Vocabulary with T: Unlikely Event

There's an old joke about Congress which compares lawmaking to the production of sausage and argues of both that it's best not to see either being made.  As the nation prepares for the self-induced wound that is the fiscal cliff, it seems apt to review the notion.  Congress has landed us in this situation and its their responsibility to get us out.  That they seem determined to do it in a fashion that will leave the national electorate both exhausted and disgusted is no surprise to me.

I could add my voice to the chorus of Congressional critics blaming the Republicans for this mess.  I could wring my hands and wonder why it is that Grover Norquist and the Tea Party Republicans feel that compromise, a principle at the very core of our Constitution and government, is suddenly a dirty word and unthinkable concept.

But human relations are messy at best and these days politics are a mirror of the worst of human relations, so I am not surprised at the painful ordeal Congress has constructed for the nation.  And since crying about it won't change things, I am inclined to find some ways to laugh instead.

Here, T has a phrase that's useful.  Time and time again, I have heard her say it of an unlikely event.   When she says it, the image is always quite clear in my mind.  And these days, as Congress haltingly considers doing the job they were elected to complete, it's a pretty useful notion.  And so I turn to T's phrase and suggest that the specter of Republican members of Congress cooperating and compromising to get their work done will be like seeing a "leprechaun riding a unicorn."

Mother Nature

I am a girl who loves her traditions.  Among my favorites is setting up a Christmas tree.  Each December I enjoy the magic of a Christmas tree with its sparkling lights and its collection of ornaments guaranteed to trigger some happy memories and at least a few good stories.  Even so, once Christmas day has passed, the tree and my holiday decorations are on borrowed time.  This year, our early return from winter vacation (thanks, Sandy) made it all the more urgent that the tree come down in a timely fashion.  With my mother on hand to help out, the tree came down on Friday.  Then I had JT remove it to the back deck in preparation for hauling it to the curb for the recycling truck pick-up.

At that point I realized that Saturday's snow would be a terrific chance to enjoy the tree for a few more days.  So we left the tree on the deck and the piney boughs collected some snow.  It was a lovely sight as the snow fell all afternoon, a welcome reminder that Mother Nature's powers also include great beauty.

Packages!

I love wrapping paper and ribbon and have a collection of Christmas gift tags that represents a wealth of Etsy dysfunction.  So it should come as no surprise that one of my favorite holiday traditions is wrapping up packages.

So, before I pack away the last of the holiday decorations, I'm admiring some more pictures of Christmas packages.

And, yes, I've got a thing for stripes and polka dots.

Squirrel Action Shot

My old friend Pesky is seen here helping himself to a holiday treat in the form of tulip and daffodil bulbs that I planted in the month of December.  It's a lucky for him that I find him charming and that I employ a tolerant policy toward garden pests because this is the sort of behavior that could cause a squirrel some real trouble.

No Longer Welcome at Hobby Lobby

Though we try to be decent people in the public space, T and I are sometimes challenged by the opportunities made available by retail establishments.

Note: This is Jersey, so we could hear other shoppers laugh as they walked by the altered display.

Merry, Merry

I had worried that his newfound knowledge that Santa was really me would leave JT less excited on Christmas Eve.  It turns out that I needn't have worried.  The boy was all spun up with holiday excitement on the 24th.  That night, there was a bit of snow.  My California-bred mother was delighted by this development and so we took Grandma for a walk outside to admire the town luminarias and catch a flake of snow on her tongue.

We came back inside and received our marching orders from JT: we would be awake no later than 7:30 am to check out Santa's largesse.  The next morning, we complied with the boy's orders and hit the living room right on schedule for Christmas morning.

JT was very happy with the contents of his Christmas stocking.

We enjoyed a relaxed day with a mid-afternoon Christmas feast of ham, potato casserole, roasted parsnips, green beans, and hot rolls.

It's nice to have a houseful of loved ones and many blessings in my life, not to mention a day to marvel at my good luck.  Here's to hoping that y'all enjoyed your holiday as well.  Cheers!

Happy Planner

I especially enjoy organizing the details that go into getting ready for the holidays.  So I got up early this morning to bake a pumpkin pie and get things in order for our coming celebration.  The cookies are baked and the Christmas ham is awaiting my attention.  I've a few more Christmas packages to wrap, though many are already safely deposited under the tree.

Later tonight, we'll set out paper bag luminaries, a tradition in our town.  Then we'll take a walk in the cold to admire holiday lights and decorations.

JT has unfolded the Santa story for most of the month, asking for details of the secrets that went into the mystery.  He's been delighted to learn the truth.  But I'm betting that this evening we'll still watch the NORAD Santa-tracker and set out a generous snack (and whiskey!) for the man in red.  It's a happy day for a planner like me.  I intend to enjoy every bit of it.

"Mama, this is Bad"

Every parent recognizes a special tone of urgency in her child's voice.  It's a sound which indicates trouble beyond the usual garden-variety level of concern.  That's the sound I heard last Thursday, at 10 pm, when JT summoned me by saying, "Mama, this is bad."  The boy spoke the truth.

My first thought when I realized that the cracked bathroom sink had finally given up the ghost was, "I don't have time for this."  That rather says a lot about how my December played out.  Though I didn't have time, I do have the phone number of a good plumber.  Within a few days, we were back in business with a new sink that looks a lot like the old one, albeit one that doesn't have a giant missing piece..

Rest & Relaxation

I am long-accustomed to being a very tired Mama when the holiday break rolls around.  But this fall has been one hell of a semester (see: Sandy, Hurricane) and as winter break finally loomed on Monday, I found myself struggling mightily to reach the finish line.  December is usually a crazy, busy month in my life and this year is no exception.  Each day this past week I got up to a long list of tasks that must be accomplished before I could crawl back in bed and I moved through the day attempting to succeed.  At one point, JT asked what we planned to do on Friday and I replied that we'd deal with Friday when it arrived.  Until then, I was on a day-to-day plan.  Quite frankly, sometimes it was just hour-to-hour.  Break arrived on Thursday evening and it is most welcome.

I still have plenty of small details to wrap up before Christmas Eve but I am closing in on getting those tasks done.  Most of them are actually things I look forward to and now that alarm clocks have been turned off and daily lessons set aside, it is a  happy prospect to have packages to wrap and holiday food to prepare.

Yesterday, we went to the market to secure the holiday feast.  Today is set aside for making some (more!) cookies and wrapping some packages.  If I play my cards right, I may even find time to read a book and have a nap.  That's happy!

Real Life Observations of T

The backstory:  On Sunday afternoon, T, JT, and I went to the movies to see "Lincoln."  We chose our seats and then watched as the theater filled.  After a few minutes, it became clear that we were the youngest people in the theater by a distance.  You could add up the ages of all three of us and were were still younger than the rest of the viewers.  At which point, T wryly observed, "If you voted for the man, please have a seat down in front."

And that's why she's the girl for me.