Middle aged musings from farm & hearth
Those of you who know me well recognize my camera as merely another appendage. While it’s true there are heavy sighs and some serious eye rolls whenever I arrive on the scene, who do they gather around when it’s all said and done to see their minute of fame, I ask you. Ah, the woes of those who wield the camera.
Last night we had a Christmas open house for family and a few friends. My 14 year old niece pried the Rebel from my fingers and took over the job for the evening. I loved flipping through the images later to see her perspective.. sometimes you really oughta just let. it. go. 🙂
I did the last minute fools rush yesterday..first to drop off presents to family that I won’t see before our Christmas Day party, then to a certain store for a few certain gifts, then to the grocery store for the remaining ingredients needed for the Big Day’s menu. ( I never know exactly where to use apostrophes.. for those of you that I annoy with it, I apologize for my laziness. Mom. ). Everyone and their brother and third cousin twice removed was there doing the same darn thing – the shopping, not the apostrophe abomination.
Anyway. I thought I was done. Everyone checked off the list. Everything put away, everything wrapped. I even found the gift card I thought I lost, which was the best gift ever because I was tired of trying to conceal the evidence of my negligence from the signifcant other.
And then last night there was this new development.
Me: “So, since you and (new guy) M are now officially dating, did you get him something for Christmas other than the little friend gift you originally got, you know.. before you were dating?”
College girl: “Noooo, and I probably should, huh. “
Me: ” Ummm, probably. Just a something, nothing huge. ”
College girl: ” And , Mom? He got YOU guys something.”
Me: “WHAT? Really??… he really didn’t have to do that. Really shouldn’t have done that…. really?”.
College girl: ” Yeah, really. Somthing nice. And he made cookies for you. “
Me: “MADE COOKIES FOR US?”. …..
College girl: ” OMG – I have to work tomorrow, I’m not going to have time to shop for him!?”
Me: ” *sigh* Well. Ok … I guess I’ll head out one more time tomorrow and pick a little something up from us and from you. What does he like? Any sports teams? Particular colors?”
College girl: “I don’t really know yet. Want me to ask him?”
Me: “NO, don’t ask him. What are you gonna say.. Hey, we’re doing a last minute after-thought shopping spree for you because this is the awkward moment when you’re brand new to the scene and it’s CHRISTMAS and you came on the scene right at the last minute when we don’t really know you yet but you made cookies and are bearing gifts. Can you give us a hint so we can buy you a meaningful gift? “
Back to the stores I go.
And the dog has a fever this morning so I’ll probably be visiting the vet too. Awesome.
Any suggestions? This is what I know – male college student, medium build, tall-dark-polite-handsome. Gives gifts immediately upon meeting you.
No, I did not buy it. Just.. can you just imagine? 🙂
The guy and I have said several times to each other in the past week..”It just doesn’t feel like Christmas this year”. There are several reasons I can come up with that are logical – the crappy economy and our tightened budget, which I have exceeded and now feel guilty about. There’s the lack of snow… it’s been depressingly cold and grey lately without the beauty of the white stuff. Today the wind howls down the chimneys of This Old House like a screaming banshee.
Still, I don’t think it’s any of those things as much as the absence of TOYS. We both bought heavily into the magic of Christmas with our kids over the years. We went to great lengths to hide presents big and small, leave cookies out for Santa, carrots for the reindeer. One year we threw presents on the porch roof to make it look like Santa had dropped a few on his way over to the chimney. We made sooty boot prints on the hearth, sometimes threw a loose brick or two in the logs to make it look like the chimney had crumpled under the weight of Santa…and there have been more than a few curse-strewn sessions of toy-assembling. Who knew a Barbie Camper could come in 1,378 pieces, assembly required beyond sanity’s threshold. That part maybe I don’t miss so much.
I do enjoy the Christmas traditions we continue to carry through, like monkey bread on Christmas morning. My kids still love getting their gifts under the tree, of course. After the holiday I’ll share with you some of the crazy stuff I find to fill their stockings. But… the gifts under the tree are different. There are no more American Girl dolls or Breyer horses or remote control monster trucks or giant stuffed Tigers or Play Dough or Light Bright or Big Boxes of Crayons – the kind with the sharpener in the back of the box… I still haven’t outgrown those. Not even a Tickle-Me Elmo. And I miss them all. I miss the feety pajamas and the twinkle in their eyes, the excitement of Christmas Eve, the trying to fall asleep, or more like the trying to stay awake to catch the sound of hooves and sleigh bells on the roof.
I saw Elmo on the shelf in Target last week and I almost put him in the cart. Just because.
Oh, how I wanted snow. The husband not so much. He’s probably doing a happy dance as I type, because when it snows, for him it means a lot of plowing.
This is what I see as I look out my office window… we are blessed with a neighborhood full of older colonial homes and I am grateful daily to be surrounded by the old New England charm.
Yesterday Mah Baybeee gambled for the first time! Good Gawd when did I get this old? Although can I gush for a minute?… one of the slot maintenance gurus said my daughter and I look like sisters. Yes, I know part of his job is to make everyone joyful so they’ll dump more money in the slots, just hush.
We live within 45 minutes of both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos and occasionally head up there for dinner and a vacuum suck of about $300. of our hard-earned cash because we never ever win anything there, ever. . I should point out that we aren’t much for gambling. It’s more of a once a year something-different thing to do. Anyway… I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times, but the place was half empy when we got there around 2:00pm and throughout the night there weren’t many “winning” bells and whistles going off. Lots of people staring at machines with blank faces, mechanically hitting the spin button or pulling the lever just for something different. I did a lot of people watching, and I noticed some folks actually have a pattern they follow… hit the button, pull the lever twice. (you have the option). Or, there’s a rythym to their button hitting or lever pulling. Either way, they are mesmerized.
We had a good time, celebrating my MIL’s birthday and her oldest grandchilds new gambling status. Burgers and steaks at Michael Jordan’s joint, slots for a few hours until fingers were pryed off slot levers. The kid came out the winner, up $83.
Here’s what Mohegan has to say about itself: A world at play and a world to its own, Mohegan Sun, created in 1996 by the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, is one of the world’s most amazing destinations with some of New England’s finest dining, hotel accommodations, retail shopping, live entertainment and sporting events. Boasting three world-class casinos, Mohegan Sun is also host to the Kids Quest/Cyber Quest family entertainment facility, a luxurious day spa, convention center and meeting facility, a state-of-the-art Poker Room as well as three major entertainment venues with seating from 300 to 10,000. People from across the globe come to see live concerts with some of today’s top headliners, along with major sporting events including Mohegan Sun’s very own WNBA team, the Connecticut Sun.
Every turn leads to a new adventure with an indoor 55-foot waterfall, and electrifying water wall, the world’s largest and most spectacular indoor planetarium dome and the awe-inspiring Wombi Rock, a glowing crystal mountain made of imported stone that serves as the focal point of Casino of the Sky.
And it’s all that.
These Turkeys are very Thankful.
They were dyed for the occasion
and so the Big Day will pass
and they’ll be thrown back into the flock.
