Happy New Year !

This is my pretty Tasha.  What a sweet dog she is, even if she is self centered and thinks all the toys are hers.  Ha!  We got her on Craigslist and never regretted it for one minute.  The sun is shinning brightly on that day but not today as we are to have rain today and tomorrow.  Then next week it looks like sun, sun, sun.  Yeah !  I do miss the sun.

These are our other two dogs.  Olivia on the arm of the couch and Bella in the chair.  What little scampers they are and sadly little beggars thanks to my husband.  We love them dearly and enjoy all their personalities along with our 3 cats which are indoors also.  We do have a cat outdoors, that Jim started feeding as it was a stray and we have tried to get it to come in but he, Elvis, that is what Jim named him is just too scared to come in.  So we feed it outside and enjoy it.  Tootles

Rosalie and Alice

 Rosalie and Alice Wishing All of You Happy Holidays !
     Are they not the sweetest looking girls you have ever seen ?  Believe me they are a blast to play with.  They will run towards you going sideways with their heads tilted.  It is so cute.  Then when you go out to feed them if they are in the far corner of the yard, here they come lickity split on a dead run.  My whole family just loves them and we do have a great time playing with them.
     Is everyone ready for Christmas?  Two days left.  As if I'm telling you something you don't already know.  Between the TV and the Internet you are kept up to the minute especially if you are ordering on line.  I will be doing my shopping on the 24th.  Yes, that is right as I told you last time that is when the money is coming in for the Holidays.  Help!  Hey, I just as well put a good spin on it and have a great time.  I have my list of things to buy for gifts and I want to be able to look around in case I see something else.  Then before Jim and I hit the grocery store for Christmas dinner, we are going to eat out, ourselves.  Usually we do not.  I generally always cook meals at home except for the occasional pizza but hey, we are going to be out and you know we will be getting hungry and this way we will be going to the grocery store, full which is always better.  We will pick a place which is locally owned.  None of the chain restaurants, besides we have a great variety to choose from.  If I let my husband pick he will want Chinese, I'm almost sure and there is a great one in Chico and their food is yummy.  I also like Chinese but am leaning towards Italian so we will have to see.
     

Yesterday my Granddaughter came up and we made popcorn balls.  When she was small she made them with my Mom, so we decided we would honor my MOM and her Great Grandmother.

What a great time we had.  My other two Granddaughters and my daughter in law also shared in our fun.  The syrup could have been cooked a little longer as when we took a bite it lashed on to our teeth and would not let go.  I'm sure my MOM was on the side lines snickering about that.  Oh how she would have loved to have been here and believe me we would have loved her being here with us.  Merry Christmas Ada Belle, you are missed !  Tootles and Doodles

December 20, Monday 2010

It's raining cats and dogs here in Northern California. Yikes !  This is suppose to be the Happiest time of the year.....well let me tell you, It is not.  It is very dreary, and cold to top it off.  You look outside and the rain just keeps coming down, down, down.  Sometimes it's sprinkles, sometimes it's drizzles, sometimes it's pouring, and sometimes it's a deluge of rain that you swear someone has a power hose pointed at your window.  Now I ask you, what kind of Holiday season is this suppose to be.
     Hey, I have another one for you, speaking of dreary, we won't get our check for Christmas shopping until Dec. 24.  Now how is that for Holiday Spirit.  We will have one day to buy gifts, buy food for Christmas and any extra's.  ONE day.  Will I be able to do it in this rainy, road slick weather.  Well, I will, or I should we will try our best and be very very careful.
     Must say Have a Very Merry Christmas !  I do mean that from the bottom of my heart.  It's not the gifts that are important.  It isn't necessary to have fancy food, what is important is who you will be celebrating with.  Make sure it's the people you dearly love.  You know the ones who always bring a smile to your face, make you feel good by just being around them.  The kind of people who would do anything for you all you have to do is ask.  Sometimes it's friends and sometimes it's family.  Just be grateful you have them around and for those who are not looking forward to certain Uncle's or Aunt's or a family member your not so crazy about maybe you should look a little harder and soften your heart.  You just might not know their story.   Tootles and Happy Holidays

A Live Tree !

     Yes, that's right, we got a live tree and it's really pretty.  It's only about 4' and fits perfect in our windows.  Guess what ?  That cats do not bother it.  In fact they actually jump up beside it and go to sleep.  Isn't that great.  They are so cute.  We got everyone a stocking and I went ahead and bought all our animals presents.  I  bought some really cute boxes.  The are all ready decorated so I put dog toys and cat toys in them.  Our tree looks very pretty with the presents underneath.
     I just happened to be on Amazon looking at books (duh!) and on the bottom of one of the pages the title of a book caught my eye.  Fall of the Giants by Ken Follett.  I have wanted to get this since I first read about it last August.  I love his other books, Pillars of the Earth, and World without End.  I read where it was coming out the end of September and was very excited about it.  Then I saw the price for Kindle. WHAT!  19.99 and 19.40 for hardback.  I mean come on.  Ken, I love your writing but let's be reasonable.  There is no way I am paying that much for your book on Kindle.  Getting back to what was at the bottom of the page......This was a discussion about the price.  I did not realize other people felt the same way I did.  In fact, if what I read is true, they have a boycott on the book and only rated it 3 stars.  That is not from the content (which I understand the book is great) but because of the price.  I have to say I agree.  It seems the publisher is trying to insult the Kindle Nation by making it more then the hardback.  Now, I ask you, what in the world is that all about.  I have to hand it to all the outraged Kindle readers who are protesting, boycotting, and writing emails and there are a lot of them but what the publisher doesn't realize is in my quiet way I am also doing the same.  I do believe there are many, many people who feel like I do.  Maybe we don't scream and yell.  We don't write letters or start boycotts but we will, in our quiet way protest and bring you to our way of thinking.  It's the ones you never hear from who can stop the production and you will never know why.  Tootles

What kind of Tree do we get ?

     Jim and I are debating about what tree to get.  Do we get a fake one, a cut one or a live tree that we can plant in our yard.  I think we are going with the live tree.  That's what we got last year and we have it planted by out front gate.  Maybe we will keep buying them every year from now on and end up with a forest around us.  That would be great with me as Jim and I both love trees.  We can't get a large one as I do not have the room for it so I think this is the way to go.  When I get it decorated I will take a picture of it and post it on this site.  Hey, I know just the place for decorations.  Go to the 99 cent store.  I'm not kidding, they have the most beautiful ornaments I have ever seen and let's face it, the price is right.  Oh, now I'm really getting in the Christmas Spirit.  I want to buy candy canes to hang on the tree. I must get Jim and I our stocking and of course stocking for all our animals.  We have Tasha, Bella and Olivia our dogs.  Then we have Eleanor, Elviria, Edgar and Elvis our cats.  They are going to be excited about the tree also. ............ Oh No.... The cats Will be excited about the tree.  They will think it's a new toy for them to climb in.  OH NO.  Well I could put it in one of windows as they all have storage underneath so maybe it wouldn't be out where they could see it or have a chance to jump in it.  Oh dear, I have much to think about.  Well, we will just have to figure it out because I really want a tree. Wishing you lots of luck and joy in finding that perfect tree.   Tootles

Is it Over ?

     Thanksgiving that is.  I mean you do all this preparation.  You plan out what your going to have at the dinner.   You ask company to bring certain things.  The day before your cooking and getting ready for the big day.  The morning of , you start the last of the dishes to be served.  Then everything is done so you wait, and wait and finally they start to arrive.  Some of the guest have other places to go so you know they will be leaving soon.  Your busy in the kitchen serving and making sure everyone has plenty to eat and to top it all off the football game is in the background.  I can not tell you how much I detest football.  There is no other conversation going on because certain people are watching or I should say they are glued to the TV.  God forbid if someone gets in front of the set or in front of the person.  Frowns are glared, arms are jerked, there are crab apple voices which are slightly raised telling the unfortunate child, "To get out of the way". 
     No one is chatting.  Unless it's about a player of football.  No one is asking how are things going, unless it's about the play of the game.  The rest of us, who do not like football,  I guess it's just me, don't have a chance at visiting.  Then before you know it games are over, at least one of them so some of the company leave but never fear as there are several more games starting.  And of course they do start watching.  I stay in the kitchen as just the sound of the game going on is enough to ruin the day.  I don't allow it to do that as I am in control of my moods but it's just very sad I am unable to enjoy my family.  I really want to know how they are doing.  What's happening in their lives but I guess they don't care what's happening in mine.  I guess that is not nice to say, I really don't know if they do or not the point is we are not enjoying each other as we should, as a caring family.  Sometimes I feel I am the only one who feels this way.  I do know I am the only one in my family.  Did I mention I am not having Christmas at my house.  Ha!  I don't know what I will do but I will not have football in the back ground no matter what I decide to do.  Happy Holidays !   Tootles

Good Morning !

     Thanksgiving is almost upon us.   It's kind of an odd Holiday.  Supposedly we shared dinner with the Indians. Boy, if they only knew what was ahead.  Then you hear no, it wasn't quite like that.  I mean, come on, how can we celebrate after what happened to the Indians.  We destroyed their way of life and living.  We made fun of their ways and called them foolish.  Oh, dear Lord, what were we thinking.  If only we had not been so arrogant and full of ourselves and learned from them the beauty of life through their eyes.  I know some did and they tried to tell whoever but no one listened or even tried to hear.  Let's face it, it all had to do with money.  They wanted the land and didn't care how they got it.  You know I have been reading a lot of Amish books,(which I really love) and realize they have the right idea about living.  They are a close knit community and help each other.  Their beliefs are real.  Then when you think about it the Tribes in Africa were somewhat the same.  They had their own community with beliefs, rules and traditions.  So what happened to the rest of us ?  I know there are even more groups which have this going for them and it works.  I think that is the way America was suppose to be.  That is, when our Founding Fathers started it.  We were suppose to have freedom and could choose our way of life but with always a respect for our fellow man and his way of life.  So, I ask you, what has happened ? Why is it so hard to see you cannot allow the wealthy to continue to expand their bank accounts and the middle class lose theirs.  It's that same old line, "How much money is enough ?  Just some food for thought as this Holiday Season is approaching.   Tootles