Zombie Apocalypse.

Paulius swears we need to buy a shotgun for home defense .
Against the impending Zombie Apocalypse.

I have thought it over....and done some research.....and have come to the conclusion that he may have a point. I mean with all the chemical and biological warfare going on there very well may BE something of that nature happening in the foreseeable future.

And maybe, as an added precaution, we should also build one of those underground bunkers with 6 inch titanium walls and doors with a six month supply of survival rations so we have a safe haven against them.

Sounds like a plan- and with Paulius building the bunker, it should be ready at about the same time I'm buying him that shotgun.

Home defense would have done the trick without the zombie scare tactics.
He KNOWS I hate the thought of ZOMBIES!

:-)

My Hubby- TPM

Lots of women bitch and moan about their husbands and all the things they don't do- or DO do to annoy or be deliberately inconsiderate to them.

Not me.
I know when I have it good.

My husband is, IMHO, the best hubby in the world.
He does everything in his power to make me happy and comfortable. He cooks when I don't feel well. He cleans the house if it need cleaning(except for our desk which he insists needs to be kept the way it is so he can find all his stuff easily). Yeah- he does dishes rarely- but then so do I. We BOTH hate doing dishes so we use a lot of paper plates and napkins. But as for vacuuming and stuff like that, he's right there with me on the weekends. He helps with laundry, and with the painting and maintenance on the place here with nary a complaint....unless it's pouring rain and then who can blame him...not me.

He let's me sleep late when I want- and take as many naps as I feel the need for. He holds me when I have a really bad day and need a shoulder to cry on. And he runs interference for me when he sees I need an out for something.
When he sees I'm over-doing and getting run-down, he tells me he would like for us to have a quiet weekend.
He's always putting me and my needs and wants before his.
He always asks if I would like a cup of coffee or chocolate or tea when he goes into the kitchen to make himself a cup. And when I head out that way he doesn't demand I make him a cup- he asks me if I would mind making him a cuppa.
When I don't feel up to cooking(usually on Fridays-that's my lazy day) he will ask if there is anything in particular I would care to eat or have him cook.
Usually I don't have a care- I'm just glad to be not cooking- but when I do have a special request he usually makes whatever I have a special hankering for.
He checks the air pressure in my tires and cranks my car for me in the dark cold night when I have to work and forget to do it in the daylight.
And he usually lets the dog out and back in because I get colder than he does when I do it.

Some people think I spoil him when it comes to buying his gadgets he wants...but I think he deserves more than I will probably ever be able to give him-unless I win the lottery that is.


Until then tho- I'll just keep loving him and trying hard to keep up with being as good to him as he is to me.
Like I said- he's the BEST!

Well.....Damn

Well, we didn't get to meet Saffy after all.

We thought where she was at was about 120 miles from us- turns out it was more like about 230 miles away. And they already had a 9 hour drive to make back to "T's" home state so that would have added at least 4 more hours to it.

It's times like these when I fervently wish we had a house of our own with at least two bedrooms instead of this guest-house with only one. Then we could have offered to put them up for the night so they could have drove down, had a nice visit, stayed the night, and then carried on their trip fresh and rested in the morning after a big Southern breakfast.

Oh well. Next time she visits or when we visit England for SURE!
I hope Saffy has a WONDERFUL rest of her holiday!!! So much to do- so little time!!!

Saffy Is Coming To Town!!!

I hope to get to meet Saffy today, FINALLY, face to face!

She is on holiday in the good ole US of A and called yesterday to find out if we were going to be here this afternoon. We had tried to make plans to meet up on Christmas Day but with all that was happening, it didn't happen.
Well, to make a long story short....she had quite an adventure with her flights, and that threw her whole itinerary into chaos. BUT it seems to have worked out for us since this new plan brings her right by us on her way to their point B destination and I JUST got off work and don't have to go back until Sunday night!!!
I DO, however, have a huge mess to clean up from my six grandsons on Christmas day before she gets here!!!
So I gotta get hopping to get it at least somewhat presentable for company.
I'm sure she wouldn't mind and would understand the chaos anyway- but I DO mind anyone seeing it!

Hahahahaha.

This is when I need some caffine pills and some Mountain Dew to get my butt in high gear.

Wish me luck!!!

Christmas Chaos

OMG- What a DAY!

We had all 6 of the grandsons here. All their parents, and Kathy brought her mom,Miss Jennifer, along too. We had a GREAT time!!!
Nicholas kept us totally on our toes by disappearing every time we looked away. He went to the kitchen every time and would drag a chair to the counter top to "sample" the food. After we all ate and put the leftovers away he decided climbing on the table and eating all the other kids leftovers was his plan of attack. And after all that was gone he decided that since he did all that eating he might as well wash up the dishes, so he dragged the chair over to the sink, climbed IN the sink, and was trying to turn on the taps when Paul found him. Luckily Paul had the video cam with him and got some GREAT footage of Nicholas' antics.

I had made a simple Brunch this Christmas day......A Hash-Brown Potato Casserole, Biscuits(the bread kind- not the cookie kind), and a sliced baked ham.
Paul had planned to cook a proper Christmas Dinner for me and him, but by the time all the doing was done it was WAY too late for him to cook before I had to toddle off to work so he decided to just wait til today to do our "proper" Christmas Dinner- so it's actually a "Boxing Day" dinner instead.
He's finishing it up as I sit here writing this, and I have to say it smells HEAVENLY!

Seems that he has missed his Proper English Christmas Dinner in the four years he has been here.
See- LOTS of people have a proper Christmas dinner in America- but since I do a "proper" Thanksgiving Dinner less than a month before and the kids tend to get here pretty early in the morning and have other family to visit as well on Christmas Day, I started the tradition of Christmas Morning Brunch.
I usually do bacon or ham, biscuits, scrambled eggs, saw-mill gravy, cinnamon rolls and orange danish. Drinks include coffee, hot cocoa, soda pop, milk, juice and, of course, eggnog.
This year I had to work the night before AND the night OF, so I made it even more simple.
No one complained- and as usual- we had lots of leftovers.
Anyway, so usually we just have ham sammiches for dinner on Christmas Day- but Paul wanted to do a proper dinner and he volunteered to make it.
Oh, the heavenly smells coming from our kitchen right now is driving me nuts!
Of course, I have been sitting here snacking on all that damn chocolate that was left here by the parents who "FORGOT" about taking the kids candy packets home with them. (...Riiiiiiiigggght!!! Of COURSE they did.), but I have to say it hasn't put a DENT on my hunger with those smells from the kitchen tempting me.
Only bad thing is Paul won't let me in to....."test" the dinner fare til it's finished.
;-P

LMAO- Oh well, I'll just put the candy away in a tin somewhere...no wait- I have a LOVELY Santa Cookie Jar on my dining table that Paul's parents bought be when they visited last year! All that candy will JUST fit in it!!
Out of sight- out of mind.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

Christmas Dreams

I finally got my wish....sort of, anyway.

I went to sleep this morning and altho I didn't dream Clay came to me in person, I did receive a phone call from him.

It was Christmas day and the phone rang and I picked it up and it was HIM.
I got to talk to my baby boy and he told me he was okay and happy altho he missed us all. He said he was sorry he hadn't come to us sooner, but he wanted to be able for us to be happy when he came and not so sad.
I thought as much.
Then he wanted to talk to his brother and sister and wife and I was just so happy I cried.

And, of course, then I woke up crying and then I tried to go back to sleep and pick up where I left off in the dream which NEVER works.

But I did get to hear his voice again and I am happier.

I know you guys probably think I am completely losing my mind, but it's how I'm managing to deal with all this.

Merry Christmas!

Huh.....Wha?.......But................!!!????

Ever had one of those days that has just turned to crap and for the life of you, you can't figure out what happened to get it that way?

Having one of those days....

All Dressed Up For The Holidays!!!

Okay, here they are as promised.....

*First is my table at the moment. I do more for company- but this is our every day look.
*This next one is the cabinet over the sink where I keep my cookbooks...well, the main ones I use the most, anyway.
I probably should have filled the jars with candy before taking the photos huh?
*This next one is the shelf in the bathroom- yep, even the bathroom isn't exempt from decorations.
*Followed by Our LIVE Christmas Tree. It is smaller than we usually have, and has only about half the decorations I like to put on my tree, but Paulius is used to a barely decorated tree and I'm having top EASE him into my way of decorating for the holidays.
At least we have worked out the whole DATE to decorate for Christmas on. I usually do it the day before and three weeks after Thanksgiving. Paulius thinks you should wait until the 18th of December.
We compromised on the first weekend of December- whatever date that falls on.
As you can see, Santa has already dropped off a few things at our house....Christopher wanted to open a few of them but Paulius told him that if he opened one and peeked before Christmas Morning, all his other prezzies would turn into socks. So Christopher frowned and put the gift back down.
BRILLIANT Paulius!!! Absolute Genius!
*The next one is my tiny snow village. It's about a third of my actual full one but it's all I had the energy to put up this year. Next year it will probably ALL go up.
*Next is Mr. Snowman and his little mini Santa. They've been friends for a few years now and they guard the prezzies under the tree from snoopers!
*I hung our stockings on our coat-rack this year for lack of a proper mantle. Next year maybe we can have that Fireplace finished up and operating!
And yes- we have TWO Santa hats as well.
Paulius looks especially cute in his.
*Again- the Dining Table. I'm not sure WHY this came up twice- So here it is again.

I would have taken more- but the battery in the cam ran down and I couldn't find the charger so you don't get to see the Front Door, or the Entertainment center, or the office area.
Maybe Later...Maybe not.
Happy Holidays, Y'All!!!!!

December 11, 1983.

Happy Birthday My darling Baby Boy.


Today is a sad day for me. Exactly 24 years ago today I gave birth to you, my sweet Clayton.
Your time with us was cut short in August.
You may be gone in body, but never from our memories.


I love you a Million Bazillion.

Love,
Mama XXX-OOO

Christmas Shoppingand Stuff......

Talk about one of life's little adventures!

Most of my Christmas shopping is done by myself. I run out to get fuel for my car and as I pass the shopping center I think..."Well, I have a few spare moments, I'll just pop in and see what they have on sale."
Mind you I have my shopping list already made with a time-line and names and gift ideas already tucked into my wallet since about June 1st.

This year I ROYALLY screwed up tho.
I waited til after August 1st to start my shopping. I had the grand total of two gifts bought when Clay had his accident and passed away. And as you can imagine it did a number on my head.
I actually had about twice as much I could have spent on Christmas this year- but around the middle of September I got about half of it from Paulius and fully intended to go do the bulk of my shopping then. But after putting a bit on layaway, I somehow managed to let the rest of that half slip thru my fingers. Altho I admit a good portion of it went into my gas tank to go see my other kids and on going to the cemetery. I spent a lot of time up there trying to come to terms with Clays passing. Anyway, I have worked a good bit of OT to make up for it...not by choice really tho- it just happened that we had a rash of officers quitting without giving notice and that created a opportunity for some of us to work some OT while they hire officers to train and get to our site.
I've worked OT for 7 weeks now and THIS weekend I took off and refused the OT(much to my bosses chagrin, I might add...he had to work a 12 hour shift on Saturday!)
Anyway......
I have taken the extra money from my paycheck each week and gotten the stuff out of Layaway and bought the rest of Christmas .
Paulius took me shopping for my Christmas and we had a BLAST!
It was last weekend, I think, and the stores were VERY crowded. It had been ages since I had done any actual Christmas shopping DURING the holiday rush!
Anyway, there were people jostling about and running into each other and Paulius and I kept getting separated. It was hard to hear each other above the din from the crowd and we kept having to circle round and round over and over to find each other. In the end we just agreed that if we got separated again we would just meet in the electronics department.

First we went to the electronics department and got a new web-cam. They had several nice ones and I particularly liked the one that moved with you but we opted for a different one that clipped to the monitor so the view wouldn't always be a profile of our face when we used it.
I'm happy with that.

Then we headed over to the kitchen section and Paulius got me a new Hamilton Beach Brew-Station coffee-maker.
We had one before but remember when we had that lightening storm a year or so ago and it took out our computer? Well, it fried our Brew-station as well and lemme tell you- we was two ILL-Arsed people for a few weeks. Paulius because he had no computer and me because I had no coffee!
Then I realized I still had my coffee-maker from before and went into the storage building to dig it out. And that's what we have been using since. I hated the thing cause if you don't hold it at JUST the right angle it dribbles all over the counter. Needless to say, my counter near the coffeemaker was the most wiped surface in the place with all the coffee I drink- and spilt.
Anyway, I digress......(I do that A LOT!)
Then he told me to pick out whatever I liked and he would let me know when I had reached my limit.
Si I told him I wanted a set of cookware.
His response?
"I am NOT going to get you cookware for your Christmas prezzie!"
He saw my face fall and his mouth dropped open.
"Are you telling me you were actually SERIOUS?" he asked.
And I told him yes, I was 100% serious.

Believe it or not- as much as I cook and bake and with a degree in Culinary Arts, I have NEVER owned a brand spanking new matching set of cookware in my life.
So my darling husband went over and picked me out a GORGEOUS 12 piece set of Faber-ware. Some of the best in the market and not overpriced because of a name like Martha Stewart or Emeril or Rachel Ray attached to it.
And I LOVE it!
He also bought me a Mini Bundt Cake baking pan which I have been dying for as well.
Then he told me to keep going.
So we got the Pirates of the Caribbean movie and game. He said the game was pooh- but he loved the movie. I fell asleep about 40 minutes into the movie, and watched it again all the way thru last night, but wasn't quite as impressed with it. It just didn't have the ending it could have, in my opinion.

He told me to continue and so I got a new white turtleneck sweater. Last time I got a white one was about 9 years ago and it's so frayed on the wrists I don't wear it without a jacket over it but it's so comfy I refused to throw it away like I should have done about three years ago.
So now I can bin it.

Paulius was going to buy me a new bathrobe to replace the one Buddy chewed up, but I told him not to bother- I have another that's longer and is red as well and actually is MUCH more comfy than the VS one, I'll just use it until it falls apart.
Or until Buddy chews it up...whichever comes first.
LOL.

Anyway, I was walking around trying to decide what else I wanted and Paulius made the comment that he wished he and I thought the same things were cool. I asked him what he meant and he said he would love to have a DVR. And my eyes lit UP! I had wanted one but thought they were too expensive to ask for one. So we took off to the electronics department again to see what they had. They had a nice one on sale but they were out. So we are going to get one of those as well when they have them in stock again which hopefully will be this week sometime!!

Our shopping spree was great fun this year!
Hey, I guess that as long as you're not under the pressure of HAVING to get the BULK of your shopping done in that mess, it IS kinda enjoyable.
They were some nuts out there tho. I was mostly people watching on that trip and it was a bit scary to see some of the people who come out in the daylight.
Thank you, but I think I LIKE doing my shopping at 4AM in a 24 hour Walmart.

Then there was the little trip we took day before yesterday to K-Mart with the four customers in the store and three or four employees to every customer and couldn't get any service at all.
Bye-Bye K-Mart. Nevermore.
Altho I have to say- I have NEVER been a big K-Mart fan.
At one time they were the biggest name on the block- the old Walmart equivalent-Buy it cheapest here you have nowhere else to go......, but now there's a BUNCH of new boys in town, K-mart my friend, so you have to lose the attitude!!

Maybe next year I might actually start back decorating businesses for the holidays again.
MAYBE.

Anyway, gonna go now and try to take some pics of the house decorations we have got this year.

Have a Good one, Yall!!!

A Whole Lot Of Awesome

There IS joy in this holiday season.

Last night Paulius and I went and picked up our eldest son, Frank, and his two boys, Devon and Nicholas, and we all went cruising the cities and towns in our area.
We went to Greenville, Easley, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn. There were several neighborhoods which ran basically on my way to work every night and we cruised thru those on the way to Fountain Inn where my daughter lives now....about a 40 mile trip.
We actually covered about three times that.
There was a lot of back-tracking going on because some of those decorations really deserved a second look.
Nicholas had us all in stitches with his antics.
He LOVES Christmas lights(wonder where he gets THAT from!) and was all "OWWWW! WOW!
PWETTY!!!!!" and "LOOK! PWETTY LIGHTS". Only problem was he had a 10 second delay. So we would look at the lights and get one of those comments about 10 or so seconds AFTER we had passed the display!
Then he got a bit over-stimulated and was giving us the same thing over even a parking lot full of streetlights!
He even did it for a couple of particularly bright lights in the windows of the houses.

When we got down to my daughter, Julie's, house, we unloaded the goodies and went in. She and Eddie did a fantastic job on their house and grounds this year! She had everything done up in red and silver in honor of her brother, Clay, (He was a Christmas fanatic as well and red and silver was his favorite color. He even had a Red sleigh(His Toyota Matrix) he rode around in.)
It was beautiful!

I had made her a pecan pie(all from scratch) for her birthday in place of a B-day cake. And I also had made a chicken-pepperoni pizza(again from scratch) for the adults and we had stopped at the local pizza place to grab a plain cheese pizza for the kids...all 6 grandsons of mine-T. J., Devon, Austin, Justin, Christopher, and Nicholas! It was all they would eat...take after me they do- I like my pizza either with everything piled on it or with nothing but cheese. I have no preference for either- I like em both equally.
Anyway, we ate the pizza but the pecan pie stayed strictly Julies.
We all watched Polar Express while we visited and altho it wasn't a long visit, it was a LOT of fun creating more memories.

Julie had written Santa and he had sent all the boys a personalized letter from the North Pole! Seems he had looked at his Naughty and Nice List- and lo and behold he had found every single one of their names on the NICE side! So they were thrilled to get a letter from Santa saying he would be visiting their house on Christmas Eve with lots of goodies!!!!

(Personally I think the jolly old elf needs new glasses-I mean after all, I have been AWESOMELY Super Dooper Good this year and the old fart didn't write ME a letter saying MY name was on his Nice list! Obviously a mistake has been made somewhere!!!!)

We had a wonderful time!!!
We stopped back by my moms house and then we stopped back at our house(mine and Paulius') and they saw my tree and Christmas village. Santa had left some stuff under my tree while I was gone too and Devon was trying to figure out why Santa had left stuff at my house early!
I told him I was old and he knew I wouldn't peek so he was allowed to bring stuff to my house a bit early...(which we all know is a complete and utter LIE cause I DO peek...and unwrap....and wear......and re-wrap the empty box and put it back under the tree so no one KNOWS I have peeked.) But I digress.

Marie even kinda got to participate because Frank had brought her cell-phone which has pic-taking capabilities and he took ODDLES of pics for her- and he was taking to her almost the entire time and so she could hear Nicholas Owwwww-ing and Ahhhhhhh-ing over everything.
It still wasn't the same without her there, tho.
I told him that next year we are all going to pitch in and rent a big van or a short bus(no jokes PLEASE) and we were all loading up and taking a trip to McAddenville to see the lights. It's a long trip yes, but the entire town is lit- it takes about an hour to drive thru it and we always stop at Chili's Restaurant and have dinner on the way back home. It's a mini Family vacation. And it's totally tradition.

The only thing I forgot this year was the Manhiem Steamroller Christmas tape we always listen to when we go "light-seeing". Oh well. And we TOTALLY missed Tiny Town this trip. They closed up at 11PM and we missed it by MINUTES! Luckily, T/T is about a block and a half from our house so we can see it any day...night, I mean.

Anyway, I'm all about relaxing this weekend. All my decorating is done now, my gift buying is finished, my wrapping is also finished. All I have left to do is make a couple of food-gifts a day or so before Christmas and it's DONE-DONE-DONE!

Today I'm going to sit around and watch TV and do a whole lot of nothing. I do need to at some point go get some bathroom supplies, but I can do that whenever I want. I'm working not a BIT this weekend. Not at my job- not at home- Not ANYWHERE!!!!

Christmas music, hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows, and Christmas lights are my agenda.

Hopefully I'll be posting some of my Christmas decorating pics on here in a day or two........

Happy Holidays!!!!!

WHINE..............

I have to whine a bit today.

Yes- AGAIN.

I was looking forward to taking my eldest sons wife and kids cruising to look at the Christmas lights on the way to my daughters house on Friday night.
The plan was to pick them up about dark or just before, then go to McD's for a burger and fries- maybe even a chocolate shake- then when it was TRULY dark we were going to head down to my daughters house to see her decorations-(she and her sweetie, Eddie, went all out this year doing the Christmas lighting thing- both inside and out)-with a couple of neighborhood detours along the way.

I talked to Marie last night and she is scheduled to work every weekend this month on second shift.
I could have changed the day we went as long as it was on Friday or Saturday
night, but she's scheduled those days.. And I'm scheduled all the other days. This really sux.

So I suppose I'll be picking the babies up on Friday and taking them to see the lights. We'll stay out til she goes off shift at midnight and then pick her up and I'll take them all home.

But I am so disappointed that she can't go with us.
I was really looking forward to spending some time with her.

That's IT!!!!! I'm On Holiday. Do Not Disturb, Please.

Okay, that's it for me...for a week or so anyway.
I have the house nice and decorated except for the tree which we'll get on Tuesday and have decorated by Friday noon. I have 6 gifts left to wrap and that's done as well.
I have worked OT every week for the past two months because they needed us to work when they had several officers quit and/or turn in their notice.
But I'm tired. And every day I become more and more emotional as Clays birthday approaches.
I pulled 12 hours yesterday and when I came home I was an emotional wreck. So it's time for ME to take a break from it all.
I am NOT going to work ANY OT next weekend- and hopefully go in and work on Sunday night and then be off TWO more days. I asked for the night before and the night of Clays B-day off. And if they schedule me to work I may just take a couple of sedatives and call in anyway. It's not like I'll be of any use on those nights anyway.
I hope they have enough sensitivity and compassion to realize I NEED those days off and give them to me.
The only thing I have "planned" for next weekend is to go get two of my grand-babies and their mom and us all go looking at the Christmas lights together. Maybe a trip to Mickey D's. We will probally go down to my daughters house and see her place decorated as well. I miss my babies. All of them.
I'm not going to send off Christmas Cards this year as well. It's probally the first time in 20 years I haven't done it- but I just can't deal with it this year.
So Happy Holidays to you all in advance. Next Year I'll be sending again.

That's about it- I need to wrap these last 6 gifts and I'm DONE!

I hope you all have a relaxing holiday.