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Just Jane

Good just gets gooder

The family post-holiday holiday get-together was better than I had even anticipated. The ham was as even better than last year's... just enough fat and lots of meat, cooked to perfection. I discovered that only two of my grandchildren are still shorter than I am... hadn't realized that I'd shrunk that much... I'm beginning to feel like an elf. Got to see my oldest granddaughter's beautiful engagement ring, which she received on New Year's Eve in New York. Her fiance chose it himself. Good job! Also got to meet her future in-laws... wonderful people... warm and witty. I can see why their son is such a special young man. The girl cousins spent an hour or two checking out the wedding frou-frou available for view on a laptop. And of course, the kids enjoyed the gift swap (the adults enjoyed it too)... tho it was not really a swap as we had drawn names last year. It was cold but sunny... good winter weather.

For the December 25th Christmas, my son-in-law received a Kindle Fire and my daughter got a Nook. She was so busy that she didn't get a chance to demonstrate it for me. My son-in-law, however, was eager to show us all his new toy... very nice. I am content with my first-generation Kindle but he is convinced I have secret pangs of Kindle envy.

I've often said I'm 'a day late and a dollar short.' It has happened again. I've always loved to dance but never had many chances to indulge. (I've been embarrassed a few times getting caught in a store aisle moving to the music.) I also wanted to find an exercise program that I'd enjoy enough to stick with, but never could... even Tai Chi, my favorite, was not one I could make myself stick to on my own. Now that I'm too weak to indulge, they have finally come up with Zumba. I definitely would stick with that if I could. Oh, well... I'm still dancing in the aisles... even if only in my mind.

New year... new experiences

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ' I've lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along' You must do the thing you think you cannot do." 

- Eleanor Roosevelt

My new year has already given me marvelous memories. On December 31, last year, I was part of a New Year's party with the talented, giving women of From the Heart. (More about them in future posts.) I realized that I really consider that the beginning of my new year. We knew we'd all probably be in bed by 10pm that night, so we celebrated from 10am until 2pm. The food was tasty and the communion of friends wonderful... a great way to start this year.

I'm preparing to gather with my family to celebrate our post-holiday 'holiday.' I think I've mentioned before how all the adults are great cooks. I'm looking forward to more good food and fellowship with most of my favorite relatives.

Last week, my doctor looked me in the eye and said something I never thought I'd ever hear someone say to me. He told me that I am losing too much weight; I need to eat more. I have a witness. I'm trying to be grown up about this, but I am, after all, only human... Neener Neener!

Getting into the zone

I'm finally getting the Spirit. I've always loved Christmas... it's brilliant colors, glow of lights and the wish to get everyone just the right gift... the one that will 'knock their socks off.'

The first thing that jingled my bell was what I expect is a gift from Santa, and it may be just the first of several I have been receiving each year. These are not of the 'unwrap and see what's in the box' variety. They are more subtle (i.e. getting a surprise call from someone special to me, etc.). The gift? A wonderful dream that had me waking up with a smile... not the least being that I can still remember it (the salient parts anyway). What was it about? Not gonna tell. And I'm still smiling.

Another jingle was when two of my granddaughters came over a couple of days ago to help me with some things I didn't feel up to doing myself. Didn't finish the whole To-Do List, but did get the main item completed. Then we went out to lunch. I've been wanting to go to the Jefferson Hotel to see the lovely decorations and tree. It was a special treat for me to take the girls there. They loved the decorations and got a kick out of spotting the alligators... a real boost to my holiday mood.

I've been concentrating on and anticipating my family 'Christmas' which is scheduled for January. We've gotten together after the real holiday for several years now. Means I don't have to be part of the pre-Christmas shopping rush unless I just want to indulge. I don't. The grand-kids love it... they get to have two Christmases. And we adults can take advantage of sales. (I hope there's one on country hams, my main contribution to our dinner.)

I am looking forward to Christmas Day because it falls on Sunday this year. There's just something so right about that for me. I'm planning on attending services that Eve and Day. Well... at least one or the other.

The Timex has finally stop ticking. Just before Thanksgiving I noticed that the second hand was no longer making its sweep around the face of the watch. All things come to an end. The death of that battery coming at the beginning of the celebration of new life for us all... another wonderful gift.

Taking time for giving thanks

Comfort is relative…
This past Saturday, the temperature in the mountains was 43° with a wind chill considerably lower. While at a craft fair for my granddaughters’ scout troops, I saw one of the older girls who was there to help with the crafts... a teenaged girl with her hands crammed either into the pockets of a zipped-up sweatshirt or her jeans. Bare feet and flip-flops. Fashion dictates.

My ears! My ears!....
When I attended grade school, the artwork decorating the rooms and halls was related to the holidays or seasons of the month, i.e. cherry trees and little axes for George Washington’s birthday; decorated eggs, chicks and bunnies for Easter; colorful leaves for Fall in September; witches, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns for October. November was for Pilgrims, black hats with large buckles, and varied representations of the Plymouth rock. Then, up went the paper Christmas trees and garlands, etc. for Christmas.

When my children were growing up, the day after Thanksgiving Day was the day we put up the Christmas tree and other decorations. I managed to con my youngest daughter into stringing the lights on the tree each year. Until she finally rebelled.

Irritated by the apparent disregard for Thanksgiving this year, I made up my mind to avoid anything related to Christmas until after Thanksgiving Day, especially any and all of the ’holiday’ movies that started playing on TV at least two weeks ago. I had been successful in my determination until I discovered that my granddaughter was ready for the gift-giving holiday. She insisted on listening to a radio station that was already airing their Christmas play list. Oh, well. It helped that one of the first songs I heard was "Santa, Baby" sung by Eartha Kitt.

I am thankful for so much this year….
Each year my list continues to grow. I am so grateful for:
..Two daughters and a son who have grown into wonderful adults
..Two sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law who have added so much to my life
..Ten grandchildren who must be the smartest, most creative, and best looking ‘grands’ ever to exist
..A brother who is very special (a good man… honest, sensible, trustworthy and true); my sister-in-law, his wife (a woman with a good heart and a wicked sense of humor) and her sister, (a woman whose world-view surpasses even mine in cynicism)
..Authors, with their talent to use and put together words into books that engross and enchant me
..Fathers who are willing to help with girl scout activities
..Friends, who enrich my life in so many ways

This past Thursday evening, a day that had been cold and blustery, my son-in-law introduced me to the pleasure and comfort of hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps. Yum. Consider me schnapped.

Rain on the Just

In less than 12 months, two of my favorite friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer. They are dynamic women, with large hearts... caring and giving... undeserving of the trials of the cancer curse in any form. The only thing I can do is offer my arms for hugs and possibly the benefit (if benefit it be) of my experience with the same diagnosis. Some years ago, a book was written about bad things happening to good people. I later heard that someone had said bad things happen to bad people too, we just don't care. Please, please get your mammograms.

I discovered a musical performance that might lift your spirits. Take a listen, give a look... classical music is new again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4BzonlVlw 
 

Fall smells different...

Now that Fall is officially here, the scents wafting on the air have changed. Trees are changing colors; weeds and other flora are finishing their Summer displays and have gone into Fall mode. Just ask any allergy sufferer... red, puffy eyes and stuffy noses abound.

I've done most of the seasonal clothing change-over, keeping some of the hot weather items close for those days that start out cool but warm up as the sun does its thing. The colder weather clothes must smell different too. At least Bailey, who is now 9 months old, must think so. He usually doesn't stay very far away from me but there must be something about my clothes that smell different to him. He already knows that if I start changing from my pj's into clothes that I can wear in public, there just might be a chance that he's going to get to go outside for a short while. But his reaction to these clothes is different. Summer duds excite him because of the possible outing, but these clothes must have a different odor to them. He stays 2-inches away from my feet as soon as I bring out jeans, socks and shoes. His nose goes into overtime and the snuffling is something to behold. He seems to think that the flapping of socks and legs of jeans is an invitation to grab hold for a game of tug-of-war. Every time I start to slip my foot into my shoe I can't because he has his nose stuck into the toe of it, snuffling away. The other morning I was using a lint roller to get at Bailey fur (an attempt to keep my jeans from appearing as if he had slept on them). As I ran the roller down the front of my leg I hit him on the nose... he had stuck it between my knees. Talk about a friend that sticketh closer than a brother!