All I Wanted For Christmas . . .

Last year I sat my husband down to discuss what we were getting my stepson and son for Christmas.

"Well, what do they want?" he dumbly asked.

"They want a bunch of expensive shit they don't need," I replied.

"But if that's what they want . . ." he said, looking at me like I had brain damage.

"I NEVER got what I wanted for Christmas!" I yelled.

Then I realized that some families, ie. my husband's, actually fulfill their childrens' wish lists.

Here are some of the things I always wanted as a kid, and NEVER got:

• An Easy Bake Oven
• Barbie Dream House, Airplane or Corvette
• My own record player
• Rainbow comforter set with matching rainbow pillow

It was not like we were poor growing up, although we were the last family in the country to get a microwave and Atari. My mom, who did all the shopping, was just cheap. Of course her childhood Christmas memories consisted of a stocking filled with nuts and one orange if she was lucky, so you can see what I was dealing with. That, and a father who was famous for saying, "Want in one hand and spit in the other. See which one fills up first."

One year my sister and I got a handheld, electronic, car racing game. This was in the 70's way before Nintendo DS, so think retro and cheesy, but we thought it was rad. (Am I aging myself too much?) Anyway, Santa only brought one, so my sister and I had to share it. WTF? We were kids! And sisters!

What do parents do when siblings are fighting over a toy? They TAKE IT AWAY. Eventually my sister and I thought of an elaborate "sharing" system and we got it back, only to go over to my Grandma's house and have it taken out of our wee hands by my dad and uncles so they could play with it. After cigarettes and rounds of Brandy Alexanders we got our game back. . . with dead batteries. Merry Christmas, kids.

Thank God my best friend Ally lived up the street. Santa must have seen my list and accidentally given it all to her instead of me. And she was happy to share.

So what am I getting my kids for Christmas? All I can say is it's a good thing they have friends like my Ally.

-Lela

The Rosie Award

Mrs. BlogsAlot gave us this great award. Check it out here. And I just have to say - I LOVE the Jetson's. It was one of my favorite cartoons ever. And I always wanted a Rosie. Of course, I wanted her to clean my house and push buttons to magically make dinner appear, but we're thrilled with this award instead.


You really should check out Mrs. BlogsAlot if you haven't. Her humorous take on life means I always have a good time at her site!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Ally & Lela

PS. For those wondering - I DID go exchange my boots Black Friday morning. But I had a plan. And I executed it well. I had my husband (who hates shopping more than anything in life and the mere fact that he was in the vicinity of a mall on Black Friday is nothing short of miraculous) drive me there and drop me at the door. I ran in, did the exchange and ran out. PAINLESS and perfect. LOVE IT. And to confess: we then went to the guitar store to help Santa get a present for my son - we did the switcheroo - I dropped him at the door and he went in to take care of business. But then it happened - I scored a FRONT ROW, RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR PARKING SPOT. And I knew that was all the luck we were getting for the day. We went home.

Kickin' Off The Season!

Lela, this song is for you!
And for all of you readers old enough to remember the coolest Christmas song ever!

And for those of you NOT old enough? The Spice Girls did not do their version of this song as an "original". It was a cover. And, by the way, their version sucked. Big Time.

And for those of you even younger? That chick that plays iCarly - Miranda Cosgrove - did NOT do this song first, either. Although I give her props for at least doing a semi-okay imitation
and not trying to change it at all.


(posted on YouTube by MrGeorgianGustil)

"Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it's 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from

Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.

So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.

Calendar picture, frozen landscape,
Chilled this room for twenty-four days,
Evergreens, sparkling snow
Get this winter over with!

Flashback to springtime, saw him again,
Would've been good to go for lunch,
Couldn't agree when we were both free,
We tried, we said we'd keep in touch.

Didn't, of course, 'til summertime,
Out to the beach to his boat could I join him?
No, this time it was me,
Sunburn in the third degree.

Now the calendar's just one page
And, of course, I am excited
Tonight's the night, but I've set my mind
Not to do too much about it.

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
But I think I'll miss this one this year.
Hardly dashing through the snow
Cause I bundled up too tight
Last minute have-to-do's
A few cards a few calls
'Cause it's r-s-v-p
No thanks, no party lights
It's Christmas Eve, gonna relax
Turned down all of my invites.

Last fall I had a night to myself,
Same guy called, halloween party,
Waited all night for him to show,
This time his car wouldn't go,

Forget it, it's cold, it's getting late,
Trudge on home to celebrate
In a quiet way, unwind
Doing Christmas right this time.

A&P has provided me
With the world's smallest turkey
Already in the oven, nice and hot
Oh damn! Guess what I forgot?

So on with the boots, back out in the snow
To the only all-night grocery,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
In the line is that guy I've been chasing all year!

"I'm spending this one alone," he said.
"Need a break; this year's been crazy."
I said, "Me too, but why are you?
You mean you forgot cranberries too?"

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed
Caught on to what was happening
That Christmas magic's brought this tale
To a very happy ending! "

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
Couldn't miss this one this year!

Written by Chris Butler
(c) 1981 Future Fossil Music, BMI

Did You Survive? Reflections...

You know it's after the meal, while moaning in pain from the immense amounts of food trying to make it from my stomach to my intestinal tract, that I start to wonder. Simple questions really.

Why do we have so much food on Thanksgiving? (Seriously, you could feed an entire village in some parts of the world with what is on a single family's table.)

Why do we have both stuffing AND rolls? (Because one enormous serving of bread to blow up in my gut when soaked with wine is clearly not enough)

Why do we have both mashed potatoes AND sweet potatoes? (When one serving of these starchy, carbs is enough to get me through a 26.2 mile marathon)

Why do we have three vegetables? (Really, who needs nutrition with all the carbs and starches on the table?)

Why do we have both pumpkin pie AND pecan pie? (or whatever pie, cakes, cookies, etc)

Why do we insist on having appetizers before this gigantic meal? (especially since we are all starving and will eat them because we haven't eaten in a day from "saving room" for dinner)

AND WHY DO WE INSIST ON EATING SOME OF EVERY SINGLE THING ON THE TABLE?

What would be wrong with eating like every other day? You know, a little lean turkey, a small serving of potatoes, some nice green veggies - AND CALL IT GOOD. Oh, but no. Give me a serving of everything else. And while you are at it, can you turn the fat drippings off the turkey into a nice thick gravy, so I can dump the fat BACK ONTO my food?

We have turned an all-you-can-eat-buffet into a national holiday. Complete with Hallmark cards. Call me crazy, I know.

So while I spend the day trying to digest last night's dinner (insert prayer for help here), I will be alternating between swearing off anything unhealthy for the rest of my life and planning the Christmas menu, complete with baking. And fudge. 'Cause I make a mean Bailey's Fudge.

***Ally

PS ~ It is never a good idea to START Thanksgiving day with a small IBS flare than includes a small blockage, if you know what I mean. My digestive tract has let me down.

PPS ~ I do NOT do Black Friday. EVER. However, after walking into a store in the outlet mall THREE times last week and then finally deciding that I DO want the cute black boots, I went back in there, grabbed them and made the purchase. It wasn't until I went to put my cute outfit together for Thanksgiving, that I realized I grabbed the pair that were 1-1/2 sizes too big for me. WTH? So now I contemplate - do I DARE go back today and exchange them before my size is gone? Stay tuned.

There's So Much To Be Thankful For...

Yeah, yeah. It's Thanksgiving and all. We're all thankful and stuff. And we're gonna eat 'till our buttons pop. But here's the thing. We both really are blessed and we're not sarcastic ALL the time. So we are listing 5 things we are thankful for. In no apparent order, because it's too much work and we don't have the brain power to try to list them in order of importance when we are worried about things like whether the turkey is going to thaw in time or if the sweet potatoes will really turn out okay in the crock pot so we have one less dish in the oven. (who eats more than 4 bites of sweet potatoes anyway?)

So here goes:

Ally's Thankful For~
1. My silly, little, belly-rub-whore of a dog that keeps me exercising - cause she has to get HER exercise, and warms my heart and makes me smile no matter how bad of a day it's been.
2. My awesome teenage son, who despite moments where I think he has PMS, is still a really great kid, with a big loving heart and a desire to do good in the world.
3. My awesome husband, who despite anything I might make fun of, is an amazing guy and a fantastic husband.
4. The amazing blog community we have found this year. Wow. How cool are you people?
5. And of course, Lela. Because everyone needs a best friend, and Lela is the best. I have been through some tough times the last couple of years and I couldn't have made it through as well without her. Even though we are hundreds of miles apart, she is there for me every day.

PS - can I have an extra? Because I'm really thankful for hot buttered rum, wine, and coffee with Bailey's. All of which I plan to consume today!

Lela's Thankful For~
1. My husband, who hasn't slept in 48 hours, yet emptied the dishwasher and made a pumpkin pie.
2. My son who, although he is a huge pain in my ass, makes my coffee and brings me my pillow when I fall asleep on the couch. Love you, Pickle Juice!
3. The gals at Hawaiian Nails in Huntington Beach. They give the best pedicures, and don't recoil with disgust (like my husband) when they are touching my feet and toes.
4. Wine.
5. My girl, Ally, who has known me since I have been 5 years old and still loves and accepts me anyway.

Now go eat some turkey, have an extra helping and a few extra glasses of wine. And save a piece of pumpkin pie for breakfast, 'cause that is the BEST!!

Happy Thanksgiving!
xxxxoooo
Ally & Lela

Are You Ready?

I have it easy this year. I am not hosting Thanksgiving. It rotates around in our family, and it is not my year. However, due to serious illnesses, there are less people attending Thanksgiving, and therefore contributing dishes, and so my cousin and I are splitting the menu. She's hosting, so she has the big stuff - turkey, stuffing (regular and gluten free), mashed potatoes, gravy (which last time she made was awful - Sorry, hon), pecan pie, peas (because her family has this obsession with peas, which I hate and refuse to cook), rolls (regular and gluten free), and cranberry sauce that her husband likes served in the shape of the can - ugh.

I have sweet potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie (both regular and crustless for the gluten intolerant in the group), wine (please.do.not.forget.the.wine.), beer, and cheese & crackers. Cause we all need to fill up on those before we load up on DINNER. And ohmygodIknowI'mforgettingsomething! Crap! But I bought her a cute little hostess gift so maybe she'll forgive whatever it is I'm forgetting.

I am stuffed just thinking about all that food. But you can bet your paycheck I'll eat some of all of it.

Oh and I'm bringing games because my cousin and I get a kick out of badgering everyone into playing games after too much wine and food and then making fun of the losers. Wanna play? Seriously, we're not that bad. ;-) Unless of course, we win. Which we do. Cause we rock. And if all else fails we can teach the kids to play BlackJack and gamble away their allowance. I'M KIDDING. I won't take money from children. GEESH! I'll at least wait until they get a little older.



And then we'll make a big batch of our family recipe Hot Buttered Rum mix to split up and take home for the Christmas holidays. A recipe which I will share in a future post. With tales to go along with it.

So yeah, let's get this day over with. Because what I am REALLY ready for? Is CHRISTMAS. After a couple of years of not being able to find my Christmas Spirit, it is again alive and well. I've secretly been listening to the all Christmas, all the time radio station in my car for a week. (I know, WHY are they playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving, right? I KNOW) It's not raining today (miracle), so my husband and son are putting up the Christmas lights. Right Now. I'm so excited. But I won't turn them on until the day AFTER Thanksgiving. So HURRY UP already!

Hope your preparation day is going well. The anticipation is delicious. The predictions of the family nightmares will have us blogging for days. While we eat turkey sandwiches. For days.

***Ally

Get Your Green On!

What are you doing green? Erin over at The Mother Load wrote a thought inspiring post on being green a little while back, Up On My Soap Box... And a Challenge. It got me thinking about what I’m already doing and what more I could do. And I decided it would be good to post about it, too. I even referenced Erin's post. I wrote most of this out and filed it away to use... soon.

BUT THEN, Erin announced and AWESOME giveaway. Check her giveaway out here: Erin's Go Green Giveaway #1 Starts NOW! I think she might be going to do a couple - she's got some really cool stuff - check it out here. The thing is, I LOVE the stuff she's giving away NOW. And she's got this cool system to get more entries into the contest (which would be really cool to win). Things like being a follower - already there - check! Following on Twitter - check! Blog about it by Wednesday - doing it now - check! And then there's this post on Twitter thing - and I'm a complete TwitterTard, so I may not get those entries (dammit!). But I WILL post about being green - check! Click on her post and enter the contest (just don't enter too many times and diminish my small chances of winning, K?), cause you might be lucky enough to win! (and I'd be really happy for you, but then I'd have to order my own really cool green bags like she's giving away)

Read on!

Get Your Green On!

I’m fortunate to live in a part of the country where recycling is easy. Not only do we recycle curbside, but we recycle a lot. Paper - not just newspaper, like some parts of the country, we recycle all mixed paper. Envelopes, cardboard, scrap paper - you name it, if it’s paper, it goes in. All glass bottles, doesn’t matter what color. Plastic bottles and tub containers? Yep, throw ‘em in. No sorting and separating - just throw 'em all in. And here’s the best part - yard waste recycling. But wait, you can also throw FOOD waste in the yard waste bin. Virtually all food waste goes in. AND we can throw used paper towels and paper bags and even the greasy pizza take out box! In the yard waste it goes to be turned into composted mulch.

Erin mentioned not using paper towels as much. I buy recycled content paper towels (a recent change) and they can go in the food waste bin to be composted when they are used. But I’ve reduced even that by keeping a stack of those thin washcloths they sell cheap at Target by the kitchen sink. When I need to wipe up a spill or slopped water or whatever, I try to reach for one of those instead. Use it and toss it in the wash basket. They are small enough to go in with my regular wash, I don't have to do extra. It’s a small thing, but it’s something. Hopefully I’ll get over my laziness and start using cloth napkins more for meals. Certainly I can get a cheap stack of those. Or go through the cabinets and find the stacks I already have that are never used....

We are transitioning to all CFL light bulbs. Almost there.

I use reusable grocery bags almost exclusively now. And a coworker brought me darling little one that folds tiny to keep in my purse. That has been so handy at stores when I’m only picking up a few things or at a different-than-usual store and forgot my bags in the car.

I thought of a new one I can do, too. You see I like my occasional (or more) stop at Starbucks. But the cups are wasteful. If I take my own travel mug, not only will it ease my guilt, but my husband might not realize where I’ve been! Score twice!

For all of you that have been thinking you SHOULD do something to be more green - stop thinking and JUST DO IT!

***Ally

10 Stupid Things I Have Done Lately

1. Ate an entire pizza.

2. Ate a foot long hot dog with peppers and onions, chased with 2 beers.

3. After #2, got in a car with my husband and in laws and silently burped. Note to self: Silent burps are like silent farts. They still smell.

4. After dropping off the in laws, insisted my husband stop at McDonald's so I could order fries and chicken McNuggets.

5. When my son interrupted me while on the phone, I accidentally flipped him off.

6. Fell asleep on the couch and slept there all night. Wearing my underwire bra. Again.

7. Clogged the toilet.

8. Forgot to tell husband I clogged the toilet.

9. Foolishly thought I could eat just one Nacho Cheese Dorito.

10. Waited til today to buy my turkey, so now it probably won't be thawed on Thanksgiving.

-Lela, the moron

One Person's Trash Really Is Another's Treasure - And Vice Versa

As I've said, and you are likely tired of hearing about, we recently had to go through my mother-in-law's house and all her belongings.

As we were doing this chore day after day, garbage bags filled with things that couldn't be kept or sold or given away. One day I look into a bag and see this:


In the garbage! Clearly my husband and sister-in-law did not get their mother's decorating genes. Can you imagine? Thrown away! I have wanted one of these for a few years, but they are expensive and I didn't really NEED one, so never spent the money. SCORE!

Now I will never paint my house any of THESE colors for fear of an unexpected divorce:


But still! This is something I will use! I love painting and picking out colors. Or at least I love picking out the colors and the end result. The painting part is a pain in the ass.

However, there are some things that got put in the "save and take home box" that shook me to my core. Such as this priceless gem.

*****Warning*****
Serious ugliness coming your way





You were warned

It's "Baby Santa" from the Knickerbocker Toy Co. Made in the good old USA. Was scaring children a goal of this company? I have to say that the pictures aren't quite as scary as the real thing. And they don't show the years of "use" clinging to it's fur.

When I pulled it out of the 'keep' box and unfeelingly asked my husband, "What the hell is this?" He replied that they 'd had it when he was a kid. He said this with nostalgic feeling in his voice, making me feel guilty - sort of. And asked me with a completely straight face, "Can't you just wash it up?"

No amount of washing will take the fright out of the children that may see this thing. It's like a teddy bear body with a half baby-half old man face made out of plastic. And somebody has wrapped a dingy, army-green strip of felt around it's neck.

IT'S CREEPY! It will give me nightmares. It will come to life while I'm sleeping and haunt my dreams. They will make a bad horror movie based on this Santa-thing. Ugh!

Sweet dreams. And watch the trash. You never know what lurks there!

***Ally

Prayers for Anissa

We don't usually post twice in the same day, but felt this was an appropriate exception.

If any of you are followers over at Aiming Low, you've likely seen Anissa's stuff. She's funny, she's witty, she's tough as nails. She's a wife, a mother of three and has had a child with cancer. I meant it when I said she's tough. I've never met her, but have read and appreciated her stuff.

From what I've gathered from the posts I've been reading, she very recently suffered a massive stroke at age 35, followed by a second bleed, and is in the hospital in ICU. Her husband has posted updates and the one big thing he's asking for is prayers. For Anissa, and for his family. That much we figured we could do.

If you'd like to read more, check out the updates at Aiming Low. Her husband is writing updates at Hope 4 Peyton. This is where she used to blog while her child fought cancer. I wasn't a follower and only read some of it after the fact. I stumbled on a post that highlights Anissa's faith: Three Years. Quite moving.

A prayer, a positive thought, some good energy. Whatever you can send her way, we're sure would be appreciated.

Ally & Lela

My Husband Is A Professional Race Car Driver

No, it's not NASCAR. My husband races on a dirt track in the Super Street Stock division in Perris, (not France) California. He has a real job working for the Electric Company, but he has gotten a few small checks for not coming in last. That counts, right?

Anyway, isn't he cute? That's me (not the trophy girl) to his left. And that big blue bomb behind us is his 8-year-old baby. That's right, people. He has been building this car for the last 8 years and he has finally finished it! I am so proud of him.

I know I complain about my hubby from time to time (farting, snoring, selfish, messy . . .) but I wanted to give him his props. Eight years is a lot of time (and money) to spend on one project. I know I couldn't do that. See, I have a quilt top that I made 10 years ago that needs to be quilted, also an unfinished novel I began before I got married. But hey, my mom sent me a Raggedy Ann doll I had started for my niece when she was a baby. My niece just turned 30 and has a baby girl so I FINISHED the yarn hair on the doll and plan on sending it to her for Christmas. After I sew the pantaloons.

But this post is NOT about me. It is about the man I love, my husband, who provides for our family and makes me proud.

Congratulations for following your dreams, Baby.

-Lela, your biggest fan

An Award For Us! Plus Some Really Cool Mold...

The Girl Next Door Grows Up gave us this sweet award. Thank you, Girl! If you haven't checked out her stuff, leave now and go give it a read! WAIT, but come back when your done and see who else we pass it onto! (And see the mold.)



This lovely award is to be given to up to 15 blogs you have newly discovered and, of course, think are just lovely. **(Just for the record, 15 is a lot and we will inevitably award someone who already has received this, though we will try not to - we're sorry for any duplications!)

1. Finding Michelle
2. The Woodchips
3. A New Normal
4. LaureNspired
5. The Parenting Myth
6. Where Her Feet Land
7. Angel believes...
8. Project: I Can Survive
9. Surviving Oz
10. Out of the Extraordinary
11. I know, I know,
12. There's supposed to be 15
13. But seriously, we're still
14. Playing catch up with blogs
15. Please don't hate us!


And now the mold. Which has nothing to do with the award, by the way.

I love those posts that really don't require many words. So I'll just say this. If you fail to look in your work bag for three weeks, you might have a surprise waiting for you.


I think there's at least six species growin' in there. Disgusting. Repulsive. Offensive. Revolting. Foul. And yet, somehow intriguing. Especially since I can't remember what started out in there.

***Ally

Ashes to Ashes

*****Warning*****
Okay, this isn't really supposed to be a morbid post. So hang in there with me and get past the fact that I'm talking about human ashes here. Ready?

That's right, ashes. See my mother-in-law just passed away. My father-in-law preceded her in death. Her wishes were that after she died, she be cremated and their ashes be "mixed". After that she didn't care what happened to them. Good thing.

My husband and his sister purchased a wooden box from the funeral home, meant to hold ashes. Meant to hold two people's ashes. They ordered it, had it engraved. $358 or some such amount. It turned out beautiful. (Just so you don't wonder what they were planning on doing with said ashes, I think they just need some time to figure it out. His parents are from England, so maybe scatter ashes there. As long as they are not on my fireplace mantel, and preferable not in my home, I support them 100%)

So after her memorial service, an appointment was made to drop by the funeral home to have the ashes "mixed" and placed in the new box. (They were both in their original funeral home containers) We all shared the same vision and assumption. They would take the ashes to a quiet, appropriate back room, do what they needed to do and return the box. We were told it would only take a few minutes. My sister-in-law was assigned this chore.

She arrives at the funeral home. Funeral Home Guy takes box of ashes from her and walks to "hospitality sink" right there in the main room. She clarifies that he intends to do it right there. He assures her it's no problem and will only take a minute. He lines hospitality sink with a plastic bag, mixes ashes, and tries to stuff them into box. They don't fit. He tries again. They don't fit. Again. SIL suggests he place bag in box FIRST, then pour in ashes. He tries this. They don't fit. Again. He fills box and gives her "overflow" in another plastic box. Approximately 3/4 of ashes are in the box they are supposed to be in. WHAT?!!!!

Let me add to this picture. He is not wearing a mask to prevent breathing of said ashes. He is not wearing gloves. He has also just cut his finger before her arrival and is "bleeding on everything", according to SIL. She finally asks him to find a band-aid and clean blood off any affected surfaces. Upon which he tells her they don't have band-aids. She questions that they don't have a first-aid kit in their place of business? He says no. She tells him he has to fold up a kleenex and cover cut with kleenex and tape. Which he does. Are you telling me they don't have gloves in the backroom of a FUNERAL HOME????

She then leaves funeral home with TWO boxes of ashes. Good grief!

There is an ending to this story. My husband had a "talk" with the main funeral home guy and they are sending a new, BIGGER, box - engraved - FOR FREE. As they should.

And guess where the ashes are? Um, yeah. They ended up at my house. I don't know how that happened. I told my husband they were "guests" here on a temporary basis (and would reside on a high shelf in the guest room closet - makes you want to come for a visit, doesn't it? I promise I'll move them) and that he and sis should figure out what they are going to do with them and make plans to get it done. Maybe she can keep them on HER fireplace mantel...

In the meantime, if you visit a funeral home, I wouldn't ask for a glass of water...

***Ally

One Word Only

I just received one of those emails from a friend where you answer all these personal questions with one word answers, then forward it to 500 more friends. Do people really need to know (in one word) what I am wearing or where my cell phone is?

Here is a sample of some of the questions and my answers:

A place you visit often: Kitchen
Favorite store: Book
Husband: Love

Blah, blah, blah. Boring, I know. But then I got stumped when I came to this question:

Want?

My first reaction was to type "boots", but I just bought a pair, along with a cute black dress. My husband has been on his best, thoughtful behavior, so I don't want a new one of those. The kid has been awesome, we are financially stable, I just got a haircut, and I had sushi for lunch. There has to be something that I wanted!

From my comfy spot on the couch I looked around the room. Near the front door laid a football, one golf club, flip-flops and a pair of socks; homemade quilts were folded up haphazardly on the quilt rack; craft projects of felt, ribbon and buttons were piled up on the floor; and on the coffee table was my grandmother's crystal vase full of sea glass I had collected on long beach walks, along with my bible. Everywhere I looked were signs of a happy family.

I thought, "I am really blessed."

So, what was my one word response to what I want?

I couldn't resist. I typed: Maid.

-Lela, livin' the good life : )

WHAT?! Next week?

Somebody slap me silly. Did you know that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?

Hello? When the hell did that happen?

Yes, I know my life has been a bit crazy with unexpected events. (death of a relative, funeral, unplanned road trip, another relative near death [but improving]... the list goes on) But still, I did NOT give permission for the HOLIDAYS to start happening!

So my uncle has scheduled his knee replacement surgery for three days before Thanksgiving.
Aunt and Uncle? Out. Won't be attending Thanksgiving.

My stepfather has been in serious condition in the hospital. IF he gets out by then (and that's a big if), I'd be shocked if he could attend Thanksgiving. His immune system is pretty darn fragile at this point, and there are kids involved.
Mom & Stepfather - possibly out and not attending Thanksgiving.

That leaves my cousin & her family, and my family (which includes a depressed husband, my completely stressed out self and a 15 year old texting addict), and one crazy grandma to throw in the mix. I'm dying here. And it's a slow death.

But I'm determined that we make the best of it. So if you have any ideas to spice up a Thanksgiving that has suddenly taken on a very different than usual appearance, let me know. I'm willing to try new things, simplify, dance in the rain, whatever. What do you all do for Thanksgiving? What's your favorite dish? Favorite activity? Favorite unexpected tradition?

Help a girl out!
***Ally

Post It Note Tuesday

I love the Post It Note. How did we ever live without them? I also love the Post-Its I'm reading on many of your sites. Thought we'd join in today.

Letter To A Friend

Dear Ally,

I know you are exhausted (mentally and physically) and you have to go to work today, after a death, a funeral and cross-country trip in a cramped car, only to return home to more bad news. You have probably been putting on a tough exterior for your family, but if I know you, you have found a quiet corner (in a closet) to let it all out and cry.

No one expects you to "do it all", even though you probably can and will. Take some time to grieve and accept love and care from those who truly love you and care about you. It is okay if your house gets a little dog-hairy and the bathrooms show a little mold. Kiss your sweet husband, embrace your big teenage son, and let your dopey dog lick you to death.

Hug your mom and let her hug you back. Feel the love and let it take away some of your pain. Lean on those who love you, especially the Lord.

God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
-Psalm 46:1

Live strong.

Love,
Lela

End of the Road

Home Sweet Home. We are home. Finally. Before I go any further, let me apologize to those whose blogs I normally follow and comment on - I'm a bit behind, but hope to do some catch up reading in the next few days. I haven't forgotten any of you! And am looking forward to getting some comic relief and life perspective back!

Instead of complaining about the last day of driving - the one where we hit rain, snow, hail, traffic, idiot drivers, accidents that blocked all three lanes of I-5 in downtown Portland, and the off ramp on which I had a complete melt down after four days in the car (screaming f*&k you at other drivers - that was pretty) - I decided I'll do a picture review of the trip.

Some things speak for themselves.

The Pig Out Palace advertised an All You Can Eat Buffet. 'Nuff said.

I HAD to take this for Lela!

Oh so FLAT!

A little history to lighten the trip!

New Mexico

NOTHING here!

Mohave Desert

Laughlin, NV

Gorgeous Mt. Shasta in Northern California

Northern California was beautiful!

Still changing colors, though I think we missed the highlights by a week or so.

Is that SNOW? AHHHH!

Oh great! Downhill and ice. Nice.

But pretty on the fall colored trees.

And rain? We've been spoiled by the nice weather we've had. :-(

Oh, now that looks like it's going to be fun! Yikes!

That, my friends, is HAIL.

And THIS mess, is what was PACKED into our sedan.
That's a power washer front right, and a chain saw left front.
An antique table and two suitcases in back.
The rest is boxes and bags and a cooler and STUFF.

I regret the circumstances under which this trip was taken (my mother-in-law passed away), however, I will say that I'm glad I took the trip. I got to see parts of the country I never would have seen otherwise. Even if it was from the freeway. There were good and bad, but really, how can I not enjoy the fact that I saw pieces of 9 states in four days? As for our favorite? By far Northern California and Southern Oregon - it was BEAUTIFUL. I've been through there many times, but never in fall. Really nice.

And thank you all for commenting on our fun trip! It's back to the grind of daily life. I think I'll enjoy it!

***Ally

The Town That Time Forgot

It is still possible to do an old fashioned road trip with your family. Think Route 66. You can pull off on "Historic Route 66" and find yourself way, way back in time. You can pull into a vintage motel, just like they used to be. Motor lodges. Motels. Single story, u-shaped. There's a few that have the little pool surrounded by a fence, right next to the road.

If you haven't seen the movie Cars, you should. It's animated, I know, but it's really like that in these little towns out there!

Welcome to Tucumcari, New Mexico. The town that time forgot.

(We ate dinner at the Pow Wow. I have to say - GREAT food. Really good.)

The exit to all the motels took us down this road. There were all the Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn, Super 8's - the modern motels - right off the exit. But a 1/4 mile down the road and it was vintage motel, after vintage motel. There must have been twenty of them. And most of them had one or two cars in the parking lot. I have no idea how they stay in business, but they were fun to see. (I had pre-booked the Hampton Inn, having no idea that I could have stayed in a 60 year old motel?!)

Unfortunately, little Tucumcari, NM is also a town ravaged by the economy.
There were plenty of these all boarded up.

And what do the locals think? Someone added the word "SUCKS" under Tucumcari on this sign. They tried to cover it, but it's there and visible. Sad.

So now that you all have left my blog and are online planning your summer vacation road trip for next year, don't forget old Route 66 and little Tucumcari, NM. Or you can grab yourself a room at the Hampton Inn with a pool and internet access and blog about all you see!

***Ally