Whirlwind

When I was a little girl, I couldn't WAIT to grow up! Grandma would gently remind me that it would happen soon enough. "Don't wish your life away," she'd advise. I was confident that she had no idea what she was talking about. What I failed to realize was how much faster the earth rotates on its axis once you hit old age your forties. Grandma knew that there are never enough hours in the day to process all of the whining and complaining tend to all that needs tending. Work, home, and family pull you in more directions than you ever thought possible, leaving you a rumpled mess at the end of the day.

Enter - THE HOLIDAY SEASON. The time of year that strikes fear in the hearts of mothers, and leaves small children with unrealistic expectations. Or, is it the other way around?

Those of you who have read my blog for any length of time are aware that the holidays changed for me once my grandmother went on to a better place. Last year was the year of firsts. First Thanksgiving and first Christmas without our beloved Grandma. We started new traditions, and muddled through the best we could. In retrospect, it wasn't bad, just different.

The main thing that changed last year was the pace. The whirlwind of holiday activity slowed a bit, as we focused more on family and food than commercialism. Spending precious time together became more important than exchanging gifts. I'd like to continue that this year. We are all watching our pennies more closely, and this may prove to be a popular plan with the extended family. The added benefit will be the stress reduction. Prepare your favorite dish, and come on over! Simple. Perfect.

We have a house FULL of relatives and friends who will be joining us next Friday for our "Day After" Thanksgiving Feast - Year Two. Our home, although crowded, will be filled with good food, laughter and stories of years past. I know Grandma would be pleased:)

Oyster Festival Rewind - Friday

Mullets. Bands. Bike Cops. Firemen's Parade. Cowboy Hats. Laughter. Bloggers. Little Miss Spat. Meat Wagon. Oysters. Family. Friends. Wine. Red Boots.

Firemen's Parade

Notice the porta-potties (on the right) and the moon (top left).

Sirens. WHAT?

One of my favorite places to visit!

Meat Wagon Cupholder.

The beginning of a fun-filled weekend of women behaving badly !

Kindness

It's dark when I get up in the morning, and it's dark when I get home from work. It's been raining for two days, and all signs point to two more days of the blasted stuff. Along with flooding, downed trees and possible loss of power. The beautiful weather we experienced last weekend is a distant memory.

My cat is in a state of weather denial. She's a "stick your head in the sand" kind of gal!!

I'm fortunate to have some amazing friends whose random acts of kindness always get me through the storms. Krissa over at Halfasstic sent me this cute wall hanging. I'd better stock up on Aqua Net and buy a new teasing comb!!

Another friend stopped by the office today and brought this homemade apple pie. I'm going to stop on the way home and pick up some vanilla ice cream to go along with it. Jealous?

I am very thankful for the kindness of friends. They always seem to be there when you need them most.

My Favorite Veteran

Photo borrowed from this site.

I call him every year to wish him a Happy Veteran's Day. This year, I decided to thank him publicly.

"Grandaddy" , thank you for serving our country in Vietnam. I cannot imagine the horrors you must have endured.

You are my hero!

Oyster Festival

Picture borrowed from this site.



It's hard to believe it's been a whole year since I posted this, this, this and this about the Urbanna Oyster Festival. Where does the time go?



Well, believe it or not, it's that time again. I'm confident that I will return with a weeks worth of posts that are sure to make you laugh! Go over to Chesapeake Bay Woman's site to find out who is attending this year......you may know some of those crazy ladies;) My family will also be there in full force. They ALWAYS make me laugh......in a good way, of course!



As usual, I am rushing to try to get everything done before I have to leave. I still need to finish laundry, pack, get a cooler together and dig out lawn chairs and gloves. Did I mention that I'm at work right now? Nothing like waiting until the last minute...GAH!



Have a good weekend, and enjoy the eye candy I'm sending your way today;)

Vote

Get out there and VOTE!

Birds Of A Feather...Or Not

For a couple of weeks now, Cool Breeze has been telling me that there is an albino turkey living in our woods. I got my first glimpse Saturday morning. It's always exciting to see a large group of turkeys in the field, but the albino added a whole new dimension. A bright spot in an otherwise dreary weekend.

What was the bright spot in YOUR weekend?