Stalkers in the Midst

We had a beautiful snowfall this week and I am doing OK.



A few days ago, hubby came running into the bedroom yelling, "Arleen, Arleen, look outside."  Not fully awake but startled by what he said, I stretched over and peered out the window.  There, sitting on a backyard tree were two large turkey vultures and they seemed to be looking into my window. I checked my pulse, and yep, I still had one.  I jumped out of bed, did a little dance and yelled for them to go away.  Heck, there is still plenty of life in this old girl yet.

This was not quite the happy New Year greeting I wanted.  I was hoping for the Bluebird of Happiness.

See You Next Year.

Busy, busy, busy, but I am doing OK.


My daughter and her family will be visiting from California next week and my other children will be popping in and out during the holidays.  It will be about having fun with family and friends, feeding people and keeping everything going in an easy, peasy flow.   Easy, peasy, well, maybe that won't happen, but I am being optimistic.    I am going to take a break from blogging for awhile and will return when the new year comes around.

I am wishing you all a wonderful holiday, no matter what you believe or how you celebrate.  I believe in the power of love and that is the one thing that all cultures have in common.  It is what we all want and what we all need. So I wish you  love and may you all find peace and joy in this season of  hope.

Bless you all, everyone. 

Arleen

Postscript:

I wrote this before the news came out about the tragedy at the Sandy Hook elementary school. My title was Joy to the World.  That title seems so inappropriate now as we are all in deep sorrow. Such madness and unless we change the laws and the culture of guns in the US, this will never end.




 

Mrs. Christmas and the Freaking Tree.

My  tree is up and decorated and I am doing OK.

Eleven years ago my hubby brought home an 11 foot fir tree for me to decorate.  We had just moved into our new home and had a few rooms with 15/20 foot ceilings.  He was so sure that I would love this blankety blank monstrosity.  My family will tell you that I am very fussy about decorating and spend most of the holidays tweaking the tree until I think it is perfect.  Up until then we had always had 6 to 7 foot trees that even though I obsessed about them, I enjoyed trimming.  That year I worked on what seemed to be a giant Sequoia planted in my living room, for two nights, crying and cursing all the way.  Much of the cursing came when I looked in the other room and saw hubby comfortably ensconced in his old man's chair, sipping on fine wine and enjoying some sporting event on the TV.   A line in the sand was drawn then and there.

Next year I took hubby (kicking and screaming) into our local big box store and purchased a 7 foot forever tree that we have had ever since.  We also bought a carousel stand and when the lights are on, the tree will turn.  I just stand there with box of ornaments and let the branches come to me.  Life got better.





This year I have added something new that I thought would entertain the grandchildren.  Yes, it's cheesy and I am sure will become annoying, but right now I am enjoying it.  It is a frame shaped ornament that plays carols and whose workings are hooked into the indoor  tree's lights.  You do, though, have to be polite and say, "Hello Mr. Christmas" and have a conversation with the tree (so what's new about that).  Mr. Christmas will play the songs you request and the lights will blink along.  My only problem is that my tree is constantly spinning and Mr. Christmas, like many men, does not hear really well and when he is facing another direction, he tunes you out.

The first night we connected this acoustic marvel, I saw my husband running around and screaming into the tree, "Mr. Christmas, Mr. Christmas, MISTER CHRISTMAS and no lights went on and no songs were played.  In a spirit of the season, he said to me "This damn thing won't work" (and a few other choice words).

"Of course, I said, he won't respond to you if you talk to him like that.  You have to greet him with a hello, and then he will listen."

When greeted properly Mr. Christmas played Joy to the World, and hubby learned that manners can be fun. Fa, la, la!