God bless our soldiers in the field this holiday

Thanks mom and John for reminding us of this wonderful (but over looked by me) Christmas tune.

XO

Wicked impatience: a holiday tradition?

Do you still get excited for Christmas morning? The tearing into the vast pile of gifts? After all these years, do you still get impatient for it to begin? Count down the days? Bristle with anticipation? Is the advent calendar just a tease?

Me? Not really. I am such an old crunchy grown up now that the season seems to just speed by. Today Thanksgiving, tomorrow Christmas. There is still, of course, that magical feeling in the air. Something kinder, more generous seems to hit humanity in the forehead.

I like that.

The tension in our house is palpable. Impatience at 11 is a very real thing. I can remember the flutter of anticipation that would sit in my stomach when I had to wait the allotted days. It is not hidden. It is not gentle or kind. It is out there for all to see on my middle schooler's cuff and she is working it for all its worth.

For about 2 weeks now, she has been nagging, cajoling, begging to open up her presents early.

I just shake my head with annoyance. She must think I rule the heavens, earth and the calendar but, I am sorry to say, my influence does not go that far.

"No! You have to wait until Christmas morning just like every one else!" I finally bellow after being needled for what seems like hours. Chagrined, she slinks away to regroup but just circles round to try again.

Sigh. No wonder I am exhausted.

I thought that Shea was somewhat impervious to this emotional roller coaster but when Molly proclaimed her impatience aloud just the other day, Shea piped up promptly and said, "Me too!"

Sitting back and watching their gyrations is touching although I remember it being tough when I was a kid. But, how long will it last? How long will they be enchanted by the stories, the tree, the gifts, the traditional shows we watch every year, our combined tradition?

When will it happen that they are more concerned with activities outside our tight little family unit? Answer: incrementally.

For that, I am not impatient.

I feel thankful, yet again, for all that I have. The health and happiness of those I hold dear. And, as the years pass, as the kids grow older; grow up and away, I will look back fondly to these unnerving assaults on the tradition. The wheedling, the begging, the aching ampatience; all tidings that my kids are still kids.

For, a while yet.

May your holiday be warm and wonderful and shared with friends and family.

Best wishes to you all!

Skating on Fisher pond, Vashon Island

It doesn't happen often but skating has been known to take place on beautiful Fisher Pond on Vashon Island. Northwesterners are quick to take advantage of a unique turn in the weather such as this. Or at least some people do.

During this cold snap, intrepid reporter and skating enthusiest, Happenin' Jan, documented the recent event.

In fact, I did not know that there is a Fisher Pond Skating Facebook Club with recently updated posts. And, a near by family who has been collecting skates of all sizes so anyone can give it a try.

Member of the club, Happenin' Jan said she could see the water lilies frozen underneath the surface, suspended.

Cool!

Uh...I mean COLD!

Love to those in the tropics.

On being thankful...

I get more and more thoughtful about Thanksgiving each year. It really is my favorite holiday. I guess as we age we begin to realize just how lucky we are.

Again, this year, I am thankful for family the most.

Jake who can build anything and who together we have built this beautiful life.

Molly who is the brightest, sweetest, bubbliest, funniest daughter a mom could ever hope for.

Shea who has taught me so much about patience and kindness and hope and acceptance.

Thanks goes to my generous parents who are an active part in their grandkids lives and are always up for an overnighter.

I am thankful for my brother and his beautiful, warm and gracious new family.

A give particular thanks for my dear friends on this sparkly rock in the middle of the sound. My live is rich with talk and ideas and laughter and love.

And, I am thankful for this sparkly rock itself! Somehow we managed to find the best place in the world for us.

I am thankful for my readers and the friends I have made through my blogs. I am thankful that I have found such a healthy, creative way to share some of life's quandaries. And, for all you great folks who actually read it. Bless your hearts!

Finally, this year I am thankful for our new pussy cat, Lulu, who has melted the crunchy exterior of our hearts and leaves only the ooy-gooy center with her crazy antics, purring snuggles and obliviousness about how hard to bite or whether that tea cup with tip or not.

I guess I am a pretty simple person. It doesn't seem like all that much now that I write it all out but I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

Hope your holiday is warm and wonderful with friends and family.

Dentist buys back Halloween candy

Did you see this story? A buck a lb.

I saw this after I ate all of the Almond Joys in the Halloween stash.

And, after Jake ate all the snickers.

I am sick of candy now but the kids sure had fun.

I'm really happy!

Shea said today while playing on his favorite thing in the whole wide yard; the rope ladder. He has gotten quite adept at it and now tries to climb with only one hand.

I'm really (yilly) happy too, baby!

Take a look at those dirty summer time feet!

This is about all that is going on for for our Memorial Day weekend.

Bliss!

2009?

Happy New Year! 2009? Really? It's hard to believe. It sounds like science fiction to me yet here we are.

Thanks and accolades go to David & Sally and their spontaneous New Year's Eve party. Desert pot-luck with Champagne; what a brilliant idea. Jake stayed home with Shea and had an early night. Molly and I went to the shin-dig. Blurry eyed, after the fireworks, we headed home in the freezing rain well after mid-night.

New Year's Day was spent with family at my mom's house. We were all snowed in during our usual meeting day, Christmas eve, so we made up for it in style. The food was fabulous, the gathering was festive and once again I am reminded how much I love my family.

My best memory of the day has to be the serious bonding that is naturally occurring between Shea and his three year old cousin Travis. He talks laps around Shea and has the high energy precociousness that is hard to ignore. A real friendship is emerging. Shea showed Travis the fine art of car racing and Travis shared his Batman obsession. Watching it all, I got misty about those two boys growing up in proximity. They will know each other their whole lives.

Christmas tunes at The Vashon Bookshop

Molly played her violin at our favorite bookstore here on Vashon yesterday. The owners of The Vashon Bookshop are so incredibly wonderful and very welcoming when Molly asked if she could play.

This is her 2nd year doing this and her Christmas tune repertoire has grown from last year. She even broke up the pace with a couple of Celtic tunes that she has been working on over the year.

People are always very supportive and encouraging when she plays; they just go about their business of shopping but manage to clap a little after each tune. For Molly, she gets another taste of performance in a low key setting.

I used the time to get some last minute shopping done. Books are always considered a winner under our tree. Jake scampered to the the hardware store for some foul-weather preparedness stuff. Shea zipped around; they have a nice big children's book area with puzzles and toys and many, many books to tempt. It's a very kid friendly place. I can honestly say, I just love it there.

I encourage you to go see them when and if you are in town. And, when you are there, go across the hall and visit Kronos too, a truly dazzling emporium of fun and cool things. Those gals are awesome too.

What do you get for the man who has everything?

I had a really good idea the other day and I was sort of embarrassed I hadn't ever thought of this before. I figured out the perfect thing to get Jake for Christmas.

First, let me say, Jake and I don't really exchange sentimental gifts. We don't give each other cards, jewelry, flowers or candy. We just don't really make a big deal of our birthdays or anniversary.

So, for Christmas, we don't really exchange big gifts but I like to break up the kid-present-a-thon by actually having something for him under the tree. But it is always something very utilitarian. I kid you not; long underwear, a big jar of salted mixed nutz. One year I wrapped up a nice big box of 200 of those little packets of foam ear plugs (he is a woodworker and constantly making lots of power tool noise) He is still working through that box and has plenty to share.

He heats his workshop with a woodstove ONLY and I see him out there chopping wood. I think it was Ben Franklin who said, "Chopping your own wood warms you twice." How true but Jake's going to be 50 next year and would probably like to not have to chop his own firewood. What can you give a man who doesn't want anything? How about more time? Or a back that doesn't hurt as much?

Urica!

The truck with a cord of wood arrived this afternoon. Jake was there to tell them exactly where he wanted it dropped off. He was almost giddy. He really liked his Christmas present and I didn't have to wrap anything. I really made him happy, it's very useful and I supported a local island small business.

Pretty good.

Kill a tree for baby Jesus?

Sorry folks, I know that might be sort of crude but I have always been a little horrified that we celebrate Christmas by cutting down a healthy tree, decorate it and then throw it away. I know, I know, it can get recycled or chipped down for mulch but there is something about it that really bums me out.

We have tried buying a tree in a container that we could plant outside after Christmas. It never seemed to work and we killed it anyway.

Which is why so many people go out and get fake trees I suppose. My mom has one that gets put together like a puzzle each year which is great but no wonderful pine smell. And, no, I don't care what they say, you can not buy it in a spray can.

Yes, we have purchased Christmas trees before and let me say, they are damn expensive! I remember a particularly lovely little table top Nobel that we got when Shea was just crawling. We thought he would be less likely that he would ransack the tree if it was up on a table. Mission accomplished but $50!!!

Our usual way around it is one of Jake's fabulous inventions that I wish we could market and sell. The "Build your own tree". It is simply a 8 foot 4x4 cedar post with holes drilled on 3 sides over the entire length. He mounted it on a rectangle of plywood so that it would stand and voila'; Christmas Tree alternative.

Every year, I go out to the conifers in our yard and cut a bunch of branches, whittle the ends so they can fit into the holes and bring it on in ready to decorate. Over the years, Jake has enlarged the holes at the bottom so that I could put in larger branches and smaller ones as I go up.

Yesterday was a beautiful, rainless day so I set ours up. I suppose it is a little early because the branches will be dry and brittle by the end of the season. But I don't like the tree being up much past Christmas anyway. For some reason, I find it really depressing.

So, it's done. We all had a really fun time going through the ornament boxes and decorating the tree and, of course, it smells wonderful.

Sure, our yard trees got a little prune but we saved some serious green and didn't have to kill a tree for Jesus.

Annual Community Tree lighting

We had another "must see it to believe it" Vashon event tonight. The Community Tree lighting with Santa & Mrs. Clause parading down the center of town on a fire engine. All who want to can get a candy cane or two from Santa and even hug him. I do every year.

This is also the night of Molly's 2nd annual holiday violin busking.

Last year, she thought she would just try it out and see what happened. The concept got her all the way through the fall with her happily (or not complaining too much) practicing holiday tunes to prepare for busking. On the night of the Tree Lighting, she set up her violin case on the sidewalk and started banging out Silent Night, Hark the Herald and others. The results were pretty electrifying. Not only did she make over $50 in less than an hour but she got tons of encouragement and kudos for being brave enough to go out and do it all by herself. I was, of course, hovering near by.

This year we did the same. The night was cold and clear so it was an excellent turn out, lots of people, families out and about. We set up right after the tree lighting near a hot dog vendor. With the poise and assurance of someone many years older, she started playing, a bit softly at first but building as she got comfortable. I stood to the side. She told me not to hover too close but I am there. I wouldn't miss this for the world.

It really is quite interesting to see how the crowd reacts. The kids are drawn immediately and it doesn't really matter what age. I saw just-walking tots hanging out to dance to "Santa Clause is coming to town" and not wanting to leave and various big, cool middle school kids dropping a few coins into the case and saying, "Good job" and "Thanks for the true Christmas spirit". Kids from Molly's grade walk by and shyly wave, they foget that her hands are occupied but she acknowledges them with a smile.

The adults, of course, are enchanted. Many, like myself, could never imagine themselves putting themselves out there like that. I see it in their eyes and expressions as they drop a bill in her case. I shrug and make jokes about pimping my kid but it is obvious that this is her thing, her idea, her show. I am just the groupie and/or manager. I help make it happen but this is not about me.

It was a fun night. She made about $40 in about a half an hour. It was cold and her hands were getting numb. We wandered off to hug Santa and get another candy cane. Even did a little shopping with all the loot she hauled in and ran into some of her little buddies.

When I see her playing music alone on the sidewalk, I get the overwhelming feeling that she will be fine. She is strong, smart and beautiful and will make a good future for herself. I figure if she has the resourcefulness to make holiday money playing songs on the sidewalk, then she will make a creative, productive life for herself. I know, a mother's hope but a very nice holiday feeling.

Advent Calendars

These are such fun each year. Thank goodness Shea can eat chocolate so our annual advent calendar tradition is not disrupted.

I usually buy those super cheap .99 - $1.99 advent calendars at the grocery store as soon as they appear. Buy 'em quick! I have made the procrastinators mistake and thought I could get it "next time" and BOOM they were all gone.

But, this year I started fretting about cheap chocolate and the whole Chinese Melamine in the milk product thing! Yuk. And, to think I was just spoiling my kids rotten and harming their teeth. Now they are getting poisoned by the candy too!

So, I splurged this year and bought pricey advent calendars from Hearthsong.com on sale for $6.99.

More importantly they are made right here in the good old USA by Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc. who assures us that none of their ingredients are tainted.

The chocolate is processed on equipment which also processes peanuts and tree nuts. So, that would be a problem if you are dealing with super high nut sensitivity and reactions but it has not bothered Shea as of yet.

I know, it's just a little thing but holidays are about tradition and anticipation. And, I use it to bribe them to eat a little more of their dinners. Well, then we both win.

We're looking forward to opening door #5 tonight.

And...they're off!

Well, the season has official begun for our family.

Thanksgiving was a lush, fragrant, delicious, slightly tight waist-bandy sort of day. Many thanks to my excellent GGF for once again inviting my whole brood to her house for the day.

The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional Gingerbread making event at my mom's. Her place sports this iconic view of beautiful Seattle and is the quintessential "party house". Some considerable time was spent trying to remember just how many years we have been doing this. Definitely more than 15 was the conclusion; we couldn't pin it down closer than that.

My mom invites a literal horde of folks with their kids to her house for the day. Dazzled by the piles of every kind of candy imaginable and buckets of different colored frostings, most people just need a little time to just take it all in but eventually serious work begins. My mom made 15 separate Gingerbread house this year; simple cottages and sprawling Victorian Mansions. For the slightly overwhelmed there are all sorts of sugar cookies to decorate; elaborate or plain, they are eaten all the same.

Some people really get into it and a design competition could break out each year; usually with Grampa John or stepbrother David winning hands down. But all the results are truly incredible and each person is encouraged to take their house home. I myself don't tackle a whole house but usually spend my creative energy on frosting and decorating piles and piles of cookies.

My addition to the tradition is to get a big pot of soup cooking on the stove. It is fun to cook as a group, take turns stirring through out the day and then it warms us all at dinner time. Of course, the kids didn't eat much being sugar buzzed from frosting overload. But, all in all it is a lovely day; spent with friends new and old, beloved family members watching the kids creating fun memories.

My kids usually stay the night with plans of putting up the tree with my mom the next day. All went as planned without too much mishap this year. I am always impressed with my mom's energy and good graces to host a big event like that with absolutely no eye ball rolling or griping about the mess. She really is a saint. John too.

Thanks mom, for starting these fun traditions and keeping them up. I guess that is what its all about and because of you we are banking so many wonderful memories to savor through out the year and beyond.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Seriously...

I am so thankful for the extra large helping of health, happiness and the terrific people in my life. Special thanks goes to all the wonderful friends and family. Life just wouldn't be what it is without you all!

Here is hoping you will have a warm, wonderful, tasty, tranquil, relaxing, humorous Thanksgiving with your friends and family.

Happy Halloween!

And, welcome back John & Ruth! They just got back in time to continue their annual Halloween "full size candy bar" Trick or Treat-a-thon.

Understandably, folks from all over the Seattle area descend on Queen Anne to trick or treat in the fancy neighborhood. Not sure if all houses are as generous and J & R's but the questions will be:

How many cases of candy bars this year?

Update: Lots of fun!