huh??

in the spirit of yum & yuck, here's my next list for huh??
here are some foods i've never tried:

1. pizza. (yes. i know it's on my yuck list. but i know i won't like it)
2. brussel sprouts
3. most fish (fish is too fishy for my taste)
4. cosmopolitan
5. mint julep (they sound fun, though)
6. thai food
7. escargot
8. caviar
9. calamari (no thank you to those!)
10. soft cheeses (they also smell gross)
11. jalapenos, and most peppers
12. mushrooms
13. cottage cheese

don't think i'm missin' much!

with a cherry on top

i know i know i know... christmas is wonderful! shuttup already.
but, wait- there's more.

did you ever get your teachers a gift?
oh, man is my closet full of boxes of teachers gifts. xmas & end of year. even with a few valentines mixed in. there were always such an array of gifts. from the dollar gifts, to the useless gifts, to the gifts that teachers call "real".

i miss that this year.

i have never questioned a gift, and have always received each of them with love and the BEST oohs & aahs i could muster. i usually had plenty to say. especially for the smelly gifts (perfumes, bath stuff, candles)--- hmmmmm, i guess i need to smell better. & the candy-filled mugs/bags--- mmmmmm, ooooh my dentist will be mad at me.

i always gave them a thank you and a hug. but there are always kids who weren't able to give. so i tell them tons o' times--- just "stay on green" & gimme a giant smile & a hug. that's all i need.

there was a fine line between gushing over the gifts so the others didn't feel bad.
especially because i remember.

i'm sure with a housefull of kids, and some older kids having to pitch in for xma$, teachers were NEVER on my parents' list of gift-giving.
.......but one year: oh the joy!
i was able to give my teacher a gift. i don't remember ever asking before if i could or not; maybe i knew i just couldn't. or, maybe i did ask. i'm almost positive i gave my first & likely only teacher gift to my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Ropp.
and if my memory serves me correctly, i'm pretty sure it had something to do w/ our impending move to selma, al over the xmas break.

with all the pride i probably knew how to feel... for the first time, i was able to lay a gift on her desk. (was it even wrapped????)
chocolate covered cherries.

i'm sure she knew what that meant for me; and i'm sure she appreciated it as much as i always enjoyed my dollar tree angel that chasity bought herself w/ her own money. or as much as the notes kids wrote to me. or as much as my paper holder. (??) or as much as the used ornament a kid gave me (and sadly, probably heisted)....

here's to gifts of love- of all shapes and sizes.
i hope you get the perfect ones!

merry christmas!

memmmmries....

some of my fondest christmas memories/likes are:

1. the anticipation of santa & excitement. (to this day!)
2. waking up oh so early on xmas morning as a kid and crowding on LJ's bed (by the window) after getting billy & ricky to join us and being excited to go wake up mom & dad.
3. seems like every year someone would tell me that santa can come back and take it all back if i'm not good. i think my window of opportunity left once we could go downstairs!
4. the 4 of us (and sometimes kenny) lining up on the stairs and bumping our way to mom & dad's room
5. seeing the tree & mantle on xmas morning (to this day!!!) all the lights, filled stockings, pretty wrappings.
6. as a kid, for a bit, all our presents were in piles. yes- 13 piles around the tree. we each opened our piles one by one.
7. singing xmas carols at church on xmas eve.
8. cookies & eggnog. (yum). i hope i can find mom's recipes when i go back this year
9. in 10th grade, i got to be santa. that's when i unexpectedly opened my clarinet last. wow.
10. watching xmas movies (to this day)
11. wrapping & unwrapping each item in the stocking (a la my mom.... for 13 stockings. not one thing was left unwrapped)
12. seeing a mantle that could fit 13 stockings, and all of our baby picture ornaments with them. each year, it was so fun to look at. and hearing dad proclaim he bought the house b/c of the mantle.
13. being w/ loved ones and sharing traditions.

writers strike sucks

as i was sitting here trying to think of a topic, The Mr. told me that Journeyman is over as of tonight. that's actually one of the shows that is different and we really like it. we've even stayed up plenty o' times till 11 so we could watch it.

this writers strike really sucks. LOST is gonna be affected, too- apparently. and i was already fearful they'd lose a lot of viewers for making us wait till the end of january.... but with the promise of running consecutive episodes made it bearable.
but since they only have 8 of the 16 in the works---- who knows now!

we have a few good shows out there right now that we enjoy. pushing daisies was so quirky, fun, & different. not sure how that will go.

we so miss the office.... the only thing good to come out of thursday tv nights since that original lineup in college.

the only reality shows we really watch are: so you think you can dance, & dancing with the stars.

we've been delaying watching some shows in our tivo queue so we'll have something to watch later if the strike continues.

someone pay these people! we must see tv!

...to be jolly

1. christmas trees--- the look! the smell!
2. shiny things--- wrappings & bows, tinsel
3. christmas lights--- on houses, on trees; tacky, elegant
4. christmas music
5. decorating my mundane living room & turning it into a peaceful, pretty place
6. seeing (some) family
7. baking cookies & desserts--- the smells! the taste!
8. being cheerful with friends
9. giving ---gifts, charities, santas ringing bells
10. the hubbub of all the kids' excitement (gosh, i miss that!)
11. christmas traditions--- new & old
12. cooler weather (cross your fingers!)
13. "ho ho ho"

tis the season

so, the holidays are upon us. don'tcha just love this time of year??
i do! i'm SUCH a kid at heart. you know, being a teacher of littlies, you had to "believe" in santa..... but i think i kinda still do believe in santa.

i mean, well, no. a fat man doesn't come down our chimney. but the magic is there. everyone usually seems so happy during this time. (and i've heard that statistically, it's the most depressing time of year.... so maybe some people fake it so that YOU can feel the joy they don't).

this isn't a post about christianity vs. agnosticism vs. judaism vs. otherreligionism.

this is a post about the time from nov-jan that just feels so fun! even when you have day to day stuff. even if you don't celebrate christmas, isn't the air just a little pleasant-er? i think so. and i believe in that. that's what santa brings to me.

there's packages to wrap. lights to see. music to hear. traditions to uphold or create. people to smile at and see smile. waking up excited. the food glorious food. the (hopefully) chilly, crisp air. unpredictable georgia, tho'
the buildup of that one day (unless you're me, and you milk it....)

yes. there's famine. poverty. and war. yes there's horrible mall shootings. and someone just broke into Atlanta's empty stocking fund and ripped off over $50,000 worth of stuff! but in a few days time, people stepped up and gave more so that it's almost completely replaced now!

but this is a time of year that i feel grateful for what i have, and can give. i feel grateful that during this time there is general joy all around. i feel grateful that i have family. and friends. and a warm place to snug up to.

chaos? yes. rushed? yes. fatigue? yes. expensive? yes. busy? yes.

parties? sometimes. friends? yes. family? yes. (tho that's a whole different stress!) baking? yes. decorating? yes. gifts to give? yes. gifts to get? yes.
joy? YES. santa???? OF COURSE! just be a kid again....

YUM!

1. chicken paprikas
2. new york strip (medium well)
3. chicken curry w/ basmati rice
4. hibachi shrimp w/ fried rice
5. macaroni & cheese (i make my mom's and it's awesome. boxed is delish too!)
6. pork roast
7. pot roast (never get to make it though- The Mr. doesn't eat beef)
8. sauteed or grilled shrimp
9. spaghetti w/ butter (no, really!)
10. ice cream (duh)
11. lotsa starches- breads, potatoes, fries, rice, popcorn (if that counts?)
12. brownie sundae- complete w/ cherry
13. hamburger pie (another i miss)

there are actually many more yummy foods out there. tho some wouldn't believe... although i'm extremely picky, i can usually find something i like in most restaurants. as long as i can order them "my way".

so..... go ahead. invite me over. i'm workable!

before and after

no, this is not a diet commercial.

i mentioned our latest endeavor in our house.... to transform the "least used room in the house" when i mentioned being ambitchous.

in less than 2 weeks time, our small guest room went from:

oh that purple doesn't do it justice. comparatively, it almost looks like the same purple, but i assure you it's not!

to this:

yes, yes i know the purple pillowcase ruins it. but we forgot to take a picture before we got the furniture in.

what you don't see are the other 2 walls. the wall facing the bed is the green you see in the plaid.

the wall opposite the plaid is the purple you see, except for the white closet. (which is the same purple as the furniture in the room----- s'been that way my whole life! and thensome)

feel free to ooh and aaah. we're quite proud of our lots of hard work and oh so very much painters' tape! oh how i considered making part of the plaid blue so i can save a few million steps!

even if you don't like plaid, you gotta admit it's an improvement from what the owners left, yeah?