Going On An Adventure

Hey bloggers! My Guy and I have decided to go on an adventure!

We are packing up today and setting out on a weekend/New Years adventure! Unplanned adventures are always the best kind. So I will be out of blogging commission from today until Tuesday, Jan 4, 2011.

Have a great New Years bloggers and I'll talk to you all next year!

Happy 2011!!

Kid's Got Chutzpah!

So it's a slow blogging week, everybody laying off the keyboards and hitting up the dessert table, I think. I can't say that I blame them.

My brain is fried and I'm enjoying some time off too, so I dedcided to make you laugh today. I know you've all seen this at one time or another, so enjoy it again.

My favorite part is when she giggles at her mom giggling at her. I love her! I wouldn't mess with her...

The Queen Of Quandary

I am the Queen of Quandary. Somehow, someway, I usually find myself backed into a difficult situation that I have no idea how to get out of. How did I get myself there? I usually try to make every one happy, which by now I should know, never works and usually ends up in a shi* storm.

I entered into that shi* storm today and here I am trying my best to climb out of it. What do you do when you try to fit a square peg into a round hole?? The quandary here, is that I offered a job to someone, who out of loyalty, squeezed me into their busy schedule. Then, just before the job was about to begin, I found someone who had no schedule constraints. Now what do I do???

I know that the original person was actually squeezing me in out of loyalty, and that the other person is perfect for the job and has no schedule conflicts. Here's where I FAIL as a person and an employer. I don't want to rumple any feathers, yet I don't need both people. Somebody has to go, and I feel terrible.

Long story short, I left it up to both players to figure it out, like a coward would do, and now I have a bigger shi* storm than when I started, and too many people to do a one man job. What the HELL is wrong with me? I've now got to fix this problem I created.

SO bloggers, you think you got the answer? What would you do?

Oh,The Weather Outside Is Frightful

But the fire is truly delightful.....

It was a smashing Christmas over here at The Dandy, and now we are being bombarded with snow. Already over a foot here in MA and more expected all day. I hope all my blogger buddies had a wonderful and fulfilling holiday. These are my post Christmas observations for the snowy Monday after Christmas.

• My son and I were talking early last week about how much the day after Christmas sucks and how it is the worst day of the year! We both agreed that Dec 26th is depressing and anti-climatic after all the hub bub of the holiday, but I'm thinking that with the holiday falling on a Saturday, the day after being a Sunday, and with the huge snow storm, we are really enjoying this whole time together. We likey. I'm still listening to Christmas music.

• The Pats wrapped up home field advantage through the playoffs with their 13th win yesterday over Buffalo. I'm pumped! Yup. I bought a FAB bright orange Mad Bomber hat to wear to the games so you can all find me in the stands....And My Tommy too.

• No obligatory sucky gifts this year! Both Frick and Frack have almost no returns and I have a mere few. Really just for size, cuz I need a SIZE SMALLER. Whoo hoo!!! But everybody gave great stuff and got great stuff. My favorite: my very own iPad. Yes! And I got Dragon Software. I can't wait to use it.

• I bought my Thespian (not Lesbian) daughter 3 of my favorite musicals on DVD. Funny Girl, with the one and only Ms. Striesand, Take Me Out To The Ball Game, with the wonderful Gene Kelly, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We watched Funny Girl last night and Frick fell in love with Babs. Today is great day for another classic.

• I ate some sugar. Then I ate some more sugar, and did I tell you I ate some sugar? I know, I suck. It's kinda not worth it because I feel like shit afterwards. I think I'm all done with the sugar. I ate a whole bunch of Christmas cheer too. My traditional, hand made by me, ravioli, and some turkey and all the fixings and dessert and did I mention the sugar? Ooooh, I'm feeling a little Pepto pink.

• Bundle up and keep warm today bloggers. We can all use that fab new scarf and fingerless gloves we got from Aunt Susie and Uncle Hank.

• It's back to business as usual.
  

A Dandy Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through The Dandy, every creature was stirring, but most of all Candy.

The Children weren't fighting, a tiny Christmas treat. For they sat together happily, on their cell phones, sending tweets. And Candy in Missoni and her Guy dressed in Boss, were counting their blessings; into a new era they had crossed. The world, in the eyes of the newlyweds, glowed, like the brightest of Northern stars and the happiness flowed. The celebration was merry; the hostess, just Dandy aided by the warmth of stiff Eggnog and brandy.

When out on the lawn the dogs caused a huge clatter. No one jumped, as they knew exactly what was the matter. It was Buddy, who appeared with a wee Christmas mouse, for his extended family had taken up residence in the house. "Evicted on Christmas?" the wee mouse exclaimed. And we watched as he shouted and called out mouse names.

"Out Fivel and Rattitoui and Lenny and Hank. For the rest of you, GET OUT, this is no Christmas prank. "We have been found and we need to move out in a flash. Let's go quietly, before we go out in the trash."

With that problem solved, the celebration went on, and the guests lent their voices as Frick sang a song. She captivated the moment and filled every heart with joy. Like a small child at Christmas, just opening a toy. Frack wrote a speech, and he was articulate and swift, and Candy thought to herself, "these are the most priceless Christmas gifts."

The entire year, for her, was from out of a dream. She got her Prince Charming and she became Queen. Lucky she is to have been blessed with so much, and she vowed to give back, with a personal touch.

So she pinched herself slightly as she retired for the night, while her heart was filled up with such love and such light. As she turned out the last of the twinkling Christmas lights, she tried to conceal tears of joy with all of her might.

And Candy exclaimed, to all that would listen;

"Merry Christmas to all! May your holiday's Glisten!"

Charity Begins At Home

Tis the season for giving. I try to teach my children that there is more joy in giving than receiving. Today will be a great lesson in giving.

My Guy grew up without much. He still remembers how hard it was for his mother, a single mother of 5, to make ends meet, especially at Christmas. Now, a grown man, enjoying the spoils of success, he made a commitment to himself to give back and to make Christmas special for children in need. 15 years ago he created a charity that takes care of two bridge homes for kids at Christmas and we have been fortunate enough to help and watch as his small Christmas miracle happens every year.

Heartbreaking are the Christmas lists the children make out every year that read, "I want my mom to come back" or "I want my family together for Christmas" along with the requests for warm winter jackets and gloves. This year the kids asked for the same things along with a few requests for North Face jackets and Ugg boots. These requests fill my heart with sorrow. Not because they are for the "name brand" material things that kids so desire, because they tell me they wish to be like every other kid in more ways than one. "They are getting EVERYTHING," My Guy declared, knowing that even if temporarily, he can ease some of their Christmas angst.

So his team shopped for North Face jackets and Ugg boots in various styles and colors and XBox 360's for the group homes and the latest games. My Guy and the rich corporations he works with and people who fund them take pride in making sure these kids get what they desire. Then they are lovingly wrapped and packaged up, ready for delivery. Today is delivery day, but the final piece of the puzzle I am fortunate enough to be in charge of. I will take my daughter this morning to the local supermarket and fill two shopping carts, one for each home, for the Christmas day feast.

Breakfast and dinner are on the menu so I will fill the cart with eggs, bacon, bread, milk, ham and turkeys, so that these kid will know that there really is a Santa Claus who cares. Then we will deliver them to the bridge homes, along with the bags of gifts, each one marked with each child's name, so that their Christmas is complete. I even get to see the excitement on the faces of the older ones who think they know what is inside those big green bags. That feeling is worth more than any gift I could receive on Christmas.

My Guy isn't one who loves Christmas like I do, "too many bad memories", he says, but I know the truth. The truth is, he is filled with more joy knowing that these kids will have a good day and that he had a small part in making sure. Last year, while he was making the delivery, a young boy stopped him at the door and said, "Are you Santa Claus?" My Guy, lump in his throat, responded. "No, I'm not Santa, but I work for him." That just about filled him for the whole year. At our own Christmas feast, when we join hands for the blessing, we think about the kids at those homes, enjoying their feast, and give thanks to all who made it possible. And the lump in My Guy's throat and the tear in his eye that he tries so hard to hide, tell me that he is a very rich man indeed.

In more ways than one.

Sucker For A Cute Face

This one was just too cute not to share.