sherron0: (Red hat SnowLady)
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 . . .

sherron0: (Red hat SnowLady)
Today may your soul be filled with the joy of the mystery of the One.
May Peace surround you, and Love bind you.
May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.





(Disclaimer: However you perceive the mysteries or lack thereof)

sherron0: (Default)
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.
sherron0: (Default)
Sanity? Sanity? . . . I know I've heard that word somewhere . . .

Yes, tomorrow is Christmas eve, and I'm still mailing out cards today.  I know my post-person is snickering at me as she picks up these endless stacks of cards, especially since today's have no hope of getting there. 

I still have one more present to get for Mat (¿who knew he was serious about the black socks?), and several more to wrap for all three boys and Mark. 

The only reason the majority of my buying and wrapping is done is that for me, Christmas was really this past weekend. 

We went to TN and celebrated Christmas with my Stepmother and (Biological)father and two sisters and a step brother (and assorted spouses and kids) on Saturday. 

Then on Sunday, Christmas with my mother and step-dad, at (his mother) my (step)grandmother's house (walking distance from my bio-dad's). There, I had (Besides Mother, Larry and MamaSmith,) two brothers, an aunt, a great aunt, my sis-in-law, and even MORE assorted kids/teenagers.  I was the favorite aunt this year, I gave every one of the kids —from Mathew, 21 to Ryan, 4— dart guns (this was to make up for last year, when I gave them each a unique, carefully chosen, personalized Christmas ornament, which all their parents thought was grand and the kids said "meh" to).  And they ran around like crazy people all over MamaSmith's house shooting each other like crazy people.  I knew MamaSmith was the kind that wouldn't care, and I didn't care that all the grown-ups hated me.  It'll pass! LOL!


Then Sunday night back to my stepmom's, to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with with my sister and her husband and three kids.  Yoss, who claims to hate Jews, and will not set foot in a synagogue, none-the-less required Julie to convert, and is raising the kids sort of Jewish.  At least we got to celebrate two holidays.  No presents for the kids tho, who really are two young (4, 3, 22mo.  -- yes, those are correct) to appreciate all the way too many Christmas gifts they are getting.  And no latkes and no jelly donuts.  We had to settle for the chocolate batman cupcakes, which is all Yoss could find.

sherron0: (Default)
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.

misc - fall - cold
People wanting to stuff [personal profile] sherron0's fannish stocking (say write drabbles/make icons/leave good wishes and such)?  Go here:
Sherron's Stocking

sherron0: (Default)
Christmas in two and a half weeks?  I am just not ready. I know everyone says that, but I don't —this is just NOT like me!  I am a serious Christmas planner.  I've always had to be.  My winter depression usually sets in just before thanksgiving, and anything not already done doesn't get done.  So I begin to buy stocking stuffers on Dec. 26 for the next year.  I order gifts ahead, I wrap and hide ahead.  The boys were always required to get their wish lists in before Mat's birthday (Oct. 22) so I could shop for all three things at the same time.  Especially Thomas, because he HATES surprises, and I needed time to get the EXACT right thing.  His lists often include the website and order #.  This year has been in such a disarray, what with Thomas's graduation and college application and FAFSA, being gone to TN most of the summer, and the Thomas totaling the car / buying two new cars thing, and the taking in a new son, and the associated classes, fingerprints, and paperwork (including a complete physical and TB test), and too many other things to even mention, I've just completely lost it. I got Shelby's list last week, and Thomas's yesterday, and Mat won't even give me one, because he wants the cash and some black socks!  And my beloved?  Wants two things.  A car charger for his cell phone, and a couple of good wooden spoons for the kitchenBoring!  How can I get motivated for that?
sherron0: (Red hat SnowLady)

Snagged from
[livejournal.com profile] 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
sherron0: (YuleTide Dove)
What I learned this year:

1. Wrap presents as you buy them. Never Never leave them all until Christmas Eve.

2. Even tho they REALLY want to help, Cats just don't get the subtle differences between wrapping and unwrapping.
sherron0: (SnowDragon)
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.
sherron0: (YT)
Doesn't matter how many there are. I reached the point today where I just realized I was done. If I haven't gotten someone something, they're just not getting it.
sherron0: (Default)
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."

VROOM VROOM

Dec. 2nd, 2007 07:15 pm
sherron0: (VERSA)
We finally did it.  We quit talking and shopping and Thomas and I went and bought the Nissan Versa Hatchback!  Automatic, continuously variable transmission.  You never even feel the gears change, much less have to worry about changing them yourself.  Sapphire Blue.  I think I'm going to call it Nellie.
VERSA


Christmas shopping is going fairly well this year.  Not done, but moving along, with ideas for almost everyone but one Aunt.  Bought Christmas ornaments for all the nieces and  nephews on my side.  They'll be bored with them, but I generally never get the right thing anyway.  Except for last year when I bought that pink feather boa for Princess. And I went to a lot of trouble to try to pick something wonderful for each kid.  Well, and Mason loved the little science gadget I got him.   So, 2 out of 10.  So this year I went for easy.

The last few days we've been taking care of our friends' cats, fish, and turtle while they went off for a late vacation.  It's been fun.  Of course, the problem is that now Thomas wants an aquarium.  And, so do I, sorta.
sherron0: (Default)
I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave New Year
All anguish, pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear.

                         --Emerson, Lake, & Palmer ,
I Believe in Father Christmas

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