I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
~Charles Dickens
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
This week there will be a frenzy of baking, packing and traveling to spend Thanksgiving with the family up in the San Joaquin Valley once again. We look forward to a great time of good food and laughter among the kinfolk that will be gathered at Mom's house for the holiday feast.
The crowd changes from year to year, sometimes swelling to such a group that there are barely tables and chairs to seat everyone and sometimes there are just a few depending on the circumstances of the year. This year we look forward to the addition of some of our favorite relatives, some that don't normally join us for Thanksgiving. In my opinion it will help us bear the loss of some of our loved ones that will not be there with us. And we have a new addition to the family on the way which will be a topic of great excitement and joy!
So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your holiday be full of gratitude and love and laughter.
The crowd changes from year to year, sometimes swelling to such a group that there are barely tables and chairs to seat everyone and sometimes there are just a few depending on the circumstances of the year. This year we look forward to the addition of some of our favorite relatives, some that don't normally join us for Thanksgiving. In my opinion it will help us bear the loss of some of our loved ones that will not be there with us. And we have a new addition to the family on the way which will be a topic of great excitement and joy!
So, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May your holiday be full of gratitude and love and laughter.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Memories again....
When I was five we moved to Hobart Heights, a tract of homes in the town of Otay on the Mexican border. I remember this because I started school there. Finney Elementary. I know this because my parents purchased an 8mm camera and began to take "home movies" and there are videos of my first day of school. There I am, ringlets, bobby socks and all grinning from ear to ear with no idea what awaited me. I mostly remember naps and recess at this stage...the important stuff. It's funny, but I can remember faces from my kindergarten class to this day. Don't ask me who I met yesterday...I can't remember.
There was a neighbor that decorated their front yard with these sparkly white rocks that fascinated me. My mother was told many times to make me leave their rocks alone. They were really cool! I had never seen anything like it before.
And there was a neighbor lady that had lost her hand in a tragic accident. For many years I thought it was because she had accidentally put her hand in the garbage disposal while it was running. Later my mother told me that was not true, but I have been very wary of garbage disposals all my life because of this inaccurate memory.
In Hobart Heights my favorite sister was born. I can say that, because she's the only one alive to read this. So it must have been 1961. We have home movies of her coming home from the hospital. There we are all gathered around and of course our oldest brother is turning heads to make sure everyone looks at the camera. I remember those times as carefree and happy times, of course, I was a kid and had no responsibilities to speak of. There are home movies of a costume party, but I have no recollection of the event.
The next year we moved across the road to the Hog Ranch....but that's another story.
There was a neighbor that decorated their front yard with these sparkly white rocks that fascinated me. My mother was told many times to make me leave their rocks alone. They were really cool! I had never seen anything like it before.
And there was a neighbor lady that had lost her hand in a tragic accident. For many years I thought it was because she had accidentally put her hand in the garbage disposal while it was running. Later my mother told me that was not true, but I have been very wary of garbage disposals all my life because of this inaccurate memory.
In Hobart Heights my favorite sister was born. I can say that, because she's the only one alive to read this. So it must have been 1961. We have home movies of her coming home from the hospital. There we are all gathered around and of course our oldest brother is turning heads to make sure everyone looks at the camera. I remember those times as carefree and happy times, of course, I was a kid and had no responsibilities to speak of. There are home movies of a costume party, but I have no recollection of the event.
The next year we moved across the road to the Hog Ranch....but that's another story.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Dodging the Refrigerator
Now, before you get all huffy on me and think this is a dieting blog let me tell you, it's not. I mean literally dodging the refrigerator.
My son and his wife purchased a new home which came with all new appliances. So the nice refrigerator that they already owned (the one that does keep ice cream solid and not soft serve) was available to me....free....gratis...from my loving kids. Wow! What a deal. Moving day came and with it the refrigerator appeared in my house and was moved into the spot of the old refrigerator. Thank goodness I had the forsight to move the old one out and clean under it the night before. That would have been embarrassing to say the least! The new refrigerator (only two years old)is black, but that's ok with me and it looks great with all my magnets on it.
Now I'm at the new house cleaning so my son calls and says...What are we doing with the old fridge? Just leave it there, I say, I'll take care of it later.
And there it sat, right in the middle of my kitchen for one whole week! I cleaned it out and kept it plugged in for the next person because it still works really well and everything seems to freeze just fine except ice cream and then you're ok if you like soft serve. But what to do with it. I tried the family...nobody needed a fridge. I tried the church...somebody was getting rid of one last week and they guy who finally took it has four plugged in his garage...so there I was. All week long dodging the refrigerator. Every time I wanted to get into the new fridge...there it was. Every time I did laundry the dryer door wouldn't open all the way without running into the fridge. In and out of the kitchen was around the fridge and back. What a pain!
On Thursday I suddenly remembered my friend Margarita. Now, you talk about a network...she's got one. She always knows somebody for whatever you need. I mean seriously...no matter what it is...she's knows a guy, or a gal, or a family. Well, I emailed her at 4pm and by 4:05 she had a taker for my refrigerator. A friend at work is getting married and they are counting their pennies. They would love my refrigerator. On Saturday they showed up and took it away! That's another story....but thank the good Lord it all worked out. A nice couple got a great fridge for free and I got rid of the mountain in my kitchen! I love it!
My son and his wife purchased a new home which came with all new appliances. So the nice refrigerator that they already owned (the one that does keep ice cream solid and not soft serve) was available to me....free....gratis...from my loving kids. Wow! What a deal. Moving day came and with it the refrigerator appeared in my house and was moved into the spot of the old refrigerator. Thank goodness I had the forsight to move the old one out and clean under it the night before. That would have been embarrassing to say the least! The new refrigerator (only two years old)is black, but that's ok with me and it looks great with all my magnets on it.
Now I'm at the new house cleaning so my son calls and says...What are we doing with the old fridge? Just leave it there, I say, I'll take care of it later.
And there it sat, right in the middle of my kitchen for one whole week! I cleaned it out and kept it plugged in for the next person because it still works really well and everything seems to freeze just fine except ice cream and then you're ok if you like soft serve. But what to do with it. I tried the family...nobody needed a fridge. I tried the church...somebody was getting rid of one last week and they guy who finally took it has four plugged in his garage...so there I was. All week long dodging the refrigerator. Every time I wanted to get into the new fridge...there it was. Every time I did laundry the dryer door wouldn't open all the way without running into the fridge. In and out of the kitchen was around the fridge and back. What a pain!
On Thursday I suddenly remembered my friend Margarita. Now, you talk about a network...she's got one. She always knows somebody for whatever you need. I mean seriously...no matter what it is...she's knows a guy, or a gal, or a family. Well, I emailed her at 4pm and by 4:05 she had a taker for my refrigerator. A friend at work is getting married and they are counting their pennies. They would love my refrigerator. On Saturday they showed up and took it away! That's another story....but thank the good Lord it all worked out. A nice couple got a great fridge for free and I got rid of the mountain in my kitchen! I love it!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I've Recovered
I believe I have recovered from moving day. Thank goodness the day was overcast, but it was still hot and muggy the day we moved my son and daughter-in-law from the apartment to the new house. All the stressful waiting was finally over and the work began in earnest. We packed, cleaned and unpacked all day long until we were hot, dirty and tired. But the end result was fantastic! With a few minor mishaps we managed to get everything moved in and set up so that the place was not only livable, but very comfortable.
Last night I went over to continue helping with the unpacking and set up of the new house. I found a very happy couple busily doing laundry in the new laundry room, cooking dinner in the new kitchen and generally setting up housekeeping all over the place. I made myself useful. We had a great evening which ended early (I get up and the crack of dawn and they need their alone time, don't you know!) with a nice piece of pumpkin pie fresh from the oven. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Whew! Glad that huge job is behind us!
Last night I went over to continue helping with the unpacking and set up of the new house. I found a very happy couple busily doing laundry in the new laundry room, cooking dinner in the new kitchen and generally setting up housekeeping all over the place. I made myself useful. We had a great evening which ended early (I get up and the crack of dawn and they need their alone time, don't you know!) with a nice piece of pumpkin pie fresh from the oven. It just doesn't get much better than that.
Whew! Glad that huge job is behind us!
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