Thursday, November 23, 2006

Getting in Focus

So Hubby is home today and coming up with things he needs to go do to get out of the house. I'm in one of my chatty moods which tend to drive him nuts. I do tend to go on about one topic or another. Now I understand why I need Artist in my life. She is usually the target of my chattering. Not only does she listen to me without seeming bored but she doesn't roll her eyes at me when the topic comes up for the fifth time like Hubby does. Nor does she get impatient when I focus on certain details. Hubby can only take about fifteen minutes worth but Artist and I can spend an entire afternoon on certain topics discussing some of the details. How can you tell I am really missing her.

I got to watch her in action the other day. Now here's the point where she would tell me to hush. But I got to watch her take a huge sheet that was white and turn it into a desert scene for a backdrop of a play I am helping with. Not only that she did it with coffee, tea and several packets of coloured Kool-Aide. It was so cool to watch it transform before my eyes. I'd look out my back window and see her swooping her brush or crouching down eyeing something. Not only does it look good, it smells good too.

Snow is falling today. My thoughts are returning to Christmas and all that has to be done. I have the cards ready to go. I only have to write a few personal greetings. Some gifts are bought and others I am still trying to figure out. I'm already planning the baking to be done and my time frame. I took on a little more than I can chew with the Theatre Society and that has really cut into my time. Not only am I stage managing two productions but I am also directing and the Treasurer. I also have a building fund project with another friend that we need to get on. (We are renovating a building into a theatre as the venue we have now is problematic) Then there is the books waiting to be done and I want to give the house a really good scrub before Christmas. Then there is my writing which was at the back of the shelf but recently has propelled itself into the forefront and become a priority that may shove the rest to the side.

If I just pace myself and take on one project at a time, I will get everything done but today was running around downtown. I hate those days so I always drag Hubby with me. For some reason it goes by faster. When I'm alone I always get sidetracked but knowing Hubby is waiting for me or meeting me somewhere I stay focused and get everything done.

Speaking of which, I'd better get to it. I think I'm up for a session of vacuum wrestling

Friday, November 10, 2006

Christmas Time Already?

I brought out my snowman collection to start with the winter decorating seeing as the blanket of snow is still on the ground and does not seem to be leaving any time soon. I put everything out and stood staring at the room hating it. The more I fiddled the worse it got. It was too cluttered. So I choose a few and put the rest away. I won't start the Christmas decorations until the 1st of December.

We moved here from a small isolated town up north. The city put the lights up around Dec 1st and roughly the same time for the stores to start decorating. I remember the first Christmas advertisement starting at about the last week of November. You know, Christmas carols played through the phone lines at say....Christmas Time. When did the Christmas season start a week before Halloween? Did I miss that memo? I'm pretty sure I was around for the last twenty years.

I couldn't believe watching the first of the Christmas commercialism onslaught a week before Remembrance Day. The USA hasn't even had their Thanksgiving yet and we are already listening to Christmas carols while on hold. But I totally digressed there.

I was shocked to see Christmas Tree up at the last week of November and after Dec 1st, it seemed like every window had a light display or a tree lit up. I couldn't believe the transformation that occurred in such a small amount of time. We usually put our tree up two weeks before Christmas and some years that seemed early.

I always knew when Christmas was around the corner. I would come home from school and Mom would have baked the Christmas Cakes. I still remember the warmth that hit when walking into the door. (In Prince George, snow was usually on the ground before Halloween.) The smell of the spices hung in the air causing your tummy to gurgle. The house was warm from both the oven and the wood stove fireplace (Not a huge honking actual cook stove) would be lit in the rec room. To this day I love the smell of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice, with a dash of nutmeg baking. Its like a happy place for me.

I was one of the lucky ones, I have fond memories of growing up. There was the trial and tribulations of the tender years if you want to put it that way. I didn't come out of it totally unscathed but on the whole looking back I can say that I was very lucky. I had parents to were always there even when I didn't want them to be there. Christmas time over the years changed and in some cases still needs to change. Its time for the adult children to set their own.

I guess in some ways that is what the house is reflecting this year. The change that has taken place. I don't feel the need to have every single thing out for decorations and live with the discontent because its the holidays. I have discovered the "Less is More" cliche. It the first year I have really like all the wintry stuff around. I plan on doing the same with the Christmas decorations.

Mind you the "Less is More" thing does not apply to Christmas Tree lights. The more blinded the family is the better. Growing up, my father always did the lights. We would have trudged out to get the tree my father selected the day before and it would sit in the basement over night. The smell would permeate the house. Then we would wait patiently (as kids do) for Dad to get the tree into the stand and put the lights on. Then we got to decorate the tree. Growing up Dad would direct up and Mom would tell him to leave us be. He would spend the evening evening out the ornaments until he felt the tree was just right. It used to annoy the hell out of my mother but, as an adult I do exactly the same thing with the tree. Even our daughter is picky when it comes to where to hang an ornament. She wasn't home last year for the tree trimming but she sure critiqued the tree when she saw it.

We have a six foot tree. Last year I had 1500 lights on it. All clear. It was cool. I might see if I can hit the two thousand mark this year. Oh Yeah, I'll apologize ahead of time for any brownouts in the area. I gotta have my lights.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Re Grand Opening

Okay, I figured out what was happening with the dot thing but it took me changing the template in doing so. By the time I figured it out, I had already changed the template and I really didn't want to have to change it back then add the Link part in the sidebar and then my links. So here it is in it new glory!

(That is until I get the bright idea I want a font change or something like that)

Neptunians Arise

***You Are From Neptune***
You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability.You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea.Your soul is filled with possibilities, and your heart overflows with compassion.You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone.If you don't get carried away with one idea, your spiritual nature will see you through anything.

www.blogthings.com/whatplanetareyoufromquiz/


I checked out one of Artist's links called scribble-n-paint. (This is where I found the above site. I can't take the credit. ) Scribble is very talented and the roses are to die for. I'm honest, I'm green with envy as I look out onto my yard blanketed in snow. (Psst. Global Warming has got to be a conspiracy. Its too cold out to be considered warm.) I added the link no problem but have this dot thing that would not go away. I'm not good with puters on the best day but hey eventually I'll get it right.

On the blog, was the link to What planet are you from/, and my curiousity got the better of me and I checked it out. I'm from Neptune. My family will be happy cause now when they ask me where I came from. Now I can give them an answer. Hubby will be happy to know. He wonders too;>)

The coffee is finally entering the blood stream so I can get on with my day. Hubby's at work today. (Happy Dance, Happy Dance) Which means I can get a bunch of stuff done. I'm thinking I might bring out the snowman collection today. I think with the snow on the ground it would be fitting. And it would drive Hubby nuts. That is the bonus. I just love the extra little delights that life has to offer like driving my Hubby insane. He really does love me no matter how much protesting he does. Well I pretty sure he does. He said so once.

Life is fun.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Rambling

Have you ever had so much to say and when you sit down to say it, your mind goes completely blank. Like somewhere between the kitchen and the table (that whole two feet) it gets lost. Its not like it was an important earth shattering eureka thoughts but you know something rather amusing or entertaining. Why do I hear Artist softly laughing in the back ground of my head? I feel an age comment coming on.

Actually I discovered something. Now Artist has already heard all this so if your reading this just skip this section. Here's what I discovered. I love the feeling of my house when I have just finished cleaning it. It feels happier. Here's the thing the entire time I am cleaning my house my energies are becoming happier. The house is less cluttered therefore the positive energies are able to flow more freely. Now I can feel my mother's and my grandmother's rolling their eyes at me. My mother only lives four blocks away and my grandmothers have past on. None the less I can feel their amusement at my statement. But the minute my house gets cluttered I notice that the moods in the house decline with the lack of positive energy flowing. Now Hubby just laughs at my de-stressing the house. But I've watched Hubby walk through the door and as he is taking off his shoes he starts to relax. The days I don't do it, he is restless and can't sit still with his mind racing. And I'm the one who has had caffeine all day. I think I know why I am constantly calming the house energies down.

(And this one Artist) I noticed the dogs are calmer when the house is cleaner. Hubby is home today doing projects. I think. Stuff is gathering and cluttering. I know it will be eventually put away. But the dogs are seemingly more barky at every little thing. As for the cat, he's happy when his domain is clutter free. It allows him more room to torture the dogs.

(Its over with now Artist You can start reading)I think my fish has Ick. So I have been giving the fish treatment. So far the fish has survived. We have lost two of the pond fish. Every time Hubby adds fresh water, one of the fish die. I'm not sure who is left. My favorite Ming who was a coppery black died. He was the first. Hopefully we won't lose too many more. Where we get are fish from may not give us such good deals any more.

I went to the doctor's today. That was fun. Have you ever had the luck of walking into a full waiting room complete with screaming kids and the only seat available is the one by the old smelly guy. I'm not sure what Ladaum smells like but I think this guy cornered the market. He had a really loose phlemmy cough. You know the type, it goes one and on while the lungs empty out complete with the disgusting sound of clearing the throat at the end. What's with old people and that lavender, tiger balm, and menthol scent? Is there like a rule that old people in waiting rooms must smell funny. No offence to old people. I'm sure they all don't smell that way. My mother certainly doesn't. Now It looked really pointed that the only seat empty was beside this guy and if I stood. So I sat down. Lucky for me he was called right after I sat down. As he walked by, his rear end let out a sound only a trumpet would envy, and left a stench that hurt eyes. I pretended to look for something in my purse trying to breath. Unfortunately its canvas and doesn't provide enough of a barrier. The sad thing is I don't think the guy noticed his wake of people trying politely to find clean air to breath. What really added to the irony, when I left the doctor's office, the waiting room was practically empty.

I really miss my fish pond.