Hey, I need those 2 hours back.

Friday, December 7, 2007 at 10:02 am (Writing by Ear)
Tags: ,

That’s right, feeble brain. Those 2 hours you stole from me today from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Remember those? Remember how busy you were thinking of all sorts of “important things.”

Geez, I wonder where that list for Wal-Mart is. My coat pocket? My purse? I better not have lost it. I need to add Resolve and chile beans, oh and a card for Bruce…

Oh, and I need to look up those gift ideas online to see if I can get them in time for Christmas…

 And don’t forget to write those cards to Mike’s aunts & uncles and George & Martha so you can mail that stack you did and leave Mike to do “his people…”

And, crap, I spelled Caitlyn’s name wrong on Laurie & Tim’s card and it’s too late ’cause I sealed it. Sorry guys…!

And, I better get to the post office before I meet Mike for lunch and before it closes for lunch at noon. That postmistress there is so nice…should I get the Santa stamps or the Madonna and Child stamps? I like the religious ones…

How about that video from my brother. Those puppies are so cute! I wish we could get one. Wouldn’t that be a disaster. Maybe someday when we get a fenced yard. But then you always have to worry about them and be there to let them out and stuff. Cats are so much easier. But they sure are cute! And I wonder how Cody is, what a good boy…

Oh here comes Julius. Should I pet him? I don’t want to wind him up. Oh he’s so cute just snuggled up between us, a little petting won’t hurt…

Maybe if I go to the bathroom I can sleep…

Geez Julius, can you move over, I have like a foot of space…

What time is it now? 4:05? God, I’ve been up for an hour!

I wonder if I have molasses? Should I make ginger cookies? Maybe I can find that recipe with the icing someone made for Kathleen’s party 2 years ago. They were so good…

OK just concentrate…you’re floating. Just like that scene from Rosemary’s Baby where she’s imagining herself on a boat on the water. Rosemary’s Baby? Not really what you want to be thinking of when you can’t sleep…

Hey, pay those bills tomorrow and don’t forget to record that deposit from the insurance check for Mike’s car. And do that invoice…next week will be hell, so get as much done today as you can.

That Rita, what a nice gift! She shouldn’t have bought so much stuff. I feel bad.

How about if I wrap lights around that extra garland I don’t really like and put that on top of the entertainment center with all the Santas? I really liked last year when the wreathes in the living and dining rooms matched but that won’t work this year with the new tree…

Gosh, I need to go see my mom…it’s supposed to be better weather next week. I have to call her at least…

Is it hot? I’m hot.

And I still have that headache. I need to get some Tylenol PM for times like this. But if I take it this late will I sleep until noon or something?

I need to check on those couple songs I like to see if I can maybe download them. That jazzy one YEP’s been playing by that woman — McKuen or something — “You’re from Rhode Island, Little ol’ Rhode Island, it’s famous for you!” and that one from the Old Navy sweaters commercial — Ingrid Michaelson.

Geez, 4:55…

Remember all that feeble brain? Keep it in mind. I’ll be cashing in on those 2 hours you owe me…right about 3:00 p.m. when you’re screaming for that nap.

How do people go to sleep? I’m afraid I’ve lost the knack. I might try busting myself smartly over the temple with the night-light. I might repeat to myself, slowly
and soothingly, a list of quotations beautiful from minds profound;
if I can remember any of the damn things. 
                                               ~ Dorothy Parker

5 Comments

A bow or a nod?

Wednesday, December 5, 2007 at 4:24 pm (Writing by Ear)
Tags:

To tradition, that is. Christmas traditions in particular. What’s your preference? I’m kind of on the fence between wanting every Christmas to be just the same — same decorations in the same place, same cookies, same carols, same rituals — and wanting to mix it up a bit.

Oh, who am I kidding — breaking from tradition is hard for me. My mother still lives in the house we grew up in (well, my oldest siblings remember the house before — really only the 3rd floor apartment of a house — 2 bedrooms — for 7 people — with the bathroom downstairs! — imagine it), but our “real house” has been our house for nearly 50 years. And the Christmas decorations go in the same place always — holly garland and elf doll hanging in one doorway, tinsel and satiny bells on the living room mirror, different holly garland and little pipe cleaner dolls my cousin made 40 years ago on the mantle, manger scene in the (decorative) fireplace…you get the idea. Although the tree has moved around — sometimes in the hall, sometimes in the living room, most recently in the dining room — it’s always on the platform my dad made and always with some goofy plastic light-up angel my mom insists on putting on top.

This year, though, I’m having to break with my own traditions a bit. The tree I’ve had for 10 years or so, and still like, just won’t fit in our house, so we had to opt for one of those skinny, “alpine” trees. It looks neat (still undecorated), but I’m wondering how the ornaments will work and I’m having a few palpitations about only using white lights because I think they look better on it but I have always used colored and white before. And I love the look of those primitive-looking trees, but can’t see going and buying all new “theme” decorations. Heck, I can’t imagine Christmas without the quirky ornaments Diane and I bought on clearance after Christmas at Kaufmann’s about 25 years ago, or the ones acquired over years of annual “ornament exchanges” with my dearest girlfriends, or other special ones I’ve gathered — my “winged” collections of birds and angels especially. (And it’s not just MY tree that has to be the same, R&K had better have a place for all those ornaments I’ve given them over the years. I’ll be looking…I know the cats can’t have broken all of them…)

So while I appreciate all those beautiful and unique trees and rooms that show up in all the decorating magazines, you won’t see a “blue & white” theme at my house this year, or all the presents wrapped alike in recycled brown paper, or 6 oranges in a glass apothecary jar (although, only because I don’t have an apothecary jar and how do you keep the oranges from rotting?).

What you will see is a lot of “festiveness” (last year, with Mike’s and my collections combined, it looked like Santa stopped by and threw up Christmas) — a little country and a little Victoria — a little homespun and a little glitter — a little kitsch and a little class. I guess that all adds up to “eclectic,” but for me, it’s just Christmas. Just the way I like it. (Oh, and Mike too of course 😉

The mistletoe hung in the castle hall,
The holly branch shone on the old oak wall.
                                ~ Thomas Haynes Bayley

1 Comment

Like sands through the hour glass…

Tuesday, December 4, 2007 at 2:12 pm (Writing by Ear)
Tags:

What a drag when life interferes with blogging. Nothing bad, just general busy-ness — the incessant house projects coupled with Christmas decorating and shopping and quite a bit of work-work (the paying kind — of course a rush around the holidays). I wonder how we will get everything done (at a minimum, finish installing the kitchen floor, put the construction-disheviled rooms back in order, clean & decorate the house, send personal Christmas cards and client cards/gifts (gotta buy those first!), finish shopping, plan for an annual gift exchange with dear friends…and if possible, bake cookies. That last one is my favorite part, and I don’t like that I might not even have time for it this year.)

Usually, I like my weeks to go quickly, but for once, I wish time would sloooowwww doooowwwwn. I’d like to savor these precious pre-Christmas weeks before the long, cold dog months set in. Not much to like about Jan, Feb, and March in the ‘burgh — unless of course the Steelers stop playing in a fog (or bog) and make a decent playoff run. Even that doesn’t help Feb or March.

But for now, duty calls — or rather I must call it in the form of a conference call to dial into. I hope my beloved muse will return soon and give me the push I need for a more inspired (and inspiring) post. In the meantime, what’s new in your world? (I hope it includes homemade Christmas cookies.)

Sometimes it seems your ever-increasing list of
things to do can leave you feeling totally undone. 
                                    ~ Susan Mitchell and Catherine Christie
               I’d Kill for a Cookie

2 Comments

« Older entries Newer entries »