Sidetracked

Does this ever happen to you? (just checking)

• Go to kitchen to make a cup of tea
• See basket of laundry that needs to be folded
• Which reminds you of the load of clothes that needs to be put in the dryer
• Which reminds you that you are out of dryer sheets
• Go to library to look for pencil to write "dryer sheets" on grocery list
• See envelope that you need to take to work in the morning
• Carry envelope to purse
• Which reminds you to leave a check for the housekeeper
• On your way to put check on kitchen counter, see many books on coffee table
• Put books in basket, which reminds you of the laundry that needs to be folded
• On your way to fold laundry, remember the housekeeper's check
• Go back to living room to get check, but can't find it
• While looking for the check, step on yesterday's toddler snack (eww)
• Go to get the vacuum but remember you lost the housekeeper's check
• Go back to look for the check
• In a break-through moment, realize you probably threw it in the book basket
• You did!
• Carry check to kitchen (whew!)
• Oh! The laundry!
• Must go see what is causing toddler to call your name over and over and over
• It's nothing (boy. cried. wolf.)
• Think a cup of tea (or something stronger) sounds good
• Go to kitchen to make a cup of tea......

(just checking...)

Jill's Book Bag # 6 - November 2007

With the holidays just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to give two books with an entertaining theme this month.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is baking cookies. From a very young age, I was the family baker, not only at the holidays but year-round. My brother Jon was 3 years older than me and he could devour half a pan of brownies in one sitting. During the holidays I made peanut clusters, almond bark pretzels, and cut-out sugar cookies using my grandmother's recipe. I still have it in my recipe box, written in my mom's handwriting.

Another thing I love is making meals and entertaining. I've begun to collect holiday dishes and linens when I see something that's especially neat, evn if it's the middle of July.

So, this month my two books are 100 Best Holiday Cookies and Southern Lady Gracious Tables by Phyllis Hoffman.

The bag this month is the small but oh-so-charming i-pod sleeve from Modsack. I have one of these myself and I use it to hold my Blackberry. It's also the perfect size for a a cell phone or even a pair of glasses. There's a little pocket on the outside that I use to hold a pen and my business cards.

There you have it. A festive little bag plus two holiday-inspired books.

To enter, simply leave me a comment (one per person).

I will draw the winner next Saturday, December 1, right before I hit the road for the second offical meeting of the B-Club in Birmingham!

Thanksgiving Wishes...and 7 Things Meme

Well, my turkey is brining and I've done all I can do in the kitchen for today. Like many of you, I'll be up bright and early in the morning to begin cooking and I can't wait for all the fixin's to start making the house smell divine. I also have some cinnamon rolls waiting to be baked first thing in the morning. A little pre-feast treat.

Traditionally on the Eve of every holiday we have drinks and appetizers instead of a full meal. Many times we're joined by friends, but this year it's just Doug, Adam and I. That's one of the hard things about being a blended family....Kendra and Bayley alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas with us. We'll miss them tomorrow, but have big plans for their time with us at Christmas this year.

I also wanted to take time to wish three dear blogging friends, Sandy, Stacey, and Leah, happy birthday. Sandy's birthday was November 18th, Stacey's the 19th, and Leah's is today. Here's wishing you all a wonderful year ahead filled with special memories.

I was also tagged by Melissa at Mel's World for the 7 Weird/Random Things meme. I've done this once before, but when we're talking weird and random, I can go for another round...no problem!

1. I despise the small (or standard) size paperclips. My job includes mountains of paperwork and those little devils always seem to be catching, slipping and basically annoying me to pieces. I have to have the jumbo size.

2. I was the marching band majorette all four years of high school. When I was a freshman, I nervously signed up to be in the running for majorette, as it was a very coveted role (I think mostly because it meant you didn't have to march and lug your instrument around the football field). To my surprise, I was voted in, taking over for a graduating senior. I really loved it and could blow my whistle with great skill.

3. I have terrible eyesight without glasses or contacts and I'm actually categorized as legally blind in my left eye. I got glasses in 4th grade and probably needed them sooner, but wouldn't tell anyone that I couldn't read the board in class very well. I only need them for seeing distance, and, before I got contacts in 7th grade, I would carry my glasses around in a case and only use them to read or see far away.

4. The color peach is the worst for me when it comes to clothing. I look so bad in that color it's almost hard to believe. However, anything peach flavored ranks right near the top. A slice of peach pie is a little bit of heaven on earth as far as I'm concerned.

5. I was reading 1st grade level books before I started school. I read Charlotte's Web in kindergarten. In fact, I remember playing sick one day so I could stay home and read. I am sure my mom was onto me, but she probably figured staying home reading would teach me just as much as spending a day in school. In 3rd through 6th grades we had three reading levels (or groups) in our classroom. I was always given the high reading text book for the grade ahead of me. I also had a little contest with myself to never miss one single answer in the reading workbook. I was successful until 4th grade, when I missed one answer. I was devastated.

6. I am really terrible at abstract math like algebra, geometry or trigonometry.

7. I love mowing the grass. When I was growing up my brother and I mowed a couple lawns in the summer for spending money. I loved the linear-ness of it all and you can see the progress right in front of your face. And the smell of newly cut grass - aaaahhhhh!

If you haven't done this meme or would love to do it again, please consider yourself tagged.

I'll be back on Saturday with November's Jill's Book Bag!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a Difference TWO Years Makes

Today was the day for our annual Family Photos. We use the photos for our Christmas cards and send them for Christmas gifts to our family. And, since Adam's a December baby, we get some individual photos of him to mark each milestone year.

This got me reminiscing a bit. This was our Christmas card photo two years ago. Adam was four days old. We did a combo Christmas card/birth announcement. The card read, "Look what we found under our tree!" I told everyone before I had him that I intended to get Christmas cards out on schedule and I'm sure they thought I was nuts, but the mission was accomplished. I addressed the envelopes at Thanksgiving time. Adam was born December 16th and the cards were mailed December 21st.


Doug took this a couple weeks ago when he was playing with the kids at the park.

Oh, how time flies...

A Birthday Recap

Wow! You sure know how to make a girl feel special. Thanks to each and every one of you who allowed your blogs to be "hijacked" by my husband and who sent birthday wishes. I was overwhelmed and thrilled beyond words. I am very blessed, indeed. You all helped make my BIG 4-0 very memorable.

And, how about that husband of mine? I am sure you won't be surprised when I tell you he makes his living in PR and marketing. I had no idea he'd cooked up such a bloggy surprise. Thanks, honey!

I thought I'd share some of my birthday events and happenings with you, all of which illustrate how very blessed I am with wonderful friends and family.

I began celebrating way back on October 22 when my boss took me to lunch at the Four Seasons Atlanta. One of the most spectacular things about any Four Seasons property is their flower arrangements. If you're ever traveling and can pop into a Four Seasons for just a few minutes, you will not be sorry. Their arrangements are true works of art.

Back to the lunch.... Just the fact that I got out for lunch was enough of a gift. Every single day I eat in the office, usually taking bites between working with clients and answering phone calls and questions. When we sat down, my boss said, "Should we splurge and have a glass of white wine?" And I laughed because....well....she's the BOSS. And so I told her if she wouldn't tell, I wouldn't tell. And we promptly ordered chardonnay. We had a great time together. She travels about eight months a year so we rarely get any time together at all, let alone leisure time with wine. Her gift to me was a beautiful Hermes scarf, hand-picked by her in the Paris flagship store, and an antique medallion framed in one of our beautiful custom frames.

Last Thursday I met my dear friend Kathy for dinner after work. Kathy and I used to work together and we share the same birthday! How neat is that! We met at the Buckhead Diner and had a wonderful dinner, including a serving of the Diner's famous homemade bleu cheese chips. We figured out we hadn't seen each other since July and so we had a lot of catching up to do. She gave me a pumpkin for my collection and a bar of luscious hand-made soap. Love 'ya Kath!

Doug and I went to dinner last Saturday - just the two of us! - for another birthday celebration. We were long overdue for a date night, and what better occasion than a 40th birthday, huh? We went to a nearby steakhouse and indulged our every whim with martinis at the bar, wonderful food, wine flights and pumpkin pie for dessert.

But, the best part was being with my husband - alone - without anyone calling my name or pulling on my leg, or telling me "NO MA'AM! TIME OUT!" I mean, I'm 40 now...a little old for time out, don't you think? But then again, if I went to the time-out chair I could prop my feet up and fall asleep. But, I digress...

On Tuesday, my actual birthday, I met Doug for breakfast at The Flying Biscuit. The place is a hoot and the food is wonderful. We decided the interior decor was a mixture of High-Falootin' Barn meets Folk Art Kitchen. I took the day off and Doug treated me to a hot stone massage and facial at my favorite spa, which took up the remainder of the morning. He also had a gift bag brimming with CDs waiting for me at breakfast, so I spent the afternoon doing a little shopping while listening to Reba Duets, Kenny Chesney and Bruce Springsteen. He also got me a monogrammed charm with my birthstone for my charm bracelet. Too sweet for words, that hubby of mine.

My mom sent her signature "box full of gifts" including: jewelry, candy, kitchen gadgets, snowmen and a pumpkin for my collection. I opened that Tuesday night after we finished our Mexican take-out. I did not cook once on my birthday, which was another gift all on its own.

I talked to my mom after I got home from the spa Tuesday and she told me again the story about when I was born. She doesn't remember what my actual due date was, but November 13, 1967 was a Monday and, since she was having a C-section, her doctor told her he'd go ahead and schedule the delivery for that day, at 8:30 in the morning... "the first baby of the week." In those days, the dad waited in the waiting room, and rumor has it my dad was "a little late" getting to the hospital. I still have the pink stuffed poodle he brought me the day I was born.

My mom was two months shy of her 41st birthday when I was born. She came home with me a week later, on November 20th, and the day after that my brother Jon turned three years old. He had a terrible ear infection and my mom's mother and step-dad had arrived from Nebraska to help. There was also my (nearly) 13-year old brother. I'm sure he thought it was really cool having all those toddlers and babies underfoot.

Thanksgiving fell two days after Jon's 3rd birthday and my mom's brother and family of five showed up at the door that day, unannounced.

He said he figured they'd be home since she'd just had a baby.

God bless my mom.

My celebrating winds up this Saturday with a little party for friends and neighbors at our house. I'll have the camera warmed up and will share pictures next week.

Thanks again each and every one of you.

Now do you see why I call this blog "WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?"

A Few Things I'll Be Giving This Year

Welcome! I'm joining Melanie's Shopping Carnival over at Don't Try This at Home. We all know it's fun to receive, but it's even more fun to give. So, today I'm joining the masses in listing things I'm giving this holiday season.


I've fallen in love with almost everything at Modsack. So much so, that I included one in my Book Bag give-away in October. I also adore their iPod/cell phone sleeves. And, at $10, these are a great buy. And, don't forget to check out Mama's Dream Bag. The fabrics and patterns change frequently here, and custom orders are possible. And, many items are currently on sale. Bags + sale = must go see now!





I found this book while browsing one of my favorite French interiors stores here in suburban Atlanta. A Family Christmas by Caroline Kennedy is a collection of memories, poetry, prose and scripture from the likes of Mark Twain, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Truman Capote. This book is sure to be read and re-read each year.



Two years ago when we had a newborn in the house at Christmas, one of my favorite things to do was snuggle into a big comfy chair with our week-old son and listen to a Christmas CD. Noel, the new holiday CD by Josh Groban, is a winner all the way around. His voice is spectacular and the selection of songs is wonderful.



Gather 'round the table and make dinnertime a priority again... and add a helping of fun at the same time. The Box Girls Family Dinner Box of Questions is perfect for all ages. What a wonderful way to spend some quality time together!



I hope these ideas inspire some wonderful gift-giving for you and yours this year. Thanks for stopping buy.
HAPPY GIVING!

My Heart Melted

We're teaching Adam to ask for things by saying
"May I please have _________?"

We have to remind him constantly about asking for something politely - that's what this age is all about, afterall.

Most of the time he manages to get out "May peez have ________?"

One night a few weeks ago shortly after he moved into his big boy bed and could get up on his own during the night, I heard the shuffle of his little footsteps coming down the hall to our room.

Soon, there he was, at my beside.

And his sweet little voice in the night: "Mama, may have hold you?"

And my heart melted right then and there.

And The World Keeps Spinning

"The cancer has returned", the doctor said as he held her hand.

"You've got six months at the most, we've done everything we can."

Her world fell down around her, her life closing in so fast.

And as she drove back to her house she watched the world go past.

A mother strolls her baby, a man honks and speeds away.

Two friends are meeting for some lunch, the neighbors arrive to play.

A little boy learns to tie his shoe, his daddy is so proud.

A concert playing in the park has really drawn a crowd.

"There's been an accident on Highway 9, a drunk driver crossed the line.

Your son, he did not make it, ma'am, the wrong place at the wrong time."

Her little boy now home with God, her heart in pieces small.

While the world spins on around her, knowing not her pain at all.

A load of laundry is now clean, a lawn is clipped and trimmed and mowed.

A mommy passes out snacks and juice while driving down the road.

Grocery shopping, mail to send, a Diet Coke to go,

Red Cherry Blossom polish is painted on ten toes.

It's hard to know who's hurting when the world spins by so fast.

While we're finishing the last round of golf, a fire truck speeds on past.

As we go to meetings, check the news, or mumble about our boss.

Someone we do not even know has suffered a terrible loss.

So while your world is spinning, things are great and things are fine

Remember your brother and sister, grieving at this very time.

While you ponder what to wear, what to watch, or what to eat

Someone else needs a boost, to get back on their feet.

God has a plan for all of us, a place for us to be

Each day is given with His grace, He died for you and me.

Today we may not suffer, tomorrow still the same,

But one day tears will fill our eyes, we'll feel sorrow, grief and pain.

Really when the truth be told, our lives are little bubbles

We wear blinders to the larger world and all its many troubles.

But God is there to watch, all creatures great and small.

God, thank you for Your loving hands, that catch us when we fall.

~copyright Jill Norwood, 2007

Giving Thanks

Better late than never...and thankful none-the-less!

I'm joining Leah and many more wonderful bloggers giving thanks each day this month. I decided to add to a daily list on my sidebar.

Leah's idea to pause in this, The Thankful Month, really hit home with me. As I've been contemplating some blogging ideas for the Christmas Season, I want to make sure I don't pass by the beauty and wonder of November.

If you haven't done so, go visit Leah and join in with a daily list of your own.

Halloween Re-Cap

Since I wrote last week about not liking Halloween, a few of you emailed me asking about what, exactly, we did on Halloween. Did we get the heck out of Dodge like I'd hoped?

Yes, as a matter of fact we did.

I left work early because Halloween is typically one of the worst afternoon commutes of the year. My commute wasn't too bad, so I arrived home earlier than I thought, as did Doug. That gave us time to change out of work clothes and gather our wits before picking Adam up from daycare.

By then it was about 5:30 so we got the boy and headed directly for the nearest Mexican restaurant and a couple of tall, frozen margaritas.

In no time at all we'd gotten our meal and settled Adam in a booster seat next to me with some rice, chips and cheese dip. I won't go into the details of the near meltdown he had when we tried to sit him in a high chair. I almost offered him a big swig of my margarita just to calm him down.

Just as I was beginning to thoroughly enjoy my tacos, Adam started his dinner time drama. The child just will not eat. Even when cheese dip is involved.

He spent the rest of the meal trying to stand up in the booster seat, spilling food on me, and yelling, No, Mama! No, Daddy! while jabbing his finger in the air like a little dictator. Needless to say, we wrapped up dinner pretty quickly. I didn't finish all my tacos, but you can be sure I didn't leave a drop of my margarita behind.

It was too early to go home. "They'll still be trick-or-treating", we said. So, we headed to Publix to get groceries for the weekend. While I shopped, Doug took Adam to see the BIG! DIDDER! (digger) sitting in a nearby parking lot.

I had nearly 30 minutes of pure, uninterrupted bliss amidst the produce and frozen foods.

By the time we pulled into our neighborhood Adam was on his third or fourth tantrum of the night for reasons I have long forgotten. I told you that I just walk away when he starts in. But we didn't think leaving him in the Publix parking lot alone with the BIG! DIDDER! would be the right thing to do.

All screaming ceased when he spied all the little ghosts and goblins still out perusing for treats. We passed the house that sets up a cotton candy machine in their yard. It's a virtual black and orange suburban carnival.

Whatever.

The next day when I picked Adam up at daycare after work, Avery, the little 4-year old neighbor girl yelled to me from the playground like she does every day.

Hey, Adam's mommy. You didn't have any candy for me last night.

Sorry. We weren't home.

I asked my mommy why you didn't have any candy. She said your house was dark.

We weren't home.

I was so sad. I didn't know why you weren't there.


Great. A guilt trip from a 4-year old delivered from atop the monkey bars.

I'm sure she'll never let me live it down.