Scenes From Our Christmas "Wild Rumpus"

 

 

 

 

 

My Little Chrismas Story

One day last week I woke up overwhelmed with all the things that I needed to do.  Get ready for a Christmas party....decorate....and many other things. Normally I am a very happy glass is half full type of person, but this morning I was not in the best frame of mind.  I was feeling sorry for myself and in an ill mood.

As I was driving to work it occurred to me that my days are numbered.  No I don't have a terminal disease, but my days are numbered and only God knows how many I have.  I should live in the moment and rejoice in every single day.  As the scripture says; Rejoice and again I say rejoice. (Philippians 4: 4)

So during my short drive to work, I prayed to God.  I always use ACTS  for my prayers. A--affirmation--give God glory and praise, C--contrition--ask for forgiveness, T--give thanks for your blessing and S--supplication--give God your cares and ask for His blessings and grace.  My short version of this is: I love you Lord, forgive me Lord, thank you Lord and help me Lord.  

This particular morning I asked the Lord to help me be joyful, to live the day as if it was my last, and to inspire others with my attitude.  I finished up my prayer as I walked toward the hospital. As I walked up toward the canopy, something made me look up.  I saw a little feather floating down just above my head.  It landed gently at my feet...I think He heard me...don't you?

From My House to Your House

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

Oops I Did It Again

I took this picture late last night with my phone.  I'm pooped.

Conversation about a month ago:

Joyce:  Can we have the hospital Christmas party at your house?

Me:  Sure!!

A few things to do...finish the deck, decorate outside, decorate inside, clean up the perpetually dirty/messy garage (David desperately needs a "shop")........make sure house is clean clean clean and neat neat neat (I ironed the turn down part of the sheets and the pillow cases--I know I'm crazy).

I am only about a fourth of the way ready and I'm sitting here on the couch resting/procrastinating.  I'll post pictures if I can get the camera charged and find the USB cable...........

The Best Christmas Present

My son is home on leave from Iraq and will get to spend Christmas with his family.  God is so good.

Sigh........

This is a whine free zone, so any of the things that I post that sound whiney are not...I'm simply stating facts.  Here is what has been going on in my life. Monday through Sunday
Beg and pleade for David to go and get the Christmas decorations.  (They are in the attic of our previous home that is now rented)
He does this and the garage is full of boxes of Christmas stuff.
The garage is also full of hunting gear.
The garage is also full of stuff he used to mount a deer for a friend.
Said deer is in a chair in the dining room..drying and awaiting finish work.
I take the 4-wheeler out and gather pine branches and some other dried  branches and vines to decorate the front porch.
I do this, but I can't find the spot lights. Wal-Mart in Winona does not have any. 
Drive to next largest town 20 miles away--that Wal Mart also does not have any..Good ole True Value does though and I buy two.  Put them to highlight doors and porch.  Looks nice. 
Buy green spray paint and paint the ferns that are in ceramic pots on the front porch, place dried branches etc in them, along with silk poinsettias...this also looks good--until straight line winds blow them over..plan B...straighten them up and replace with more pine branches later on this week.
Arm starts to hurt...cellulitis in elbow from venipuncture? tendonitis in elbow?  bursitis in shoulder from driving the 4-wheeler? or all of the above.
Plan on real Christmas tree this year..buy it at Christmas tree farm probably...looking at messy house, can't decorate inside until cleaned up.  Laundry piled to the ceiling.  Arm is hurting worse.
Arm is almost unbearable now.  Understand why people with chronic pain are not nice people.  Elbow is hot-get started on antibiotics.  Have big monthly meeting and get throught it...but arm is hurting so bad, unable to think straight.
House getting dirtier and dirtier...too tired to clean when get home...much less decorate inside...the outside looks good though.......
Friday--took off work to try to rest my arm, which is hurting from my elbow to my neck...and am beyond miserable.  Besides my house looks like somebody picked it up, shook it and put it back down.  And next Saturday is the hospital Christmas party here!!! Got to get started.
Take my time and get the house cleaned up, ice my arm and alternate with heat to my arm.......maybe a little better.
Saturday--Nursing Home party for my uncle and retirement party for one of the physicians David and I have worked with for years.  We are greeters...I am very good at this...I know a lot of people and I am a friendly person and I like seeing people and meeting new people. Arm a little better..can at least get it comfortable so that I can sleep.
Sunday--to church...we are going to a little country church now and I love it....David and I ride the 4-wheeler all over looking for a tree--no dice.  Buy one at a Christmas tree farm...paid a little more than I intended but we left feeling very good about it because the young man said business had been very slow.   Camera missing.  Can't find cellphone either.
The wild monkeys grand children came over and helped decorate the tree and only broke 2 ornaments.
So it is official--Christmas can now come to our house--the tree is up, the snow babies are out, the tiny Nativity Scene is placed, and the Santas are on the mantel...but the house is a wreck!! Oh well I'll clean it up again tomorrow.
Oh and my arm is better.  I'll post pictures soon as I find my camera.

Miss Maidee Had It Right

It seems that Miss Maidee (pronouced May-dee) who was my second grade teacher, was right all along.   She was an old maid and she seemed to me to be ancient.  She had blue hair that she kept in place with a hairnet, wore those "Ole Lady Comfort" shoes (my Mama's name for them) you know the kind that came in any color that you wanted as long as it was black, and  laced up and had big chunky heels...okay I digress......she wore shirt waist dresses that I thought were beyond ugly and she was germophobic.  In fact she took germophobia to a level that is impressive even by todays standards.
She never ever touched any of us.  Well, she never touched our skin.  If for some serious reason that she had to touch one of us, like to jerk Mark Bowie out of his chair and stand him in the corner, she would grab the tiniest corner of our shirt with her thumb and index finger.
And she never ever ever touched a door knob.  Never.  There were three doors to our classroom.  It was the job of whomever sat next to the door to open it for her.  She never touched our desks, our pencils, our books and we never ever touched her desk or her.  If we were called to her desk we stood within 3 feet of her desk and never touched it.
And are you ready for this, she kept a bottle of alcohol on her desk and poured if over her hands anytime she had a potential or real contamination of her hands.  So see that was 50 some odd years ago and she was using alcohol to decontaminate her hands!!  Now that said, her hands were always in terrible shape, they were red, raw, cracked and arthritic.  But I don't remember her being sick or missing a day of school.
She would have loved the alcohol gels..........

Things I Bought At The Auction

I love the first Satuday of the month.  I had a choice--go to the annual Christmas parade and see my friends on the hospital float or go to the auction.  Duh...I can see my friends everyday and I can go to the warehouse and look at the float.
So I got up early (for me) today on a Saturday, showered and dressed in my best auction clothes, extra layers because there is very little heat in the auction house, stopped by Micky Dees for a sausage/biscuit and large black coffee.

































Next I go in the auction house, get my lucky number (22), mark my chair, speak to all my friends and puruse the merchandise.  The first thing that I see is this gorgeous vase.  I don't act like I want it,  I don't even pick it up or touch it.  I figure by now the people there know me and know that I collect/love vintage glassware, in fact I love most glassware.  They are always asking me if I'm a collector.  So that said, I'm afraid they will start bidding against me.  Judy (my auction buddy) and I sit in the back, which has it's advantages--people don't know we are bidding.   I know that this vase is coming home with me.
Judy's son, Chance, helps with the auction, and since I'm getting ancy,  I (stealthly) point this out to him and he brings it up front for bidding.  I wait till the bidding drops to $2.50 and I jump in.  Somebody bids $5.00, but it goes home with me for $7.50.  When I get it in my hands I realize that it is handblown glass!!!  The bottom has the place where it was cut off from the blowing thing and the flutes are not all exact, it is a lovely shade of green.  It looks great in the kitchen and I plan on putting Christmas ornaments in it.  This picture doesn't do it justice...it is quite large.

This is the next thing that came home with me.  An ice bucket without the top, but it has bubbles in the glass and the coolest deer etched on it.  It is big, tall and heavy.  Mine for $2.50.

This is one of two pictures of state birds and flowers I bought.  I didn't realize until after I bought them that one is the Magnolia and Mockingbird of Mississippi.  They are very cool and look like vintage pages out of a book.  They are also framed nicely. Mine for $2.50 each!!  They are now hanging in my bathroom.

Then...Judy and I were talking and I wasn't paying much attention when this beauty came up for bid.

I had not seen it when I looked over the stuff......and I thougth $#^+ that looks like Monax!!!  If you don't know anything about Monax depression glass google it.  Nobody but me wanted it.........mine for $2.50!!!  And the funny thing is, all those dealers there, with their stores didn't recognize it!!  I don't really know my depression glass, but this is only the second piece I have ever seen. It is American Sweetheart Monax which was produced between 1930-1936. I don't think Monax has been reproduced, it is very beautiful and as you can see is translucent.
I think that I made some great purchases....and I had a wonderful time.
Until next time..........

Strange Folks At The Salvation Army

My friend Christine's post here   made me think about my visit to the Salvation Army Store last Friday.  There are always unique characters in there.

As I was checking out, this older gentleman who had been hanging around the counter talking to the checker said, "Well, I guess I better go, I got work to do in Winona."

Me:  (ever the friendly/nosey one) What kind of work do you do in Winona?

Him:  Oh just odd jobs--some of this and that.  Do know Winona?

Me:  Yes I live there.

Him:  Oh that's nice, so do I.

He wandered back around to the other side of the counter and began mumbling to the checker again......and then he said to her, "I need to go, but I can't seem to be able to leave.....you must have hoo-dooed me."

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt then that it was time for me to go.  I don't believe in any of that stuff, but I'm just saying........

I've Been Waiting A Year To Post This Picture

I don't remember where on the web I found this picture, but I immediately copied it.  It reminds me of my childhood.  No no not the girl, the pot belly stove.  It is just like the one we used to heat our old house with.  It was in the living room, and now that I think about it, it was the only source of heat that we had.  I don't know how my brother and uncle kept warm in the back part of the house. Mama and I slept in the living room when it was really cold.  Mama would heat bricks on it, wrap them up in blankets and put them under the covers at the foot of our bed. 
I remember that Daddy would stoke that baby up so hot that you could see the embers glow through a big long crack in the "belly." 
I remember that if you stood in front of it like she is, your face would be on fire and there would be icicles dripping off your behind. 
I remember that Mama would keep my supper warm on it.
I remember that we heated with coal and it was  my job to shovel the coal into the bucket and bring the bucket to the porch. 
I remember opening the door and gazing mesmirized at the glowing embers.
I wonder why so many of my fondest memories are wrapped up in that old drafty log home?   At the time most of my friends were living in much much nicer homes and I was ashamed of where I lived.  If I had only known then what I know now............

Where Hotel Furniture and Casino Furniture Retire

Yes if you have ever wondered what hotels do with all the furniture, lamps, mirrors pictures and stuff when they redo their decor, well it's right here across from Wal Mart here in Winona, MS.  It is housed in an old factory building.  And there is tons of stuff.  It would take hours to really take it all in.  Huge mirrors and pictures some really nice, some soso.  Head boards for days and days.  Seems hotels don't really have headboards they just stick 'em to the wall...miles and miles of bedspreads and sheets and pillows piled to the ceiling.   In the picture above are entertainment centers 5 across with rows of 33.  And that is not all of them.

 

 

 

And this is only a few of the lamps.....

 

This room in the picture below is full of lamp shades and that is dozens of chairs sitting on top....

 

This was scary........but I'm brave and I went in there.....more entertainment centers........in a big deep dark musty dungeon........the thought went through my mind that maybe I was in some kind of insane movie and maybe I couldn't get out.  So as I got to back of the dungeon I turned around and slowly walked toward the light........whew.......out alive.                                                               

Ahhh out in to the light....and on the left are dozens of twin bed headboards....I didn't buy anything.....because nothing really enterested me...except a vintage mirror I saw as I was going out the door.......maybe I'll go  back.

I Am Thankful

I am thankful...
that God loved me enough to send His Son for the redemption of my sins and He forgives me and remembers them no more,
that blessings are given by grace and not by what I deserve,
that I have a wonderful husband, children and grandchildren that love me despite of all of my short comings,
that I have wonderful friends that love me despite of my short comings,
that God has propsered me and I have blessed comfortable life, a great job and good health,
that I had a wonderful childhood,
that there are men and women who have sacrificed and are still sacrificing for my freedom and that I live in the greatest country on earth,
that I'm standing on the shoulders of so many people who have gone before and prepared the way for me.
I am thankful.

Change Of Plans

We had great plans--today we were supposed to be headed to Louisville KY, with reservations to stay here.  We had planned to have Thanksgiving with David's sister. 
David, his brother Darryl, two of the grandkids and the two puppy girls and I all in one vehicle.  Everything was planned to a T.  I even had gotten a prescription for medication to help me relax.   I don't get car sick on long trips, I get car crazy.  I take books, magazines, my laptop--you name it to try to keep me sane--but ultimately the craziness sets in.  And you will hate me.  And if you are traveling with me, I will hate you.  I squirm, I whine, I snort, I sigh. Buuuttt...........Saturday I found myself in the ED....kidney stone passed but near septic with a kidney infection....I have been sicker, but that is not saying a lot.  With a temperature hovering near 102, gagging with the dry heaves, rigors and a feeling of impending doom, (Oh and I wound up with my IV in my foot!!--the only place they could find to stick me!!)    I thought well I guess I won't be going to KY.......Thanks to great doctors, nurses, lab and X-ray techs I'm home today and fine.
I am very thankful for being home, being on the mend and having a great husband who always stands by me.  Happy Thanksgiving To All.

This Post Is Not For The Faint of Heart

Instead of going to church Sunday like I asked him to, David worked on the deck.  (The devil got a hold on me and I didn't go either)  And around lunch time David felt something in his eye.  He was using the saw without safety glasses.  Which of course is a no no. I tried and tried but could not see anything in his eye.  But he could hold it open.  And he couldn't stand the light in it.  I tried to wash it out.  But he couldn't hold it open.  And he couldn't stand more than 5 drops of water to go in it. Titty Baby.  Honestly.
I finally convinced him to go to the ED so they could anesthesize his eye with drops, use that colored paper to see if he had a corneal abrasion and also see if they could get whatever he thought was in there out.
I drove him to the ED and they did just that.  They couldn't find any foreign body in his eye, but he did have a few small corneal abrasions.  Then the doctor told me to wash his eye out.  I was going to do it the old fashioned way with a bottle of saline and a basin to catch the water.  Lesa the ED nurse said no....let's do it this way.  She put this thing that looked like a big contact in his eye, hooked it up to a bag of IV Normal Saline and flushed his eye out.
Since he eye was deadened he didn't show out like he did with me.  He said that it felt soothing.  But boy did it look freaky.  I told him that he looked like something out of one the Saw movies.  Here is a picture..

They put medicine in his eye, patched it and gave him a prescription for eye ointment.  He is doing fine.

I Spent Too Much Money At The Auction

Last Satuday I went to the month auction held here.  I saw her the minute I walked in and knew she was coming home with me no matter what.
She needed me and I needed her.  I don't usually collect baby dolls, although I do have all of my childhood baby dolls. But she looked so sweet sitting there, and I knew that she needed me to take her home and clean her up and make her feel better.  When I purused the stock of stuff to be auctioned off, I only gave her a cursory look--you know you have to play the game.  You can't let anybody know that you really want something.  Some people are just mean enough to run your bid up and the drop it on you.  But I didn't care--she was coming home with me.

I didn't pick her up......I was playing it cool. The label that the auctioneer had put on her stated that she was from the 30s or 40s which I think that is probably right.
The auctioneer asked a doll collector what she thought she was worth $300?  She said no and started the bid off at $10.  I immediately got in and ultimately got her for $40.  I walked up to the auctioneer and took her in my arms myself...kinda like adopting a baby or something.  As I looked her overI realized although she smells quite musty and her wig is quite messy, all her clothes, socks, undies and shoes are original. Her coloring, blushing on her check and knees is perfect and her eyes are perfect.

June (the doll collector) came up to me and asked me if I collect and I told her yes--but not usually baby dolls.  I asked her if she thought I had paid too much and she said yes.  She would have not paid more than $10.  And that I would not be able to get the musty smell out of her......I assured her that I would.  There are many websites that explain how to do this...The auctioneer's wife told me they had gotten her in Memphis in an estate sale that included hundreds of dolls. June told me that she had 4000 dolls in her house!!  4000!!  She invited me over--I can't wait to go.
Now as we were talking, out of the corner of my eye I saw the beauty on the right being passed around for bid.  I don't know where she was hiding, but I heard somebody say $40, and I jumped in.  I didn't know if they were starting the bids or if somebody was biding on her.  And she is a Roberta bride doll.  I almost piddled myself.
Most of you know that I collect bride dolls.  So I raised my hand I got her for $40.  June was apalled.  She too is musty.  But she is in pristine condition other than that. Shoes, undies, blushing--all perfect.  Looked her up on ebay and this is about right.  But anyway, I never buy my dolls for value, I buy them because they need me and I need them.
If anybody out there has any tips on how to clean them up a bit--please make a comment.

Is God Trying To Tell Me Something?

Surreal things happen to me.  Yesterday after work I went to Wal Mart.....I'm in the store walking around with my list and I'm purusing the doggie clothes.  I'm in a part of the store that is sort of secluded and this man walks up to me and in a very nice way tells me he needs two dollars and sixty-five cents so that he can buy a gallon of gas so that he can get home.  He said he barely made to Wal Mart. I didn't hesitate and gave him five dollars. He thanked me told me his name and asked if there was anything he could do for me. I told him no, but just do something kind for somebody else.  He had some change and asked me if I wanted it in return for me giving him the five dollars and I told him no.
At that moment I was struck by the shallowness of my life.  I was looking at doggie clothes and somebody needed money for gas to get home.  And if God was testing me, did I pass?  Why didn't I give him that twenty dollar bill?  I had about sixty dollars in my bill fold, why didn't I give him all of it?
Then I left Wal Mart, headed to my uncle's house to pick up his mail......and get this....there was a guy dressed in jeans, a western shirt and wearing a cowboy hat and he was dragging a cross!!!  The cross had a pair of small wheels on the bottom and he was going north following the two-lane highway that goes through town.

After I collected the mail, I tried to find him.  Sure enough he walked in front of me at the place where I pulled back on the highway.  I rolled down my window and waved at him.  I felt like I was supposed to do something, but I didn't know what......people had written all over his cross.......I guess the only belongings that he had were in a small backpack.......it was cold last night........I could have given him money for a motel room.
Jesus if I failed you, I'm sorry....

Sometimes I Wonder

I never thought about this until I saw the title of  book about what to write in your blog..."Nobody Cares About What You Had For Lunch."
Should I post what I have been doing?
Does anybody care?
But then I thought about the fact that I started this blog for myself.  Yawl know that things rattle around in my head..... and I have to get them out so that I can think about more stuff.  Anyway.....so here goes.
Monday David and I went to Jackson with our daughter for an appointment.  Before the appointment we made some shopping stops.  I wanted to go to Best Buy  to get another Sony eBook.  David bought me one last Christmas and get this--I lost it.  I have turned the house upside down and can't find it.  So I bought another one.

And one thing that is so typical of David, is that we go to get something for me and he sees something he wants.
Yep that's right he saw it and we came home with it--Rock Band II with the drums, cymbals and guitar.
One thing that nobody except those that went to High School with him knows is that he is one heck of a drummer.  Now I'm not saying that because he's mine, but because I have heard him.

A few years after we married, he borrowed a drum set, set it up in the living room and started to play.  I had initially thought, drummer----yeah yeah sure... but when he started  playing my mouth dropped open.  I was blown away.  He played in a jazz band in high school and in some other  bands, but life happened......married young.....two children that are 14 months apart......but for that he might have really been in a Rock Band!!!

I love ya Daddy.....rock on.

A Warning From My Daughter

Last Sunday my daughter and I had enjoyed a little shopping therapy and we were on the way home.  As I was approaching a red light this is our conversation--and oh btw she is 29 and I'm 53.
Daughter:  "Be careful there is a cop car behind you."
Me:  "What do you think I'm going to do?  Run the red light?  Peel out? Burn rubber? Squeal my tires?  Leave some rubber on the asphalt.?"
Daughter: "Just don't do anything crazy."
I guess my reputation will stay with me forever.  I know she doesn't know about this or this ... so what could it be?