Out with the old....

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Christmas was put into the attic this afternoon. All but the Nativity. It stays until the Epiphany. 

Today. New Year's Eve. A time to remember. A time to look forward.

I re-found these treasures today.

Beach Boy's first song. I think it may be his only one, too. 

May 22, 1987.

Out of Town Son's Bean Story. 

September 19 1991. 

Daughter's sweet Christmas poem.

November 23, 1991.

It doesn't matter if you can't read them. They remind me that I had little children once. 

The memory is sweet. 

And yet another treasure...

Our neighbor was dying of cancer. Her son was our good friend. 

He is our history. He is in most every childhood story we recall.

He was the Dill in this childhood story. The one that was different. The one we felt we had to defend and take care of. 

And then he moved. We lost track. 

We still tell them.  Same stories. They get funnier. Every. Time. We. Hear. Them.

***

Tomorrow marks four years since my father died. Dad was a lover of words. He loved to make us look them up in the fancy encyclopedias he had invested in. 

He loved poetry. He loved reciting poetry.

And so I will wish you a Happy New Year with one of my Dad's favorites.

First FigBY EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY

My candle burns at both ends;

   It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—

   It gives a lovely light!

Old acquaintance be forgot?

I guess there are some old acquaintances I have "forgot". Tomorrow night we will sing and say goodbye to this 2016. I have already heard from many voices that they feel 2017 will bring peace and goodness. I have posted a new challenge on my refrigerator. It says...

"This year

Break a bad habit

Learn a new skill

Do a good deed

Visit a new place

Read a difficult book

Write and send a letter

Try a new food

Take a risk"

And so these are my resolutions. I am going for the Nannybee 2.0. Upgraded version. The new and improved, better me. Why not? Put myself out there on a limb. Go for the gusto. Adventure!

***

Yesterday we drove to Daughter's house and enjoyed a good visit with her and her children. It was the last important item on my Christmas bucket list. We ate at a Tex-Mex restaurant. And, as usual, so many chips were consumed that when the real food arrived we were all full. But we all stopped eating and brought home 4 go boxes. 

We made a quick trip through the Bed, Bath and Beyond store with the kids in tow. Found one of those Christmas light projectors for 50% off! Next Christmas our house will be dressed in red and green polka dots!

***

I am about to run to the gym before I clean up and hunt the groceries. Just a few basics to get us through until the middle of next week. We are actually eating out tonight and tomorrow night. 

But. Come Sunday...pork, greens, and black eyed peas. 

Tradition!!!

*****

Mr. Macho fixed my leaking toilet. My Christmas joy has been multiplied. I woke many a night to the commode refilling itself. And now? Silence. Blessed silence. 

 We will bring in the New Year among old and new friends. We will eat and dance and, hopefully, come home at a decent hour. I am 60 now. I am not even going to pretend like I want to stay up late. 

Perks of getting older. 

Happy New Year evahbody! May it bring peace and love to you. 

Namaste. 

The Eve.

The week has flown by. This time last week...

We gathered at the nephew's house to celebrate Christmas with extended family. We paid homage to the patriarch that is no longer with us. 

Honored with an empty chair.  This photo is entitled "Hats off to Granddaddy Bob!"

(Note: All hats were from his collection.)

Aunt Rhonda tried to herd the cats for a great-grandchildren photo-op. 

The grandchildren. Aren't they grand?!

The reading of the Christmas story was followed by a fun drawing game and the typical Dirty Santa game. Several people went home with the gifts they brought, and another gave away the gift that didn't thrill. Ah well. Weather cooperated. 

It was a good day. Wrapped it all up around a campfire cooking hot dogs and symores. 

On Sunday we had our very own Christmas at our house. It was especially fun watching Merritt during the gift giving. Not only was she thrilled with her own gifts, but she was genuinely thrilled to watch others open theirs! The magic was alive in her. Sheer joy.

Our Christmas dinner was tacos!

I felt like I skidded through the remainder of the week in a steady slide. I could neither slow it down nor stop it. Right up until the last minute when I threw things in my suitcase in about 15 minutes and was ready for the trip down south. 

Out-of-Town Son and his wife hosted a fun Thursday evening of a trip to Soule' Museum. Decorated for Christmas  complete with snow machine and miniature train that Cc enjoyed riding for the first three laps. The other 27+ were tolerated. 

We loved the lights of the season! 

After a very nice local restaurant we drove way out into the country to enjoy a huge Christmas light display! It was amazing! It was just the right touch to light my Christmas joy candle. 

Friday we drove to Mom's. She is 96. In my 60th year I have enjoyed spending my birthday, and now Christmas with my mother. It is pretty special. 

After breakfast this morning, Christmas Eve, Mom and I lingered at the table. Mom admitted missing hearing Christmas carols. You know she is virtually deaf, now. Carols do put you in such a holiday mood, she said. During Advent many mornings she has sung "Oh Come, Oh Come! Emmanuel!" And so, I joined her for a pretty spirited rendition of every verse of that song. I only wish we had recorded it. It would have gone viral. Or given someone a virus. I'm pretty sure. Mom has always longed to sing, but never has excelled at it. In our limited ranges (each very different from the other) we sang with all our hearts for Emmanuel to come. 

The new Christ enters in. 

Today we have visited, via FaceTime and in person, friends and family. Beach Boy and his family came just in time for lunch. Chinese take out. 

Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra! 

Merry Christmas to all!

*****

"Backward, turn backward,

Oh time in your flight.

Make me a child again.

Just for tonight!"

-Elizabeth Akers Allen

The sheep did me in.

Today I had a moment. It has been a great day. Got things done this morning. Cooked my casserole. Went to play bunko. Had fun. Dirty Santa gift exchange with my fun ladies. Won the biggest loser prize!

Then. On the way home I passed one of our local funeral homes. Every year they set up a large nativity scene in front of the business. And. Every year they have live sheep. The business happens to be on a corner with a stop sign. And that's when it happened. I looked over and there were those sheep. And I had no little ones in my car to share it with. And I started tearing up. Then cried all the way home. I wanted my little children back just for a moment. To share the magic of Christmas.

Oh lawd. Its gonna be one of those weekends!
Be sweet.

In this moment.

This day has arrived. That little fog that visited on Thanksgiving morning? It is back. All around. Today Mr. Macho and his two sisters will sign papers on the sale of their father's house.

Sunday we drove over so Macho could bring his lawn mower home. We looked in the house one last time. I stood in the back yard and thought about the memories of it. I was thankful for all those times we were one big family in that place. I was thankful for all the shelter it provided over the years. I said goodbye.

Yesterday I spent the day preparing our house for the weekend. I tweaked my decorations. I baked another batch of Belgian waffles. I have enough. I am almost ready.

The family will gather this weekend. We will celebrate. We will remember. We will be thankful.
Peace on earth. Good will toward all.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Mr. Macho had to work today. I needed this day to catch up to the impending holiday. And. I did. And I even saw Santa!

 

I know him. 

I ran around town fleshing out my Christmas cheer. I checked my list twice. 

Yesterday I made the first batch of Belgian waffles. Old family recipe. They turned out so good I think I will make another batch. Not today, though.

Today. I finally put up my pink tree. I was trying to find a replacement 'cause the pink needles keep falling off. By the dozens. It may be bald by New Year's Eve. The trees I considered were too pricey and just didn't have any magic. So, pink tree it is for one more year. 

Tonight! We are invited to a real Christmas party. It starts early. 

I will tell you what I have had a hard time with this year...finding Jesus. On Christmas cards. Lots of dogs, bird, and penguins. Only no Jesus. Today I did find two stores that carried religious cards. So I bought boxes from both stores. Just in case they do away with Jesus next Christmas, I am prepared. 

Do you need a little Christmas? Right this very minute? Then get with it. 

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear" - Buddy the Elf. 

Go ahead. Top of your lungs. Do it.

Peace on earth. 

Senior discounts here I come!

I have been so busy this week that I have not posted. Now I can't find the words to describe what a blast and a surprise last weekend turned out to be.

A week ago...has it already been a week?...we left town Thursday afternoon and spent the night with Out of Town Son. It, so nicely, breaks up the trip to the coast. Plus the fact that we get to play with Cecilia. She is so curly and cute! DIL had fixed a very nice meal...we all went to bed early and awoke leisurely Friday morning. Because - Son had told us he had taken the day off to finish Christmas shopping.

We drove down and arrived at Mom's around noon and picked up some salads and Wendy burgers for lunch. After a quick visit we headed over to The Bay. (Bay St. Louis.) We unpacked the truck and enjoyed visiting with sisters and brother in law. Then we went for a stroll around town...met up with an old friend, that happens to be a priest stationed in Cuba...and visited with him. We had 6:00 reservations at a nice local restaurant (Bacchus) and so when the time came we got ready...only sister doing the visiting with Fr. Gilbert was dragging her feet. She and bro-in-law finally got themselves ready and we were off.

I just can't do justice to how absolutely, totally, and completely surprised I was to walk into Bacchus and see all three of my children, a daughter-in-law, and 7 out of 8 of my siblings!!!!! I had emailed and invited everyone but no one had responded. The sister that wasn't there had already told me she just couldn't get away - and ended up having terrible shingles (I am not saying the two are related!) Sister Paulette was non-committal about the weekend, and I wrote her off. Brother Peegee had been down the weekend before and I was so sure he wouldn't drive down the very next weekend. I. Was. Wrong.

There were many times that clues were accidentally dropped. And. In hindsight I don't know how I missed them. But. I did.

Brother Peegee donned a birthday crown on my head and I had a birthday sash to wear. The dinner was great, the waiters were fun, and then they brought out a huge 6 layer chocolate cake!

I felt so special, loved, celebrated! There was a parade in The Bay on Saturday - I loved it's local flair! We attended a great gospel mass at the local smaller church.

Oh. And. I won't go into details, but there was a autocorrect texting scare. Those involved will know what I'm talking about. Thank goodness - alls well that ended well on that one!

Mimi and Daughter stayed up late chatting Saturday night until some random dude knocked on the door and scared the bee-geepers out of evahbody. It was crazy. Mimi called 911 and the police came. Then it took a while for our legs to stop shaking and to settle down again. Whatanight.

Friday night and my second birthday cake. (The first one DIL made and we ate it Thanksgiving weekend.)

Sisters and Daughter waiting for the parade on Saturday.

Late lunch at the Blind Tiger on Saturday. 

Peyton and I share a birthday month. She and her family came over to play on Sunday.

Monday (my actual birthday) I had lunch with Mom at the White Cap.

On Tuesday my girlfriends treated me to a chauffeured ride to Patricia's house for a super special birthday lunch. Sparkling wine, chocolate strawberries, veggies and edemame hummus, three tiered chilled salad, homemade rolls and herb butter, and butternut squash stuffed homemade ravioli. 

Cake #3 - chocolate cabbage cake. 

Oh. My. Goodness. Am I 60? Doesn't feel different. Yet. I will say that I am going to own the senior discounts now. Save that 35 cents! I am feeling 60 and sassy! Might as well. It sure beats the alternative!

I just want to keep this love light glowing! I love my peeps! Thanks a million.
Be sweet!