By now I bet most of my readers are under the impression that I totally ignore the fall holidays. This is not true but all my spare time that is not devoted to celebrating the season are spent preparing for the Christmas season. In all truth fall happens to be my absolute favorite season.

I have been wondering what are Christmas traditions you have that don't involve sweets, decorating, parties, or gift exchanging?

For me that is charity. Each holiday I donate to toys for tots, grab a angel off the angel tree, or take food to the food bank. This may not be Opera at the Met, but I see this as a classy holiday tradition.

Throughout the year I regularly take supplies to Blue Star Mothers. But the holidays I focus on those less fortunate.

If you have never done this I highly suggest this become a yearly tradition. No matter how small the gift you will make a difference in someones life.

I still remember as a child how we would go select a gift or two to take to the Toys for Tots. And then my Aunt and I would take them and deliver them to a Marine. As we were selecting the toy and dropping it off we would talk about the importance of helping the less fortunate. I see this as an indispensable life lesson that has suck with me and shaped who I am even today.

In lean years I have often purchased my gifts at Big Lots or the Dollar Tree. Other years I have tried to get the latest and greatest toy. But every year I do something. After all something is better than nothing.

I find that I get the most joy from picking out a Angel to buy for.

I try to pick the tweens or teens (most people go for the little ones.) I like getting the teens so that I will know that somewhere someone is opening a outfit that will make them feel good about who they are - and how they look, even just for one day. I cant help thinking how great it was to get all the cool new clothes for Christmas when I was in middle school. How I would labor over what to wear on the first day back.

If you are a parent I would suggest you and your child(ren) select someone together at about their age so that they can help in this gift selection.

Today while sorting thru my blogs I follow on google reader I came across a post for Bloggers care: Operation Christmas Child. Which in truth is what spawned this post. I don't know if the is the avenue I will choose to support this holiday season but I wanted to share this link for a good cause.

If you have never participated in an anonymous gift giving program before I hope you will consider it. If you do please take a moment to share a story or thought. Or as I asked in the beginning, how do you celebrate the holiday season? What makes Christmas, Christmas for you?

The elves on loan from the north pole are getting ready to kick things to high gear.

Robyn and Franks gifts (cousins) have hit the 'half way mark' I have also been working on the tutorial for it AFTER Christmas.

Sara, Jessica, Aubry, Nicki's (all cousins) gifts are in planning phase one.

Ann, Aunt Carla, Aunt Cindy, and Aunt Barbara's gifts are well into the flushing out phase.

Chris (BIL) is getting started tonight.

Jocelyn, Kenny and Kellie, and Erin's gifts have been selected.

I know what I will be making Mom and My Mother in Law.

You will notice that it is the men in the family that I am having problems planning for. Please pass along any ideas you might have.

If you are on this list you might want to start considering if you have been naughty or nice.

Each and every Christmas I try to give hand made gifts.

I like to give them and I hope others like to get them. Each gift takes a minimum of 4 hours to make. Scarves typically are 8 hrs. When you think about the size of the family we exchange gifts with you quickly understand how Christmas shopping can easily get out of hand cost wise. Time coupled with cost is the reason I begin my Christmas planning and buying now. Actually I am a whole month behind.

Reason being I just have not had that one 'ah-ha' idea.

In the past I have made the following:
- Christmas Ornaments
- Scarves, I think everyone in the family save Chris and Grants Grandma have one.
- hand embroidered dish towels
- hand embroidered pot holders
- cookies
- hot cocoa mix
- Russian spice tea

Now I am looking for that one idea this year. Something fairly basic (especially if is knitting since I am not strong with knitting). Basic that looks nice is a total must. Preferably useful. I hate getting stuff that serves no purpose. Please send them my way. I need to get started ASAP.

- the 'no sew' blanket has already made the rounds with the family, so that is out.

It is that time of year again. Time to start my Christmas list.

Time to start planning who will get what.

If you are on my list and have any requests, best to get them in now.

Please remember I make my own gifts by hand usually. Each scarf takes 8 or more hours. Each tea towel about 6 hours.

So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have (had) fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young.

A very Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

John Lennon sums it up for me - in a whirl wind of a fall/winter of 2008 it seems so hard for me to see this as the Holiday season. I only sent 2 Christmas Cards: to my Aunt Cindy January 2008, and my Aunt Stella July 2008. That is it.

Grant is still working odd hours and I am still working 2 jobs. In addition to helping Grandma on Sundays. So we dont get nearly enough together time.

I am attempting to scale back my derby commitments.

Were it not for Erin and Jocelyn and our Wednesdays I do not know how I would have made it this far. Erin is by far the most consistent friend a person could ask for and when times get tough I know no matter where she is, what she is doing or who she is with that she will always care and be there for me. Jocelyn is a newer friend to me, we attended many of the same schools and had so many of the same friends it is odd we never really met. She and her hubby have been a essential part of my life here in OK I just count my blessings to have these two phenomenal women as my friends - warts and all (HAHAHA).

Looking back over the year it seems as if I have been in survival mode. I am hoping that this will ease in 2009. I simply cannot continue at this rate.

Grandma's heart trouble and stroke seem to be the straw that broke the back of this old camel.

To everyone who has called / emailed / written etc. I am sorry I have not returned the correspondence. It does mean a great deal to me. It just seems that there is not enough time in the day to catch a breath let alone to correspond.

I love leg warmers with stirrups. 36" if anyone is taking christmas notes.

Christmas day and yes the wind was sweeping down the plains. All was going well in Grandmas house aside for the normal yearly stressors (everyone woke up late, had to be other places, couldnt get thier ass in gear, etc.). Grandma got these awful leg cramps and they wouldn't relax. She looked a bit like Daffy Duck freaking out but it was serious. We were gathered around the christmas tree in the living room and opening gifts.
In the same tedious way we have for years:
-youngest to oldest
-open all socks first
-stop
-repeat process with all gifts



Just as Grandma was at LONG LAST getting to her gifts we heard BOOM
I jumped up (probably said oh shit) and ran outside. A limb fell on Grandma's house right over the Christmas tree. It punctured the shingles, some ply-wood and you could see some insulation… but when it fell we where all around the Christmas tree in the house except Richard Allen (my uncle) and Andrew (my cousion). The first thought was a car hit the house because it was so loud and the house shook. I saw the tree, and kept running. I was concerend that somthing might have fallen on RA or Andy who were in the backyard with the dogs. I just kept running (important to note that I DO NOT run) and calling for them (worried they might be hurt). Appearntly it was the funniest face I have ever made. Appearantly it was not nearly as frightening hearing it out doors.



Fortunately when I opened up Grandad's garage (he passed 10 years ago and no one has really touched it since) I found everything I needed just inside the door, all together. It was like he was ready for this. We had roofing paper, roofing nails, and a hammer just waiting.

We were able to take care of the tree and patch it all in under a hour. We did not have Christmas lunch till 6 PM as opposed to 3PM but we were all safe. Everyone was there to help Grandma and we had everything we needed to do the job. It was pretty cool.

Afterward we came home and had christmas with my parents and pets.



Notable gifts include:
KitchenAid Pro 600 from Grant
Journey Pendant from Grant
2 weed whackers
digital photo frame from Barbara and RA
Wilsons Leather Jacket from Mom
Gillmore Girls DVDs from Cindy and Grandma
WKRP DVD from Cindy

Hope you had a good holiday too!

I tripped on to this blog that pretty well sums up how I am feeling today.

3) If someone suggested that you take an entire paycheck, buy gifts for everyone you know all at the same time, wrap the gifts in paper that's a huge waste of natural resources, get your house in tip top shape, redecorate it, stock it with homemade goodies at random intervals throughout the month, then top it off with a day spent cooking in the kitchen, all during the season when your family is most likely to be fighting colds would you say "That sounds like the most wonderful time of the year!", or would you say "What a stoopid idea! It'll never catch on."
"Christmas leads to stress, stress leads to beer, beer leads to pissing. Celebrate Christmas and piss away your month you will. "
Maybe I'll leave the dark side and try Channakuh. Hannaka. Channukah.
Maybe I better make it Kwanzaa, because I can spell that.

At the moment my usual holiday cheer self is feeling more and more like the Grinch or Scrooge. Back to the Christmas grind stone...... your very disguntled elf, Laurie

Much thanks to the ice storm it seems everyone thought we had 2 more weeks to Christmas. To that we were DEAD wrong. Since that realization Monday I have been crafting like a mo-fo. There are not enough hours in a day. I am the only person in the family with the tree decorated. And I still have gifts to buy. No avoiding the shopping crowd for me. Each day is a blur of doing for Grant and I for 3 hours and then doing for family the rest of the day. So I have spent enough time here, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Sorry to everyone. Who would think that moving 1,313 miles would make a blog fall behind.... yes I hear the cricket's no that wasn't that funny.

Truth be told I am not a big fan of touch pads on lap tops and just have been a slacking procrastinator.

Making this house feel like our home is going.... well I guess. I have been helping the families with Holiday Prep. This past weekend I was in the Broken arrow Christmas Parade with the Green Country Roller Girls.





I am in a bit of a funk after the move. I guess feeling the loss of VA more than anticipated. Saturday we are hosting Grant and Tim's Christmas Party so I am feeling the pressure to have the house PERFECT before the family sees it for the first time. (Primarily because most of them have never seen me in my own home.)

Oh and here are some photos from Grants Christmas Party.


I will write more when the stress dies down, promise.

Christmas came early for me!!! I got my pampered chef stuff in yesterday that I ordered weeks ago! I adore it! I am taking my time finding places to put things, seasoning the stones and browsing the recipes!

I must share the goodies I bought after all each one fills me with joy!

Batter Bowl
Adjustable Measuring Cup
Muffin Stone
Deep Dish Baker
Turkey Roaster (That will be used for ham of course!)
Large MicroSteamer
More Scrapers and the Above mentioned Book (Plus a few goodies for Grant)

I just cant wait to begin the holiday cooking!

First I would like to open in saying anything next to my friend Lisa looks fat... she is a super sweet skinny chick. So take this as a disclamer I have NOT gained weight..



So Lisa had a Halloween Themed Pampered Chef Party. Cool deal. I snapped up Grant a few Gifts (ssssshhhhh dont tell him) and I am hosting a on-line party next month. So I will be posting more info on that next mont- no pressure I promise.

As it would turn out Lisa and I were the only ones to dress up for the occasion... Me- as muself in HighSchool, Lisa as a Sailor...




Thats Hot!

Well Folks, now that we have been home from Tulsa for a little over a week we are finally getting our ass in gear to get our life back in order.

The trip was a whirl wind of friends, old and new. On occasion (as you can see) we even happened to remember that we had a camera with us. I suspect if we happened to LIKE our camera it would have received more use.

We got a chance to do things we have not done in years, like go 4 wheeling and just hang out with friends... each day was a mad dash... I saw WAY more people than we normally do but as a result we were constantly on the run. We did a ritual tour of the malls and hit every QT at least twice a day. Trips were made both to the Jenks Aquarium and the Tulsa Zoo. We hit some old spots like Caz's and the Bowery as well as a few new ones Like the Mercury Lounge, Tsunami, and Delesandro's. Not to mention the time spent at Beth and Wade's drinking their Beer.. (BTW after we move back you are welcome any time!

Rounds were made to all our favorite restraunts:
Knotty Pine
Rons Hamburgers and Chilli
Taco Bueno
Kribys
Shogun
Cookies Tai Cafe
Braums

When you get right down to it this trip was an experiment to see how happy we would be living back in the Tulsa area, bottom line... we think nothing could make us happier! So, the count down begins... Jan 2008... we are coming home!

_____________

So, after we arrive on the East Coast it is nearly 11PM. The flight Flew into Baltimore. Time to start the drive to VA Beach... I made it all the way to Richmond before I demanded that Grant drive... GO ME! Upon arrival home (at 4 AM) we find two Italian's on our living room floor... that's ok, they were susposed to be there. They were watching the house. Crashed, burned and then went to work... BLAH.

____________

Over the week we caught some kind of bug, you know the kind where you cough up green shit. FUN STUFF! So we make Chilli.... From my Uncle RA's peppers... we will call it EXLAX Chilli... it was pure FIRE... Thank god for beer, It put the fire out... well I am exhausted, and uber drowsy... I will try to pick up here next time.

Well yesterday we had Christmas on the Ship... odd to say the least. But we had a good time. We opened Gifts in 'Combat' and then moved up to the CWIS space and hung out all day.

USS Barry

WE WILL BE HOME THIS WINTER!!!!

Itinerary:
Monday, January 02 - BALTIMORE-WASHNTN(BWI) to TULSA OK(TUL)
Flight 1611 H
Depart BALTIMORE-WASHNTN(BWI) at 6:15AM and
Arrive in TULSA OK(TUL) at 10:30AM

Sunday, January 08 - TULSA OK(TUL) to BALTIMORE-WASHNTN(BWI)
Flight 2784 H
Depart TULSA OK(TUL) at 5:45PM and
Arrive in BALTIMORE-WASHNTN(BWI) at 10:55PM

As you can see this will only be 6 days so it will be a whilrwind trip! Please let us know when you will be around, we would love to see you all. As you know we had planned to be home for Christmas but that fell thru! This is something we have hugely been looking froward to!