Merry Christmas

I want everyone in blog world to have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!  I have enjoyed following you all this year.

And as you can see, I have NOT given up on the idea of Corgi ownership.  I mentioned it again to my husband just last night.  They are hard to find around here, so maybe by the time I find one, he will be ready and receptive to the idea.

We got some sad news on Saturday.  Troy's friend Lee called to inform us that little Pebbles, Troy's sister Lori's little Yorkie passed away on Friday, December 17th.  She was about 15 years old and Lee had been taking care of her since Lori passed away in April of 2006.  Lori's birthday was on December 12th so I imagine that she had a happy reunion with her baby.  Pebbles was a good dog and stuck by her mommy the whole time Lori was sick.  Lee took good care of Pebbles during her passing - just like he did for Lori, his fiancee.

Too proud for words

Naval Officer Chad,

Your Uncle Troy and Aunt Ellen are so very proud of you!  Hard to believe that this is the little boy who built a snow fort with his uncle and counsin Tyler - not so many years ago.  And thank you for your service to your country!

Blessed Season

I have all the decorating done, a few more presents to buy, and all of what I have bought is wrapped and under the tree.  Now on to the cookie baking and fudge making.  Snow this past weekend gave me the excuse I needed to stay in and get things done.  And now the true reason for the season, lest we forget....

Even we mothers cannot even begin to understand what our Blessed Mother must have felt on that Christmas Eve so many years ago.  And over 2,000 years later, our Savior is still with us all!

I can hardly wait...

I usually put the Christmas decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving.  This year it is hard to wait and I find myself thinking "Well maybe just a few things now....".  I will probably have Troy bring everything down from the attic this weekend.  Maybe that will tie me over.  I only put one tree up (in the family room) last year, but this year I am putting two up - one in the living room and one in the family room.  Maybe even a small one out on the closed in back porch with a timer.

Family room tree from last year... (date was wrong on my camera - I hate that thing)

Living room tree from a couple of years ago....  (date is correct - will wonders ever cease?)

Oh and of course it is time for Red Velvet Cake....

For the love of a horse...

Well, my love ran out of time or track, however you want to look at it.  But she ran her heart out and came back safe, and for that I am thankful. 

I noticed that she did not do her little dance after this race.  Maybe she knew she lost or maybe it was just the fact that she did not go to the winner's circle for the first time. 

But Zenyatta, we all still love you and thank you for all you have given us.  Now, go have some big beautiful babies for us to love, too.
And hopefully they will give us that little dance step just like their Momma.

Breeders Cup

This weekend is the Breeders Cup.  My money is on Zenyatta - undefeated and top female athelete.  I just like her attitude.  She loves to run, is a big horse, and she does a little dance going to the post and to the winner's circle.

Her stride is the same as Secretariat - my all time favorite.  She is a beautiful racehorse.  Good luck Zenyatta!

A couple of weeks ago (Friday, October 22nd to be exact) I got up and went to the track here at 6:00 AM and watched morning workouts.  It was before the last weekend of thoroughbred racing here.  I was the only spectator there.  It was cold and dark (but the track was lit up), it was quiet - save for the pounding of the hooves and the breathing and snorting of the horses. I was right on the rail, and I loved it.  It is my absolute favorite time to be at the track.  And as each exercise rider walked their horses past me back to the barn, they said "Good morning mam" or "Good morning miss" (god bless those who said that).  Many thanks to those guys and gals (riders and horses) for giving me a great time - even if you didn't mean to. 

Just being nostalgic...

Recently I bought a few of the vintage reproduction Barbies as well as a couple of books on the subject.  One book shows Barbie and her clothes through the years.  The others tell how Barbie influenced us through the years (it is amazing the problems people blame on that little doll!). It is pretty interesting how Barbie changed along with us.  Barbie celebrated 50 years in 2009 - hard to believe as I still remember my first one (probably in 1960, the year after she came out) and the outfits that I had.  One Christmas soon after, I received a wedding dress (not Mattel but one that someone had hand made) from my maternal grandparents while celebrating Christmas at their house.  In all of the commotion, the dress got mixed in with the discarded wrapping paper.  Now, my grandfather was never one to let paper lay on the floor for very long - not when he had a roaring fire in the fireplace.  So in went the dress.  Funny the things you remember from childhood....