So far away

On Christmas Day my cell phone rang and my heart leapt to see that it was my dear cousin, Svein, calling. It was this time last year that he became a real part of my life...not just a name and picture of a small boy with his two brothers. He became someone I have come to love very dearly and to hear his voice on Christmas Day was a lovely sound to my ears (and to my heart).

On a sidenote: how long does this scraggly, mop-head phase last on boys...I liked when we "had" to get his hair cut every 3 weeks...he is still cute and all but a little scruffy, no?

Shopping Success

or as I like to say... WOWZA!!!

Boxing Day Week shopping has never been something I have ever done a lot, or any, of but I may be sold on the notion of it as of today.  We hit the mother load! Other than all I could seem to find for tops was sweaters. {What? Do we live in northern Canada or something? grin}

One mall and one other store (read Old Navy) later and we had spent $260 and bought:
1 pair of jeans
1 dress coat
3 t-shirts
2 dress shirts
3 dressy scarves
1 sweater
2 cardigans
1 pair of brown boots (flats)...
and a partridge in a pear tree...

Ok, ok, maybe no partridges were purchased but that is still quite a bargain. I, being the cheap frugal gal I am and loving a deal, just HAD to tally up the regular prices of all these items (less the partridge of course) to see just what kind of a deal we walked away with AND the grand total of said purchases at regular price was (drum roll please...ok, could you at least imagine there's a drum roll?)

$640...

I think I could just get used to this Boxing Week sale shopping...

Merry Christmas, to ME!!!

Have I told you I have a great boss? Have I? Because really, he is. Dr W and his wife are, if I dare say, FAN-freaking-TASTIC!!! I mean, not only are they paying for our schooling this year but... and this is a HUGE but (NOT "butt", c'mon, work with me people), I just opened the envelope they left in my mail slot at work.

I could tell there was a gift card in there and it wasn't just a kindly written Christmas greeting on a winter scene cardstock. It was sitting so pretty in my hand and when I opened it, it got even prettier.  It most certainly was a gift card but it was more than that.  It was a It is a $450.00 gift card to a shopping mall in a city just a hop skip and a jump from here.

Add that to the nice steakhouse gift card Rush and her boyfriend (trying to think of an intername for him...)…..made for a nice day.


P.S. It is Christmas Eve evening and I am on my way to enjoy the magic that is this night. From my house to yours, Merry Christmas! Enjoy each other. Don't tear into those gifts in the morning but savor every moment, capture every memory in your heart, etch it forever in your memory banks and stay safe.

It's here

The cards are - mostly - out, the tree is up, the baking is done, the gifts are bought. There's a poinsetta sitting on a speaker near my front window and the 10th annual gingerbread house has been constructed and assaulted with candies of various design. Yessireebob, Christmas is here.  Now, if only I could get around to finish wrapping presents or we may be starting a new tradition...environmentally friendly gifts with no wrapping paper just close your eyes and...SURPRISE!

I Miss You?

Ok, really, it isn't a question. I miss writing on this blog, interacting with you.

Life has really bowled me over lately. Not in a bad way. It has, for the most part, been great - just uber busy. Work, school, kids, kids' school, photography...all good things...they have just taken up more hours in the day than I have had to spend and so, something had to go and...

I confess, as much as I miss you all, this was the first on my chopping block. I don't promise to be here every day (I did just start school last week) but I do promise to be here more than once a quater. :D

I can't eliminate this all together; I discovered that. I miss the writing. I miss the seeing what y'all are up to and the friendships. I plan to rebuild those friendships.

Forgive me...? Still want to be my bloggy friend? :)

I hope this time of year finds you in the midst of loved ones, making memories that will last a lifetime.

I WILL be back...