An update and explanation about the last post's mistake

Here's how this works. After I've written a blog post, I'm so over it and sick of it. I've read and reread and looked for errors and bad english and bad wording and terribleness of any kind. Then I post, most often late at night. Then the next day, after someone's read and commented, I go reread to see what they read. Even though I've already read it 9 bazillion times. That's when I find more typos and really bad wording. Makes me nuts. And that's when I discovered the most egregious error from the last post which was goggling instead of googling. In my defense, the word corrector just pisses me off. Because goggling is ridiculous and googling is a common thing. I often google. I rarely goggle. 

And anyone who's just now reading the last post, you will see googling and not goggling, since it's corrected. 

Finishing Thanksgiving 2013 strong

I've been on a major clean out of things. I've already reported the attic clean up and then the carport came next. We have so much to get rid of, fix up, re-do, or replace, it overwhelms me. If I talk about it too much I'll stay up all night being overwhelmed by it. BUT. When I start working on a project, I find I get distracted by one thing when I'm on the trail of another and that leads me to ridiculous finds.  

Here's what happened and what I found. 

The other day I went into the utility room for something....I couldn't remember what...but I saw towels needed to be washed. So I put some towels in the washer. But then I noticed some cans of chicken stock on the floor, so I went to put them in the pantry. When I opened the pantry, it was very messy, so I took the time to straighten it. Then I saw a bag of flour on the shelf in the pantry...I usually store it in the freezer... so I took it out to put in the freezer. When I opened the freezer I saw we needed frozen chicken, but also noticed some questionable contents. So I decided to clean out the freezer. I came upon some "Caitlin store buys" which always causes me to pause and say, "What the heck?" And then summon her to ask if she"s really gonna eat the seasoned Talapia I found in the freezer. After I threw the talapia out, I found many frozen things belonging to John who had done his best to hide them in the back of the freezer. As good as anything can ever be hidden in a freezer. After perusing multi bags of frozen chicken, frozen blackberries, and fish John's caught over the last year, I discovered the ridiculous. As he and I stood there, and the freezer was almost empty, with no more hiding places, I pulled out the last bags clearly containing fur. He looked nervous. I looked incredulous. "What's this?" "That's a deer tail." Next bag.....deer tail..and another. Total:FOUR deer tails! Moving on....squirrel tail....hmmm yeah another squirrel tail....raccoon tail..." Wha....? He then explained the tails were for tying fishing flies. But I don't care because I don't want dead animal tails in my freezer. It's gross. But the most disturbing thing about the tails is, people hunt deer, and squirrel. None of John's friends hunt raccoons. Which brings us to the logical conclusion that John saw a dead raccoon and took the time to stop, cut it's tail off and move on. That is so inappropriate. And I don't think he got the squirrel tails from anyone either. And because there IS no squirrel or raccoon tail store....he has to have stopped for roadkill. Yes. Roadkill. I've had roadkill in my freezer. At least parts of it. Bet you haven't. And that's what crazy looks like here. It's really just one of many glimpses, because there are so many forms of it. That's just how it reared its ugly head the other day. 

I stay exhausted trying to keep on top of the things he sneaks into our home. Chunks of metal. He loves a "good chunk of metal." So many rocks I can't keep up. Bottles. Old TV tubes. I could go on, but I've annoyed myself just listing them. So I'll stop before I go flick him on the forehead while he sleeps. 

Lets get back to Thanksgiving with the last of the photos from that holiday. 

Melanie photostreamed her Thanksgiving group pictures to me, lets see what they are.  

Aaron, Mollie and a green eyed Marlie. 

The only people ready are Maggie, Caitlin and a mug shot looking John. He's probably thinking about a chunk of metal. 

Still grouping up, but not ready. 

In the pic above, Carrie looks as if she just went bowling. And so now I'll tell the story so as not to confuse. When she and I were in college, we took bowling together. Yes bowling. I also took archery, but that's a boring story, other than occasionally hitting my forearm with the bow string causing me to want to curse so bad because of the pain. DON'T hit your forearm with the bow string. It hurts like a mug and will make you want to curse so bad! But back to the bowling. Carrie wasn't the greatest bowler. In fact, she sucked. So when she walked up to the lane to throw her bowling ball and it went in the gutter, which happened often, she would quickly place her fisted hands on her hips in disgust. And I would laugh every single time. And that's the bowling story. Good times. 

Now back to the pictures....

Olivia is uncharacteristically cheeky in this photo. Maggie and Caitlin have imaginary guns drawn, and William and Mollie have found the camera. 

Carlie and Rebecca are having a moment. Whatever. Now Olivia also has an imaginary gun drawn. Ummm Lindsey? Bill=deer=headlights. No one else is ready. 

Then the focus turned to William, who began berating people for not behaving. 

He started finger pointing and saying something really forcefully. No one knew what.

But it amused us all immensely. However we have no pictures of him doing it. 

There is much disarray amongst the people. 

That's the money shot people.

One and done. One good one that is. 

Oh wait. We did another, but Dale is hidden.

Then it was back to see what William was doing. 

Cutie.

Bill's trying to steal my signature move with the lips. Carrie's playing hide and seek?

And then it was onto decorating.

Caitlin was caught eating the decorations. 

And so were others....Olivia. Carlie can't hide her enthusiasm. 

And even though that's not one of my trees, it's presh.

And so that closes the book on the 2013 Thanksgiving weekend. It was a good one. And it seems I've not been a good blogger since last week, but things have been busy...with me following John around to all his hiding places and stuff. And this weekend is going to be another busy one with my first trip ever to Eunice. Lafayette and now Eunice, my travel is becoming quite diverse. Usually my car just heads west to Texas. 

Also, Owen made the high school tennis team. Don't ask me how because he's never had one lesson in his life. But he's pretty excited about it so I guess this means we are tennis people now. I'm not sure what to do with that, but I know I don't own one open headed visor at all. Which will just be another type of hat that looks bad on me. Remember the Santa hat's been shelved til next year. I guess I need to start learning how to yell like tennis parents. I'll be googling for sure. 

That's all for today which is now three days since I started this. 

Remember...nuts....

The gonging of the clock just struck 2:00 AM. 

I'm so off the couch and in the bed. 

We bought a tree, so it must be Christmas

Every Friday after Thanksgiving we go buy our Christmas tree. It's tradition. And I don't know how, but my six family has gone together every year since they've been on the earth. That fact makes me very happy. For the past two years we've bought our tree from Home Depot. This new tradition began only after our regular tree lot closed. And it was kinda sad to change, because Home Depot just doesn't have the same Christmasy feel. Well seven seconds after we arrived to the depot, the very first tree the kids saw they said, "this one." They should have known by now I'd never go for that. So, we looked and unwrapped and looked and unwrapped some more. Finally I made my decision on a tree, it was perf, then an HD person snapped the top out of it. I was so unhappy. So, of course we ended up back at the one they saw 7 seconds after we got there and took it home to be our 2013 tree. 

For John and me, it was our 29th Christmas tree together. Twenty nine trees. Our first was a scrawny scotch pine in our first apartment in West Monroe. We were both still in school and had four jobs between the two of us. That was a long time ago. I remember back then grocery shopping with a calculator and adding up our items and when we got to $10, we had to stop. And I'm not even kidding. But we survived somehow and managed to still like each other...most of the time. We've made lots of great memories throughout the buying of those 29 trees. I know this for sure, I wouldn't change my life to be anything other than what we've had. Slow and steady has been our path. I think I chose wisely.   

Look, tree huggers.

My bunch of peeps.

The clothing choices are very conflicting  Was it hot or cold? Since Owen will wear shorts even when it's 40 outside, I'm going with the girls.  

Gotta do the other one.

Emma's version of being a tree.

I'd say she crushed it.

Our 29th tree in its place and before 3000 lights.

Then we went to the Turners to see their tree and William and I kept up our string of selfies.

And another.

We did an impromptu photo shoot.

Chillin

He was checking out...

His candy cane eating utensils Emma gave him.

It's a different way to go.

He was helping.

Then I tried to get...

A little artsy...

Sometimes I like a crooked picture. 

Then we were back at our house putting up icicles. 

An Olivia on the roof.

Then Brooke sent us the cutest ever pictures of Walker Charles.

He is scrumptious. 

I kept my tradition of awesome hats to wear. I've found this one suits me best, although its seasonality constricts my wearing it throughout the year. 

And then just like that, after 3000 lights....that's a true number....plus ornaments added, the tree was finished. 

It seems to me our home is coziest with a tree by the fireplace and our stockings hung with care. 

And so the season began with trees up and the house decorated and 29 Christmases to count. The only thing left to do was to make merry and have a wonderful time. And buy some presents.  

I have more of Christmas to post. So far, this is my third in four days. But the weekend is coming and today was busy and blogging takes so much time! 

Some of us went to see The Secret Life of Walter Mitty tonight and it was really good. I'll be buying it when it comes out. May go see it again. 

It's 2:28....A.M. and I have to goooooooooooo

G'night.

Another day and some crazy in the books

The first day back to work was an eventful one. One of my little boys called me a knucklehead and a little girl closed another little girls' fingers in the bathroom stall door. So. Fun. 

And it's still cold.

I'm going to try to commit to doing blog posts on a regular basis, but my mind's been a big void when it comes to sitting down and writing about anything. One thing I forgot to cover yesterday was that Emma did move out, and I'm still alive. It really is fine because I know they aren't supposed to live here forever. I do know that. 

Last week some of us went to the movie to see Saving Mr. Banks. And while I enjoyed it immensely, I wasn't prepared for the dramatic part of it. I just thought it was about the making of the Mary Poppins movie. But it was so much more. And as I sat there mesmerized by Emma Thompson's ability to become a character, I also remembered how much I love a good story. It's one of my favorite things. Really good storytelling is an art. My grandfather was good at telling tales about many things. Not all stories are fun to hear, but many are still worth telling. Stories can change people's lives. That's my deep thought for the day.

On these cold mornings John's been building me a fire before he leaves for work, but today when I came into the den there wasn't one set up. So I thought he thought there were too many ashes to set up a fire; but I also noticed there were very hot coals still glowing red. Weird. So I unhappily went out into the cold morning to get the thing we use to put our ashes from the fireplace in and then successfully cleaned it out. It was still so hot from the night before! Even the container was so hot I had to use oven mitts to take it  outside. So. Weird. Well, this afternoon after I got home from work, he and I were talking, and he said something about setting up a fire for me today and I said, "You didn't." Thinking he thought he had, but actually forgot. He looked at me funny and said, "I did set one up." And then we both realized after he set up the fire, and after he'd left for work, it blazed up from the coals from the night before and was completely burned through by the time I came into the den. O.M.G. I'd taken flaming hot coals out that had just finished burning! Not to mention the fact that Caitlin and I slept through an unattended fire in the house! With a screen up of course! But still! Craziness! 

Update: I wrote that last night about yesterday. Sadly, this morning when I came into the den there was no fire set up. If I could insert an emoticon here it would be the one with a little tear. So I set up a fire and let me tell you the wood we're burning could start with a match to the end. It's very very dry. 

Now, after all that talk, talk, talk, lets finish Thanksgiving.....

People had eaten and enjoyed. 

On both sides of the room.

Up close of our names and decorations. 

At some point Maya and I found ourselves locked in the bathroom with William. Not sure why, but we just hung out a bit. 

I'm very sad I didn't get more before pics of the group shot. And I currently don't have the finished group shot. Melanie! Photo stream it to me please! 

William picking up some photographic pointers. 

Checking it out with Gee.

It's possible, due to the Olivia holding her nose, someone may have passed something some people call wind. But it's really SO MUCH MORE.

Silliness always takes place. 

William became thoughtful and introspective. 

Then it passed. 

That night, as tradition continues, gingerbread house construction began. 

Ice cream cones became Christmas trees...you'll see.

Cute Emma.

Mollie and I fought for the right to work on ice cream cone Christmas trees. I have to say I was highly offended by my children who didn't want me to participate. I feel....they feel....I have no artistic ability. But that's just not true!

Look at those adorable Christmas trees we made!

It was a large project that covered many tables. But not really.

Trees in the front, Emma in the middle, Aaron in the back. This is a multi layered photo.

Mollie

The finished products.

Snow covered trees by the frozen pond.

The whole village.

Penguin place.

I had to add more pictures of the amazing trees I helped create.

In fact, I was involved in a Christmas miracle. See that tiny candy gently hanging there? I placed it just so and it lasted the entire Christmas season. Miracle indeed. OK, I actually threw the candy at the tree and it just happened to stick there....but the rest is true! It stayed til Christmas was over. 

Caitlin showed off by baking and making this house from scratch. All her artistic ability comes from me I think. 

As well as her attention to detail and her patience. My blog.....I can say what I want.

The end. 

It was another successful Thanksgiving season with food and fun and laughter and memories made. We missed some who couldn't be here, but there's always next year! 

Now for some bookkeeping....back in the day when I posted a post, it would record the time when I started and not when I posted. Now it records when I finish a post and therefore my stories may have happened yesterday and yet sound like today. It's all so ruining my life. It's jacked up in my head because I don't want to go back and change the words to yesterday instead of today and therefore it makes me nuts! BUT! I'm not changing any of the words. Just know it mostly happened in the last 24 to 48 hours. It matters to me. That's why I'm talking about it. 

Also, in my defense of not blogging, Olivia's taking a winter session accounting class...or she's pretending to take a winter session accounting class while she sits next to Caitlin on the couch. That's all I'm gonna say.  BUT! They're using my computer to do the class and therefore I get it for 7 seconds a night. Or some such amount of time.

Once again, it's afternoon time 2:14 and I'm finished with another post.

BOOM!

I'm out like the south in a snowstorm.