Christmas is almost here and I want to wish all of you here on the Stream a very Merry Christmas! I have not been here for long but I have run across some of the most fantastic people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. And while I would love to give everyone a gift of some sort my bank account, sadly, would implode.
But truly, the best gifts of all are never bought with money. If I could I'd give you the gift of magic. No, I don't mean the Harry Potter kind. I'm talking about the kind of feeling that I, myself, and maybe you, felt when you were small. Just the awe and wonder of a small child at Christmas. I got to feel that when my youngest child was about two. It was like seeing Christmas trees with all the lights and tinsel, the ornaments and candy canes for the very first time. Her eyes got so big taking it all in. I thought her first real encounter with Santa would be special. I wanted it to be. She freaked out! Scared her to death. I was holding her in my arms and she tried to climb around my head like a spider monkey! In fact I think SHE scared HIM!
I'm always reminded of long ago when I was little. Momma did not want us to grow up believing in fables and such but my Daddy stuck to his guns and he went all out at Christmas.
We lived in Florida where a fireplace is not necessary equipment. No fireplace, no chimney. Realizing that Santa had to get in somehow I asked and was told that he sent an elf down the pipe that came from this huge, ugly, heating unit that sat in the hall, and the elf would let Santa in. You see, that heater had a little door by the floor where you lit the pilot light. Sure enough, on Christmas morning there was a line of little, tiny, sooty foot-prints from that little door, down the hall, across the living room to the front door!! Santa had a plan alright and every year that we lived in that house there would be little sooty foot-prints! I looked for the elf-prints before I would even look under the tree!
Then one year Santas' reindeer harness broke and he had to make repairs in our yard (I TOLD you Daddy went all-out!). He left about two foot of leather harness, with the BIG bells, that Momma still has somewhere. Of course Daddy was behind all of it and I hope he got a new belt for Christmas after sacrificing an old one just to make two little girls squeal!
And Santa Clause ALWAYS loved my mothers fruitcake that we left out for him. No kidding, she used to make a heck of a fruitcake! And he always left a Hershey bar in our stockings. I still give Hershey bars, it's tradition now. And you don't monkey around with tradition!


I could go on and on but I won't.

It makes no difference to me how you believe. Or what your traditions may be. Not for this post. If I could, I'd give to you for this season a bit of pure joy, a touch of magic of your own, a memory that would be a special gift, and I hope you see the Joy of The Season thru the eyes of a child. Innocent and believing. And Dear Friends, I'd give you


And a Hershey bar. With almonds.

We were listening to the scanner last night. Our scanner has been a big help during bad storms and if things are happening close to family or friends we can call with a warning, if the need arises. And, you just never know what you might hear. We recommend one for entertainment puposes. Especially on weekends and holidays. Stay at home and listen to people you know screw up.

Last night (Friday night) someone called 911 about a black pickup truck that had a stop sign sticking out of the windshield. Sign, post and all. It sounded like it could have been a bad wreck. But the caller must have been mixed up about the highways and the dispatcher was more than a little confused. So deputies struck out in two different directions. They were calling back and forth and could not locate the vehicle. We were thinking that the truck must have gone down in a ditch or run off the road into the woods. A black truck could be hard to spot after dark in thick underbrush. Seconds count after a bad wreck.
About 30-45 minutes later they called dispatch to report that the truck, with the stop sign still hanging out of the windshield, had been located. They were trying to get the driver to stop BEFORE he pulled into the most notorious bar in three counties!


If I had hit a stop sign, I'd probably need a drink too. "Hey Barkeep, how's about a lawyer to go, please....."

Well, well, well.

Nuts!!

I should be at the office right now, busily cleaning, filing and stocking. Am I?!? Oh, but heck no! No, I'm just hangin' out at the house this fine morning.....like I don't have a care in the world and nothing to do. "Why?", do you ask?
Because I have lost my freakin' keys! Not just my car keys and house keys, but the Keys-To-The-Realm.....the boss-ladys' keys...the keys to the dentist office AND her house!
Losing the keys also means that I could not take Daughter and her boyfriend to school and had to call around to find her a ride. I did find my son-in-law who was in no hurry whatsoever. And in truth, it was not his emergency. This emergency is ALL MINE!
After destroying the house looking for them and two desperate yard-searches I may have figured out where they are. In Husbands' truck.
I hope....
I think....
maybe....
Actually I have no clue. I did call the plant but nobody ever picked up the phone. I got a lovely recording but they have changed some things so I could not get a living, breathing body on the line.

I am almost famous for losing keys, billfold, etc. If they are, in fact, in the truck I will have to endure some good-natured picking from Hubby. I can handle that. I cannot handle explaining to Boss-lady that I lost her keys. A couple of years ago I threw out a very expensive acrylic burr. Think: expensive drill-bit; the only one of those we had at the time. I found it in about five minutes by digging thru the trash bags and saved the day and my job, but I never forgot it. Nobody else has forgotten it either. I almost got accused of losing the diamond polishing paste, but Boss-lady lost THAT. She found it but only AFTER the Conniption-Fit. When her husband lost a particular tool (she had had it since college!!!) we got to see The-Hairy-Cat-Fit. Most impressive.
If I cannot locate the missing office keys there will be another fit of some sort and it will be impressive also. Film at eleven.

Maybe after she fires me I'll have more time to blog......

Well, it is now official! The E.T.A. for Grandchild #5 is late July. Grandchild #4 came on the 8th of November. Just to be on the safe side I am no longer drinking the water around here.
And today we have #3 until at least 9:00. Complete with princess dress, princess shoes, and tiara. That's not sarcasm; it is her chosen outfit for the day. I can't let her have a sceptor though, as she's only 3 and "poo-poo" happens.


I don't really feel old (I might before Momma picks Princess up), even though I have been officially designated as old. How does that happen, you may ask? How does "old" become official?
Last summer I was on my knees in the front yard with my back to the street, weeding around a very dangerous agave. I was focused on not being impaled and I didn't hear the kids come up.

What I DID hear was "Uh- uh! You can't go in that old lady's yard!"



OLD LADY! I was forty-six for pitys' sake! OLD? I turned my head to see two little girls with their bicycles standing by my ditch in the road. They were about 7 or 8 yrs. old. Well...7 or 8 yrs. young! I have a great ditch to ride a bicycle through, not too steep, no rocks, just grass. I remember the temptation as a kid myself!
I just smiled at them and laughed 'cause it struck me funny! Little eyes got big as saucers, mouths dropped open and they were gone.....

I am the "old lady" for the neighborhood. It is official.


I think I'll turn up some Skynyrd, grab a cold beer, chase Grandpa around the yard for a little sugar, and put a new spin on the Old Lady thing......!

Some Days You Eat The Bear,

Some Days The Bear Eats You.