The Pirate Smiles

Christmas came almost a month early for the Pirate this year.  I received this gorgeous Empire Red Kitchen Aid!!  I'm stoked.  Really, really stoked.

D is also a very happy camper and the two of us are going to learn to use it together.  I'm quite sure that will be VERY interesting and will probably create a few blog posts and FB statuses all on it's own.

Now all we have to do is decide what we want to make first.  The possibilities are endless,  but I'm thinking something simple should be the first thing we tackle.   Something like a cake, not made from a mix,  with homemade frosting,   or cookies,  but I have money riding on those brownies D saw in the recipe book, none of which I should be eating.  ):   I can take a test piece though.  Right?

I'll let you know how it all turns out.........Once we recover from our sugar high.

Black Friday

We are living in a crazy, crazy world. I'm sure most of you have observed the news on TV of Black Friday this year. From the mad rush at the doors opening to the violence that ensued over the products, it was a total mess. It's been that way for years, but seems to be getting worse every year.

Black Friday needs to be shut down. Yes, I said that. I dared to go there. There should be no more Black Friday. Really, there is no need for it. Why can the stores not actually buy enough of the product for everybody? Running the sales over a period of a week should help eliminate the frenzy that occurs on Black Friday.

I do realize that running the sales for a week would take away that rush of adrenlin and the ability to brag about what a great deal I got when I knocked down that little old lady who actually had it in her hands, or the number of people I tripped on the way in the door so I could get to the bin first.

Just think folks, it's the beginning of the CHRISTMAS holiday. Doesn't it just bring all the joy, wonder and magic of the Christmas season to the forefront when we begin it with a fight at the Walmart?

A Monumental Day

Today is a day worthy of note.  It is mine and D's 20th anniversary.  It's sad that now days,  20 years is considered a long time to be married.

There are those in our lives who never thought we would make it,  and in those first years,  sometimes it was touch and go.  Two people coming from two totally different backgrounds,  yet we made it work.  We made it work because we were determined to make it work,  and because we do love each other.

In today's world,  so many people seem to forget that marriage should be forever.  They reach a point where they think the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence and off they go,  or they're just tired of being married and are looking for something newer,  more exciting.  I'm not advocating staying in a relationship that involves some type of abuse,  but just because he leaves socks on the floor and she is a lousy cook, is no reason to be off on a new adventure.

So I raise my cup of coffee to D,  thanks for 20 great years,  and here's to 20 more!

BRRRR!!!!

It's a balmy 28* outdoors this morning.  Definitely not in my top 10 favorite temps!  It's a beautiful morning though.  What leaves are left on the trees are glowing in the morning light and giving their colors everything they have before finally falling to the ground to await the freezing rains and snows that will follow at some point.

I'm not a fan of winter time.  I was as a child, because like most children,  I seldom paid any attention to the cold.  I ran and played and rolled in the snow and just generally enjoyed myself.  However,  I have never liked Fall.   Though it is probably the most beautiful season we have,  it also signals death.  The death of the summer, no longer am I able to be outside and free.  If I am outside,  I have to be bundled up and I have to actually wear, gasp,  shoes and socks!!   UNSPEAKABLE!

However,  life is good inside the Pirate's Lair.   I have warm jammies,  socks, fuzzy house shoes,  a fire, and my favorite tour guide is bringing me a cup of coffee.  It doesn't get much better than this.

A New Day

I'm sitting here this morning,  just enjoying the quiet and the beauty of the morning.  It's a clear, frosty, Sunday morning and the world seems silent, as is usual for a Sunday morning.  The hurrying of the past week is over and those who were in such a hurry have settled in for a morning to rest before beginning all over again tomorrow.

I love these mornings. The cat has plastered herself over the arm of the sofa like Snoopy on top of his dog house.  The dogs are curled together on the ottoman in front of the fire, occasionally whimpering and moving their legs as if running.  Perhaps they are dreaming of rabbits or of chasing the cat.  The aroma that comes from my coffee cup draws me to think of the fall weather and the holidays to come. 

At some point today,  I will be able to open the door or the windows and the quiet will be broken by the sounds of bicycles on the street,  scooters being ridden,  and children calling to one another.   I'm quite sure that at some point, the cat will be found in the livingroom window, laying in the sun,  and Annie will be watching and listening for any sound that will indicate somebody somewhere sneezed, or spoke, or yawned and heaven help my ears if they dare to walk out into her line of vision.  Lucy?  Well,  Lucy will be alert for anything and everything that might scare her.

But for now,  the quiet continues.  The steady hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the hiss of the flame from the fireplace is almost sleep inducing.  Maybe I will join my 3 four-legged buddies and we will all enjoy another brief nap on a quiet Sunday morning.