The trials and tribulations of 2020 and lucky black-eyed peas

So, I haven’t updated this blog much lately.  Guess I’ve just been super busy being depressed and quarantined. It's not all been lounging in pajamas and sleeping late, however. I have been working with Bowdabra blog as well as Make it easy crafts blog and there just isn’t enough time in the day.  I really do not understand it, but even though I have nowhere to go and the days seem endless, I never seem to get anything done! Perhaps it is the time change where it’s dark at 5:00 P.M. Or more than likely, the real reason is that when the days all seem to blend together and I feel like it's a scene from "Groundhog Day", it is hard to rev up my ambition. I've never before asked my husband so many times, "Is today Wednesday or Thursday?" 

 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas is on the horizon how are those decorations going?  If you are like me, it is a little bit here and even less there.  In the past I was like Clark Griswald from "Christmas vacation", going overboard with three trees and a multitude of decorations. Now, I’m more like the Grinch, just hoping the holiday would pass quickly and quietly.  Why the big change?

 

Well, the world has changed.  So many restrictions and so many fears.  Solitude while once sought after for a moment or two has become the norm.  Ok, so I’m not totally alone.  I do have my husband and even though he is the easiest man to get along with, spending this much time together is a bit challenging.  I get cranky.  He gets cranky. It can only go downhill from there.

 

And then, there is streaming.  We’ve streamed everything that is worth watching and now all that remains are some dubbed in B movies and dopey Christmas romances. I'm just not into the bad acting and hokey stories. I've suffered through the Christmas prince meets the Christmas pauper one too many times. Even the holiday music is annoying. Not in the mood for a holiday tale? Ask yourself, how many times can they make a movie out of a giant, people eating sandworm?

 

I've never been one to binge-watch, but this year I’ve binged entire seasons of old TV shows in one day. 

 

I have a new studio and I cannot get the inspiration to paint. It used to be I would relish an extra hour or so to paint and now I have endless hours and yet I can’t manage that first brush stroke.

 

And while we are talking, what’s up with the mail. I went to order a Christmas present for my husband in November and even though they charged quite a bit for shipping, it wouldn’t get there before Christmas.  Nope, no gift arriving before January, that is, unless one will fork over another $15, $20, $30 extra fees depending upon when you want it to arrive.  So Cyber-Monday is deceptive unless you want to spend $50 for that personalized “totally free and only pay shipping” coffee mug.

 

Shop local…love to, if I only didn’t have to wear a mask.  I am unlucky enough to have suffered my entire life with asthma.  Covering my mouth and nose causes an anxiety-induced asthma attack and I must leave the store within five minutes.  Ever try to leisurely shop while you are suffocating?

 

When the clock struck 12 a.m. on Jan 1, 2020, I was in bed with the flu or something similar that took me 3 weeks to get over.  So, I didn’t cook my usual lucky black-eyed peas and rice like I have done every year in the past.  I think that was the reason the year 2020 was so difficult. I jinxed it.   This January 1, 2021, come hell or high water I am getting out the black-eyed peas and cooking up a double batch.  

 

 

Are you pitching a tent for the Black Friday sales or are you sitting on the computer on Cyber Monday?

Black Thursday, Black Friday, Small business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are all names intent on removing money from wallets.  Here is my issue, however, they weren’t happy just focusing on Friday with lines wrapped around the building.  They had to take away Thanksgiving.  Now, the lines start on Thanksgiving Day.  They pitch tents and bring chairs and sit in the frigid cold. And for what, a flat-screen TV or the latest gaming system?

“Material-itis” is what I call it.  It is the need for material things over any other needs.  And are you truly honest with yourself? How much are you really paying for that 55-inch TV? Time is money.  You may not realize it but you are working for an object as you sit and sleep on the sidewalk in the cold.

When I was a kid, we got one gift.  It wasn’t extravagant.  It didn’t take three months of salary to pay for.  We didn’t make lists that contained things that were hard to obtain. Parents didn’t have to fight unscrupulous people who sit in lines to buy hard to get items so they can sell it for 10 times as much on eBay. Whatever we got we appreciated.  We didn’t get multiple gifts either.  One person, one gift that was the way it was.

Whose birthday is it anyway?  It’s not yours, it’s not mine, and it’s not theirs.  Who should really be getting the gifts?  And if he were to say what he really wanted, it wouldn’t be a material thing.  Do you think he would want a 60- inch flat screen TV, of course not? It would be easy to get him a gift.  He would want you to be kind.  He would want you to give to someone less fortunate.  It would be to buy something for a stranger without expecting anything in return.  Mostly he would want you to spread love, and love doesn’t cost a thing.  You can spread the love on Black, purple, or any color or day of the week.

So for those who are pitching those tents for Material gains.  For those who will push and shove and cut through lines for TV’s and more I say you are missing out on the true feeling and meaning of Christmas.  You are putting greed in your hearts instead of love.  I guess it will continue until you realize that one day those TV’s you worked so hard to get will be sitting in a landfill with all the other material things you once valued above all else. 

So this Christmas, I hope you are like me and steer clear of the sales that are nothing but a way to get you in a store, but if you do venture out, spread some love. Make someone’s day a little brighter even if it’s only because you smiled at him or her. And then you will see what Christmas means to me.

What do you do about the island of unwanted Christmas gifts?

Each Christmas well-meaning friends and relatives purchase a vast amount of gifts that are neither wanted or used.  Where do these unwanted Christmas gifts end up?  Well, in my house they end up in a pile in the basement.  I call it the island of lost and unwanted gifts.  Every so often I re-gift.  Yeah I know re-gifting is tacky.  And I would never re-gift a gaudy faux jewel encrusted box to someone who I knew wouldn't like it.  So I occasionally take a trip to the local Goodwill store.  After all you can take it off your taxes and donating feels good.

Gift cards are easy.  There are a ton of websites where a non-athletic person can trade a sporting goods gift card for, say, a Starbucks.  Another option is to sell gift cards you will never use.  Sure you get less than the face value, but it's better than sitting in a drawer for all eternity.  Be careful, however, and make sure the website is legitimate.

This year my husband received a virtual reality viewer.  He's in his 60's.  People in their sixties aren't interested in sitting in a room with a pendulous contraption strapped to their heads to look at scenery and such.  Although television commercials would have you believe otherwise, people of that age are more into real reality.  They go outside.  They ride roller coasters.  They experience real life.

I received a 1-inch square tile to attach to anything so that I can locate it via my phone.  Granted I lose things.  I get it.  I'm a ditz.  The thing I lose the most, however, is my phone.  The second thing I lose are my glasses and a tile hanging from them would be annoying at the very least.  And if I was the sort of person who wore those chains to keep them near at all times (which I don't) the problem of loss would be solved for $1.49.

I know gift giving is hard.  But you would think it would be easier for adult children.  So what follows is a gift giving guide for adult children-- for all occasions.

1.  Don't give knick-knacks or other dust catchers.  If they are old enough to be your parents, they have more than enough of those.

2.  Don't give them something you would like.  They are not in their 20's anymore.

3.  Clothing is a big NO.  Sizing is variable and do you really want to give your dad a jacket meant for a teenager in size XXL and have it still not fit?

4.  Don't give food.  Maybe you are unaware that dad had a heart issue and you gave him a membership to a bacon of the month club.

5.  Jewelry is governed by taste and style.  Stud earring for someone who only wears french hooks won't be worn.  And a monogram bracelet for a dad who wouldn't be caught dead in anything other than a wedding band is not a great idea.

6. Talk amongst your siblings if possible so your parents don't end up with 7 bird feeders.

7.  T-shirts with funny sayings or pictures.  Enough said!

8.  Gift cards to places the intended recipient would never go. Steer clear of a cute gift shop 60 miles away.  I don't like to tout stores, but Amazon can be used for many things and you can shop while you are in your pajamas.

9.  Restaurant cards are also not a super choice unless you are sure they love that restaurant.  A seafood restaurant isn't cool for someone allergic to sea food and a burger joint would be in bad taste for a vegetarian.

10.  Details!  Pay attention.  If you mom hates pink don't buy her a pink scarf even if it is cashmere.

So in conclusion it is really quite simple.  If you want a great idea of what you can get your parents any time of the year, think outside the wrapped box.  Memories are a great gift.  Smiles and laughter go a long way to enliven the soul.  Offers to help put away Christmas decorations or even help put them up before is so much more appreciated than skis.  Take them out to dinner and enjoy time together.  Spend time with them and call them often.  Gift a gift of yourself.  That is the best gift of all!

Where is the happy and jubilant Christmas magic?

Drinking coffee off the counter

It’s almost Christmas and I’m wondering where or where is the happy and jubilant Christmas magic? The stores are crowded, the roads are jammed, and we all have a list a mile long before Christmas. 

Actually I’m feeling a little guilty that I never appreciated all the things my parents did to make Christmases so special.  Now that I am a parent and my kids are adults that just take everything for granted I’m feeling unappreciated.

Does anyone even notice that my husband and I work non-stop?  Do they realize that we spent days and days bringing boxes of Christmas stuff up from the basement?  Do they see we decorate 2 large trees and two small ones?  Would they even notice if we didn’t do it?

Does anyone see that I spent an entire evening addressing my Christmas cards in calligraphy?

Baking cookies loses it’s homey magic at about midnight after you spill an entire bottle of vanilla and look like a flour covered yeti.

Christmas shopping becomes a chore instead of a labor of love after you search for a parking space for an hour and then find one only to have someone zip in before you.

And lets not forget the lines where children are definitely not watching out, but crying and pouting no matter who is coming to town.

And on Christmas day everyone just shows up and expects a big dinner.  They bring their dogs and if that dog has an accident—well, it wasn’t fluffy.  Geez I’m living in a rendition of a Christmas vacation movie.

This morning after little sleep I got up and proceeded to brew a cup of coffee in the Kuerig coffee maker.  Oops, forgot to put the cup under it before I pressed brew.  Ever rush around looking for a vacant cup while coffee is spilling all over the counter?  Well, I can tell you it’s not fun.

So, I soldier on and swear next year it will be different. 

And just when I am about to chuck the turkey on the front lawn, I hear that someone received my Christmas card and loved the calligraphy so much that they are keeping the envelope.  It made them smile. It made them happy.

So I guess the jubilant Christmas magic is not in the big things.  It’s not in the lights and work and the gifts.  It’s in the smiles.  It’s there; it’s just not as obvious anymore.

Do you like your Virginia winter weather cold or hot?

So, I got my hubby a new alarm clock.  It projects the temperature and time on the ceiling of the bedroom.  Lying in bed you just look up and you know how you should dress in the morning.  This is a very important thing living in Virginia.

Last week the clock projected the temps in the teens and not 3 days later we almost broke 70 degrees!  That’s Virginia weather.  There is truth in the saying, “if you don’t like the weather in Virginia, stick around fro 24 hours. 

It’s hard to believe that the temps can fluctuate so drastically.  One day you are grabbing your heaviest sweater, gloves, hats and coats, and the next you are looking for tank tops and flip-flops!  Last Christmas we had to turn the air conditioner on, and two days later the fireplace was blazing and we were pulling out the fleece sheets.

Let me be clear, this is not Florida and Mother Nature better get on the ball here.  So she just needs to pick a temperature range and stick to it. 

Maybe this is happening because of the complainers.  Mother nature is simply trying to make everyone happy.  As soon as the temps reach the 30’s everybody from the TV newscasters to everyman on the street starts complaining about the cold.  These same people rant and rave about the awful the heat and humidity when summer rolls around.  Mother nature needs to realize that you cannot please everyone.

So, my suggestion to this Mother Nature is to just give it up.  Let the seasons be what they are meant to be.  Summers, hot, winters, cold, and spring and fall temperate.  Will that please everyone?  Nope.  

Are you prepared for Christmas blister package accidents?

Yes, it wasn’t a misprint.  I did ask you if you were prepared for Christmas blister package accidents?  Every year we buy presents for our friends and loved ones in hard clamshell blister packages.  So it is one rip and tear away from a Christmas blister package accident!

Gifts, especially for children are so exciting and they dive in headfirst ripping off the paper, then alas, struggle with the blister packages.  The thing is, blister packages don’t rip.  They are steel trap strong.  And personally I don’t understand why small toys need to be locked fort Knox-like.  I mean you’ve already bought them for the kiddies.

So you offer to help.  You rip, twist, and tear.  And even with your gym membership superman strength, nothing happens but frustration.  Your next step is to grab the scissors but that only makes the plastic sharper.  Pretty soon you will become a statistic of a Christmas blister package accident.

“Geez, Dad, your bleeding on my super hero figures.”

“Will the blood hurt the batteries Dad?”

“Daddy, Mommy says you need to put some money in the swear jar.”

So what to do about Christmas blister package accidents?  Stuff your stockings with plastic bandage strips.  I know, I know, it’s an odd stocking stuffer, but honestly you will be happy when you don’t need to run out to a convenience store on Christmas day to buy some. 

Just wanted to say that I’ve been busy with other websites of late and have been a little lax on this my first blog.  This blog I raised from a tiny tot, or should I say Giga-tot.  Anyway a friend pointed it out to me (not giving out names, Fred) that I have let my little blog sit unloved.  Hope you enjoy my insights or outsights however you may view them.