SWEET TEA

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Private Space.


I love Pigpen
and I'm feeling as though I've bonded
with him in quite a personal way;
 he moves in a dirt bubble,
while I move in a germ bubble.
"Kindred Spirits" I think most would call us.

I'll spare you the details of this nasty cold I've claimed as my own, but as I move and have my being my entire household is keeping out of  "my space".

When I get out of my chair,
no one clamors to sit in it.

No one goes near my chair sidetable.

Snow?
Nope.  My private bag of used tissue.
(It can never be said that I don't keep it real!)

I've found when you cough, sneeze, and carry your own bag of used tissue, people tend to give  you lots of private space.  
That Pigpen is one smart guy!




Friday, December 28, 2012

Going through the CHANGE. . .


Change can be good.
Change can be bad.
But, mostly it often falls somewhere between the two.  We're going through a lot of "change" here on the home front.  It's initially made for a lot of work and bother, just speaking honestly.  However, I find if I pace myself, arm-twist and coerce those around me to help, it really helps with my stress level.


The office in our house has now been emptied, which was no small feat.  It's also been painted a cotton-candy shade of pink, and on it's way to becoming a nursery.  We'd like to have it all in order by the end of January and ready for the sweet granddoll who will join us by the end of March.  The carpet has been shampooed, then shampooed again with bleach water.  That was one BIG mistake.  "Live and learn".  Take it from someone who knows, you don't ever want to do this.  We're now shopping for a room size area rug.  *insert delirious laugh here*

Another big change is coming our way too.
My Mom is coming for an extended visit in late January, and possibly to live with us.  There is not much to be done to the house to prepare for her since the guest room stays pretty much "ready". . .My Mom is 83.  She has been a "rock" for me in so many ways throughout the years.  I love her so very much and there is so much I could say, but I won't for now, other than to say she has been blessed with health and strength her entire life until last October.  At that time the thieving hands of dementia began to rob her of what she has clutched tightly- her independence.  She is facing HUGE changes, none of which she is happy with. (bad sentence. Sorry.)  I want her to be able to live healthy, happy, and independently, but the doctors have said that it is no longer possible for her to live alone.  She doesn't understand the reasoning behind the (multiple) doctors findings, so now she is livid with anger towards my sister and and I.  She sees us as the "bad guys".  This is AWFUL - no way to sugarcoat this part of reality.  She's in the hospital in Tulsa at the moment and when the day comes for her to come with me to Louisiana she is going to be distraught and red-hot angry, for who knows how long.  When I think about this I cannot even imagine how this will unfold, but one thing she has told me all my adult life is she does not want to ever go into a nursing home.  My sister and I are going to try our very best to care for Mom our self.  I am totally moving into uncharted territory for me.  I admit I have no idea what I am doing, but I have been reading up on the subject of "dementia" and will give it my all.

Did I mention we're going through lots of "changes" here?

I pray for strength, wisdom, understanding, and a sweet spirit as I go forward.  I understand I am beginning a new season of life.  It always saddens me a bit to move from one life season to another because I dislike the idea of leaving a current season behind, but "God's grace is always sufficient", so on I go!



Friday, December 14, 2012

Belly Laugh



Our twelve year old Granddoll was asked what she would like for Christmas.
She replied, "I'm accepting Amazon gift cards this year".

Her parents grimaced at her reply and declared that she had seen waaaay too many TV commercials.


Doncha just love the things kids say?!!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

"Afterglow"

Today was a marathon shopping day.
Daughter and I headed out the door with our list in hand and I was determined not to come home until I had everything on my list marked off.  And, by Golly, we did it, with only one exception, but that's really close enough, so I count today as a huge
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Along the way, Daughter asked, "Ya know what part of Christmas I like best?".

"What?" (I'm quick like that, with a witty reply.)

To which she answered, "the days right after Christmas, the ones where we go to movies, play games and eat all the snacks".

I totally agree with her.
It's a time when everyone seems to "pause" and bask in the afterglow of the hectic shopping, decorating, and time-consuming "stuff" that is pre-Christmas.

I think we've stumbled across a new family holiday, "Afterglow".

Remember, you heard it here first!  *wink

Monday, December 10, 2012

Show and Tell

Cookie Fixin' Mess!

Yield: 2 batches of Peanut Butter Blossom 
cookie dough, frozen, and ready to be baked
for Christmas.  It's been a tradition in our family for years.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
These over-sized glasses were part of
this year's Girl's Getaway.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *


"Boudxy the Grinch Dog"
He hates wearing a hat - can you tell?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you could only have one kind of Christmas Cookie,  which kind would you choose?



Saturday, December 8, 2012

Not all sweet things are fattening. YEA!

I DID IT!
I managed to get into the attic and get down some Christmas clutter decorations!  Usually Princess climbs into the attic to retrieve the Christmas stuff and she hands it off to me while I'm posed on the ladder and then I hand it off to Mister who is waiting at the bottom of the ladder to catch us if we should fall - it's our system and we do it this way every year...However, since Mister has bad knees and Princess is "with child" I just wasn't sure we'd be able to pull it off this year.  But, somehow I managed to hoist myself into the attic in search of the Christmas goods, and it went off without a hitch or a trip to the ER. 
Woo Hoo!
* * * * * * * * * * *
Oldest daughter went into Panera Bread last week and placed her lunch order "to go".  When she went to pay the cashier she was told that her order had been paid by the customer who went before her.  Daughter actually talked with her benefactor and the woman told her each December she made it a practice to do a Random-Act-Of-Kindness each week, and daughter had been the recipient for the current week.  Isn't that sweet?  Daughter was taking soup into her grandmother/my Mom for lunch.  One good deed seemed to beget another.  Doncha' just love that?!

* * * * * * * * * * *
Last night was Mister's company Christmas party.  I'd rather have stayed home in my pj's eating "shoestring soup" than go to this, but I knew he wanted to go, and being the saint that I am, I glitzzed up a bit and we went to the party.  We signed in and were given a $50 gift card (just for showing up), then later in the evening there was a drawing (one of many) and Mister won another $50 gift card.  I'm finding sainthood really pays off!.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I've taken you down quite a rocky path with me lately,  so I wanted to be sure to tell you about some of the sweet things (and there are many) that have come along too.  I hope there are many sweet things in your life and that even more of the "sweet stuff" is in your future.





Thursday, December 6, 2012

Randomly speaking. . .

I miss having time to blog and visit with my Bloggy friends, but I know things will settle down in a few months and I'll be able to play "catch up" with everyone when that happens.  Till then I'm just trying to stay afloat (is that a word?) with my blog and document a few things.  

I have been in Tulsa spending time with my Mom for 16 days out of the last 30 days.  Mom is dealing with a "new normal".  Her health issues seem to have stabilized and most days she does pretty well, with a bit of assistance from family members from time to time.  
I wish I lived closer to her but that simply isn't the case right now.

Princess is doing well and sporting an ever-growing baby bump.  The pregnancy is going well.  She is well.  She is working hard on her senior year of classes and is on target to graduate this Spring (if not even sooner).

I'm trying to Christmas shop.

There is very little order to my life at this moment
and for a gal who loves a good list
and "a place for everything
and everything in it's place",
I'm taking deep breaths and praying a lot,
and getting by quite well.

Don't even know if we'll have a Christmas Tree this year.
It will be the first Christmas EV-AH to not have a tree.
But there will definitely be family, food, fun,
and lots of presents.
I figure if we can do all of that, a Christmas
tree will barely be missed


I could probably handle
a small, sweet, tree, 
like the one below.


This would work for me!
I.Am.Totally.Serious.

*Good Night!*



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