Because...

...I can't seem come up for air (something about a bazillion basketball games, hosting the hospitality suite at the tournament, working a day job, running a business,  feeding 50 college students, feeding my family, being kind and loving and calming to one child, being a drill sergeant to another child, being a fun mom to a third child AND being a wife), so I thought I would leave you with something ADORABLE.

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Friday Into Saturday

Friday morning began with me working a street corner, not something I do often which is unfortunate because I look SO attractive in my bright yellow vest and big red hat.  Not to mention the ginormous stop sign. 

Jealous?

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(a new project...more to come!)

After I worked, I shed the vest (and the hat and stop sign) and went to Mass at the church next door.  I absolutely love Catholic churches...I've spent lots of time in them in the last few years because Catholic churches are always open and you can just walk on in, have a seat and pray away.

And this Lutheran girl has needed lots of quiet church time this year.

Speaking of which, that guy that I like so much told a pastor recently that I loved to go pray in catholic churches because they are always unlocked...the pastor got kinda defensive saying that it would never be a problem to go into the church office, find the secretary, have her scramble around to find the keys to unlock the sanctuary for an hour or so so that one could go in to spend time.  Yep, cuz I wanna go thru all that?

Anyway,  I went to Mass and it turns out it was a Mass for the nuns, which I didn't realize until it was too late.  So there I sat,  just me and 20 or so nuns, and all I could think was that I need to make a 'habit' out of reading the sign before barging on in.

Enter a serious case of church giggles.

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(Balboa in the morning.  Paradise.)

From there...Costco, the grocery store, the bank (to try and figure out why every time that guy that I like so much uses his debit card it says 'call service center' and now every time I write a check it says the same thing.  And no one knows why. There's money in the account, shockingly, but we can't seem to spend it.  Hmmm...a sign, perhaps?  Anyway, their advice is to close our account and re-open a new one...ugh) and then home to finally take a shower.

Last night was a concert, followed by prosecco and a wickedly good brie with some spiced nuts.

Seriously...you need to try these.  I am having a love affair with chipotle chili powder...sprinkling it on everything for a little extra kick.

YUM.

(those green olives?  castelvetrano.  find them.  buy them.  weep for joy.)

This morning, my house is a wreck...we've got 50 students coming for supper tomorrow night and stuff is EVERYWHERE.  For now, though, that guy that I like so much and I are sitting on the couch playing on our laptops while watching the food network.  He made me a gingerbread latte and stollen for breakfast...the most perfect Saturday morning breakfast ever.

Can we just sit here all day?

(yeah.  his nicer than mine.)

I guess we can't.  

He has two more concerts today and I have to cook for a party.  All stuff we like to do, but still...it would be so much funner (that's for my grammar friends) to just hang out all day long in our jammies and watch Christmas movies.

What are you up to this weekend?

My Senses

Seeing:  

Our little Christmas tree all lit up.  Sunshine, streaming in through filthy windows.  List upon list on the counter...got a bunch of people to feed this weekend! 

Hearing: 

Skateboards on the ramp outside.  Christmas music...my very favorite is Windham Hill's December.  The washer and dryer, working overtime today.

Tasting: 

Mini burgers, sweet potato fries and an iced cold beer tasted soooo good last night.  That guy that I like so much and I stole away for a much needed date...a little easier now that Alex is driving.

Smelling:  

The inside of the high school gym.  There's nothing like it.  My boy is back after missing the first five games of in season play.  He was so happy and played so well...I'm thinking, Sherlock, that my boy is back.

Feeling:  

Peace.  So much to do yet I feel peace.  (Remind me of this peaceful feeling in a few days, ok?)  Also hunger.  Chili for supper...not my favorite but a definite crowd pleaser.  We eat ours over macaroni...made necessary when my boys appetites grew and our budget had not.

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O Christmas Tree (Stand)

The tradition of buying a Christmas tree for our little house on our little street has evolved over the years.  We've cut them down ourselves.  We've ordered them and had them delivered.  We've taken the whole family, most of the family, and once I think it was just me on a year where we just couldn't eek out the time to do it all together.

My favorite years?  The ones where it was declared by someone (a very special someone at that) that it should be a boys outing.  I think the actual someone who suggested it also tried to sell it by saying that not only would they be able to pick out the best tree ever for mama, but that mama would be waiting when they got home with hot chocolate loaded with mini marshmallows.

They'd step out the door and I would do that happy dance....the happy dance of being all alone for a little while in my little house.

Sadly, that tradition didn't last long.

This year it was just me and Brian, driving over the river and thru the woods (or up the 405 to Harbor) to Home Depot (conveniently located next to the shoe store, the barber and In n Out...one stop does it all!) where we searched through mounds of trees for the perfect one.

OK, so it was the first one we plucked out of the pile...but it was perfect.  Short, but perfect.  Or maybe everything seems shorter next to really tall boys?

They trimmed it all up for us and we threw it in the back of Alex's little pick-up truck, which is actually my little pick-up truck because Alex has not become one with a clutch yet, and drove our little tree home.

And after watching Brian drag it into the backyard I happened to notice that her trunk was just a tad, ummm, BIG.

Now years ago that guy that I like so much invested in a fancy schmancy tree stand that he has loved...you fit a cup on the bottom of the tree, plop it into the stand and from there you can easily adjust the tree with a little push of a button.

He LOVES his tree stand.  

Problem this year?  Miss Short and Stout's trunk wouldn't fit.

So out came the back up stand, found deep in the depths of junk land, and the next 30 minutes involved a lot of screwing of screws, cutting of branches, sweating of brows and muttering of words. 

At one point I wasn't sure who was gonna win...that guy that I like so much or the tree.

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But in the end we have a sweet little Christmas tree.

Emphasis on little.

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Bummer

The pole.

Minimal damage.

My car.

Not so minimal damage.

Repeating to myself, "it's just a car,  it's just a car,  it's just a car..."

Also repeating to myself, "you were an idiot for upping the deductible to $1000, you were an idiot for upping the deductible to $1000,  you were an idiot for upping the deductible to $1000..."

23 hours with a drivers license.  A record in our house.

His brother was kind enough to wait 18 days after he got his license.

The third will either be a charm...or a bike.

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Thanksgiving Week

Our holiday week began in such a lovely way...pizza and red wine at Nick's with our good friends, laughing and sharing life stories.  I am so thankful for not only the roots which are growing deeper and deeper here in southern California, but also for the branches that have grown...branches that represent friends and family and jobs and a really pretty little backyard.

I have struggled a bit with what I am thankful for this year.  True, there are the usuals...health and life and love and protection, but for the first time in my life there has been something bigger that has been brought to life.

I am thankful for forgiveness.  Thankful for 2nd (and 3rd and 4th) chances.  Thankful that while we may only have one life to live, we have a life full of 'do overs'.  

Pretty sure that is our new family motto...you get a do over, but this time, how are you gonna do it better?

This year in the food department I tried quite a few new things...PW's mashed potatoes (made a day ahead and AMAZING), these sweet potatoes (added lots more brown sugar and cinnamon and butter) and Alton Brown's method of cooking a big 'ole bird (didn't brine...just followed his cooking method and for the first time ever, didn't stuff the turkey...and probably never will again).

All in all, given the fact that from start to finish our meal lasted all of 18 minutes, I think it was a success.

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I was given a mere 48 hours with all three of my offspring all together under one roof...48 short hours in which to drive them all absolutely crazy.

Good thing I'm talented at cutting to the chase.  My oldest was rolling his eyes before he even stepped in the front door.  I just keep reminding him that my mother drove me crazy, her mother drove her crazy and so on and so on.

It's. My. Duty.

Sadly, for me, he doesn't even bat an eye anymore.  Come on...what fun is that?

The day after Thanksgiving, that guy that I like so much found himself back at Nick's,  this time picking up pizza's to go.  I just couldn't face another dirty pot or pan, another stick of butter, another grease spattered stove.  

Couldn't do it.  

I am now declaring the day after every holiday a no cook day for the cook in the house.

All in favor?  

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Through The Tunnel

That guy that I like so much and I had the most perfect morning planned.

A little drive.

A little walk.

A little chat about the light that is always at the end of the tunnel, even though sometimes it seems really far away...and other times seems so bright and wide open that you know clearly which direction to head.

A little beach time.

The beach at wintertime is my favorite, followed closely by the beach at summertime and the beach at springtime and the beach at falltime.

A little (or a lotta) love on a plate...hot beignets with maple syrup and mounds of powdered sugar. 

And just in case you were thinking that this was the far too perfect, insert 100 million work calls that I recieved THE WHOLE MORNING.  Calls I had to take. One crossing guard crisis after another.  I'm in a tunnel job-wise right now and while I am sure there is a speck of light at the end I can't seem to focus my eyes on it.

OK, it's not that bad...but it was on Friday.  

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But seriously, if you live in southern CA....take someone you really like and go have breakfast at The Beachcomber.   Order the beignets. 

 And turn off your phone.

You'll thank me.