Am I Crazy?

I'm sure that many people in my life would like to weigh in with their opinions on that question.

I'm not, however, soliciting opinions at this point. We're talking rhetoric here.

At any rate, I just signed up for Blog 365.

I am crazy. Here's to 2008!

Cheers!

Happy Holidays, Y'All!

We're doing a bit of traveling this holiday season, visiting my brother in Texas. No one is a native, but my brother and his wife were determined to move somewhere warm, and it was a toss-up between Phoenix and Texas. Because they wanted to be able to venture outdoors on a July afternoon without imminent threat of sunstroke, Texas won. Nana and Papa are enjoying their retirement by spending a few months down here.

We're having a wonderful time, now that we're off the airplane.

I won't bore you with great details, but I'll just share a few facts about our travel. Our travel experience to Dallas will be painfully clear.

1. On my preferred airline, during my choice of travel/dates times, it was not possible to fly non-stop from the Windy City to Dallas.

2. I traveled with Sweet Son #1 and The Manimal, but sans husband (i.e. another adult to balance the child:adult ratio).

3. Being just shy of two years old, The Manimal was a lapsit. He thought it would be fun to "hide" under the seat in front of me.

4. The second leg of our flight was COMPLETELY FULL. As in EVERY SINGLE SEAT. See #3.

5. Due to #3, I was unable to partake in the "beverage of my choice". I had Diet Coke and peanuts, which under normal circumstances would satisfy my beverage/snack need quite well. Due to #3 and #4, this simply didn't work.

Despite my being quite sure that the trip from Kansas City would be the death of me, we made it safely and in a fairly sane state.

I'll let you know how the return trip goes.

Cheers!

Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

(from the Gospel of Luke, New International Version)

May we keep the love of Christmas, brought to Earth so long ago in the form of a tiny, helpless baby, forever in our hearts.

Naughty or Nice?

As you ponder the cuteness of my boys, allow me to point out a few items that will make Santa pause and consider the question.

1. The tree only has ornaments on the upper half. This was actually a tactic to give the boys (The Manimal) a fighting chance at having a "nice" year.

2. The village around the base of the Christmas Tree appears to have suffered a natural disaster of catastrophic proportions. It is likely to have been an appearance of the not-so-rare Bigfoot (a.k.a. The Manimal), who has a penchant for picking up the buildings, trees and people, and relocating them willy-nilly. This is not his fault, however. Blame the Bigfoot's male parental unit for wanting his boys to have a train and village around the Christmas tree, failing to heed the warnings of a knowing female parental unit. Niceness still intact.

3. Sweet Son #1 has really had a pretty nice year, despite the ever-growing sassy-pants attitude. We'll keep that in check in 2008. The fact that he's a huge help with his little bro counterbalances that naughtiness.

So I suppose they're both pretty good little guys. Even if they've increased my grey hairs by at least a hundredfold each month. Oh well, at least I'm not pulling it out.

We'll save that for the teenage years.

Cheers, and Merry Christmas!

You'd Think I'd Learn

Last year, I posted about my trip to the Mall two weeks before Christmas. Somehow, I must have forgotten, because today, I decided it was a good idea to go to JC Penney and exchange something and pick up a few last-minute gifts.

What was I thinking?

I forgot The Manimal's stroller in Husband's truck.

He was at work today.

That was when I discovered that our local Mall had eliminated the complimentary stroller rental, and implemented a FOUR DOLLAR RENTAL for these silly "car" strollers. When the stroller was returned, you would get a whopping fifty cent rebate. I had no choice, unfortunately, because one of three things happen when The Manimal is allowed to run free in a public place.

1) He walks nicely, holding my hand and looking pretty darn cute.
2) He runs off, laughing like a maniac, thinking he's playing a "catch me, mommy, catch me!" game.
3) He collapses on the ground in a screaming, crying mess, making his limbs go completely limp, and turning his 35 pound body into a dead weight.

All of these happened before I managed to secure the aforementioned stroller.

Then Sweet Son #1 started.

"Why didn't you get the two seater stroller? I wanted to ride! I'm not going to walk! I want to go home. How much longer are we going to be here?"

I resorted to the tried and true mom trick. Bribery.

So at 10:30 am, SS#1 had a McDonald's Mighty Kids Meal. Before you start throwing me under the bus for feeding my child junk food (and before 11 am, no less), you would've done the same thing in my position. At least he doesn't drink pop!

We managed to complete our excursion in under two hours (record!), and got some great deals on our last-minute shopping. I even managed to drive past Toys R Us without too many pleas from SS#1 to "just stop and look", which is a good thing, as I can't handle that store in a non-holiday season.

Now I'm a smart woman. I taught high school students. I have a Master's Degree. I pride myself on my common sense. Why is it that I can't seem to remember that I should avoid malls in December, or at least three days before Christmas?

Cheers!

Holy Crap

My desktop is wood-grained, not paper-covered! Who knew?

Cheers!

Oh What Joy and What Surprise...

This Christmas song cracks me up every time I hear it. Turn up your speakers and do a little dance! It's not at all sacred or reverent, but God must've had a sense of humor when he created the hippopotamus, so I'm sure he doesn't mind! :)

Cheers!

Christmas Miracle

How can anyone read a story like this and not see the hand of God?

"There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from." (E. Kubler-Ross)

"There are no coincidences. Only God incidents." (Anonymous)

Cheers!

Making a List...

I finally had to sit down and make a to-do list. I've had a lot on my mind lately and have forgotten some crucial responsbilities, so I decided I'd better do things Santa's way: make a list and check it twice!

I've managed to cross one thing off the list (there are currently 14 items), as my Christmas cards went in the mail today! Woo-hoo! I do have to apologize to Chloe, as my Christmas card was not anywhere near as creative as hers, but I did enjoy my English Breakfast Tea this morning! Thanks, dearie! Stacy, barring a Christmas postal miracle, it will likely be 2008 before your card arrives--so sorry!

Now it's on to the pressing matters. Tomorrow is the last day of school/day care before the holidays. I have to figure out what I'm doing for SS#1's really patient teacher, as well as The Manimal's fabulous day care provider. I also had the best of intentions about getting my baking done so I could give the before/after school care providers a holiday treat. You know what they say about good intentions...

I still have yet to ship my gifts to Texas, which is where we're headed on the 26th. All I can hope is that the USPS Priority Mail system, which hasn't failed me yet, continues its good track record when I get those boxes out tomorrow. As a last resort, I can pack all but one gift in my suitcase, but that just opens up a whole other host of worries that I simply don't need right now. Especially when my middle nephew, Sir Falls-a-Lot, is getting this:

Now, before you say it, I know it's pink, and yes, Sir Falls-a-Lot is ALL BOY. There is a story, though. (Did you really think I'd bring it up if there weren't?)

When SFAL was born, he received this soft little Gund elephant as a gift. It quickly became his constant companion. He would suck on the trunk, and stick the little tail in his nose (darling, right?). Well, as any mom will tell you, those little loveys get DIS.GUS.TING. very quickly. When my SIL tried to take the elephant away from SFAL to wash it, he went crazy. So they bought another to stand in during "bath time".

By this time, SFAL was starting to talk, and the elephant became "Ah-Woo". The name stuck and now the whole family calls it Ah-Woo. Once, on a family trip to Ohio, Ah-Woo (both of them) got left at home. Another was purchased so SFAL could sleep at night (and the rest of the family could enjoy their vacation). Some time went by and another was purchased to keep in the closet "just in case".

In the event that you've lost count, SFAL is 3 1/2 years old and has FOUR Ah-Woos. They are all in circulation, in varying degrees of cleanliness (or dirtiness, depending on your perspective). The only thing that has really changed is that now SFAL likes to have ALL FOUR to sleep, sit, play, whatever.

Which brings us to Christmas 2007.

When Nana asked SFAL what he wanted for Christmas, he thought for a moment (he's a very thoughtful kid) and replied "an Ah-Woo". Silly Nana felt the need to be logical with the little man, and pointed out that he had four already, and wasn't that enough? SFAL's response? "No. Five would be enough."

So Auntie ElleBee will graciously oblige his somewhat odd obsession with Ah-Woo. Of course, I've kept this gift a surprise from Brother and SIL as well. I'm sure they will think that SFAL and Auntie ElleBee are both a little odd.

Cheers!

Ten Things I Think

Thanks to Bryan for the idea for today's post!

1. I am VERY grateful that I don't live in one of the areas of Oklahoma or Kansas that was affected by the severe snow and ice storms this past week. This morning I heard that power companies are hoping to have everyone restored by CHRISTMAS! Holy cats, people, that's still a week away! Another week with no power. My prayers go out to everyone affected!

2. Ibuprofen is a wonder drug. 'Nuff said.

3. I think that Princess Poopy Puppy must have some Siberian Husky in her (she doesn't, really). The number of times that she goes outside to, ahem, "do her business" is directly proportional to the inches of snow on the ground and inversely proportional to to the temperature. She LOVES winter.

4. I'm pretty confident that my home (and my sanity) will not survive The Manimal. Yesterday he completely sprung the oven lock, rendering it completely (as opposed to only partially) useless, opened the curio cabinet and broke a porcelain great dane (my mother-in-law's), got his finger stuck between the plate glass and frame of an end table, washed his hands in the upstairs toilet, and washed his socks (while he was still wearing them) in the dog's dish. And that was in just two brief hours.

5. It boggles my mind that SS#1 can remember when Daddy ran out of gas at the babysitter's house FOUR YEARS AGO, but can't remember to bring home his spelling and math homework.

6. It occurred to me yesterday that I still have not yet shipped my nephews' Christmas gifts. Thank goodness for Priority Mail.

7. I received Stacy's Christmas card yesterday. From Finland. As in the Country of. Have I sent my Christmas cards yet? Noooooo. And yet, my international friend manages to get her cards out A WHOLE WEEK before Christmas. Sigh.

8. At this time of year, I'm always exceedingly grateful for my remote car starter. Now if only I could get a remote driveway shoveler...

9. Our Disney trip will give me an ulcer before we even go. I'm sure of it. Remind me to go directly through Disney next time I get the bright idea to book a Disney vacation.

10. Sometimes God speaks to me through songs. OK, I get the message. This is what he's telling me lately...


Cheers!

Quote o' the Day

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several attack me at once." (Anonymous)



Cheers!

Uphill, Both Ways!

Working in a college atmosphere, I sometimes forget that I am...well...older than my students. Considerably. As in "I could be your mother!" They often remind me, unintentionally, of course, in ways that usually involve technology or pop culture.

Well, all you millennials and Gen Y-ers, this one's for you! ;)

Thanks to Anne for this!

*****

Do you remember getting up off the floor and walking up to the television to change the channel to one of the other two options - the 1970’s version of “channel surfing?”
Did your mom heat hot dogs in boiling water on the stove?
When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning … uphill BOTH ways ..
I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they’ve got it! But now that I’m over the ripe old age of thirty, I can’t help but look around and notice the youth of today.
You’ve got it so easy! Compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

1. When I was a kid we didn’t have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog.
2. There was no email. We had to actually write somebody a letter … with a pen. Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there.
3. There were no MP3’s or Napsters. You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!
4. We didn’t have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that was it. Can you say emergency break-thru’s..until the operators caught on.
5. And we didn’t have fancy Caller ID boxes either. When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was. It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn’t know. You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister.
6. We didn’t have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics. We had the Atari with games like ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘asteroids.’ The graphics were horrible. Your guy was a little square. You actually had to use your imagination. There were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever. And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died. Just like LIFE.
7. When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating. All the seats were the same height. If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn’t see, you were just screwed.
8. Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no onscreen menu. You had to decode a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on.
9. There was no Cartoon Network either. You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. We had to wait ALL WEEK for Land of the Lost.
10. We didn’t have microwaves. if we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a fire. If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing or a pan with HOT oil and real popcorn kernels and shake it all over the stove forever like anidiot.
11. When we were on the phone with our friends and our parents walked in, we were stuck to the wall with a cord, a 7 foot cord that ran to the phone - not the phone base, the actual phone. We barely had enough length to sit on the floor and still be able to twirl the phone cord in our fingers. If you suddenly had to go to the bathroom you were forced to hang up and talk to them later.You guys wouldn’t have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,The over 30 Crowd

P.S. I bet those of us 40 and over can think of more. My kids couldn’t figure out why I referred to music as “records” or “albums.” Sigh.

*****

I knew I was getting old(er) when one of SS#1's first phrases was "ba-ya die", which translated as "battery died" and referred to one of his toys.

Cheers!

What Happens When a Town of Fifteen Thousand Grows to Thirty Thousand in the Span of a Few Days?

You have a serious water shortage.

I think I've made my loyalties to my alma mater, Miami University, crystal-clear. Well, life was not always so rosy in the idyllic little college town of Oxford.

Back in the late 80's (when most of today's college students were just wee little babes), the town would experience a severe water shortage when the students would return in the fall. During my freshman year, resident students were given a gallon of purified water each day to use for drinking, brushing teeth, and other personal hygiene. We were asked to limit our shower time, and only flush the toilets if absolutely necessary (ewww!). This generally went on for a week or two, then somehow things would return to normal.

We were never sure exactly how this happened. First there was not enough water and then there was. During my sophomore year, they brought in the National Guard to help expand a reservoir, and suddenly, no more water shortage.

While we were certainly all thrilled that the hydro-issue had been resolved, we did have to say farewell to what had become a fond Fall tradition, linked inexorably for many of us to the "back to school" period: The Annual Oxford Water Shortage. T-Shirts were sold with "I Survived the Annual Water Shortage" and a black and white rendition of what had become the symbol--the Oxford Water Tower.


In 1998, the City of Oxford, much to the chagrin of many alums, chose to tear down the old water tower in the center of town, which no longer served much purpose. In 2000, the lovely Memorial Park was dedicated in its place, but "Meet me at the park" didn't seem quite the same as "I'll meet you under the water tower."

Today's little walk down memory lane was inspired by fellow blogger (and Miami alum) Bryan, who today celebrates his 300th post.

Cheers!

America's Next Top Model(s)

So as not to scare you, I'll begin at the end.

Merry Christmas from Sweet Son #1, P3 and The Manimal... Doesn't Manimal look thrilled? And trust me when I tell you this was good.

We started the photo shoot like this: Notice the sweet smile on Manimal's face? That is his normal "is that a camera I see?" face.

Things went downhill from there.

Are we done yet?

And worse yet.

The way he's looking at Princess Poopy Puppy, you'd never know they were best buds!

Then I started to lose them both.

The dog, on the other hand thinks that maybe if she sits long enough, she'll get more treats.

And finally, after we got "the shot".

"Just one more. I dare you!"

Well, all I can say is that I think I'll leave portraiture up to the pros, because that was the most stressful twenty minutes of my life!

Cheers!

Happy Chrismahannukwanzaaikuh!

Are you tired of retailers taking advantage of Christmas only to downplay the meaning of the holiday? Find out what happened when one woman decided to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If you're Christian, you'll be wishing everyone Merry Christmas from now until December 25th!

Cheers (and Merry Christmas)!

Say Cheese!

Many professional photographers whom I've met will tell you that there are two subjects that make them nervous to shoot: Children and Animals.

I understand completely.

Yes, dear friends, last night I was FINALLY able to get shots of Sweet Son #1, The Manimal and P3 for our Christmas cards. Don't get too excited though, I haven't uploaded them yet (hopefully tonight), but be assured, when I do, you'll be the first to see.

It was an exhausting process that took five Scooby Snacks (for the dog), multiple repositionings of The Manimal (who, apparently, took a sudden dislike to--or mortal hatred of-- his brother and canine companion, as evidenced by his glares, stares, and attempts to escape), pleas to SS#1 to please sit still and look at the camera, and the eventual assistance of Husband.

I think that somewhere in the chaos, an acceptable Christmas Card Photo may have been secured.

We'll see later today!

Cheers!

The Spirit of Giving

As seen on Lizzi's Blog...

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack; brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!

"For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
"I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at Pearl on a day in December,
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas Gram always remembers.
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of Nam,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures; he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother...
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,"
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?"

"It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget."

"To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled,
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN30th Naval Construction Regiment OIC, Logistics Cell OneAl Taqqadum, Iraq

Christmastime is Here

I'm not sure why, but I'm finding it very difficult to get myself in the Holiday Spirit this year. In light of my case of "scrooge-itis", I thought I'd share some of the Christmas-y things I have been doing, in hopes that I will be able to get myself out of this funk! :)

I'm not one to follow some of my fellow bloggers by posting a "what I'm wearing today" photo, but I'm feeling especially preppy and maybe even a little classic holiday-ish in this:

It looks sort of green in the pic, but it's really a lovely shade of dove grey, all cable-y and soft.

And is accessorized nicely by these:

After assembling and decorating SEVEN Christmas trees at work, we FINALLY have our tree up at home. It has lights on it and a train around the base. My husband did all of that work, and it will be my job this weekend to decorate the (beast) festive bush from the halfway point on up. Why, you ask?and

What he doesn't take off the tree will surely be eaten by her.

Our church is having the Children's Christmas Program this Sunday. The children are singing Silent Night. Two verses. With a narration in the middle. And the kids choir is singing a verse by themselves. In Haitian Kreyol. I'll be lucky to make it through the accompaniment...

On the plus side, we had our office gift exchange today and I received a fabulous bottle of Round Barn Winery Cranberry. I'm pretty sure I'll be partaking of that this weekend after the boys are asleep and I'm wrapping gifts.

Cheers!

Act of Contrition

So there is an unpleasant side effect to a successful completion of NaBloPoMo.

Guilt.

As in "missing-a-day-of-posting" guilt.

I felt like I was in grammar school and I forgot to turn in an assignment!

I suppose you can take the girl out of the Catholic school, but you can't take the Catholic school out of the girl.

Bless me, Fellow Bloggers, for I have sinned. It has been two days since my last post. During that time, I experienced profound guilt and promise that I will be back tomorrow with a good post.

Cheers!

Visions of Sugarplums

In my dreams, I'm a fabulous cook. I have a fully stocked professional kitchen, with gadgets that would make Alton Brown proud. And I know how to use each and every one.

My Sub-Zero Refrigerator and pantry are stocked with the finest organic ingredients, all-natural and incredibly fresh. I have real butter, salted and unsalted, fresh proscuitto, homemade mozzarella, and every fresh herb known to man.

I make my own breads and pastas.

Bobby Flay comes to my house and challenges me to a Throwdown. I don't know what single item I could make that would even be worthy of Bobby Flay challenging me, but, hey. They're my dreams.

In this reality, however, I usually channel that Semi-Homemade Diva herself, Sandra Lee.

While I love to cook, I'm not a huge baking fan. I do, however, enjoy giving homemade treats at Christmas, and baked goods are easy. Well, easier.

This year, I hit the motherlode. Betty Crocker makes a super-easy, even a seven-year-old boy could do it Ultimate Fudge Truffle Mix. Now, yes, I realize that truffles aren't terribly difficult to make from scratch, but this was my first foray into the candy world and I had a dog and a toddler at my feet, so bear with me.

Pour the mix into a bowl, add butter and water, mix and spread onto a cookie sheet. Cool at room temperature (don't even have to clean out the refrigerator to make room for them!) for 30 minutes (enjoy nice Blue Moon with Orange while the Manimal takes a late afternoon nap). Roll into balls and roll in provided cocoa powder (or be adventurous...see next paragraph). Voila! You have lovely (if somewhat oval-shaped) truffles. Did I mention they provide the cute little candy papers?

Now for the adventurous part.

I couldn't leave well-enough alone, so I rolled some in chili powder, some in nuts, and even put sea salt on the tops of others. While Vosges is in no danger of losing truffle business on my account, I have to say they turned out quite well!

Of course, I have no pictures and they're already packaged and delivered...

But trust me, they were tasty!

Cheers!

ElleBee, ElleBee, Bobellbee, Bananafana Fo Fellbee...

So I've never really done a Meme, except for my 100 Things list, but I saw this Name Game Meme over on Preppy Beginnings and thought it was fun!

1. Witness Protection Name (mother's and father's middle names): Beth John

2. NASCAR Name (first name of your mother's dad and father's dad): Alvin Eugene

3. Star Wars Name (first three letters of your last name, two of your first): Salli

4. Detective Name (favorite color, favorite animal): Green Cat

5. Soap Opera Name (middle name, city where you were born): Marie Antigo

6. Superhero Name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink, add "the" to the beginning): The Purple
Cosmopolitan

7. Fly Girl/Guy Name (1st two letters of your first name, last two of your last): Liar (really!)

8. Gangsta Name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite cookie): Toasted Almond Fudge Molasses

9. Rock Star Name (current pet's name, current street name): Princess Aster

10. Stripper Name (favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy): Coco Mademoiselle M & M

I tag Stacy, Midge, Lisagh, Chloe and Sasha.

Cheers!

Puppies and Children and Santa Hats

First time, no go.

Tonight I tried to take our Christmas card photo with Sweet Son #1, the Manimal and P3 in their matching Santa hats. The children did well.

The dog did not.

Apparently, she doesn't like wearing a miniature Santa hat with an elastic chin strap.

We'll try again tomorrow. With treats. I'm hoping to have pictures. Soon. By the end of the week. Before Christmas.

Maybe.

Cheers!

In Mourning

2007 Miami Redskin Football
R.I.P.

There's always next year, boys!

Cheers!