Friday Post

Easter has kind of snuck up on me this year.  Oh, I knew it was April 1, but in my mind, April was still in some far and distant future.  The way I discovered it is not is as follows.

I got to work bright and early this morning, and since they were opening up a C shift version of the line I normally work on, I headed upstairs to run off some production schedules.   While I was up there, I picked up the clipboard to sign up for next weekend. 

C shift production manager was in his office, so I asked him why they'd changed the policy.  Why could A shift people no longer work on Saturdays?  He said it was because they had lots of people signing up for Saturdays, and hardly anyone signing up for Sundays.  They were trying to get more people working on Sundays. 

That's kind of what I thought it was.  He told me if I wanted to work Saturday, to talk to my production manager, but no, I'm OK with working Sundays.  I asked him, "Why can't I sign up for next Sunday?  See, they have it marked out." 

He replied, "We're not running next Sunday."

I said, "Oh, yeah, next Sunday is Easter.  I forgot."

Wait, what?  Next Sunday is Easter?  Easter is next Sunday??????

I immediately dropped the clipboard and rushed around the office in a panic, screaming, "I've got to buy the candy!! Candy!! Easter candy!  Got to buy the candy!!!"

OK, I didn't really do that, but I guess when your kids are grown and gone, you kind of forget about these things.  After work, I went to the store, and I picked up a bit of Easter candy.  I wasn't going to buy Peeps, since I'd gotten that plush Peep last year,

but as I was walking down the aisle, I saw them.  "It just doesn't seem like Easter without Mammaw's Peeps."  So I bought a package of them.

For those of you who may be new to this blog, when I was a kid, every year my Mammaw would buy us all a package of marshmallow Peeps.  I don't really like Peeps, but I always ate them.  Now that I'm an adult, I still don't really like Peeps, but I buy a package every year, thinking of my Mammaw.  It makes me feel closer to her.

OK, back to where I was before I got distracted by candy...

Upstairs...production office... right.  I hung the clipboard back on its peg and began running off the work schedules.  B shift production manager was in his office wrapping up his shift, and C shift production manager was in his office preparing to begin his day.   Suddenly, the radio crackled and both men got up and rushed out the door.  I went downstairs, and here comes a B shift supervisor and a C shift supervisor flying up the aisle.  I asked a coworker who had a radio if she knew what was going on.  She said there was a fight in the parking lot. 

I didn't go out there, figuring it would be all over by the time I got all the way to the parking lot.  Someone told me out later it was a father and a son going at it.  As one of my coworkers said, people can't just discuss their problems calmly, and now they've both just lost their jobs.

Speaking of calm, since it is almost April, I've got to do my taxes this weekend.  Funny how when you know you're getting that big refund, you want to do them early.  But once your kids are grown and gone, and you no longer file Head of Household with dependents, you put it off later and later. 

So, basically, if you hear someone's head exploding some time tomorrow, it'll just be me. 

Halloween

I was trying to think of something witty and clever to post for tonight, but my brain has been scattered all day.  I thought if I looked through some old Halloween posts, I might find inspiration.

In reading those old posts, I'm astonished at how many times I told you that we don't do much for Halloween, because Cody is adamant we not celebrate it.  Almost every year, until he grew up and left home.

Then I'd show you a picture of my fake light- up Jack O' Lantern, and tell you that in the morning, I'd turn it around and it would do double duty as a plain pumpkin for my Thanksgiving decorations.

Then, I would end all the posts with my traditional Halloween prayer:

I'd thought I would do something different this year, but then I said, "Why mess with a good thing?"

So, here you go!

We don't do much around here for Halloween.  Cody is adamant we not celebrate it.  I did put out my fake light-up Jack O' Lantern, though.  In the morning, I will unplug it, turn it around and it will do double duty as a plain pumpkin in my Thanksgiving decorations.

And now, I will leave you with my traditional Halloween prayer:

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long legged beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
May the Good Lord deliver us!

Our Thanksgiving

It felt kind of strange this year, not having to cook the turkey.  James and Beverly had bought a smoked turkey, so I didn't have to worry about cooking mine.  I did do my casseroles, jello salad, and a pie, but I felt the whole time like I needed something else to cook. 

Mike and Brittani were both sick.  I could tell as soon as he walked into the house that Mike wasn't feeling well.  He went straight to the couch and went to sleep.  He did wake up to eat, but then took some ibuprofin and went back to bed. I didn't feel his head, but Dennise said he was running fever.  I took her word for it. 

Other than that, we had a great time. 
  
I set the table, and 

and the other table, too. 

I was kind of proud of how nice they looked, because normally, I'm not very good at decorating. 

We had lots of food

and family. 

After dinner, we put up their Christmas tree. 

Brittani decorated,

and Corey decorated

and Brittani decorated some more

and Corey decorated some more.

and Shelbi decorated. 

She's good at decorating.  She can stick some fake flowers in a vase, and it looks real nice.  I stick fake flowers in a vase, and it looks like fake flowers in a vase. 

Cody's just not into decorating. 

I think he gets that from me.  I like a decorated house; I just don't like doing the decorating.  Anyway...

There were lots of pretty decorations on the tree,

but there was one very special decoration hidden in the tree as well.   

Funny, Brittani decorated all around it, and she never saw it.  Cameron finally had to get it out of the tree and present it to her.

They are now officially engaged. 

And the finished tree:

And the ubiquitous family photos. 

James and Beverly.

Shelbi, Josh, and Corey

Dennise and the girls.

And finally, all of them, except Mike, whom we decided to let sleep, since he was so sick. 

Then, I came back home and watched the Cowboys beat the Raiders-- and posted the scores for my crazy friends who were out shopping. 

They did let me bring the turkey carcass home, so I'll have my soup after all.  I'll probably start that tomorrow.

Today, I'm getting my Thanksgiving stuff put away, and getting my Christmas stuff out.  Jesse is very worried about this.  Anything out of the routine makes him nervous.  He's already stressed out because Rylea isn't here. 

Sometimes I wonder if it's possible for a dog to be an introvert.  If it is, Jesse certainly is one. 

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah!

Wishing all my readers a very happy Thanksgiving,

And a very Happy Hanukkah!

Happy National Empty Chair Day

I made chocolate chip cookies to celebrate. 

(But really, I made them for Cody.  He just needs to go to the on campus post office and get himself a mailing address before I eat them all up.)

Good Friday

I searched all over YouTube looking for a good song for today. I thought of all the old hymns...

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

Were You There?

The Old Rugged Cross

At The Cross

They are all beautiful songs, very meaningful, and I love them, too. But in the end, none of them expressed today quite like this one.



My chains are gone. I've been set free.

My God, my savior has ransomed me.


That's what Good Friday is all about.

Veteran's Day

Halloween

I loved Halloween when I was a kid.  I loved dressing up, running around after dark, carving the Jack-O-Lantern, watching The Great Pumpkin, and the candy.  Not so much eating it, but the surprise of what you would get.

I was watching some old CHiPs reruns via Netflix, and their Halloween episode was on.  Ponch was handing out candy to the kids, and it reminded me of an incident from when I was a child.

We were never allowed to go off of our street when we were Trick -0r- Treating, but this one year, a couple of the neighbor boys went with us.  We went across Irving street and into the trailer park over there.  A policeman stopped in his patrol car and said something to us-- I don't remember what.  He gave us each a handful of candy and drove off. 

I immediately began to unwrap a piece of the candy he'd given me, intending to eat it.  The older of the two neighbor boys admonished me, saying I should wait until my mother could check my candy before I ate it.

"It's from a policeman," I said.

"He might not be a real cop," the neighbor boy replied.  "He might just be pretending."

But I insisted he was a real cop.  He was in a patrol car, after all.  I ate my candy anyway, and lived through it.

We headed home after that, and another Halloween came to an end.  Soon after, so did the carefree days of childhood.  We don't celebrate Halloween any more.  "It's a Satanic holiday born of devil worship," or so the claim goes.  Nobody thought about that back then.  Nobody believed that dressing up and going door to door for candy would lead to clandestine Satan worship.  It was a day of fun and tradition.

Sometimes, I miss it.

Independence Day

Squishing Easter

I was driving to work yesterday morning, when I came around a curve and there in the road was a little bunny rabbit. I stopped and waited for him to hop on across the road and reach the safety of the bushes on the other side, because you know, rabbits are kind of spastic. You might think they've hopped out of the way, then they'll turn and dart right back in front of you.

I've had many a heart seizure from this happening.

Anyway, I waited for him to hop all the way across, and was thankful that I was the only car on the road at that ungodly hour of 5:45 AM. Somebody else might have squished him and not even given it a second thought.

Then the thought hit me. Whoa!

What if that was the Easter Bunny? 

I'm so glad I didn't squish him.  I'd have hated to be responsible for millions of children going without candy on Easter morning.

All right, then...

While I was walking the dog this afternoon, I ran across some mighty strange tracks.  They looked like Procompsognathus tracks.   I took a photo with my phone, but haven't yet figured out how to get it from my phone to my computer.  I tried to post it to Facebook as a message, but it hasn't shown up yet.  Maybe it will, soon. 

In better news, I got one of my credit cards paid off, so what did I do? I loaded it back up again. I finally broke down and ordered myself a Kindle. I'd been wanting one for a while, now, and decided I'd just go ahead and get one.  Then I went on to the Amazon website and put a whole bunch of free e-books in my basket.  And I made a Kindle specific wish list of books to buy. 

Last night I cast the Roundabout hat back on with an additional 8 stitches. It fits much better now. I have just about made it to the crown decreases, which I still have to figure how how to do so that I can maintain the pattern as long as possible.

But I'll do that tomorrow. Now it's time to go curl up with a creepy murder mystery--right before bed. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to sleep alone. Yeah, why do I do this to myself?

The world may never know.

Houston, We Have A Problem

Well, I have a problem, at least.  I'm addicted to writing implements.  Ever since I was a kid, I've collected journals, notebooks, pens and the like.  Funny thing is, once I buy them, I don't want to use them.  I have so many books with just a few pages --if any-- written in them.  Yet I am constantly buying more.  They are my crack.

I've barely begun writing in my fake leather journal with the ribbon marker that I bought last July, when what did I spy at Wal-Mart last evening. 

And I just had to have it. I didn't care that I had stacks and stacks of notebook/journals. I didn't care how much it cost. I had to have it. So, it came home with me. I still haven't even taken the paper band off of it, but it's mine, mine I tell you! Mine!!  My own.  My Precious....

And of course, I had to buy some new pens worthy of a fake leather journal with a magnetic clasp.

Even though I have packs and packs of pens that I haven't even opened yet.  I think I have a problem...

But before I check myself into journal addiction rehab, let me show you what else I bought.

Wait, what? How did that picture get in there? Shhh, nobody was supposed to see those.

Ahem...

Isn't this just the cutest thing?  It's supposed to be an Easter basket.  

So, naturally, I had to find appropriate eggs to go in it.

And the ever traditional Easter classic, Peeps.

My mammaw always bought us Peeps at Easter, and though I don't really like them, I always ate them. Mammaw has been gone for long years now, but every Easter, I buy at least one package of Peeps, because they make me think of her.

Besides, they do cool things when you put them in the microwave...

Did You Know

that they have football shaped Oreos?

Yep, it's true.  I have evidence.

And they really do look like footballs.

Unfortunately, the evidence is rapidly disappearing.  Good thing I took pictures.

Look who else followed me home from the store.

 

I hadn't intended to buy him.  I was looking for those little bags to put cookies and candy and stuff in.  See, Vanessa and I are going to make up Valentine's Day bags for T.K. and The Other Rod --not to be confused with Former Group Leader Rod.  I'm going to make cookies, and Vanessa is going to get some candy.   The Other Rod likes chocolate chip cookies, and TK likes peanut butter cookies, which means I'll have to make a batch of each.  Then, I'll have to make another batch of peanut butter, because Former Group Leader Rod will have a fit if I bring cookies for TK and not have enough for him.  I've never seen the like the way that man loves cookies. 

So, I was looking for the little treat bags and wandered down the Valentine's Day stuff aisle.  I hadn't intended to buy the little bear, but when I picked him up, he was just so soft and squishy that I couldn't put him down again. 

I had to reschedule my dentist appointment.  Strangely enough, I saw Dr. Moody in the store, and he told me that he could have done it, but his crew didn't make it in.  He said that one of his assistants called him and said that her husband had told her that if Dr. Moody wanted her to come to work, then he could drive out and get her.  So, we're rescheduled until Monday at 2 PM, which means I'll have to leave work early.

I ain't complainin....

Finally, a few more snow photos.

And I have a feeling this won't be the last snow we get this year, either.


I think the North moved South for the winter.

Goodbye And Good Riddance

to you, 2010!

This has been a very bad year for me. 

It was a bad year for my Cowboys.

It was a bad year for my Longhorns.

It was a bad year for a lot of my friends, and it seems to have been a bad year all around.

Here's hoping 2011 will be better.  I don't see how it could possibly be any worse.

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas tree,

I finally got you put up! 

There are even a few presents under it.  Of course, most of these will be packed up and shipped out to the various siblings and nephews, but for now, they're there and looking pretty.  I've just got two nativities to put out, and some drapery stuff to drape around, and I'll be all done with decorating. 

Thanksgiving Eve

I got up early this morning--but not too early. Amazingly enough, the dog let me sleep until 6:30. And that, friends, is what I'm thankful for today. I was a chronic insomniac when I was a kid, though I didn't even know what that was back then. As I got older, I kind of grew out of it. But here lately, the insomnia seems to be creeping back in. I'm doing well to get 5 hours a night, so I'm very thankful for every little bit of sleep I get.

OK, where was I? Oh yes, I got up early and headed out to Wal-mart to try to beat the crowds. I almost did. The parking lot was pretty empty when I got there, but by the time I left, it was filling up fast. Overall, the trip was a success, even though I forgot the Cool Whip for the pumpkin pie. And I couldn't find a burrito. All they had were family packs, and I just wanted one.

Strange things happen to me. I was at work yesterday, and all of the sudden it hit me. I wanted a burrito. So I was going to buy myself a burrito, but all they had were family packs, and my freezer is full already and I still have to somehow fit leftovers from a 20 lb turkey in there.

Needless to say, I didn't get my burrito.

I did get all ready for tomorrow. The sweet potato casserole is mixed and ready to bake in the morning. I used to bake it ahead of time, but then I realized it took almost as long to reheat it as it did to bake it to begin with. Plus, the edges tended to burn when I did that.  So now, I just wait until Thanksgiving Day.

I didn't do the broccoli casserole this year, because nobody but me eats it, and even I don't like it that much any more. Last year, I froze more than half of it and saved it until Christmas, and still ended up throwing a lot of it away. I just decided not to bother this year.

I did bother making the pumpkin pie.

And this, what could this be? A secret family recipe?

Naw, it's suet for the birds!

I just hope the birds find it in time. The last time I put out a suet cake, the ants found it and devoured it before I ever saw a bird eating from it.

On the knitting front, I cast on the Gingerbread House yarn.  Finally.  

I knew it wanted to be a hat and scarf set, but I just couldn't find a pattern. I recalled that I really liked how it was knitting up when I was making the sock out of it, so I just went with a plain garter rib. It'll make a nice scarf, and I ought to be able to figure out a hat pattern with no trouble.

Plus, the scarf can act as a s.... as a ssss... as a sww.....the scarf can act as a swww...swww..

*Deep breath*

Thescarfcanactasaswatch.


Whew...

For some reason, one of my little paperwhites has shot up way taller than the other three.

It's even got a bud on it.

I guess that one got all the groceries.

.