O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum.....

The house didn't stay spotless very long, but its still better than normal.... lol.    Let me set the house up a little first.  It is Victorian, the original being similar to a 'box' style house... meaning four connecting rooms on both levels.  The present kitchen was added on while my grandmother was still a young girl here (including a bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in storage closet upstairs).  They also had to dig the basement for the addition for access to the existing basement's coal room and oil tank (we still use oil for heat).  Ok, that said, here are the house pictures.....        

So that's it.  I need to get an outside shot, but I'm waiting (hoping) for snow--that just sets the whole thing off.....  

Enjoy and have a great evening...  

Cat        

Long time coming...

Before I post Christmas decor pictures, I best catch up on some Gracie moments and milestones.  My procrastinating-self combined with lack of knowledge means these are very, very late......  

So in order of the happening, I give you 15 seconds of Grace:  

Birthday~~

       

 Halloween~~

    Children's Museum with Nana and Aunt Nancy~~        

Ramblings and Braveheart.....

Was rather busy today.... Mom had her 'card club' girls over for their Christmas pitch-in/secret Santa exchange tonight.  That meant I spent the last 12 hours doing rather intensive cleaning--dusting every surface from top to bottom, including cobwebs from the corners (of the 12' ceilings).  Oiled all the wooden furniture and polished the electronic stuff.  Finished filling all the empty spaces with Christmas decor (pictures at some point... while the place is still spotless).  

There is no point cleaning any (decent) amount of time earlier--too many animals and the kid-- to expect it stay looking nice for long.  We straighten things and dust regularly,  but as I've written before, this type only happens for special occasions....  at least I didn't have to do windows again.  

Our Christmas tree is a Frazier Fir.  He's so full and beautiful and swallowed all our ornaments in his glorious branches.  He stands about 7 1/2 feet tall and only reach half-way around when I hug him.  I can't wait to get the pictures up so you can see.  

Dad and I have picked out a tree every year since I was about 12.  My brother used to go too, but he stopped (he was 13)... so, it has been Dad and I.  Thinking Gracie can get in on the action next year.  I remember being about 4 and thinking how big the trees were.  It was a little later when I developed a distaste for artificial trees.  

When I was working, I bought live trees and then donated them to a park or some landscape developer (sold it to them).  Takes the argument of me killing a tree for my enjoyment away.  But, these trees are specifically grown for jobs at our pleasure, they'd be cut if I bought it or not.  So in all essence, why let it die in vain....  

I admit there are wonders being done with the tree replicas... some I actually like-- the small versions for spreading the joy.  But not for this house- as the main tree, nope... that's got to be a big, nice, arborial guy.  

We haven't had this type in a long time.  We usually get Douglas Firs, though when their needles get dry, they attack.  Fraziers have rounded tips on their needles, more 3-yr-old friendly... definitely more prestigious in the pine phylum (or is that class?  species? oh well).   

Enough about that.  On a Gracie note- my daughter has become quite the little thief.... I think.  She keeps coming home with miscellaneous objects from preschool.  She took a brush last week and someone else's bill (how'd that happen?!). 

Today she came home with what she said is her teacher's hand cleaner.  I asked her where she got it from and she said from Preschool Teacher's bag! ..... Aye dios mio......  

So, guess my little swiper will need a watchdog.  I have mentioned it once before when Grace brought home some crayons she said her teacher threw away (Grace will not tolerate anything being thrown away that she sees as 'useful'), but her teacher said she did give them to her.  She rescues all kinds of things from the trash if we're not careful.

                        

She had to go to a well-child check-up today (all good) and then to WIC (Women, Infants, Children--a food supplement Agency) for recertification.  The dietician at WIC said that Grace was under height and over weight (but the woman said "to look at her I can't tell that"). 

So I said "scales can't differentiate between fat weight and muscle weight, and she's very muscular and well-defined" (you should see the girl's thighs! they're like rocks), "so I attribute the 'overweight' as more muscle than fat--which is excellent."  She said she just put in the numbers and that's what came up......   (I wondered if she even heard what I said).   

I bit my tongue of course, choosing my battles wisely these days.  Not nice to bite the hand that feeds you.....   Her doctor said she was mid-range for height and weight and I'm ok with that.  He actually looked at her :::eyes rolling:::  

Oh, but I must tell you what a big girl she was!!  WIC takes a drop of blood for an iron test (hers is 12.6, greater than 11 is what they're looking for).  So Grace goes over and sits in the chair and I said she needs to stick your finger to get a drop of blood, do you want me to come over there?  She said "No mommy" and she got stuck and said ouch... that was it.  No drama.  No tears.  And gimme my sticker now, please.   

Am impressed.  Though wondering if I should worry about her sticker fetish and relating it to getting stuck with needles.....  

Nah, just my future scientist in the making......  

Have a good night all  

Cat

Hoosier happs.....

This just in from Bernadette's place: 

You know you're from Indiana when......

You drive for three hours and the scenery outside doesn't change. Yep..

There's three feet of snow on the ground and school is still in session. Thank Goodness :)

You only go to the mall once a year 'cause it takes too long to get there. Actually, I have a mall less than 10 minutes away--I still don't go.....

While driving all you see is corn.  Not around here anymore, but 15 minutes South there's corn--progress (stinks sometimes), ya know.....

People still have Christmas decorations up at Easter. Valentine's day :)

You start saying to yourself "More than corn in Indiana my butt."  No doubt after midnight.....

Anyone with a cell phone looks out of place.  They're only good for emergencies....

Walking through Wal-Mart with two carts full of kids is normal.  Isn't that everywhere????

Anyone with a tan is rich.  Anyone with a tan here--its sprayed, rubbed or UV light-bulbed......

The hip hang-out place is McDonald's. Uh.... not in my lifetime.... yet.....

There really is more than corn in Indiana. There’s soybeans, too. Hee Hee

When you plan an orgy and a Euchre game breaks out.  Always! or Poker....

A restaurant has an invisible wall in thenon-smoking section and you believe it works. It's usually plexiglass and goes up about 3 ft from the booth ;)

Speeding consists of 2 miles over the speed limit. Not the people who drive around me... again with the progress.....

You think you don't have to use a turn signal on your car because you don't use it on your tractor.  At least we can't leave them on for miles then, can we?

You build your dream house on a cornfield, and you considered it posh. No neighbors close by means I can get loud when I'm in the mood ;)

You warsh your clothes and you think George Warshington was the first president.  Uh, yeah.....but its war like har, not war like wore.....

You're proud to be called a Hoosier, even if you don't know what one is. Extremely :)

You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Terre Haute"  Nope.....

Detassling was your first job. Bailing hay, your second. Mine was cleaning stalls first, cutting tobacco second....

You can stack hay, swim in the pond to clean off, and then have the strength to play a couple of games of hoops all in the same day.  All before noon...

You say things like "catty-wumpus" and "kitty-corner". Don't think so.....

You own a dirtbike or a ATV. When I was 8

You live in a city ... and there's a cornfield in your backyard. As earlier... 15 minutes away

High school basketball game draws a bigger crowd on the weekend nights than movie theaters. We are THE basketball state....

You can see at least 2 basketball hoops from your yard. Close by...

You can name every one of Bob Knight's "exploits" over the last few years. The General....

You shop at Marsh. Used to but they closed, now its Meijer....or Kroger

Damon Bailey was your childhood hero. Not a basketball fan (bad Hoosier, aren't I)  Mine was Lynn Swann

The biggest question of your youth was "IU or Purdue?" Still is.... we have a rivalry in the family (brother is Purdue Grad, everyone else IU) Gracie is a Purdue fan.....

Indianapolis is the "big city".   We do have the world's tallest Christmas tree.

"Getting caught by a train" is a legitimate excuse for being late to school. Yep

People at your high school chewed tobacco. Me too, 'Bandits' on the softball team....

Everyone knows who the town cop is, where he lives, and whether he is at home or on duty. He saved my young, dumb ass when I was a kid (family friend) many times.....

You actually know what the CART vs IRL debate is about and have taken a side. Yep

To you, a raccoon is simply a "coon".  Sure is

The vehicle of choice in your area is not a car, but a pickup.  4 x4 with a Hemi...

Someone you know is BIG John Mellencamp fan.  Isn't everyone...

You've been to the Covered Bridge Festival.  Every year...

To you, a tenderloin is not an expensive cut of beef, but a big, salty, breaded piece of pork served on a bun with pickles.  I know the difference...it is food, after all :)

You call a green bell pepper a "mango".  Again with the difference...

Sometimes, you call the toilet the "commode" or the "stool".  Toilet works for me... anythings better than 'the john' though.....

In the fall, one of your favorite pranks was corning cars.  Nope....

You know what FFA and 4H stand for.  FFA=Future Farmers of America, 4h =Head, Heart, Hand, Health

You know what chip-and-seal is, and your high school was located on just such a road.  Nope, not this chick....

You go the county fair every night of it's week-long duration. County Fair once, State Fair twice....

You can say "French Lick" without laughing out loud.  Its a nice little romantic place.... home of Larry Bird

There's actually a college near you named "Ball State."  Ball State is in Muncie, I'm closer to Indiana University and University of Indianapolis, Butler U isn't far either....

The last "g" is silent in any word ending in "ing."  Depending on the situation...

You think the state Bird is Larry. Its a cardinal....

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Indiana.  But, of course....

Check yours out.....  

Cat

I'm a travelin' man.....

This is circulating around J-Land, so I thought I'd join in-although I know I'm missing 4 states to complete my journey around our Union... The Dakotas, Maine, and Alaska...

visited 47 states (92%) <~~ the site said 47 states, but its only 46....

I'm not sure how I missed going through the Dakotas on my journeys, but I did... they're on my list to go to next time I travel.  Maine--I have a cousin who lives there, but not sure when I'll head east again.  I prefer South or West.  I will go to Alaska, I swear I will......

Where have you been?

Cat

 

The Family Curse....

It happened.  I was waiting.... hoping..... that Grace would be bypassed by it.  I didn't get that lucky.   

My family has this curse, see.  It started with Grandma Freida (Dad's grandmother on his mom's side) and passed down to him, and now to me....  

Explains why neither of my uncles, nor my aunt ever had children.  They didn't want to pass it on.  I don't blame them, they saw what I went through when I was younger and decided it wasn't worth it.  Some days I question it myself.  

I'm not sure what started it.... may have been the mouth, the attitude, the whole sarcastic sense of humor and the curious love of oxymorons- who knows.  It just happens.  Out of the blue, one day...  

All because my great grandmother told my grandma "One day you're gonna have a kid just like you!"  Grandma told Dad the same thing and I came along.  Dad said it to me when I was younger.   

And today, Grace proved to be a carrier..... of  Acute Silver-tongued  Smart-aleck Syndrome, or ASS Syndrome. 

Symptoms of this include arguing your point--even when you know you're wrong;  Always, and I mean ALWAYS having to have the last word;  Never saying "I'm sorry, or I'm wrong".   Oh, I could go on... but I'm sure you've all experienced this syndrome at some point....  

It makes for a long, hard childhood and pure hell in adolescence--but hopefully, she'll come around sometime after high school and the symptoms will go away.....  

Until then..... I'm biting my tongue not to repeat the curse to Gracie :)  

Have a nice night, ya'll                                                *~*Tag by the Tag Lounge*~*                                                                                 (About time, eh?!)

An infamous day....

At 7:55 A.M. on Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, a Japanese force of 183 airplanes attacked U.S. military and naval facilities on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands without warning. For 30 minutes, dive bombers, and torpedo planes struck airfields and naval vessels.

After a 15-minute lull, a second wave of 170 planes launched another attack at 8:40 that lasted 1 hour.

Casualities to U.S. service personnel were 2,343 killed, 960 missing, and 1,272 wounded; 151 U.S. planes destroyed on the ground and all eight U.S. battleships at anchor in Pearl Harbor were either sunk or damaged. At a cost of only 28 airplanes shot down, the Japanese had dealt the U.S. a staggering blow.

On Dec. 8th, the U.S. declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy, bound by treaty with Japan, declared war on the U.S. on Dec. 11. The U.S. then declared war on these two Axis partners of Japan.

 

 

 

**story & photos from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

63rd Anniversary of D-Day

Cat