3 Day Shopping- Day 6

Another shopping day yesterday.  My tally would have been 72.00 but I stocked up on meat.  Chicken chests, roll of hamburger, and a roast.  Chicken goes on sale a little less frequently so I wanted a little more to help get me through the 3 day stuff.  That brought it up another 41.00 that I did not need and won’t use for some time.  I figure it’ll even out later or something.  Don’t think I’m going to need more than bread, fruit, and milk on Thursday but I may find I’m wrong.

Grand tally…

Day 1: 75.00
Day 2: 122.00
Day 3: 20.00
Day 4: 91.00
Day 5: 117.00
Day 6: 113.00

3-Day Shopping- Day 5

Well, today was another day.  Again, I wasn’t tired when I got back and was able to take inventory of what we might need next time when I put stuff away as well as noting what needed to be used up etc.  I know, you’re supposed to do that when you leave, but I didn’t.  So, I am at least semi-prepared for Monday.  Now, I have enough stuff right now to cover breakfasts for the next week.  I have lunch meat for a week too.  So, those won’t need to be bought on Monday and while we have plenty of meat in the freezer, chicken chests are on sale, so I’ll probably be buying some of that anyway.

We’re having some fun meals in the next few days.  Kids are having tater tots & chili tonight.  Not a meal I like, so it works since Kevin and I are going out to dinner.  Tomorrow, beans, ham, and fried okra.  mmm.  Sunday we’re having chicken/bacon sandwiches.  Yummified.  I bought a bundt cake (gotta remember to have a kid put it in the fridge… we LOVE those cold for the fun of it.  I got fruit, veggies (asparagus), and a bunch of bread etc.  mmm.

Grand Tally:
Day 1: 75.00
Day 2: 122.00
Day 3: 20.00
Day 4: 91.00
Day 5: 117.00

3 Day Shopping- Day 4

What?  You think it should be day 5 or 6?  You’re right.  I didn’t go on Friday or Monday.  We had the stomach bug in our house and frankly, I didn’t feel like it.  So, I didn’t.  Now I know my husband spent money at the store during those days… it looks like a total of about 65.00 but I can’t be sure if that’s all or not.  Too bad.  This is about me going every 3 days not him.

Today I went and bought meat for three days– tri tip, ham, and chicken chests.  I also needed vegetables for chicken soup, salad greens, and the stuff for pico de gallo.  Eggs, milk, bread, chips (to go with the gallo de la pico), beans, fruit… Cereal and oats… a lot of stuff like that.  I bought a TON of food (and tri-tip isn’t cheap meat… it’s not steak, but it was an 11.00 hunk of meat.  So, with all of that I spent 91.00.  Again, some of that will carry over (the chicken for one).

Grand tally…

Day 1: 75.00
Day 2: 122.00
Day 3: 20.00
Day 4: 91.00

Gimme That Old-Time Religion

Hated that hymn as a kid and I still do.  It’s just yeah.  Not my thing.  However, I am a fan of religion.  As a Christian, I kind of have to be.  Yeah, I know it’s all the rage for Christians to decry religion and show their spiritual superiority by claiming that THEY have a relationship– not something so weak and worthless as “religion”– but I am not of that camp.  See, I believe that the Word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the joints and the marrow.  I believe that every word in the Word is God-breathed and essential for me in my relationship with the Lord.

That being the case, how can I throw out scripture itself in order to be “spiritually correct” this year?  James 1:27 specifically says:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Sorry, I don’t think that gives me leave to denigrate what God has clearly required of us.  We are to be compassionate to widows and orphans and we are to keep the taint of the world off of us.  This is religion and we are to be religious in our application of it.

Why do brothers and sisters in Christ decry the principle rather than the misuse of it.  Religion is not the problem.  Our misuse and idolization of it can be, definitely.  So reject that!  Rejecting the principles of Scripture is just as wrong as the misuse of them is.

3 Day Shopping – Day 3

Well now, isn’t this interesting.  Technically, I did not HAVE to go to the store at all.  We needed nothing for the next 3 days.  However, I did want more cheese so I bought that at Walmart.  Then, while in Walmart, I realized that I really wanted Mayhem Sandwiches for dinner.  So, I just went to Albertson’s and bought what I needed.  I spent 18.00 there for what would have cost me 14.50 at Stater Bros– just three things– but I don’t care.  It just proves that for what we buy, Albertson’s is much too expensive for our family to shop there on a regular basis.

So, thus far we have

Day 1: 75.00
Day 2: 122.00
Day 3: 20.00

Note:  This does not include household cleansers, TP and other “Walmart” items (what we call non food stuffs in our house).  It also doesn’t include if we run for another gallon of milk or something.  This is MY shopping only.

Confessions of a Decluttering Junkie (25)

If Jacob thought that he’d come home to an empty basement, a basement organized and ready for living, he realized the folly of is mistake the moment he stepped out of his truck a week later.  Boxes filled the hallway, lined the driveway, and were stacked on the lawn.  The kids protested at the tops of their lungs when anything that looked remotely interesting to them disappeared into the ex-u-haul truck that was now backed into his driveway. Kaye looked done for.

 ”Get in the house.”

“But Dad!  He’s taking my Super-Tron 5000!”

“That is missing about fifty pieces and never worked right in the first place.  Go.”

“Awwwwwwww.  No fair!”

“I’ll show you not fair.  Get in there and stop complaining or I’ll give you something to complain about.”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them.  Threats were a great way to ensure that the kids quit taking him seriously.  Jacob hesitated and then caught Miles’ shoulder as the boy slunk past him.  “Hey, buddy.  I’m sorry.  I had a bad day but it’s not your fault.  I shouldn’t say things like that.  Not like that.”

“We can stay out here?”  The boy’s face brightened, but Jacob shook his head.  “No.  It’s just going to be harder.  You didn’t even miss that stuff when you couldn’t see it.  Go play a video game and ignore the whole thing until it’s all gone.  I’ll come play once I know I’m not needed.”

Trent was already headed inside, but Miles hung back for another moment.  “Sorry, Dad.”

“We’re good.”

The words were right, the attitudes were right, but something still unsettled him.  As another box passed, he recognized the feeling.  It was even more unsettling the moment he realized the cause– loss.  It grew to panic as he watched box after box after appliance and broken down piece of furniture loaded into the truck.  Jacob turned away, unwilling to look, but it didn’t help.  His breath came quickly, beads of perspiration formed along his hairline, and his hands twitched.

Kaye appeared in the doorway, still leaning on crutches with her walking cast.  “Hey!  Thanks for getting the boys out of the way.  They’re acting like I’m ripping off scabs or something.”

Swallowing hard, he nodded.  “I thought as much.”  Another dolly of boxes went past sending new waves of anxiety over him.  “I had no idea we had this much stuff.  Are you sure it’s all junk?”

“No.”

Not the word he wanted to hear.  The sight of the treadmill coming past sent him over the edge.  “That stays.”

“Why?  We never use it.  We’ve not had one full workout on that thing.  Not one.”

“You’re going to need it for physical therapy.  It’ll be safe to be where you have railings.  It stays,” Jacob insisted.  For some reason seeing the treadmill go felt like the nail in a coffin he knew didn’t even exist.

“Jacob!  That’s ridiculous.  I can walk around the block if I want to walk.”

“You will need support until your muscles strengthen.”  He sounded ridiculous even to his own ears, but still he persisted.

“I’ll have the stroller to hold onto.”  She turned and shaking her head, Kaye waved the man into the van.

When the junk dealer didn’t even hesitate, Jacob lost the last shred of self-control he had.  “What!  You’re just going to ignore me.  That is my property too, mister, and I want it taken back downstairs NOW!”

The man stood there giving him a look that clearly said, “You will not win this,” but he didn’t speak.  Jacob turned to Kaye, astonished that she would go against him in such a blatant fashion.  “I don’t believe this.”

“You never wanted us to buy it in the first place.  It took me a week to talk you into it and I proved you right.  I never used it.  I will never use it.  We both know this.  You won’t use it.  So it’s taking up valuable space in our basement.  What has gotten into you?”

Jacob clung stubbornly to the one thing that made perfect sense to him– the lack of respect shown as a partial owner of the article in question.  “I can’t believe this guy is just ignoring me.  I said take it back, and he’s just going to do whatever you say without even listening.  I could have him arrested for theft!”

Now she laughed.  Of all the things Kaye could have said or done to diffuse the situation and get the obnoxious thing out of there, laughing was the worst.  It was bad enough that he had already made a fool of himself over a piece of exercise equipment that was worthless in his opinion.  Now he just looked stupid.  Great.

“I thought you were serious for a moment,” she giggled.

The junk guy, thinking that all was resolved–the poor fool–chuckled with her and loaded the thing into the truck and whistled on his way to the basement.  Jacob would not be appeased.  He stormed into the truck and tried to wrestle the treadmill out by himself.  It was halfway down the ramp before the man returned with the washing machine that hadn’t worked since the drum cracked inexplicably.

“Want some help with that?”

***

Want some help with that?  The moment Roy offered to help, Kaye knew things were about to get interesting.  She winced.  The clatter of the treadmill on the ground might have had a little something to do with it.  Jacob threw up his hands in the air and said, “Fine.  Take it.  Take it all.  Do you want the couch?  What about the TV?  Maybe you want my clothes?  My bed?”  The crazed look on his face made Kaye especially nervous.  He wouldn’t say it?  It was the kind of thing he’d joke about with friends.  Surely– nope, there it was, “Why don’t you take my wife too?”

“Sorry, bud.  It’s not that easy to get rid of those.  I should know.”

“I don’t believe this!”

Kaye stared after him as Jacob stormed into the house.  Roy stared at her with a “take it or leave it” question in his eyes.  “Take it.”

She stepped inside the house just as the water turned on in the shower.  He’d feel better.  He’d also open up more if she couldn’t see him.  It was the best time to ask, but sometimes it kept him grumpy too.  Which way to roll..

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and hobbled into the bathroom feeling ridiculous.  She usually felt a bit like a conqueror when she barged into the bathroom to demand to know what had upset him; now she knew she looked like a lame penguin.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t believe you have to ask.”

Great, he had known she’d follow.  That killed her success quotient exponentially.  “Well, I’m hopped up on pain killers.  It’s affecting my mental processes.”  There, that might work.

“Very funny.”

“Are you going to answer me or are we going to have a miserable week?”

A bottle fell to the bottom of the shower.  “Where is my shampoo?”

“Didn’t you just drop it?”

“No,” he growled, “that was yours.”

“Use mine.  We don’t need two bottles anyway.”

“That’s it!  This ends today.  You can have all the bottles of shampoo and conditioner that you want, but I want the 2-in-1 stuff in the green bottle.  Period.  Either dump yours and use that or, horrors!  Have both!  I don’t care, but I’m sick of it being evil to have two of something.”  Before she could formulate a reply, he snapped, “Then again, you seem to be against having just one of most things too.”

“This is about the treadmill?  You want us to keep something we both know we will never use?  Fine.  I’ll tell Roy to take it off the truck.  Where do you want it?  The living room?  It can go there.”

“You have completely missed the point.”

“I know.  That’s why I’m asking, what is the point?  I get that you want a different shampoo.  I’ll buy it.  You’re right, having two bottles in there isn’t going to turn our house into a clutter zone.  I think I’m afraid that if I give in on the small things, we’ll have another basement that we can’t walk through again.”

He didn’t reply for several seconds.  Just as she was ready to go tell Roy to bring back the treadmill she heard him say, “I think I’m discovering that I get some kind of– something from stuff.”

“Some kind of something?  Like what?”

“I don’t know.  I just came home, saw all those boxes and that truck filling up and panicked.  It felt like I got laid off or something.”

Of all the things she expected to hear him say, that was not even on her radar.  “I suppose it didn’t help when I didn’t take you seriously.” The water turned off and Kaye reached for his towel, dropping it over the top of the door.

Jacob mumbled “Thanks,” from behind the towel.  “I guess I did overreact.  It probably did look like a joke.”  He stepped out of the shower and reached for his deodorant.  “What do we do now?”

“You go play video games with the boys until pizza arrives.  I finish with Roy.  Oh, and your mom will be here soon with Sophie.”

“You called Mom?”

“I wasn’t going to have her falling down the stairs and having a mini fridge dropped on her head.”

Jacob laughed and shook out his hair, splattering her with droplets.  “At least you know your limitations.”

“If someone had only told me I was marrying a sheep dog,” she muttered, leaving the room with her usual retort.

“Aaaaaaahooooooooooo ou ou ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

“Sounds more like a sick walrus,” she called back.

***

She stood on the stairs staring at the empty basement floor.  A few shelves had some things on them, but compared to the mess she’d been accustomed to since moving in– and the disaster of the past few months–it was nothing.  Clean.  Open.  And yes, Kaye admitted to herself, just a bit terrifying.  Now she understood what Jacob had meant, but she knew how to explain it.  It must be the same feeling that inner city dwellers felt when they found themselves all alone with nothing around them for miles.  There was freedom–yes–but there was also a sense of panic at being so exposed.

“Looks good, doesn’t it?”  Jacobs arms came around her waist and pulled her to him.

She smiled.  He’d adjusted anyway.  “Yeah.  Now, how to keep it this way is the problem.  All I can think of are ideas for filling it with other stuff.  That’s kind of defeating the purpose.”

“What other stuff?”

“Just stuff.”  She didn’t really want to go there with him.  He’d run with the idea.

“Come on, what were you thinking?”

It was no use.  He’d keep pestering until she gave in or worse, he’d trick her.  “Just a lot of ideas.  Desks and couches for homework, studio seating and a big screen, organizers and stuff for scrapbooking, play equipment for winter time–”

“You always say that kids should be outside in winter– even if it is freezing.  Fresh air and all that stuff.”  He glanced around.  “But the scrapbook idea… if there was a corner for Sophie to have her little kitchen and a doll bed or two… maybe a little chair and a small TV…  It’d be like a great girl cave or something.”

“I don’t think so,” she said, turning to go upstairs.  “Not yet.  I think we need to get used to the empty or we’ll just fill up the whole house again.  Let me get through a birthday or two before I start thinking of dead space as usable space.”

He frowned and then nodded.  “You know, when you first started on this kick– almost six months ago now– I thought it was just another thing that you always start and then give up on.  I didn’t expect it to last.  I mean, I’m always the voice of reason around here when it comes to spending and stuff.  It’s like we’ve switched roles or something.”

She kept climbing but agreed.  “Yeah, I knew you didn’t see that this time I meant it.  Before I felt like I ‘should’ do something.  This time I felt like I had to or we’d smother in it all.”  She sighed.  “I guess it’s like Pastor Fry said, isn’t it?”

“When?  I haven’t seen him in five years.”

“When we were having our premarital counseling.  He said that in most marriages, spouses balance one another.  I was the overboard spender/hoarder and you were the one saying to stop and live with less.  When our roles switched, you became concerned for our stuff out of preservation or something.”

A screech sent both running up the stairs.  Fighting over a battered paper airplane, Trent’s screams were punctuated with occasional choked sobs.  “He’s taking my airplane!”

“Miles, let go.”  Kaye’s voice had that rare tone she always tried to manufacture to get instant compliance and never could.  It always worked.  It worked now.  Miles dropped the plane and Trent began smoothing and repressing the creases.

“What is going on here?” Jacob’s voice had that, “I can’t believe I am even asking this question” tone to it.

“It was all crumpled and wouldn’t fly.  He hit me with it so I threw it away.  I mean, come on.  It’s worthless, but he always wants to hold onto every single piece of junk he ever comes across.”

“Is it yours?”  Kaye’s voice hadn’t changed.  She tried to memorize it, but the chance of success was slim and she knew it.

“Noooo… but…”

“Then don’t touch it.  You don’t want him ruining your Lego creations or your popsicle stick doo-dads.  Show him the same courtesy.  Apologize.”

Jacob murmured into her ear, “See, they listen when they know you are determined to be heard.”

“But it’s junk!”

“It’s mine!”

“And I don’t care what either of you think of the other’s possessions.  Stop arguing, don’t touch what isn’t yours, and apologize, Miles!”

“Fine.  I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.  Just leave my stuff alone,” Trent spat as he ran off to protect his treasure from further destruction.”

“See!  See!!!  I said I was sorry.”

“Saying doesn’t make it so, does it, son?”  Jacob sounded ready to explode.  “You are always complaining that they don’t respect your stuff, but when you do things like that you teach them that it really doesn’t matter after all.”

“Mom did it.  She dumped all his junk and now our room is cleaner like she likes it.  So why can she do it–”

“What I did was wrong.  The difference is that I recognized my wrong, apologized, and now I’m teaching Trent how to preserve memories without attaching stuff to it.”

“Huh?”

“Mom admitted her mistake.  You just wanted out of trouble,” Jacob translated.  To Kaye he added, “He’s a guy.  Simple words.  Simple meanings.”

“Right.”  Grinning, Kaye said, “Go apologize and mean it this time.”

Once the boy was out of earshot, she turned to Jacob and laid her head on his chest.  “Are we always going to be fighting over stuff?  I hate it.  I want to throw it all away and live with nothing.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

She sighed.  “I know.  I can dream.”

“Sounds like a nightmare to me.”

Three Day Shopping

WHAT!  Me?  Shop more often rather than less?  For GROCERIES?  Have I lost my mind?

Well, if I have, it’s “good riddance” in my book.  So far, this has been working out nicely.  I’ve noticed at other times that when I shop more frequently, we save money and have less waste.  So, I want to try it deliberately this year.  If I get a few months in and see that it is a bad idea or can’t be done, ok.  I’m good with that.  However, I want to give it a good go– stick through the hiccoughs and really make it work if possible.

Day 1 (Tuesday):  I spent 75.00.  As of last night, I have enough chicken left over for making another meal.  We’ll be having chicken lasagna tonight.  Aside from a thing of cocoa powder (needed for a project.  We don’t keep it in the house usually), and a gallon of milk, we did well.  I expect gallons of milk to be needed.  We go through almost a gallon a day so we don’t quite make it on 2 gallons in 3 days.  With more room in the fridge (from less leftovers and wasting food), I might be able to buy 3 now that our stores do not give us a savings on buying in pairs.

Day 2 (Friday):  I spent 122.00.  However, due to packaging, I will not have to buy any meat or the cereal for two breakfasts on Monday.  WOOT!  So, I expect Monday’s food for 3 days will be closer to 50.00.  We’ll see if I’m right or not.

One unexpected blessing was energy.  Grocery shopping usually involves two carts and me exhausted by the time I get the food in the door.  I collapse on the couch and the kids put it all away.  This leaves me with less understanding of what was tossed, what we didn’t need after all, and as much as I need to, not being able to repackage food.  Today I came home and did it all.  I wasn’t exhausted.  I am doin’ the happy dance.

Out with the Old

In with the new.  Year that is.  It’s ridiculous how much stuff I’ve got going for this year and yet really, I’ve got plans that are a bit underwhelming too.  I really tried not to overdo it and as a result, I feel like I have much too much and much too little all at the same time.

1.  Finish the card sketches.

Going to do this by doing the “Friday Five” where I use one stamp/stamp set five totally different ways with 5 different sketches to discover if I want to keep it or not.

2.  Pay off all debt again.

Hospital bills first.
Dental bills next

3.  Hit 500 mile mark in walking

Walking during the day again while the weather permits.  Even if I hate it.

4.  Do the 52 weeks photo thing again– maybe life won’t mess it up this time.  Still gotta catch up.

Hmmmmaybe I need to do the pictures on Sunday nights.  I usually have nothing on my plate those nights.

5.  Make new shades for the living room.

January– definitely

6.  Finish Aggie

By end of February

7.  Finish Mismatched

By end of March

8.  Finish Everard

By end of May

9.  Publish Adric

By April

10.  365 days of creativity.

Make a list of things I want to do.  Yeah.

11.  Plant Zucchini, crookneck, and tomatoes.

In March I think.

* Purchase 6 railroad ties.  Cut 2 in half.  Finished by March for planting.

12.  Develop a 3 day shopping habit.

Start on Tuesday  Shop for Tuesday night, Wednesday, and Thursday.

13.  Make Roman Shade for our other window in our room.

January Project

14.  Remove 12 totes of “stuff” from storage.

Remove one per month.

15.  Record all the albums in my closet on the usb turntable.

February

16.  Finally go on that murder train ride?

Look up when the WWII one is and buy tickets.

17.  Plan Christmas stockings better.  Shop

Have planned and purchased by Dec 1.  (one person per month?  I think so.)

18.  Make family calendar board.  (Pick yourselves up off the ground)

January

19.  Get Ethan reading more.

Daily reading with me.  Twice per day.

20.  Biweekly game night

Non-flex Thursdays.

21.  Biweekly old movie night

Flex Saturdays?

22.  Meet my self-challenge of dual books in Nano

Plan the books.

23.  Back to consistent blogging

Schedule blog posts a week in advance.

24.  Tags for Christmas presents done before December

One tag per week would do it… hmmm

25.  Find a new style top that is comfortable, different from what I usually wear, and is flattering (insert laugh here)

No idea how to do this.  I think I have to GO shopping… which means out of town.  UGH.

26.  Haircut every 10 weeks whether I need it or not.  Snort.

Make a recurring appointment with Beth.  January.

27.  Modesto.

1.  Pay for booth.
2.  Order banner.
3.  Make sure tax thing is all I need.
4.  Reserve room.
5.  Order books.
6.  Save 150 per month to cover expenses.

28.  Twelve new recipes that make it into the rotation so we can retire a few overused ones.

First Flex Friday of the month.

29.  At least one sewn project per month outside of Lorna’s wardrobe.

Plan the months.

January-
February-
March-
April-
May-
June-
July-
August-
September-
October-
November-
December-

30.  At least PLAN OUT the HK Craft Queen project.

February

31.  Try to set up and organize the Doll Trunk Swap.

January

32.  Do something fun for Kevin’s birthday– last year in his 40′s!!!

Plan by June 1.

33.  Camp WriMo!

August?

34.  Plan birthday presents a full month in advance at the least.

January- Kaylene
February- Ethan
March- Challice
April- Braelyn
May- Jenna & Kevin
June- no one
July- Friend
August- Lorna
September- Andra & Euphemia
October- Nolan & Stephen
November- Morgann

35.  Give T-tapp a full 2 weeks shot to see if I want to continue.

June or July

36.  Professor Horner’s Bible Reading System.
*Using http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/professor-horners-bible-reading-system/1 *

I have until the end of January to make changes and then it’s set.

Consider mom and dad’s memory book–  If so, what goes?  Shirt?  Train ride?
Oh, and really– this year I should do the whole “submit Plotting Santa to agents” thing.

PBB


Peanut Butter Bars were the fun of the night.  Jul tried hard to stir the icing, but he’s a bit small to be of much help.  I enjoyed making them and of course, tasting them to ensure that they were not poisoned.  Yes, yes I did.  For those who have never had Peanut Butter Bars, here is the recipe.  I believe it is from Taste of Home magazine, but I can’t remember.  Friends gave it to us years ago (as in the mid nineties!) and well, we’ve loved them ever since.

Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I think they said creamy, but we’ve used both just fine)
1 egg
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats (regular or quick cook both work)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

ICING:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually into creamed mixture and mix well. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes.  Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over the top. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

EAT!… Jul will… if we give him half a chance!

SUCKERS!

Ok, so they’re Tootsie Pops, but suckers made a better title.  I went the easy route on Sunday mornin’.  I didn’t feel like doing anything major for it, so I fell back on ye olde candy thing.  The kids love it, of course.  Voila.  He tried to hide them all on the top of the shelf, but alas, he just didn’t manage to eke out the other one.  It’s a lot of work carrying something larger than you!

Oh, and thanks to the lovely ladies from “Do Not Grow Weary,” our Elf has a name.  His name is Jul, which is Norwegian for Christmas.  Their suggestion was for Navidad or something or another in German.  Weishunteit.  God bless ‘em.  However, I decided that if I have bestekids and am Bestemor and Kevin is Bestefar (since Norwegian is such a cool language), then we should have a nice little Norse Elf.

Jul.  I’m guessing it is pronounced as if it was Brenner’s first name.  Ahh… the king…

I digress.

Here he is after his thievery.  Ornery cuss.

Elf

Elves.
They are the folk of Tolkien and the North Pole.  I’m talking “North Pole Variety.”  So, this year I hear about the “Elf on the Shelf.”  Apparently he’s a little tyke that sits around watching the family and reporting behavior to Santa.  Well, we don’t “do” Santa around here and I don’t like the idea of a Yuletide Narc in the house.  Then again, I do love that they’ve removed the omniscient aspect of Santa with this new thing.

But some people take the Elf to new levels of coolness.  Theirs are the mischief makers– the little darlings get into all kinds of trouble at night.  Maybe they make a mess with the socks or have a tea party with the Calico Critters.  Perhaps they made “Sugar Angels” in the powdered sugar left over from cookie baking.

Ok, that part I can get into.  So I started thinking about it.  Our Elf doesn’t have to have anything to do with Santa at all.  He can just be a cool little dude that points out what’s going on in the advent boxes.  That got the juices flowing.

One problem.  No Elf.

I went shopping.  Yes I did, I went shopping.  Called Baxendales my “go to” place for cool unique things.  Nope.  she had some that were 20 inches tall and 145 dollars, but I didn’t think I’d want to risk sugar angels with something so expensive.  So, I went to Kmart.  Not an Elf in the store.  Walmart.  Nope.  Disillusioned but not despairing, I came home with plans to make said Elf.  I had everything I needed and after several hours of hand sewing, voila.  We have been Elved.

The first night was simple.  I put smarties in our advent boxes, made a trail of them across the floor, and went to bed.  The kids loved it. Lorna has adopted the little guy as her playfellow.

I promised myself that it was time to do things that weren’t just “more candy” and easy– you know, the things that make life fun and memorable that we let other things crowd out because they’re more urgent?  Yeah.  Those things.  So, what did I do?  I’ll tell ya.

I have been wanting to see the new movie “Hugo” ever since I saw the first preview.  I decided to be daring and take the kids without even previewing.  We’re talking amazing thing here.  So, I went to see when it was released, discovered it was Nov 23, and made the tickets.  Then I put the Elf on the box to guard it and went to bed.  B.E.D.  I love that thing.  Just sayin’.

The next morning, the kids were excited.  Hugo.  AHA!  (name that movie).  Anyway, I went to see what time it started.  It didn’t come to our town.  *insert weeping and wailing fiddles here*  We settled for Arthur Christmas.  To be honest, I hadn’t wanted to see it at all.  However, the other options were The Muppets (not hardly), Happy Feet 2 (no thank you), or Puss in Boots (NO!).  Sooooo Arthur Christmas it was.  Stay tuned for my review.  Just a hint.  I’m buying it.

Then came Friday night.  It was time to do something but I wasn’t sure what.  Do I hide the presents and then shred a bunch of paper and ribbon under the tree?  Oh, wouldn’t that be hilarious.  Might have to do it, but not yet.  It’d be more fun if there was a game hidden under there to play that the Elf “got into.”  So, then there were things like hot cocoa (didn’t want to go to the store for that either) and finally I gave up.  I decided it was cookie night.

So, at one o’clock en la manana, I mixed cookies.  Put the dough in the fridge to cool.  Timer set for 2 hours.  I wait.  Then I make cookies.  Plate those suckers, take a couple of bites out of one, stick them AND Elf in the box, and voila.  Done.  Cookies for breakfast.  I am such a good mom.  All that health food.  Eggs, flour, beans (vanilla), dairy (butter)… we’re talkin’ the works!

It’s ten thirty-two.  We’re about to start a movie.  I have no idea what I’m doing for tomorrow.  Just sayin’.

What do my kids think of the Elf?  They think he’s a funny looking little doll that gives hints to what the advent treat of the day is.  It never occurred to them that it could be anything else.  After all, that’s how I used him.

Oh, and Elf needs a name.  I might even have a cool little blog prize for the one to give me the perfect name.  Right now, I’m workin’ with Bernadina, but I really kind of like something “gender neutral.”

Giving

The day before Thanksgiving, something happened.  Well, a lot of things happened, but one in particular.  Early in the day I was at Stater Brothers with my son.  We were doing the “Get Teresa a turkey” thing, and filling up on the last things we needed to get us through Thursday.  Minor things like milk, yeast, etc.  The lines weren’t horrible, but they were there.  The woman ahead of me started putting her items on the belt while the people ahead of her paid.  She seemed nervous and caught my eye.  “I left my purse at home.  I sure hope I have enough cash.  Prioritize, right?”  She was laughing, casual, but I almost had a feeling that it wasn’t quite true.  She watched the register tally rise as I passed her my cash.  I only had eight dollars myself (I’m a debit card kind of gal), but it looked like it’d be enough to make up the difference.  She seemed to demur and then finally accepted it.  She offered me the change, but I told her to keep it.  All was well.

But that’s not what happened.  Not what I mean anyway.

Later I was back to get something else (why is it there is always so much more to get done!!!) and a couple waited in line ahead of us.  The man between them and me was in an electric chair/scooter thing.  It seemed as if time was dragging.  We all wondered what was going on, but after a while, it became obvious.  The young woman saw someone she knew and said, “My mom sent us to the store with 100 dollars in gift cards and a 200 dollar list!”  I was dumbfounded.  What a frustration.  I saw her husband talking to someone on a phone and then he hurried outside.  A CSM came over, apparently to void the transaction.  All items were put in a cart for when the rest of the money arrived.  I sat there with my hand on my debit card.  I could afford it.  I could.  Why was I so hesitant?  It’s not like me.

As I left the store, I saw her on the phone pacing up and down, glancing around for a car– obviously waiting for someone to bring the rest of the money.  I felt bad.   Why had I been so selfish?  It felt unsettling, and yet even then I wouldn’t go in and take care of it.  I opened the car, sat in my seat, and stared at the steering wheel.  Why?

Then I realized why and I didn’t like it.  I had a laptop to replace.  I didn’t like spending more money when that big chunk was coming out.  Of course, the next day I didn’t think twice about spending half the amount on a Christmas tree, decorations, or a Christmas present.  Combined, those came to almost double what it would have cost me.

It was a kind of selfishness I am not happy to discover I have.  I like to help.  I’m a fixer.  I want to fix things.  It would have felt wonderful to take that frustration and burden off those people, but the holidays are here and I have learned that I am selfish.  Sigh.  I’m willing to serve others if it doesn’t interfere with MY plans.  That is just pathetic.

However, it’s a good thing.  I mean, isn’t that how we grow?  Isn’t it how we learn to die to self?  Had this not happened, I’d never have learned it.  I hope that if something like this happens again, I’ll take that pause and realize that we can cut a few things and cover it.  I kept justifying my actions because it really seemed as if the money was coming– they had it.  You know what, that wasn’t the point.  The point was I could have met a need but my wants overrode that.  That is what bothers me.

I know I can’t meet every need out there.  I know that there are times I have to let others handle it.  That isn’t what is bothering me.  Why I didn’t do it is what bothers me.  The selfishness behind my motives is the problem.  I was willing to help when the problem didn’t “hurt” but when it meant I might have to limit our spending, suddenly I was a little less willing to open the wallet.

I don’t know.  Maybe I’m overreacting, but I don’t think so.  It’s been bugging me for days.  I thought about doing something for someone else, but you know what?  That isn’t the point for me.  I think the real problem is that I  felt like I should do something and I didn’t do it.  I feel like I failed the Lord somehow.  Thank God for His forgiveness if I did.  And, tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it.  Yet.

Thanksgiving 2011 Is Over… Hello Christmas!

Well, eight Hungarian Coffee Cakes, four pies, two batches of rolls, an enormous batch of mashed potatoes (without a single spoonful left), gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, and TURKEY later, Thanksgiving is over.  We played games, did a bit of shopping, enjoyed more good food than we usually eat, and enjoyed a lot of work.  Yes, I mean enjoyed.  My eldest son turned seventeen– full circle from birth.  He was born on Thanksgiving Day.  I tease him that the Lord did that to remind me to be thankful for him.  As if I needed it.  Friday began the Christmas season.  I was awakened at around six-thirty by my daughter Andra and I drove her out to Inyokern so she could go shopping in Lancaster with friends.  I came home and went back to bed while the family shopped.

At ten o’clock, I got up and Kevin and I went to buy a new laptop.  The one I wanted was no longer on sale.  I was so disappointed.  The one I have I liked, but it isn’t as perfect as the other one was.  I am working on letting go of that disappointment.  I had no idea why the other one mattered so much to me.  I had no idea I felt like that.  I didn’t know.  However, I’m getting accustomed to the change.

Friday was spent pounding out words, cooking more, and having fun with the kids.  We played more games, laughed a bunch, and then had Mud Pie to celebrate Nolan’s birthday.  It’s a tradition.

Saturday was even more exciting.  Christmas trees, decorating– a beautiful house.  I love my house.  It’s exquisite right now.  There are lights, villages, greenery, trees, cranberries, candy candles, and even better- a new carousel!  We splurged. Everyone spent Saturday night stringing popcorn and cranberries.  We sang, laughed, and enjoyed hot chocolate with a dinner of leftovers.  YUM.  Unfortunately, Morgann had to zip on back to Irvine in order to have time to finish assignments.

Speaking of which, most of Sunday was spent writing by three of us!  While Braelyn took her final math test (possibly of her life), Nolan wrote about the evolution of science fiction in the twentieth century.  Jenna and I both wrote of pirates.  She wrote about what they are, what they stole, and such, while I actually wrote about pirates stealing, murdering, and finally reaching the Caribbean with a huge prize to boot!  (Or is that booty?)

Finally, at around ten o’clock, I finished and validated my 50k words for my NaNoWriMo novel.  This novel excites me.  I love the young boy who battles self who wants his own way against what he knows is right.  He loves and respects his father and yet despises their life and wishes for a different one.  Finishing was great for me because there are only about another 10k words to finish.  Now, if I could just find a replacement for illegitimate children.  There is one sentence where I WANTED to use that word.  I really wanted it (that’s a pretty unusual thing) but of course, it’s inappropriate.

So, now life goes back to normal.  Tomorrow I have more cleaning to do– my room is a disaster. It always is the Monday after Thanksgiving.  I need it cleaned up so I can get going with the rest of the month.  December is a huge thing in our home.  We have a lot of fun.  I can’t have fun in a mess.  No, no I cannot.

School goes back to mom involvement (including me helping the older kids to break down their papers better in the future– oh and I won’t be scheduling two intensive classes to take place during the same week and on the week of Thanksgiving!  YIKES!  My poor son was writing on Thanksgiving (remember… his birthday too).

It also means my blog is no longer neglected.  It means that Confessions of a Decluttering Junkie can end now!  Just a few more posts and it’ll end!  I have another idea for January.  “Frugal to a Fault.”  I can’t wait for you to meet our new friends.

Life is good.  I am very blessed.  I have had a lovely life, a wonderful family, and God to keep me grounded when things feel like they’re spiraling out of control.  Isn’t it strange how feelings are lies just as often as they are truth?  The feelings are real, but they may not necessarily be true.  That’s what my life feels like when it feels so uncontrolled.  It is.  I live in the palm of the Lord’s hand, in the shadow of His wing.  I am a daughter of the King of Kings and my life reflects that– even when I can’t see it.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, my friends.

Excitement

It happened.  Today was the day.  The genesis of the holiday season!

It all starts with turkeys.  Every year I buy a turkey a day for a friend.  So, today I decided to go early so she could pick it up when she picks up her son from Driver’s Ed.  That’s tradition one.  I stepped out of the car and heard one of my favorite sounds of the year.

Bell.

That obnoxious clack, clack, ding, ding, ring-a-ling of the Salvation Army Bell ringer.

The holiday season has arrived.

Oh, and I forgot to go out that side of the door so I could drop in my first change.  I feel gypped.  Oh, well.  An excuse to go again later, no?

I Had a Dream…

In my dream, I woke up and the house was a disaster– I mean the kind of disaster it hasn’t been in probably fifteen to twenty years– not even when Braelyn and I were making the costume of the decade.  It was horrifying.  Closets had stuff falling out of them.  Furniture was piled with, you guessed it, stuff.  Floors NEEDED to be scrubbed.  Cabinets– oh we don’t want to talk about cabinets.  Everything from the front yard through the house, and into the back yard all the way to the alley was just gross.  Not “messy” gross.

I got to cleaning. I mean I really went to town.  Worked hard as a dog (since when do dogs work anyway?) and got bits done so it was livable.

Then I got sick.

That was when the dream went from nightmare to amazing.  After a week in bed, totally out of it and delirious, I woke up feeling 100% normal.  My room was clean.  In November!  My room is never clean in November or December.

The bathroom was clean– not just picked up with the trash out but CLEAN.  Top to bottom, no dust or hairspray anywhere.  It was absolutely wonderful.

The living room was clean.  As in sparkling clean.  Dust gone, Closet cleared out– perfect cleanliness.

Kitchen, boy’s room, girl’s room, front yard, back yard, THE CAR WAS SPOTLESS.

When I woke up, I whimpered and rolled over.  My eyes opened.  I saw my room.

Why can’t we live in a dream world?