Monday, December 20, 2010




Dennis Leary at our local bookstore...

At the bookstore to meet Dennis Leary....the comedian. Biff and I were freezing with all of the others who came out on this cold night to see him. The line was down the street! Fingers frozen!

The Farm


"The Farm" ..."a great place to spend a childhood," Biff told the folks who bought his family's house....
2010 A Christmas tree to remember

Christmas tree 2010?

2 very worn out parents....yes. we actually went out looking like this....we were driven to it! And crazy enough.to photograph our temporary insanity!

JK....just kidding as T.J. and Grace say.....









                                                       Cozy Christmas Grace....
                                                  



 
 
So much to catch you up on! This Christmas tree comes with a story....in our life, what doesn't? As Biff and I prepared to go off to get our 2010 Christmas tree, our teens were less than delighted. Unlike every other year since their arrival on our planet (even though at times we seem to be inhabiting two different planets)....we have merrily gone off, in early December, to cut down our tree. We've trekked through mud and frozen grass and snow, rain and heavy winds to find the perfect Christmas tree for our sweet family.

Did I say sweet? Well.....maybe most years...or maybe that's how it always was....til this year.

On the morning in question, there seemed to be a cool wind blowing through the house, as though a storm might be brewing. Not the weather ...the teenagers. Comments and muttering and a variety of opinions began to change the atmospheric pressure and the parental /barometer began to bounce and bend and point to a rather unpleasant direction. We called out to our children and bid them adieu .....not quite those words. Biff and I left them to listen to their own mutterings and maladjusted, not yet fully developed, frontal lobes.

We left on our own adventure to get our darn tree. We were in shock. We could barely utter, not mutter, a word. That is highly unusual ...like snow in July. As we approached our local tree farmer......who always remembers us, we told him of our plight....he. nodded and said something like, "give 'em another couple of years..." We felt validated by the knowing older gentleman's comment.

We walked a few feet......and that's when we spotted it. Our first Christmas tree without the children....specifically, teens. It was practically calling our names. "Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.....you seem to have no needles."

It was perfect. It was almost bare. I looked at our friendly tree farmer and he knowingly smiled ....he nodded and said,"I know what you're thinking and I like it....I guess the kids will be back with you next year!!!

We aren't that horrible. We picked out another ...a beauty! But that's not the one we brought in the house first. We brought in the 6ft. tall naked tree.

Our children gasped! They shrieked at the sight! They were horrified......sad.....angry ....hysterical, with myriad emotions....all at once. Biff and I could barely keep a straight face. It became apparent...we had made our point!

Before they were too deeply scarred Biff brought in the bigger, more "traditional " tree....with needles.

Our teenagers had calmed. The storm had passed. Our world had changed ..."all was calm, all was bright!"

That had me thinking. I went out to the tree that had made our point....and it sure was pointy. I rustled around my spray paint cans, found some almost empty, less than full, spray paint cans. Whites and creams and soft pinks.


I dragged the less "traditional" tree to the woods, positioned it and began to shake, rattle and roll and spray....their was mist in the air...not just spray paint. I kept at my project. I left my creation to dry...or not to dry.

On Monday, after more rain and mist, followed by a hint of sunshine....I checked on my project.....the paint had survived the elements.

I dragged my white with a hint of pink Christmas project into the house. I popped the 6ft. tree into a pink container, and popped some random props to keep it standing tall. I scrounged around for several strings of teeny white lights and some extra sparkly snowflake ornaments from a prior project......and in a few moments, this little lesson of ours was an ethereal delight in our living room.

Grace and T.J. walked in from the bus and they were awestruck....Grace found others silver sparkles to add. It was a beautiful sight!

Grace and T.J. asked,".mom....did you plan this?" Nope, I said.

Then I reminded them both that it all depends how you look at a situation ....it can all be miserable or we can take what's not so great and do our best to make it better, or look at it in a different way and change our thinking......and we may see it in a whole new light.

That's life. That's our tree. Oh! Did I mention that our teens have made a comeback too....life is good. Sometimes we all just need a gentle reminder!

Catching Up!


So much to catch you up on! This Christmas tree comes with a story....in our life, what doesn't? As Biff and I prepared to go off to get our 2010 Christmas tree, our teens were less than delighted. Unlike every other year since their arrival on our planet (even though at times we seem to be inhabiting two different planets)....we have merrily gone off, in early December, to cut down our tree. We've trekked through mud and frozen grass and snow, rain and heavy winds to find the perfect Christmas tree for our sweet family.

Did I say sweet? Well.....maybe most years...or maybe that's how it always was....til this year.

On the morning in question, there seemed to be a cool wind blowing through the house, as though a storm might be brewing. Not the weather ...the teenagers. Comments and muttering and a variety of opinions began to change the atmospheric pressure and the parental /barometer began to bounce and bend and point to a rather unpleasant direction. We called out to our children and bid them adieu .....not quite those words. Biff and I left them to listen to their own mutterings and maladjusted, not yet fully developed, frontal lobes.

We left on our own adventure to get our darn tree. We were in shock. We could barely utter, not mutter, a word. That is highly unusual ...like snow in July. As we approached our local tree farmer......who always remembers us, we told him of our plight....he. nodded and said something like, "give 'em another couple of years..." We felt validated by the knowing older gentleman's comment.

We walked a few feet......and that's when we spotted it. Our first Christmas tree without the children....specifically, teens. It was practically calling our names. "Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree.....you seem to have no needles."

It was perfect. It was almost bare. I looked at our friendly tree farmer and he knowingly smiled ....he nodded and said,"I know what you're thinking and I like it....I guess the kids will be back with you next year!!!

We aren't that horrible. We picked out another ...a beauty! But that's not the one we brought in the house first. We brought in the 6ft. tall naked tree.

Our children gasped! They shrieked at the sight! They were horrified......sad.....angry ....hysterical, with myriad emotions....all at once. Biff and I could barely keep a straight face. It became apparent...we had made our point!

Before they were too deeply scarred Biff brought in the bigger, more "traditional " tree....with needles.

Our teenagers had calmed. The storm had passed. Our world had changed ..."all was calm, all was bright!"

That had me thinking. I went out to the tree that had made our point....and it sure was pointy. I rustled around my spray paint cans, found some almost empty, less than full, spray paint cans. Whites and creams and soft pinks.


I dragged the less "traditional" tree to the woods, positioned it and began to shake, rattle and roll and spray....their was mist in the air...not just spray paint. I kept at my project. I left my creation to dry...or not to dry.

On Monday, after more rain and mist, followed by a hint of sunshine....I checked on my project.....the paint had survived the elements.

I dragged my white with a hint of pink Christmas project into the house. I popped the 6ft. tree into a pink container, and popped some random props to keep it standing tall. I scrounged around for several strings of teeny white lights and some extra sparkly snowflake ornaments from a prior project......and in a few moments, this little lesson of ours was an ethereal delight in our living room.

Grace and T.J. walked in from the bus and they were awestruck....Grace found others silver sparkles to add. It was a beautiful sight!

Grace and T.J. asked,".mom....did you plan this?" Nope, I said.

Then I reminded them both that it all depends how you look at a situation ....it can all be miserable or we can take what's not so great and do our best to make it better, or look at it in a different way and change our thinking......and we may see it in a whole new light.

That's life. That's our tree. Oh! Did I mention that our teens have made a comeback too....life is good. Sometimes we all just need a gentle reminder!