"I am so glad to see swamps again."

That was the first comment son #3 made to me after his drive home from the New Orleans airport. Swamps. Swamps!? He's a true south Louisianian, that's for sure.

He also commented on how different the water is here compared to Raleigh. He (along with his sister) swear the powers that be in Raleigh are putting something in Raleigh's water because of the drought. ?? (True south Louisianians, that's for sure.)

The kids were here. Now they're gone. It was the usual whirl-wind, enjoyed by all. Now I'm lonely -- and busy washing and putting away allllll those sheets and blankets. I'll be back soon to recap Christmas.

Hubby got a job offer yesterday. The job is down New Orleans way so it would be a longish commute (which many people here take daily), or he could spot the 5th wheel for convenience. He's on the phone on a phone interview for another job as I type. That job would be in St. Louis -- well, not in St. Louis but....close.

The washer and dryer are dinging my name so I'll be back later....

A Merry and Blessed Christmas to all!

I'll be finishing up the last of the cooking and readying of the house and then we're off to New Orleans to pick up the kids. Things aren't completely ready but -- ready enough. The temps are going to be near 80 until Sunday so it's going to be another air-conditioned Christmas down this way. Oh, well.

I wish for you all a peaceful, satisfying couple of days. My prayer is that we can all manage a time of contentment before facing what I fear may be a trying new year.

Oh....I had to make the dreaded WalMart trip (because they're just downright cheaper on some things) and as I got out of the car the Coke truck drove up. You know the one I mean? The one that you see in commercials all lighted up driving down the interstate? I've always loved seeing that commercial and I got to see the truck (or its clone) up close and personal. It's so neat -- almost as neat as the coke bears.

Have a good one!

Dreams....

I've been having an ongoing discussion with a friend about dreams. I tend to think dreams fall into two main categories -- dreams that are merely working out everyday problems and stresses, and dreams that are warnings and should be paid attention to. I think the second type of dreams are rare (they are with me anyway). Most of my dreams, if I remember them, can be explained with something I saw/heard/thought about a day or so before the dream. I don't know that I've had a monentous dream that made an impact on my life. (I guess I'd remember it if I had!) Over the last few years I have had something unusual (for me) happen in my dreams. It's only happend a very few times but I've heard a word spoken and realized that the word was very important. I've usually waked up and tried to remember the work but for the life of me I haven't been able to. I've come close to remembering but....can't. The first time this happened I actually woke up and grabbed a pencil and paper and wrote down the word, but the next morning I couldn't read what I'd written. Have you ever tried writing down something in complete darkness -- half asleep?

Anywho....this friend of mine has an opinion of dreams that has been keeping me up at night. She believes that when we dream we actually leave our bodies. Is that freaky or what? Leaving your body. What if you can't get back into it? If the fact that this bothers me doesn't prove that I'm too much of a control freak, I don't know what will. The thought of leaving my body, especially if I'm asleep and don't know it, is unsettling to me. Very unsettling.

Missing -- holiday spirit.

I just can't find my holiday spirit. If anyone has any extra, send it my way.

I'm going through the motions but can't get in the spirit. This is the most disorganized Christmas I can remember -- counting when the kids were small and I was working two jobs. Back then it was hard but at least I could make a schedule and get things done by plodding along doing one task at a time, but this year so much is out of my control. I can't do this until someone else does that, and it's driving me crazy! But....it's better than it was a month ago. Much better. The room's done. (I can't believe I'm saying that.) Last week, J looked at me and said, "Is it really finished?" We can now go out the side door to get to the car (like we normally did before the storm), but if we're not careful we find ourselves still going out the front door and walking through the front yard, then through the side yard, finally making our way to the car. There is a path worn in the grass and all the workmen used to laugh and say that it would be back to normal one day. They were right but it's taking a while for us to believe it.

I broke down this year and let J get an artificial Christmas tree. I never thought I'd do that but it just doesn't matter to me anymore. The kids are going to have a fit when they come home but.... We didn't get a prelit tree (because they were out of the one we wanted) so I asked J to decide on what color lights he wanted on the tree. I should have known better. He grabbed the purple and gold lights that I'd bought for football season. Here's the problem. The box said the lights were purple and gold, but in actuality they are more orange and lilac. Now, I ask you, what the hell color ornaments go with orange and lilac? To say this is the most unusual Christmas tree we've ever had is a bit of an understatement. Yep. The kids are going to have a fit when they get here.

J is officially laid off -- although he has been into work two days this week. It's a hell of a thing. He had an interview Monday and has another one Friday. If neither of those come through we'll be hitting the road again. It's a hell of a thing. I'm grateful that there's work; it's just not local. He was talking to a shop in Lake Charles, La yesterday and they wanted him (us) to go to St. Croix -- and leave this week. He told them he'd let them know by the end of the week but as far as I'm concerned, it's a no go. Not only is the cost of living ridiculously high but if a hurricane comes there is no where to evacuate to, you just have to deal with it. Yeah. I don't think I'll be moving out of the frying pan into the fire. At least now when storms are coming we can leave.

I can't wait until the kids get here. There is no way we are going to have everything entirely ready but we'll be close. There are dozens a few things that they can help finish up. That's their Christmas present to us -- it was their suggestion, so we'll be busy. So, maybe this wacky year will end with us having the new room complete, the patio ready to be enjoyed, and....J and I packing up the 5th wheel and hitting the road again. It's a hell of a thing.

Little Carol....

Little Carol came into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner.
Her birthday was coming up and she thought this was a good time to tell
her mother what she wanted.

'Mom, I want a bike for my birthday.'

Now, Little Carol was a bit of a troublemaker.. She had gotten into
trouble at school and at home. Carol's mother asked her if she thought she
deserved to get a bike for her birthday. Little Carol, of course, thought
she did.
Carol's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted her to reflect on her
behavior over the last year, and write a letter to God and tell him why
she deserved a bike for her birthday. Little Carol stomped up the steps to
her room and sat down to write God a letter.

LETTER 1:

Dear God:

I have been a very good girl this year and I would like a bike for my
birthday. I want a red one.

Your friend,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true. She had not been a very good girl this year,
so she tore up the letter and started over.

LETTER 2:

Dear God:

This is your friend Carol. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and I
would like a red bike for my birthday.

Thank you,

Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true either. She tore up the letter and started again.

LETTER 3:
Dear God:

I know I haven't been a good girl this year. I am very sorry. I will be a
good girl if you just send me a red bike for my birthday.

Thank you,

Carol

Carol knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get her a
bike. By now, she was very upset. She went downstairs and told her mother
she wanted to go to church.
Carol's mother thought her plan had worked because Carol looked very sad.

'Just be home in time for dinner,' her mother said.

Carol walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. She looked
around to see if anyone was there. She picked up a statue of the Virgin
Mary, slipped it under her jacket and ran out of the church, down the
street, into her house, and up to her room.
She shut the door
and sat down and wrote her letter to God.

LETTER 4:

I GOT YOUR MAMA.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.

Signed,
YOU KNOW WHO

Let it sneaux, let it sneaux, let it sneaux!

This is what I woke up to today! So pretty! It came quickly and by noon it was slowly melting away but it was fun while it lasted. We were actually having thunder snow this morning and, because down this way we name storms, people were calling this snow storm things like snow-stav (in honor of Hurricane Gustav), and Jack (for the obvious -- Jack Frost, and because the letter J would have been the next named storm to have hit us after Gustav and Ike. Silly I know, and we stopped pretty quickly after someone called the radio station to remind people that named storms carry a hefty deduction on your homeowners insurance. Yep. We stopped that foolishness pretty darn quickly. And....once power started going out around town we started giving that white stuff different looks.

There was this one thing I heard on the radio that still seems funny to me. Many people on their way in to work this morning were stranded in their cars when the interstates had to be closed. That wasn't funny, it was how some of the people who were stranded took it in stride. They called in to the radio station asking when the helicopters would be coming to pick them up. Maybe you have to live here to really appreciate hurricane humor, but.... that was kind of funny.

Things are pretty much back to normal except that it's still cold, but, not to worry, it'll be back in the 70's in a couple of days. Oh, well. There's a steaming pot of soup and a pan of crusty cornbread sitting on my stove so life's not bad right now. And....check out the view from the newly finished room (pay no attention to the Rubbermaid crates -- we're still moving in....)