First good news--The reindeer were on the front porch, not a victim of a porch pirate, thankfully. It took both of us, me inside and Tommy outside to get it into the house. I walked it across the living room and put it in the space behind a table that has to be out from the wall for me to use it from my recliner.
Second good news--Someone is coming tomorrow to help clean. So, she will put together the reindeer. It would be a real struggle for us. If we had an attic, this would be left assembled and stuck there. Well, he does have an attic, but went up there once forty years ago. Neither of us can climb a ladder, anyway.
Tommy brought in the little flag and the holder that goes into the ground. I took a Dollar Tree scarf I bought for $1 several years ago and tied a big fluffy bow. I have a large, spiky ornament, think six inches across. There is a loop from the cross bar at the vertical rod that goes to ground. He forced the metal loop enough so the ornament is held sturdy. It is not much and did not cost much.
Third good news. If you want Christmas for 75% off, Lowe's is the place for you. I would have bought a little yard flag, but none of the ones left appealed to me. So, I decorated the little flag holder for free. I was shopping to get the reindeer plugged up, so did not pay much attention.
Oh, there was Halloween left over that was available, too.
I went to the bathroom and there was a mysterious little black speck on the commode seat. I leaned and flicked it into the commode. As I was flicking it, it looked just like a flea. I immediately leaned way down, and it was a flea! Last week, I sat in my chair and as my feet rose up, I saw what looked like two fleas on my foot. I managed to pinch one, put it in a glass of water with a tiny drop of Dawn. It was a flea!!! If you try to look at a flea as you pinch it up, it can escape and it can escape if you put it in the commode or try to drop it into the commode.
Listen, I am an expert flea catcher and destroyer. I lick my index finger to glue him to me. Then, I immerse my fingers holding the flea into water with soap. It works every time. You are welcome. Now, you will never lose a flea to bite again. The best flea deterrent is an aerosol that on the front states--kills eggs. So, I have it and will spray before the carpet is infested.
I had Tommy wake me early--11 am. I was exhausted but we left for Tiger Pride. I thought it was Tiger Rag. Tommy said it was that name. Of course, we did not venture to Bama Fever side. He got to pick out his Christmas present. I was disappointed he chose a t-shirt. I wanted him to get another shirt--collar and three button placket. I told him to pick out a jacket. He refused. He said he would rather have a flag or something. He picked out a flag 28" x 40". It is huge. He wants to hang it on the door before football games. I am glad he did not plan it to be living room decor.
Someone behind me squeaked something. It was a rubber chicken, Roll Tide kind. So, I had them hide as Auburn rubber chicken for me to buy. He left to get the car, so we no longer had to hide it. The woman was so nice, looking for a box so it would not squeak in the car. So, the chicken and flag are wrapped and under the tree. He is going to wash the t-shirt first. Then, he said he wants to wear it new. So, it was dropped into a small gift bag. All done!
The woman found a box for wind chimes to hold the rubber chicken. She was intent on his not hearing the squeak before Christmas morning. Very nice woman, all smiles at hiding it from him. Tommy will be mystified at wind chimes since he knows I would never purchase wind chimes.
Tommy was peeling sweet potatoes because these are old--Sept 2022--and they have small black specks inside. I dig them all out, even though most people would eat them. I heard a tremendous noise from the kitchen as the baking pan clattered and potatoes thundered to the floor. I told him I would pick them up. Once he washed them, and I sliced them to encourage them to cook more quickly, he put them in a pot to cook. These will make a sweet potato pie.
At Lowe's I bought flea killer for adults and eggs, Amdro fire ant bait, 100' extension cord, and a timer. If we did not have a timer, Tommy would have to go outside, down the ramp, around his car, beside mine on a carport off which he could fall, and into the utility room. He has nothing in which to plug anything outdoors! He paid for all this. At my house, I had an outdoor plug installed at my house.
Now, I have started to worry that he will accidentally squeak the chicken while I am asleep.
I remember hiding Santa gifts with children with me while I shopped. That was fun. When the two older were about ten or thereabouts, I knew they would look for their Santa loot, so I put it all in the trunk of the car. That meant for about a month I had to carry three kids in the back seat of a two-door car AND many bags of groceries. They would complain. I told them Daddy had not gotten the lawn chairs from the trunk so there was no room. They complained to him. One day, the older, a boy said, "Just give me the keys and I will remove the chairs!" I had to make excuses--too dark, raining, never mind. It was fun. Twenty years or more later, my daughter asked me where I hid their Santa presents. "In the trunk of the car." She remembered that year when they had to sit crowded with brown grocery bags.
Dinner tonight will be either chicken, sweet potatoes, and salad or loose ground beef, salad and sweet potatoes. Who knows. Maybe spaghetti, salad.
Tommy does not know it, but he is making roux for my giblet gravy. I will not be denied.
What kind of subterfuge happened when you hid gifts from children or spouse or someone else? I think we all have had to hide gifts from someone, especially as children grew up and realized toys might be around the house.
I know you all have funny stories.
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| Santa |
I really dislike what she uses as a base, I have a large glass cake plate I would rather use than the woven mat.
There was text here, but in order to get rid of the code that somehow replaced it, I had to get rid of the text. I don't know. It makes no sense to me.
But the charcuterie board is adorable.
Yesterday, Blogger or something would not allow me to reply to comments on my own blog! Very slowly, we are getting what few decorations we have up. Wreath is on the door at last with new poinsettias on it, ones that won't be ruined by the dampness. Well, maybe they will, but my favorite, fake poinsettias will be used inside.
So far, I have found directions to make two items for the yard next year, rather than buy. My reindeer are on the way.
I think I may have found someone to help in the house. And, I met a woman moving out who would potentially have been a good friend candidate. Just my luck--moving out.
If I were to make a charcuterie board, it would be our dinner.
Have you made any kind of charcuterie board?
Hershey's kisses and Hershey's miniatures, along with Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries are my favorite Christmas candies. Hershey's has outdone themselves with the new foil hats. Have you seen these? 
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| Patsy Cline and Santa 2013
This is the Christmas adventure last Saturday!
Here is what Janet said last Saturday:
"Well I can't imagine why you can't tell until next Saturday.... In fact I wonder if I even read your message correctly. In mulling over you message I have decided that your town (or Walmart?...Sears?...Park and Recreation?? church? vet clinic? ) may have offered a take a photo of a pet owner and their pets with Santa opportunity and you decided to take the girls in for a photo shoot."
Good guess, Janet.
The sitting was free last Saturday at TSC. Otherwise, Santa and I would have had a come-to-jesus-meeting! He had never held a chicken before and did not take instructions. Yes, I asked him...lol. 10 out of 13 poses have her looking forward, so between her skinny face, his big hands, the bandana, and him squishing he, she looks weird. He just could not hold her right. He was a grumpy Santa. He did NOT like her flapping her wings all over him.
In this picture, I went to the side so she would turn. Everyone was trying to get her to look up. She needed to look sideways. It was a fun day.
This is a picture where she finally found Santa's belt buckle to hold onto. In others her feet are just hanging.
She whispered in his ear, so I just have to guess she wants more corn under the tree and coupons for more free range time.
The rest of the animals were dogs. We left quickly.
Your turn
Have your animals, especially chickens, ever had a Christmas "portrait." Did Santa look like he had never seen an animal, much less hold one?
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| Santa found a little girl who has been good all year The picture was much better in profile when the little girl's face was lifted up to Santa in all innocence. THEN, Santa saw me taking a picture and told her to "look up." She did and the idea I saw and wanted to capture was ruined. He told her to "look up" each time, and she did. He must have been deaf because I told him what I wanted and each time he instructed her to "look up." Mrs. Claus was in the background. I took more pictures of Santa with a child and each time, he made the child look at me. That only served to have the child try to escape or look into space. "Look up" for a child means "up" not at me. sigh...sigh...sigh I was surprised to see I had taken a picture at the Coca Cola display. This couple said they had dressed up for a friend's child and decided to shop before going home. They must have spent hours because they talked to all the children I saw in my short time there. Ho! Ho! Ho! Your turn Have you seen Santa yet? Were you a good little boy or girl all year long? |
