Month: December 2002

Yes, that is a big pot of chicken soup on the stove, who wants to know? In fact, I think it’s almost time to pull out the chicken and all the cooked veggies and get all the meat off the chicken. The smell of the soup is drowning out the smell of the Christmas tree, and while I enjoy the smell of chicken soup cooking, I wanna smell the tree, dammit!

Ze tree, she is up. The picture over on the right (the link to the streaming video) is of my current favorite ornament. We went for a “small” tree which means when you’re at the tree lot you look for something about exactly half the height and width of what you think you want/need. So we get this tree that looks like it will fit on the counter, and it’s not the one junior wanted, but it was only $18 and that had EVERYTHING to do with why I liked it.

Well, now it’s in the house and decorated and I think it looks absolutely perfect. It is exactly what I had hoped for, I’m glad I forced myself to go for the “too small” tree. The branches let down some inside and it looks fuller. Plus, this tree is very green. I have a feeling this will be the best tree, fallen needle-wise, we’ve had in years.

Mr. Dump came with us to buy it, and he and I were stuck trying to remove the bottom of the tree because we forgot to have them do it at the tree lot (which is actually the Lunenburg Fire Station). So we used (or tried to use) in order: hedge clippers, a branch pruner thingie, a chainsaw that wouldn’t start, a Ginsu steak knife, a Ginsu cleaver, and the pruner again. We broke both of the Ginsus in the attempt (no big whoop, actually, as I got the whole set for $2 and they seems very flimsy to me from day one). So that commercial where they show it sawing a branch? Not so much.

Anyway, the order we did it in seemed to have helped. And in all it only took Mr. Dump about 15 minutes to saw off the bottom. I swear, we bought a damned hack saw two years ago, but that puppy must be long gone. We couldn’t find it anywhere. I guess I’ll have to put that on my list of things I need to get eventually.

Oh, and I put two of my Department 56 houses on the mantel, and some lights around the two windows in the front of the living room. This room is freaking festive.

Wanted to point you to thereflections: December 2002 Archives; the link will take you to an entry that discusses a relaxing site Jenny found. I point you there to get the link and not HERE because I don’t want to take any of the credit away from her.

I’m selfless that way. (Jenny’s blog is cool, once you’re there, wander around.)

Spent the day with the family over at Mom and Dad’s house. Had a lovely day, actually. I didn’t even miss the computer, which is something. My finger-tingling problem has been MUCH better, in no small part thanks to me cutting off a lot of the extra computer usage.

Yesterday was craft day (a blast…I forgot how fun it can be to be to just sit and make a mess and end up with something creative and actually REALLY pretty. Imagine that! I created something pretty! Now I’d talk more about it or show you guys here, but some of my readers are actually on the gift list, so I’m sorry, you’ll just have to wait, what, two and a half weeks?

I can’t believe Christmas is only two and a half weeks away. How did that happen? I feel like h’e rushing at me at lightening speed and if I’m not careful it’s going to just pass me by. I’m thinking this is not going to be one of those “Christmasses to Remember: just because I cannot get myself into the right frame of mind. Well, as far as Junior is concerned it will be fantastic, and I guess that’s all that matters…

I would really like to be able to look at the world the way Tim Davis does. I would have just seen ugliness and rust and dirt. He found beauty.