"What a nice month this November has been!" said Anne, who had never quite got over her childish habit of talking to herself. "November is usually such a disagreeable month... as if the year had suddenly found out that she was growing old and could do nothing but weep and fret over it. This year is growing old gracefully, just like a stately old lady who knows she can be charming even with gray hair and wrinkles."
- Anne of Avonlea
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I hope you are having a Happy Thanksgiving. Ours has been lazy, laid back and bittersweet, since my niece and nephew left very early this morning. (I hardly got to see my niece at all). Like every Thanksgiving, I'm pretty upset now that they've left.
But I'll not get into all that because it just makes me sad and angry and solves nothing. It is what it is, and I do have a lot to be thankful for.
And I try to remind myself of this throughout the year, so I guess that's why Thanksgiving has never been a huge deal to me. It's also just too similar to Christmas... minus the gifts, music and decorations. Even the dinner is the same.
I really do miss the kids. I haven't seen them in a while, so it was wonderful spending even that smallest amount of time with them. Mom and I take what we can get, ya know. My niece was so funny when they left. (She's always funny). When I hugged her goodbye, she said "Oh no, you're coming with me" and then tried picking me up and carrying me out the door.
Anyhow, it's picture time!
(Sorry for the weird lighting. I tried remedying that, but finally gave up).
As you can see here, Abby loves having company over just as much as Maddie and Izzy do. She just went from person to person this morning, asking for belly scratches.
I never got around to taking a picture of Maisy. (My niece and nephew's dog. I always feel sorry for her at Thanksgiving, because the family has no choice but to cart her with them and crate her).
Since Mom and I were alone on Thanksgiving and needed a distraction from depression, we did some Christmas crafting. She put together Grandma's glitter house church, and then made a new glitter house for us.
Abby had a blast outside with us. Whenever we sprinkled the glitter and snow, she tried catching it in her mouth like they were snowflakes. It was pretty cute! She reminded me of that one little scene in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Our glitter house is almost done. It would be finished, but we need to buy a fence for it. I think we might put a lamppost on there, too, and I need to scrape off some of the glitter on the little pond by the penguin.
Normally, we would have used a smaller base but we couldn't find one. I've been wanting us to make a larger one anyway, so I was happy.
Here are photos of the work in progress:
And here's Grandma's church:
After getting covered in glitter and Elmer's spray glue, Mom couldn't stand not having stuffing at least for Turkey Day so she made some for us and Dad. She made stuffing, deviled eggs and rolls. Wendy Kitty almost decapitated our snowman, "Sweet William," again while trying to jump up on the kitchen cabinet to see what was cooking. Of course, she got tangled up in the tree on one of the glitter houses, and then she bit me for it.
Typical.
While all that was cooking, I put together a little scene of my own. I think it turned out cute! We had this little bird out last year, sans all the snow. We bought it a little after Christmas, and I just never got around to taking a picture of it.
I just remembered that we bought a pretty Christmas deer at Old Town Spring yesterday. (And boy was it humid and hot for late November!) We found it at Thad's. (Where else?) I'll have to take a photo of it sometime.
My brother and his new gal, Lissa, came over last weekend. This was my first time meeting her. She's really nice, and she and my brother really compliment each other. They're both competitive, and are always wrestling and just acting like kids. She even bites him when they wrestle! (I saw the proof on his hand. I've no doubt he deserved it).
When my brother was married, I never saw him so affectionate and playful. They're CONSTANTLY picking on each other. She really puts him in his place, which I have to say is quite refreshing. My brother is not the easiest person to get along with. While he is really funny, he's also very opinionated, arrogant and looooves to argue. But he and this new lady of his... well they're hilarious to watch and it's obvious that my brother is really happy with her. I'm really not a people person, but I feel pretty comfortable around her. I really like her.
I also like her two furkids! Say Hello to "Beans!" (Or "The Beans," as my brother calls him). I am so in love with this dog. He actually has a natural Mohawk! Beans is only 2 years old.
And this little vintage lady is "Crunchy." Crunchy is one teensy, tiny little thing. I think she's 6 years old, and in her pictures she looks double the size she really is.
After a while, all the dogs got along. Well, Crunchy didn't play with any of them. She growls a lot, protecting my brother and Lissa, and it is SO CUTE!!!! I know she wants to seem all bad@ss and intimidating and larger than life but really.... she's just one of the cutest dogs on earth!
Here's a video of them playing together for the first time:
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And you already know these little gals of mine. After their company left, they were exhausted. If a truckload of doggy treats pulled into the living room, they would have continued sleeping. These gals were completely spent.
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Got my brother and his new lady some Christmas stockings.
Would you know that Lissa has NEVER IN HER LIFE celebrated Christmas? It wasn't for some religious purpose either. Her mother just never celebrated it. She's never had a tree, a Christmas stocking, Christmas presents... nothing!
So seeing how decorated our house is for the holidays, she was quite smitten. She really loved it. (My brother warned her before she came here that our house looks like "A Hallmark Christmas").
My niece was interviewed on tv! You can even see a closeup of my nephew playing trumpet. (My niece first shows up 46 seconds into the video, and you see my nephew really quick at the 1:48 mark).
They're going to come here tomorrow. (Though we're not doing any Thanksgiving cooking at all. We figure they'd be pretty sick of it, seeing how they're spending T-giving Day at two houses. I think we're having barbecue). First, my nephew will be driving down with his mother/my sister. Later in the day, my niece will be here with her Dad. He's working half the day and she wanted to be able to say goodbye to her boyfriend since it's their 2 month anniversary. Isn't that sweet?
Her young man writes for the county's orchestra, and has won 2 contests for writing the best symphony. (He has a genius IQ). The one he just won is a symphony he wrote for my niece.
Yes, he wrote a SYMPHONY for her. He won't let her listen to it until the orchestra plays it though. He's a really great kid that is involved with A LOT of activities. I haven't met him yet, but I love everything that I've heard about him.
He's also written a symphony for his mother once. Can you imagine?!
Which reminds me that my brother wrote a song once, too. He was in junior high I think. He wrote it on some fancy computer program my mother bought him. It took him all summer to compose it. He called it "Kingdom Skies." I swear that if I ever win the lotto, I'm going to hire an orchestra to play it. My brother doesn't care a snit about it. (He's one of those creative types where once the project is over, he completely detaches himself from it. Some kid on the internet actually STOLE it, and he didn't care at all. Me... I'm still seething over it).
My niece got her very own article in the school newspaper! She was the Student Feature. Neat, huh?
I did edit snippets of the article, for privacy's sake.
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October 9, 2012
Sophomore Autumn **** knows everyone is watching her. One wrong move and she could ruin a performance; the intricate motion of her fingers direct the elite army of green and black suits known as the T------ Band. They are commanded by Autumn, the Drum Major.
When Autumn was selected to be one of the three drum majors she was shocked. A coveted spot usually reserved for juniors and seniors was now hers. At first she couldn’t understand why they chose her, but since then she’s transformed herself into the leader her directors know she is. She is no longer just a shy freshman.
“They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. Band made me a lot more outgoing than I would’ve been.”
Her passion for marching band was inspired by her brother, senior trumpet player Luke ****. Watching her brother perform at Friday night football games pushed her to audition. She even ended up playing the same instrument.
“I wasn’t going to play the trumpet,” she said. “But I changed at the last minute because my brother played trumpet.”
She has played the trumpet since the sixth grade, but it wasn’t until last year after marching season that she fell in love with conducting.
“I started conducting at leadership camp after I took a conducting class,” she said.
However, being a drum major isn’t all fun and games. It’s a lot of hard work and an immense responsibility.
“I feel like I have no time trying to balance school, friends, and being a drum major,” **** said.
Although the Karate black belt had to give up training and cut back on some of her favorite pastimes like going to the animal shelter with her dad, scrapbooking or hanging out with friends, she knows it’s worth it.
“Being on the podium, you’re in control when they hit the impacts,” **** said. “It sounds amazing.”
For her first year on the podium she will be conducting the Latin circus inspired show “Celebracíon.” Autumn is excited and a little anxious about the challenge.
“It’s definitely a lot more challenging. Normally we go with classical music, but this year we are doing Latin which has much harder rhythms.”
Another added element is the choreography. According to ****, the high energy show means a lot more choreography than in previous years.
“What they’re doing on the field has never been done before,” she said. “It’s nerve-racking because if I mess up someone will be off.”
Even though she is under a lot of pressure, she’s confident that her and her fellow band mate’s talent and dedication will be enough for a great season.
“We do as well as we can in everything we do.”
1. In what ways do you indulge yourself?
Warm cups of cappuccino, and every once in a while a Milano or Geneva cookie to go with it. As a rule, I indulge in the latter during the holidays.
2. Have you ever taken a cooking class? Any interest? What type of class would you most like to try?
No... No way... The class of nothing.
3. What does it mean to be a good citizen?
Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
4. 'Tis the season of the political advert...do these ads influence your vote?
Not in the least. I find all politicians to be self-serving. It's a matter of picking the lesser of evils.
5. What's something you see today that makes you wish you were a kid again?
Can't think of anything I've seen today, but seeing those Disney classics on YouTube take me back.
6. What's your least favorite cliche?
"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
7. What percentage of your Christmas shopping has been completed? How does that make you feel?
I've done absolutely no Christmas shopping yet, and it's something I dread.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
BEST CLASSIC EVER!
- It isn't cool outside... it's pretty dang hot and sticky actually, at 93 degrees with 96% humidity... so we thought we'd bring a little bit of fall into the house at least.
We borrowed the idea from something we saw in a magazine recently. I really want to put a little field mouse figurine or something like that in there. I think that would be such a cute little addition to a fall scene.
- This is really unusual and a strange coincidence. Yesterday my mother and I went to a few stores, and while standing in line at Hobby Lobby I started feeling bad.
My hip was killing me, as it always does when I'm out and about, and it was so hot and crowded in the store. The line was really slow, the cashier was waiting for a price check on some guy's purchases, and the store was really hot. (I don't know why, considering the climate around here, but in the stores and mall they never have the AC turned up). After I FINALLY was out the door I started going downhill so fast. My vision was going... everything looked pixelated and like bright white light... my legs could hardly move. I barely made it to the car in the knick of time. I've felt faint before, but never like this. It was very frightening. I felt awful for Mom because she was really worried, after what she went through herself last week... having to go to ER and everything for heat stroke and dehydration.
Thank goodness she had some water in the car, as well as some bottled water with electrolytes in it. I took a few slugs of that, and after a few minutes I was fine again. I think the problem was I barely ate or drank anything that day. I will NOT be doing that again! Still, it was an awfully strange coincidence after what happened to Mom.
On the way home we went to the McDonald's drive-thru for french fries. Which made the girls happy since I always share my fries with them.
- In the mornings there are always loads of little chickadees in the bush outside Mom's bedroom window. She tried getting video of them, but they're awfully camera shy and kept flying off.
- Isn't this AMAZING?! I can't stop watching it.
- Abby is the kisser and cuddler... Lady Isabelle Rosie Cotton(Izzy) is the sassy, bossy yapper... Maddie Kate Scarlett O'Hara is the smiler and whiner.
