Deck The Halls

I'm in the throws of getting my little corner of the world Merry and Bright....

I wanted to take JJ and Philip Johnny Bob to see Santa today, but we searched high and low. No luck. So, as we passed through the gates here at the compound, I looked over and this is what I saw.....
Now I could have sworn Santa was supposed to be at PetSmart....and this irked me to no end. Hanging out with the boys when he was supposed to be working. I called and turned him in.

Then I decorated my tree....

This is what the finished masterpiece looks like...and my angel won't light up until I take her down, then I put her back up, and no lights....stubborn angel.

This is the view of my porch with the tree in the window.

Tomorrow we may look for Santa again...or not. I say or not, because someone told me he was downtown....

Looks like he has company!

Holidays in a Nutshell

This Thanksgiving weekend has been a busy one for me and my Texas family.

My son-in-law's mother came in from Tucson Wednesday night, and has been sleeping with JJ....or rather JJ has been sleeping with her.

I tell myself he remembers her from last Christmas when she came to town with Tabatha. And he probably thinks Tabatha is stashed somewhere in her luggage or under the bed

We had a great dinner this year with the whole family present. After calling my granddaughter in Florida, daughter and grandkids in Colorado, son and his family in CA, and oldest daughter in So CA, I headed over to help cook here in Texas.

Last year SGT John was in Iraq, so this year the kids are thrilled to celebrate with him.

I took my granddaughter on a couple of driving lessons, and of course JJ always rides shotgun.

Then the whole bunch of us went to Bingo. Here in Texas kids over six years old can play bingo...for money. It was a long day.

Today, none of us were in a Black Friday shopping mood, and thank goodness. I read where someone got trampled to death at a Walmart in New York, and two people got shot at a Toys R Us in Palm Desert (or was it Palm Springs?)

Instead the four women went to get pedicures and manicures, then to Jason's deli. On my way home, I stopped at Walmart for a few staples and ended up finding a few bargains. How about Four dollars for a two qt. crock pot?

Now, it's off to bed....maybe sleep in tomorrow, maybe not.

Giving Thanks Doesn't End Here

This is where I get serious and do my best to get in touch with your softer side.......as I take you don't memory lane. My memory lane.

Five years ago, most of us sat down to our usual Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Some of us probably were unfortunate enough to have strep-throat. Some others may have just had surgery or lost a love one. Not everyone had a great day.

This is a picture of my grandson Andrew five years ago, toasting his father, and giving thanks..to be alive. Andrew had just turned three, and was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two. You can read his story here. He didn't even have the "good" leukemia....yes there's a leukemia that they actually call the good one. Try telling that to any parent with a child diagnosed with any leukemia.

Tell that to Marey. Marey's teenage daughter Ali, was also diagnosed with leukemia. Fast forward five years and she is accomplishing so much with her life. You can read her story here.

Over the last five years, I have come to know hundreds of children with cancer. It pretty much became my life. I read Caringbridge Sites every night checking on kids. I can honestly say I have been to more funerals for children in those five years than all the ones for adults in my life.

Marey and Postcard Cindy, (a name she was given by a cancer dad she never met in person), have been holding fundraisers every Christmas season to help two families keep their heads above water while there child goes through bone marrow transplant. Even with the best insurance, some families travel cross Country, incurring housing and living expenses above and beyond the norm to save their child's life.

This year, they are holding a raffle over at Marey's blog, ELEMENTO-P . Go on over and check out the items being raffled off. There are some beautiful handcrafted items, and I personally made the one blanket which is similar to the ones I deliver to the Peds/Onc ward here in Central Texas for Christmas.

These are the two children Marey and Cindy are helping this year:

Ivan, a 17 year old man whose relapsed leukemia has sent him to transplant. He is at LPCH and is doing well. He is the oldest of 6 children and we would certainly love to help them out this season.

Austin is another relapsed 4 year old leukemia patient. He had 2 years of treatment, relapsed and is now going to transplant. You can read more about him at his site.

If you are still reading this....Thank you. Now go check out Marey's blog, and check back often for new items to be added. I have a link at the top of this page on the left.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
a message from the resident turkey....

Be thankful....what more can I say? Let's see.....be good to each other..no food fights, and if you find yourself alone, maybe find a food kitchen and offer to help. ...they'll even feed YOU!

How about visiting a nursing home, some residence never get visitors. Or maybe bring a toy or gift to a child stuck in a pediatric cancer ward....recently diagnosed with leukemia (I've known so many).

Now, I want you to know that I'm so thankful for YOU, my blogger friend. You stopped by today and that means a lot to me. So, just for you, I've got a goofy game to play over there on the right ...just go easy on the turkey.

Smooches

Not Blue Tooth.......

....it's blue teeth

That's what this recipe will leave you with, but little kids love it, and grown kids will ask you to please make it for them to take to work.....no kidding.


Especially if it's your middle child. So let's get started, shall we?

Here is the cast of characters ingredients. Rice Krispies, miniature marshmallows, one stick of butter, blue food coloring....lots of it, tube of black icing, two large marshmallows, chocolate chip cookies.

First, melt the stick of butter over medium heat in a six quart sauce pan.

Add one bag of miniature marshmallows. Stir until melted, then remove from heat.

Add blue food coloring to butter/marshmallow mixture.

Add Rice Krispies, a small amount at a time, mixing, then adding more until.....

All of the cereal is completely covered with the blue stuff.


If you want it darker, add more blue food coloring. FYI, I buy the large one ounce bottles of food coloring at Hobby Lobby. It's more economical than those sets of four colors.

Dump the blue cereal mixed with the blue stuff on a platter, or as you can see, I use a 14" cake round. That way I don't have to worry about one more cake platter disappearing into a black hole somewhere, never to be seen again.


While the mixture is still supple....I love saying supple. Anyways, while it's still supple, make two indentations for eyes with your fingers...then insert a large marshmallow for each eye. Again, while the mixture is still supple giggle giggle make a crater for the mouth, and ice it with black icing.

Shove some chocolate chip cookies into the mouth while the icing is still.......soft.
There you go!! A Sesame Street Cookie Monster. You can do Elmo, Big Bird, MadonnaThe Grouch, or any other character. Fun and easy to make in about 10-15 minutes.

* Item 5, now available...Don't forget to check out my Christmas gift ideas at the bottom of the page....

Mirror Mirror On The Wall..

Who hasn't had this happen to them?

You find something festive that you would like to slip into.

It seems a little small, but you're QUITE SURE that in recent years, you've worn this size. So you work with it.

You try it on different ways.....

From different angles you examine yourself. Finally, you admit that it does feel A LITTLE tight.

Someone offers you a larger size, which you find highly insulting.

I mean, it might be a tight fit, but you still look GOOD!

FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES....

It seems people aren't forking over the bucks to travel for the Holidays this year. Experts say it's not that they don't have the money....they just don't want to spend it out of fear of being mugged that the economy may spiral down and knock on their back door.

The airlines are offering extremely cheap flights right now, and I've already booked two trips for the upcoming year for under $200 round trip! Of course, that prompted me to finish unpacking my luggage from my last junket......Lord have mercy, the things you find! I found a pair of toddlers socks, and a half eaten bag of Cheetos's in my tote, inside my carry-on. I also found a fork....that I must have accidentally stole dropped in my tote. It didn't have any distinguishing mark, so I couldn't have really wanted it. I don't even know where it came from, especially since I couldn't possibly get though security with it, and why would I have a fork?

When you fly first class....they serve cocktails or the beverage of your choice before the regular travelers even board. They they feed you. They feed you really good food, with real forks and a knife. So I'm thinking that's where my mystery fork came from.

They serve condiments in cute packages like this....

and when you turn it over...this.

I can't afford to fly first class, so I started using my frequent flyer miles to upgrade. It irks me to no end when other people get free upgrades. You know, probably important people like celebrities, and famous people like Nobel Prize winners.

And people pretending to be other famous people. Where's the justice?

* The 4th ... in a series of my great Christmas gift ideas has been added at the bottom of the page. Check back often for more gift giving ideas.

Deck The Halls With......

.......OUCH!!



No, I'm not flipping you off. That happens to be my index finger after putting up my outdoor lights, after my finger got into it with a hammer, after putting up my tree. Then I went to Taco Bueno to get some Macho Nachos for us.

But, that's not what this post is about. I was putting up my Christmas tree, and I brought out all the sentimental ornaments that I've accumulated over the years. You know the ones....the clothes pin reindeer made by a kindergartner in 1976, or the walnut skiing on popsicle sticks.

Then there are the ones for your dog. The dog that went to doggie heaven in 2001 at eighteen years old. Charlie, a cockapoo.....a very macho cockapoo.

This may be boring for some of you, and it will probably make some of you roll your eyes....it won't be the first time, so roll away.


I'll start with this picture of Charlie and me at Petsmart in 1995, just so you have a visual of him.

This is a foam handmade ornament I bought at work to support United Way in 1994.....the lollipop is nasty probably rancid. I bought everyone in the family, one of these, but I only have Charlies. I'm sure everyone else still has theirs, and puts it on their tree, right?

Then we have this one from Heart Shaped Hedges husband's two cats, Bubs and Sweebs circa 1999.

And another from those sweet kitties in 2000.

Ok, so that's it! That wasn't too bad now was it? I still miss Charlie, and I just know he would have been best buddies with JJ......maybe!

*NEW!! The 3rd in a series of my great Christmas gift ideas has been added at the bottom of the page. Check back often for more gift giving ideas.

Going to the Mall Today? I Am

But be very careful!

You know how they have all those people at the kiosks offering samples of their products? And then the ones who want you to submit to a massage technique that literally shatters every vertebrae makes your back feel so flexable?

Or, how about the kiosk that sells the special sea salts and beauty creams from the dead sea, that set you back about three house payments?

I did both of those when I was in Tucson, on my way to Texas......my son-in-law's mother bought us each a half hour massage.....that had me thinking I was dying. My son-in-law said the moans coming from my side of the curtain were scaring him.

The same day, in the same mall, my son-in-law's mother and I fell prey to the ancient magical creams and ointments from the dead sea.

Man: Hi! You have such pretty eyes, what's your name?

Me: Uh, Janice

Man: As he grabs my hand, says: Oh your nails are so nice, are they natural?

Me: Uh, yeah, thank you!

Man: Let me show you something....he starts rubbing cream into my finger tips and nails.

...this will make those nails strong and not so brittle.

Then he grabs a buffer and starts buffing my nail. It looks like a new smooth shiny piece of glass! I'm so impressed.

Man: Noticing my glee in my newly buffed nail says: Just think how your boyfriend will love holding your hands when your nails look so polished and your skin is so soft....

when I don't react, he says...

Man: You do have a boyfriend, no?

Me: No

Man: What? a beautiful young woman like you? Impossible!

So, you see where this is going.....after buying $225 of nail and face stuff, I leave, knowing I will always have beautiful skin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fast forward to about a month ago. I'm in our local mall if you can call it that and I'm approached by a beautiful young lady with a jar of cream in one hand and a tiny spatula in the other.

She wants to introduce me to her rich uncle a miracle cream, made from stuff dredged from the floor of the dead sea. I told her I'm not a bottom feeder I already owned all their products.

She looked at me, and with a smirk said, "I don't think so."

So today, I will be very careful.....very very careful. I will be wise and savy if I'm approached by someone wanting me to test lip balm. Especially someone like this gal.


">

I borrowed this from Karen Deborah over at Fresh Fixins!

*Don't forget, I will be leaving helpful gift ideas for Christmas. Basically they will be gifts I'm contemplating getting for my own children and grandchildren...and I'm sharing these great gift ideas with you! These will appear on the bottom of my page. Today is my second gift idea, check it out.