Well I hope every one's Thanksgiving was wonderful.  Mine was!   It was a bit hectic but that's what makes things wonderful right?    We had no fires this year, which is an accomplishment in itself.  The only thing bad was the rolls got a bit overdone again.   Oh well it was all yummy.   Turkey day we were up at 6:30, drank 1 cup of coffee and it was off to the races.   Getting the food cooking and such.  14 Family members came over and we ate yummy food.   They visited for a while and then said, well I'm sure you guys want to get on the road so we will get going.   Hubby and I finished the cleaning up, dishes and such and were on the road to the cabin by 6:30pm.  Whew that was a busy 12 hour shift I tell ya!   Through the snow and very icy roads we made it to the cabin.  It was so quiet and wonderful.  After we unpacked everything, and sat down, I was exhausted.  So off to bed for me.   

 

Friday was another wonderful day.    Lots of lounging around in our PJs yummy bfast and just visiting with each other.   Friday night we had the neighbors over for some fun.   It's funny to me sometimes how I think that my self esteem is low and then those women up there, WOW~ Rock bottom self esteem.  Constantly cutting themselves down and just yuck!     I had enough.  I took two of the ladies into my bathroom and stood there with them and made them look into the mirror.  They of course thought I had lost my marbles.   (tee hee ha ah that happened long ago!)   I made them look at the person looking back at them and say I LOVE YOU.    They couldn't do it.  SAD!  With tears in their eyes they asked if we could not be here anymore.   Fine.  I walked back out into the kitchen where the men were and told their hubbys how important it is for them to tell their wives how beautiful they are and what a wonderful person she is and why they love them so much.   My hubby of course just smiled at me.   He knows I hold nothing back at times and knew what I was talking about.   The men just said, the women know.   And I said if they knew they would like themselves better and they don't know and never ever hold back from saying nice things because you think they know.   I told them I know they are men, but that they should start being gentlemen, they have wonderful women that adore them and tell them often.  It would be nice for the women to hear it as well.    BUCK UP BOYS!

 

It was a wonderful weekend. Lots of bonding time with me and the hubby.   It still amazes me how much that cabin does for me and the hubby's relationship.    Since we have come home, every single day, he says nice things to me and is a great mood.  I LOVE IT!!   I of course remind myself that men like to hear the nice compliments as well and have been telling him what a wonderful man, human, husband he is.

So in case you don't do this.   Try it!!   I guarantee that it can only make things better.

 

Well now on to the holiday I like the least.   This world has gotten so far away from the meaning of chis*t*mas.   The gifts are the focus.  BLECH!!   I no longer do the family chris*t*mas thing.   It was just too much for me.   I would hear all year long how tight the money is and how bad things are for them and then, walk into the family get together, and find that you can't even walk into the living room because the presents were so many.   And they would all rip through them without looking to see who got what and thanking along the way.   JUST YUCK!   I tried with all of my might to try it differently with them.  Not as many gifts, stopping to see others open theirs and hearing the words from the adults and kids .... thank you!  

It didn't work and they thought I was being over dramatic.   So I told them I could no longer participate.  If they wanted to get together to celebrate life and family and love, GREAT, but if they were going to continue to go broke and spend all kinds of money on gifts and such, then I would rather not be there so that everyone could enjoy their day better.

 

I do buy gifts for people.   Just not always on chris*t*mas or even on their birthdays.  Sometimes its a Happy Tuesday gift or any day.   Or a omg I saw this and thought of you.   Or you were on my mind and I thought you should know.  

I do get most of the kids gifts for the holidays.    The young-ins get a big box of various types of batteries.  They don't get it but the parents sure do appreciate it for all the gadgets and such they get that require the batteries.    And the older kids get a gift certificate for a place I know they enjoy.   I tell them they have to spend the day with me where we have a special day of shopping, lunch or whatever just the two of us.   They seem to enjoy it.   Well all but the one (she's a snobby, stuck up, family is crap to her 13 going on 21 year old).   And so she's getting a very nice empty card this year, sealed with lots of love.   And many wishes for her to find the true meaning of the season and to rejoice in the love her family has for her.    I ask that no one buys gifts for me or the hubby, that if they feel compelled to spend money on us, to please instead donate it to a charity or find a needy family that wont be able to afford dinner for themselves.  And share the gifts and the true meaning of chris*t*mas with them.

I'm not scr00ge believe me.   I love this season, but it's the commercial crap that I despise.    Hubby and I will exchange gifts, but its not  always super expensive and it's something with a lot of meaning to the both of us.   We spend the holiday alone with each other and discover the magic of it all.  I'm sure it's not for everyone.   But it is what works the best for us.  

 

So remember if you are at the store and your worried about the amount of money you are spending.   STOP!!   Don't spend it.   Remember that family love and traditions will be remembered far longer than any present you could give them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O.k. I'll have to admit I got this idea from Caroldee (http://andsoitgoeson.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!309C3593033952F3!5453.entry).  On her blog she asked...If anyof us had memories of our first turkey dinner and was it a disaster or good. 

Tee hee ha ha

 

O.K. lets remind you..... I'm 36 now, I have been having Thanksgiving at my home for the past 14 Years.   So can you imagine what it was like at 22 years old?  Tee hee ha ha

 

I do remember that I was so flippin stressed out.  I didn't know if I would have enough food for all 28 people coming.   (SILLY ME!)  I cooked one turkey in the oven and one on the grill.   So that's about 28 lbs of Turkey.   Trying to convince my hubby to leave the oven door and the lid to the grill closed was a job in itself.    I go to baste the turkey on the grill and it's coming along well.   I go back in another 45 minutes and the darn bird is COLD!  Grill is cold... OH NO OUTTA GAS!   I was furious with the hubby he promised me it would be fine.   OH NO!    I'm about 7 steps away from calling it all off and running away!    Send hubby all around town ON THANKSGIVING to get a propane tank.  He comes back after 1.5 hours!  And asked if it was safe to come in.   I told him yes please hurry that bird needs to cook!   What took him so long?  Well he was afraid of me and stopped at a friends house to chat until I calmed down.   UMMMM HELLO!!   We have to feed 28 people and you are visiting?!?!?    Tee hee ha ha   The turkeys both got done and were wonderful.   However my sister in law is not the nicest person in the world and her words are sometimes just mean.   I was frazzeled by the time everyone had gotten there.  I was still unshowered and stressed.   I didn't know how to make gravy so what does one girl do?   Buy gravy in a jar of course.   I had all the gravy in the pan and all the jars out of site.   Sis in law comes in opens the pan with the gravy and proceeds to taste it.  She asked... "is the from a jar".   I said well of course not with a wink and a smile.  Her response was "well I refuse to eat this crap".    O.K. can you just picture me falling to my knees now?  Tears streaming down my face.  I walked outside and just sobbed.   Mean while in the kitchen the "women" are trying to make gravy from the drippings of the turkey from the grill.  NOT POSSIBLE!!   The turkey was stuffed with apples, oranges, onion and  celery and lots of butter for basting.   Butter has  fruit taste now too.   But she is determined.  WHATEVER.   Then she has her hubby yell out to me to return to the kitchen pronto and take notes on how to make gravy.  I was embarrased and horrified.   I told her it wasn't going to work.   She wanted to dump the jar gravy out and use hers.   I got a back bone and said you know what go ahead and eat your gravy, I'll eat mine that's fine.    Her's was awful! NA NA NA NA

 

Another "wonderful adventure"  was when I was so prepared and ahead of the game.  I was getting the hang of it.   I went to get the rolls (the dough was rising)  to roll em into balls for the pan.... and there was something not right it was awful.   Hubby to the rescue he went to the store and bought 7 pkgs of different kinds of rolls... Whew!  (right?   WRONG!)     While I was welcoming more guests,  the "women" decide to help out.   They put the oven at 400 degrees on preheat and threw the rolls on several different cookie sheets and put them in the oven.  Suddenly the smoke alarm is going off the house is full of smoke and I run to the kitchen.    The rolls that were on the bottom rack of the oven were already burnt.  BLACK.   O.k. so we air the house out... it's so smokey!    We did have some rolls that were done and others over done and some still not done at all.  Tee hee ha ha

 

Then there was the time there were FLAMES shooting out the oven.... Oh and then last year the stove top caught fire.   Oh come on it was only 3 outta the 4 burners on the ELECTRIC Range.  Tee hee ha ha !! 

 

So yes I would say, I have had some adventures at Thanksgiving.  And Yet I continue to host it and they continue to come.  

It was mentioned that this year someone is brining a camera to record the mishaps!  Tee hee ha ha

 

BRING IT ON!!  TEE HEE HA HA

 

 

Hello!

Well Mom went home on Saturday afternoon.   It was so funny because we didn't argue or fight the entire time she was there, which is very unlike us.  I of course took all the words of advice and just smiled and kept my thoughts and words to myself (EXTREMELY HARD FOR ME!).   However on Saturday Am she started nit picking me and trying square off with me about things.   She said she was going to call my Step Mom and My psycho sister and let them both know that I helped my baby bro leave town for a couple of days.  I was getting ready to boil over.  I asked her why she would do that?  Why would you want to hurt me and my brother (not my mom's son) by doing that?    Her reason was to get back at my step mom for telling me something I guess she wasn't suppose to tell me?   WHAT!?!?!? 

 

So I grabbed her by the shoulders and made her look me in the eye and promise that she wouldn't do that and explain to her that she would be hurting ME most of all.  And why is she trying to end this great week we had together on such a sour note?  She agreed and understood that we did have a good week and to leave it at that.  The problem here is ....... My family are a bunch of liars!  I HATE THAT.  So she could tell the whole world, even though she promised me she wouldn't and deny it until the day she died.  It's just another added benefit of this family of mine. 

 

Tomorrow is the day.... the boys are leaving for BEER CAMP!!!  Buh bye!!   See ya!!  Be safe, have fun and stay an extra couple of days!! 

Its a much needed break for me thats for sure.  My hubby and I haven't been seeing EYE to eye (no it's not the 1.5 foot difference) on many things lately and rather than argue and fight, I've just been walking away.   And it's getting old!  

We call it beer camp because I don't think we have even heard of them seeing a Deer in the past 2 years let alone shooting one.  My hubby doesn't even take a gun.  He just goes for the fun of it.  

 

So what will we girls being doing?    Well a slumber party of course!   Wahoo!!   breakfast, hats and craft show and then Slumber.  FUN! 

 

So thanks for all your support on the mom thing.   I'm keeping my cool on the hubby front and looking foward to their departure.

Have a great Day all!!

 

ttfn

This was sent to me and it's just too funny not to share.  

 

 

Little Carol came into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner.
Her birthday was coming up and she thought this was a good time to tell
her mother what she wanted. "Mom, I want a bike for my birthday."
Now, Little Carol was a bit of a troublemaker.
She had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Carol's mother asked
her if she thought she deserved to get a bike for her birthday. Little
Carol, of course, thought she did.

Carol's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted her to reflect on her
behavior over the last year, and write a letter to God and tell him why
she deserved a bike for her birthday. Little Carol stomped up the steps
to her room and sat down to write God a letter.

LETTER 1:
Dear God:
I have been a very good girl this year and I would like a bike for my
birthday.
I want a red one.

Your friend,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true. She had not been a very good girl this
year, so she tore up the letter and started over.

LETTER 2:
Dear God:
This is your friend Carol. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and
I would like a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true either. She tore up the letter and started
again.


LETTER 3:
Dear God:

I know I haven't been a good girl this year. I am very sorry. I will be
a good girl if you just send me a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get her a
bike. By now, she was very upset. She went downstairs and told her
mother she wanted to go to church. Carol's mother thought her plan had
worked because Carol looked very sad.

"Just be home in time for dinner," her mother said.

Carol walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. She
looked around to see if anyone was there. She picked up a statue of the
Virgin Mary, slipped it under her jacket and ran out of the church, down
the street, into her house, and up to her room. She shut the door and
sat down and wrote her letter to God.


LETTER 4:
I GOT YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.

Signed,
YOU KNOW WHO

Well my mom has come to stay with me for a few days.    I love her dearly and love it when she comes to stay, however...... She drives me insane!!     Yesterday she came home from an appointment while I was home for lunch.  COOL EH?     I said I'm glad you're here, lets have lunch together.   She said no she had to run out for another appointment and she already ate.   O.k. fine. 

I find out from my husband 25 minutes later that she went right over to my sisters house after she left and had a sandwich because she was starving!!  HUH?!?!?

 

Yesterday evening, I was throwing a load of laundry in and she decided that we need to save energy, so while I thought I was doing a load of whites with bleach in hot water, nope it was cold water. 

Then last night she was "helping" me cook dinner, which was o.k. until she started salting everything I was cooking.  I don't use salt usually when I cook, seasons yes, salt no.   Hubby salts it all before he even tastes so to cut it down, I don't cook with it.   But last night we had the best salty pork chops and salty potatoes!  PUCKER POWER salty!  YUM!

 

Then I get woke up by the hubby at 3am.  WTF the dog was left outside!!   (now he loves this dog more than he loves even me!)  UH OH!!  Thank goodness it wasn't raining, but it was snowing and only 25 degrees!   So this morning when I was waking mom up of course hubby was telling her that the dog was left outside and blah blah blah... then he leaves for work.   So now Mom wants me to call him at work for her and tell him how sorry she is.  She also forgot to shut the lights off in the house when she went to bed.  (but we wash in cold water?!?!)

 

I have to be out of the shower no later than 7:15am.... She decides to hop into the shower this morning at 6:50am and use all of the hot water to help loosen her up for the day.    So now I have to take a cold shower and I'm still late for work. 

 

I threw dinner in the crock pot this morning.   Before I leave I just decide to double check it.   She turned it up on high while I had it on low.  I didn't even want to think about the salt she probably put into it!

 

 LORD PLEASE GRANT ME PATIENCE.... BUT HURRY!!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UUUUGGGHHHH!!!

 

I'm so flippin angry right now I can't even see straight!!!!  

We have a power company here in Michigan called D* *T* *E.  They are so flippin stupid!!   GRRRRRR  ANGRY!!!! 

 

Monday evening my husband brought to my attention that there was a guide wire from the pole to the ground that has broken.   Now I know it's not live, but if you look where it's connected to the pole, it's only 2 - 3 inches from a live wire.  So if I move the guide wire it will touch the live ones!!   I'm worried about the kids in the yard next to mine (I tried to tell them to stay away from the fence, they don't understand or speak english), and our animals!  

 

So I called Monday evening to report it... and today... FRIDAY  It's still not fixed!    I called again at lunch and this is what they tell me:  We couldn't get into the back yard the other day because the gate was closed.

 

 

The gate was closed but not locked!   And if they want to chop your trees down, and damage anything and everything around that's fine it can be done without them having permission to do so.    BUT for a downed wire, they have to have permission?!!?!?  And they don't even try to call or leave a note saying so!?!?!!?  Nothing was mentioned when I called the first time either!  GGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! 

Oh and because they couldn't gain access to the backyard the service call was cancelled!!  GGRRRR!!! 

 

So being the nice person (HA!) I am, I left them "permission slips" on the gates both on the outside and inside (hey, if the gate closed while in the back yard, they couldn't open it without permission right?"   As well as directions on how to unlatch and open the gate should the wind close it.   And every 5 feet a paper showing the way to the wire and when they get next to the pole, an explanation of the one laying on the ground being the downed wire.   With a "permission slip" giving them the o.k. to fix the wire.   

GGGRRRRR

 

O.k. I'm breathing!  GGGGRRRRRR!!!   MORONS!!   I'm going to find some chocolate and get happy !

Later

ttfn

 

Hello!

Well last night was bowling night and it was different not drinking.    I don't know if I've mentioned this but my family has several generations of Alchoholics.   It's a horrible thing to live around and with. 

 

Since I've been drinking so much lately, which is not the norm for me at all.   I've decided to take some time off from the cocktails and beer.    My family (the ones with the problems) look at me with a confused look on their faces, when I say no thanks to a beer.  I told them, I will not allow it to control me.   So I've decided to take a break for a while.    I told myself that I should take at least a week off if not longer.  The funny thing is..... I don't have a problem with taking the break but others do.  Odd eh?    Not only family but the girls last night said I was being unsociable because I wasn't drinking!   WHAT?!?!?   Oh well that's their opinion not mine. 

 

So not to worry about me!     My plans for this weekend are cleaning house and sleeping!  I'm still very run down from last weekends adventures. 

 

I hope you all have a great weekend and you find reasons to smile around every corner! 

ttfn

 

Was it just me?   Or did any of you find it odd to be out for trick or treat during daylight?   I'm sorry but the jack-o-lanterns just didn't have the same feel during the daylight as they do at night.   It was different! 

 

Hope you all had a great time trick or treating and didn't eat too much candy!  

ttfn