Fun Monday - #42 - Christmas Just Past

First of all, I hope that everyone had a MERRY Christmas !!

The wonderful hostess this week is Sayre at SayreSmiles. Her assignment :

What was the most touching, wonderful part of Christmas for you this year?

AND
What was the craziest, stupidest, funniest part this year?

Christmas this year was both HAPPY and SAD ...

Let me explain ...

My son was not home (the sad part). He is in the Middle East. He won't be home until probably the end of January. He missed Thanksgiving with his family. He missed Christmas with his family. He will miss bringing in the New Year with his family. It was the first time in his 32 years of life, that his Mother was not with him at least part of the day on Christmas.

I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with his wife and three children (the happy part). It has been many, many years since I have been around children when they wake up and realize that Santa has come.

Tyler made sure that goodies were left out for Santa.

He was rather excited on Christmas morning when the bowl contained only a few crumbs !

Tori was all smiles with the presents that Santa left for her.

The most touching, wonderful part of Christmas for me this year ...

Watching Tori talk to and see her Daddy via WebCam !

I spent Christmas afternoon and evening with the other son and his family. It was tough on this Mom not being with BOTH of her children this year.

The Christmas tree will stay up and we will have Christmas once again when he gets home. Thank goodness, it's not a real one !! And it is completely decorated with snowmen - so, what the heck - it will still be WINTER !

To prove that I am totally insane (and possibly obsessive) - all the wrapping paper that I use on the gifts - YEP - snowmen ! (take a peak ...)

It was pretty special also, to see the look on Jillian's face when she opened up her American Girl Doll Gift Certificate from her Gramma. She had wanted to start shopping right then and there !! (She has Kit and got Ruthie from Santa)

And she proudly modeled the scarf that her Gramma made for her. She was tickled that it was yellow with "colored spots" JUST LIKE SHE HAD ASKED FOR.

Note:

No shots of the boys (18 and 14) - They don't do pictures !! Movement doesn't work very well.

The craziest, stupidest, funniest part this year ...

Craziest - the weather ! Not December like at all !! It was incredibly warm this year in VA.

Stupidest - Me, being disappointed that NO ONE came to my house on Christmas this year. I spent hours and days decorating with all my snowman ... DUH ! I wasn't home for anyone to come by !

Funniest - Trevor (he's 14) got a BUTT / FACE towel - one end was red and said BUTT in white, the other end was white and said FACE in red - after he got out of the shower, he said "Gramma, I wiped my butt with the face end !!

Take a few minutes, now that Christmas has passed and visit Sayre to read about everyone else's wonderful day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Do You Need A Last Minute Gift ...

For the blond in your life ?

Disclaimer: This is humor ... just a funny piece I found on the Internet ... If you are a blonde, PLEASE do not take it personally ... No harm is intended.

OMG! It's a Keyboard for Blondes

Blondes have suffered decades of ridicule, but it's time they embrace the jokes. When it comes to a hot-pink boost of self-confidence (or at least a few good laughs), the Keyboard for Blondes may do the trick.

The all-pink keyboard swaps out standard keys with funnier, dumber key names. The backspace key now says "Oops!" and the entire row of function keys spells out USELESS KEYS. Hit the "$" sign and you get the sound of a cash register clinking.

Blondes can even get a little technical and use special keys that type out "OMG," "ALI" (Absolutely Love It!) or "XOXO." My favorite? The caps lock key now says: "Warning! size XXL letters."

Though this fully functional keyboard would be a great gift to poke some fun at your fair-haired friends, regular computer users may find it a bit challenging. However, like the completely blank Das Keyboard, the Keyboard for Blondes might help poor typists improve their skills, since the keys are 1) a distracting pink, and 2) no longer have the standard labels.

According to its manufacturer, European Trends, the keyboard has already been released in the U.K. to some success, and at $49.95 probably only a true blonde would purchase this novelty item. It's compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux. I know what Paris Hilton will be getting for Christmas.

Fun Monday - # 41 - Carols and Things

This week's hostess is MAMALANG and because it's an easy one ... I am actually posting way before my usual time of LATE Monday evening. Miracles do happen ...

The assignment is:

It's the Christmas season, and I want you to tell us what are your three favorite Christmas Carols and a picture of your favorite Christmas "thing". It could be a Christmas tree, or your mantle, or a church, you in a Santa hat.

My favorite Christmas Carols are the traditional ones - the ones you usually hear in church -

Away in a Manger

Silent Night

Joy to the World

We Three Kings

I could go on and on ... but I won't !! I think you get the idea ...

My favorite thing - my Christmas tree - entirely decked out with snowmen AND snowflakes. Since my tree is up but not quite decorated yet ... here is what it looked like last year.

Note: This year's tree will have a SNOWFLAKE topper (which took forever to find) instead of the angel which has been designated now for the second tree (which probably won't get put up because there just - isn't.enough.time!)

OOPS ! This must be the tree from the year before last ... I spy a few items that aren't snowmen or snowflakes !! Honestly, this year they will ALL BE!

Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to visit Mamalang - I am sure you will be glad you did!

Happy Holidays

and

LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW !

It's About Time !!

Finally, us consumers that must drive to get to work are getting a break.

Gas tank on empty. Stop at Wawa to fill er up. Less than $20.00.

$1.49 a gallon !!



Something all together unrelated ...


I caught the end of Oprah today.

Giada De Laurentii was on and the topic of her experitse was easy-to-make hors d'oeuvres. I only saw one demonstration and it definitely caught my attention.

Panini with Chocolate and Brie
Created by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
12 slices sourdough bread
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces brie cheese , thinly sliced
1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Preheat the panini grill. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread slices until they begin to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the panini grill and place 2 ounces of cheese on 1 slice of bread (the bottom half), top the cheese with 1/3 cup chocolate chips and a sprinkle of basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with the remaining sandwiches. Return the sandwiches to the panini grill until the chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.Cut the sandwiches into 2-inch wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to a serving platter.


It sounds so weird BUT everyone loved it.


I can't wait to try it - but will have to improvise as I don't own a panini grill.

Anyone got any suggestions as to what to use instead?

My first thought - a George Foreman grill ?? Yes ... No !

Today is a Day to Be Thankful for All Things ... Big and Small

Fun Monday # 40 - High Moments In Our Lives

Today would be one of those "high" days, if only I could get my act together on a Sunday and actually have my Fun Monday post ready AND not have to work so stinking late on a Monday !!

Many thanks to Mariposa at Mariposa's Tales for taking the time on her "birthday" to be our hostess. AND before I forget, HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY.

The assignment this week is as follows:

If you could share to us 3-5 high moments in your lives...this could be funny moments...the you can't believe you did it moments...the "I told you so" moments...or the times we asked the ground to go open and eat us moments! You need not write a book to explain them, the highlights will do.

OK - here we go ... it helps when you have to sit in traffic on the way home and it's raining ... it gives you time to think of things!

1. February 1963 - It was Valentines Day in the first grade AND I got the biggest valentine in the class - from a young man that I actually had a CRUSH on. (I hate to admit it, but I still have it).

2. The days (2 separate ones, of course) that my sons got to come home from the hospital. Both were premature - the older one after almost 2 months and the younger one after 13 days.

3. January 5, 1989 - the day my divorce became FINAL ( I can't believe that it will be 20 years in a little less than 2 months)

4. July 2001 - I signed the contract for the purchase of MY FIRST HOUSE (townhouse) - my very own - not shared or paid for by anyone else but ME! I moved in on September 8 - just days before one of the biggest tragedies that has ever hit the United States - I will NEVER forget that day. On the afternoon of September 11th, I prayed that I could at least live in the house for a little while before anything else happened in Washington, DC - we just didn't know what transpire after that dreadful day.

5. June 2004 - I purchased my very first BRAND NEW CAR that no one else had previously owned and I am still driving it today.

6. Being at the birth of my youngest grandson (he will be 5 in July) and of my youngest granddaughter (she will be 2 in March). It is such a "different" experience when you aren't the one giving birth.

7. February 2006 - Myself and my brothers and sisters being able to throw a "SURPRISE" 50th Anniversary party for our parents - they had already planned to renew their vows and knew of a small reception BUT had no idea of the party and all the invited guests! WE DID GOOD ... and all 6 children were in attendance (some from across the United States).

Sorry, I got carried away ... see what happens when you are late and you have all day to think about it !

Take some time to visit Mariposa and read about other's high moments - you will be glad you did, I am sure. Hopefully I will find some time to do the same - but since I haven't had dinner yet - it will probably be tommorow - FOR SURE.

November 22, 1963

It has been 45 years.

Today is the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

AND I REMEMBER that day.

Does that make me OLD?