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It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas

We finally decorated our tree last night.

I’m one of those lucky women with a hubby that helps me do stuff like this. Ever since we got married, Hubby and I have worked rather well as a team.

He typically lugs all of the decorations up from the basement, unpacks the boxes, assembles the tree and adds the lights. I’m in charge of tree decorating and placing the other decorations around the house.

I do all of the shopping. Hubby wraps all of the gifts.

When Christmas is over, I remove the tree ornaments (sometimes he does that, too) and gather up all the decorations. Hubby disassembles the tree, boxes up the decorations, and puts the stuff away.

Of course, Hubby’s a bit of a smartass.

After telling me he’d found the lights (which were sort of lost for a day or two), he just could not resist saying, “okay, your turn” to indicate the lights had been hung, when the tree still looked like the image at right.

Look a bit odd to you?

It should!

Technically, the lights were on the tree, but…

Here’s a closer look…

He’s such a kidder.

In years past, Amy has helped with tree decorating. She’s our “traditional” child. She’s the only one who really gets “into” family traditions like tree decorating. She inherited Mike’s sentimental genes.

Of course, she’s married now with her own family. So I’m pretty much on my own. Eric did help last night. But only because I sort of guilted him into it. How? As he was just about walking out the door to go to his father’s house for the weekend I said, “I saved all of your ornaments for you.”

“What?” he asked. Now, I know he was thinking something along the lines of, “Yeah? So?” And I know he was tempted to hang all of them in one big clump. (He did, after all, grow up with Hubby and me as parents. Not that I am ever a smartass or anything…)

But he was a sport. He stopped long enough to hang his ornaments. And he even let me take pictures.

In all fairness, Eric’s sort of sentimental, too. But he’s 19. So after hanging his favorite ornaments, the one’s I’d lined up specifically for him, he left. The tree was still only half-decorated. But that’s okay. I finished it up.

And I think it looks rather pretty. At least now the house looks a little bit like Christmas.

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Snow Geese and Making Connections

This post has nothing to do with Christmas. But the video, embedded below, which I saw earlier today inspired me.

One of the things I like about Flickr (a photo sharing Web site) is the community feel of things. A while back, when planning our Alaska trip, and searching for Alaska images on Flickr, I sort of befriended a guy named Alaska Dave. He’s from Soldotna. He had to make his images private (long story) so I can’t share. But trust me when I say they’re awesome. Especially his eagle and other wildlife images.

One day I asked Dave to tell me about some folks on Flickr he shares with regularly. One of those folks was Jon, aka Nikographer. He also takes amazing eagle and other wildlife pics. The video below was taken by Jon and posted on his Flickr site.

The funny thing about this whole connection? Dave lives in Alaska. So, while I can admire Dave’s photos and wish I were closer and could check out some of the spots where he shoots, chances are I won’t get there for a long time.

Jon, on the other hand, lives in the Northern Virginia area. He has posted lots of truly inspirational images from places like Great Falls National Park (straddles the MD/VA border near Washington, DC), Conowingo Dam (northeastern MD, just south of the PA border), the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (on MD’s eastern shore) and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware. I’ve been to all of those places except Bombay Hook. But that’ll change soon. And all of these places are within driving distance for me.

Not that I’ll ever get the same quality wildlife shots Jon has captured, but at least I’ll get to see the places for myself. I’m going to try really hard to get to Bombay Hook before late February, early March, which is when I think the snow geese leave. Until then, I’ll just watch this cool video. And look at Jon’s Flickr pics. And be thankful I’ve become pen pals of sorts with a core group of folks on Flickr — AK Dave and Jon are just two of them — that regularly create magic with their cameras.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that Jon has a Blog, too.

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Happy Birthday, Grandmammy

Today is my grandmother’s birthday. Had we not lost her earlier this year, she would have turned 95 today.

If she were still with us, I’d be saying, “Well, Grandma. Do you feel 95?”

She’d laugh, say “Well… hmmm… yes.” Then she’d laugh some more.

For the record, she was always “Grandma” to me. When Eric came along, being the first great-grandchild, I asked her what she’d like to be called. “Grandmammy” was her answer.

I thought it sounded a bit Gone With the Wind-ish. But I did ask. So Grandmammy she became.

She was a wonderful grandmother. I miss her.

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It’s Christmas, Hon!

I’m a week behind posting this slideshow because I’ve been busy. But better late than never, right?

Last weekend — December 5 — Shannon and I took the grandkids to Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood to see the annual crazy, over-the-top Christmas display on 34th Street.

The slide show speaks for itself. Enjoy!

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I’m In Love With a Girl

This isn’t the sort of thing I’d normally blog about. But since this month is an unofficial coming out month for at least one member of the [extended] family, I figured it would be okay.

I’m not at home today. I’m in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania for a company Christmas party. On the drive north last night, I took a little detour. To a town named West Creek, a little ways up the coast from Atlantic City, New Jersey.


I met the girl in Jersey, sort of. She was born and raised there. I met her on the Web first. I saw her “available” picture and my interest was definitely piqued.


She’s young, which is unlike me (I usually fall for the older ones). But it was love at first sight. And when it’s right, it’s right. You just know.


Besides, I’m too old myself to play hard-to-get.


She’s a real bitch. But she’s gorgeous. She’s got eyes that melt you. She’s quite petite. And she has this way of snuggling up under your chin when you hug her that’s just, well, amazing. Did I mention the tiny little kisses she likes to give? I don’t usually go for that tongue stuff, but even that was precious.


In case you’re wondering what Hubby’s gonna say, don’t worry. He knows. This is something we talked about before I left. At length. It wasn’t totally unplanned.


We both knew our lives were missing something. And if I’m going to be completely honest, I have to admit he’s the one that pointed her out to me.


When he saw her picture on the Web, he said, “What about this one?” Or something like that.


He was right. The girl is an absolute peach. A real love bunny.


Because of prior commitments and the impending holidays, we can’t really hook up until January. We’re going to do more than hook up, too. She’s living somewhere temporary right now due to a recent divorce AND foreclosure. So she’s going to move in with us after the holidays.


Hubby and I are both pretty excited.

This is going to be the longest month EVER!!!


Sorry. I just had to get the love thing off my chest.

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I’d Rather You Didn’t

I like to think I have a good sense of humor. Of course, there are things I find funny that others find, well, stupid. And there are things other people find funny that I find dumb, gross, or just plain over the top.

In the GROSS category is the lovely ornament pictured at left. The ad bills it as a “great gag for the office gift exchange” and “perfect for the pet lover who has everything.” I disagree on both counts. Can you tell what it is? It’s YULE DOO.

I am a pet lover. And I love gag gifts. But not even I would laugh at that one. (The same folks do offer an interesting item that I do think would be a great office Christmas gift, though.)