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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| I'm still recovering from a cold, cough, and malaise. So I'm spending New Year's Eve at home, basically killing time. We put the luminaries out on the road on time; a neighbor's son volunteered to light them. Apparently, he likes being out in the cold, and was still there when I went out in the dark to try my hand at photos in the dark. It was cool seeing the whole neighborhood with its hills and winding curves lit up with candles. I followed that with putting photos on Facebook. I served my dad some oyster stew, then slept all the way through Jeopardy. I woke up to some New Year show with Kathy Lee Gifford reviewing the past year of celebrities. (It would be too depressing reviewing the news.) It was informative. I caught celebrity gossip I missed during the year, I was reminded that this was Jimmy Fallon's first year on The Tonight Show.I learned about selfie on a stick and "belfies" (selfie of the butt). But I was really fascinated with Beyonce, Nicky Minaj, and Meghan Trainor. Only the last was new to me; I had heard her on the radio and instantly liked the song, but the name hadn't stuck. They came together, along with J-Lo, Kim,and Ellen, yes Ellen, to make 2014 "the year of the rear". (Ellen did a spoof of Anaconda, which was not pretty.) What most women always have tried to avoid is now in style, a big booty.I had to leave the TV set, go to my computer, and listen to these songs and watch these videos. I am enlightened. There is this whole phenomenon going on, a new way of thinking that's hip and cool and liberating. I've been missing out on this music, too. I liked what I heard. Well, some of the lyrics were a little out there, but probably not worse than what I listened to when I was in college, just different. So with all the things that happened this year, in science, in medicine, in politics, in finances, in history, I'm going to recall that 2014 was the year of the rear. Makes it stand out, huh? |
| 2014 wasn't a banner year as far as good years ago, but it wasn't the worse either. I didn't write the great American novel. I didn't meet the man of my dreams. or even a close second. I did not write in my blog every day.On the other hand, I didn't lose my job: I didn't lose my house or my car. Let's put a positive spin here. We did have some momentous changes in the family. My younger brother discovered he has mesothelioma. After a successful surgery, he's been given another ten years, which is, of course, just a guess. He's not bitter or sad. He just gets tired easily. He claims he's still a basically happy person. My father finally conceded that he can't drive after dark, and that maybe some of his decision making abilities aren't quite what they used to be. We have to make concessions for that. I tried some new things. I took a computer course on Thomas Jefferson, which was a thrill. I'm surprised how useful the information has been. I took part in NaNoWriMo for the first time, and the October Prep. The discipline and the commitment to complete those were a big step forward. I do think I'm trying more options in writing and demonstrating better discipline than in the past. And the feeling of actually having completed a novel, even if it isn't fit to read (yet), is tremendous. One thing I've discovered about myself is that I have a hard time with happy endings. No matter how great a story may be going, how upbeat, somehow it always takes a big downhill sweep. Real life disappointments and experiences get in the way. I don't allow myself to have high expectations, so that I won't be disappointed. Apparently, I do that in my fiction, too, pulling the rug out at the last minute. I want to work on that. It would be easy to focus on failures, or illnesses, or the news. But it helps to look at the successes and the strides forward as well, to review strengths as well as weaknesses, to recognize opportunities for growth. Reviewing the past is not to get lost in the past, but to move onward. |
| Since it was raining Christmas Eve, the neighborhood delayed the luminaries until New Year's Eve. However, Mr. Weather Man is now predicting sleet. Oh, well. At our house, we're going to pop a DVD in the box and drink some sparkling cider. I know, what an exciting life, right? Hopefully, I'll stop feeling yucky by then and can reflect on the year past. When I'm sick, I can't read. I just can't focus on the print. So I turn to TV that doesn't make me think. That's easy to come by. Speaking of TV, tonight there was a lousy selection. My dad is watching Pale Rider for the 20th time. Not a bad movie. But everything else is trash! Kids are out of school. They can stay up late. Even during prime time, there were only foul-mouthed shows that I wouldn't want to explain to a ten year old.Not that any scheduler pays attention to me, but there should be more children's shows or family options, along with the usual trash. At work I'm still trying to make the last 11 people get their flu shot. I've been kicking their butts about this since October, so we wouldn't be doing this at the last minute. So when my boss on vacation sent me an email today giving me the order to threaten them, I had no problem and no sympathy. They get the flu shot or a note from their doctor before they work tomorrow or they are suspended until they do.I got one positive response so far. We'll see. |
| The cold got worse Friday night and by Saturday I was a zombie. My father, in his 80's, came home around 5. He hadn't eaten anything but crackers all day.He sat around and slept the rest of the day. I did get him to eat half a bowl of soup around 8:30. He went to bed early. Today he's only come out of his room once. I'm worried about him. He has a water glass, and has taken his pills, so I don't think he'll get badly dehydrated. He's just sleeping. I feel bad myself, no appetite, headache, sneezing, etc., but I've forced myself to get up and about. I don't want him to waste away or have a stroke while I'm sitting here ignoring him. He has a lot of pride and is stubborn. I won't be able to force him to a doctor. He'll get mad if I call EMT's. I just have to monitor things. Then my brother showed up for an hour or two, and he's catching a cold.The second brother called; he's got a fever, chills, and is woozy.These babies are killing us. I'm buying face masks for the next family gathering. |
| I'm glad I'm not in retail any longer. What a horrible day, especially if you work in a store where they keep track of your sales. Returns count against you, even in another department. So all those sales you worked so hard to get come bouncing back after the holidays. Then there's the long lines, if you're a customer, buying or returning. It's the same long wait. The crowds, the parking. Fortunately, very few clothes were given in our group, except for the toddlers who are easy to fit. Books will be read and traded. As for the rest of the town, it looked like a ghost town. The usual crowded streets were empty. Parking places were everywhere along my bus route. But I didn't need to park in an all day spot and catch the bus or trolley. The hospital garage opened up Christmas Eve and won't close until Sunday, Jan. 4. I can park 3 blocks from the office for free. The building in which I work is not empty, but it's so quiet. I had almost no phone calls today. A little filing appeared overnight. A few people came from other buildings for supplies, but I got caught up on so much stuff. This evening the downtown still looked vacated, as well as the mountain on which I live. My dad apparently saw one of the neighbors today, so they haven't all gone away. I love it. It has a small town feel, with a medium town convenience. Emergency services and mail are all running. You feel secure, but know the movie houses and the bars and the grocers are there if you need them. Now if I can just get rid of this incessant cough, the itchy throat, and runny eyes I got from that runny-nosed baby at my house during Christmas, I'd be better. |
| I love Christmas despite all the work.So I disappoint myself hearing the words "I survived Christmas" coming out of my mouth.But we muddled through at our house. Most seemed satisfied, and I'm no worse for it. I took lots of breaks which annoyed my father, but men tend not to be understanding when someone else is sick. We had a huge menu, with a house full of kids, and a variety of arrival times. I loaded the dishwasher twice, and washed two sinks of pans and utensils by hand. We know we had a good holiday when someone gets hurt. The two year old fell off his six year old cousin's (once removed) stretch bike or whatever you call it. He was in motion when he hit the ground, so the pebble traveled along his face in an arc cutting him.Good party. Better than the year my late brother fell face first onto the coffee table from sleep apnea, cutting his eyebrow open. And we don't serve liquor or any spirits. There was some melodrama in the younger generation. I wasn't part of it, kept out of it. They can work out their own little marital spats. They also had tales of trouble with in-laws, not part of the aforementioned drama.Makes for good listening. All in all a busy, dynamic day. The brother without small children, my father, and I have made a pact. In 2015 we will be out of town, maybe out of the country, for Christmas, maybe Thanksgiving, too! |
| I just had to jinx myself and predict a smooth, stress-free Christmas. The flu hit big time yesterday. I was violently ill last night. The retching was so painful and so awful, it stopped my heart, and I passed out on the bathroom floor. Just to be clear, I've had the flu shot! The strain that's going around is not the one they prepared for. So I won't get that other flu, but this one nearly killed me. Now I know why a cardiologist told me the flu could be fatal for people like me. Anyway, I feel like crap today. I hurt all over. I can't eat. I'm drinking water and tea in sips only. That's it. I was up most of the night, even after the worst of it was over. I still have to run to the bathroom if I sneeze or cough. So I don't want to have Christmas at my house. No one will change their plans. I'm going to have people in the house with my germs. I guess they think they're invincible. My brother said he would come do the cooking. He hasn't shown up yet. I don't want my Dad to try. It will take me a week after I'm well to clean up behind him. I did sweep and took some pies out of the freezer.Thank goodness all the wrapping and decorating are done. It was all I could do to get in the shower this morning. Drying my hair was an ordeal; I finally gave up. I plan to sit around a few more hours, before I push myself. My stomach hurts. Have a safe and healthy Christmas Eve. |
| One year, maybe I was ten or so, my Uncle Sonny gave me a nativity set for Christmas. My family in subsequent years claimed it as theirs. I never took it to my own home. It remained with my parents' things. I always went home for Christmas, so I never complained. In fact, I would usually go home at least once between Thanksgiving and Christmas to help decorate, including setting up that set. Now I'm living back with my elderly widowed father, so I'm with it again. The initial set was just a stable, which was a combination of thin wood and heavy duty cardboard, the holy family, one sheep, one shepherd, one angel, and one donkey. The roof has pieces of straw glued to it. There were additional parts available at the local "dime" store. In subsequent years, since I loved this set so much, I bought additional pieces with my own money. For 29 cents I bought another sheep. That was big money back then, especially for a kid. For 39 cents I bought a cow. I'd go with my grandmother occasionally, but it was always my own money. The prices went up as I progressed in school. Eventually pieces cost 59 cents and more! I bout 3 camels, not all at once, 2 more wise men, one was black, a whole choir of angels, another sheep, and two more shepherds. The figures were made of paper mache in Italy. A few years ago, I was holding one of the angels too tightly while doing something else. I snapped his head off. I set it aside to try to repair it, but one of the great-nieces got her hands on it, and I have only a headless angel now. I haven't been able to part with it. One of the camels, the one standing up, had one leg too short. He probably was one of the more expensive pieces, but I have to lean him against something or put a pebble under one foot. It gets a place of honor each year. It's funny how a cheap gift like that is one of the best gifts I ever got. I have treasured it as though it were something precious. Maybe it was my scarce coins that contributed to it. Maybe it was the years of being part of my family Christmas celebration. It reminds me of happier, gentler days when everyone I loved in the world was with me. Maybe it was the care with which each piece was doubly wrapped and put away for another year and reopened and artfully displayed again. This worn set is almost an antique now. The pieces are irreplaceable. It's almost half a century old. No one will ever prize it the way I have. I will leave it to my nephew someday on the chance that his father will teach him to value it as a family heirloom. Just as it is a reminder of my uncle and his love for his niece and nephews, maybe it will be a reminder for my brother's boy. In the meantime, I've purchased a ceramic set for my great-niece. I doubt she can find pieces to add to it. But maybe it will be something she can keep through the years, and carry with her when she gets a home of her own. She'll be able to share it with her children and her grandchildren and tell old tales. Maybe she'll even remember she had a great aunt who loved her. Maybe. |
| It's getting so close! I hope Santa knows where I live and what I want. Oh, he doesn't have to bring me something I want. I like surprises! I pared back on everything this year, and I think it's working. Fewer gifts, less cooking, less wrapping, fewer outings, less interior decorating. Early shopping and on-line shopping helped. Only the housework remains the same. Fast and furious cooking will start Tuesday. I have to work right through Christmas Eve. By not getting out all the decorations, I didn't have so many boxes to put away, so many things to clean and display. Too many small children coming to visit who wreak havoc even when there are no decorations, and one old man who's getting feeble and drops expensive ornaments make less decorating desirable. I want them all to relax and have fun. Of course, I've also cut back on social activities to allow myself more time to relax and do chores. We had great music at church today, Appalachian and Cajun style music. I went to a relative's house for a little Christmas party late this afternoon. I still have to visit a shut-in tomorrow night and take her a plant. I have one gift left to wrap. So far it looks like it's going to be a peaceful, smooth Christmas. I hope it is for a lot of people. All of my bosses will be out of the office, so we can catch up on paper work and small details. We'll start out the new year better organized. (Funny, how when management isn't there, things run so smoothly, and there are no fires to put out.) I might have a stress-free Christmas this year! |
| Maybe it was the French teacher in grammar school, or teachers in general, but I've always been fascinated by how Christmas is celebrated in other places. For instance, the French teacher told us about the creche scene which always included peasants. Now that's not Biblical, but it was a French tradition. The yule log in the fire place would still be burning when they got home from midnight mass. They would eat a chocolate "yule log". Santa was called "Pere Noel". The Germans, we learned, had stollen, real fruitcakes, and other rich pastries. Danish decorated with hanging apples, drank glug, and would have a special rice dish. In Holland, they put out shoes instead of stockings on the mantle. Now, I hear that on the rocky islands of Italy, Santa uses a donkey instead of a sleigh to deliver his goods. Present day isn't always December 25, but could be January 6. In Great Britain, you have Boxing Day, and you get "crackers", little surprise packages you pull open with a snap. I love the Jimmy Buffet song "Christmas Island", a real place. He sings of hanging your stocking on a coconut tree. With Jimmy, you stay up "late like the islanders do, and wait for Santa to sail in with your presents on a canoe." I'd love to do that one year! We grew up listening to Bing Crosby. Songs are an excellent way to remember things. With the Andrew sisters, he sang "Melekeliki Maka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you." I admit as a kid, trying to learn the words, I thought they were singing "is the wise way . . ." I finally figured out as an adult, it was "Hawaii's". Still it paints a beautiful picture of a sunny day, green and bright, and clear skies and "stars at night". On the same album, Bing sang "Christmas in Kilarney", where "the door is always open, the neighbors come to call, and Father John, before he's done, will bless the house and all." It always made me try to take on an Irish accent and talk blarney. I finally found a true Irish man who taught me a basic Irish jig, so that I could "click my heels, and join in the fun of the jigs and reels". After knowing a few people from Iraq a few years ago, I did some research. Very few Christians live there, so it isn't even a secular holiday. But those who do celebrate have a small bonfire in the front yard. The younger men and women try to jump over it. If successful, they believe you will have good luck the coming year. The roofs are flat, so you can pick out the Christian homes where a single candle is placed on the roof. It is to guide the Christ child to safety. It's true we like our traditions. We like things the way we've always done them. We want to set new traditions with our children. But there is something so universal about Christmas, or the idea of Christmas. It makes me want to be more culturally diverse. I want to feel the connection to people from all over the earth celebrating the same thing. |
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