Girls Weekend!

I'm off to chill with Naive and Chesneygirl for the weekend!

We plan on just hanging out and scrapping, but as with all of our get-togethers, I'm expecting unexpected shenannigans as well. You never know what'll happen when we're together - other than laughing until we pee our pants. And what's more fun than that?

See y'all next week!

Unexpected Guest

Earlier this week, the Hub announced that his brother C was going to be in town on business and was going to stay with us Friday night.

Normally I wouldn't care, but this was a hassle on so many levels. First of all, our house is a wreck as usual. Secondly, we were going to be out on Friday night - all night - celebrating the Hub's birthday. And family or not, I'm not real down with having someone in my house while we're out. Thirdly, C barely even talks to us. He never calls, never contacts us when he's in town other times, never even sends Christmas cards. In the 14 years Hub and I have been together, I've seen and/or talked to C MAYBE 3 or 4 times. He's a nice guy, but seems to have decided to distance himself from the family for whatever reason. And now he wanted to blow into town and stay with US instead of at a hotel while we weren't home? I found that very rude, and even stranger that my Hub would agree.

I'll admit this was bitchy, but I was trying to get him to call C all week and get him to stay at a hotel. I couldn't even believe Hub agreed to it (and without even asking me), when he's never been particularly fond of C's snubbing all these years. All week long I'd present questions and protests - But all he'd say was, "What could I say? He's my brother!" It was all very weird and to be honest, I simply didn't want to deal with an estranged brother-in-law who makes 20 times what we do and would be squatting in my house instead of a hotel while we were out trying to relax. I was pretty pissed at both of them for the imposition.

So I spent last week's evenings trying to get the house presentable, figuring out where C could sleep comfortably, trying to keep MBDog from rolling in mud after his bath, and quietly internalizing a stroke.

When Friday came, I'd finally accepted my fate, though I still wasn't happy about it. C was due at our place right about the time I normally get home from work - Hub left his office a little early just to make sure someone would be there when he arrived. I pulled into the driveway, noting that there wasn't a strange car present, but as I pulled in another car was coming up the road with its turn signal on. I sat and waited, watching the car pull in my driveway, trying to put on my most hospitable smile before I came into view. I glanced in my mirror, looking for C's face.

I didn't see C though. Instead it was the smiling faces of my BFF Naive and her hubby. I thought I was going to pass out!

I sprung out of the car with my mouth hanging open. Naive opened her door and said with a grin, "C is here!"

It took me a good half hour to regain my composure - it was truly one of the best surprises and the biggest fast ones anyone has ever pulled on me. Hub knows how much I adore her, and planned a surprise for ME even on HIS weekend. Is it any wonder I love him? I feel bad for being pissed at him all week now, though in my defense I think I had a right to be with the facts I knew. Now I'm mad at myself for being so gullible. LOL.

So Naive and Mr. Naive joined Hub and I and some other friends for his birthday party at a mystery dinner theater to share some laughs, drinks, and great food - and we had the best time. They left the next morning after a nice breakfast out and some comfortable fat-chewing over coffee. Their visit wasn't long but it sure was enriching. Saying goodbye wasn't near as hard knowing that we'll be hanging out again in 3 weeks for an actual planned visit :).

Hub? Naive? I love you both so much. And you better watch your backs - I'll get you back. Both of you. >;)

Urban Dictionary

A friend sent me a link for the Urban Dictionary, which has been loads of fun. I entered Clew in there and learned it's a slang term for dog - an acronym for the following:

Canine Lipstick Engine Weasel!

For some reason, that's amused me all day.

Go have fun with the link and tell me what you learn. Meanwhile, happy Valentine's Day! I prefer soft center chocolates. ;)

Blessings

I have been feeling pretty blue today. Normally I feel I'm a fairly decent person, but sometimes the fact that people I once loved and trusted have turned on me, and the occasional brutal reminder of character flaws make me seriously doubt that self-perception. For whatever reason, today has been one of those days.

Luckily, my dear friend Donna woke up today with the burden on her heart to email me a devotion she received. It was so poignant, and made me realized I am so blessed with plenty of friends who do care - and that I am wonderfully made and devinely inspired, flaws and all.

An excerpt (name replaced by me):


I can just picture my loving Lord several decades ago thinking to Himself, Hmmm...the 1970's are quickly approaching. It’s time to create Clew. I'm going to make her tender-hearted and full of compassion. I know she'll have a leaning toward laziness and inconsistency, but I'll give her victory over that when she's ready. I want to use her to point people to me and to the power of prayer. I want her to be there to lift up the downcast and point the defeated to triumph through My power!

If you are feeling less-than-precious today, pray these words based on Psalm 139:13-14 out loud, and take comfort as you their truth them into your heart and soul:God, You created my innermost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I’ll praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. The works of Your hands – including me – are wonderful, help me know that full well.

New Decade

I had a significantly important milestone birthday yesterday. And I feel pretty chipper about it! Getting older has never much bothered me, which I figure is a blessing considering so many people fall into a grumpy funk when they reach certain ages. As for me - I'm alive, I'm healthy, I'm blessed, and I only have one or two gray hairs ... what's not to be pleased about?

I've decided to take on a project this year starting with my birthday as day one: I'm going to make a 365 scrapbook. The idea is to take one photo a day for a year: Important, mundane, subjective, abstract, whatever - but one picture a day, specifically for this project. Then scrap them in groups of 7 days (on a 2 page layout) complete with a little bit of journaling for each one. It's just a little blink of a moment of every day for that year. I thought this big birthday year was a great point to try this. Someday when I'm twice this age (if I'm lucky enough to still be alive and functioning) - I can look through it and marvel at how young we were today - and how interesting the otherwise unnoticeable fine details of everyday living can be.

Of course, it will take the deceptively tricky commitment of actually taking a photo every day. For 365 days straight. And I already forgot to take a picture yesterday - on the VERY FIRST DAY! In my typical fashion, I'm off to a roaring start. So, don't tell anyone yesterday's picture is actually from today. Okay? Thanks.

2009

I was going to try and get back to regular blogging in 2009 ... obviously I haven't been doing too well with that just yet, but that's the great thing about resolution-type things: You have a whole year to complete a goal. :)

I miss blogging. There was a period in time when I'd post every day, and oftentimes more than once. I was overflowing with ideas for creative writing, observations, and anecdotes. Then, my well ran dry. I know that I don'thave to write a brilliant, creative, thought-provoking post every time I log on ... but I do feel I need to have some sort of inspiration. Tonight, I'm just going to jot down some thoughts. Sometimes you just have to start walking in no particular direction to begin a new journey.

Speaking of new journeys, today is Inauguration Day, and Barack Obama is the new President of our great country. Anyone who knows me knows I have mixed emotions on this. The election of an African-American (or half anyway ... I am annoyed by the fact that he exploits his heritage in this manner) to the highest office in the country is indeed a monumental, impressive and exciting development in socio-economics. I certainly appreciate the milestones we have reached with this. However, I would love to get Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr.'s opinions on all of it (another embarrassingly over exploited pawn in this whole occasion.)

I have always loved Dr. King's statement of judging a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. Amen to that. Sadly, I believe that to some (certainly not all, but for way too many) Obama's color was considered way more important than his character. I'm sure he's a very nice and sincere man. But I don't trust him. His associations do not sit well with me and I strongly disagree with the majority of his political and moral views. Much of what he stands for and believes, I think would bring shame and sadness to Dr. King - not to mention that so many of his supporters didn't care WHAT his platform was - only that he was either a.) "black", and/or b.) not Bush. Those are both poor cornerstones. King is a civil rights hero, and rightly so. Alan Keyes' politics and ideals align with King's far more closely than Barack Obama's, yet Keyes is thought of as an "Uncle Tom". Why? I don't understand.

But, it's neither here nor there at this point. Obama is now the President of the United States of America, and I am an American first and foremost. I love America and want nothing more than for her to prosper and for Liberty to reign. So I am giving Obama a chance to for lack of a better way to put it, prove my instincts wrong. The power of democracy - one of our most precious priveleges - has placed him at the helm, and I support him with my prayers. But rest assured I've got my eye on him, and will hold him accountable for any, what one might refer to as, bullshit. I hope the rest of America will do the same if occasion calls for it. He should not get an infallibility pass on his whole administration simply because he inherited a mess, or because it might be seen as racist. It's not racist to expect someone to do their job with integrity and within the perameters of the foundation our country was built upon.

But enough of that.

In other news, Ricardo Montalban passed away last week. That made me really sad because I loved that guy. He was handsome, had a great voice, and was a real class act. I loved watching him as a kid, not only on Fantasy Island, but as the enigmatic Khan on Star Trek and in the great movie, Wrath of Khan. He was downright sexy. Was he really 88 years old?

The bizarre thing about realizing that your favorite stars (and even worse, musicians) are getting old, is it's simultaneously admitting that you are as well. I've got a significant milestome birthday coming up. I often forget that I'm as old as I am, although I do have more aches and pains than I used to - my knees sound like Rice Krispies when I squat down - and I can't seem to get off the couch without grunting. Most people guess me to be several years younger than I am (God love them), and up here (pointing to my temple), I'm still young. And God knows my sense of humor is often sophomoric. You're only as old as you feel, right? But which is more accurate when your body and your brain don't match up? Somewhere in between, perhaps?

Eh, who cares.

American Idol is starting up again. Are you as excited as I am?

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Have a great week, my darlings!

Craziness!

Hi friends! I wanted to post a quick note ... some things have come up here that have swiftly devoured the hours of the day, and I haven't been back to posting my daily ornaments like I intended to. In case I don't get back to post my final installments, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. May your hearts be blessed!

xoxoxox
Clew

Christmas Countdown: Ornament #7

The Seventh Ornament of Christmas:
Santa Express

When Incrediboy was a toddler, I had him with me while we were out shopping about this time of year - and I decided to quickly peruse the ornamnet aisle before we checked out. He was very into trains and squealed with an outreached pointing hand, "MOMMA, A TWAIN!" when he saw this wooden Santa Choochoo hanging amongst the other ornaments for sale. I removed one and let him examine it, and of course he became immediately attached to it. I let him hold it as we headed for the checkout. By the time we had been rung out, he'd bent up and mangled he little metal "santa Express" banner until the paint had chipped off.

I bought it anyway, but frankly, I was a little pissed.

Today, the missing paint and crinkled metal remind me of the little boy my big boy once was, who's growing up way faster than I expected. These imperfections now make this otherwise average ornament priceless.

Christmas Countdown: Ornament #5 & #6

The Fifth Ornament of Christmas:

The Holly Bell

When the Hub and I made it through that first hard year, I decided that I wanted to collect bells for my tree. I was able to find quite a few really pretty bells through the years before they seemingly fell out of style, because I rarely if ever see bells anymore (jingle bells are all over the place, but not these types).

This is my favorite bell. It's gold with filigree holly and ribbons on it. The holly and ribbons are painted with colorful enamel as well as the inside of the bell, and it has the loveliest tone when you ring it.

The Sixth Ornament of Christmas:

The Snow Bell

I got this Snow Bell at the same place as the Holly Bell, as you could probably tell. It too is decorated with enamel-filled filigree and has a beautiful blue enameled inner side. Its tone is slightly lower than the Holly Bell but is of the same charming quality.

I love these bells. I have many others, including several Santas (with clapper feet), angels, and various other colors and styles, but these two are my special ones.

Christmas Countdown: Ornament #4 ~ ... Plus the Gingerbread House

The Fourth Ornament of Christmas:
The Pewter Floral Globe

My college roommate had this girlfriend one year. She was from San Francisco, and she was absolutely gorgeous. She looked like a brown eyed, brunette Kelly McGillis (remember Charlie from Top Gun?). Not only that, but she was so nice you couldn't help but adore her. I have no idea what ever drew her to hang out with the likes of us.

For Christmas that year, she gave me this ornament. It's pewter colored, but it's very light. I have no idea what it's made of. There are beautiful, delicate hand-painted blossoms all over it and it hangs from a silken cord with a tassel on it. To be honest, I probably never would have picked it out for myself. Yet I loved it from the start.

This girl didn't date my roommate but that one year, and I haven't even spoken to her in a couple of decades. I have no idea what happened to her. But each year I take out this pewter floral globe, hang it on my tree, and remember the lovely girl who gave it to me and the sweet memories we did manage to make.

Additional Festive Photo: I was visiting Martie's blog today and she'd posted her very first gingerbread house that she and her granddaughter made. Interestingly enough, I also recently made my very first gingerbread house with Incrediboy. Here is our sweet chateau.