A Season for Everything

Have you ever gone through a period of time when everything in life seemed to be going your way? Kind of like if Walt Disney was directing your life….small birds, animals (and humans) swarm around you basking in the glow, flowers bloom in your wake, Prince Charming pledges his undying love and devotion, and the wicked queen always gets what’s coming to her. Was your enjoyment of such bliss tempered by the fact that you knew it couldn’t last forever? That at some point God was going to say “HA! That’s enough for you.” and pull the plug?

I don’t usually think that way, but in retrospect…

Life has been good lately. Very good. Hubby came home from Erie. Baby Girl is getting better grades in school. Son is doing well in school and at living on his own. I finished my real estate classes. Christmas is coming and there’s money to give everyone the things they want. In fact, Hubby took me shopping last night and let me pick out my gift, a gorgeous new sectional for the livingroom. I was doing some shopping this morning and feeling good. Then Son called. He heard from the woman whose car he backed into on Saturday. Repair estimate? $513. That’s just her car. We haven’t gotten any on our car yet. We figure around $1000. All because Son drove when/where he shouldn’t have because he couldn’t live without a pack of gum.

Would you believe he then had the nerve to ask me to add things to his Christmas list? I’ve got to talk to that boy about timing.

Man, it was hard to get up this morning and I’m still not really firin’ on all cylinders. It isn’t just because I had to go back to work and this is technically my Monday. No, it’s because I stayed up to watch the Colts whip the snot out of my beloved Steelers. Big Ben, Hines…you done me wrong.

Hubby didn’t get home until 9:30 last night. He is NOT on vacation today. Did I call that one or what? Now he says he will start his vacation time Thursday or Friday (depending on when some work is wrapped up) and be off until Thursday or Friday of next week. I’m not excited. It means Baby Girl’s room will be in the process of being painted and redone when we have a house full of guests for a Christmas party this Saturday.

It’s raining today. Really, really raining. Winter is sneaking back. By Friday it’s supposed to be snowing again. Blech!

That’s me. Is it you? Run through this check list that once again comes courtesy of The Happy Homemaker. The things that applied to my life are in italics. What do you remember?

YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL IN THE 70′S IF. . .

You wore a rainbow shirt that was half-sleeves, and the rainbow went up one sleeve, across your chest, and down the other.

You made baby chocolate cakes in your Easy Bake Oven and washed them down with snow cones from your Snoopy Snow Cone Machine.

You had that Fisher Price Doctor’s Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it. Mine was lime green and white with silver glitter in the seat, flowers on the chain guard and sparkly lime green and white streamers on the handlebars. It was awesome!
You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!).

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island. Hey, some freaky stuff went on there.

You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

You had either a “bowl cut” or “pixie,” not to mention the “Dorothy Hamill” because your Mom was sick of braiding your hair. People sometimes thought you were a boy. I also had a “Carol Brady shag.”

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon. I got it and my dad hated it because it made noises that let everyone know when you screwed up.

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny
shredded outfits. I was a card-carrying member of the Osmond Brothers Fan Club and thought Donnie was the cutest, coolest thing ever.

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.
You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color.

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl’s sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle).
They fell off on all the rides at the amusement park where your feet dangled. I’m sure more than one person suffered a Dr. Scholl’s induced concussion. You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Olson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink.

Your hairstyle was described as having “wings” or “feathers” and you kept it “pretty” with the comb you kept in your back pocket.

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

Every now and then “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from the movie, “Annie” will pop into your brain and you can’t stop singing it the whole day.

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

It was a big event in your household each year when the “Wizard of Oz” would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: “Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or Rick Springfield?”

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God’s eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker. Didn’t you just hate it when you had waited all day to catch a certain song and then someone talked during it?

You couldn’t wait to get the free animal poster that came when you ordered books from the Weekly Reader book club. Double score if it was a teddy bear dressed in clothing.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books (Are you there God, It’s me, Margaret.)

You thought Olivia Newton John’s song “Physical” was about aerobics.

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

You had a Big Wheel with a brake on the side, and a Sit-n-Spin. (Well, my brother did, anyway).

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You spent all your allowance on smurfs and stickers for your sticker album!

I think a lot of these are for girls who were born in the 70s, or at least the LATE 60s. I’ve decided to add a few more of my own:

You had a chambray shirt or denim jacket covered with embroidery. We were big on embroidering our jeans, too.

You watched television while relaxing on your bean bag chiair, which was sitting atop your shag carpet.

Your parents made you get up to change the channel on the televsion. Yes, but you didn’t have to do it very often with only 3 channels to choose from….and when HBO was new, we could watch it by putting aluminum foil on the antenna.

Your home was decorated with harvest gold, avocado green and brown.

You learned to macrame and you can use the word “jute” in a sentence.

You thought Tenille was lucky to have the Captain.

You’ve made a pop-top chain. I made the ones out of gum wrappers, too.

You took swimming lessons with a rubber hat on your head. It may have had rubber flowers on it.

You know that daisies, owls and mushrooms look really good together.

“Pong” was the greatest electronic invention EVER.

Today is the grand opening for the Erie Get-Go. Hubby had to drive up yesterday and change a shelf. The work took about 30 minutes. The drive is about 3 hours…one way. Hubby got the idea into his head that it would be fun for us (as in me and both kids) to go with him. Yeah, sure. It leaves me wondering if he’s ever met our children. They are 19 and 13. Old enough to expect some maturity out of them…..and yet when they are together for any amount of time I’m always sadly disappointed. They constantly pick and bicker and every now and then they come to blows. Yesterday in the car (all 8 hours or so) was no exception. I was ready to leave them along the side of the turnpike.

The bright spot in the day was stopping at the outlet mall in Grove City. We hadn’t been there for a couple of years and there are a lot of new stores. It was nice to get out and move around and the kids enjoyed it. Plus, we split them up. Baby Girl went with me and Son went with Hubby. Not a lot of bargains to be found in my opinion. A lot of the stores were pretty much what you’d find in the mall here at home. Same prices, too. The one big exception was the Aeropostale store. EVERYTHING in the entire store was 50% off!! Santa did a good bit of shopping in there. The really funny thing was that Hubby and Son had been there first and completely missed the huge signs in the windows and the red 50% off tags on every item in the store. We dropped Son off at his apartment on our way past Pittsburgh. He is back to classes today. With going straight through in two years, he has much shorter breaks.

Today is the first day of deer season, which is right up there with Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July in Pennsylvania. Our schools are even closed since most boys of hunting age wouldn’t bother showing up anyway. Hubby had to work (the price of being a boss). BG and I don’t hunt so it’s a good day for her to run around with friends and for me to get caught up on the housework. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll get started on painting and decorating BG’s room. Hubby is supposed to take the rest of the week off. He’s a workaholic, though, so I don’t count on it till it’s a done deal. I hope, but I don’t count on it.

“Borrowed” from The Happy Homemaker.

Smoked a cigarette or tried it: Yeah, I smoked a few standing around at frat parties in college. Still crave one now and then, but after watching my dad die of lung cancer I resist the urge.

Crashed a friend’s car: No.

Stolen a car: No, but I’ve had a couple stolen.

Been dumped: Once or twice. I was usually the dumper. I was fickle back in the day.

Shoplifted: I’m sure I must have taken something when I was little.

Been fired/laid off: Yes. Hubby and I worked at the same plant before we got married and we both got laid off a month before our wedding. Ouch!

Been in a fist fight: No.

Snuck out of your parent’s house: Yes, but not as many times as I snuck in way past curfew.

Been arrested: No.

Gone on a blind date: One. Never again. Who would have thought there could be so much wrong with a guy who’d just graduated from the state police academy?

Lied to a friend: Probably to spare her/his feelings.

Skipped school: Yep.

Seen someone die: No, but I was close with both my dad and my grandmother.

Been to Canada: Yes.

Been to Mexico: No.

Eaten Sushi: Ugh! No. I just can’t get my mind or my stomach past the whole raw fish thing.

Met someone in person from the internet: Not yet.

Taken pain-killers: Yes.

Had a tea party: I don’t think so, not even as a kid. I was a tomboy. My Barbies dated G.I. Joe (before they shrunk him) and Best of the West men and did things like deep-sea diving and sky diving.

Cheated while playing a game: I don’t remember cheating. It’s just a game. Who cares what the outcome is?

Fallen asleep at work: No.

Used a fake ID: No. I’ve gone places and done things underage, but I’ve never been asked for ID. Not once, ever.

Felt an earthquake: No.

Touched a snake: Yes and that was tough. I am more afraid of snakes than anything in the world.

Been robbed: No.

Petted a reindeer/goat: This is a weird question, but yes, I’ve petted both. In fact, we once had a pet goat.

Won a contest: Yes.

Been suspended from school: I had one day of in-school suspension (go to school and sit in a windowless room all day). Does that count?

Been in a car accident: Just one that totalled the car. Not my fault.

Had braces: Nope.

Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night: No, I’m not a big ice cream fan. (Please don’t ask me if I ever ate an entire bag of chips in one night.)

Witnessed a crime: On my way to a Steelers’ game I saw a guy peeing off the side of a bridge onto the (heavily used) pedestrian walkway below. I consider that a crime, but other people were driving by and high-fiving him (gross!!!).

Swam in the ocean: No. I only wade. I saw Jaws when I was pretty young and spent weeks worrying about having my hand or foot chomped off if they hung over the edge of the bed at night, so if I’m worried about shark attacks in my bedroom I’m not likely to go in the ocean. I love the beach. I love going out on boats. I love fishing. I just do not go past mid-shin in the water.

Sung karaoke: Lord, no! I could not do that to innocent bystanders.

Paid for a meal with only coins: I probably paid for many that way in college.

Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose: No.

Been kissed under mistletoe: Yes.

Crashed a party: Lots of times.

Worn pearls: Yes.

Jumped off a bridge: Maybe a metaphoric one or two.

Ate dog/cat food: Ewwww…..no.

Kissed a mirror: No.

Glued your hand to something: I don’t think so.

Done a one-handed cartwheel: I’ve never even mastered a two-handed one.

Talked on the phone for more than 6 hours: Two hours seems to be my limit.

Didn’t take a shower for a week: Actually……yes. I’ve been on a mission trip where washing up was all that could be managed.

Pick and ate an apple right off the tree: Yes. Oranges, grapefruits, pears, cherries and bananas too.

Been told by a complete stranger that you’re hot: Yeah, but not for a long, long time. Good thing Hubby tells me or I’d be sad.

The tree is up! The tree is up! Unfortunately, not much else happened yesterday and most of the living space in the house consists of nothing more than pathways through stacks of plastic storage boxes. I really need to do something about that today. Soon. We have an anniversary party to go to later this afternoon.

Son backed my car into another car at the shopping center near our house yesterday. I am not mad at him. Accidents will happen. I am disappointed. He was supposed to be going to see a friend. He shouldn’t have been at the shopping center. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, he just wasn’t supposed to be there. He freaked out. I remained remarkable calm considering it will probably cost between $500-$1000 for a new bumper and we’re waiting to hear the estimate to repair 3 scratches (so says Son) on the other car. Nobody wants to involve the insurance companies. They’d pay, but then so would we, in the form of higher premiums. The other driver was apparently very nice and told Son she didn’t want to do that with him being a teenager and all.

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you’re weird… But too damn weird to do anything about it!

Black Friday. I am not going anywhere near a store today. Prayers going up for those of you stupid brave enough to go.

So, we made it up the mountain for dinner yesterday. It was a little “iffy” for a while. The snow started coming down about an hour before we left home and while the roads were passable here, the higher up the mountain we went, the deeper the snow got. We made it about halfway before the car just couldn’t go. Hubby had to back all the way down. We had to go another way that was less steep, but much further. I am a good (and experienced driver), but glad, just the same that Hubby was driving. He has nerves of steel when it comes to things like that. We needed that behind the wheel with both kids, my 80-year-old aunt and our neurotic poodle all freaking out in the backseat. What a ride.

We ate too much, watched Christmas with the Kranks (cute and funny) and Sahara (decent action/adventure), played Blurt, dominos, Sequence (I’m addicted), and took the occasional nap.

We made it home by 8:00…with much less fuss than getting there. The nervous nellies in the backseat were at least quiet about it on the way down the mountain. Really, really quiet. Like maybe they were all holding their breath?

Heard a cool quote from Bob Dylan on a commercial advertising a collection of his music:

“I was born away from where I was meant to be. I’m on my way back.”

I’m pretty sure ol’ Bob didn’t mean that in a Christian way, but it sure fits the life of the believer, doesn’t it? We are born away from where we are meant to be (in fellowship with Christ) and everything in this life is another chance (if we make the right choices) to get there.

By the way, did anyone watch Kenny Chesney’s special on ABC Wednesday evening? The concert scenes were filmed at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. Baby Girl and my mom were there. Grandma took BG for her 13th birthday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The family will be heading up on the mountain for dinner at my stepfather’s house tomorrow (he and my mom maintain both of their houses). I’m an only child so it will be a small gathering. Just my mom, stepfather, the four of us and my aunt. It’s nice on the mountain. Stepdaddy built the house himself. It isn’t a cabin, but still rather rustic and isolated. We’ll build a fire, play games and watch movies. God willing. It’s snowing pretty hard and the forecast is for 4-6 inches.

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving I hope you have a great day with family, friends and the guest of honor….the turkey. Get stuffed!

Two days down. One to go. Don’t you just love short work weeks?

Hubby picked our son up at his apartment on the way home from work tonight. Well, not really on the way home since Hubby is currently working on one side of the city and Son lives/goes to school/works on the other side. Anyway, the family is together tonight. We’re united until Sunday afternoon when we have to take Son back. Guaranteed, it will be more than enough time. The same two siblings who are happily. playing checkers, listening to music and talking tonight, will be at eachother’s throats by Friday. If not before.

I can’t think of anything else to write. I’ve been busy, not sitting around doing nothing, but I’m drawing a blank tonight. If you were to stick a spigot in my ear and turn the tap the vanilla pudding would flow.

Before this gets any worse (can it?), I think I’ll say goodnight and take my vanilla pudding thoughts and go to bed.

Goodnight.