A new holiday twist.

A few years ago, at the home of a co-worker, I was inspired to put up a separate and small tree with just Santa ornaments.  I had a few and thought hers was so pretty and fun, that I wanted much the same.  Now, she had a tall, skinny tree and it was just packed with Santa ornaments...very cool.  I think she called it a pencil tree but I may be totally making that part up.  My tree is only about 36 inches tall.  I do not have nearly the number of ornaments that she has. 

So a few years into it, (like at least fifteen!) I really love my Santa tree.  We have had a second tree, a live one, until a few years ago.  I got a great deal on an artificial tree after the kids all left for college and started using it.   Its too big though, and takes up way more space than I have to devote to trees.  I have some great ornaments, some beautiful ones, other than the Santas, so I have always had a second tree, rather live or this newer artificial one, for these beauties. 

This year, we were going to be out of town on the holiday weekend.  All children in one location, but not our home city.  It was going to be a different Christmas in a lot of ways, but being in a whole different town was certainly a new twist.  Not only that, but, there was going to be a small group on Christmas Eve, just our youngest and her husband and me and hubs. We were all going to be together on Christmas day.  

The unusual started first with a decision I made at Thanksgiving to not put up the big tree.  The Santa tree went up in a new spot and some other decorations came out but, not the big tree.  Instead, we hung lit garland up over the counter and hung ornaments from the garland.  I LOVE IT! No big tree, the house is still decorated and everyone can see the ornaments. 

I think I am going to continue this new style of decorating for the holidays.  I have plans to get a four foot pencil tree next year for the Santa collection, if I need or want to.  But next year, who knows, I may have another new twist! 

Is Cleveland right?

Here’s the thing.  I want this economy to recover.  I really do.  I am so fatigued with it.  I want gas prices to level out, I want food prices to be reasonable, I wouldn’t mind if new home builds increased and people got to go to work.  I think people really do want to work for what they have.   

Last night I watched a report on Cleveland, where foreclosed and abandoned homes are being torn down to at least prevent the vacancy issues that plague so many neighborhoods.  I can imagine this helps with vermin and what not, but how very sad.  The report said 1,000 homes have been torn down in 2011 and they have 20,000 on the list.  

As sad as this report seems, I also see it as hope.  I hope people are able to buy those lots, borrow money at a reasonable rate and term, with honesty and integrity on both sides, find a reputable contractor with a solid, dependable crew and build a modest home that will accommodate their family.  Not a mansion, not with imported marble or ancient stone dug from the bottom of the Mediterranean or something, but a nice, solid, home with a large enough living room and kitchen that will allow their family to be together, warm, cozy and fed.  

Not a monument where every kid has their own TV and xbox 4 trillion, but a home where maybe the boys share a room, share their history and share themselves. A nice bedroom for the parents, where they can sleep and store their clothes...not an “oasis to escape to their own private lives”.  A family home.  Maybe Cleveland will show us how to return to the more practical middle.   

I wish you peace, hope, warmth, safety and love.   

Ban the bomb.

I am not a prude.  I really am not.  

Did I miss a memo?

What’s with the f-bomb making its way into every day conversation from and to everybody?  Am I to understand there are no longer any “dirty words”? So its a free for all, right? A language free for all.  I need to adjust my thinking because now, we all get to say whatever we want, no matter our age, education  or upbringing?   I wish I would have known as there have been a few times in the last five years, even in the last week, where if I had known that using whatever words I wanted, whatever came to my mind, was perfectly acceptable...well, gee, this granny would have taken a few people to task.  I don’t have to be polite, genteel or considerate.  I can let it fly.   Awesome. 

I try my best to keep current but profanity for profanity’s sake is not something that’s on my radar.  In fact, here’s an example.  A few weeks ago I was at the gas station and was outside my car filling the tank.  At the pump on the other side was a well dressed man in his 40s, driving a BMW.  Pulling up right behind him was another man, not quite as well dressed, also in his 40s or so.  I’m going to call him man #2.  Their dialogue, shouted over man #2’s car engine, while man #1 fiddled with the gas nozzle went something like this:

Man #2:  Hey! How have you been?  

Man #1:  Great! How about you? How’s the Mrs? 

Man #2:  Oh she’s got me driving all over the f***ing town looking for some f***ing part to her f***ing washing f***ing machine like I am some f***ing plumber!  I can’t get my own f***ing sh** done because of the f***ing sh** she has me doing!  But, other than that f***ing sh**, she’s good.  

Man #1:  I get you! My f***ing wife has already called me three times on my f***ing phone to give me a f***ing list of things to do while I am out.  F*** that sh**! I have got my own f***ing sh** to do.  She can get the f*** off the couch and do it herself! 

Did I mention the toddler in the back seat of the BMW? 

Charming.  

Monday Musings

I have a few questions and  maybe you do, too.  Here we go.

What the heck happened to the price of ground beef? I just returned from the grocery store and I could buy a Sirloin Tip Roast for $2.49 per pound.   Ground Beef, not even Ground Chuck, was “on special” for $2.99 per pound.  Ground Chuck was $3.99 per pound.  What happened?

Why does gas fluctuate almost 30 cents in a day, go down the next day by five cents and then back up the next day eight cents?  If the grocery store can keep the same price on an item for at least a week, why can’t gas stations?  Please don’t try to explain this to me using terms like futures, crude and pork bellies.   I don’t get it.  

Why when you look at a recipe online and read the reviews is there always at least one person who posts “This is the best recipe EVER.  I tweaked it a little bit by adding…” and proceeds to list 5 or 6 more ingredients.  I just looked for a simple broccoli cheddar soup recipe, just to make sure I had everything I needed on hand.  The first review said that exact statement and then listed these “tweaks” 1 slice pepper jack cheese, two garlic cloves, 1 cubed Yukon Gold potato, diced celery, crumbled bacon.  What the heck? Write your own recipe blog, fella, and leave the broccoli cheddar soup alone. 

Why when you get your hair cut can it not be just like the last time? Why is it just enough different to not work the way you want it to? Fortunately, for most haircuts,  there is only a three day adjustment time and then it will be just fine.  

Why, when I am ready to sit down and prepare a blog entry are the batteries on either my wireless mouse or my wireless keyboard “critically low” and there are no batteries in the charger?  I know the answer to this one but a certain gentleman that lives in this house and  takes  pictures for his ebay sales may disagree.