Do you ever wonder why people act so crazy during the holidays? I used to until I had children and became a single mom. It can be too much stress and pressure to keep up with the Jones’s as they say. Kids talk to each other in school and adults talk to their friends, and everyone wants to have what everyone else has or better. There is an expectation for the holidays that is almost impossible to achieve in today’s economy. Everything is so expensive that is get harder and harder each year to keep up. I do the best that I can and my kids thankfully understand that. I am grateful to have such understanding kids who do not expect the world handed to them on a silver platter. They are truly grateful for the life that they have.
Tired lately
I have been really tired lately. I don’t know if it is because I have been sleeping too hard or what. I am getting plenty of sleep, but still don’t want to get up in the morning. I haven’t been doing anything different in my life, nothing more strenuous then usual. I just cannot figure out why I am so danged tired all the time. Maybe it is just this time of year. The holidays are always stressful and this year is no exception.
I am going to go see my doctor and get checked out. It is probably like I said, stress, but I want to be sure. I have too much to take care of with the kids and all to fall sick. I will make the appointment when I get off of here.
Christmas decorations
Well the time has come to put up the Christmas tree and decorations. I dug everything we need out of the attic yesterday and will go through all of it to separate and get ready to go up. Apparently last year when I took everything down, I didn’t do the separation as I should have. I really wish I had taken the time to do that. I will have to remember to do it this year.
I usually take everything down on January first, which is why it is a tangled mess. Like everyone else I am usually tired from being up late the night before. Maybe will will wait to take it all down the following weekend. Then I won’t have to deal with this mess next year. I think that sounds like a plan. Well wish me luck with this, because it is going to take the rest of today and all of tomorrow to do. We have a lot of decorations.
Already over
I cannot believe this year is almost over already. It seems like it passed by so very fast. 2013 will be here in another month. I hope that it is better then this past year has been. This year has been difficult for everyone, I know. I am looking forward to a new year. I have high hopes for work and life in general. I am planning a vacation, because I am way over due for one. I think that somewhere in the Bahamas or the Caribbean in general will be just what I need. So Happy Holidays to all and now it is time to think about my Christmas shopping list. Later Gators.
Happy Halloween
Just a little shout out to all of the goblins and monsters out there. Have a great time Trick or Treating and if you aren’t doing that then drive safely to whatever parties you attend.
Halloween is my favorite holiday, because it is just so much fun. What is your favorite Holiday?
The Brave
I hope everyone has a good fourth. Please be careful with those fireworks and don’t drink and drive. I will be staying home this year and sleeping, since I have to work the next day. Boo.
Wish it was on the weekend but it isn’t so I just wanted to wish everyone a good day.
Black Friday Drama
This year I was glad to see that some people became vocal about their objections to employers requiring them to work odd hours because of Black Friday. If you have ever worked retail, you know that most stores open earlier on the day after Thanksgiving, hoping to make extra money on the first day of serious Christmas shopping.
The problem with them being open on the extra hours is that the employees have to sacrifice sleep and their home life to come into work at insane hours. Can you imagine being a single mom who just knocked herself out cleaning house and cooking all day on Thanksgiving, then having to get up at midnight to go into work early? How does that woman even find daycare at that time of night?
Some employees went to the press this year and protested that having to report to work at midnight was a hardship on them. I feel badly for the people who were scheduled to work the opening shift at any store on Black Friday.
Special Cakes
There are special cakes that bring back memories or help celebrate special holidays. For example, fruitcake is a classic Christmas cake.
My favorite cake of all time is a white layer cake with coconut frosting. But a close second in my favorite lineup is the red velvet cake. I love both of those!
Mother’s Day Recap
Mother’s Day this year was so special. For once in a number of years I had a ton of plans. I love having plans on the holidays even if they are not major ones.
This year I will be attending to family BBQs. I really enjoy BBQs as well, especially with the family. For both events I have volunteered to bring a dish. When it comes to cooking for a BBQ, my talents really emerge. One of them will have a potato salad while the other will have a fruit torte. The fruit torte is truly going to be a masterpiece. This is an expensive treat to make but it is worth it when all is said and done.
Before I leave for these gatherings I also have to be sure that my gifts to the mother’s are wrapped and ready. This year’s shopping was easy because I spotted the perfect gift for both of them a month in advance. In one of my many gift catalogs I discovered a fairy toad house that I absolutely fell in love with. I almost bought one for myself but decided that the expense of the two I was buying was expensive enough. These Moms are going to fall in love with them too. I can’t wait to see their faces when they open them. The look
should match the look when they taste my dishes as well!
Ice Sculptors
Recently, while flipping through the TV channels I found this really cool new show. It is called Chainsaw Ice Sculptors. They are some really talented people. This has to be one of the more dangerous hobbies to have.
The artists on this show are very detailed oriented and create some really elaborate sculptures. The sculpture they were
creating on this episode involved creating a horse and carriage with flowers frozen inside it. These artists do multiple weddings and functions. I imagine the price for these creations is scaled fairly high. The labor and skill involved is quite great and they earn every penny! I think it would be pretty neat to have one of these sculptures at one of my BBQs. I will have to see if there is a local artist who does this kind of work. The biggest worry will be the warm weather and the risk of having it melt too soon. Either way it would be the hit of the party for a while.