January 22, 2010

  • Snapshot Of My Day


    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    It started when Chewlee woke me up at 7am.  She was so cute.  Big grin on her face and she said, *Get up, Gramma!* then she took my hand like she was going to help me get up.   

    So up I get and go about the business of getting her dressed and then feeding her breakfast, which was juice, a banana and some cereal with milk.  Then it was toothbrush time.  She does her own and really doesn't do too bad a job of it.  But, when I wanted to help her brush behind her front teeth and on the inside of her back teeth, she told me (very firmly) NO!  This was with her finger up and pointed towards me.  She had told me last night that I didn't do it right (don't know how her mother does it but I guess she would know) so she made the attempt herself.  I told the Princess about that when she came to get her so she had to know what Chewlee meant but she just laughed.

    After that, I sat and drank my cup of coffee, peacefully.  Then it was time to make up my bed which, thankfully, didn't take long.  Second cup of coffee and I did my Trivial Pursuit and Crossword Cove games for the day.  Then came the tough part.......getting all the Christmas boxes and the packed tree up into the attic.  Luckily, the Beast was there so he was able to give me a hand.  He tried to get the tree up there on his own but I gave it a push so he could get a better grip on it.  About that time, the Princess showed up needing to use our printer so she could send back the windows she had bought for Johnnycakes.  It turns out they were the wrong ones.  But, she jumped in and helped the Beast get the rest of the boxes up into the attic so it was an easy chore....for me. 

    And, no, she never did tell us what happened at the dentist or at her parent-teacher conference.  I could wring her neck over that.  Like we wouldn't care???  Sheesh.
    ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
    I found the bin of winter clothes I was missing once we got all those boxes and some other stuff the Beast had both on it and around it put away.  So, for the next hour, I was sorting and hanging up clothes.  At least I found the two outfits I was really missing plus several pair of warm pants for the worst of the weather we MIGHT have.  The Beast is all anxious now for us to have some of that so we can see how well the baseboard heaters and the fireplace work on heating the house.  Right now, it's great but the weather outside is very mild.  It's only gone down to about 36 at the most since they were put in.  Exciting, right? 
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I ordered some Eisenhower Lilac bushes today while I was *resting* to give my back a break.  I've always loved the smell.  My mother did, too.  In fact, every time I smell them during the spring, I can't help but think of her.  I still miss her.  She died too young.  She was only 56 years old.  How she would have loved her great-grandchildren.  She loved babies and they loved her.  I like to think that is where I got my *talent* for the same thing.  I only had a baby cry in my arms once (and it really devastated me) but, the next time he saw me, it was a different story.  He laughed and enjoyed my holding him and rocking him.  He even loved my stupid little song I sing when I rock babies.  *Insert big smile and faraway look of remembering here*
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It was so nice that I got out and even dug out some weeds where I intend to put the lilac bushes when they get here.  They won't bloom this year but that's okay with me.  At least, I don't think they will but I am patient.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The Beast has been pining for a pizza since shortly after Christmas.  The problem is our favorite place was closed until after New Year's.  It's family-owned and run (mostly) and that's their common vacation.  Anyway, each time he wanted to get one, I always had a dinner either planned or already started.  Bad timing.  Today he caught me early and decided the *new* Domino's pizzas might be worth giving a try with two medium pizzas for $6. each.  Sounded good to me so we ordered one with pepperoni for him and one with Italian sausage for me.  We didn't want to drive up the price with extras since we weren't sure if the hype was true.  He went to get them and, guess what?  They aren't bad at all!     I know!  In fact, the pizzas (thin and crispy crusts for both) were chock full of both pepperoni and Italian sausage.  My only criticism would be that they could use more cheese on them.  The surprising part was, even though the Beast had snagged a piece on his way home, it wasn't until I opened up the boxes here at the house that he realized they were Chicago cut!    For those of you that don't know the term, it means it's cut in squares.  It's much easier to eat that way.  When we order our pizza from our favorite place (Mama's in Guntersville), they know who we are as soon as we request it is *Chicago cut*.   
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The Beast and I watched the news (mostly about Haiti and the difficulties there with relief efforts).  He was in his recliner and me on the couch.  I think we both fell asleep after making some remarks on how polite the people were to each other and those there to help.  We know there were problems in a few areas but, for the most part, it's almost an incredible sight to see those poor people just trying to survive and still managing to smile and even laugh.    Everyone was keeping their loved ones close and see to their daily needs, even if it was just cleaning a child's face.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    I really don't know how long I was napping but when I got up, I had a headache and realized I had my computer on but hadn't put up a sign on my YIM about eating, let alone napping (which I hadn't expected to do).  It just snuck up on me.  When I got my screen back up, I found out Bratfink had IM'd me about a half hour before that.  I IM'd her that I was there and we proceeded to get into a stupid argument.  Her tired and me just waking up and with a headache to boot.  So I just signed off rather than drag it on and get totally pissed off.  She prolly doesn't care since she really doesn't get on that much anyway but the only reason I get on is so I CAN talk to her.  So, when she stays off it all darn day, it leaves me feeling kind of lonely.   It also doesn't exactly make me feel I have to keep changing my status since she HAS gone a couple days without getting on until very late.  Sad but true.  Oh well.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It got all the way up to 64 degrees today and, for the first time, I realized exactly what my siblings tried to tell me about that temperature when I lived in Florida.  To them, it was t-shirt weather.  To me, I was bundled up down in Florida.  Perspective.  Today, we opened up the windows and let the breeze blow through.    I know but it did stop me in my tracks and made me laugh when I realized it.  Especially because I had a t-shirt on and a pair of light lounging pants.  If I were a true optimist, I would have left my winter clothes in their bin and just shoved it back up in the attic.  But....I try to think I am a realist.  I know this won't last.  :laughing
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    HAVE YOU FALLEN ASLEEP YET???????    I hope you didn't expect anything exciting here at the Farm.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Took my shower with my favorite soap, honey-almond.  Luscious smelling and luxurious feeling.  Haven't blown dried my hair yet but I will make sure it's dry before I go to bed.  Nothing worse than a wet pillow.  I remember those days from menopause.  **shudder**
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Okay, I will have mercy and close this missive for today.  Love you all and I hope you have a great day.  If you got hit by the ice storms, for heaven's sake, please be careful if you have to drive in it!