Day 365 - Lisa

As we close out 2012, I remembered back to our trip in 2010 to New York.  We visited the Times Square museum.  I was touched by the wishes and messages posted on the "Hopes and Dreams" board.  I always wanted to be in Times Square for New Years till I learned about being locked into the area for over 6 hours with no ability to relieve yourself.  That ended that dream.  We have decided to not do the blog consistently if at all in 2013.  Life has become busier now that we have our house and are more settled.  This has been a great project to keep our minds occupied during a period of unrest that surrounded us for three years.  Thank you for following along.  I hope we entertained you, made you laugh or think about things maybe differently.  Who knews we might be back.  There's always Spain.  ;>

Here's a quote that touched me:

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was. Likewise, I never imagined that home might be something I would miss.” 

― Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

When I read that it said everything I feel. Doing this blog helped me realize how blessed I am, how good my life is, even with all the turmoil of the past three years and really since 2000.  So I am very happy my mom and I did this and had so many awesome adventures along the way.  Happy New Year Everyone!

Day 365 - Sis

Just like the outside decorations it's time to put away the blog. Don't know what we will do for the year but no plans for continuing it in 2013.  Maybe we will just trim it back, as I did to the trees out front and find a reason to continue on in a limited fashion. With the house requiring more of our daily attention we don't want to bore you even more with some of our projects.  To those English majors, sorry about all the mistakes in grammar we have made. To the proof readers, think of all the practice you had finding the mistakes in spelling, punctuation and the use of the wrong tense in so many of these posts.  To those who didn't get why we thought anyone would care what we saw or thought, we're just as stymied as you! To those who enjoyed it, thanks for being entertained with so little. LOL  Wishing all a very prosperous, healthy and fulfilling new year.

Day 364 - Sis

We had decided that the couch had to go.  It served us well for over 10 years, sat in storage for another three.  It's just too big and we plan to purchase some new furniture anyway.  Well we needed to get it to the garage for pick up by our regular service. Slight problem, the two of us could not lift this well made couch to tip and angle it out of the room.  So Lisa decided to dismantle it, piece by piece.  NOT so easy. After cutting through the covering, prying the frame with a crow bar she picked up her phone, called a company that would remove it from the room and cart it away.

Day 364 - Lisa

50 totes, 8 misc items bagged and a full nativity scene but we are ORGANIZED and ready for some serious decorating next year.  What a relief to get Christmas situated while I was on vacation.  I think this might be the most organized we have ever been.  We did the clean sweep trio:  Give Away, Goodwill or Toss.  Having a basement is so much nicer than my mom having to crawl into the attic each holiday season because she was the shortest and try and haul everything out.

Day 363 - Sis

This is a white cake snowball that somehow still hasn't been eaten in our house.  It reminds me of the 50's, when I was a kid, during the holiday season only, a tv commercial would play advertising this Flaming Snowball dessert.  Oh I would just drool and wonder if I would ever have enough money to buy and eat one. I mean, vanilla ice cream covered in coconut with the festive frosting of holly, berries and a candle to light!  So elegant looking when the lady in the commercial would serve it on a beautiful table with the lighted candle.  Such a dream of mine and finally realized when I was an adult.  Of course it couldn't meet my expectations or taste in desserts by the time I could afford it. Vanilla isn't a flavor I'm fond of and the the candle made it start to melt. There it was a dish of melted ice cream with coconut floating in it, another dream lost.

Day 363 - Lisa

No wonder the branches drooped!  That's a lot of balls!

Day 362 - Sis

I don't like the color pink, so when my daughter bought this sweater for my dog I wasn't thrilled. And when my daughter put this on my dog today I wasn't thrilled. Now some would say pink is a beautiful color and this might remind some people of the movie Pretty In Pink.   Ha, it just looks to me like Pretty, Plump, In Pink  or an armadillo but it is easier to see her.!

Day 362 - Lisa

While working to condense down our Christmas decorations, I found Mary.  Oh, it's so good to see her.  Now that I have a Disney room, I can display her all year long.  Love her Jolly Holiday outfit.  ;>

Day 361 - Sis

We found that we missed going to the movies and forgot that three hours is a long time to watch one with no intermission.  On Christmas day we saw Les Miserables, very good but so crowded I had to sit in the only seat left in the last row and Lisa had to sit in the very last seat in, the front row! Today we saw Silver Linings Playbook, much shorter time wise but just as enjoyable. This viewing also provided more seating so that scored big points with us.  The Guilt Trip is on our list and will end our short movie marathon for the year.

Day 361 - Lisa

I'm going to miss my leisurely mornings with my animals when I go back to work.  Eleven days offs, oneeya and sunii are going to wonder what happen.  A certain kitty was looking for trouble below!

Day 360 - Sis

Day after Christmas and one really dry tree.  Time to dismantle and thankfully it only took me one day and night to finish. How tired it looks, kind of like me.

Day 360 - Lisa

We drove around our community looking at all the Christmas lights one night before Christmas.  This house was the winner.  This display goes around the side of their home also.  The picture does not do it justice.  It was themed into sections.  Wow!

Day 359 - Sis

Bonus gift for me from the Atlanta Constitution Journal.  Our Christmas day paper came with this crossword puzzle. It has 820 entries across and 815 down, should keep me occupied for a few days when the holidays are over.  Oh the other hand oneeya seems more occupied with resting than with the gift her Aunt Chickie sent her.

Day 359 - Lisa

We had a low key Christmas Day.  Opened our Target last minute gifts to each other, went to see Les Mierables and we co-cooked our Christmas dinner;  prime rib, italian scalloped potatoes and asparagus.  I cooked the prime rib.  I start drooling the minute the butcher hands me the roast.

Day 358 - Sis

We were looking forward to celebrating the birth of Christ in some way and we found a candle light service close to our home.  It was attended by maybe 30-40 people, including the pastors officiating. The group was friendly and welcoming and handed out flyers with Christmas hymns.  What, we get to sing?  I'm ready and Lisa is sighing because she dreads my singing, well my singing so loud is what bothers her.  Don't care, I don't know these people and besides it's about the greatest gift ever given to me, no not talking about my voice, I mean Jesus. This evening made Christmas the first one in Georgia I really felt the spirit.

Day 358 - Lisa

Christmas Eve night we went to the church down the street from us Candlelight Service at 11pm.  It was very nice.  It was called a Starlight Service but the dense fog did not cooperate.

Day 357 - Sis

The 21st was the Christmas party at Lisa's job, which means she came home with some gifts.  One of her co-workers is a very good baker and sent home these lovelies.  They were in this box, see the green joy decoration? Oh boy this was not only a joyful gift it was you might say, intoxicating!.  Lisa opened the box and I swore there had to be a bottle hidden in it with some type of alcohol, so we dove in!  Delicious and we got very merry.;-

Day 357 - Lisa

One of my co-workers gifted me this SF Giants Snowman runner.  LOVE it!!!  I told her she hit a home run.  ;>

Day 356 - Sis

While out picking up branches that fell from the trees I noticed one of my painted stumps looked odd.  Well my San Francisco/Berkeley heart started to flutter, because there growing out of the rotted, psychedelic painted thing was this.  No I never indulged in any type of mushrooms, including eating them. My name is not Alice!;-

Day 356 - Lisa

Ohhhhh so cute.  My cousin Kellee surprised me by shipping me this Charlie Brown nativity scene.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
-Luke 2:8-14

Day 355 - Sis

The wind during the little passing storm last night did a bit of tree trimming and decorated the deck.

Day 355 - Lisa

I stopped on my way home from work and picked up Nagano's!  The whole family came out to wish me a Merry Christmas.  The video before is of the Santa that almost gave me a heart attack when I opened the door to the restaurant!

Day 354 - Sis

Knowing I'm protected by the growling, warning of my protective dog from these vicious creatures, gives me a great sense of security.

Day 354 - Lisa

It's a long story but we are doing the 12 Days of Christmas tomorrow at work.  One of our teams had a slight creative meltdown so I stepped in and helped them with props for being Pied Pipers!  Here's their hat!  Stylish I think.  ;>

Day 353 - Sis

Well "IF" Friday arrives, as scheduled on my calendar, the weather here today predicted at 70 degrees, will drop over 40 degrees on the 21st.  So guess the asteroid, fire bolt, or other heat source expected by the Mayans, may instead be in the form of an iceberg.  BRRRR!

Day 353 - Lisa

sunii's first Christmas tree.  She is thrilled, can't you tell?  My mom says she looks like a squirrel with a real fancy tail.

Day 352 - Sis

Ah, received the Christmas gift plant replacement from my sister.  Love it, came with the very cute candle and holder.

Day 352 - Lisa

I think it's scary the resemblance between Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and oneeya when she's playing.

Day 351 - Sis

This beautiful rose beige colored tree looks like it's holding on until winter officially arrives on the 21st, or the end of the world, depending if it follows the Gregorian versus the Mayan calendar.  Hoping we have the answer on the 22nd!

Day 351 - Lisa

When I pulled this card out of the envelope from my Grandma I thought the front of the card was "different" being it was a Christmas card.  Then I opened it and realized my poor Grandma is a bit confused.  LOL!  Oh well, it was the thought that counted.  ;>  She's either six months late or six months early.  As they say here in the South, "Bless her heart!"

Day 350 _ Sis

On this cold Sunday morning I have to wonder if one of them is asking, " And again, why did we follow those geese south?"

Day 350 - Lisa

These are just a "few" of the items I received from my Secret Pal Theresa.  She went a tad crazy with the silly gifts and I love Henri but the clown nose was so ME!