construction
So last night was our third annual gingerbread house extravaganza. Mrs. Jenny and her girls built the manger, Shirley made the Christmas tree (complete with a marzipan star that Rachael smushed into shape), Mrs. Pam and Hannah built the church, and I built the half-finished cottage. I started out OK...then had an ADD attack and couldn't make myself do any more. We had a great time...and finished a whole container of eggnog.
Mmm....nog....
Labels: friends, fun
broken
If y'all want to see my house decorated for Christmas, I suggest you come today. There is a very real possibility that I'll be taking it all down tomorrow. I'm tired of sweeping up broken ornaments (I think we're up to 9 now). The final straw was this morning when I went into the living room, and Oozey poked her head out from the middle of the tree. The tree skirt is already gone. Frank wee-wee-ed on it. Taking it all down now may be the only way I'll make it through December without having a nervous breakdown...
Labels: critters, holiday
post-turkey
Thanksgiving is over. I need a holiday to recover. What a wonderful time we all had together! Erin and Andrew had the distinct honor of being our first official houseguests. Alla's flight in on Thursday was delayed due to rudder problems. We all agreed that it's better to be an hour late than dead. We really missed Steve and Burt and Laura...they were the only ones not there. Although it was later than usual, our Thanksgiving feast was awesome. Granny's huge pot of Chicken Slick was the perfect addition to all the traditional food. Andrew has also discovered that he loves fried cornbread. I don't remember if he ate collards or not...
Alla REALLY wanted to shop Friday morning...so we left the house at 5:30 and headed to Best Buy. There is no reason a sane person would ever do this. I automatically win "Cousin of the Year."After coming home and taking a nap, Rachael brought Cole and Lily over and we all rode for a while. Check out my aunt Martha riding Lily!
It looks like "Bonanza" over there...
Are you amazed that nobody fell off and had to go to urgent care?
Our favorite Ohio-an helps stir the stew. I keep telling him that they could make this in their backyard. Alla can't. Plymouth is too close to Salem and someone would probably accuse her of being a witch...
Here's Alla and Erin showing some cousinly love after my beloved Wolfpack forgot how to play football...
We had our own Thanksgiving miracle. FRANK WAS SWEET! No hissing, growling, cussing, biting. He was cuddly and adorable and kept jumping from lap to lap as we played cards. He actually let them pick him up and hold him! Could it be that he was just begging for eggnog?
Finally, Hannah came home and we put up the Christmas tree and went to see "Enchanted." The movie was great, and the tree is beautiful. Well...it will be beautiful if Oozey will stay out of it. I'm straightening the skirt and cleaning up broken ornaments every time I walk into the room. This morning, they had gotten into the Snow Village and they broke my favorite piece. I think those kitties will be getting coal and switches for Christmas...
Labels: critters, family, holiday
giving thanks
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night.
Hill and vale, and tree and flower
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.
Friends on earth and friends above,
For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise!
Labels: holiday
a good day
Check it out. The Dark Knight was the Heineken Premium Player of the Week(that means I had the highest score)! WOO HOO!Defeating Tommy also helped bump me into third place in the league. Brian losing didn't hurt, either. This makes me wonder what would have happened if all my starters had been healthy for the whole season... What are we going to do when Fantasy Football ends???
Labels: football, friends
6 days
It's almost Thanksgiving! The trees have changed, by beloved Wolfpack are on a 4 game winning streak, and the fresh chickens for the stew have already been cooked and gotten off the bones. Life is good! Now I just have to clean my house, get the guest rooms ready for our first official overnight guests (John sleeping on the couch to protect us from murderers doesn't count), make some sausage balls and peanut butter balls (and maybe some other stuff...I haven't made up my mind yet) and decide where I'm putting the Snow Village (I think it will depend on where the tree goes and how the furniture gets arranged). Is this the best time of year or what?!?
Labels: holiday
vet bill
Our suspicions were confirmed. Frank has a bladder infection. He's been at the vet all weekend, since they couldn't get a urine sample while I was there Saturday morning. They've started him on antibiotics, and I'm picking him up after work this afternoon. I shudder to think what the vet bill is going to be. He's not getting his allowance for the next 3 years. When the tech went to check on him this morning, she said he was rolling around in his cage, purring and begging to be loved. What a flirt.I'll be glad to get him home again. It just hasn't been the same without him around. He'll be accepting visitors and wet food any time after 7:00 tonight...
Happy Veterans' Day to all who have served our country. And just in case you forgot:
Labels: critters
rivalry
Today has to be in the top 5 in the "Best Days of My Life" list.
It was a day God created for NCAA Football. It was 55 degrees and sunny. My beloved Wolfpack were hosting the ever-despised and perennially overrated Tar Heels. After jumping out to a quick lead, they let the Heels catch up. After a hard-fought Wolfpack touchdown, the Heels were headed back down the field with just enough time to score. They took four shots at the end zone from inside the 10. Four incomplete passes. NC State took over on downs and ended the game with a knee down. Final score: 31-27 Wolfpack. 
My eternal thanks to Jimmy for inviting me along. It was truly the greatest game I've ever been to. It was nice to sing "Go to hell Carolina" and actually have Carolina fans there to shake your fist at. I'm glad State and Carolina only play once a year. I don't think my nerves could take any more...
Labels: football
puddle
Frank is going to the doctor tomorrow. There have been puddles on the floor for 3 days in a row now. He waits until I get up, then sits in a corner and cries until I come find him. Then he makes a puddle. ON MY BRAZILIAN CHERRY FLOORS.He's confined to the downstairs bathroom for now. I'm hoping it's just a bladder infection and it can be fixed with some antibiotics. Otherwise John Juan is getting himself a barn cat...
Labels: critters
flip
This is why Hannah won't let me hold the remote any more when we watch TV:
Labels: random
300
HOW 'BOUT THAT WOLFPACK!?!?!Beating Miami at the legendary Orange Bowl was HUGE. OK...so Miami's having an off year and they're probably gonna fire their coach, but a win is a win! This gets us to 2-3 in the ACC and 4-5 overall. A bowl game is possible!In other news, I went and bought a Christmas tree on Saturday. I wanted to go ahead and get one so I'd be ready to put it up the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and before the good ones got sold out. They're usually all gone by Thanksgiving week. I'm itching to put the Snow Village up, too. I may be able to hold off another week. Maybe.I also just noticed that this is my 300th post. What a milestone...
Labels: football, holiday
