My responsibility

Being a Grandma, I now realize that it is my responsibility (and joy) to teach my granddaughter certain things.  Her Mom has done an exceptional job with manners and good hygiene..I just reinforce. I have worked hard on the grammar end of language.  Her speech teacher triumphed as she coaxed the hard g's and c's and finally the last challenge of "r"..or as Bailee says it..."r-er"!  Papa has taught her that not all Grandpas can hear and that sometimes they are grumpy and don't want to play school or Twister... (one HUGE difference between Grandmas and Grandpas).  Her teachers are working on patience and socialization as well as all that educational stuff (and we know they are

greatly underpaid and under appreciated). So it really comes back to Grandmas, at least this one, to teach the big stuff...like: how to set the table; kisses and hugs are appropriate always; saying I love you should be voiced as easily as "hello"; Grandma's can keep secrets; showing Gram how to use the iPhone, TiVo, or DVD should always come across as Grandma showing YOU!; there's nothing more fun than reading or writing; September through January, Sundays are for football and most importantly....the difference between offense and defense..!!!  The rest of life's lessons will come soon enough but in the meantime...if you need to know, ask Grandma!

Finally

Well we have a dusting of snow on the ground...just in time for our first "girls luncheon" this noon.  The next 2 weeks are full of fun things to do. 2 girls lunches, I girls supper, 1 family wing ding (tomorrow), 1 kindergarten school play (which might just as well be Carnegie Hall for me), one quiet Christmas Eve and then the big day...Bailee won't be home until noon so we'll have a quiet morning and then an afternoon of presents, presents and more presents.... then some spaghetti for the big meal of the day... Hey, we voted and that was the consensus... Much easier than the whole prime rib layout.... We always used to have spaghetti at Mom's so we're coming full circle.... Easy and Yummy all in one.  We'll still have the festive table and all 6 of us will be around it... That's all that matters!!  Off to lunch # 1:-)

LBD

If the "Little Black Dress" is worn by "BIG Fat Me", is it still a "Little Black Dress?"    (just sayin')  :-)

Ho Ho-----

Ho Ho Hum.....I think we "Need a little Christmas. Right this very minute."  Snow....we need SNOW!  There are those who will vehemently disagree with me but it's only 2 weeks from it officially being winter...Winter means snow.  If I wanted to linger in 60 degree weather in December, I'd move!  The weather report is a bit optimistic on the snow front.  There's "wet" weather on the move northward. Depending on where we live, we'll either get more of this nasty, rainy, drizzly crap or some honest to goodness measurable SNOW!! We can't throw snowballs, make a snowman, ski, sled or snowmobile.... that's what we do here in upstate New York in the winter..OK maybe some do and others bitch but we're pretty well known for being a winter wonderland.  Now we just wonder where winter is. Everyone's saying we'll probably pay for all of this nice warm weather... So be it.... suck it up folks. Put your snow tires on, drive cautiously and defensively, leave gloves in your vehicle and make sure your cell phone is with you....renew your AAA and welcome the flakes with open arms. If you don't like the weather here, you could always move... maybe south where they have hurricanes or west where they have fires and tornadoes....If you choose to stay, sit back, relax, take your time traveling and "deal about it!"

Might as well -)

Isn't random awesome?  How could anybody be sad or stressed if they looked up..and saw this?  When Christmas is over and I've removed Bailee and Santa from my background...This will replace it.  I think if you look deep enough, there's always something to smile about... I smile at something Bailee has said, a commercial on TV, a sitcom on the tube and even when I look out into our back yard and see the falls.  We always seem to dwell on the negative when the positive is directly in front of us. It's not just us. The news is generally negative....surely there's good news somewhere....There must be some place that isn't having tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards. There must be some little town that is having a Christmas festival and no one has recently been murdered there. There surely is a school system that is filled with wonderful students taught by amazing teachers.  I know there are people who are still giving to those in need that don't complain about their debt ceilings. Why aren't we hearing about all of this good news?  By Golly, we have that right here in Moravia..... Now there's some good news....that should make you smile :-)

Dreamcatchers

Miss B has been having nightmares...really weird ones.... Girls trying to poke her eyes out with a fork, crabby creatures crawling on her.....who can sleep well through all that. Last night a friend of Jess's brought her a homemade dreamcatcher...it worked..A good night's sleep.....
I'd like a dreamcatcher too....although I tend to have good, albeit occasionally, strange dreams.  Last night's was extremely vivid. As you know, I enjoy writing (be it bad or good).  I was in an art appreciation class and was asked to write a paper on a particular painting. I can still see it! It was a bit abstract but had colors of reds, yellows and oranges.  I remember penning it through the eyes of a little boy named Liman, from Kosovo (??)  He called the painting "Undercover Skies".  He explained that he loved peeking from under a blanket at the night sky and imagining that it was filled with beautiful fireworks and celebration. It was not...it was volleys of gunfire and mortars.  He was very young, maybe Bailee's age but extremely articulate.  I woke up remembering words he had used, visuals he had seen and a very clear picture of this little boy with the huge brown eyes.  I often don't remember much about dreams but this one is still embedded in my head.  If I were a painter I could paint the picture. If I were a writer, I could write the words. I guess I'm really just a dreamer.. hoping that these visions of children living through wars will someday come to an end...and their bad dreams can be captured in  dreamcatchers too.

Decorations...

This really shouldn't be so difficult.  I really dislike (can't say hate..Bailee said so) my outside Christmas decor.....really! I got the new lights and Jeff and I replaced the ones on the bushes. They look....ok... the hanging star, snowflakes, whatever the hell they are on the porch are still the old fashioned white, clear lights.  They look horrible together... I may replace them too... and they weren't cheap!!! darn, darn, darn!! I was thrilled that by December 1st I would have everything finished....yeah right! Everything is finished if you don't do it over again!!! Today I'll decide.   I can tell you, I will have lots of gently used LED lights for sale next year. I don't want my yard to look like a space ship landed. Old dog-new tricks..NOT!
Jeff leaves tomorrow :-( those 2 weeks went way too fast.  Could be part of my grumpiness today.  They'll be back for Christmas so I'll rally quickly and start looking forward again.  Hatfield Christmas is here next Saturday so that will keep me busy. A couple of "girls luncheons" the next 2 Fridays.  They are always lots of fun... I really enjoy catching up with old friends.  I'd better get the tree up this week-end so Santa has a place to unload his sleigh...The stockings were hung (yesterday) by the chimney with care and the cards will go in the mail on Monday morning.  I guess if I can just "deal about it" with the those damn ugly outside lights, I'll be ready to enjoy the next 3 weeks!! LED at my house means Lots of Energy Down the Drain.....