Creating my future, one miracle at a time

Now don't get me wrong, I love a good celebration as much as the next fellow.  But we've been visiting and/or celebrating something almost continuously since Nov.  23. 

( The scary description: )

Suzette Hayden-Elgin says there really ought to be a word for those holidays that aren't really holidays, especially for the women who spend the whole time cooking and cleaning and refereeing.

Anyway, yesterday and today I've a REAL holiday.  The kind where you get to sleep to noon, read and drink tea all day, eat junky snacky food, and just pretend there's no other world, and in the evening have wine and your darling . . .

Remember those Christmas card we mailed today?  Mark was writing some of them last night.  I sat down beside him to open the incoming mail. Nice card, bill, nice card, oops - someone we forgot, nice card, oddly familiar card . . .  I had to read the message twice, and look at the card again, and then notice our signatures to realize I'd just opened one of the ones Mark had just written and sealed.  This is a new kind of crazy for us, but indicative of this time of the year.

A wonderful lady named medie has set up a community of stockings for those of us who cannot participate in Yuletide this year.  I have a stocking there, so if anyone is feeling generous and has an extra story or drabble or pretty picture, that they can't find a home for, or just a "hi!" that needs to get out, please feel free.

People wanting to stuff sherron0's fannish stocking (say write drabbles/make icons/leave good wishes and such)?  Go here:
Sherron's Stocking

Snagged from
i_will_dare_89 

step one.
+ Make a post to your LJ.

The post should contain your list of ten holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a ______ icon that's just for me.") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD.") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV."). The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

+ If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your e-mail address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you. (Note: home address, not required!)

Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post (it'll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

step two.
+ Surf around your friends list (or friends' friends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use -- or even know where you could get someone's dream pure-bred basset hound for free -- do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf -- to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call. There are no guarantees with this project, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

step three.   List your Ten Wishes

1. Blood Ties Fiction!!  (I love all of it, but I haven't seen a good mystery or 'episode' lately)
2. My friends around me for the holidays
3. A lot of hugs for Christmas (I'm always in a cuddly mood)
4. Any non-USA  money bills/notes/coins  (low value, just for my son’s collection)
5. Christmas postcards (I'll give you my address if you want to send me).
6. Paid (or permanent) account
7. Can anyone catch me up on the Batman story line since about 1970?
8. An iPod Nano, Red or Purple, biggest Gbs.
9. Poetry
10. Inspiration for an excellent new fanfiction addiction

We drove to Tennessee on Friday afternoon, and got a hotel in Humboldt, and went over to the Pollards to visit until fairly late. Besides the folks, two of my sisters and their families were there, and my brother from California, and the next door neighbors and their 3 kids. Very noisy, with all those kidlings all running around like crazy people. But fun, too. We opened some presents and drank and talked and talked.

Saturday was quite the day. First over to the Pollard's again for Breakfast, and to try to cook some cookies, which never actually got in the oven. Then over to MamaSmith's with the cookie batter for lunch there with all the Smith Clan (MamaSmith, my dad and mother, my two brothers and families, my sister and her family, my aunt and her son, and me and Mark and Thomas, and Mat and Rhiannon -- only 23 people, but eight were under 14). We ate without Mat and Rhiannon, because they got lost and were about an hour and a half late. Then as soon as they got there we let them fix plates and started the opening. The little kids were about to go nuts waiting, and one brother had to leave by 3pm to get to his wife's family's celebration. Lots of cool presents. I think my brother Nathan got the kids their favorite gifts -- everyone got a clear gift bag with the new dollar coins in them. More for the older ones, fewer for the littlest guys. I got everyone under 15 (and Rhiannon) a personalized tree ornament. The my oldest nephew got a pocket knife, and my aunt's boy who is 15 got a tie. Thomas got a giant Manga book. the best gift tho, was Mat's. He had asked for a box of Magic cards, meaning the card game Magic, the Gathering. Which I did get him and he'll open tomorrow. But on Saturday he opened a box of cards that you do magic tricks with. Thomas and I thought it was very cleverly funny.

That evening, We went to the Pollard's 40th Anniversary surprise party. It was really great. My baby sister organized the whole thing, and she used to organize fund-raising events for the Salvation Army in Knoxville, so she knew what she was doing. It was very nice, and still within our budget. She had a geek friend put together a video show from lots of old photographs that not only made my stepmother cry, but made my Dad cry! I wore a dress I bought years ago that looks really great on me (with proper slimming foundations to help) and some of the most fun, silver and black lace looking spike heel party shoes that you have ever seen. I'll try to get a photo.

The boy and I stopped at Rite Aid last night on the way home from his violin practice. Just went in to get a prescription and some batteries. Paid for the prescription at the pharmacy. Thomas noticed that Dr. Peppers were on a great sale, so we had to get a cart to put them in. THAT was the beginning of the end. By the time we found batteries, several aisles later, we had a substantial quantity of last minute Christmas goodies, wrapping paper, etc. We put it on the check out, and it came to $106!! of JUNK at Rite Aid! Thomas said, "well geez mom, you've probably got $25 worth of just assorted chocolate."