Just a quick note to say that I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas, good eats, great company and stayed safe and all that stuff. I'm a little jealous of J' at the moment because he's only work 1 day this week, while I've only had 1 day off. Such is life, it's like they like to say, suck it civilians. The only up-side is that he has to do Daddy Daycare for most of those days because the daycare is closed too.
Other than that Santa was very nice to me and to the Moo. I got a crimson edition DS complete with matching case, and Brain Age 2 and the Sims 2 Castaway. Moo Moo got a lot of toys and crayons with a baby grip. Her favorite so far seems to be the talking sing-a-long piggy bank. She just plopped herself down on the carpet and played with it for most of the afternoon.
Next up is New Year's day, which should be less stressful than Christmas (I put too many cloves in the ham, had to do the biscuits at the last minute, and left the whole stick of margerine out of the corn casserole). I hope all of next week is pretty low-key so that I can actually enjoy my two-week break from school!
Stay safe everyone, see you next year!
Christmas, pt. 3
Most of the time these days I feel like I'm treading water and trying to keep my head up. Paradoxically, blogging is generally good for the soul but then the Catch-22 is that you often don't want to blog about what's on your mind because it's so personal. So here I am. I feel bad burdening my friends, I feel bad talking about my feelings in generally, and of course, once you get to that point not too many options are left. So here I am.
Yesterday would've been my parents' 26th wedding anniversary had my mom been alive. Dec. 12 just adds another rough day to the Christmas season. I enjoy Christmas, like the fog this morning really had me in a holiday mood, but I'd love more than anything if my mom could see our Christmas tree and our other holiday decorations. I'd love to tell her where I found all the ornaments... the way I bonded at the clerks at the Walgreens on Airline in Bossier City because I kept going back to get the decorations I needed. How I found our gorgeous mocha-chocolate complexion tree-topper angel in an off chance visit to K-Mart because our friend's 4-year-old threw up at dinner and needed a change of clothes. How I lucked out and walked into Dillards during military appreciation day and got 15% off the "Baby's First Christmas" ornament and how I wasn't afraid to perch on the roof stringing Christmas lights on a Sunday afternoon.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
What makes it even harder is that I know things really aren't so bad. I know people who have much, much heavier burdens to bear this Christmas, and that makes me feel five different sorts of guilty. But at night, when it's quiet my heart still feels weighed down and I still feel sad.
"Hurt leads to bitterness, bitterness to anger, travel too far that road and the way is lost." — Terry Brooks
Yesterday would've been my parents' 26th wedding anniversary had my mom been alive. Dec. 12 just adds another rough day to the Christmas season. I enjoy Christmas, like the fog this morning really had me in a holiday mood, but I'd love more than anything if my mom could see our Christmas tree and our other holiday decorations. I'd love to tell her where I found all the ornaments... the way I bonded at the clerks at the Walgreens on Airline in Bossier City because I kept going back to get the decorations I needed. How I found our gorgeous mocha-chocolate complexion tree-topper angel in an off chance visit to K-Mart because our friend's 4-year-old threw up at dinner and needed a change of clothes. How I lucked out and walked into Dillards during military appreciation day and got 15% off the "Baby's First Christmas" ornament and how I wasn't afraid to perch on the roof stringing Christmas lights on a Sunday afternoon.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
What makes it even harder is that I know things really aren't so bad. I know people who have much, much heavier burdens to bear this Christmas, and that makes me feel five different sorts of guilty. But at night, when it's quiet my heart still feels weighed down and I still feel sad.
"Hurt leads to bitterness, bitterness to anger, travel too far that road and the way is lost." — Terry Brooks
The List (Dec. 2007)
Here's the first annual Christmas list. I consider creating this list my own brand of retail therapy because if I were to go out and purchase all these items I'd be up to debt in my eyeballs. Writing things down (typing things out?) has always made me feel better and I expect this exercise to be no exception. I might even make one up for Valentine's Day and any other gift giving occasion.
Anyway, feel free to leave a comment with your list. And why not, retail therapy doesn't always have to mean breaking out the credit cards and watching your debt soar.
So in no particular order, here we go:
Anyway, feel free to leave a comment with your list. And why not, retail therapy doesn't always have to mean breaking out the credit cards and watching your debt soar.
So in no particular order, here we go:
- A new pea coat from J. Crew.
On the list because... When you factor in the color I want (red), the size I need (small, tall) and the shipping, the price tag ends up being over $150.
- New sweaters or shirts from Long Elegant Legs or Express
On the list because... The curse of the gangly people strikes whenever I try to buy shirts or sweaters. I've never owned a true long-sleeved shirt or sweater in my size. Sure, I have sweaters that are two sizes too big and just about manage to reach my wrists, but to find a shirt/sweater that's actually my size AND doesn't stop mid arm and have to be rolled up requires primo bucks. I mean $50 at the cheapest. The ones I managed to buy have been going on a long time now are thankfully still going fairly strong so I'll just pray that continues for awhile to come.
- A Nintendo Wii with Brain Age and Mario Party 8.
On the list because... Unless you're been under a rock you'll know that even though this is the cheapest console, it's still over $250 and that's not including the games that go for about $60 a pop each (another $120), for a grand total of $370.
- A new switchable bezel watch.
On the list because... I think the universe conspired against me on this one, folks. I had a switchable bezel watch (think Gucci, but I had the poor man version) that was ticking along just fine, then I idly said to J' I'd like a new one because the goldish finish on the band was fading. Very next day I lose the damn watch somewhere between home, daycare and work. Go figure. The price? Apparently only high because I don't like the look of the cheaper watches, sigh.
- A pair of Puma Sprints
On the list because... I wore my old blue on white ones to death, the only ones I can find online are about $83 a pop in some non-appealing colors and I'm upset about that. Is it too hard to ask for an afforable blue on white or black on white pair? I won't even ask for pink on white as I know that with my long feet I'll have to settle for a men's shoe size (9 1/2 if anyone out there's deeling generous). I usually get depressed looking for shoes as a rule and nothing is more depressing than ugly, expensive shoes that don't even come in your size.
- New makeup (I'm talking clear eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, the works)
On the list because... For the life of me I cannot find the pouch I put everything in the last time I needed to transport my makeup somewhere other than home. One piece by iteself isn't too bad, but buying back all of that stuff at the same time is no picnic. Especially because with my ezema I can't buy just any old discount brand makeup.
Christmas Countdown
Christmas has become a very hard time of the year for me. This was the holiday my Mom and I always enjoyed together and had many little rituals that comprised the fabric of the season. It went beyond putting up the tree together, untangling lights and choosing wrapping paper. My earliest memories of Christmas involve Mommy playing Grandma's piano and us belting our carols at the top of our lungs. Traditional Jamaican things like sorrel, rum cake and, of course, Grandma's special punch. Christmas dinner at Aunt Peggy's (God, I miss her so much, too), Boxing Day dinner at Aunt Berl's and then we'd have New Year's Day brunch at our house. I rmemeber one year she was so sick she cooked sitting on a stool by the stove.
Another memory I have is being stuck in rush hour traffic on Barbic circle one evening, and then this came over the radio... this one is a very fond memory, indeed :-) Christmas Countdown by Frank Kelly
Another memory I have is being stuck in rush hour traffic on Barbic circle one evening, and then this came over the radio... this one is a very fond memory, indeed :-) Christmas Countdown by Frank Kelly
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