November 2004 | Main | January 2005
December 31, 2004
Canival of the Recipes #20 is up!
Amy has done a wonderful job of presenting this week's Carnival of the Recipes.
Thank you Amy!!
Posted by Beth at 9:45 AM
Time to take time
I'm going to limit my blogging time for the next few weeks or so. I have a lot of things I need to get done around the house.
I will continue to work on the Carnival of the Recipes - I should have a calendar out this weekend with hosts listed for the next 3 months, maybe 4!
And I will most definitely continue to read all of you, and when I have something to say, I will write.
Right now, my mind is having trouble with the enormous ongoing tragedy caused by Mother Nature in Sumatra, India, Thailand and the other affected countries.
It's time to take time off from this. Love you all!
Posted by Beth at 9:01 AM | Comments (2)
December 29, 2004
It's almost incomprehensible
The death toll keeps going up and up and up. There are some good and trustworthy charities out there who will put your donations to good use. Catholic Relief Services, the American Red Cross (you can donate via Amazon.com), and others.
Personally, I would not donate a penny to the United Nations efforts. They have an awful record when it comes to money meant to help people.
Posted by Beth at 7:12 AM | Comments (4)
Get those recipes in!
Amy is already preparing for this week's Carnival of the Recipes!
So ... get those recipes up on your blogs and mail the links to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com!
And ... if you do not have a blog, but have a recipe, Amy will post it for you on her blog.
Posted by Beth at 6:47 AM
December 27, 2004
Big Airlines in Trouble
This is actually a pretty d'uh statement:
Airlines' Woes May Be Worse in Coming Year.
That's why I don't fly the 'big' airlines anymore. I fly Southwest and Frontier whenever possible.
Posted by Beth at 9:32 AM | Comments (1)
A day to recover
The Christmas weekend was better than we expected. Friday, when we got to Columbia, we visited John's oldest and best friend at his new store - a very fancy tobacco and wine store called Tinderbox / Vino 100. It is very nicely appointed and we made a few purchases. (even though I don't like tobacco one little iota, the wine is very good) Our friend, Kevin, has had a lot of bad luck through the years. I really hope that he has found his niche in the business world with his store and that it is very successful.
My mother-in-law and father-in-law were fun (except for the smoke) and my sister-in-law and her family were on their best behavior. Except for a few pokes at the high school I attended (St. Joseph's Academy in St. Louis) and my brother-in-law's ignorance of Catholic liturgy, I was pretty much left emotionally unbruised.
We drove home yesterday and I spent the rest of the day in bed trying to avoid a sinus infection (I don't do well in smoky environments). Breathing fresh air overnight has helped considerably, but I still have a sinus headache. Fortunately, I have today off to recover, and I will mostly take it easy today!
Hope everyone else has had a wonderful Christmas with their families.
Posted by Beth at 6:51 AM | Comments (3)
December 24, 2004
Still not ready!
Here it is. Christmas Eve. I still have gifts to wrap. Heck, I still have to purchase cards to put money in for the nephews and niece.
We drive a few hours today to go to Columbia, Missouri. I am tempted to live blog the entire weekend. It might keep me from opening up my big mouth around the very liberal sister-in-law, her husband and kids. I really want this to be a peaceful Christmas - just to keep my blood pressure down.
Don't get me wrong - John's sister is a very nice and sweet person. I like her a lot. She has a bad habit, though, of picking on my faith - I'm Catholic - I mean, golly gee - she is Episcopalian, it's not all that different! But she believes that abortion should be available for all, and I don't. So I promise I will not bring it up, and if she does, I will pretend to be totally deaf.
Andy loves to go to these family things because they can be such a soap opera. But this year, it will be different. I will be full of love and sweetness and thank zoloft for that ability.
I better get bathed and dressed and wrap those gifts and pack a suitcase, or they will be calling and asking when we are going to get around to driving the three hours to get there!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Posted by Beth at 9:27 AM | Comments (6)
Carnival of the Recipes is up!
Carnival of the Recipes #19 is up - and up very early for Arizona!
Thanks, Trudy!
Our hostess next week is the lovely Amy of Prochien Amy . So get those recipes in! - recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com!
Posted by Beth at 9:00 AM
December 23, 2004
Best Christmas Cookies. Ever.
My Grandmother was a very tiny woman - about 4'10" tall and weighed around 80 pounds. She was also kinda mean, she scared the heck out of me when I was growing up.
She owned her kitchen. She did not allow my mother in the kitchen - ever, so my poor mom never really learned to cook or bake. But, Mom did get her recipes for some of her best recipes, and this is my favorite (well, other than the sinfully fudgy chocolate frosting Grandmother put on my birthday cake every year).
Grandmother's Rock Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, well-beaten
1 pound English walnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking Soda
1 large box Raisins
1 Large Box Currents
1 small package Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup cocoa
3 3/4 cups flour
You need to mix this stuff in a humongous bowl - I use a big pot, as no bowls I own are big enough.
First, cream the butter and sugars well. Then add the beaten eggs.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well - this is very thick dough, Grandmother washed her hands and arms and was up to her elbows in cookie dough when she mixed it - I do it the same way, but I'm lots taller, so I'm not in up to my elbows.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees farenheit.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes - watch these carefully! My mom could never make these without burning. I take them out a few seconds before they look totally done - check the bottom of the cookie. These are really yummy cookies - the recipe makes dozens of cookies - I'm guessing 12 dozen - depends on the size of the cookie.
Enjoy!
Posted by Beth at 3:13 PM | Comments (2)
December 22, 2004
Remember, be careful out there!
As we enter the Christmas/New Year season, I think it is important for everyone to take a step back and remember that we can all have fun without getting dangerous. I've attached a rather graphic picture of an overdose victim, not for it's shock value, but in the hope that everyone remains aware of his or her limits. When you look below at this picture, remember, this did not have to happen.
Don't let this be you this holiday. Thank you...
Posted by Beth at 11:42 AM | Comments (6)
December 21, 2004
Recipe Reminder
Do Not Forget!!
Get your recipes in to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com for this week's Carnival of the Recipes - to be hosted by Trudy!!
Posted by Beth at 6:36 AM
It's Chrismas, silly!
All over the USA, people who claim to be defending our freedom (i.e. the ACLU and many newspapers) are doing their damndest to make Christmas an ex-word. Grumpy people complain to newspapers about calling Christmas Cookies Christmas Cookies. Some businesses ban the words "Merry Christmas" in fear of offending someone.
Well, phooey on all of them! I will say Merry Christmas to the poor schmucks working retail who are forced to say Happy Holidays. I will say Merry Christmas to my coworkers and risk getting written up. I will say Merry Christmas to the UPS guy, the mailman, the guy at the Commissary and the lady at the gas station. I will say Merry Christmas to my friends, my loved ones, my neighbors.
I will bake Christmas Cookies and wrap Christmas presents. I'll put a Yuletide Log on the fire and a Christmas wreath on the door.
My Christmas Tree (not a gifting tree - that is so wrong) has Santas next to Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus.
No anti-Christmas Grinch is going to steel my Christmas!
Most of the folks I know feel pretty much the same way - so in reality, instead of oppressing non-Christians, I think most of us are truly just sharing the joy of the season - it is not a slur against non-Christians if we wish them a Merry Christmas, if anything, it is an act of inclusion by wishing them the Joys of Christmas.
Apparently non-Christians feel 'excluded' from Christmas. Well ... d'uh! They don't believe in Jesus Christ, so they exclude themselves. As a Catholic, I suppose I could say I'm excluded from Ramadan and Kwanza and Hannuka or the Winter Solstice. But that's okay - it is a free fricking country, and we are not all alike. In fact, I think it would be grand if people wished everyone Happy Kwanza, Happy Hannuka or Merry Winter Solstice if that is what they are celebrating. I promise not to be offended. I suspect that Ramadan is not considered a 'happy' holiday, but if someone wished me a Holy Ramadan, I would not be offended either.
I have no objection to public schools banning Christmas songs from programs as long as songs from all other faiths are also banned. So no Kwanza or Eid or Wiccan celebrations in public schools.
And all those town squares? Well, if it's okay to put up a Menorrah, then it ought to okay to put up a Creche. Or perhaps town squares should just stay town squares year round and not put up any decorations at all. I'd prefer they fix the streets, myself.
Anyway, I'm sure you get my point. My readers are smart. And this is no art!
Posted by Beth at 6:30 AM | Comments (6)
December 20, 2004
Joanie is a Protest Warrior
And I'm proud to be her friend. I'm a Protest Warrior also, but there is not much opportunity here in Leavenworth, Kansas - a red town in a red state.
Joanie has photos and story about the rally for Pablo Paredes (the deserter) in San Diego this weekend.
Posted by Beth at 6:07 AM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2004
Critters at Christmas time
In case you have not seen Barney's exploits at the White House, click here.
How many other countries have leaders with a sense of humor enough to do this every year?
Posted by Beth at 6:39 PM | Comments (1)
This weekend is so flying by!
We attended a Christmas Party (yeah, yeah, they called it a fricking 'holiday party') on Friday night and another one last night. The first was at the Marriott - very nice - open bar, wonderful food and a live band. John and I slept until nearly 11:00 am yesterday morning, and didn't do much until we had to go to an earlier party last night . It was casual and more fun, I think, then the fancy schmancy party on Friday.
Neither of us are moving too quickly this morning. I have managed to send out emails to the people asking if they would like to host the Carnival of the Recipes in the next few months, and I've been busy filling in all those dates for them.
While I think about that, I do want to thank everyone who sends in recipes to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com and those wonderful people who have hosted the carnival - it's worked out way better then I ever expected it to! I hope it continues to be so popular.
It's very cold today - it was 9 degrees at 9:00 am. The birds are really eating up the sunflower seeds I have out in the feeders, and this morning, I've had more different types of birds than every before. House finches, cardinals, sparrows, woodpeckers, chickadees, blue jays and even a couple of ugly grackles, but hey, they have to eat too! I'll have to get dressed sooner or later and refill the biggest feeder, it looks pretty empty from the window.
The cats love the bird feeders. They can sit by the window for hours on end watching the birds on the feeders. They get especially excited when a squirrel manages to hang from his hind legs and reach down to a small feeder that is very close to the window. I don't think they like squirrels.
We are going to try to catch a movie today, if we ever get off our buttocks! We have decided on A Series of Unfortunate Events. It sure looks good, so here's hoping!
I suppose I should move my sluggish body around and bathe and dress and all that stuff. See y'all later.
Posted by Beth at 10:43 AM | Comments (1)
December 17, 2004
Carnival of the Recipes #18
SarahK did a fantastic job of presenting this weeks Carnival of the Recipes.
Go there!
Posted by Beth at 6:57 AM
A holiday tip from my friend, Sandi
I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me and we
all could use more calm in our lives. By following the simple advice I
heard on a Dr. Phil show, I have finally found inner peace.
Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the
things you have started. So I looked around my house to see things I
started and hadn't finished; and, before leaving the house this morning
I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of White Zinfandel, a
bottle of Baileys, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos, the
remainder of both Prozac and Valium prescriptions, the rest of the
Cheesecake, some Saltines and a box of Chocolates.
You have no idea how good I feel!!!!!!!
Please pass this on to those you feel are in need of inner peace
Posted by Beth at 6:36 AM | Comments (6)
December 16, 2004
Good work news
Last October, I had to go through a couple of interviews to see if I would be accepted into a program at work. I had to be nominated for it and get recommendations. Yesterday I found out I made it! I was surprised, really, because this is a kind of fast track program for future leaders of the company and I am 51 years old, which is kinda funny, I think.
So I'll be placed in a couple of different positions in the next two years which will give me a wider view of the company - I'll probably do a lot more project management type stuff, and it should end in a nice promotion in a year or so.
I have been getting a bit burnt out on my current duties. I have been doing these system management implementations and support for over 3 years, and though I know it pretty darn well by now, I'm ready for a new challenge.
Posted by Beth at 6:40 AM | Comments (12)
December 15, 2004
Get those recipes in!
This is a perfect time to share your Christmas Cookie recipes, or any holiday recipes - send them to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com.
The lovely and talented SarahK is our hostess this week.
Posted by Beth at 5:09 PM | Comments (1)
Sigh
Just when we get everything all fixed after Hal the kitty's escapade, Houdini decides to be a troublemaker again.
It was very cold yesterday, so we kept the dogs inside while we were at work. You might remember that the dogs are not allowed in the kitchen, and we have a cat door to allow the cats in and out. Well, Houdini bullied his little fat self through the cat door - pulling it out of its hinges. Then he proceeded to find and eat a box of PopTarts - Blueberry.
He also ate the cat food.
And 'crunchy tootsie rolls' from the litter boxes.
This is one bloated puppy. During the night, he had several poopies on his puppy pads (Houdini has a small bladder, and rather than have to get up and put him out several times at night, he uses puppy pads - kinda like diapers that you put on the floor). He did not eat his breakfast for the first time in memory, and he is sitting behind me in my chair, tummy rumbling like crazy.
It's always something in the Donovan House of Critters!
Posted by Beth at 6:18 AM | Comments (12)
Spirit of America Blog Challenge
This is a wonderful cause - helping the Afghani and Iraqi people. Please think about giving $5 or $10 to The Spirit of America. These fellow bloggers have the scoop on why you should give a bit to Spirit of America:
Donate here:
And thank you, everyone, who has already donated to Spirit of America!
Posted by Beth at 6:02 AM
December 13, 2004
Update on Stinky Clothes
I went to Horse Country (our local critter supply place) and bought some Nature's Miracle. I soaked a towel with it (straight, not diluted) and ran the towel through the dryer - did this twice. Then, after I washed a load, I'd soak a dishcloth with it and run it through the dryer with the clothes (did that 3 times). Now it appears that I can dry clothes without them smelling like a yucky litterbox.
I also made a kinda sock sachet out of vanilla to put in our clothing drawers, in case I missed anything.
To get the clothes clean, I added the Febreeze laundry stuff (it is expensive, but works very well) - twice as much as called for. I also soaked them all in vinegar and water first.
Most of my weekend was consumed by cleaning up after Hal. He seems to know this, and has been making nice nice with me and John all weekend and this morning.
From now on, I'm keeping Hal away from any and all open appliances!!
Posted by Beth at 6:35 AM | Comments (3)
December 12, 2004
Yeah, Right
So. CBS News appears to be calling for limitations on the First Amendment Rights of those of us who blog.
Blogs: New Medium, Old Politics
Like all media, blogs hold the potential for abuse. Experts point out that blogs' unregulated status makes them particularly attractive outlets for political attack."The question is: What are the appropriate regulations on the Internet?" asked Kathleen Jamieson, an expert on political communication and dean of the Annenberg School for Communications. "It's evolved into an area that we need to do more thinking about it."
With the same First Amendment protections as newspapers, blogs are increasingly gaining influence
Goodness. As I recall, First Amendment protections are for *all* United States Citizens, not just newspapers! And as I also recall, regulation of free speech is not exactly constitutional.
Is the Mainstream Media is suddenly becoming a threat to our Constitutional rights as individuals?
Or have we become such a threat to their hidden partisanship that they are casting stones in our direction?
Posted by Beth at 5:47 PM | Comments (6)
Squirrels
Outside my window, I have several bird feeders and a nice Blue Spruce and my garden pond and bushes. The birds drop a lot of sunflower seeds on the ground, and our front yard squirrels and chipmunks hang out down there waiting for tasty tidbits.
There is a young grey squirrel there now, munching away. He is quite unusual because the last third of his tail is pure white. Almost looks like he could have dipped it in paint. He must be a mutant squirrel. I wonder if future generations of our front yard squirrels will have white on their tails like that?
When I was growing up, we had a family of albino squirrels who lived in our back yard. They were unusual enough that someone from Washington University came out to photograph them for the biology department. We had white squirrels for many years, and for all I know, their descendants might still live in the trees behind that house in Creve Coeur.
A new commenter, Edrie, has found a squirrel name generator on Cheeky Squirrel's Blog.
I am now known by the squirrels as Furry Furrycheeks. John is Twitchy Von Bushy.
Tee hee.
Posted by Beth at 8:47 AM | Comments (4)
Spirit of America Blog Challenge
I have been lax in my reporting of the Spirit of America Blog Challenge the past few days. Between bad internet access in my hotel in Oklahoma City and trying to get the cat pee smell out of my dryer here at home, blogging of any kind has been way down on my list of priorities. However, this fundraiser is very important. This is a way that our troops can get school supplies to children, sewing machines to women and tools to men in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Baldilocks - well, you just have to go read her post, it's great.
Jack has been checking out our blog competition. As you know, Jack is living in France these days, and he has run into some of the Northern Alliance folks there.
Caltechgirl has a fantastic story about all the great things that Spirit of America is doing and how you can help.
Posted by Beth at 8:15 AM | Comments (2)
December 11, 2004
Oh, I need help!
Last weekend, Hal jumped in the dryer after I emptied it and peed in it. I immediately cleaned it all out and didn't worry too much about it - I got back in town yesterday, and put a load of wash in the dryer. Oh. My. God.
All my clothes stink. I don't know how to get the cat pee smell out of my dryer! I can get it out of our clothes in the wash, but we don't exactly live in an environment where I can hang clothes outside to dry - it is cold out there!
Any ideas? I'm desperate, and I would rather not have to purchase a new dryer right before Christmas!!!
Posted by Beth at 12:03 PM | Comments (12)
Carnival of the Recipes is UP!
Marybeth has put together this week's Carnival of the Recipes - Number 17!
Go and visit and bake and cook!
Posted by Beth at 9:12 AM
December 8, 2004
reminder!!
Don't forget to send your recipes to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com!!
Posted by Beth at 9:20 PM
Hi! It's Me again!
Mom asked me to step in again today, 'cuz she's so busy doing training stuff there in Oklahoma City. Whatever 'training stuff' is.
I'm a leetle skeptikal, myself. I heard her talking to Dad last night and she was just all on 'bout how many rester, ah, restie, oh, restyrants (whatever those are) and how good they were, in Oklahoma City, wherever that is. I think I drove through it once, going to visit Daddy once... all I 'member iz it wuz hot and Mom gave me ice cream!
There's even supposed to be something like a "good seafood place" downtown. Now seafood I could get into... well inta me, anyway.
Since she gave me the keys to this place, I went rummaging around. Looky what I found!
It's too bad you can't accept a man who has the courage to believe in one God. You sound like a godless feminist, in support of Satanic Orca Winfrey, tasteless trash like Team America, linking to racist, prejudice hatemongers like allahpundit who support carpetbombing civilians and apartheid, and make ignorant claims that "iraq is in the hands of iraqi's" (why are there 100's of 1000's of foreign troops bombing the country and killing over 100,000 civilians then? --- that figure is from the lancet, the most respected medical journal in the world).Our culture here in North America is in decay, and God and family is at the heart of it. Why do American teens have more sexual partners than anyone else anywhere in the world? Why are churches in every major city now nightclubs? Why, as Oprah suggests, should married people who discover they are gay be "congradulated" (Kerry cribed this from her)? And why is the divorce rate 60+% ?
Because of people like you who accept Satan into your life; perhaps not directly, but by tolerating Oprah and rejecting God-fearing men like Cat Stevens.
The true "dark side" is Godlessness.
I dunno, wingnut. I think the true "dark side" is thinking that Islamofacism is preferable. But hey, I'm a girl cat, so whadda I know, right? I know where I'd like to do some claw-sharpening.
And based on your comment - you sure don't know my momma! She'd kick yer ass in a heartbeat, so hard and so fast you'd cough your dangly-thingys up like a hairball!
And then I'd bat 'em around the floor... whee! Like this:
Hmmm. I wonder if Mom is ever gonna let me be a guest-blogger again!
Posted by at 2:13 PM | Comments (1)
December 7, 2004
Mom's tired, and has crappy access...
...so she's asked me to blog for her. Whee! I love it when I get to play with the computer! Usually I just sit on the chair and watch Mom and Dad play with their computers.
Sometimes I lay down on the shelf (mmmm, warm, over the monitor!) that Dad built for us me.
Now what was I doing... oh, yeah!
Mom told me there are bad, evil people, called the Northern Alliance, who hurt kitties. Brrrrrrr. Mrrrrroooowwwwwllll! Grrrrr! That makes me mad!
Who is this Lileks creature? What's a Hewitt? Are they tasty? Are they crunchy? Will they wiggle on the way down when I swallow them? Do they have tails? I like it when they have tails, you can play with them then, and watch them try to run away! Hee hee hee hee. Of course, I only let them go to trap them again!
Anyway - Mom says these guys are bad, and you should go visit the Cool Blue Blog and he'll tell you all about it. And there's this guy, called SGT Hook or something (I don't know all the military crap Dad's always throwing around like some know-it-all) who is all about something called "American Spirit" or something. I dunno what that means, but Mom thinks it's cool.
So, anyway, Mom asked me to tack these two things up here, and said you all would know what to do with 'em. This human stuff is too weird for me - but if it saves kitties - I'm for it!
Give via the Fighting Fusileers of Castle Argghhh!
$4245 raised to date! Thank you, each and every one!
Posted by at 9:58 PM | Comments (1)
December 5, 2004
And that reminds me
Remember to send your recipes for entry in this weeks Carnival of the Recipies to recipe.carnival (at) gmail.com!
Posted by Beth at 9:12 PM
Ooops!!!
Calling all Recipe Carnival Aficionados - I failed to schedule anyone to host the Carnival of the Recipes this Friday. I must have had a humongous brain fart.
I will do it if no one else can, but since I'm traveling, I would be thrilled to have someone else host this week.
Let me know!
Thanks!
Happy Update!!! Lovely and Talented Marybeth (Random Thoughts)has offered to be the hostess of the Carnival this week.
What a trooper! Thank you Marybeth!!!
Posted by Beth at 7:41 PM | Comments (1)
Spirit of America
Please consider donating the cost of a beer or a pack of cigarettes or whatever to Spirit Of America.
Just click on this icon:
And feel good about yourself.
Do not, I repeat, do not click on the Northern Alliance Button. Geoffrey is spreading rumours about their . eh . honesty.
Posted by Beth at 7:29 PM
December 4, 2004
The Spirit of America Blog Challenge
Spirit of America is a great way that you and I can help to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There are several groups of bloggers who are competing to bring in the most donations to Spirit of America. The Fighting Fusileers for Freedom do not have radio shows or newspaper columns. We are normal, everyday people. We are also great bloggers! As Puddle Pirate illustrated yesterday, the Northern Alliance is a bunch of losers! And we shall overcome those Northern Alliance 'bloggers' with your help.
These are the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom:
You can join the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom here:
Compare the Northern Alliance to the Democrat Party of this past election cycle. They have some big names that bring in a ton of money to start out with (I have heard rumuors that Hugh Hewitt is best pals with George Soros and that is where their big donations came from), and they talk like they are going to win ... but the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom are true patriots and will come out winning in the end!
I have also heard rumours that James Lileks eats a kittycat everytime someone donates money via the Northern Alliance.
We at the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom are kittycat friendly. When you donate to Spirit of America by clicking on this:
You save a kitty!
Remember - Northern Alliance - bad for kittycats:
Fighting Fusileers - we love kittycats!
Many thanks to Cowboy Blob for catching Lileks in the act!
Posted by Beth at 9:23 AM | Comments (5)
Carnival of the Recipes #16
Angela hosts this week's Carnival of the Recipes - there are some great ideas there - go see!
Posted by Beth at 7:56 AM
December 3, 2004
Spirit of America Blog Challenge
Ben illustrates why you should give to Spirit of America here.
Posted by Beth at 6:41 AM
December 2, 2004
Horrid Holiday Hogwash
Allan of Inside Allan's Mind made a very generous donation to Spirit of America and sent me the receipt before midnight last night. So, I owe him fifty reasons why I hate the holidays.
Some of the reasons I hate the holidays are due to the fact that I had the most glorious Christmas's as a child, and I can't compete with what my folks did and unfortunately, both of my parents are dead, so I can't celebrate holidays with them any more, except in spirit:
1. Santa does not wake me up with a jolly Ho Ho Ho on Christmas morning like he did for many years when my sister, Anne, and I were growing up. (true - I have pictures)
2. I can't find any matching pj's with feet in them that have a Christmas theme for both myself and John. (Uncle Nick always gave us those and National Geographic for Christmas)
4. No fresh, live Christmas tree with a root ball that we can plant after New Year's. (The home I grew up in had both sides of a large backyard lined with our past Christmas trees - We tried it once, the dogs peed on it to death).
3. It reminds me that we don't have a fireplace, so there is nowhere to hang the Christmas stockings (on the other hand, Mrs. Claus does not have to go shopping to find appropriate stocking gifts).
A lot more of my Christmas humbug is because I feel guilty that I can never live up to even my own crumby expectations of being a good mom and wife over the holidays:
4. I have to go shopping. I don't want to go shopping, nor do I have a lot of time to shop.
5. I have to go shopping for gifts. Shit, what *do* these people want?
6. I have to go shopping for gifts for people I only see once or twice a year. And then, I don't get around to mailing the gifts until March, if I'm lucky.
7. I have to go shopping for dresses for holiday parties. Nothing fits because of holiday parties.
8. I hate shopping.
9. I feel guilty because I put off shopping until the last minute and I email everyone Amazon gift certificates.
10. Did I mention how much I hate to shop?
11. We have to drag the tree out of the basement and spend hours perfectly placing the ornaments that the kitties will displace as quickly as they can.
12. Oh, golly, I should put something up on the front door.
13. That means I'll have to go shopping for a wreath.
14. I always get scheduled to go on business trips before Christmas. Next week, Oklahoma City, the week after, beautiful Bridgeport, Connecticut (don't worry, I stay in Milford - a little safer).
15. I should make Christmas cookies. I might manage bourbon balls (: (my mom made 13 different kinds of cookies each year - we spent days baking for Christmas and ended up with close to 20 large tins full of cookies for the holidays - always had a plate of cookies out for the family and/or guests).
16. I'll never get around to making Christmas cookies (see #14).
17. I should be working on my stained glass piece for my mother-in-law now instead of blogging. I started this piece over a year ago for last Christmas, or maybe the Christmas before.
18. I can't afford to buy John the tank he has always wanted );
19. Somehow, even with no cookies, I will end up fatter by the end of the holiday season.
20. I always fall asleep before midnight on New Year's.
21. Because of my job, I don't have the time to play guitar and sing at Christmas Mass. (used to do that when Andy was little and I was a stay-at-home mom).
22. There is always that expectation of a White Christmas - but here in Kansas, there is probably only a 10 to 20 percent chance of snow on December 25th - better that the odds in Florida, though!
23. I cry when I hear Christmas Carols and it is damned embarrassing. I can't even sing some of the carols without losing it - Little Drummer Boy, O Holy Night, Come All Ye Faithful.
24. I really hate the 'Christmas TV Specials' they repeat year after year - there have been some horrible animated films made in the name of Christmas, or at least in the name of Santa.
25. I'm sick of the Jessica Simpson's Christmas commercials. Ugh.
26. Too many people get pissed if you say Merry Christmas anymore - they want you to say Happy Winter Holiday!!
27. Someone will send me a Christmas card and I'll feel guilty because I don't send Christmas cards out.
28. I will invariably give someone a gift who has not even considered a gift for me, and they will be embarrassed and make me feel guilty.
29. I have to spend Christmas with lovely people who smoke incessantly. They have no no-smoking section in their house.
30. I will not be asked to contribute any food for Christmas (and I love to cook) because we live too far away from the relatives who smoke incessantly to carry food with us.
31. I will have to argue with my truly lovely sister-in-law about whether or not there are chipmunks in our yard. (she says there are no chipmunks in Missouri or Kansas - they are all ground squirrels - I have pictures).
32. I will have to listen the the snotty haughtiness of one particular vegan nephew who believes that everyone in the family are rubes - excepting himself, of course.
33. I will get mad because someone will mention that a particular niece (adorable and active and on the swim team, for goodness sake) is too heavy at dinner and berate her for what she eats.
34. I will spend the entire time worrying about our critters - some at the kennel, some at home.
35. Someone will brag about a particular vegan nephew and ask how Andy is doing in comparison.
36. The traffic will suck driving to the relatives house for Christmas.
37. The traffic will suck driving home from relatives the day after Christmas.
38. I will feel guilty because we don't visit the relatives often enough.
39. Then I'll get a little grumpy because no one ever visits us.
40. I will wear an entirely inappropriate outfit to at least one Christmas party - I'll think formal when it is supposed to be casual or the other way around.
41. My hair will not behave for an entire month.
42. I will feel really guilty because my sister and her family live in Buffalo and I have never been there and we rarely talk.
43. Someone at the family gathering will be sick and spread their germs around.
44. I bet I will end up on call for work over Christmas.
45. Someone I don't expect to give me a gift, will.
46. Someone will drop by unexpectedly, and I'll either be in the bathtub or the house will be a mess.
47. After New Year's are two long months of dark winter.
48. I won't live up to whatever resolution I make on New Year's.
49. It will take all day to take down the Christmas tree and untangle whatever mess our cats make up the lights and ornaments.
50. When it is all over, it will still only be 11 months before the whole thing starts up again - hardly enough time to recover.
Yes, I am a holiday ogre. I think we are all guilted into doing stuff we may not want to do and we are all supposed to be happy and joyful about it.
I cannot understand people who put up Christmas decorations in the middle of November and keep them up until February. I prefer to have a tree and decorations up from maybe December 22nd to January 1st - having the decorations and tree up for a short time makes it more special to me. I hate the pressure that people have to put up lights the weekend of Thanksgiving and I refuse to bow to that pressure.
Bah Humbug.
Posted by Beth at 8:04 PM | Comments (10)
Spirit of America Blog Challenge
Dean Esmay has a post on how Spirit of America is helping us win hearts and minds in Iraq.
Go to Dean's World, read and donate!
The Fighting Fusileers for Freedom:
Posted by Beth at 6:32 AM
December 1, 2004
A good thing happened today
Chris Muir is back! My very favorite cartoonist has returned. I have missed him, and I hope he is doing well.
Be sure to add Day by Day to your daily reading musts.
Thanks to Baldilocks (who should also be on your daily reading list) for reminding everyone that Chris is back in the saddle again.
Posted by Beth at 5:46 PM | Comments (1)
I am not a holiday girl
They make me sad and depressed for many reasons. But you can cheer me up by donating just a couple of bucks (or more, if you have it) to the Spirit of America Blog Challenge.
John, my beloved spouse, has the details here.
Or you can just click on this cute Uncle Argghhh!! below and give SOA some money!
These incredibly wonderful bloggers are on our team! So go and read them. They are all better than I am anyway!
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In fact, email me with your receipt from SOA for $5 or more at bhdonovan (at) gmail (dot) com by midnight tonight, and I will write an anti-holiday rant for you outlining the 50 reasons holidays suck.
Posted by Beth at 5:38 PM
Recipe Reminder
Don't forget to get your recipes in by midnight tomorrow (December 2nd) for inclusion in this week's Carnival of the Recipes #16!
Posted by Beth at 10:01 AM