Friday, December 4, 2009

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?


Photo: I took this photo on our T-Day Island trip but forgot to include it in my last post which is weird because it was one of my favorites. I think my favorite photos are ones that are simple and unencumbered. Feng shui.

OK, here's what i'm thinking:

1. Tiger Woods should send a thank you card to Amanda Knox.

2. Tiger should also be glad that he isn't a pro-bowler.

3. I am not sure if Amanda Knox is guilty or not because i've not kept up with the story in a big way (as i did in the OJ days), but if a book comes out i would likely read it and then make up my mind.

4. When did it happen that we were made to feel that we are WAY behind on Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I remember a time when it was weird to hear Christmas carols on Dec. 1st or to put up a Christmas tree before Dec. 10th.

5. I want to be green. I really do, but have you seen those LED lights? They remind me of the terrible unflattering fluorescent lighting in grocery stores.

6. I have a thing against folks in our Evergreen State getting fake Christmas trees. We have the best Christmas trees in the world! Getting a fake tree, to me, is the same as having fake flowers in your house. I get shots and have terrible allergies to trees but i just take antihistamine because it's always been my thing....the Christmas tree.

7. My favorite Christmas Carol is o come o come emmanuel. My least favorite is either Jingle Bells or I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. (My favorite Christmas cd lately is Sarah McLachan's Wintersong. (I love how she does Joni's River.

8. Ok. let's talk about the four police officers who were killed in our state. These officers come from the town where we live. I didn't know them, but i do remember the woman officer driving around. and she was in some of our schools. This is a tragic shocking story. We were coming back from the island (where you never lock your doors) and on the ferry back Mrs. Modern Hippie (Kylee's mom) told me what happened. Lakewood isn't that big, about 65,000 people. It only became a city about 11 years ago. But we get so much bad press that I believe Brian's mom (who lives on the other side of the state) must think we risk our lives every time we venture out to the grocery store. (We even used to be featured on the TV show "Cops".)

We knew this would be national news when we heard it, but i was not thinking that someone as huge as Anderson Cooper would actually be doing the story. But he did. I feel bad for the Lakewood Police who lost their comrades. I feel bad for the families. I do. And every business in our town has some sort of message on their signs or windows. The support is absolutely amazing. The police station is piled with flowers and letters and cards and candles. People are putting blue lights in their windows.

But i wondered about this ....because we also live close to Fort Lewis where many of the soldiers are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. They get a story in our News Tribune. Usually front page too. But the story is over in a day. There is nothing that comes close to the outpouring of support for our own soldiers as there is for these police officers. No listing of names on signs. No flags at half mast. So i'm thinking....if i were the mother of a soldier who died. How would i feel ?

9. And I can't help it, i was not sorry when i found out that a Seattle police officer killed the guy who did it.

10. Back to Amanda Knox for a minute... Why is this story so bigtime anyway? 'cause she's cute? 'cause sex is involved? Here is what is funny to me: Do you think that if Susan Boyle looked like Amanda Knox and sang just like Susan Boyle on that show, would she have been the YouTube sensation? AND if Amanda Knox looked like Susan Boyle, would the media care about the story of one American on trial for murder in Italy this much?

Ok, that's all i got. You don't have to post only about what i'm thinking. What are you thinking too that others might be thinking?

31 comments:

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

I was so saddened to read of the death of those officers, they were killed for no reason. Perhaps we can be glad that the cost of a trial will not be borne by the people of WA.

Tiger is glad he's not a shot putter, one of those balls could do real damage. As far as I am concerned it's now a non story. There are far more important things to deal with than a mans assignations.

We are planning on getting a live tree and then planting it out back. My kids got a cut tree last year and told me it was alive....once. They know what they are looking for this year. Kid #1 was unloading freight from a truck that came down from SEA and he said it smelled like Christmas trees. I had a friend once who owned 3 freight trailers and he leased them every year to a tree shipper and made a lot of money.

I don't know what to think about the loss of the soldiers v the loss of the policeman. Perhaps because it happened in such a visible way it hits differently. But the finality of death no matter what will be remembered by all the families.

We haven't put up lights yet. My best friends husband and son put their up and she said they remind her of big bug zappers. We'll look this weekend.

jojo cucina cucina said...

amulbunny!!! hey girl. YES.... a shot putter too! LOLOL....And if were a logger and she used a chain saw....ooooooh.......


I was thinking after i posted that there is probably a good explanation for the discrepany between the dead soldier story vs. the dead police officers stories that i am likely missing.

It think it's shock maybe? We are not shocked when our soldiers die. It's expected that soldiers die in war.

I am not a parent, but i would imagine i might feel bad about what seems to be community apathy for the war. I myself often forget that we are still at war and i live close to both Fort Lewis and McChord AFB. And i was a military brat for 19 years of my life. How could i forget?

Brian said...

I think we all give more attention to the loss of the cops partly because it's more shocking and real to us, but I agree it's not fair to those that die in war too.

I love that picture Jo Jo of the clock and beach. I remember you going outside for a few minutes and coming back with all these nice shots. You caught things at just the right moment with the lighting. Just looking at it makes me want to go back! :)

IslandPearl said...

You do have quite an eye!

On the soldiers/police thing...I think there is a shock factor vs. expectation element that has to be considered. Like the Ft Hood massacre. You expect to be killed in war. You expect to be killed apprehending a whacked out suspect. You never expect to be killed walking to work on a base in good ol Texas, or ambushed while enjoying a cup of coffee with your buds in a cafe.

There is something chillingly unsettling about the circumstances. And no comparison.

I'm glad that they gunned the perp down. And I hope that Huckabee has nightmares for the rest of his life.

I wish they'd killed the monster in Ft Hood, too. At least Texas has the death penalty. But the same concern for political correctness that led to that whack job getting away with his whole career will probably gain his clemency as well and the taxpayers will foot the bills for his sorry ass forever.

We have a fake tree and I'm past apologizing for it. They just turned back a whole bunch of containers of trees from the coast because of invasive species (bug) issues. My contribution to green is not killing a tree to decorate my living room for a month. And when my current pretty sparkly lights twinkle their last, I'll probably whip out the boxes of the same I've squirreled away for the occasion. I think that those new ones are an abomination. Cold. Just cold. Christmas trees should produce warm and cheery light.

I don't know enough about Knox to form an opinion, but if she did it, she should pay.

And I'm stunned at the shock surrounding the Tiger scandal. Who should be surprised? Of course she saved the messages. Lewinski saved a dirty dress fer crying out loud. There is no limit to depravity. And dumb.

Saw the IMAX/3-D Christmas Carol Wednesday and it was terrific. Also saw the 3-D preview of Avatar and can't wait for the movie release. Saw 2012 tonight. Stretched willful suspension of disbelief to a new limit. Flying through a cloud of VOLCANIC ASH??? Come ONNNNN Still mesmerizing, in a shameful way.

My Christmas early warning is the sight of our maintenance guys wrapping the lights on our trees in Tamarind Park downstairs (mid-November). They light them tonight. It's so pretty. I'll post pics on my blog...after I put them on my FB page...bwahahahah

Decorating my tree Saturday/Sunday. It usually takes two days.

equeyaya said...

I am actually toying with the idea of a fake tree for next year. I am expecting my life will be very different next year.

I am not following the news. And even saying that, I am sick to death of the Tiger Woods story. Why are the gossip columns now headline news?

I didn't hear about the killing of your local police, but that sounds absolutely tragic. And I agree with you about the shock value making it more newsworthy.

What's on my mind?

1. Getting my life organized and getting through the holidays for now. I'm scaling back on a lot of the holiday stuff I do this year.

2. Hoping Mel does well on her finals.

3. How the work is piling up at my office. My focus has been elsewhere, but I need to refocus and get things done. Deadlines!

4. How much I love that photo with the soft light and the water in the background, and how glad I was to see you back online today.

Back to work!

jojo cucina cucina said...

thanks y'all! (and my Baybee too!)I take much better photos with this D90 because i don't have to worry about the technical stuff as much since i can shoot in such low light and still get a good shot. I used to HATE having to worry about the flash and the aperture settings and film speed and shutter speed. I worry less and take better shots i think.

I get why folks have a fake tree. I do. I just can't imagine that i will ever get one. They are high maintenance. I pop antihistamine like M&Ms during the holiday and then i even have to come home from lunch to add water (Even though we have the giant size tree stand) because it sucks it up so quickly those first few days in the house. And the needles are a pain in the ass, yeah.

and one time, Brian will remember this. (and i think i posted this on Gumbo back in the day.) The first year we had our maple hardwood floors (they were only 4 months old) i realized i overwatered the tree and the towel we put down underneath got soaking wet. Dumb i know. Even dumber that i was up at 2 am to water the damn thing. So i had to get Brian out of bed and we had to actually lift the tree (ornaments and all) and move it so i could get the towel out from under it and dry it and put it back.

What a nightmare that was, but my husband was a sport and was thankful that i figure out i had soaked the new floor.

(Since then we got smarter and quit using that long watering stick that you hide in the branches and i also found an a good piece of plastic to put under the towel this time.)

pearl, my tree takes two days too! The first day is just the lights.

The funeral for the police officer is this Tuesday. It's going to be a huge event. Some of our main streets are going to be closed for while.

We've had teachers - well just one actually - (but it was a blanket email) writing us about being mad that the union and the District didn't work something out in the bargaining agreement so that teachers can attend this funeral. The language clearly says bereavement is for family and friend relationships. We cannot have 200 teachers out in one day on bereavement to pay respects. Plus the news is trying to re-route mourners to offsite places around the area because they anticipate a huge crowd.

I'll be looking for your photos on your blog now pearl!

jojo cucina cucina said...

I want to add, that we only broke ONE ornament when we moved the Christmas tree at 2 in the morning.

Modern Hippie said...

i tuned into tiger woods late but so what, its an affair, when are affairs a big deal anymore? i mean he's only tiger woods, he's not the president and no one was killed. but at the same time i think SOME of it is a hoax, they played a "voicemail" that tiger left amanda and it said "hey its me tiger..." and was like begging and im like seriously, i dont think that happened i think its fake. but obviously something happened because he did make that staement, id ont really keep up with it though, but living with ash she keeps me informed and made me listen to it on the radio. i hate the radio.

it doesnt feel like xmas to me yet, i dont think i feel xmas until im at my parents.

they have really cool LED lights too though Jo, dont forget i took an entire course on lighting for school. and actually halogen bulbs are also green but its a danergous gas so if it breaks your in trouble (but its not the main bulb glass its the second glass inside and its pretty hard to break.

just for everyone out there, remember florescent lights are awesome and if you were ever discouraged by them before, try it out again, they've made alot of improvements, but remember you can't just throw them in your trashcan.

haha we all have fake trees in our family, except steve and steph they always get a tree that reminds me of dr. seuss but its always cute in its own way, but its such a hassle and the tree can be such a mess, we definitley couldnt have one in the apartment. but i love that you have a real tree and your tree is always really pretty, im bummed that we wont be doing our tradition this year, maybe we will make the "undecorating" this year though

my favorite xmas song is frank sinatra and kenny g's version (they didnt do it together im talking about two seperate songs) of have yourself a merry little xmas, its so romantically xmas

did you know they actually stop shooting "COPS" the show in lakewood because it made us look to bad? this is why i hate lakewood, it has so many "ghetto" aspects, whenever i tell someone i'm from lakewood they make a face lol so i stopped saying it, people think tacoma is better lakewood!

it was really sad, my dads friend stan (you know young-surfer stan with the really pretty wife, natalie i think they bowled with you guys) natalie knew one of the officers wives really well and she was staying over at her house every night, you know what i hate about it? they didnt just die because soemone didnt like THEM, they didnt do anything it was just a hate crime in general, i'm usually not for wanting the killer to be dead but in this case i am glad he's dead because i feel like he would have SOMEHOW got out again, Mike Huckabee is an ass, not for what happened in the past but his statement was so bitchy "i blame the arkansas and WA police departments" yeah cause you didnt do shit? i'm glad he got no where NEAR office.

unfortunatley i think the military community is used to it, you know that when you sign up for that job and although you know the dangers when you sign up to be an officer but its alot more rare for an officer to die than a solider in the line of fire. either way, its not right in any way.

i didnt feel as sad when the seattle cop died, but after this death as well i'm upset that our officers are just being killed left and right, i would feel better if it was in the line of fire, in the middle of a robbery or something but they are just killing cops. its not right.


there is some sense to jews not getting into dangerous jobs like offier and policemen, i remember i joked with my jewish friend Ben in HS about wanting him to be a firefighter so i could marry him (i used to be obsessed with firefighters until i watched ladder49 and realized that was not a life for me) and he said "i can't its against my religion" and he was totally serious/

louielouie said...

What I’m thinking

Made a tough move today that involved a U-Haul truck, a toll bridge, a 3-story condo, 2 king beds and a 6 ton hide-a-bed to top it off. All possible because of great friends and family. I’m beat, but it will be good to close this chapter of our lives.

Favorite Christmas carol: it’s a toss up between “Please Daddy Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas” and Christmas in Killarney” Don’t know how it happened but they became yearly favorites when I was growing up. My least favorite, “Oh Holy Night” but only because so often it’s poorly done. I do love all the old classics

My tree is fake. Pre-lit. We would never have a tree if we went to cut it ourselves. The ones bought in lots dry out so fast, so to save Christmas we went artificial. I do have a real wreath though.

Every year my dad would tell us there was “Going to be no Christmas this year”, but he loved Advent, Christmas, gifts and his family. I miss him.

The police officers: I agree with Island Pearl, it’s the murder aspect of those deaths, just like the ones at Fort Hood, that make them different. It’s not loss of life in the line of duty. Also, I think in order for a country to survive war, it’s necessary to become somewhat numb with war deaths. We can’t bear to think about each lost soldier as an individual.

My daughter studied in Italy the summer before last and I met her for a week in Rome and Umbria. The whole Amanda Knox issue is unreal. I have no idea about her guilt or innocence. It does seem as if the standard of evidence required in our justice system is higher.

Tiger Woods. Who cares

I’m ready for Christmas except for my husband and my kids. I need to get on the stick, as I will be out of town the 15th to the 23rd. I need to get some pre-cooking done too. There may be no Christmas cookies this year,

jojo cucina cucina said...

No Christmas cookies????? louielouie, i think i am in shape, but i have some sore muscles this morning! We went out to the Caring for Kids dance with Troy and nieces and nephews last night too, so it could also be from my famous dance moves.

kylee, what are you talking about Jews??? And who is Ben?

Our tree has been aclimating in our garage for two days. I think we'll bring it in today and i'll finish it up tomorrow. It's drinking SO much water. Our whole garage smells SOOOO good. I hope it's like that when we bring it inside.

Kylee, i do remember Stan and Natalie. Which officer did Natalie know? The obituaries for the police officers are in the newspaper today. Tina Griswold's is a very short one and also sort of generic compared to the others that i found myself wishing someone had written a better one for her. but then again, maybe it's okay and wouldn't have been her style to have otherwise.

Modern Hippie said...

haha there is soemthing about jews not taking "life risking" jobs and Ben was the one to tell me but thats why they have the stereotypes of being doctors, lawyers and psychologist lol

see Jo treats her tree like a child, i remember last year you told me about how you wake up in the middle of the night to water it, haha. its so much work to a have a real tree lol

Uhm it was one of the male officers i'm not sure which one, stan knew him really well too he said "i know everyone says it, but seriously he was the NICEST guy" yeah i felt some of the "stories" were very bland it made me sad, i saw so much on the guy with 2 young kids (might have been the one stan knew, the one stan knew had kids i think 2-3 kids and one of them was 10) anyways, i saw so much on that guy and didnt really learn anything about the others.

the dogs are playing in my bed right now, its really more Chloe hoping all over Oliver as he bites her ears and they roll around together its really pretty funny but chloe growls and it sounds pretty evil and it drives me crazy lol

happy holidays everyone!

hey did you hear about how Obama said he was going to put a "holiday" tree up and not a "christmas" tree up and a bunch of people got pissed off saying he wasnt christian and our nation is christian blah blah blah, it was a "survey" on facebook and i always hate when stuff like this happens. i remember i lost all respect for the priest at my parents church and it was a big contributing factor to why i stopped going to church but he actually told everyone during a sermon that we shouldnt shop at stores that say "happy holidays" because they don't honor our religion.

i dont care what people believe in, if its different from me or not i think we should respect all beliefs. and i always think "what if i was jewish" and everywhere you go it says "merry christmas" i dont think it would really piss me off until you realize it NEVER says "happy hanukah" (sp) it either says merry christmas or happy holidays, at least happy holidays can be for your holiday as well.

i thought it was very respectful of obama.

IslandPearl said...

Channukah is actually a relatively minor 'holiday' in the Jewish faith. It's only gained greater recognition because it occurs during the broader 'holiday' season of consumption.

I remember all the yaya brouhaha around the Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas "issue" (and I see it as a totally made up issue). It got pretty ugly.

I am an unapologetic Christian, and I celebrate Christmas - which for me is a religious observance. When I say Merry Christmas, it carries some spiritual weight with me.

Happy Holidays, on the other hand is pretty much an oxymoron. The secular holiday crap is just an excuse for conspicuous consumerism. I participate in that to an extent, largely as social convention.

And it surprises me not at all that Obama would eschew acknowledging Christmas. At least he's consistent.

jojo cucina cucina said...

i don't like it when either side has strident issues with how we wish Merry Christmas. I can't pretend that i think about the religious reason for Christmas, so i won't insist on "Merry Christmas". but i don't like it when people INSIST on 'Merry Christmas' or take me to task for saying something different.

And since i mostly can't stand political correctness so i don't like it either when someone INSISTS on saying "Happy Holidays".

If you say 'Merry Christmas' to me. I'll say it back to you. If you say 'Happy Holidays', i'll respond in kind. If you wish me a 'Happy Kwanza" i'll wish you one too, (even though i still don't really know what it is.) I like George Costanza's dad's Festivus greeting.

I've pretty much quit saying the greeting first to anyone out of this stupid debate about what this December celebration is. And so as not to be anti-social, I might say instead, "How's the season goin' for ya?"...

I'm sure Obama wishes he didn't have to bother with the same bullshit about the greeting either.

Modern Hippie said...

yeah I mean, I'm not religious, well i'm not at all religious (i think i still try to make my parents happy by saying i'm somewhat religious lol) but christmas is my favorite time of year and not just for gifts but gifts do play a part in it but not just in recieving them, giving them and making them can be really fun too. although im poor this year and have no idea what i can even make for anyone. but its such a cool time of year when the city is light up in lights and the smells and the xmas trees and the xmas songs and in our family its like a 3 day event with xmas eve, xmas day the big xmas party and then boxing day breakfast the next morning, its all about the traiditons we have on xmas and I think i probably say merry christmas more often than happy holidays but when someone says it to me, its not like im offended, its just be respectful i think, especially if your at work because some people can be VERY offended when you say "xmas" when they dont celebrate xmas.

but i tottally agree jo, i do think happy holidays is the more "generic" one but i will respond in whatever they say to me.

i do love festivus "festivus for the rest of us!" haha

i just hate when a priest has the nerve to say "dont shop where it says happy holidays"

yeah i mean i highly doubt anyone would have been insulted when he put up his "christmas" tree everyone knows obama is a christian, it was a bold move that i think upset more people than it made happy, but the intentions were there.

oh i forgot to tell you Jo, when i went to habitat for humanity a bunch of people started with a prayer, i forgot its a christian organizer and there was a group there from a church and we had already started working and someone said "if anyone feels comfortable were gonna do a prayer" even if I was religious, i thought it was really weird. "bless this job site" ??? haha it rather cracked me up a little.

IslandPearl said...

We buy boxes of secular cards to send our Jewish family and friends. The rest of them are more about Christmas.

I tend to respond to greetings consistent with the way that they are given, too.

I'm not an apologetic Christian, but I'm not a proselytizing one either, so if I know that Merry Christmas doesn't mean anything to you, I'm not likely to send that particular greeting your way. It means something to me.

I'm always amused that the non-believers are the quickest to take offense at the "wrong" greetings. I go to mass every week (even when at the far corners of the earth, and at sea) and I've never personally heard a priest even mention such a thing. MH's priest may have taken the pulpit to air a personal grievance (never appropriate IMHO). I see far more ACLU activity of the opposite sort -- actually suing to prevent religious expression. That's a little scary to me. Prohibiting it is no less frightening than requiring it.

When we opened my office here, we had a traditional Hawaiian blessing complete with kahuna and maile lei. It was a beautiful, meaningful way of calling us to focus on our purpose and dedicate ourselves to doing the right thing in and from that place. (BTW None of us - except the kahuna, of course - were actually Hawaiians, but you don't have to be one to 'get' it.)

I don't think it's so much a religious rite in that context as it is a spiritual one.

It's possible to be spiritual without being religious...and, sadly, to be religious without being spiritual.

Eugen Caitaz said...

You have very interesting blog!!! Have a nice day! :)

IslandPearl said...

Funny Christmas tree "tempering" story:

A friend of mine said that he experienced his first Christmas tree on his first married Christmas (he's a Jew, his wife is not).

They went to a tree lot, picked out a beauty and took it home. He was all ready to set it up and get about decorating.

She allowed as to how the tree had to stay in the garage for 2-3 days first. Knowing nothing from Christmas trees, my friend left it in the garage the requisite waiting period.

About 3 Christmases later, his inlaws came to visit for the holidays and he asked his father-in-law why it was necessary to keep the tree in the garage for 2-3 days before bringing it in.

FIL replied that when you cut them down out in the woods there's usually some snow and ice in/on it that you wouldn't want melting onto the carpet. So you keep it in the garage for a couple days.

Not so much a problem with a commercial tree bought from the back of a refer truck or tent...they bring theirs straight in the house now.

Funny how sometimes 'traditions' can arise out of misunderstandings...

Modern Hippie said...

I think theres actual a science to the tree in the garage though, i think it has to do with the heat from being outside in the freezing cold and then bringing it into the warm house i think its supposed to die faster the shock of change.

jojo cucina cucina said...

i always aclimate my tree. LOL. It's in the garage two days. Then on the third day it comes in but i only put on the lights. On the fourth day i figure it can withstand the shock and weight of the ornaments. Like Ms. Hippie says, it's sort of like my baby.

pearl, the aetheists and their demands to take down nativity scenes drive me crazy. Why can't folks just walk on by and cherish that you live in a country with the freedom to believe in anything you want to believe.

P.S. Thank you Jenea. And welcome!

Modern Hippie said...

i read this really great article in The Stranger (a local free seattle paper) and Mark Feffer wrote this great article "the aetheist, obama and me" (i actually posted it on my facebook) but he was talking about aethesist, and religious aethesist and there truly is such a big difference. and its funny because religious aethesist are very relgious because they are SO anti religious.

I have a friend from France and she's an aetheist and shes not ashamed of it but she said in america they are so much more put off by it and judgemental about it, in Europe its a more natural thing and people dont look at you differently for it i think because there are more "open" aetheists in europe, the population is larger over there. but shes not a bad person, she does alot for the community, last year she organized this huge drive to get clothes, food, dental stuff for the homeless, no one asked her to do it, she just did it. aetheists people have a heart, but i think in america people look at you like youre a murderer or something.

because seriously, why cant you just accept that soemone believes in something different? if you think they will rot in hell because they dont believe in God or "your" God then just accept that and treat them all the same.

i always thought it was so funny how tense religion can get and people always have the argument "my God is the right God" which is silly because NO ONE will EVER know who or what God is. no one can ever prove there is a heaven, no one can prove anything and theres actually MORE proof to discredit religion. its like 98-99% of theologist are not religious (they did a clip on that in bill mahers religuous)its great if people have faith for a religion, but why get so pissed that someone believes something different?

its not like politics where you kind of want someone to believe in the same policies as you because it will actually effect the way you live your daily life.

thats always my response when people are against gay marriages "how is it going to effect YOUR life?" people usually tend to shutup then :)

okay im done. i dont know how that turned into a mini-rant. haha.

IslandPearl said...

My favorite is the "Prove that there is a God" argument.

When asked to prove that there ISN'T one, the 'atheist' will virtually never take the bait. Because they can't.

I kinda like the response somebody gave -- and I think it was to Maher (must've been when he was on another talk show, because I refuse to watch his):
If you are right (that there is no God) and I'm wrong, it won't really matter will it?

If I'm right (God exists) and you're wrong, it still won't matter...to ME.

Modern Hippie said...

exactly!! thats how I feel. I don't have the faith but I don't care if you do, i actually envy you if you do have faith, it was just always something i couldnt wrap my head around.

that is a great answer, although I like Maher I do like to see him put in his place sometimes.

jojo cucina cucina said...

Re: Bill Mahr. yeah, i have to agree with Ms. hippie. I like Maher. (Is it Maher or Mahr?) but i like it when he gets his comeuppance.

Modern Hippie said...

haha i never remember if its Maher or Mahr either. let me google. pause please. alright, it is Maher.

I do know that I don't need to say "pause please" since you will be reading this after the fact, but i just think its more fun.

Modern Hippie said...

Pearl, I still havent been able to see your blog, you need to send me the link! when i click on your picture it just gives me your profile.

:)

IslandPearl said...

The link to my blog (pearlstuff) is at the bottom of my profile. And a link is also on my FB profile page. But here's another:http://pearlstuff.blogspot.com/

Akitayahoo said...

Just popped in to say "Howdy". Had to look up who Amanda Knox is...although I knew the story, I had marginalized it along with Tiger Woods.

In my world, I'm thinking the more interesting story is why the Dow is on the rise when unemployment hasn't stabilized.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Akitayahoo said...

PS - not having a real Christmas tree would be depressing...

louielouie said...

Hate to say it but I have been thinking about My Productive Last Two Weeks

This is going to be a list because I am so gosh-darn-proud of everything I have accomplished. My husband is tired of hearing brag about myself so thought I would go for it here. I’m leaving town at the crack of dawn on Tuesday to be with my son during his surgery and won’t be back until midnight on the 23rd. Am hoping to bring him back with me.

1. Put up the tree and decorated the house

2. Finished shopping for my kids and husband

3. Wrapped the last of the presents

4. Completed the gluten free lasagna and peppermint ice cream cake; all in the freezer ready to go for Christmas day.

5. Trimmed the wings and froze them in pieces. Ready to marinate for the hot wings Christmas eve. My brother and I have the meal planned and the jobs assigned; he's the best.

6. Made the Christmas cookies for my bestest sister in law. My sister is doing all the rest of cookie baking for my family this year. A family first

7. Made the raspberry thumbprint dough for Emma to bake while I’m gone. She and Nick don’t want to count on their aunt for these

8. Wrote notes for my daughter about what needs to come out of the freezer when to be ready for me when I get in late on the 23rd.

9. Made my special Christmas bread.
a. Baked it for Ron’s and my work tomorrow
b. Froze the ring (shaped and filled but not baked) for my mom’s Christmas morning brunch. It will raise Christmas night and I'll bake and frost Christmas day.
c. Froze the pieces to thaw and bake last minute, or give as ready-to-bake to my friends

10. Took all the family Christmas eve gifts to my mom's. Told my nephews I made them Christmas vests this year, not the pj pants they always want and get

11. Got a pedicure with Em, will need sandal ready feet Tuesday

12. Have left things in pretty good shape at work too, so things will carry on while I’m gone

Oh yeah and we moved out of the other house. Rearranged money and had papers notarized. Still waiting to close, something about the buyer’s buyer’s buyer and a survey so there’s another extension. I have NOT gone off the deep end yet.

13. Still feel the Christmas Spirit. Hope you do too

jojo cucina cucina said...

Nowhere on that list is ME! LOL.....
And of course louie, you are the reason for the snow today. This is now the THIRD time that you get ready to get out of town the day after we get snow!

akitadude!!!! So good to see you here. You need to visit more often. you and the mrs.

IslandPearl said...

Feeling a bit fatigued, ackshully, after reading all that!

Merry Christmas, superwoman!!

And prayers for swift recovery for your son...