels like it.

Sigh.

Anyway....

I await the arrival of the new dryer. While I have missed the old one these past days, I am happy that the new one is on it's way.

I have mountains of laundry waiting to be done.

Tiger's not the only one.....

Please. Please don't tell.

But I'm having an affair.

I'm cheating on Target.

With Wal-Mart.

I know!

I shouldn't do it. I'm not unhappy with Target. It didn't do anything wrong. It's not Target. It's me.

Something about those long hours, alone with Wal-Mart last week. They changed me. I see Wal-Mart in a new light. A brighter light. I thought they only had things like Christmas ornaments of Santa holding a gun. But I looked around, and I saw things I never expected to see there. Like organic unbleached flour. And a really cute long sleeve t-shirt for $6. A button down for $9. A tote bag, with Bono on it (yes, Bono!), for $7.

There were $7 sweatshirts. And Muppet Show flannel pajamas. And cute binder clips. And packages of M&Ms that are all green (only the green M&Ms!). Even the produce looked good!

Who knew? Not me. But I know now. And I keep going back for more.

I'm not leaving Target. Not at all.

I think we're just "on a break."

Please don't be mad at me.

I just need some time to work this out of my system.

Things will be back to normal soon. I promise.

You Capture - Lines

So, lines. Okay.

First I took these:




Then I realized that I take a lot of pictures of food. (Okay, of chocolate.) So I thought I should try again.

And I took these:





And then I realized that the best line is "no line."



You, too, can fall in line over at Beth's.

Haiku - Holiday version

I see the photo
of Santa and think that, yes,
I do still believe.

List Time (Again) (With photos)

1. I have spent waaaaay too much time in Wal-Mart in the past 7 days. It was productive, for sure. But that's a whole lotta Wal-Mart.

2. Sometimes in Wal-Mart, you find something amazing.

I know! I couldn't not get it! It's a Bono Bag!

3. It feels good to find a pink basketball for the girl whose mother wrote that her daughter wanted a pink basketball.

4. But the mother who wrote that her daughter wanted panty liners for Christmas. Um. We'll have to find something else for her. There has to be a line drawn somewhere in this Christmas for Kids thing. I think we found it.

5. I had the opportunity to spend two hours yesterday talking to Grandma about her life. Just her and me. It was two of the greatest hours ever. She's had one amazing life.

6. Yesterday I ran what was, I think, the single worst race I have ever run ever. Maybe the worst race anyone has ever run. It sucked. I felt awful. I'm glad that's done.

7. Mini muffins are one amazing invention. I prefer to not think how many mini muffins it would take to equal one maxi muffin. I'll just enjoy them.

8. It's becoming harder and harder to convince myself that the puffiness of my stomach is digestive-issue related and not just I've been eating tons of crap related. I'm not sure where I'll go with that. But I do know it's only December 6 and there is still a lot of crap out there in December just waiting to be eaten.

9. Some crap that's waiting to be eaten.
There's a lot of yum in there.

10. I'm inclined to believe that this spot on my sweater sleeve is not water, but oil. I think this because it has yet to "dry." This oil spot will not stop me from wearing this sweater. It will just cause me to point the spot out to friends and passers-by, apparently so they can see how careless I can be when baking. (But I prefer to call it "in the zone.")

11. My hands are so dry right now! I can't quite figure out the hand sanitizer to hand lotion ration that keeps me feeling germ free yet fully moisturized. It's a work in progress.

12. It makes me very happy that this is my view in the morning.