The Holidays frustrate me.

First of all, I don't get the Fundie Christian Groups who encourage people boycott Stores that don't use the term "Merry Christmas" but instead use the term "Happy Holidays" which encompasses ALL the Holidays during this season including Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Yule.

Black Friday makes me Gag. The fact that people go out at rediculous hours on the Friday after Thanksgiving and fight over merchandise to get good deals on presents for their kids who are probably too fat and too stupid and don't need whatever it is that their parents are buying for them.

And finally, I bought a $19 digital starter camera for my 6 year old nephew, but I'm stressing that it's going to make my 16 year old niece very mad even though I spent more on her and put more thought into her gift. We know that journals and art supplies don't equal electronics! I should be excited that I got some really cool appropriate simple gifts for my family without breaking the bank ... but I'm not.

But then I read this ...

I like the comment: But to a growing group of Christians, this focus on the commercial aspect of Christmas is itself the greatest threat to one of Christianity's holiest days. "It's the shopping, the going into debt, the worrying that if I don't spend enough money, someone will think I don't love them."

The truth is ... whatever religion we practice I think we could all use a bit of a swift kick in the pants that the season is not about buying and giving ... it's about being with family and for that, we should all be grateful.

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Current Mood: cranky

Go to your Calendar and find the first entry for each month of 2009 (not including memes of course). Post the first line/sentence of it in your journal, and that's your "Year in Review"

January: I made four really nice Elemental ATC's.
February: Well, today is the big day! And I'm not even nervous. :D
March: Thursday I worked a PM shift, then had a sick call in for night shift and worked an extra 5 hours.
April: Alright, folks. I'm out of here for the weekend!
May: What is the reason that everyone is making tracks for Dreamwidth?
June: Okay... is this rude or is it just me.
July: Just to let everyone know... My computer at home packed it in tonight.
August: Life has just been ... ugh.
September: I read this on a news site at work last night... I couldn't help but repost it, it made me homesick for Australia.
October: Last night at work, the evening was just poking along, this and that happening and I decided to finally go back and eat my sandwich.
November: Somethings just make me really sad. Over and over again ...
December: I am VERY much looking forward to tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday!

Current Mood: cheerful

I enjoy this more as an adult than I think as a child, now that I'm a parent. My baby is SO excited about getting presents at Christmas, she's going to be just bursting!

But emotionally challenging? Don't get me started ... partying with the Millers, Robbos, and Farmers, not having Adrian's mum here, missing out on Boxing Day in Torquay, wacky handmade presents I used to do for all my friends in Australia, budgeting, work schedules ...

There is probably more, but I am too tired to think of it. Let's just say it's hard being away from one half of my 'family' at this time of year. But it's always been like this... this is just another year of it. :(

Tags: writer's block
Current Mood: thoughtful

Since I forgot to say early - thanks for the cookie, ceemonster! So pretty. :D

In other news, thanks to SOMEONE buying me novelty bandaids and me not having anything else in the house, my hands are covered in Cullens.

Tags: friends, life, random

This is just one of them posts that I've been thinking about writing for like two weeks and then never do. :P

OMG, the holidays kill my bank account. Everything I think I'm done with my shopping, something else pops up that I need to get. Right now, I truly think I have everything, although, I was rather unimpressed with the present I bought for my nephew, so I think I might get him something else, not too big, but something. I have to go check out what I got him and organize it a little bit and reassess what I think of it. Two Christmas boxes went out, plus a whole bunch of cards. I was going to send the others on Monday, but I think I'm going to wait until Thursday or Friday because I get paid on Saturday, and I'm a little low on cash at the moment. I know I budgeted for it, but then I had to buy a couple of extra gifts because I forgot about the work Christmas party on Wednesday and that I needed something for my Secret Santa. I bought her some really cool stuff from the gift shop at Nelson Agri-Center. I couldn't go past the cute snowman stuff they had and 30% off!

Still, I'm very pleased with everything I bought.

My cousin's present is done. I made her a quilt with a matching pillowcase. I still need to do the actual quilting part, but that will take me like a half hour. At least the machine sewing part of it is done. We're getting our first DVD from Netflix on Monday or Tuesday and so I will sit and do it while we watch it. We're getting Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Rather exciting, if I do say so myself. Then I have 5 seasons of LOST queued up afterwards. We shall love or hate, but we will at least give it a try.

My mum leaves for Montana tomorrow. She's going to see Baby Soren, but Baby Soren has not entered the world yet. However, he is postdates now. My guess is that if Nicol is NOT delivered, then they will induce her midweek, which means mum will still get to see him BUT, the whole point of her going there, which is to take care of Nolan and Nicol while they take care of Soren is rather moot. That sucks, because mum was a HUGE help when Aerin was born.

In other news, this is my busiest work week in like EVAR. I work six out of the next seven days.... the seven days of course that mum is gone which means no child care. But Adrian had requested some schedule adjustments for this week, which worked out in our favor. So there is no crossover between our schedules and Aerin is in school on Thursday, which means I can sleep all day.

However, I won't because I bought some snowflake sprinkles and I have packets of cut out cookie mix, so I will be making snowflake cookies with blue icing on Thursday when I wake up and then picking up Aerin and going over to see my step-father, who will be lonely and alone all week without my mother and probably mal-nourished too, and make him supper and bring him lovely snowflake cookies.

I'm so nice.

Actually, speaking of food ... I've been rather good and cooking nice food. I made my grocery list based on some nice casseroles I've found in some recipe books. So far I've made Lasagne, Lattice Topped Chicken Pie, Chicken with basil cream sauce, and pork fried rice. Actually the other night, I made home made chicken nuggets and french fries (real potatoes seasoned and roasted), and those lasted all of about five minutes. :D I have to do some more shopping on Saturday when I get paid and need to make another list of some more casseroles that sound good. I started this with the idea that we'd have leftovers ... haha, no... Only once has there ever been food to eat the next day.

I think that's all for now... there is probably more I need to write, but I can't remember. I'll write again midweek if I'm still conscious by then. I have some great December photos to put up on Facebook ... eventually!

Current Mood: cheerful

I think I'm finally coming back to reality.... got the house fully cleaned even around the two year old. I managed 4 hours of sleep this morning after work before having to go to Granny's to pick up said two year old. And I mailed the first of the Christmas cards and two of the boxes. Adrian folded all the laundry.

The next two boxes and the rest of the Christmas cards will go out on Monday! Pending, of course, receiving the addresses I need to send some of the cards.

I cleared about 100 emails out of my in-box, leaving only the ones I need to answer, so I can do that tomorrow! I am shopping for a little bit with my cousin tomorrow and then coming home and crafting and emailing!

Having a clean house REALLY kick starts my motivation!

OMG! My brother and his family got us a 6 month subscription to Netflix. OMGOOOOOOD!

I'm a PC and I just did a Factory ReSet!

Current Mood: amused

I feel like I'm behind on my entire life.... comments ... emails ... postal mail ... christmas crafts ... house cleaning ... laundry.

I need to do a format and re-install of me.

I'm so glad I have the weekend off!

Jasmine and Cecilia's boxes will go out tomorrow. The Farmer/Robbo/Miller box and Bob's will go out on Monday, as well as all the Christmas cards.

I have two others, one for Mary and one for my brother, but I'm waiting for one more thing that isn't here yet, so those will go out as soon as I can get it.

That's all... I'm over today. I have to go to bed soon, so I can go to Aerin's Christmas program and then go to work. For once in my life, I'd love to get an on call. Usually, I don't care whether I do or not, but tonight ... yeah.

Current Mood: tired

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

Issued by The National Weather Service
LaCrosse, WI
5:01 pm CST, Tue., Dec. 8, 2009

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

* LOOK FOR HEAVY SNOW TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING... FOLLOWED BY BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL CAUSE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW... AS WELL AS SEVERE DRIFTING.

* FALLING TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS MAY RESULT IN WIND CHILL VALUES OF 15 TO 25 BELOW ZERO WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

* THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... WITH ROAD CLOSURES AND IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL ARE EXPECTED. COMBINED WITH THE SEVERE COLD... THIS STORM MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE IF PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

Current Mood: anxious

You can cut the tension outside with a knife. It's like even nature knows that in a couple of hours, there will be dangerous conditions outside. I'm anxiously waiting for my husband to arrive home safely. I just got home from helping mum with a play a little while ago... I drove 45 (in a normally 60 zone) and usually when I do that, I have a number of people pass me because I'm apparently going to slow for the conditions... but today, everybody took it easy and paced themselves along with me.

Cleaned out the car and found my ice scraper and got all the ice remnants off, took the garbage out so I don't have to do it later, turned on the Christmas lights. In a little while I'll start supper and have Adrian help me with tidying the house. Doing a little laundry and hopefully by about 7, I can start quilting. Going to be stuck inside till Thursday morning, got to make the most of it.

Gee, I even bought diapers. We only had two and two is not going to last me until Thursday morning!

I hope the power doesn't go out. We're awfully far from the farm in blizzard conditions if the power goes out. Al has a generator, which he runs off the John Deere. We have ... nothing. Except maybe candles. :P

It looks like some of my Christmas packages are going to arrive late. I had to buy a pair of snowboots today (my ones from last year which mimic bedroom slippers were just not going to cut it with 12 to 16 inches of snow expected) and that took a lot of my money delegated to sending out boxes. I plan to send some this week and some next week, so you should get it before the end of December but it may not arrive before the 25th!

I better go get Aerin. She should be done with 'play' practice by now. :D

Current Mood: anxious