Which Way?

As I was sitting down at my desk and wondering what to pen, I thought, "Should I look in the rear view mirror or straight out the windshield?" I try to be a glass half full kinda gal and not really dwell on the past but then I think about the gift of memory and I think maybe I should look back too.  So let's do a little of both.
2013 was an OK year.  We all had another birthday which is a very good thing. Some of my pals think birthdays are for kids or no big deal.  I think they're a very big deal.  Not having one...just sucks....for everybody!  So, at EIEIO, each one is celebrated to the hilt. Lottery picks for awhile are 7, 31, 35, 61, 63 and 38 (years in wedded bliss)...that number varies depending on who you ask!!  Relatively good health was with us all with a few viruses and aches and pains thrown in for good measure.  Some of us lost teeth....some will grow new ones..........some won't!  It was a year that saw the economy get a little boost...even in home sales.  Jeff was finally able to sell his house in Charlotte and we, ours in Locke.  We all could not be happier for that outcome..................and income!  The 100 + year old family business (until 2007) was piece mealed away and exists no longer... probably my saddest event for 2013.  I find it a bit hard to fathom that this was what Dad had foreseen for it's future but then again, he was a mental man....not one to easily accept change technology that kept the brain from working to it's fullest capacity. Many see that as progress and advancement.  He saw it as....well he just chose not to see it.....! enough of the rear view mirror......

Straight ahead I see............possibly a year of changes.  We're in that stage of our lives where we need to make big, Billy Fucillo, changes....retirement for Lee?  sell the shop?  begin social security?  We're not really the best at accepting change either so these decisions are daunting.  I have a notebook that shows most things in black and white..............and red.  Owning your own business has it's perks but many less than most people assume.  Your pension plan is what you've saved!  HOLY SHIT....we were supposed to save??????  This planning apple didn't fall too far from the tree... We won't starve but our diet may change.
I will be learning one new word a day this year.  This could affect my blog so beware!  You may be the recipients of rambling posts about saponaceous mannerisms or imbricate dominoes. (we'll all learn together!)  I will be outside more and in my recliner less... this is a toughie!  Per advice from my daughter, I will be purchasing less for birthdays and holidays..unless of course, it's for her!  I will keep my desk neat and clean.  My 3rd grade teacher, Miss Ames, tried that in 3rd grade and I've improved at a snail's pace. And last but not least, I will try my hardest to be nicer.... I even bought a sign to remind me daily.

Happy New Year!

Whew....................

Well, we made it through another great Christmas season.  Christmas Eve included the usual traditions: cookies and milk for Santa, carrots and reindeer food for the enchanting eight, Grandma reading The Night Before Christmas and the usual filling of the stockings and loading up the tree!  This year, two randomly sawed off buck legs allowed Grandma to prance around the front lawn providing visible proof that, Yes Bailee, there is a Santa Claus (and reindeer!)  There's practically no end to what this Grandma would do for a brown-eyed, brilliant seven year old!
Christmas morning began with B crawling in bed, imploring us to "wake up" and explain that she "loved, loved, loved Christmas"......... (me too!) Rise and shine...ok, just rise and it was time for coffee and stockings.  A few gifts for B and we moved to breakfast and back to the tree.... The afternoon was relaxing as we counted down to our trip to the airport to retrieve Uncle Jeff from that big, silver sleigh in the sky.. Back to EIEIO for more presents and spaghetti...Green Arch spaghetti.....a gift in itself!
The day after Christmas was full of bonding... James Bond for some.....Seabond for others:-)  We had breakfast in our bacon bowls which made it even more of my favorite meal.  The last of the presents for Bailee...I think Grandma might have tripped over the edge from generous to ridiculous...Oh well...deal about it!!!  A family movie in the theater..well kind of family...The Heat had some other than Christmasy language.  A winter bonfire and burning of the trees then back to the table ( we celebrate a lot at the table) for aged ribeyes and more spaghetti!  Next, a few hours of "Scat" and bedtime once again....for some.
Today we're picking up pine needles, munching on goodies and trying to decide where we'll "eat" and watch SU win their bowl game. Only 2 more sleeps with Jeffrey (well not exactly with him) here so we relish every second!
We're all looking forward to healthy, safe and happy 2014....I still have trouble grasping the fact that we're only a couple of years from Medicare...but I guess it beats not getting there...

Hatfield Christmas

Although we were a few ducks short of a dynasty, we had a fun time at our annual (or is it anal?) Hatfield holiday gathering.  Our North Carolina contingent was basking in their near 70+ degree weather and our Florida and California crews were in short sleeves too.....but wait...you folks don't have anything on us...The snow's gone, we partied on the patio and a dip in the hot tub ended the festivities!!! Welcome to upstate NY:-)
We grilled some aged rib eyes, feasted on salad with homemade blue cheese dressing, stuffed mushrooms, jumbo shrimp, bakers, veggies and more.  Later we chased that with plates of fudge,peanut brittle, Christmas cookies, cupcakes and cheesecake......and then we got presents....we must have been very, very good this year!!!

My favorite reindeer♥

Party on the Patio

HERE'S the beef!

WOW

The "adult (kind of)" table

A little Face Time with our Florida family

Our very own "Zoot on the Shelf"

Ahhhhhhh
 

A Match Made in H----------------:-)

It's 5:00 on a cold, Friday morning. I'm wide awake and have neglected my blog for the past week. Errands, appointments and duties have filled my mornings and lack of ambition, creativity and wit have filled my evenings.  When I went to bed last night, I knew a chill was in the air...inside....... and once again our "state of the art" (I always disliked art) heating system had failed us.  I left Lee a note (he hears nothing after 8 and a tad more than nothing prior to that) and crawled in my snuggly bed.  Ahhh, 4 a.m.     My nose is cold so the heat didn't have an  Easter moment and rise... I decided the warmest spot was right where I was so I burrowed in and tried to return to wherever I was in that dream...I remember it was somewhere warm. That failed so here I am.... catching up on emails, Face Book and my dear blog that lets me say anything I like.  I decided maybe a sweet smelling candle would not only brighten my den and clear my mind but keep me warm.....so I grabbed the closest matches I could find in this big, old,18 drawer desk I call home!  The only ones were these.... Our wedding matches.. (hey it was the favor of the day in 1975).  I struck the first...nothing.  I struck the second.....a little tiny spark.  I began to think this might be an odd metaphor for nearly 40 years of marriage. The spark is gone...what happened to my old flame?  Then came the third match....one strike and the fire had returned.......and the smell of sulfur......yep, all was well with my match made in h............!

Christmas in the City

The girls had a great time in the city Saturday.  The beginning was slow and the ending was slower but the middle was jam-packed with exciting adventure.  The bus broke down in Homer before picking everyone up in Moravia so they weren't on their way until 8 a.m.  They arrived in the city to a snowy downstate day.

First stop was the American Girl store.... The lines were nil and Bailee made her decision to add Caroline to our family.   She's a beauty!  Next they were off to the Empire State Building where they could look out over the snowy city and see...........NOTHING!  Oh well, at least they can say they were there!  Back to Rockefeller Center to watch the skaters and see the tree.  Bailee loved that.  Now for a little shopping...off to Lord and Taylor's, Starbucks and Macy's.  It seems Bailee has a fondness for street vendors and their hotdogs:-)  No cabs for these three...walking all the way ...all the day!  The bus was loaded with weary shoppers at 8 p.m. and they headed back upstate....very......very.......slowly.  Seven (7) hours later they arrived in snowy Moravia.. Their eyes were droopy, their bags were loaded, their wallets were empty and their beds looked pretty inviting.  All in all, that crazy couple Ole Man Winter and Mother Nature wreaked some havoc on Mario, their bus driver, and Aunt Kim's nerves but the trip was a success and already there's talk of another ..................................in the spring!!

Sad but true:-)

An Obituary printed in the London Times.....Absolutely Dead Brilliant!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has
been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since
his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn't always fair;
- And maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend
more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children,
are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job
that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses;
and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her
lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I'm A Victim
- Pay me for Doing Nothing

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Just had to share.....:-)

All things STEM from imagination!

What a sterling concept Debbie Sterling has embarked upon.  Brainstorming toys for girls... They're  still pink and purple, the colors for girls of all ages, but they stimulate little girls' brains and imaginations......Perfect.. then those little girls grow up to be big girls with working brains and awesome imaginations (not that we aren't already.)  The acronym for this advancement in thinking and play is STEM.... let's get these little minds going in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math... Well she got my vote ......and my money.  I know, I said I was finished shopping....................in September..... but everybody who knows me knows better.. I talk a good game!  So today, I just placed my LAST online order...really!  I bought the Roominator which allows you to build rooms with elevators and merry go rounds that work and this little techy device below that has lots of moving parts as well....that you make move!  It sure is a good thing that the kids have 2 full weeks of vacation this year...we're gonna need it to play with all these toys.... I mean, SHE'S gonna need it to play with all these toys.....;-)

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/no-more-ironing-boards-engineer-aims-reinvent-toys-girls-6C10629732

Christmas in Moravia....

This week-end threw us head first (like we weren't already there) into Christmas.  On Saturday, we made the rounds for Christmas in Moravia.  A light dusting of evening snow set the scene perfectly. We signed up for raffles and visited local businesses that were participating. We rode a pony, listened to stories from Mrs. Claus at the library and had lunch at the church Advent Fair. Our next stop was a visit with Santa and a newly, updated ID card from the Sheriff's helpers.  We weren't yet exhausted so we decided to head to the movies and see Frozen.... A wonderful new Disney/Pixar movie.  Sunday morning was breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cookie decorating and even a few passes by the Grinch in Locke. We ended the week-end with a quiet and cozy afternoon of football...snowy, often lousy...football.  But even a bad day of football is better than a good day without it..at least in my playbook!!!  It was a fun week-end of Christmas in Moravia.....and Locke and the girls are anxiously awaiting their big trip to New York next Saturday... I hope it's all they are wishing it to be:-)

Amazon drones?

I'm an Amazon junkie.. there, I've gotten through the first step by actually admitting it. About 85% of all I have purchased for Christmas has been through Amazon.com.  I almost expect to click on the site and have someone say, "Morning Sandy, What can we do for you today?" I have been a bit unhappy the last few years as my packages had generally been delivered by UPS... this year more and more are being dropped at our local post office and I have to go lug them to the car...one of the things I disliked about brick and mortar shopping... the lugging!  BUT.....let the heavens open above..maybe in the very near future, an "octocopter" can deliver my packages.  I know the weight limit will be about 5# and I may not be within the 10 mile warehouse range but it's a pretty cool concept.   BUT (again), there may be a very big issue with octocopters flying around my house.  My family really likes to shoot things....especially things flying through the air. On the up side, they are completely safe with me. I welcome flying objects, winged or otherwise, and I can't hit a stationery target at 4 feet.  I decided to do a little research on the subject and found out that these flying delivery devices are somewhat protected.....Take a look:

Amazon delivery drones will be escorted by drones equipped with Drone Operated People Eliminator (D.O.P.E.) missiles in case of delivery disruption. The D.O.P.E. will be operated by the Manually Operated Remote Operation Network (M.O.R.O.N.)

Any customer whose delivery is not received due to failure on the part of the M.O.R.O.N. should contact the Independent Delivery Insurance Operational Team (I.D.I.O.T.) and file a claim to let the I.D.I.O.T. know that the M.O.R.O.N. didn't use the D.O.P.E. to protect your package.

 

I'm realizing that these drones have been totally  (yeah right) vetted in the electronic community so I eagerly await the arrival of one on my doorstep.

The End of an Era

:-(   Today I'm walking around with a bit of a heavy heart.  Everything else I carry is heavy too so it should feel at home.  They say I have a fatty (lumpy) liver and I know most everything else ( above and below the belt) is lumpy too but I've always managed to keep a happy heart and have a glass half full attitude.  We've talked about the whole accepting change thing in our little blog discussions but the talking really doesn't make it easier.  100 + years is a long time to run a successful, small business.  It's made it through depressions and recessions and even fires and now it's kaput! I saw the handwriting on the wall when the fertilizer business was sold then the fuel business was sold and now the feed business has been sold. The real estate remains but this too will be marketed when the mill and bins are dismantled.  The storefront will stay open to sell some bulk product for a couple of years but the guts are history... I think the guts died on December 24, 2006!  I'm not second guessing the decisions made by management and it is rightly their choice to make...so says my head but my heart keeps interrupting.

Hewitt Brothers served many people for many years and I'd like to think it will be remembered fondly as an icon in the small town business world...it will surely be remembered in my world:-)

Hobby Lobby Heaven

One wall of ornaments...there were FOUR

I enjoy shopping......from the comfort of my home, my comfy desk chair and near the TV and frig....but I may have a new obsession with brick and mortar......Hobby Lobby.  The drive is doable albeit through "downtown Ithaca" traffic.  Yesterday, the God's were with me and I hit every single light GREEN....and there were many!  With the exception of cheeseburgers, this store has everything I love!  Many of my favorites were marked at 50% discount yesterday including everything Christmas!!!  Being finished decorating, shopping and wrapping, there was little I needed but I did plan ahead to next Christmas for a few items.  Home decorating items ABOUND>>>>> clever metal signs, wall art of ALL kinds, kid's items, fabric, furniture, vases, floral crafts, woodworking, scrapbooking and more and more and more.  It was amazing.  I kept finding things that I knew others would like so I snapped pictures and sent them on their way... I think I really could be a personal shopper,,,,,personally I loved everything....

                                     I mean seriously.....who takes pictures IN a store.........That'd be me:-)

For the theater

Thanks goodness I ventured here AFTER B's birthday!

                                                                          Man Cave accessories?                                                                              

really, Paris?               

Giving Tuesday

We've made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday arriving safely at Giving Tuesday.  This is a relatively new holi"day" intended to pique our interest in giving and share our wealth...if we still have any extra in our wallets.  As I mentioned previously, Bailee and I have our sights on the kids at Semillas de Amor in Guatemala.  We're focusing on Fatima most of all.  I figured at this time of my life I would probably be in need of a sponsor myself...someone in AA or GA or even SA (shoppers Anonymous) but I'm thrilled that we are able to be the sponsor.  Semillas de Amor is not your average orphanage or at least what we have always perceived.  These children are loved!  They are taught by caring teachers and given the best possible life they can afford.  Thankfully, some of he things these kids are being taught cannot be purchased.  They're learning gratitude, patience, hope and love.  Those things do not come from wallets or checkbooks.  These children write thank you notes ( I know many living here that don't), they pose for pictures with bright smiles and warm hearts and they give back the love they obviously are receiving.  I think they even love those they've never met. Some of us have trouble loving those we see every day:-(
So today, on Giving Tuesday, I'm hoping that my friends and family will feel good about what they have and share.  The only rich you need to be is in your heart... corny I know, especially from me but we all have that extra $20 and giving it to someone else is really a gift right back to you.  I learned that early on from my Dad... he used to give us gifts on HIS birthday.  Now I know why:-)

A Crafty Christmas

With the majority of my shopping completed, I can now do the fun stuff!  The crafty little things that please me almost as much as the giving part.  I decided I needed to dress up the outside of the house for daytime as well as night.  I bought 2 pair of shutters and Jeffrey painted them bright Christmas red for me.  I donned them in green swags and red snowflakes and my Grinchy hubs (better than some years though) hung them for me yesterday.. I LOVE THEM!!

My other Christmas craft is for Bailee.... ok, kind of for me too.  We're making an American Girl town.  We both have enough imagination so we don't need the actual streets (or do we????) so store fronts are our focus.  So far we are set with the Lincoln Elementary School (Addy's era), Bailee's Gym for the (doll like you), the Red Cross (Molly's era) and the Trading Post for Kaya.  The street lights are coming along and we should have the town up for Christmas soon. Santa has been advised to hopefully contribute some props for Christmas morning!

A new store, Hobby Lobby, has just opened in Ithaca and I think I might need to see if they have any accessories that will brighten up our town.  I may come home brokey wokey but hey, who isn't at Christmas time!

Enjoy a few pix of the Christmas shutters and Global City:-)

Some school supplies...from skewers:-)

Kaya's Trading Post

Bailee's Gym

Lincoln Elementary School

Welcome to Global City

It's that Time of Year

It's that time of year when I over-buy, over-cry and especially over-pie!!!  One can never have too much pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream.... Today we celebrate Jeff's 35th birthday. When did that happen?  When folks say to enjoy your kids because they grow up too fast...they know what they're talking about!  I'm 60+ and both my children are over 30...yikes time is passing!  I visited Mom the other day and it's one of those "over-cry" experiences every time I go. There but for the grace of God go I....each night I ask him to spare me and my children that experience... I know that I cannot change the past and probably not the future but I can be forever grateful for the present.  Today a birthday celebration, a gathering tonight for the little people in the theater and the big people at the bar (shocker).  A family feast tomorrow with a family that has always been mine.  We bicker and complain but we're always all there for each other....anytime!  That's light years away from anything I receive from my Hewitt family. Being greal families have and the love that keeps us all together♥
rateful for what this family is and what their amazing women (Nancy and Grandma) have taught me is an understatement.  I can only hope that my children and theirs will gather around the table at holidays and remember the traditions that have been passed from generation to generation, the loyalty that

                                            Good Health, Longevity and Love to you all

Thanks for Giving

Bailee and I began a new journey yesterday. We began sponsoring a little girl from an orphanage in Guatemala.  The entire coffee plantation and adjoining town is subsidized by friends of ours.  The orphanage was in dire need of some fresh paint ....so we donated.  Hopefully soon, the bright, clean and non toxic paint will make Semillas de Armor a happier and safer place.  We have also decided to sponsor a child who lives there.  Her name is Fatima and we are pretty excited.... Here is her short story:

Fatima arrived at Semillas de Amor as a newborn. Her birth mom had placed another child in adoption and asked that the same family adopt Fatima. The adoptive family was thrilled to adopt her, however and very sadly, because of the closure of international adoption little Fatima has been stuck in a mess of sticky red tape. Fatima is a really happy kid. She loves to smile and laugh. Fatima loves the girly stuff, bling and dolls.

We can't wait to correspond with her and to see some
pictures of her that our friends will take on their next visit.  We are only a few days into our new journey and we already feel wonderful.  Bailee is learning about another country, learning about how amazing giving feels and making a new friend hundreds of miles away.  She may never learn a more valuable lesson than what she is soaking in during this adventure.  Although she's only seven, she's realizing that giving is a gift in itself.....to us!

She's drawing a chicken...something in common already♥

TIATF

During the month of November, a lot of us on Face Book share things we're thankful for each day...TIATF (Today I am Thankful for....).  This morning Jess and I visited Grandma at the "Nursing Home!"  I always chuckled at the bumper sticker that said, Be nice to your kids, they choose your nursing home! Well here's some really good advice.... Be nice to your kids, they choose your nursing home!!!!  Thankfully, I was able to find two wonderful places for Mom to call home after leaving hers.  Walden Place was her first stop for a couple of years and now The Groton Nursing Facility*.  No place is perfect and no place is home as she knew it....One of the only perks ( and I use the term loosely) of Alzheimer's is she no longer remembers home...or at least we don't think so. If she remembers at all, it might be her childhood home in Auburn and we all move on from there. She is happy, content, physically healthy and well cared for.  Elder care takes a certain kind of person...a very special kind of person.  GNF* has many.  One day I stayed in the hallway to watch the interaction of some staff with the residents and with Mom.  One gal stopped, put her arms around her and kissed her cheek...not for show, not for me, just for Mom..  That's just what I wanted to see and just what I'm thankful for today ♥

Where were you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where were you on November 22, 1963?  I remember being on a school bus.  I was in 6th grade and my classroom was in the old high school on Church Street. (The elementary school hadn't yet been built so from K-6, we were scattered.)  I think possibly school might have been dismissed early and I was sitting on a bus behind the high school waiting for the "big kids" to board.  I remember a lot of tears and seeing the teachers' faces filled with sorrow. I never remember a lot of joviality with teachers in the 60's.  They were all neatly coiffed and dressed (suits and ties) and generally were all business.  You might get a pat on the shoulder for a job well done and a smile on your birthday but beyond that, it was formal and proper. That day was different.

We all spent the next few days around the TV in the den. We'd watch over and over the grainy replays of the fateful drive in Dallas and the capture of Lee Harvey Oswald.  More than anything, I remember being dressed for church and still poised in front of the TV while others were dressing.  I watched Lee Harvey Oswald being lead somewhere and right before my eyes, a man (who we learned later was Jack Ruby) lunge forward and kill him....right there on live TV on Sunday morning.  We missed church that day!

I watched as John-John saluted his father's casket and Caroline stood proudly by as the big sister.  I remember thinking that all the dignitaries looked my Great Grandpa and his senatorial cronies.  I think it was the long winter coats and the formal hats that made them appear stodgy and political.

It's a bit surreal that it was 1/2 a century ago....a generation.  We have lived through 9 more presidents, more assassination attempts, wars, terrorist attacks and weather related disasters and survived....at least most of us but there have been only 2 times that people have dwelt on the fateful question, "Where were you ....?"  November 22, 1963 and September 11, 2001.  I hope the question remains mute for our remaining years but that it becomes an integral part of our children's American history lessons.

It appears that much of history is still a mystery!

"Gotcha Day"

It's National Adoption Day and families around the U.S. are celebrating.  I know just how they feel...been there, done that!  Nothing quite compares to this day.....even the day we brought them home is not the same as "Gotcha day!"  Today, you'll always be ours... nobody can change their mind, no court can throw a monkey wrench in the works....You belong to us...forever!  It was my birthday for Jeffrey and as we left the courthouse, our lawyer handed me a note (shocker) that read "Lawyer fees are paid..Happy Birthday, Love Dad ♥"  Doesn't get much better than that.  August was just as rewarding and our family was set.. Boy, girl, Mom, Dad.....it was a long process minus the stretch marks:-)

Today, a very dear friend is heading to court to finalize the adoption of her beautiful baby girl.  This has been a journey for them in many ways but I believe this little girl will be a lifesaver....literally!  The process is long..way more than 9 months but the reward is eternal...It's more than just saving a child. It's that child saving you!  A little dramatic unless you traveled the road but a true, true story.

I have many friends and family that have taken this journey.  I'm sure at some time we've all been asked about the love.  It's instantly there... I'm not sure how but it's there...just as strong, just as natural, just as genuine.....maybe even more.

So to all of those who became a part of us on Gotcha Day, we love you with all our heart(s)
and thank you for making our lives complete from that day forward. For Jeff, Jess, Shannon, Joey, Ross, Cody, Kyle, Adelaide and Isabella..and all those before and after...thanks for choosing "us"!♥♥♥

Kindle 1, 2, 3

My new toy arrived this morning.  My Kindle HDX 8.9!  It's pretty sweet and pretty thin. It looks a lot like Jeff's iPad and appears to do exactly the things his does.  When I was opening it he said, "I thought we weren't supposed to buy anything before Christmas?"  I explained that if I waited, I'd be playing with socks and a peanut butter cup.  That was merely a warning for everyone else and it should still be heeded.

This is my third Kindle.. I'm pretty much a sucker for an upgraded anything.  I can still remember sitting in Jeff's bedroom in Locke typing something into a computer and then seeing it come out exactly how I had done it on a printer.....The printer paper even had the holes on each side. we were amazed.  From there we went to fancier computers, better printers, hand held games that didn't require long wires all over to computers that fit in your hand and stored your information in a cloud...A perfect place as that's occasionally where I float these days.

I was so excited when I could actually talk to Siri and she would do as I asked.  She knew how to get me places, she knew quickly when the world might end when I was playing Jeopardy, she could text and call for me when I was driving and she even helped me spell a word (shhhh don't tell anyone I didn't know how by myself.)  Now, I have more people I can talk to on my new Kindle. There's a Mayday button you can push on the screen and someone (alive and American) will answer my questions and help me find an answer.  They can draw on my screen and help or just "do it!" It's pretty remarkable!  And.. this little beauty is about as thin as a mouse pad.  Technology is pretty spectacular.  Now if only I had WiFi everywhere....

Oh what (have I done) fun!

It's almost time to put away the turkeys, the fall leaves and the pumpkins and bring out the Santas, the trees and the tinsel.....Naa scrap the tinsel, I don't like it!  I was having a discussion (one of many we have) with Bailee about Christmas when I was a kid and some of the special things we would do to celebrate and decorate.  It brought to mind  a couple of things that always found their way to an end table or a shelf.  The little caroling boys and the Santa and reindeer candle were pretty much the ugliest of decorations.  They originated in the 50's and you never...ever.....burned them.  When I was cleaning out Mom's dining room buffet, there they were.....along with the tiny candle powered carousel.  I was inundated with stuff and made the knee jerk decision to let them go.  Stupid, stupid Sandy.  I would love to have the ugly little wax traditions to share with Bailee :-( Oh, what have I done!

I continued with my stories of Glass Wax and stencils,  singing O Holy Night around the little Organaire , bubble lights on the tree, waiting at the train station with "Brownie" for that one special gift to arrive by train, spaghetti for Christmas dinner, coming down the stairs in a blinding glare of flood lights being held by Dad (in his plaid pants) while Mom ran the movie camera and the nearly unbearable anticipation of stockings, breakfast, opening packages one at a time and phone calls to relatives......in that particular order.......always!

I believe old holiday traditions are absolutely imperative.....pictures are a no-brainer and that new traditions are exciting.  This will be Bailee's 8th Christmas and she already looks for special ornaments, loves to tell stories of our Christmases past, anticipates her clever Grandma once again capturing Santa's stop at EIEIO and has acquired an abundance of patience as we open our gifts one at a time.

It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year even if the logistics make me crazier every year!