I love good grammar...period!

You all know that good grammar, punctuation, spelling and structure are pet peeves of mine (although at times I error as well.)Thankfully, my little apple didn't fall far from the tree. Occasionally, I fear that it skipped a generation but I see improvement daily:-)  On Christmas day Lee made a remark using "ain't!"  Bailee positioned her hands on her hips and questioned (in her outside voice), "Doesn't anybody in the United States speak correctly?" I rest my case!

                                                                    CASE CLOSED!

Oh the weather outside is frightful.............

Frightful.....Not so much...Delightful..Oh SO much!!!   If it's winter, there should be snow. A nice foot fell on top of the 6 inches that fell just before Christmas.  It's beautiful. I even put on my boots.....which haven't been worn since the winter of 2010-11.  I haven't yet gotten past the vest into a winter coat.....they're too heavy and uncomfortable.  Papa did mention that snowmobile chances were pretty good.  That too, never moved last winter. The only downfall of that is it messes up the pristine front yard and my picture postcard scenery.... I guess I'll just "deal about it!"  The birds are ecstatic that Jeff filled the feeders.....all except the ones who haven't perfected their winter flight paths and keep crashing into the wall of doors...A couple of dark-eyed juncos have had to shake off some crash landings:-(  The deer have been visiting nightly.  Last night 5 of them roamed the backyard and one little doe even dared approach the bird feeders.....till she saw me in the window..The only fear she should have had is me shooting her...............with my brand new camera:-)
The falls are beautiful with water still falling under the frozen, fallen trees.  To wake up to that each morning is more than anyone could ask for.  As my good friend said the other day, "Looking out here, all is right with the world!"

 night snowfall 12/26

 looks like an angel guarding the cottage!

Our lower falls

 Our backyard beauty

Snow picnic

Over..unfortunately

We made it through the holidays.  Jeff arrived safely. The girls are on the mend. Hatfield Christmas was a joy with lots of little, big and in between ones.  We had pictures planned and they were awesome. Resa brought FUDGE....YAY !!!! Christmas Eve served up "Green Arch" spaghetti, meatballs and presents.  Santa arrived (proof positive, I even snagged pictures) and filled all of our stockings and brought "just what I asked for" for Miss B. A nice visit with Mom yesterday..she looked great!! Jeff safely back in Charlotte and readying for their trip to Vegas this week-end. Awaiting a big storm tonight...time will tell but we're ready...Scotch, diet pepsi, milk and munchies on hand.  Kindles charged and blankets ready.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are anticipating a great 2013....Hope it's full of luck, laughter and love!!

Merry Christmas

So many unspeakable acts in the past couple of weeks....even this morning a deranged gunman horrifically murders first responders..... husbands, fathers, maybe even grandpas...right in our own backyard of nearby Webster, New York.  I have people I love in Webster, N.Y.! It's almost more than a sane individual can fathom. 

Today I'm home, in the place I love most, with my kids, the hubs and my Bailee.  I will take each day as they come and be eternally grateful for each and every hour.  I will smile when someone needlessly yells or complains (oh yeah that even happens at Christmastime). I will walk by the end table that was overlooked during dusting.  I will look the other way when the tissue doesn't hit the wastebasket and grab it on my next trip by.  I will photograph most anything and anybody doing even the most mundane things.....because they're here and because I can. I will post them to Face Book because I know maybe one or two or more of my friends will enjoy them as I will enjoy each of their photos. And I will be thankful for each second we have together.  Tonight I'm hoping Santa remembers us and 
we'll be ready for him.  I might even make a relatively useless attempt at catching him on film. So far, it's been 60 years and I've failed miserably...but who knows...it's a new year, a new decade and a new night.......Time will tell.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of my family and my friends.  As my Gramp used to say, "Never put off until tomorrow what you're supposed to do today.  You might like it so well today, you'll want to do it AGAIN tomorrow:-)  Hug those you love the most........and do it again tomorrow!!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas and I just might get it.  Although they do say, be careful what you wish for... The Midwest is being pummeled with blizzard and tornado warnings. Nice to look at but..and there's always a but..... Jay and Jeff are both flying in today. Jay from KC and through Detroit and Jeff direct from Charlotte.  OK, white Christmas.....could you stall for about 6-8 hours?? It looks like we're in the 3-7 inch range and barely fringing on 5-10.....I vote for 5 tomorrow...but we all know how well my vote did recently:-(  A nice covering would be good and it can actually hold off until Monday.  Santa has a sleigh full of options for minimal or no snow....I know, we've talked! He already explained to Bailee in a telegram he sent her???? that he remembers she'll be at Grandmas and he knows there's no chimney.  He always has a plan B ( for Bailee, of course!)  Right now we're on plan C...vitamin C.. B is just returning from Convenient Care.  A virus with a runny nose and fever.  Looks like Lights on the Lake and a trip to pick up Uncle Jeff may be off for tonight.  We need her rested and better by Hatfield Christmas here on Saturday night.  Family photos without B are just not an option.  
The sun is shining this morning and I'm off, again, for lunch with the girls in Skaneateles. Yes, my social schedule does revolve around eating......deal about it!
Hopefully my nest will be full again tonight.  I'm always at my lowest stress level when I can see, hear and touch my kiddos......and watch the snow fall on our waterfall :-)

First and Last..

This will hopefully be the first and last time I will express my opinions on this issue and devote my precious space to the "whys." I don't like guns!  We (Lee) own many guns.  They're used for enjoyment. Lee shoots trap and deer and geese............oh and woodchucks.....many, many woodchucks.  I see no need for us or anyone (outside of law enforcement and service men and women) to own an assault rifle!  I do, however; believe we have the right to bear arms.  I do not blame the gun for Friday's massacre.  This morning I read a Face Book post from
author Andrew Gross.  I would like to share it here:

The horrible events in Newtown hit home in a very personal way in my family. As some of you know, my nephew Alex was a highly medicated, bi-polar schizophrenic who was in the process of trying to buy a rifle in California when, providentially, his mother discovered the bill of sale among his belongings and insisted that the store terminate the sale. There is no doubt in my mind, had that sale gone through, there would have been carnage. Her actions provoked a violent reaction from Alex which led to his arrest and subsequent incarceration in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital for 72 hours, the maximum allowed since Alex had reached his seniority and was somehow judged not to be a public threat. A day after his ridiculously-early release he climbed a well-known cliff in Pismo Beach and threw himself off. Ever since, his mother has blamed herself for her son's death, but in light of what has taken place in Newtown, she comes across to me as a bit of a hero. (Not to push my own books here, but anyone interested can read the larger story behind this tragedy in EYES WIDE OPEN.)


I will buy his book although I do not believe he was shamelessly pushing that by sharing this post.
Herein lies the problem, in my very humble, uneducated, unresearched opinion.  The answer or understanding of these horrific tragedies lays not in the method but more the methodology.  I do believe that laws and regulations must be changed....but not the ones pertaining to guns (with the exception of assault rifles.)  Someone should not have already harmed another before they can be treated, incarcerated or detained. It's no different than it being wrong to wait to install a stop light until there have been a significant number of deaths and casualties.  In hindsight, maybe federal, state and local governments slashing monies for mental health was NOT the place to begin tightening the belt.  There was a wonderful letter to the editor in the morning paper from someone who explained he would be more than happy to sit with someone who could professionally ascertain his competency to own and carry a firearm......much like a "Brownie" ascertains your competency to drive a motor vehicle.
The time will soon be here to have these discussions.  I hear them in full swing already in diners, on Face Book and even local watering holes but soon the "big guys" will have to tackle the big issues.  I hope they don't all revolve around guns.  There are many methods of carnage ( knives, drugs, vehicles, war) and maybe it's time to look at the who and the why rather than the what.  I'm hoping the almighty dollar isn't used as a scapegoat and that all of these beauitufl souls have not died in vain.  This is a nation of talkers...Let's start the discussion and not end until agreement is reached on where to start...and how to fix!

My heart hurts....

It's been 3 full days of sorrow.  As I said on my Face Book wall, I could barely stand to watch and I could barely stand not to. Friday morning I watched one of Jess's daycare kiddos so she could help at a nearby cafe for the holiday rush.  At 11:30 we loaded up and headed across the street to our elementary school and his UPK classroom.  Upon arriving at the door, I pulled the handle......."No, Grandma Sandy, you need to ring the buzzer!"  All second nature to him and a new experience for me.  I hadn't been to the school in the daytime since the entry buzzer protocol had been established.  I was immediately buzzed and in and chatted with the secretary whom I had known for years (she actually watched my kids 30 years ago.)  I didn't really give much thought to the new entry system until I returned home and turned on the TV...............The news was just updating..... and it was much worse than they had earlier reported.... Yes, 3 were taken to a nearby hospital but an entire classroom of 6 year olds (my Bailee is a six year old) had been viciously murdered along with several adults. I actually found it hard to breathe for a second and my heart literally hurt.  That alone frightened me!
A few deep breaths and I continued to watch and listen in complete horror.  An elementary school of 600 in a small, fairly rural town........We are an elementary school of 600 in a small, fairly rural town!!  ......and I had just dropped off a 4 year old in that building.... leaving him with a hug and a "have a good afternoon!"   Our kids came home!   I sent a message to Bailee's teacher , a friend of mine, and said today of all days, I just wanted to say "Thank You!"  She replied expressing her fear and worry about how she would cope with the possibility of the same scenario here.... "I hope I would make good decisions!"  I have no doubt that any and all teachers would make good decisions.  The majority of teachers have chosen that profession for the love of learning and the love of children.  We know they aren't there for the love of money!!!!
We have not discussed this with Bailee.  I'm not sure if that's right or wrong, it's just the way it is.  I do not know the decision of administrators about discussions but I'm hoping they have addressed the issue and that faculty and staff will answer questions openly and candidly if students broach the subject. So much expert advice was given over the week-end about how to answer such questions.
The resounding answer was to hold them close, tell them they are safe, tell them that you love them and move on.  We should not feel guilty that we try to move on and think about the holiday and Santa and family and even such mundane things as cooking, decorating and wrapping.  I like to think of one of my favorite quotes from Robert Frost (is that Jack's brother Bailee asked me?) "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."





One of our favorite traditions is the Elf on the Shelf. Each morning she/he appears after travelling to the North Pole to report on their child's behavior the prior day. (Hey, it works) Bailee's elf is named "Marvy!"  This photo was posted and is particularly poignant. Even the busy elves are taking time to remember the 27 tiny and huge souls that won't be on earth to celebrate this year!

Technologically Impaired

Along with my various maladies. (plantar facetious, cataracts, IBS, CRS and others) today I realized I am seriously impaired in the technology department.  I generally thought I was able to operate the TV, my phone, the VCR ( I guess it's actually a DVD), TiVo, and my computer with a modicum  of entry level skill.  I can still follow directions as long as the words are familiar. Unfortunately, new words are being added every day which seems to slow my cognitive reasoning abilities (which, to my dismay, are slowing their pace as well.)  I now have to deal with megabytes and gigabytes, modems and routers and connectivity and productivity. I'm amazed at the fact that if you unplug a device and give it 10 seconds then reconnect, it regains its memory and carries on effortlessly.  I should be so lucky!!
 This morning, I am the substitute day care giver for Jess's little man, Hunter.  I had asked Jess to not password lock her computer so I could get on and check my email, see what my FB friends were up to and write my blog. Accomplishing the blog..... but ran into some roadblocks on the other fronts.  I don't want to see her email or know what her friends are up to and it's rude (and besides I'm not sure I know how the hell to do it) to just go in and sign her out!!!!  So for now, I can pen today's nonsense and reread the last few months of my ramblings......
I'm sure you're thinking, "well you could turn on the TV and watch something enjoyable!"  OK, I could... except it says no signal and I can't seem to be able to change the input to TV.  It seems the movie "Tin Tin" is on the Blue-Ray player and my incompetent self can't do anything about it.  So, a 4 year old and 60 year old are destined to enjoy each others company, play go fish and wait for 11:30 to roll around to walk across the street to school.  maybe I should stay there for a lesson or two as well :-(

Sounds....good to me

Sounds.....are amazing. They can evoke happiness and sadness. They can instantly transport you back to a certain time and/or place.  They can make you smile, cry, laugh and some can even make you hungry.... true story!  I've given this a lot of thought (well the hour that I was lying awake from 4:09 to 5:09 this a.m.)  Here are my top ten favorites and my top 10 not so much sounds lists.  (Where's David Letterman when I need him?....who cares, I really don't like him )

FAVS:

• 10- our backyard waterfall(s)  We have lived here for 4 years and I still sleep with my window cracked to hear the calming roar of the falls....
• 9-   our backyard birds  I've become fairly skilled at bird sound recognition...
• 8-   train whistles  I immediately return to Overbrook or even farther back to a little spot where my Uncle Jack and Aunt Nancy lived in in Florida...way back in the 50's... right next to the train tracks:-)
• 7-   laughter   listening to people laughing.........makes me laugh...so simple
• 6-   The Beach Boys  anything they sing still makes me smile, dance and sing along...it's not pretty but it's wonderful
• 5-   Steve Harvey and Dufus, our roosters.  Steve is highly skilled and Dufus attempts a pathetic imitation.  They're worth the cost, the hassle and the chicken shit:-)
• 4-   Thunder   As long as I'm safe and dry, I love thunderstorms:-)
• 3-   Silence   Simon and Garfunkel knew what they sang!
• 2 -  Jeff's motorcycle ring tone....it means he was thinking about me and calling to "check in"
• and my number 1 favorite sound is.......me        "Love you"
•                                                                Bailee  "love you too"
•                                                                me       "Love you more"
•                                                                Bailee  "love you the most!"

NOT SO MUCH:

• 10- gunshots   Not a big fan of guns and hunting but I live in a Duck Dynasty, so "I deal about it"
• 9-   dentist drills   obvious reasons
• 8-   sirens   someone is hurt, ill, in trouble or on fire:-(
• 7-   coughs  germs are spreading and someone feels shitty
• 6-   cracking knuckles  drives me insane.....almost there!
• 5-   heart monitors   on TV or for real.....:-(
• 4-   buzzing   I hate all kinds of flying, buzzing insects
• 3-   crying     just plain makes me sad
• 2-   the phone ringing in the middle of the night
• And my number 1 most disliked sound is....yelling......NOTHING is ever accomplished by it!

And then I went back to sleep!!

Lunch

             Annual Christmas lunch with the chicks at Brix :-)

I'm done!

No really, I'm done... I can hear my Mother saying, "You're not done, you're finished, only cookies and steak are done!" ......and yes, the cookies are done too!  I've made lists, shopped, wrapped, crafted, decorated, cleaned, made more lists, organized, addressed, mailed, laundered, more lists, bagged, planned and now I'm ready to enjoy, celebrate, eat, drink and spend the last two weeks before Santa arrives just plain being merry.....if it kills me!  This week I have a lunch and a dinner I'm looking forward to. Spending time with friends who are right around the corner but are busy doing all the things I just mentioned.  Strange how friends can be so close and yet so far away.  One day we'll regret the fact that we didn't take the time ...............to take the time!  Next week is another lunch and dinner with even more friends and then Jeff arrives and the holiday is in full swing.  Looking forward to next Saturday when all the Hatfield/Kehoe/Reinhart/ crew will gather here for our family Christmas.  We've decided to capture the event in all it's glory in photos. If you think it's tough to get a family of four happy, smiling and clean...wait till we try 33. We'll have 9 little ones under the age of 13, a table of 6 who won't make the grown ups ( and I use the term loosely) table this year but are "oh so close!" and the adult's table of 18.  If only we had our California crew....we'd be complete.

Two weeks from tonight Santa will arrive. It's already been established: that he remembers that Grandma and Papa do not have a chimney so a door will be left unlocked, that Bailee IS confirmed to be on the "Nice List," that he does enjoy a snack and it doesn't have to be cookies, that her gifts do not need to be wrapped as that's just a waste of "perfectly good trees" and that chances are that Uncle Jeff will still be awake so please don't wait till he's sleeping to stop at EIEIO!!

Let the merriment commence!

The Griswolds

I just returned from an impromptu shopping excursion to Auburn.. Yes, I realize I was finished shopping on all 6 of my last trips... Anyway, it reaffirmed my agreement with all the Face Book posts and pictures about this still being the Christmas season and not the PC "Holiday" season....unless of course you are one of the decorators who adorns their houses with lovely ( beauty is in the eyes of the "beer-holder) Christmas decorations perched right next to their Halloween pumpkins, dead, fall mums and even scarecrows and skeletons. This drives me a bit crazy and it doesn't take me long to get there!  An additional Christmas pet peeve is the new holiday inflatables.... I like them.. I have them. Being the caretaker of Frosty the Snowman and Comet the Reindeer, I know they are not inexpensive lawn decorations....If you have the means to purchase these lawn friendly bearers of good cheer, than you undoubtedly have the means to let their little motors run during the day as well......it literally costs pennies.  Nothing looks worse than seeing lawns full of dead, deflated decor laying all over the neighborhood ....especially next to the pumpkins! I'm quite sure that even Clark Griswold would have kept his illuminated lawn ornaments upright throughout the Christmas season.

OK, I feel better! Just airing my opinion releases endorphins that make me happy... even if nobody reads it.. I said..out loud...sort of!

P.S.  I did see some lovely, less is more, Christmas decorations on my travels too...not everybody's a Griswold:-)

Update Thursday

I've been OOT (out of touch) the last couple of days.  Things are slowing down a bit and semi back to normal:

• We successfully got the tree up and Grandpa's plaid pants star is sitting stately at the top.  We dressed it with some white poinsettias this year and it looks great both day and night.  It will be the backdrop for our big Hatfield Family Christmas photo(s) we're taking on the 22nd.
• Tuesday it was 70 degrees.. How flippin' crazy is that.  Jess and I visited with Mom at the Nursing Home and did a little shopping for her through the Shopper's Service they provide.  What a wonderful idea. A truck arrives with racks of clothes, jammies, undies and socks....and they label and tailor for free...
• Christmas cards were completed and mailed. I received the neatest response from my brother Steve's gf's husband....(Nothing weird there... she married the greatest guy after Steve passed away. He reminds me so much of him.....his sense of humor mirrors Steve's and I love the fact that he appreciates how much keeping in touch means to me.  BTW, Kathy didn't respond as she was in the hospital having a few arteries roto-routed for the holiday:-)... The sad part of Paul's response was the fact that there is no one left to tell..... that's why I'm sharing with you♥
• My eye is still besieged by this nasty floater.....I believe it's floated enough and should relax and settle down for a lifetime of luxury living in my little optical suite.  Looking at things though my eyes could be a enlightening experience.  Thankfully it can't float in my auditory canal.
• My Christmas gift to me arrived yesterday... a brand new iPhone 5.  Not sure what I was thinking as I had yet to master the iPhone 4!  I guess I just wanted someone to talk to who would almost always have the right answers!  Siri, I love you!  Thankfully Jess was able to sync my new phone...otherwise I would have been sunk!
• Yesterday I crossed off another item on my Bucket List. I had my first massage....Yep, I'm the one you heard moaning in ecstasy!  It was one, wonderful hour of nakedness where I didn't have to move a muscle. (sorry, was that TMI?) I even had my ears rubbed. Who in the world would think that would be so wonderful....(short of a dog or an elephant? :-)

So, it's only Thursday and it's been an eventful week. The upcoming weeks are full of lunches and dinners with old friends, wrapping and bagging Christmas gifts..(Oh I ♥ gift bags), singing and making cookies with Miss B, the arrival of Jeffrey home for the holidays and the anticipation of our Hatfield Family Christmas here at EIEIO. Chat soon!

Happy Anniversary T.M.

Text messaging celebrates anniversary

I remember our first cell phone came in a bag that probably wouldn't fit in an overhead compartment.  I bought it "for Lee"..(.yeah right) on the premise that if I give it as a gift he wouldn't get mad (like I really gave it that much thought). It was very cool....Our first outing with it was to Silver Springs to race motocross. We never stopped to think that anybody we wanted to call was already with us... Anyway, it was a moot point as cell towers were few and far between and motocross tracks were always out in the boonies. The first "I told you so!" from Lee!
As the years went by we upgraded and added minutes to our plans, we learned to share and not make senseless calls using up valuable minutes. Soon the kids were old enough to have them and then came texting....20 years ago to be exact.  We didn't need to text and it took us several years before we realized it had it's perks.  Lee was "never gonna text! If I want to say something to somebody, I can sure as hell call them and talk to them"......forgetting that hearing them might be nice!!.  So now fast forward to 2011....Santa brings Leroy an iPhone...Leroy who barely yet knew how to do anything short of "hello" on his old phone.  FF again to 12-2-12....I decided I would buy myself a Christmas present.  Seldom due I splurge on me and I had an "itchin" to do just that... Wild woman on the loose.....with an iPhone 5:-)  So Jess, my in house tech guru. calls and asks all the questions that I had barraged her with.  Come to find out, I use about 1/2 GB and Lee uses over 1............Yep, the very same fellow who was "never gonna text" shares more data than I... Do you know how many dead deer and big boobs  one entire GB is???????? LOTS.  So, when I switch over my 4 to 5 we will be sharing 4gs of memory which ought to do us until the next fancy device hits the market.  I won't have to worry about a 5 for Lee as Siri would soon tire of hearing "what" all those times during their conversations and enlighten all Verizon representatives that she was not compatible with the hearing impaired. (welcome to my world, Siri).   But nonetheless, I'm celebrating the 20th Anniversary of text messaging by treating myself to a device that will answer my questions, allow me to search the world, keep me in touch with my family and almost anything else I wish for.....I especially enjoy it on "vibrate".  Mmmmmmmerrrrrryyyyy Chhhhriisttmmassss tooo meeee!!

The devil made me do it..............

Excuses excuses.....everybody always has excuses.  Well here's a little twist.  What made you NOT do it?  A study published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience (which I read faithfully...right!) has "uncovered a surprising new property of oxytocin!"  When monogamous men in a steady relationship ( I realize that's a relatively obscure term in today's world) took a whiff of it, they subsequently put more distance between themselves and an attractive woman they had just met....Hmmmmmmmm  On the other hand, single, heterosexual men were unaffected..  The single man would stand about 2 feet from their newly, introduced female friend while the dosed up fellow in the strong relationship chose to stand 6.5 inches farther away.... Hmmmm 6.5 inches....Just about the average length of a h..............otdog roll.  Out of the gutter girls!    Unfortunately we can't yet buy an inhaler to keep in our purses for our men when we are socializing but this study group sniffed it from something.. It's curiously the hormone that floods the body in response to orgasm (WTH is that?), early romance (or that?), breast feeding and childbirth (no clue here). The research suggests that boosting oxytocin in the brain will promote trusting, friendly behavior.  Sounds to me that a little sniff of this miracle "drug" would favor men staying over straying!!!  Just think what General Petraeus, Bill Clinton, The Governator and even a few guys at the Betty Blue could have avoided if they only knew to take in a little "Oxy" in place of thinking they're so "Jocksy!

OK.. just did a little research... it's for sale!!!

Liquid Trust Pheromones | Powerful Oxytocin Pheromone - Love Scent    

I may have just found the perfect male stocking stuffer:-)

The Miracle Worker

I think I should read Annie Sullivan's, "The Miracle Worker" again.... That is IF I could read...Alright I can read I just can't see to read. Thankfully I can hear, so between Lee and me, we almost make one functioning adult. Let's back up.....for those who are interested...to Tuesday. I started the 3x a day drops in anticipation of fixing the left eye cataract and finally being on the path to reasonably good eyesight.  For a couple of days, I had been seeing a large, white floater in my now, "good eye!"  I called about it and they wanted to see me ASAP.  Good news/bad news/fair news......Good news.....no retinal tear, bad news...vitreous tear and fair news....no surgery for now.  Which brings us to the Christmas holiday....which then brings us to January which takes those of us self employed into a new year of deductibles.  So, this is where I am.... corrected lens in my right eye with the correct distance lens in the new glasses (no bifocal so reading is arms length or more.)  The left eye is clouded with the existing cataract and will have to just wait till we make sure I will have vision in the new eye with the floating vitreous and it doesn't tear off the retina with it.  So the left glasses lens is the old lens. No photogray in either so no dark glasses.  The Dr. explained that I can see distance in my R eye and close up with my L......I just need to let my brain know this. WTF.  If I start talking to my brain, I"ll be in deeper sh-- than I am now.  If my brain answers, I'm happily screwed and on my way to the funny farm.

So that's the rest of the story..Paul Harvey.... Hurry up and wait, hope the floater settles to the base of my eye and pray that any bright flashes I see are associated with Christmas and not a detached retina.

I guess I can live with the Golden Years as long as I can see them !!!!

Monday = Normal

Whew.... that holiday is over.....no, not Thanksgiving not even hunting but Black Friday.... almost as much commotion and advertising as those darned political ads. Now if we can just get past Cyber Monday, we'll be down the home stretch to a normal Christmas season.....whatever the hell that is. I just checked my email and I had 57 new emails since I left for coffee at 7:30. Everybody wants to give me at least 10% off all those things that I either already bought or don't need.  Now, if they had 2 new eyeballs on sale...that I'd gobble up like pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream!!!!  Since my first cataract surgery 3 weeks ago, I've been cranking my neck forward to read anything as I no longer have bifocals (until we finish this whole process).  This in turn makes my neck ache which hurts my back and gives me a headache.  My brain is even in revolt mode as it has no idea what happened to the ridiculously poor but workable eyesight I've had for the past 60 years. It's trying to connect all the right waves but my computer surfing is putting a cramp in it's relatively calm seas.  Maybe Wednesday will help put the puzzle back together and all cylinders will fire together!  If not, it'll be dark glasses, a new dog and audio books. Until then, I'll peruse Facebook and hit the highlights on Yahoo. The silver lining to blindness may  be that I won't be buying things nobody really needs anyway.  I'll sit back and relax on my favorite day of the week......Normal Monday!

TIATF

Facebook has a fun "tradition" of posting TIATF (Today I am thankful for) statuses in November.  It gives us a chance to have glasses half full versus those half empty glasses that we complain about the other 11 months. Today this is my post!

TIATF: my Hatfield family.... the entire goofy bunch! They have taught me the values and traditions of family. I was thinking this morning that I only remember one single Thanksgiving with my side of the family ( and that could be forgotten in a snap. mashed potatoes from a box...NOT)......I do, however; remember every single holiday on the hill. We may agree to disagree on some issues and we may do some things differently but every single member is but a phone call away if needed. We all have Grandma Iva to thank for the often unsaid bond that squishes us together. I wish you all a wonderful day tomorrow and thank you for being my family too ♥

Tha Ancient Art of .....Etiquette

I posted this on Facebook last evening.  It did provoke some conversation.  It appears that those of us over 60 understood perfectly the idea of a little decorum at the dinner table. Once again, a generational thing.  We generally all had meals together as children. We waited for Mom to sit before we dug in and we used cloth napkins and placed them in our laps without being prompted.  We kept our elbows off the table and we took a little of everything and ate it all.  We chewed with our mouths closed, shoulders back and our knockers up... those of us with knockers.....(we didn't call my sister, Pirate Christie and her sunken chest, for nothing.) Slouching was a no-no at our table. We all knew how to properly set the table and that the blade of the knife always faced your plate. Hats were never an option at the table and they were only for outside anyway. Mom cooked, we cleared and did dishes. The sink was subject to inspection before we left the kitchen and water marks weren't acceptable. I'm sure you'd think my Dad was a descendant of the military but not so....he was a descendant of Etiquette.  None of these things seemed demanding or over the top.....that was just the way it was...no questions asked..no complaints made.  It appears that along with being taught a modicum of etiquette, the respect was a natural progression.  Excuses today include the lack of time, the hustle and bustle of today's families, the economy forcing many to work multiple jobs including the kids and my favorite...lack of importance.  It's really no different than please, thank you and you're welcome. If you're taught it from the time you can focus, it becomes second nature...Thank you follows God bless you, you're welcome follows thank you and please should lead most everything.
One of last night's "conversers" said they learned it in Girl Scouts, another 4-H and even another said they were actually schooled in etiquette when they were out of the country at a Scottish wedding. Some shared their Moms were the teachers too. Several admitted they were rednecks and others thought it was much ado about nothing.  I'm sure many think that what was apropos 50 years ago may be obsolete today.... Not me. There's not much that trumps appropriateness and respect and nothing better than a tea party to teach it.  Right Bailee?

She's SIX!

 Well, she is now officially six years old.  We enjoyed having a birthday supper on her real birthday and celebrated with an ice cream cake.... so much easier when it's "all in one."  Her Dad let us share the evening of her birthday....for that we were very thankful.

 

"Really..........an empty box.......that's my birthday present?  Just kidding but we did have fun playing various games with that small empty box.  Often times imagination is the very best gift...and believe me, she has LOTS of imagination!!!

 

The night brought everyone under the same roof for a "sleepover"...Things don't get much better that that♥

 

Seasons

One of the reasons I love where I live (upstate NY) is the different seasons.  The anticipation of falling leaves, beautiful snowscapes, lilac buds and fresh veggies.....is one of my favorite things.  Then there's HUNTING season:-(  Starting tomorrow, I will figuratively hold my breath from dawn until dusk.  I'm not a big gun fan, I'm not sure I see the worth of killing anything (except maybe spiders, germs and maybe pigs for bacon) and the idea of my family in the woods with tens of other people gunning for the big kill terrifies me.  This year they're adding rifles to the mix and frankly I think it's a huge mistake.  They all try and placate me by explaining that everyone knows where the the others are....doesn't work!  They may know where our crew is but does the neighboring group know where "we" are?  Shotgun shells easily and unintentionally cross property lines.  Now with rifles, those distances are increased.  It used to be we had Sundays to relax and the worries would dissipate for at least 10 hours. The kids could play in the yard and the dogs could freely roam their territory with no fear of being mistaken as deer.  Not any more!  Every single day for the next few weeks will be fraught with gunshots during daylight hours.  Our own little DMZ.  Maybe if I liked eating venison I'd feel differently....Naaa... As a mom, wife and aunt, I will worry each day until I see the whites of their eyes (or in my family's case...the reds) come marching up the driveway!

Tomorrow is the beginning of Deer Wars - 2012 :-(  Hope I can buck up and at least enjoy the kids being home:-)

In GENERAL......

In General....who cares?  I guess the press and the Pentagon and the White House needed news.  Thank you Generals and your baggage.  No longer are we worried about the economy or the fiscal cliff or even foreign policy.  We're devastated that two of our illustrious generals have been involved in a bit of hanky-panky.....As Jay Leno said last night, It's disgusting that these men are acting like.........well..........Congressmen!!!  Actually, who cares?  Bill Clinton?  I personally think it's quite a coincidence that General Petraeus resigns just short of his testifying before a Congressional committee on the debacle in Benghazi....Perfect time for a scandal.....OK, I've been watching too much TV.  Call Olivia, she'll handle it....We all know big wig politicians have "handlers" and what better diversion for a dead ambassador than a sex scandal.  Really? what press box do they think we just fell off? ( I know..I ended a sentence with a preposition) 

Gawker.com has graciously provided the world with a flow chart to help sort out the nation's latest crisis.

If you feel the need to be more informed about the Generals and their "internal affairs", just turn on the TV...it's everywhere. The gals on the "View" are already casting the movie and I'm sure the ladies of the "The Talk" will be happy to give you the latest updates on who's entering who's foreign territory.

Stay Tuned!

Whew! #6 in the bag!

We went around the world in a week-end and we had a blast. Mother Nature cooperated and we had a great 65 degree morning to celebrate Miss B's 6th birthday. We had yummy food (thanks Dave), great cakes (thanks Mommy) wonderful gifts (thanks friends and family) and relaxing bloody marys (thanks Russia!) Other contributing countries were Spain (Spanish omelets), Belgium (waffles),Poland (sausage), France (French toast), Greece (yogurt), Canada (bacon), USA (OJ) and Brazil (coffee)!!  It was a delectable journey for our tummies!

After a little clean up, Bailee, Jess and I were off to one of our favorite places....Hope Lake Lodge at Greek Peak. The girls went directly to the water park and I relaxed on the big comfy bed in our suite. I took in a little football...less than favorable results and a little SU basketball..SUccess!  We enjoyed a nice supper with grilled rib eyes, baked taters, salad and dino nuggets.. guess who had what? We passed on the bonfire and headed back to our room with blueberry cheesecake, chocolate PB pie and a chocolate sundae....into our jammies and R-E-L-A-X was the word.  It's such a great place for R & R.

Just because a picture is worth a 1000 words..... Here's a short story!!!

It's a cupcake world:-)

A mini world cake

Time for a dance with Hunter in the cottage

From Jillsy and Jim

A world ornament from Aunt Kyle and Uncle Ray

Love the water park

REAL captain's pilot wings from Uncle Jeff

A brand new "Mommy made" blankey!

The (my) fiscal cliff

Today the press is all a-twitter about the impending fiscal cliff and what will happen when we all fall off.. It appears that that fall will cost each of us around $2500.  That's an extra $5000 that my household will have to cough up... and I say that literally.  Obamacare is so wonderful that our health insurance will cost a mere $1200 a month when the new year rings in and that includes a $1000 deductible for each of us.....cough-cough!  The only way to stop our plunge is to play well together in the congressional sandbox and get along well enough to build some bipartisan structures and programs. We may very well catch colds from each other or maybe even the flu but Obamacare will have that covered.  Elections are over and it's time that Johnny, Barry and the other kids in Congress get their act together and do what they know has to be done to stop the financial bleeding and start to heal the wound.  I think if the "It's mine, no, it's mine" mentality is set aside, it can be done. After all, it's not really any of theirs, it's ours!!! (and if it can't be accomplished outside in the fresh air, go inside and sit in time out....we really don't care how you get it done at this point!!)

The "Eyes" have it

The vote is in and in my humble opinion (and obviously Wall Street's) we're in for 4 years of rough sailing.  I think there were many factors for the loss.... including but not exclusively linked, to hurricane Sandy, Romney's wealth, miscommunication, media hype and our obvious deluge of minorities in the US...( Hispanics, blacks, women, etc).  I'm also not a fan of the Electoral College....never have been even when it gave the White House to a Republican.  I'm not sure what to expect for the next 4 years but unless we can learn to get along in the sandbox, we're in trouble.

Yesterday's cataract surgery was....well..... eye opening!  It took longer to get prepped than for the surgery.  It's a great place....Surgicare in Ithaca.  The staff was extremely professional, courteous and skilled.  Is my eye better? .....not so much:-(  There is no pain...scratchy and extremely blurry.  I know that things should be better after the Left eye is "repaired" but I was expecting to be able to see something clearer through my right one.. My glasses are not the correct prescription now for my R eye but even if I take them off, I cannot decipher any words or even faces. I'm heading in for a post-op visit shortly and I'm hoping he says things are A-Ok.  Guess miracles don't happen and I was a little too optimistic to expect... so..  We'll see.................hopefully!

Election Day

Four years ago a new President was elected on the platform of Hope and Change.   How'd that work for us?  Today, I'm just plain hoping for a change!  I am NOT a racist although I can't say that either of my families taught me how NOT to be one.  I'm pretty sure we're all pink and bloody on the inside!  Don't get me wrong, I've told my share of racial jokes but I've also told my share of redneck jokes and I'm also pretty sure the redneck frenzy hasn't been portrayed by Chinese, Black or Native Americans with their caps on backwards and their sleeves cut off.  What I'm not too sure about is the fact that an American President has the ability to actually do ANYTHING!  Certainly they can spend billions of our dollars to merely exist. We house them, protect them, feed them, transport them, insure them and then............pay them, but what do they actually do?  They can accomplish nothing themselves.....especially this one.....I have yet to actually learn of his qualifications for the job he has held for the past 4 years.  Shouldn't you have made an impact on somebody somewhere at some time to be the POTUS?  I understand some voter's reticence to place a millionaire in the office of President but people, this country is not the Golden Arches. We need a leader, albeit Congress has the real power, who has some experience in making the wheels of what used to be the most powerful country in the world turn in a forward, successful motion. I'm really thinking that's NOT Barack Obama.  He's a nice guy, he meant well and he was up against interminable odds....but he failed.  If you fail at your job, whether it's greeting at WalMart or designing rockets, they replace you!  If you're not helping your team score points, they replace you.  I'm hoping today they call in from the bench and score one for Team USA.  We'll survive one way or the other but I have my doubts about our grandkids.  This game is for the championship and I don't want them to be the losers!

My name is Grandma Hatfield and I approve this message!!

Cottage Complete

Well the cottage is complete........almost!  One major component is missing...the game table....but it's pretty close. The tiles just need to be set and the legs attached.

Bailee arrived home from her Dad's and we spent the next couple of hours in the cottage. We read 5 books, played Simon Says, Minute to Win it and school, danced to Wooly Bully and filled the shelves with books.  I even passed on watching most of the Giants/Steelers game in favor of B-time. (not much of a concession:-)  Once Santa arrives, we 'll have lots of games to play at/on the new table.

I love it when a plan comes together♥

Cottage sweet cottage

our snuggle spot

Game table goes here

Lumiere (from Beauty and the Beast)

Filling the shelves with books!

 

Better late than never....

It's been a very busy few days with even busier ones ahead.  Halloween was fun, as always.  Betsy Ross came to town and showed us the magnificent flag she had been stitching.  We visited Great Grandma and her friends at the Nursing Home and made it back in time to take in Locke's parade and Halloween festivities at the Fire house.  Betsy and her flag won the award for best overall costume for all ages:-)  She was very excited.  We trick or treated around Locke for awhile and then headed to the "Aunts" for goodies.... They always have the best treats... popcorn balls at Aunt Wendy's, a goodie bag @ Aunt Kelly's and special treats at Aunt Kim's.  A stop at "Uncle" Dave's garnered another special bag of sugar filled snacks.... Betsy headed home with a full pumpkin and tired feet:-)

The cottage is complete...They say if you want the job done right, hire the best... I have the best electrician, painter and carpenter! ... They are all so very patient with me and seldom roll their eyes (in front of me) when I explain what I want.  They've learned that I just might know what the hell I'm doing...or at least are smart enough not to question me.....Regardless, it's coming together just as I had envisioned. Tomorrow, I'll clean and begin the phoo-phoo faze and load in furniture Sunday....just in time for B to get home from her visit with her Dad...

Next week is busy and I might not get to my babbling blog every day.  Elections on Tuesday may force me to eat all three meals at various fundraisers. Wednesday is right eye cataract surgery.  I'm so looking forward to having a non-cloudy day.. unrelated to weather :-)

Next week-end we'll all gather to celebrate Bailee's sixth birthday with breakfast around the world.  Who would think a 6 year old would want a geography birthday!  That afternoon, B, Jess and I will head to Hope Lake Lodge for an overnight and some swimming....outside!!!

So, blogging may be hit and miss but I'll have LOTS to share in the following week.  Then hunting begins, Jeff and Jerm get home and the holidays begin... along with Jeff turning 34...I can remember when he turned 4 !  The world sure spun that 30 years away?

Happy Halloween

Halloween began in Ireland as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

Sandy has finished playing tricks on us in central New York so we're gearing up for tonight's Halloween 2012 festivities.  A few years ago, the school discontinued their costume Halloween parade so Miss Bailee just wore her festive pumpkin dress this morning. Tonight she will be transformed into Betsey Ross and trick or treat with her own personal, human flag!! We look forward to going to Aunt Kelly's as she always has the neatest decorations and the best treats.  First we'll head to see all the folks at Groton Nursing Home and give them a treat. Great Grandma will enjoy our visit...Then off to the Village's Halloween parade and costume judging!

Shhhh.. the cottage is getting paint today and will be ready to "move in" this week-end!!!
Mum(my)s the word......

                                    HAPPY HALLOWEEN ALL