Under The Hawthorn Tree (341/365)

“Have you noticed that even the busiest people are never too busy to take time to tell you how busy they are?”

Bob Talbert (American, newspaper columnist, 1939-1999)

TIME:  4:07 PM
PLACE:  Grade school
SUBJECT:  Fruit on a Hawthorn tree

*Sigh* Just another relaxing day on my day off.  I spent my morning at school, helping out with the PTA’s annual Santa’s Cottage.  Santa’s Cottage is an event that lets the kids shop for family and friends in the gym.  The “cottage” has small gifts, knickknacks and other items that range in prices from 25 cents to four dollars.  Then it was off to the beautician for a haircut at 11:30am and then to the grocery store to pick up ice cream for the 4th & 5th grade boys basketball celebration after school.  I also stopped by the bakery to pick up a cake HH had ordered.  At the celebration, HH took individual and team photos of the boys; I served them cake and ice cream and our town’s police chief and a local Paralympic athlete stopped by at HH’s invitation, to congratulate the boys on working hard this season and the importance of giving their best in all that they do.  Ahh, well…I was busy for good causes, there is always Thursday to get other things done.

Blue Plaid Flannel (340/365)

Cher: So, this flannel thing. Is that a nod to the crispy Seattle weather, or are you just trying to stay warm in front of the refrigerator?

Silverstone, Alicia, perf. Clueless. Dir. Amy Heckerling. 1995. Paramount Pictures.

TIME:  9:32 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  HandsomeHusband’s flannel shirt

When it gets cold, like it is right now, I like to wear HH’s Sherpa lined, flannel shirt.  It’s soft, warm, comfy and large enough to fit over whatever I happen to be wearing.  The kids also like to throw it on when they take the dog out.  Poor HH, I think the kids and I have been wearing it more than he does lately.

Jerky (339/365)

Dale Doback: Dad, we're men. That means a few things - we like to s*** with the door open, we talk about <redacted>, we go on riverboat gambling trips, and we make our own beef jerky. That's what we do, and now that is all wrecked.

Reilly, John C., perf. Step Brothers. Dir. Adam McKay. 2008. Columbia Pictures.

TIME:  6:21 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Beef jerky in the dehydrator

HandsomeHusband helped out a friend on Saturday and they gave him a gift card to Sears.  He sent me to the mall last night with the gift card and a mission – to buy a food dehydrator.  I’m not one to turn down a shopping trip (especially one with free money!), so I gladly did as he asked.  He thinly sliced a round steak this morning, marinated it for a few hours and placed it in the dehydrator.  It still needs a couple more hours of drying time.  MonkeyBoy is just salivating with anticipation.  I think we are going to have place the jerky under lock and key, otherwise MB will eat it all tonight.

Seeing Santa (338/365)

Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] The line waiting to see Santa Claus stretched all the way back to Terre Haute. And I was at the end of it.

Shepard, Jean, perf. A Christmas Story. Dir. Bob Clark. 1983. Warner Bros. DVD.

TIME:  10:48 AM
PLACE:  Murphy Company
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen, Santa, StellaDella and MonkeyBoy

The annual Murphy Company Christmas party was held today (see last year’s post for background on the gathering) and I managed to force talk DQ into attending with us.  I NEEDED to have the annual photo with Santa taken so I could have it for our Christmas cards.  I fear that this might be the last year for a photo like this.  The sullen, angst-filled, I-don’t-want-to-be-seen-with-my-family, teenage years have arrived…God help me.  She did manage to produce a happy face for the photo – I’m glad, she’s beautiful, but even more so when she smiles.

Broken (337/365)

“Everything goes wrong all at once.”

Quantization Revision of Murphy's Laws

TIME:  6:51 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Kitchen table

We have had another catastrophe at the Sujomi household.  Our kitchen table broke this evening.  It is an old table – my mom got it from my dad’s side of the family back in the 1970’s and it must have been at least 20-30 years old then.  She gave it to me when I bought my 1st house in 1993 and it’s been in my kitchen ever since.  About 2 years ago, it developed a crack on one end where a couple of planks had been joined together in making the surface.  Well, tonight when DQ was leaning on it, that crack finally snapped apart completely.  Scared the bejeezus out of her.  She was upset, but I assured her it wasn’t her fault and I’m sure we can fix it.  Wood glue, clamps and some braces underneath should do it – I hope.  If not, I guess I’ll be shopping for a new kitchen table.

Glee (336/365)

Schroeder: This is the music I've selected for the Christmas play.
[Schroeder plays Fur Elise]
Lucy Van Pelt: What kind of Christmas music is *that*?
Schroeder: Beethoven Christmas music.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas." Writ. Charles M. Schulz. 1965. Television.

TIME:  7:16 & 7:37 PM
PLACE:  Junior High School gym
SUBJECT:  StellaDella & MonkeyBoy

The two youngest participated in their grade school Christmas program this evening.  SD had been serenading me the past couple of weeks by practicing her songs.  It was a short (45 minutes), sweet program and all the kiddos did great.  Then we all went to the cafeteria for cookies and lemonade.

Concerned & In The Way (335/365)

“Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause most inconvenience.”

Pam Brown (Australian poet, b1948)

TIME:  7:44 PM
PLACE:  My bed
SUBJECT:  Jack

I was not feeling well this evening.  I didn’t eat supper and as soon as I finished helping StellaDella with her homework, I went upstairs to bed.  (How sad is it that I took my camera, because I knew I needed to take a picture yet for the day?)  After I got into bed and turned on the TV, Jack climbed up and lay down on me.  He looked a little concerned that I was in bed so early.  That made up for the fact that he blocked my view of the screen.