Friday, November 27, 2015

Black Friday

There was nothing black about my Friday.  Though I woke up fairly early, I didn't get out and fight the crowds in the stores.  I've never shopped on Black Friday, even when we were kids.  Our family tradition that day was to make fruitcakes. 

I don't bake fruitcakes any more, mainly because I'm the only one who eats them.  I'll just buy a small one from the store.  Now, I take the day to begin putting up my Christmas decorations.  This year was no exception.  Beverly and James said they wanted to come over and help me this year, it being our last Christmas all together here in Grenada and all. 

The first thing I did was to sweep and mop the entire house.  Then I had to rearrange my furniture so that I could fit my tree into the corner.  After doing that, I was pooped, so I sat down for a rest.  I sat there so long, I told myself that if I didn't get a move on, they would all be here and I wouldn't even have the tree out of the shed.

So I pried my hiney out of the chair and dragged the tree and boxes of decorations into the house.  About the time I got the tree put together, and was just about done fluffing the branches, I heard a car door slam. 

Perfect timing,  there they were. 

James and Cody strung the lights, while I got all the Fall/Thanksgiving stuff down and packed it away. 


Once that was done, we made quick work of decorating.   I let James and Cody each hang an LSU ornament, but Cody refused to hang any of my Dallas Cowboy ornaments.  Seems I didn't raise him right after all.  He even laughed when I dropped one and broke it.  I got online and ordered a new one, and said it was going to be my Christmas present from him.  He said, "Uh, no." 

I asked Cody what he wanted for Christmas.  He said, "I saw what you had to pay out for my college.  You've given me enough."  Sniff...maybe I did raise him right.  I'm still going to get him something, though.  He needs some new clothes.  I said I'd just give him money and he could pick out his own clothes.  I want him to have something under the tree to open, though.  I'll have to do some thinking.  Now, back to the decorating...

Here he is hanging the little bell I bought the year he was born.  I bought one for both of us, but I broke mine years ago.  Cody's is cracked, but it's still hanging in there. 


Cody and I in front of the tree.


And the finished product.  



Once we were done, Beverly and James went home, and Cody and I watched Jurassic World.  He'd never seen it.  I showed him which room will be his, once we finish moving all his furniture over.  He seemed pleased with it. 

After he left, I was poking around online.  I have ribbons from when I was in the Navy, but I can't find them.  I know they're packed up around here somewhere.  Anyway, I found a site where I can order more.  That's what I did.   I dug my DD-214 out of the file cabinet, just to make sure I was getting the right ones.  Good thing, because I discovered I had a ribbon I didn't know I'd earned.  I thought I just had three:  Good Conduct, National Defense, and Pistol Quals.  According to my DD-214, I also have an overseas service ribbon with two stars.  Cool.  I'm supposed to have a Meritorious Unit Commendation, but somehow it didn't get put into my service record, so I took it off my ribbon bar. 

Naturally, now that I've ordered a duplicate set of ribbons, I'll find my original ones. 

Isn't that always how it goes?


No comments: