More Christmas...

This year I did some shopping at St. Louise Gift and Thrift Store, where I also happen to work! We get absolutely great donations. Here's what I did with some of them...
Some of the little birds on this tree were purchased at a real deal!


This holy family was on the shelf for a week. I kept thinking to myself. " If no one buys it today, I will" After a week, I knew it was destined to come home with me.



I actually purchased this chalk board a couple of months ago. It's great to use as a place to leave notes, but also is fun to spread some holiday cheer. Here I can whine about the weather and be festive at the same time!

I was never a thrift store shopper until I became associated with Catholic
Social Services of Southern Nebraska 6 years ago. St. Louise is an awesome store, unlike any other thrift store I have ever seen. My problem now is trying to not buy too much!

Tis the Season

Most who know me understand I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. I love the day, Love the reason we celebrate. I just hate the fact the the season starts so early and seems to be totally tied to the national economy. Buy more, buy early, spend, spend, spend. I get stressed and always put things off which makes me more stressed...and so on and so on. So this year I decided to decorate the house early. (early for me anyway) We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with family, an ever growing family as we happily learned that Andrew is engaged to Kelly. I had a wonderful family, a clean house and 2 days before I had to go back to work. I was feeling the whole Christmas thing. So decorate I did. I must admit it is a good feeling to have it done and be able to come home from work and enjoy it. I took a few pictures...
Found the birdcage at the Thrift store and added the greenery and birds...

Found this cute wine bottle with lights at the store as well!

craft project

Now that I am no longer in the ranks of the full time workers, I thought I would have lots of time to do all the things I have been putting off for so long. But for some reason I still don't have enough time! But I did manage to make these cute little fabric flowers. I have all kinds of plans for future craft projects. ( I have all kinds of plans for organizing and deep cleaning my house too...) But the weather has been so fantastic lately that I find I am spending lots of time outside.I know that winter will be here soon enough and I will be inside with time enough to craft away, and clean my house, I suppose...Until then I will soak up as much of this fine sunshine as possible. Last year at this time we had our first snow. 1 inch on the 10th of October. Today it was in the 70s and a couple of days ago we hit 91. LOVE IT !!!!

Disney

Bede and I just returned from a trip to Disney World. Bede presented a paper for the College of Business at a conference for Academic Advisers and I went along for the ride. It was fun, and his presentation was a hit. We went to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. I also hung out at the Boardwalk and Downtown Disney. Those are free places... full of shops and restaurants. At least they don't charge you to shop! We had a good time, but both of us admit that we've been there and done that. Epcot is cool, little villages representing countries of the world. One night we ate at the Rose and Crown Pub. Bede went native and had "bangers and mash" for dinner. I had the authentic fish and chips. We were served by a delightful young lady from the UK. It was fun. But we still would rather visit the real thing.
The Magic Kingdom has lost a little of it's magic in my opinion. It could use some refurbishing. So many of the rides are exactly the same as they were 20 years ago. Pirates of the Caribbean is fun, but no surprises aside from Johnny Depp, I mean Captain Jack Sparrow, popping up 2 or 3 times. The Haunted house is exactly the same, as is the Jungle Cruise.
Except they no longer shoot the hippo as it seems to attack the boat. I guess that was politically incorrect...
The boat captain even tells joke after corny joke at the expense of the ride. They know its old and they make fun of the fact. It seems to me that if you are going to charge people a mortgage payment to enter the park, it should have something new and exciting. All in all I did enjoy myself. It was the first time I have been on a trip where I had no commitments or time restraints. I could go where I wanted and do whatever I felt like each morning and then Bede and I would meet up and go together in the late afternoon. It was very relaxing.

Crazy cat ladies

Just watched a pet hoarding program on the animal channel. Don't know why, but I am fascinated by hoarders. Pet hoarders are the most odd. Most pet hoarders are women and most hoard cats. All lonely, lonely, and sad people.

How many cats does it take to become a crazy cat lady??? 2 Yea, that's 2 more cats than anyone should have.

One woman on this program actually had 95 cats in her home. The poor unsuspecting couple who moved in next door during the dead of winter, found out about the cats as spring set in and they tried to spend time outside. The cat smell was overpowering. Crazy cat lady thinks they should mind their own business and leave her alone.

I could almost smell the cats myself through the tv. I feel like I need to vacuum...

Why are they always cat lovers? I've never heard of a crazy fish lady, or crazy dog lady.

Cats...crazy, creepy.

UNL has lots of feral cats that hang out on campus. Most hang out in front of the college of business. The crazy cat ladies feed them, with permission from the university. They are all ladies, all odd, single (I'm sure) and CRAZY. The university had them all rounded up and spayed and neutered. ( the cats, not the crazy cat ladies...) But everyone knows that other cats have joined the free food and crazy lady attention. They breed, multiply, they kill song birds on campus. They scare people walking on campus as they dart out from the bushes. They're just creepy. But the crazy cat ladies keep them happy.


Personally I think the world would be a better place if it were cat less!

Dream Big

I have a few big dreams. Just a few... One is becoming the owner of a red convertible. Oh yes! One day it shall be mine. I had a convertible MGB when I was a senior in High School. It was a fun car. A piece of junk, more often broke down than not. But I loved her.
I got to drive a little red convertible recently. It was an item to be auctioned for a fund raiser. It needed to be moved from one garage to another about 1/2 mile away. It took me 45 minutes to get it there. I kept missing the left turn, had to go several blocks in order to turn around safely. Then somehow I kept missing the driveway. As I drove. I honked and waved at almost everyone. This was a magical car. I felt 20 and thin!
I almost cried when I finally had to reach my destination.
I have wanted a red convertible for many years, and this experience made me realize that some day I will own one. Oh Yes! One day it shall be mine!
So I have started a fund. My little red convertible fund. A little here, a little there..barring any further appliance breakdowns or major home repairs this dream will become a reality.
I also have begun the CPS (car protective services). I notice occasionally someone driving a convertible on the streets of Lincoln. Beautiful day...top up!!! Are you crazy???
I'm going to tell them they are in violation of the CPS code for convertible enjoyment. What's the matter? Too windy? Messing up your hair? Can't hear the radio? Then, my friend, you should not be the owner of said convertible. " Step out of the car. I need to take possession." "This vehicle needs to be driven by someone who appreciates the fact that it is a convertible. Beautiful day = Top down."
Even on a not so perfect day...top down! Unless it's raining or below 30 degrees...top down!

I have a dream...

Summer Noise

The cicadas are singing their summer song.

Not a 10, no beat and I can't dance to it.

They sing of heat, long days, longer evenings and air so thick it drips down the outside of my glass.

The neighborhood owl is voicing his opinion as well.

I feel more harmony with this group than the rain slapping against my windows in fall or the silent snow that falls in winter.

Summer noises remind me of happy times.

Bare feet on hot streets,

heading home as the street lights came on.

Cool pools,small bikinis, Beach Boys singing about California girls.

California hot days eased into fog cooled evenings.

The east coast, the south and here in the Middle, evenings are hot days without the sun.

Summer 24/7

I imagine Blanche Duboise fanning herself and dabbing the perspiration from her neck with her delicate handkerchief.

I hear Scout and Jeb running home at dusk.

Great stories of hot, humid summer nights.